,,life ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis ,,of ,,assisi ,,by ,,paul ,,sabatier ,quivere monachus est nihil reputat esse suum nisi citharam ,,gioacchino ,,di ,,fiore in ,apoc4 #ahb a #b ,,translated ,,by ,,louise ,,seymour ,,houghton ,,london ,,hodder ,,stoughton #aiai ,copyright1 #ahid1 by ,charles ,scribner's ,sons1 for the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,printed by the ,scribner ,press ,new ,york1 ,u4,s4,a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,the ,,strasburghers ,friends6 ,at last here is this book which ,i told you about so long ago4 ,the result is small indeed in relation to the endeavor1 as ,i1 alas6 see better than anyone4 ,the widow of the ,gospel put only one mite into the alms-box of the temple1 but this mite1 they tell us1 won her ,paradise4 ,accept the mite that ,i offer you to-day as ,god accepted that of the poor woman1 looking not at her offering1 but at her love1 ,feci quod potui1 omnia dedi4 ,do not chide me too severely for this long delay1 for you are somewhat its cause4 ,many times a day at ,florence1 at ,assisi1 at ,rome1 ,i have forgotten the document ,i had to study4 ,something in me seemed to have gone to flutter at your windows1 and sometimes they opened4444 ,one evening at ,st4 ,damian ,i forgot myself and remained long after sunset4 ,an old monk came to warn me that the sanctuary was closed4 ,per ,bacco6 he gently murmured as he led me away1 all ready to receive my confidence1 sognava d'amore o di tristitia8 ,well1 yes4 ,i was dreaming of love and of sadness1 for ,i was dreaming of ,strasbourg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction1 xi ,,chapter ,i4 ,,youth1 #a ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,stages ,,of ,,conversion1 #ae ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,church ,,about #abji1 #bh ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,struggles ,,and ,,triumphs1 #ec ,,chapter ,v4 ,,first ,,year ,,of ,,apostolate1 #ga ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,st4 ,,francis ,,and ,,innocent ,,iii41 #hh ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,rivo-,,torto1 #ajc ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,portiuncula1 #abj ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,santa ,,clara1 #adg ,,chapter ,x4 ,,first ,,attempts ,,to ,,reach ,,the ,,infidels1 #afh ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,inner ,,man ,,and ,,wonder-,,working1 #ahc ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,the ,,chapter-,,general ,,of #abag1 #aih ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,st4 ,,dominic ,,and ,,st4 ,,francis1 #bag ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,crisis ,,of ,,the ,,order1 #bci ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,the ,,rule ,,of #abba1 #beb ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,brothers ,,minor ,,and ,,learning1 #bga ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,stigmata1 #bhg ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,canticle ,,of ,,the ,,sun1 #big ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,last ,,year1 #cjh ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,francis',s ,,will ,,and ,,death1 #ccc ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,sources1 #cdg ,,appendix4 ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,stigmata ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,indulgence ,,of ,,august #b1 #dcc 99 99 99 99 99 ,,introduction ,in the renascence of history which is in a manner the characteristic of our time1 the ,middle ,ages have been the object of peculiar fondness with both criticism and erudition4 ,we rummage all the dark corners of the libraries1 we bring old parchments to light1 and in the zeal and ardor we put into our search there is an indefinable touch of piety4 ,these efforts to make the past live again reveal not merely our curiosity1 or the lack of power to grapple with great philosophic problems1 they are a token of wisdom and modesty2 we are beginning to feel that the present has its roots in the past1 and that in the fields of politics and religion1 as in others1 slow1 modest1 persevering toil is that which has the best results4 ,there is also a token of love in this4 ,we love our ancestors of five or six centuries ago1 and we mingle not a little emotion and gratitude with this love4 ,so1 if one may hope everything of a son who loves his parents1 we must not despair of an age that loves history4 ,the ,middle ,ages form an organic period in the life of humanity4 ,like all powerful organisms the period began with a long and mysterious gestation2 it had its youth1 its manhood1 its decrepitude4 ,the end of the twelfth century and the beginning of the thirteenth mark its full expansion2 it is the twentieth year of life1 with its poetry1 its dreams1 its enthusiasm1 its generosity1 its daring4 ,love overflowed with vigor2 men everywhere had but one desire--to devote themselves to some great and holy cause4 ,curiously enough1 though ,europe was more parcelled out than ever1 it felt a new thrill run through its entire extent4 ,there was what we might call a state of ,european consciousness4 ,in ordinary periods each people has its own interests1 its tendencies1 its tears1 and its joys2 but let a time of crisis come1 and the true unity of the human family will suddenly make itself felt with a strength never before suspected4 ,each body of water has its own currents1 but when the hurricane is abroad they mysteriously intermingle1 and from the ocean to the remotest mountain lake the same tremor will upheave them all4 ,it was thus in '#hi1 it was thus also in the thirteenth century4 ,never was there less of frontier1 never1 either before or since1 such a mingling of nationalities2 and at the present day1 with all our highways and railroads1 the people live more apart4#a ,the great movement of thought of the thirteenth century is above all a religious movement1 presenting a double character--it is popular and it is laic4 ,it comes out from the heart of the people1 and it looks athwart many uncertainties at nothing less than wresting the sacred things from the hands of the clergy4 ,the conservatives of our time who turn to the thirteenth century as to the golden age of authoritative faith make a strange mistake4 ,if it is especially the century of saints1 it is also that of heretics4 ,we shall soon see that the two words are not so contradictory as might appear2 it is enough for the moment to point out that the ,church had never been more powerful nor more threatened4 ,there was a genuine attempt at a religious revolution1 which1 if it had succeeded1 would have ended in a universal priesthood1 in the proclamation of the rights of the individual conscience4 ,the effort failed1 and though later on the ,revolution made us all kings1 neither the thirteenth century nor the ,reformation was able to make us all priests4 ,herein1 no doubt1 lies the essential contradiction of our lives and that which periodically puts our national institutions in peril4 ,politically emancipated1 we are not morally or religiously free4#b ,the thirteenth century with juvenile ardor undertook this revolution1 which has not yet reached its end4 ,in the north of ,europe it became incarnate in cathedrals1 in the south1 in saints4 ,the cathedrals were the lay churches of the thirteenth century4 ,built by the people for the people1 they were originally the true common house of our old cities4 ,museums1 granaries1 chambers of commerce1 halls of justice1 depositories of archives1 and even labor exchanges1 they were all these at once4 ,that art of the ,middle ,ages which ,victor ,hugo and ,viollet-le-,duc have taught us to understand and love was the visible expression of the enthusiasm of a people who were achieving communal liberty4 ,very far from being the gift of the ,church1 it was in its beginning an unconscious protest against the hieratic1 impassive1 esoteric art of the religious orders4 ,we find only laymen in the long list of master-workmen and painters who have left us the innumerable ,gothic monuments which stud the soil of ,europe4 ,those artists of genius who1 like those of ,greece1 knew how to speak to the populace without being common1 were for the most part humble workmen2 they found their inspiration not in the formulas of the masters of monastic art1 but in constant communion with the very soul of the nation4 ,therefore this renascence1 in its most profound features1 concerns less the archaeology or the architecture than the history of a country4 ,while in the northern countries the people were building their own churches1 and finding in their enthusiasm an art which was new1 original1 complete1 in the south1 above the official1 clerical priesthood of divine right they were greeting and consecrating a new priesthood1 that of the saints4 ,the priest of the thirteenth century is the antithesis of the saint1 he is almost always his enemy4 ,separated by the holy unction from the rest of mankind1 inspiring awe as the representative of an all-powerful ,god1 able by a few signs to perform unheard-of mysteries1 with a word to change bread into flesh and wine into blood1 he appeared as a sort of idol which can do all things for or against you and before which you have only to adore and tremble4 ,the saint1 on the contrary1 was one whose mission was proclaimed by nothing in his apparel1 but whose life and words made themselves felt in all hearts and consciences2 he was one who1 with no cure of souls in the ,church1 felt himself suddenly impelled to lift up his voice4 ,the child of the people1 he knew all their material and moral woes1 and their mysterious echo sounded in his own heart4 ,like the ancient prophet of ,israel1 he heard an imperious voice saying to him3 ,go and speak to the children of my people4 ,ah1 ,lord ,god1 ,i am but a child1 ,i know not how to speak4 ,say not1 ,i am but a child1 for thou shalt go to all those to whom ,i shall send thee4 ,behold ,i have set thee to-day as a strong city1 a pillar of iron and a wall of brass against the kings of ,judah1 against its princes and against its priests4 ,these thirteenth-century saints were in fact true prophets4 ,apostles like ,st4 ,paul1 not as the result of a canonical consecration1 but by the interior order of the ,spirit1 they were the witnesses of liberty against authority4 ,the ,calabrian seer1 ,gioacchino di ,fiore1 hailed the new-born revolution2 he believed in its success and proclaimed to the wondering world the advent of a new ministry4 ,he was mistaken4 ,when the priest sees himself vanquished by the prophet he suddenly changes his method4 ,he takes him under his protection1 he introduces his harangues into the sacred canon1 he throws over his shoulders the priestly chasuble4 ,the days pass on1 the years roll by1 and the moment comes when the heedless crowd no longer distinguishes between them1 and it ends by believing the prophet to be an emanation of the clergy4 ,this is one of the bitterest ironies of history4 ,francis of ,assisi is pre-eminently the saint of the ,middle ,ages4 ,owing nothing to church or school he was truly theodidact1#c and if he perhaps did not perceive the revolutionary bearing of his preaching1 he at least always refused to be ordained priest4 ,he divined the superiority of the spiritual priesthood4 ,the charm of his life is that1 thanks to reliable documents1 we find the man behind the wonder worker4 ,we find in him not merely noble actions1 we find in him a life in the true meaning of the word2 ,i mean1 we feel in him both development and struggle4 ,how mistaken are the annals of the ,saints in representing him as from the very cradle surrounded with aureole and nimbus6 ,as if the finest and most manly of spectacles were not that of the man who conquers his soul hour after hour1 fighting first against himself1 against the suggestions of egoism1 idleness1 discouragement1 then at the moment when he might believe himself victorious1 finding in the champions attracted by his ideal those who are destined if not to bring about its complete ruin1 at least to give it its most terrible blows4 ,poor ,francis6 ,the last years of his life were indeed a via dolorosa as painful as that where his master sank down under the weight of the cross2 for it is still a joy to die for one's ideal1 but what bitter pain to look on in advance at the apotheosis of one's body1 while seeing one's soul--,i would say his thought--misunderstood and frustrated4 ,if we ask for the origins of his idea we find them exclusively among the common people of his time2 he is the incarnation of the ,italian soul at the beginning of the thirteenth century1 as ,dante was to be its incarnation a hundred years later4 ,he was of the people and the people recognized themselves in him4 ,he had their poetry and their aspirations1 he espoused their claims1 and the very name of his institute had at first a political signification3 in ,assisi as in most other ,italian towns there were majores and minores1 the popolo grasso and the popolo minuto2 he resolutely placed himself among the latter4 ,this political side of his apostolate needs to be clearly apprehended if we would understand its amazing success and the wholly unique character of the ,franciscan movement in its beginning4 ,as to its attitude toward the ,church1 it was that of filial obedience4 ,this may perhaps appear strange at first as regards an unauthorized preacher who comes speaking to the world in the name of his own immediate personal inspiration4 ,but did not most of the men of '#hi believe themselves good and loyal subjects of ,louis ,,xvi48 ,the ,church was to our ancestors what the fatherland is to us2 we may wish to remodel its government1 overturn its administration1 change its constitution1 but we do not think ourselves less good patriots for that4 ,in the same way1 in an age of simple faith when religious beliefs seemed to be in the very fibre and flesh of humanity1 ,dante1 without ceasing to be a good ,catholic1 could attack the clergy and the court of ,rome with a violence that has never been surpassed4 ,st4 ,francis so surely believed that the ,church had become unfaithful to her mission that he could speak in his symbolic language of the widowhood of his ,lady ,poverty1 who from ,christ's time to his own had found no husband4 ,how could he better have declared his purposes or revealed his dreams8 ,what he purposed was far more than the foundation of an order1 and it is to do him great wrong thus to restrict his endeavor4 ,he longed for a true awakening of the ,church in the name of the evangelical ideal which he had regained4 ,all ,europe awoke with a start when it heard of these penitents from a little ,umbrian town4 ,it was reported that they had craved a strange privilege from the court of ,rome3 that of possessing nothing4 ,men saw them pass by1 earning their bread by the labor of their hands1 accepting only the bare necessities of bodily sustenance from them to whom they had given with lavish hands the bread of life4 ,the people lifted up their heads1 breathing in with deep inspirations the airs of a springtime upon which was already floating the perfume of new flowers4 ,here and there in the world there are many souls capable of all heroism1 if only they can see before them a true leader4 ,st4 ,francis became for these the guide they had longed for1 and whatever was best in humanity at that time leaped to follow in his footsteps4 ,this movement1 which was destined to result in the constitution of a new family of monks1 was in the beginning anti-monastic4 ,it is not rare for history to have similar contradictions to record4 ,the meek ,galilean who preached the religion of a personal revelation1 without ceremonial or dogmatic law1 triumphed only on condition of being conquered1 and of permitting his words of spirit and life to be confiscated by a church essentially dogmatic and sacerdotal4 ,in the same way the ,franciscan movement was originally1 if not the protest of the ,christian consciousness against monachism1 at least the recognition of an ideal singularly higher than that of the clergy of that time4 ,let us picture to ourselves the ,italy of the beginning of the thirteenth century with its divisions1 its perpetual warfare1 its depopulated country districts1 the impossibility of tilling the fields except in the narrow circle which the garrisons of the towns might protect2 all these cities from the greatest to the least occupied in watching for the most favorable moment for falling upon and pillaging their neighbors2 sieges terminated by unspeakable atrocities1 and after all this1 famine1 speedily followed by pestilence to complete the devastation4 ,then let us picture to ourselves the rich ,benedictine abbeys1 veritable fortresses set upon the hill-tops1 whence they seemed to command all the surrounding plains4 ,there was nothing surprising in their prosperity4 ,shielded by their inviolability1 they were in these disordered times the only refuge of peaceful souls and timid hearts4#d ,the monks were in great majority deserters from life1 who for motives entirely aside from religion had taken refuge behind the only walls which at this period were secure4 ,overlook this as we may1 forget as we may the demoralization and ignorance of the inferior clergy1 the simony and the vices of the prelates1 the coarseness and avarice of the monks1 judging the ,church of the thirteenth century only by those of her sons who do her the most honor2 none the less are these the anchorites who flee into the desert to escape from wars and vices1 pausing only when they are very sure that none of the world's noises will interrupt their meditations4 ,sometimes they will draw away with them hundreds of imitators1 to the solitudes of ,clairvaux1 of the ,chartreuse1 of ,vallombrosa1 of the ,camaldoli2 but even when they are a multitude they are alone2 for they are dead to the world and to their brethren4 ,each cell is a desert1 on whose threshold they cry ,o beata solitudo4 ,o sola beatitudo4 ,the book of the ,imitation is the picture of all that is purest in this cloistered life4 ,but is this abstinence from action truly ,christian8 ,no1 replied ,st4 ,francis4 ,he for his part would do like ,jesus1 and we may say that his life is an imitation of ,christ singularly more real than that of ,thomas a ,kempis4 ,jesus went indeed into the desert1 but only that he might find in prayer and communion with the heavenly ,father the inspiration and strength necessary for keeping up the struggle against evil4 ,far from avoiding the multitude1 he sought them out to enlighten1 console1 and convert them4 ,this is what ,st4 ,francis desired to imitate4 ,more than once he felt the seduction of the purely contemplative life1 but each time his own spirit warned him that this was only a disguised selfishness2 that one saves oneself only in saving others4 ,when he saw suffering1 wretchedness1 corruption1 instead of fleeing he stopped to bind up1 to heal1 feeling in his heart the surging of waves of compassion4 ,he not only preached love to others2 he himself was ravished with it2 he sang it1 and what was of greater value1 he lived it4 ,there had indeed been preachers of love before his day1 but most generally they had appealed to the lowest selfishness4 ,they had thought to triumph by proving that in fact to give to others is to put one's money out at a usurious interest4 ,give to the poor1 said ,st4 ,peter ,chrysologus1#e that you may give to yourself2 give him a crumb in order to receive a loaf2 give him a shelter to receive heaven4 ,there was nothing like this in ,francis2 his charity is not selfishness1 it is love4 ,he went1 not to the whole1 who need no physician1 but to the sick1 the forgotten1 the disdained4 ,he dispensed the treasures of his heart according to the need and reserved the best of himself for the poorest and the most lost1 for lepers and thieves4 ,the gaps in his education were of marvellous service to him4 ,more learned1 the formal logic of the schools would have robbed him of that flower of simplicity which is the great charm of his life2 he would have seen the whole extent of the sore of the ,church1 and would no doubt have despaired of healing it4 ,if he had known the ecclesiastical discipline he would have felt obliged to observe it2 but thanks to his ignorance he could often violate it without knowing it1#f and be a heretic quite unawares4 ,we can now determine to what religious family ,st4 ,francis belongs4 ,looking at the question from a somewhat high standpoint we see that in the last analysis minds1 like religious systems1 are to be found in two great families1 standing1 so to say1 at the two poles of thought4 ,these two poles are only mathematical points1 they do not exist in concrete reality2 but for all that we can set them down on the chart of philosophic and moral ideas4 ,there are religions which look toward divinity and religions which look toward man4 ,here again the line of demarcation between the two families is purely ideal and artificial2 they often so mingle and blend with one another that we have much difficulty in distinguishing them1 especially in the intermediate zone in which our civilization finds its place2 but if we go toward the poles we shall find their characteristics growing gradually distinct4 ,in the religions which look toward divinity all effort is concentrated on worship1 and especially on sacrifice4 ,the end aimed at is a change in the disposition of the gods4 ,they are mighty kings whose support or favor one must purchase by gifts4 ,most pagan religions belong to this category and pharisaic ,judaism as well4 ,this is also the tendency of certain ,catholics of the old school for whom the great thing is to appease ,god or to buy the protection of the ,virgin and the saints by means of prayers1 candles1 and masses4 ,the other religions look toward man2 their effort is directed to the heart and conscience with the purpose of transforming them4 ,sacrifice disappears1 or rather it changes from the exterior to the interior4 ,god is conceived of as a father1 always ready to welcome him who comes to him4 ,conversion1 perfection1 sanctification become the pre-eminent religious acts4 ,worship and prayer cease to be incantations and become reflection1 meditation1 virile effort2 while in religions of the first class the clergy have an essential part1 as intermediaries between heaven and earth1 in those of the second they have none1 each conscience entering into direct relations with ,god4 ,it was reserved to the prophets of ,israel to formulate1 with a precision before unknown1 the starting-point of spiritual worship4 ,bring no more vain offerings2 ,i have a horror of incense1 ,your new moons1 your ,sabbaths1 and your assemblies2 ,when you multiply prayers ,i will not hearken4 ,your hands are full of blood1 ,wash you1 make you clean1 ,put away from before my eyes the evil of your ways1 ,cease to do evil1 ,learn to do well4#g ,with ,isaiah these vehement apostrophes are but flashes of genius1 but with ,jesus the interior change becomes at once the principle and the end of the religious life4 ,his promises were not for those who were right with the ceremonial law1 or who offered the greatest number of sacrifices1 but for the pure in heart1 for men of good will4 ,these considerations are not perhaps without their use in showing the spiritual ancestry of the ,saint of ,assisi4 ,for him1 as for ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,augustine1 conversion was a radical and complete change1 the act of will by which man wrests himself from the slavery of sin and places himself under the yoke of divine authority4 ,thenceforth prayer1 become a necessary act of life1 ceases to be a magic formula2 it is an impulse of the heart1 it is reflection and meditation rising above the commonplaces of this mortal life1 to enter into the mystery of the divine will and conform itself to it2 it is the act of the atom which understands its littleness1 but which desires1 though only by a single note1 to be in harmony with the divine symphony4 ,ecce adsum ,domine1 ut faciam voluntatem tuam4 ,when we reach these heights we belong not to a sect1 but to humanity2 we are like those wonders of nature which the accident of circumstances has placed upon the territory of this or that people1 but which belong to all the world1 because in fact they belong to no one1 or rather they are the common and inalienable property of the entire human race4 ,homer1 ,shakespeare1 ,dante1 ,goethe1 ,michael ,angelo1 ,rembrandt belong to us all as much as the ruins of ,athens or ,rome1 or1 rather1 they belong to those who love them most and understand them best4 ,but that which is a truism1 so far as men of genius in the domain of imagination or thought are concerned1 still appears like a paradox when we speak of men of religious genius4 ,the ,church has laid such absolute claim to them that she has created in her own favor a sort of right4 ,it cannot be that this arbitrary confiscation shall endure forever4 ,to prevent it we have not to perform an act of negation or demolition3 let us leave to the chapels their statues and their relics1 and far from belittling the saints1 let us make their true grandeur shine forth4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is time to say a few words concerning the difficulties of the work here presented to the public4 ,history always embraces but a very feeble part of the reality3 ignorant1 she is like the stories children tell of the events that have occurred before their eyes2 learned1 she reminds us of a museum organized with all the modern improvements4 ,instead of making you see nature with its external covering1 its diffuse life1 its mysterious echoes in your own heart1 they offer you a herbarium4 ,if it is difficult to narrate an ordinary event of our own time1 it is far more so to describe the great crises where restless humanity is seeking its true path4 ,the first duty of the historian is to forget his own time and country and become the sympathetic and interested contemporary of what he relates2 but if it is difficult to give oneself the heart of a ,greek or a ,roman1 it is infinitely more so to give oneself a heart of the thirteenth century4 ,i have said that at that period the ,middle ,age was twenty years old1 and the feelings of the twentieth year are1 if not the most fugitive1 at least the most difficult to note down4 ,everyone knows that it is impossible to recall the feelings of youth with the same clearness as those of childhood or mature age4 ,doubtless we may have external facts in the memory1 but we cannot recall the sensations and the sentiments2 the confused forces which seek to move us are then all at work at once1 and to speak the language of beyond the ,rhine1 it is the essentially phenomenal hour of the phenomena that we are2 everything in us crosses1 intermingles1 collides1 in desperate conflict3 it is a time of diabolic or divine excitement4 ,let a few years pass1 and nothing in the world can make us live those hours over again4 ,where was once a volcano1 we perceive only a heap of blackened ashes1 and scarcely1 at long intervals1 will a chance meeting1 a sound1 a word1 awaken memory and unseal the fountain of recollection2 and even then it is only a flash2 we have had but a glimpse and all has sunk back into shadow and silence4 ,we find the same difficulty when we try to take note of the fiery enthusiasms of the thirteenth century1 its poetic inspirations1 its amorous and chaste visions--all this is thrown up against a background of coarseness1 wretchedness1 corruption1 and folly4 ,the men of that time had all the vices except triviality1 all the virtues except moderation2 they were either ruffians or saints4 ,life was rude enough to kill feeble organisms2 and thus characters had an energy unknown to-day4 ,it was forever necessary to provide beforehand against a thousand dangers1 to take those sudden resolutions in which one risks his life4 ,open the chronicle of ,fra ,salimbeni and you will be shocked to find that the largest place is taken up with the account of the annual expeditions of ,parma against the neighboring cities1 or of the neighboring cities against ,parma4 ,what would it have been if this chronicle1 instead of being written by a monk of uncommonly open mind1 a lover of music1 at certain times an ardent ,joachimite1 an indefatigable traveller1 had been written by a warrior8 ,and this is not all2 these wars between city and city were complicated with civil dissensions1 plots were hatched periodically1 conspirators were massacred if they were discovered1 or massacred and exiled others in their turn if they were triumphant4#h ,when we picture to ourselves this state of things dominated by the grand struggles of the papacy against the empire1 heretics1 and infidels1 we may understand how difficult it is to describe such a time4 ,the imagination being haunted by horrible or entrancing pictures like those of the frescos in the ,campo ,santo of ,pisa1 men were always thinking of heaven and hell2 they informed themselves about them with the feverish curiosity of emigrants1 who pass their days on shipboard in trying to picture that spot in ,america where in a few days they will pitch their tent4 ,every monk of any notoriety must have gone through this4 ,dante's poem is not an isolated work2 it is the noblest result of a condition which had given birth to hundreds of compositions1 and ,alighieri had little more to do than to co-ordinate the works of his predecessors and vivify them with the breath of his own genius4 ,the unsettled state of men's minds was unimaginable4 ,that unhealthy curiosity which lies at the bottom of the human heart1 and which at the present day impels men to seek for refined and even perverse enjoyments1 impelled men of that time to devotions which seem like a defiance to common sense4 ,never had hearts been shaken with such terrors1 nor ever thrilled with such radiant hopes4 ,the noblest hymns of the liturgy1 the ,stabat and the ,dies ,irae1 come to us from the thirteenth century1 and we may well say that never has the human plaint been more agonized4 ,when we look through history1 not to find accounts of battles or of the succession of dynasties1 but to try to grasp the evolution of ideas and feelings1 when we seek above all to discover the heart of man and of epochs1 we perceive1 on arriving at the thirteenth century1 that a fresh wind has blown over the world1 the human lyre has a new string1 the lowest1 the most profound2 one which sings of woes and hopes to which the ancient world had not vibrated4 ,in the breast of the men of that time we think sometimes we feel the beating of a woman's heart2 they have exquisite sentiments1 delightful inspirations1 with absurd terrors1 fantastic angers1 infernal cruelties4 ,weakness and fear often make them insincere2 they have the idea of the grand1 the beautiful1 the ugly1 but that of order is wanting2 they fast or feast2 the notion of the laws of nature1 so deeply graven in our own minds1 is to them entirely a stranger2 the words possible and impossible have for them no meaning4 ,some give themselves to ,god1 others sell themselves to the devil1 but not one feels himself strong enough to walk alone1 strong enough to have no need to hold on by some one's skirt4 ,peopled with spirits and demons nature appeared to them singularly animated2 in her presence they have all the emotions which a child experiences at night before the trees on the roadside and the vague forms of the rocks4 ,unfortunately1 our language is a very imperfect instrument for rendering all this2 it is neither musical nor flexible2 since the seventeenth century it has been deemed seemly to keep one's emotions to oneself1 and the old words which served to note states of the soul have fallen into neglect2 the ,imitation and the ,fioretti have become untranslatable4 ,more than this1 in a history like the present one1 we must give a large place to the ,italian spirit2 it is evident that in a country where they call a chapel basilica and a tiny house palazzo1 or in speaking to a seminarist say ,your ,reverence1 words have not the same value as on this side of the ,alps4 ,the ,italians have an imagination which enlarges and simplifies4 ,they see the forms and outlines of men and things more than they grasp their spirit4 ,what they most admire in ,michael ,angelo is gigantic forms1 noble and proud attitudes1 while we better understand his secret thoughts1 hidden sorrows1 groans1 and sighs4 ,place before their eyes a picture by ,rembrandt1 and more often than not it will appear to them ugly2 its charm cannot be caught at a glance as in those of their artists2 to see it you must examine it1 make an effort1 and with them effort is the beginning of pain4 ,do not ask them1 then1 to understand the pathos of things1 to be touched by the mysterious and almost fanciful emotion which northern hearts discover and enjoy in the works of the ,amsterdam master4 ,no1 instead of a forest they want a few trees1 standing out clearly against the horizon2 instead of a multitude swarming in the penumbra of reality1 a few personages1 larger than nature1 forming harmonious groups in an ideal temple4 ,the genius of a people#i is all of a piece3 they apply to history the same processes that they apply to the arts4 ,while the ,germanic spirit considers events rather in their evolution1 in their complex becoming1 the ,italian spirit takes them at a given moment1 overlooks the shadows1 the clouds1 the mists1 everything that makes the line indistinct1 brings out the contour sharply1 and thus constructs a very lucid story1 which is a delight to the eyes1 but which is little more than a symbol of the reality4 ,at other times it takes a man1 separates him from the unnamed crowd1 and by a labor often unconscious1 makes him the ideal type of a whole epoch4#aj ,certainly there is in every people a tendency to give themselves a circle of divinities and heroes who are1 so to say1 the incarnation of its instincts2 but generally that requires the long labor of centuries4 ,the ,italian character will not suffer this slow action2 as soon as it recognizes a man it says so1 it even shouts it aloud if that is necessary1 and makes him enter upon immortality while still alive4 ,thus legend almost confounds itself with history1 and it becomes very difficult to reduce men to their true proportions4 ,we must not1 then1 ask too much of history4 ,the more beautiful is the dawn1 the less one can describe it4 ,the most beautiful things in nature1 the flower and the butterfly1 should be touched only by delicate hands4 ,the effort here made to indicate the variegated1 wavering tints which form the atmosphere in which ,st4 ,francis lived is therefore of very uncertain success4 ,it was perhaps presumptuous to undertake it4 ,happily we are no longer in the time when historians thought they had done the right thing when they had reduced everything to its proper size1 contenting themselves with denying or omitting everything in the life of the heroes of humanity which rises above the level of our every-day experience4 ,no doubt ,francis did not meet on the road to ,sienna three pure and gentle virgins come from heaven to greet him2 the devil did not overturn rocks for the sake of terrifying him2 but when we deny these visions and apparitions1 we are victims of an error graver1 perhaps1 than that of those who affirm them4 ,the first time that ,i was at ,assisi ,i arrived in the middle of the night4 ,when the sun rose1 flooding everything with warmth and light1 the old basilica#aa seemed suddenly to quiver2 one might have said that it wished to speak and sing4 ,giotto's frescos1 but now invisible1 awoke to a strange life1 you might have thought them painted the evening before so much alive they were2 everything was moving without awkwardness or jar4 ,i returned six months later4 ,a scaffold had been put up in the middle of the nave2 upon it an art critic was examining the paintings1 and as the day was overcast he threw upon the walls the beams of a lamp with a reflector4 ,then you saw arms thrown out1 faces grimacing1 without unity1 without harmony2 the most exquisite figures took on something fantastic and grotesque4 ,he came down triumphant1 with a portfolio stuffed with sketches2 here a foot1 there a muscle1 farther on a bit of face1 and ,i could not refrain from musing on the frescos as ,i had seen them bathed in sunlight4 ,the sun and the lamp are both deceivers2 they transform what they show2 but if the truth must be told ,i own to my preference for the falsehoods of the sun4 ,history is a landscape1 and like those of nature it is continually changing4 ,two persons who look at it at the same time do not find in it the same charm1 and you yourself1 if you had it continually before your eyes1 would never see it twice alike4 ,the general lines are permanent1 but it needs only a cloud to hide the most important ones1 as it needs only a jet of light to bring out such or such a detail and give it a false value4 ,when ,i began this page the sun was disappearing behind the rains of the ,castle of ,crussol and the splendors of the sunset gave it a shining aureola2 the light flooded everything1 and you no longer saw anywhere the damage which wars have inflicted upon the old feudal manor4 ,i looked1 almost thinking ,i could perceive at the window the figure of the chatelaine 444 ,twilight has come1 and now there is nothing up there but crumbling walls1 a discrowned tower1 nothing but ruins and rubbish1 which seem to beg for pity4 ,it is the same with the landscapes of history4 ,narrow minds cannot accommodate themselves to these perpetual transformations3 they want an objective history in which the author will study the people as a chemist studies a body4 ,it is very possible that there may be laws for historic evolution and social transformations as exact as those of chemical combinations1 and we must hope that in the end they will be discovered2 but for the present there is no purely objective truth of history4 ,to write history we must think it1 and to think it is to transform it4 ,within a few years1 it is true1 men have believed they had found the secret of objectivity1 in the publication of original documents4 ,this is a true progress which renders inestimable service1 but here again we must not deceive ourselves as to its significance4 ,all the documents on an epoch or an event cannot usually be published1 a selection must be made1 and in it will necessarily appear the turn of mind of him who makes it4 ,let us admit that all that can be found is published2 but alas1 the most unusual movements have generally the fewest documents4 ,take1 for instance1 the religious history of the ,middle ,ages3 it is already a pretty delicate task to collect official documents1 such as bulls1 briefs1 conciliary canons1 monastic constitutions1 etc41 but do these documents contain all the life of the ,church8 ,much is still wanting1 and to my mind the movements which secretly agitated the masses are much more important1 although to testify to them we have only a few fragments4 ,poor heretics1 they were not only imprisoned and burned1 but their books were destroyed and everything that spoke of them2 and more than one historian1 finding scarcely a trace of them in his heaps of documents1 forgets these prophets with their strange visions1 these poet-monks who from the depths of their cells made the world to thrill and the papacy to tremble4 ,objective history is then a utopia4 ,we create ,god in our own image1 and we impress the mark of our personality in places where we least expect to find it again4 ,but by dint of talking about the tribunal of history we have made most authors think that they owe to themselves and their readers definitive and irrevocable judgments4 ,it is always easier to pronounce a sentence than to wait1 to reserve one's opinion1 to re-examine4 ,the crowd which has put itself out to be present at a trial is almost always furious with the judges when they reserve the case for further information2 its mind is so made that it requires precision in things which will bear it the least2 it puts questions right and left1 as children do2 if you appear to hesitate or to be embarrassed you are lost in its estimation1 you are evidently only an ignoramus4 ,but perhaps below the ,areopagites1 obliged by their functions to pronounce sentence1 there is place at the famous tribunal for a simple spectator who has come in by accident4 ,he has made out a brief and would like very simply to tell his neighbors his opinion4 ,this1 then1 is not a history ad probandum1 to use the ancient formula4 ,is this to say that ,i have only desired to give the reader a moment of diversion8 ,that would be to understand my thought very ill4 ,in the grand spectacles of history as in those of nature there is something divine2 from it our minds and hearts gain a virtue at once pacifying and encouraging1 we experience the salutary sensation of littleness1 and seeing the beauties and the sadnesses of the past we learn better how to judge the present hour4 ,in one of the frescos of the ,upper ,church of ,assisi1 ,giotto has represented ,st4 ,clara and her companions coming out from ,st4 ,damian all in tears1 to kiss their spiritual father's corpse as it is being carried to its last home4 ,with an artist's liberty he has made the chapel a rich church built of precious marbles4 ,happily the real ,st4 ,damian is still there1 nestled under some olive-trees like a lark under the heather2 it still has its ill-made walls of irregular stones1 like those which bound the neighboring fields4 ,which is the more beautiful1 the ideal temple of the artist's fancy1 or the poor chapel of reality8 ,no heart will be in doubt4 ,francis's official historians have done for his biography what ,giotto did for his little sanctuary4 ,in general they have done him ill-service4 ,their embellishments have hidden the real ,st4 ,francis1 who was1 in fact1 infinitely nobler than they have made him to be4 ,ecclesiastical writers appear to make a great mistake in thus adorning the lives of their heroes1 and only mentioning their edifying features4 ,they thus give occasion1 even to the most devout1 to suspect their testimony4 ,besides1 by thus surrounding their saints with light they make them superhuman creatures1 having nothing in common with us2 they are privileged characters1 marked with the divine seal2 they are1 as the litanies say1 vials of election1 into which ,god has poured the sweetest perfumes2 their sanctity is revealed almost in spite of themselves2 they are born saints as others are born kings or slaves1 their life is set out against the golden background of a tryptich1 and not against the sombre background of reality4 ,by such means the saints1 perhaps1 gain something in the respect of the superstitious2 but their lives lose something of virtue and of communicable strength4 ,forgetting that they were men like ourselves1 we no longer hear in our conscience the command1 ,go and do likewise4 ,it is1 then1 a work of piety to seek behind the legend for the history4 ,is it presumptuous to ask our readers to try to understand the thirteenth century and love ,st4 ,francis8 ,they will be amply rewarded for the effort1 and will soon find an unexpected charm in these too meagre landscapes1 these incorporate souls1 these sickly imaginations which will pass before their eyes4 ,love is the true key of history4 ,a book has always a great number of authors1 and the following pages owe much to the researches of others2 ,i have tried in the notes to show the whole value of these debts4 ,i have also had colaborers to whom it will be more difficult for me to express my gratitude4 ,i refer to the librarians of the libraries of ,italy and their assistants2 it is impossible to name them all1 their faces are better known to me than their names1 but ,i would here say that during long months passed in the various collections of the ,peninsula1 all1 even to the most humble employees1 have shown a tireless helpfulness even at those periods of the year when the number of attendants was the smallest4 ,professor ,alessandro ,leto1 who1 barely recovered from a grave attack of influenza1 kindly served as my guide among the archives of ,assisi1 deserves a very particular mention4 ,to the ,syndic and municipality of that city ,i desire also to express my gratitude4 ,i cannot close without a warm remembrance to the spiritual sons of ,st4 ,francis dispersed in the mountains of ,umbria and ,tuscany4 ,dear dwellers in ,st4 ,damian1 ,portiuncula1 the ,carceri1 the ,verna1 ,monte ,colombo1 you perhaps remember the strange pilgrim who1 though he wore neither the frock nor the cord1 used to talk with you of the ,seraphic ,father with as much love as the most pious ,franciscan2 you used to be surprised at his eagerness to see everything1 to look at everything1 to thread all the unexplored paths4 ,you often tried to restrain him by telling him that there was not the smallest relic1 the most meagre indulgence in the far-away grottos to which he was dragging you1 but you always ended by going with him1 thinking that none but a ,frenchman could be possessed by a devotion so fervent and so imprudent4 ,thank you1 pious anchorites of ,greccio1 thank you for the bread that you went out and begged when ,i arrived at your hermitage benumbed with cold and hunger4 ,if you read these lines1 read here my gratitude and also a little admiration4 ,you are not all saints1 but nearly all of you have hours of saintliness1 flights of pure love4 ,if some pages of this book give you pain1 turn them over quickly2 let me think that others of them will give you pleasure1 and will make the name you bear1 if possible1 still more precious to you than it now is4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the mendicant orders were in their origin a true ,international4 ,when in the spring of #abaf ,st4 ,dominic assembled his friars at ,notre ,dame de la ,prouille1 they were found to be sixteen in number1 and among them ,castilians1 ,navarese1 ,normans1 ,french1 ,languedocians1 and even ,english and ,germans4 ,heretics travelled all over ,europe1 and nowhere do we find them checked by the diversity of languages4 ,arnold of ,brescia1 for example1 the famous ,tribune of ,rome1 appeared in ,france and ,switzerland and in the heart of ,germany4 #b ,the ,reformation only substituted the authority of the book for that of the priest2 it is a change of dynasty and nothing more4 ,as to the majority of those who to-day call themselves free-thinkers1 they confuse religious freedom with irreligion2 they choose not to see that in religion as in politics1 between a royalty based on divine right and anarchy there is room for a government which may be as strong as the first and a better guarantee of freedom than the second4 ,the spirit of the older time put ,god outside of the world2 the sovereignty outside of the people2 authority outside of the conscience4 ,the spirit of the new times has the contrary tendency3 it denies neither ,god nor sovereignty nor authority1 but it sees them where they really are4 #c ,nemo ostendebat mihi quod deberem facere1 sed ipse ,altissimus revelavit mihi quod deberem vivere secundem formam sancti ,evangelii4 ,testamentum ,fr4 #d ,the wealthiest monasteries of ,france are of the twelfth century or were enlarged at that time3 ,arles1 ,s4 ,gilles1 ,s4 ,sernin1 ,cluny1 ,vezelay1 ,brioude1 ,issoire1 ,paray-le-,monial4 ,the same was the case in ,italy4 ,down to the year #ajjj1 #a1ajh monasteries had been founded in ,france4 ,the eleventh century saw the birth of #cbf and the twelfth of #gjb4 ,the convents of ,mount ,athos in their present state give us a very accurate notion of the great monasteries of ,europe at the close of the twelfth century4 #e ,st4 ,petrus ,chrysologus1 sermo viii41 de jejunio et eleemosyna4 ,da pauperi ut des tibi3 da micam ut accipias totum panem2 da tectum1 accipe coelum4 #f ,by what right did he begin to preach8 ,by what right did he1 a mere deacon1 admit to profession and cut off the hair of a young girl of eighteen8 ,that is an episcopal function1 one which can only devolve even upon priests by an express commission4 #g ,isaiah i4 #aj-ag4 ,cf4 ,joel #b1 ,psalm #ej4 #h ,the chronicles of ,orvieto 7,archivio1 storico italiano1 t4 i41 of #ahhi1 pp4 #g and following7 are nothing more than a list1 as melancholy as they are tedious of wars1 which1 during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries1 all the places of that region carried on1 from the greatest to the smallest4 #i ,do not forget that in the thirteenth century ,italy was not a mere geographical expression4 ,it was of all the countries of ,europe the one which1 notwithstanding its partitions1 had the clearest consciousness of its unity4 ,the expression profectus et honor ,italiae often appeared from the pen of ,innocent ,,iii4 ,see1 for instance1 the bull of ,april #af1 #aaih1 ,mirari cogimur1 addressed particularly to the ,assisans4 #aj ,note what the ,fioretti say of ,brother ,bernard3 ,stava solo sulle cime dei monti altissimi contemplando le cose celesti4 ,fior41 #bh4 ,the learned historian of ,assisi1 ,mr4 ,cristofani1 has used similar expressions2 speaking of ,st4 ,francis1 he says3 ,nuovo ,christo in somma e pero degno d'essere riguardoto come la piu gigantesca1 la piu splendida1 la piu cara tra le grandi figure campeggianti nell' aere del medio evo 7,storia d',assisi1 t4 i41 p4 #gj1 ed4 of #ahhe74 #aa ,it remains open all night4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,life ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,i ,,youth ,assisi is to-day very much what it was six or seven hundred years ago4 ,the feudal castle is in ruins1 but the aspect of the city is just the same4 ,its long-deserted streets1 bordered by ancient houses1 lie in terraces half-way up the steep hill-side4 ,above it ,mount ,subasio#a proudly towers1 at its feet lies outspread all the ,umbrian plain from ,perugia to ,spoleto4 ,the crowded houses clamber up the rocks like children a-tiptoe to see all that is to be seen2 they succeed so well that every window gives the whole panorama set in its frame of rounded hills1 from whose summits castles and villages stand sharply out against a sky of incomparable purity4 ,these simple dwellings contain no more than five or six little rooms1#b but the rosy hues of the stone of which they are built give them a wonderfully cheerful air4 ,the one in which1 according to the story1 ,st4 ,francis was born has almost entirely disappeared1 to make room for a church2 but the street is so modest1 and all that remains of the palazzo dei genitori di ,san ,francesco is so precisely like the neighboring houses that the tradition must be correct4 ,francis entered into glory in his lifetime2 it would be surprising if a sort of worship had not from the first been centred around the house in which he saw the light and where he passed the first twenty-five years of his life4 ,he was born about #aahb4c ,the biographies have preserved to us few details about his parents4#d ,his father1 ,pietro ,bernardone1 was a wealthy cloth-merchant4 ,we know how different was the life of the merchants of that period from what it is to-day4 ,a great portion of their time was spent in extensive journeys for the purchase of goods4 ,such tours were little short of expeditions4 ,the roads being insecure1 a strong escort was needed for the journey to those famous fairs where1 for long weeks at a time1 merchants from the most remote parts of ,europe were gathered together4 ,in certain cities1 ,montpellier for example1 the fair was perpetual4 ,benjamin of ,tudela shows us that city frequented by all nations1 ,christian and ,mohammedan4 ,one meets there merchants from ,africa1 from ,italy1 ,egypt1 ,palestine1 ,greece1 ,gaul1 ,spain1 and ,england1 so that one sees men of all languages1 with the ,genoese and the ,pisans4 ,among all these merchants the richest were those who dealt in textile stuffs4 ,they were literally the bankers of the time1 and their heavy wagons were often laden with the sums levied by the popes in ,england or ,france4 ,their arrival at a castle was one of the great events4 ,they were kept as long as possible1 everyone being eager for the news they brought4 ,it is easy to understand how close must have been their relations with the nobility2 in certain countries1 ,provence for example1 the merchants were considered as nobles of a second order4#e ,bernardone often made these long journeys2 he went even as far as ,france1 and by this we must surely understand ,northern ,france1 and particularly ,champagne1 which was the seat of commercial exchange between ,northern and ,southern ,europe4 ,he was there at the very time of his son's birth4 ,the mother1 presenting the child at the font of ,san ,rufino1#f had him baptized by the name of ,john1 but the father on his return chose to call him ,francis4#g ,had he already determined on the education he was to give the child2 did he name him thus because he even then intended to bring him up after the ,french fashion1 to make a little ,frenchman of him8 ,it is by no means improbable4 ,perhaps1 indeed1 the name was only a sort of grateful homage tendered by the ,assisan burgher to his noble clients beyond the ,alps4 ,however this may be1 the child was taught to speak ,french1 and always had a special fondness for both the language and the country4#h ,these facts about ,bernardone are of real importance2 they reveal the influences in the midst of which ,francis grew up4 ,merchants1 indeed1 play a considerable part in the religious movements of the thirteenth century4 ,their calling in some sense forced them to become colporters of ideas4 ,what else could they do1 on arriving in a country1 but answer those who asked for news8 ,and the news most eagerly looked for was religious news1 for men's minds were turned upon very different subjects then from now4 ,they accommodated themselves to the popular wish1 observing1 hearkening everywhere1 keeping eyes and ears open1 glad to find anything to tell2 and little by little many of them became active propagandists of ideas concerning which at first they had been simply curious4 ,the importance of the part thus played by the merchants as they came and went1 everywhere sowing the new ideas which they had gathered up in their travels1 has not been put in a clear enough light2 they were often1 unconsciously and quite involuntarily1 the carriers of ideas of all kinds1 especially of heresy and rebellion4 ,it was they who made the success of the ,waldenses1 the ,albigenses1 the ,humiliati1 and many other sects4 ,thus ,bernardone1 without dreaming of such a thing1 became the artisan of his son's religious vocation4 ,the tales which he brought home from his travels seemed at first1 perhaps1 not to have aroused the child's attention1 but they were like germs a long time buried1 which suddenly1 under a warm ray of sunlight1 bring forth unlooked-for fruit4 ,the boy's education was not carried very far2#i the school was in those days overshadowed by the church4 ,the priests of ,san ,giorgio were his teachers1#aj and taught him a little ,latin4 ,this language was spoken in ,umbria until toward the middle of the thirteenth century2 every one understood it and spoke it a little2 it was still the language of sermons and of political deliberations4#aa ,he learned also to write1 but with less success2 all through his life we see him take up the pen only on rare occasions1 and for but a few words4#ab ,the autograph of ,sacro-,convento1 which appears to be entirely authentic1 shows extreme awkwardness2 in general he dictated1 signing his letters by a simple ,greek3 tau1 the symbol of the cross of ,jesus4#ac ,that part of his education which was destined to have most influence upon his life was the ,french language1#ad which he perhaps spoke in his own family4 ,it has been rightly said that to know two languages is to have two souls2 in learning that of ,france the boy felt his heart thrill to the melody of its youthful poetry1 and his imagination was mysteriously stirred with dreams of imitating the exploits of the ,french cavaliers4 ,but let us not anticipate4 ,his early life was that of other children of his age4 ,in the quarter of the town where his house is still shown no vehicles are ever seen2 from morning till night the narrow streets are given over to the children4 ,they play there in many groups1 frolicking with an exquisite charm1 very different from the little ,romans1 who1 from the time they are six or seven years old1 spend hours at a time squatting behind a pillar1 or in a corner of a wall or a ruin1 to play dice or morra1 putting a passionate ferocity even into their play4 ,in ,umbria1 as in ,tuscany1 children love above all things games in which they can make a parade2 to play at soldiers or procession is the supreme delight of ,assisan children4 ,through the day they keep to the narrow streets1 but toward evening they go1 singing and dancing1 to one of the open squares of the city4 ,these squares are one of the charms of ,assisi4 ,every few paces an interval occurs between the houses looking toward the plain1 and you find a delightful terrace1 shaded by a few trees1 the very place for enjoying the sunset without losing one of its splendors4 ,hither no doubt came often the son of ,bernardone1 leading one of those farandoles which you may see there to this day3 from his very babyhood he was a prince among the children4 ,thomas of ,celano draws an appalling picture of the education of that day4 ,he describes parents inciting their children to vice1 and driving them by main force to wrong-doing4 ,francis responded only too quickly to these unhappy lessons4#ae ,his father's profession and the possibly noble origin of his mother raised him almost to the level of the titled families of the country2 money1 which he spent with both hands1 made him welcome among them4 ,well pleased to enjoy themselves at his expense1 the young nobles paid him a sort of court4 ,as to ,bernardone1 he was too happy to see his son associating with them to be niggardly as to the means4 ,he was miserly1 as the course of this history will show1 but his pride and self-conceit exceeded his avarice4 ,pica1 his wife1 gentle and modest creature1#af concerning whom the biographers have been only too laconic1 saw all this1 and mourned over it in silence1 but though weak as mothers are1 she would not despair of her son1 and when the neighbors told her of ,francis's escapades1 she would calmly reply1 ,what are you thinking about8 ,i am very sure that1 if it pleases ,god1 he will become a good ,christian4#ag ,the words were natural enough from a mother's lips1 but later on they were held to have been truly prophetic4 ,how far did the young man permit himself to be led on8 ,it would be difficult to say4 ,the question which1 as we are told1 tormented ,brother ,leo1 could only have suggested itself to a diseased imagination4#ah ,thomas of ,celano and the ,three ,companions agree in picturing him as going to the worst excesses4 ,later biographers speak with more circumspection of his worldly career4 ,a too widely credited story gathered from ,celano's narrative was modified by the chapter-general of #abfj1ai and the frankness of the early biographers was1 no doubt1 one of the causes which most effectively contributed to their definitive condemnation three years later4#bj ,their statements are in no sense obscure2 according to them the son of ,bernardone not only patterned himself after the young men of his age1 he made it a point of honor to exceed them4 ,what with eccentricities1 buffooneries1 pranks1 prodigalities1 he ended by achieving a sort of celebrity4 ,he was forever in the streets with his companions1 compelling attention by his extravagant or fantastic attire4 ,even at night the joyous company kept up their merrymakings1 causing the town to ring with their noisy songs4#ba ,at this very time the troubadours were roaming over the towns of ,northern ,italy#bb and bringing brilliant festivities and especially ,courts of ,love into vogue4 ,if they worked upon the passions1 they also made appeal to feelings of courtesy and delicacy2 it was this that saved ,francis4 ,in the midst of his excesses he was always refined and considerate1 carefully abstaining from every base or indecent utterance4#bc ,already his chief aspiration was to rise above the commonplace4 ,tortured with the desire for that which is far off and high1#bd he had conceived a sort of passion for chivalry1 and fancying that dissipation was one of the distinguishing features of nobility1 he had thrown himself into it with all his soul4 ,but he who1 at twenty1 goes from pleasure to pleasure with the heart not absolutely closed to good1 must now and then1 at some turning of the road1 become aware that there are hungry folk1 who could live a month on what he spends in a few hours on frivolity4 ,francis saw them1 and with his impressionable nature for the moment forgot everything else4 ,in thought he put himself in their place1 and it sometimes happened that he gave them all the money he had about him and even his clothes4 ,one day he was busy with some customers in his father's shop1 when a man came in1 begging for charity in the name of ,god4 ,losing his patience ,francis sharply turned him away2 but quickly reproaching himself for his harshness he thought1 ,what would ,i not have done if this man had asked something of me in the name of a count or a baron8 ,what ought ,i not to have done when he came in the name of ,god8 ,i am no better than a clown6 ,leaving his customers he ran after the beggar4#be ,bernardone had been well pleased with his son's commercial aptitude in the early days when the young man was first in his father's employ4 ,francis was only too proficient in spending money2 he at least knew well how to make it4#bf ,but this satisfaction did not last long4 ,francis's bad companions were exercising over him a most pernicious influence4 ,the time came when he could no longer endure to be separated from them2 if he heard their call1 nothing could keep him1 he would leave everything and go after them4#bg ,all this time political events were hurrying on in ,umbria and ,italy2 after a formidable struggle the allied republics had forced the empire to recognize them4 ,by the immortal victory of ,legnano 7,may #bi1 #aagf7 and the ,peace of ,constance 7,june #be1 #aahc7 the ,lombard ,league had wrested from ,frederick ,barbarossa almost all the prerogatives of power2 little was left to the emperor but insignia and outward show4 ,from one end of the ,peninsula to the other visions of liberty were making hearts beat high4 ,for an instant it seemed as if all ,italy was about to regain consciousness of its unity1 was about to rise up as one man and hurl the foreigner from its borders2 but the rivalries of the cities were too strong for them to see that local liberty without a common independence is precarious and illusory4 ,henry ,,vi41 the successor of ,barbarossa 7#aahc-aaif71 laid ,italy under a yoke of iron2 he might perhaps in the end have assured the domination of the empire1 if his career had not been suddenly cut short by a premature death4 ,yet he had not been able to put fetters upon ideas4 ,the communal movement which was shaking the north of ,france reverberated beyond the ,alps4 ,although a city of second rank1 ,assisi had not been behind in the great struggles for independence4#bh ,she had been severely chastised1 had lost her franchise1 and was obliged to submit to ,conrad of ,suabia1 ,duke of ,spoleto1 who from the heights of his fortress kept her in subjection4 ,but when ,innocent ,,iii4 ascended the pontifical throne 7,january #h1 #aaii7 the old duke knew himself to be lost4 ,he made a tender to him of money1 men1 his faith even1 but the pontiff refused them all4 ,he had no desire to appear to favor the ,tedeschi1 who had so odiously oppressed the country4 ,conrad of ,suabia was forced to yield at mercy1 and to go to ,narni to put his submission into the hands of two cardinals4 ,like the practical folk that they were1 the ,assisans did not hesitate an instant4 ,no sooner was the count on the road to ,narni than they rushed to the assault of the castle4 ,the arrival of envoys charged to take possession of it as a pontifical domain by no means gave them pause4 ,not one stone of it was left upon another4#bi ,then1 with incredible rapidity they enclosed their city with walls1 parts of which are still standing1 their formidable ruins a witness to the zeal with which the whole population labored on them4 ,it is natural to think that ,francis1 then seventeen years old1 was one of the most gallant laborers of those glorious days1 and it was perhaps there that he gained the habit of carrying stones and wielding the trowel which was destined to serve him so well a few years later4 ,unhappily his fellow-citizens had not the sense to profit by their hard-won liberty4 ,the lower classes1 who in this revolution had become aware of their strength1 determined to follow out the victory by taking possession of the property of the nobles4 ,the latter took refuge in their fortified houses in the interior of the city1 or in their castles in the suburbs4 ,the townspeople burned down several of the latter1 whereupon counts and barons made request of aid and succor from the neighboring cities4 ,perugia was at this time at the apogee of its power1#cj and had already made many efforts to reduce ,assisi to submission4 ,it therefore received the fugitives with alacrity1 and making their cause its own1 declared war upon ,assisi4 ,this was in #abjb4 ,an encounter took place in the plain about half way between the two cities1 not far from ,ponte ,san ,giovanni4 ,assisi was defeated1 and ,francis1 who was in the ranks1 was made prisoner4#ca ,the treachery of the nobles had not been universal2 a few had fought with the people4 ,it was with them and not with the popolani that ,francis1 in consideration of the nobility of his manners1#cb passed the time of his captivity1 which lasted an entire year4 ,he greatly astonished his companions by his lightness of heart4 ,very often they thought him almost crazy4 ,instead of passing his time in wailing and cursing he made plans for the future1 about which he was glad to talk to any one who came along4 ,to his fancy life was what the songs of the troubadours had painted it2 he dreamed of glorious adventures1 and always ended by saying3 ,you will see that one day ,i shall be adored by the whole world4#cc ,during these long months ,francis must have been pretty rudely undeceived with respect to those nobles whom from afar he had so heartily admired4 ,however that may be1 he retained with them not only his frankness of speech1 but also his full freedom of action4 ,one of them1 a knight1 had always held aloof from the others1 out of vanity and bad temper4 ,francis1 far from leaving him to himself1 always showed him affection1 and finally had the joy of reconciling him with his fellow-captives4 ,a compromise was finally arrived at between the counts and the people of ,assisi4 ,in ,november1 #abjc1 the arbitrators designated by the two parties announced their decision4 ,the commons of ,assisi were to repair in a certain measure the damage done to the lords1 and the latter agreed1 on their part1 to make no further alliances without authorization of the commons4#cd ,rural serfage was maintained1 which proves that the revolution had been directed by the burghers1 and for their own profit4 ,ten years more were not1 however1 to elapse before the common people also would succeed in achieving liberty4 ,in this cause we shall again see ,francis fighting on the side of the oppressed1 earning the title of ,patriarch of religious democracy which has been accorded him by one of his compatriots4#ce ,the agreement being made the prisoners detained at ,perugia were released1 and ,francis returned to ,assisi4 ,he was twenty-two years old4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,eleven hundred and one metres above the level of the sea2 the plain around ,assisi has an average of two hundred1 and the town of two hundred and fifty1 metres above4 #b ,as in the majority of ,tuscan cities the dimensions of the houses were formerly fixed by law4 #c ,the biographies say that he died 7,october #c1 #abbf7 in his forty-fifth year4 ,but the terms are not precise enough to make the date #aaha improbable4 ,for that matter the question is of small importance4 ,a ,franciscan of ,erfurt1 about the middle of the thirteenth century1 fixes the date at #aahb4 ,pertz1 vol4 xxiv41 p4 #aic4 #d ,a number of different genealogies have been fabricated for ,francis2 they prove only one thing1 the wreck of the ,franciscan idea4 ,how little they understood their hero1 who thought to magnify and glorify him by making him spring from a noble family6 ,quae rero1 says ,father ,suysken1 ,s4 ,j41 de ejus gentilitio insigni disserit ,waddingus1 non lubet mihi attingere4 ,factis et virtutibus eluxit ,s4 ,franciscus non proavorum insignibus aut titulis1 quos nec desideravit4 7,a4 ,,ss4 p4 #eeg;a47 ,it could not be better said4 ,in the fourteenth century a whole cycle of legends had gathered about his birth4 ,it could not have been otherwise4 ,they all grow out of the story that tells of an old man who comes knocking at the parents' door1 begging them to let him take the infant in his arms1 when he announces that it will do great things4 ,under this form the episode certainly presents nothing impossible1 but very soon marvellous incidents begin to gather around this nucleus until it becomes unrecognizable4 ,bartholomew of ,pisa has preserved it in almost its primitive form4 ,conform41 #bh;a #b4 ,francis certainly had several brothers #c ,soc41 #i4 ,mater 444 quae cum prae ceteris filiis diligebat1 but they have left no trace in history except the incident related farther on4 ,vide p4 #dd4 ,christofani publishes several official pieces concerning ,angelo1 ,st4 ,francis's brother1 and his descendants3 ,storie d',assisi1 vol4 i41 p4 #gh ff4 ,in these documents ,angelo is called ,angelus ,pice1 and his son ,johannectus olim ,angeli domine ,pice1 appellations which might be cited in favor of the noble origin of ,pica4 #e ,documentary ,history of ,languedoc1 iii41 p4 #fjg4 #f ,the ,cathedral of ,assisi4 ,to this day all the children of the town are baptized there2 the other churches are without fonts4 #g #c ,soc41 #a2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #a4 ,vide also #c ,soc41 edition of ,pesaro1 #ahca4 #h ,the langue d'oil was at this epoch the international language of ,europe2 in ,italy it was the language of games and tourneys1 and was spoken in the petty princely courts of ,northern ,italy4 ,vide ,dante1 ,de vulgari eloquio1 lib4 ,i41 cap4 x4 ,brunetto ,latini wrote in ,french because the speech of ,france is more delectable and more common to all people4 ,at the other end of ,europe the ,abbot of ,stade1 in ,westphalia1 spoke of the nobility of the ,gallic dialect4 ,ann4 #abbd apud ,pertz1 ,script4 xvi4 ,we shall find ,st4 ,francis often making allusions to the tales of the ,round ,table and the ,chanson de ,roland4 #i ,we must not be led astray by certain remarks upon his ignorance1 from which one might at first conclude that he knew absolutely nothing2 for example1 #b ,cel41 #c1 #de3 ,quamvis homo iste beatus nullis fuerit scientiae studiis innutritus4 ,this evidently refers to science such as the ,franciscans soon came to apprehend it1 and to theology in particular4 ,the close of the passage in ,celano is itself an evident proof of this4 #aj ,bon41 #bai2 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efj;a4 #a ,cel41 #bc4 #aa ,ozanam1 ,documents inedits pour servir a l'histoire litteraire d',italie du ,v,i,i,ie au ,x,i,i,ie siecle4 ,paris1 #ahea1 #hvo1 pp4 #fe1 #fh1 #ga1 #gc4 ,fauriel1 ,dante et les origines de la litterature italienne4 ,paris1 #ahed1 #b vols41 #hvo1 ii41 p4 #ccb1 #cgi1 #dbi4 #ab ,v4 #c ,soc41 #ea and #fg2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aaj2 ,bon41 #ee2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ii2 ,eccl41 #f4 ,bernard de ,besse1 ,turin ,,ms41 fo4 #if;a1 calls ,brother ,leo the secretary of ,st4 ,francis4 #ac ,see page #ceg1 n4 #h4 ,bon41 #ea and #cjh4 #ad #a ,cel41 #af2 #c ,soc41 #aj2 #bc2 #bd2 #cc2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #h2 #c1 #fg4 ,see also the ,testament of ,st4 ,clara and the ,speculum1 #aai;a4 #ae ,primum namque cum fari vel balbutire incipiunt1 turpia quaedam et execrabilia valde signis et vocibus edocentur pueri ii nondum nati3 et cum tempus ablactationis advenerit quaedam luxu et lascivia plena non solum fari sed et operari coguntur4444 ,sed et cum paulo plusculum aetate profecerint1 se ipsis impellentibus1 semper ad deteriora opera dilabuntur4 #a ,cel41 #a4 #af #b ,cel41 #a4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #ad;a1 #a4 ,there is nothing impossible in her having been of ,provencal origin1 but there is nothing to indicate it in any document worthy of credence4 ,she was no doubt of noble stock1 for official documents always give her the title ,domina4 ,cristofani ,i41 p4 #gh ff4 ,cf4 ,matrem honestissimam habuit4 #c ,soc41 ,edition of ,pesaro1 #ahca1 p4 #ag4 #ag ,the reading given by the ,conform41 #ad;a1 #a1 ,meritorum gratia dei filium ipsum noveritis affuturum1 seems better than that of #b ,cel41 #a1 #a1 ,multorum gratia ,dei filiorum patrem ipsum noveritis affuturum4 ,cf4 #c ,soc41 #b4 #ah ,bernardo of ,besse1 ,turin ,,ms41 #ajb b43 ,an integer carne desiderans 444 quod non extorsisset a ,sancto 444 meruit obtinere a ,deo quod virgo esset4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #baa;a1 #a1 and ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efj;f4 #ai ,in illa antiphona quae incipit3 ,hic vir in vanitatibus nutritus insolenter1 fiat talis mutatis3 ,divinis karismatibus preventus est clementer4 ,archiv41 vi41 p4 #ce4 #bj ,vide p4 #cie1 the decision of the chapter of #abfc ordaining the destruction of legends earlier than that of ,bonaventura4 #ba #a ,cel41 #a and #b2 #hi2 #c ,soc41 #b4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 #efj;c4 ,vincent of ,beauvais1 ,spec4 hist4 lib41 #bi1 cap4 #ig4 #bb ,pierre ,vidal was at the court of ,boniface1 ,marquis of ,montferrat1 about #aaie1 and liked his surroundings so well that he desired to establish himself there4 ,k4 ,bartsch1 ,piere ,vidal's ,lieder1 ,berlin1 #aheg1 n4 #da4 ,ern4 ,monaci1 ,testi antichi provenzali1 ,rome1 #ahhi1 col4 #fg4 ,one should read this piece to have an idea of the fervor with which this poet shared the hopes of ,italy and desired its independence4 ,this political note is found again in a tenzon of ,manfred ,,ii4 ,lancia1 addressed to ,pierre ,vidal4 7,v4 ,monaci1 loc4 cit41 col4 #fh47--;,gaucelme ,faidit was also at this court as well as ,raimbaud of ,vacqueyras 7#aahj-abjg74--;,folquet de ,romans passed nearly all his life in ,italy4 ,bernard of ,ventadour 7#aade-aaie71 ,peirol of ,auvergne 7#aahj-abbj71 and many others abode there a longer or shorter time4 ,very soon the ,italians began to sing in ,provencal1 among others this ,manfred ,lancia1 and ,albert ,marquis of ,malaspina 7#aafb-abaj71 ,pietro della ,caravana1 who in #aaif stirred up the ,lombard towns against ,henry ,,vi41 ,pietro della ,mula1 who about #abjj was at the court of ,cortemiglia4 ,fragments from these poets may be found in ,monaci1 op4 cit41 col4 #fi ff4 #bc ,soc41 #c2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #a4 #bd ,cum esset gloriosus animo et nollet aliquem se praecellere1 ,giord4 #bj4 #be #a ,cel41 #ag2 #c ,soc41 #c2 ,bon41 #g4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efb4 #bf #a ,cel41 #b2 ,bon41 #f2 ,vit4 sec4 apud1 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efj4 #bg #c ,soc41 #i4 #bh ,in #aagd ,assisi was taken by the chancellor of the empire1 ,christian1 ,archbishop of ,mayence4 ,a4 ,cristofani1 i41 p4 #fi4 #bi ,all these events are related in the ,gesta ,innocentii ,,iii4 ab auctore coaetaneo1 edited by ,baluze3 ,migne1 ,inn4 op41 vol4 i41 col4 xxiv4 ,see especially the letter of ,innocent1 ,rectoribus ,tusciae3 ,mirari cogimur1 of ,april #af1 #aaih4 ,migne1 vol4 i41 col4 #ge-gg4 ,potthast1 ,no4 #hb4 #cj ,see ,luigi ,bonazzi1 ,storia di ,perugia1 #b vols41 #hvo4 ,perugia1 #ahge-ahgi vol4 i41 cap4 v41 pp4 #beg-cbb4 #ca #c ,soc41 #d2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #a4 ,cristofani1 op4 cit41 i41 p4 #hh ff42 ,bonazzi1 op4 cit41 p4 #beg4 #cb #c ,soc41 #d4 #cc #c ,soc41 #d2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #a4 #cd ,see this arbitration in ,cristofani1 op4 cit41 p4 #ic ff4 #ce ,cristofani1 loc4 cit41 p4 #gj4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,stages ,,of ,,conversion ,spring #abjd-,spring #abjf ,on his return to ,assisi ,francis at once resumed his former mode of life2 perhaps he even tried in some degree to make up for lost time4 ,fetes1 games1 festivals1 and dissipations began again4 ,he did his part in them so well that he soon fell gravely ill4#a ,for long weeks he looked death so closely in the face that the physical crisis brought about a moral one4 ,thomas of ,celano has preserved for us an incident of ,francis's convalescence4 ,he was regaining strength little by little and had begun to go about the house1 when one day he felt a desire to walk abroad1 to contemplate nature quietly1 and so take hold again of life4 ,leaning on a stick he bent his steps toward the city gate4 ,the nearest one1 called ,porta ,nuova1 is the very one which opens upon the finest scenery4 ,immediately on passing through it one finds one's self in the open country2 a fold of the hill hides the city1 and cuts off every sound that might come from it4 ,before you lies the winding road to ,foligno2 at the left the imposing mass of ,mount ,subasio2 at the right the ,umbrian plain with its farms1 its villages1 its cloud-like hills1 on whose slopes pines1 cedars1 oaks1 the vine1 and the olive-tree shed abroad an incomparable brightness and animation4 ,the whole country sparkles with beauty1 a beauty harmonious and thoroughly human1 that is1 made to the measure of man4 ,francis had hoped by this sight to recover the delicious sensations of his youth4 ,with the sharpened sensibility of the convalescent he breathed in the odors of the spring-time1 but spring-time did not come1 as he had expected1 to his heart4 ,this smiling nature had for him only a message of sadness4 ,he had believed that the breezes of this beloved country-side would carry away the last shudders of the fever1 and instead he felt in his heart a discouragement a thousand-fold more painful than any physical ill4 ,the miserable emptiness of his life suddenly appeared before him2 he was terrified at his solitude1 the solitude of a great soul in which there is no altar4 ,memories of the past assailed him with intolerable bitterness2 he was seized with a disgust of himself1 his former ambitions seemed to him ridiculous or despicable4 ,he went home overwhelmed with the weight of a new suffering4 ,in such hours of moral anguish man seeks a refuge either in love or in faith4 ,unhappily the family and friends of ,francis were incapable of understanding him4 ,as to religion1 it was for him1 as for the greater number of his contemporaries1 that crass fetichism with ,christian terminology which is far from having entirely disappeared4 ,with certain men1 in fact1 piety consists in making one's self right with a king more powerful than any other1 but also more severe and capricious1 who is called ,god4 ,one proves one's loyalty to him as to other sovereigns1 by putting his image more or less everywhere1 and punctually paying the imposts levied by his ministers4 ,if you are stingy1 if you cheat1 you run the risk of being severely chastised1 but there are courtiers around the king who willingly render services4 ,for a reasonable recompense they will seize a favorable moment to adroitly make away with the sentence of your condemnation or to slip before the prince a form of plenary absolution which in a moment of good humor he will sign without looking at it4#b ,such was the religious basis upon which ,francis had lived up to this time4 ,he did not so much as dream of seeking the spiritual balm which he needed for the healing of his wounds4 ,by a holy violence he was to arrive at last at a pure and virile faith2 but the road to this point is long1 and sown thick with obstacles1 and at the moment at which we have arrived he had not yet entered upon it1 he did not even suspect its existence2 all he knew was that pleasure leads to nothingness1 to satiety and self-contempt4 ,he knew this1 and yet he was about to throw himself once more into a life of pleasure4 ,the body is so weak1 so prone to return to the old paths1 that it seeks them of itself1 the moment an energetic will does not stop it4 ,though no longer under any illusion with respect to it1 ,francis returned to his former life4 ,was he trying to divert his mind1 to forget that day of bitter thought8 ,we might suppose so1 seeing the ardor with which he threw himself into his new projects4#c ,an opportunity offered itself for him to realize his dreams of glory4 ,a knight of ,assisi1 perhaps one of those who had been in captivity with him at ,perugia1 was preparing to go to ,apulia under orders from ,count ,gentile4#d ,the latter was to join ,gaultier de ,brienne1 who was in the south of ,italy fighting on the side of ,innocent ,,iii4 ,gaultier's renown was immense all through the ,peninsula2 he was held to be one of the most gallant knights of the time4 ,francis's heart bounded with joy2 it seemed to him that at the side of such a hero he should soon cover himself with glory4 ,his departure was decided upon1 and he gave himself up1 without reserve1 to his joy4 ,he made his preparations with ostentatious prodigality4 ,his equipment1 of a princely luxury1 soon became the universal subject of conversation4 ,it was all the more talked about because the chief of the expedition1 ruined perhaps by the revolution of #abjb or by the expenses of a long captivity1 was constrained to order things much more modestly4#e ,but with ,francis kindliness was much stronger than love of display4 ,he gave his sumptuous clothing to a poor knight4 ,the biographies do not say whether or not it was to the very one whom he was to accompany4#f ,to see him running hither and thither in all the bustle of preparation one would have thought him the son of a great lord4 ,his companions were doubtless not slow to feel chafed by his ways and to promise themselves to make him cruelly expiate them4 ,as for him1 he perceived nothing of the jealousies which he was exciting1 and night and day he thought only of his future glory4 ,in his dreams he seemed to see his parents' house completely transformed4 ,instead of bales of cloth he saw there only gleaming bucklers hanging on the walls1 and arms of all kinds as in a seignorial castle4 ,he saw himself there1 beside a noble and beautiful bride1 and he never suspected that in this vision there was any presage of the future which was reserved for him4 ,never had any one seen him so communicative1 so radiant2 and when he was asked for the hundredth time whence came all this joy1 he would reply with surprising assurance3 ,i know that ,i shall become a great prince4#g ,the day of departure arrived at last4 ,francis on horseback1 the little buckler of a page on his arm1 bade adieu to his natal city with joy1 and with the little troop took the road to ,spoleto which winds around the base of ,mount ,subasio4 ,what happened next8 ,the documents do not say4 ,they confine themselves to reporting that that very evening ,francis had a vision which decided him to return to ,assisi4#h ,perhaps it would not be far from the truth to conjecture that once fairly on the way the young nobles took their revenge on the son of ,bernardone for his airs as of a future prince4 ,at twenty years one hardly pardons things like these4 ,if1 as we are often assured1 there is a pleasure unsuspected by the profane in getting even with a stranger1 it must be an almost divine delight to get even with a young coxcomb upon whom one has to exercise so righteous a vengeance4 ,arriving at ,spoleto1 ,francis took to his bed4 ,a fever was consuming him2 in a few hours he had seen all his dreams crumble away4 ,the very next day he took the road back to ,assisi4#i ,so unexpected a return made a great stir in the little city1 and was a cruel blow to his parents4 ,as for him1 he doubled his charities to the poor1 and sought to keep aloof from society1 but his old companions came flocking about him from all quarters1 hoping to find in him once more the tireless purveyor of their idle wants4 ,he let them have their way4 ,nevertheless a great change had taken place in him4 ,neither pleasures nor work could long hold him2 he spent a portion of his days in long country rambles1 often accompanied by a friend most different from those whom until now we have seen about him4 ,the name of this friend is not known1 but from certain indications one is inclined to believe that he was ,bombarone da ,beviglia1 the future ,brother ,elias4#aj ,francis now went back to his reflections at the time of his recovery1 but with less of bitterness4 ,his own heart and his friend agreed in saying to him that it is possible no longer to trust either in pleasure or in glory and yet to find worthy causes to which to consecrate one's life4 ,it is at this moment that religious thought seems to have awaked in him4 ,from the moment that he saw this new way of life his desire to run in it had all the fiery impetuosity which he put into all his actions4 ,he was continually calling upon his friend and leading him apart into the most sequestered paths4 ,but intense conflicts are indescribable4 ,we struggle1 we suffer alone4 ,it is the nocturnal wrestling of ,bethel1 mysterious and solitary4 ,the soul of ,francis was great enough to endure this tragic duel4 ,his friend had marvellously understood his part in this contest4 ,he gave a few rare counsels1 but much of the time he contented himself with manifesting his solicitude by following ,francis everywhere and never asking to know more than he could tell him4 ,often ,francis directed his steps to a grotto in the country near ,assisi1 which he entered alone4 ,this rocky cave concealed in the midst of the olive trees became for faithful ,franciscans that which ,gethsemane is for ,christians4 ,here ,francis relieved his overcharged heart by heavy groans4 ,sometimes1 seized with a real horror for the disorders of his youth1 he would implore mercy1 but the greater part of the time his face was turned toward the future2 feverishly he sought for that higher truth to which he longed to dedicate himself1 that pearl of great price of which the gospel speaks3 ,whosoever seeks1 finds2 he who asks1 receives2 and to him who knocks1 it shall be opened4 ,when he came out after long hours of seclusion the pallor of his countenance1 the painful tension of his features told plainly enough of the intensity of his asking and the violence of his knocks4#aa ,the inward man1 to borrow the language of the mystics1 was not yet formed in him1 but it needed only the occasion to bring about the final break with the past4 ,the occasion soon presented itself4 ,his friends were making continual efforts to induce him to take up his old habits again4 ,one day he invited them all to a sumptuous banquet4 ,they thought they had conquered1 and as in old times they proclaimed him king of the revels4 ,the feast was prolonged far into the night1 and at its close the guests rushed out into the streets1 which they filled with song and uproar4 ,suddenly they perceived that ,francis was no longer with them4 ,after long searching they at last discovered him far behind them1 still holding in his hand his sceptre of king of misrule1 but plunged in so profound a revery that he seemed to be riveted to the ground and unconscious of all that was going on4 ,what is the matter with you8 they cried1 bustling about him as if to awaken him4 ,don't you see that he is thinking of taking a wife8 said one4 ,yes1 answered ,francis1 arousing himself and looking at them with a smile which they did not recognize4 ,i am thinking of taking a wife more beautiful1 more rich1 more pure than you could ever imagine4#ab ,this reply marks a decisive stage in his inner life4 ,by it he cut the last links which bound him to trivial pleasures4 ,it remains for us to see through what struggles he was to give himself to ,god1 after having torn himself free from the world4 ,his friends probably understood nothing of all that had taken place1 but he had become aware of the abyss that was opening between them and him4 ,they soon accepted the situation4 ,as for himself1 no longer having any reason for caution1 he gave himself up more than ever to his passion for solitude4 ,if he often wept over his past dissipations and wondered how he could have lived so long without tasting the bitterness of the dregs of the enchanted cup1 he never allowed himself to be overwhelmed with vain regrets4 ,the poor had remained faithful to him4 ,they gave him an admiration of which he knew himself to be unworthy1 yet which had for him an infinite sweetness4 ,the future grew bright to him in the light of their gratitude1 of the timid1 trembling affection which they dared not utter but which his heart revealed to him2 this worship which he does not deserve to-day he will deserve to-morrow1 at least he promises himself to do all he can to deserve it4 ,to understand these feelings one must understand the condition of the poor of a place like ,assisi4 ,in an agricultural country poverty does not1 as elsewhere1 almost inevitably involve moral destitution1 that degeneration of the entire human being which renders charity so difficult4 ,most of the poor persons whom ,francis knew were in straits because of war1 of bad harvests1 or of illness4 ,in such cases material succor is but a small part4 ,sympathy is the thing needed above all4 ,francis had treasures of it to lavish upon them4 ,he was well requited4 ,all sorrows are sisters2 a secret intelligence establishes itself between troubled hearts1 however diverse their griefs4 ,the poor people felt that their friend also suffered2 they did not precisely know with what1 but they forgot their own sorrows in pitying their benefactor4 ,suffering is the true cement of love4 ,for men to love each other truly1 they must have shed tears together4 ,as yet no influence strictly ecclesiastic had been felt by ,francis4 ,doubtless there was in his heart that leaven of ,christian faith which enters one's being without his being aware2 but the interior transformation which was going on in him was as yet the fruit of his own intuition4 ,this period was drawing to a close4 ,his thought was soon to find expression1 and by that very act to receive the stamp of external circumstances4 ,christian instruction will give a precise form to ideas of which as yet he has but vague glimpses1 but he will find in this form a frame in which his thought will perhaps lose something of its originality and vigor2 the new wine will be put into old wine-skins4 ,by degrees he was becoming calm1 was finding in the contemplation of nature joys which up to this time he had sipped but hastily1 almost unconsciously1 and of which he was now learning to relish the flavor4 ,he drew from them not simply soothing2 in his heart he felt new compassions springing into life1 and with these the desire to act1 to give himself1 to cry aloud to these cities perched upon the hill-tops1 threatening as warriors who eye one another before the fray1 that they should be reconciled and love one another4 ,certainly1 at this time ,francis had no glimpse of what he was some time to become2 but these hours are perhaps the most important in the evolution of his thought2 it is to them that his life owes that air of liberty1 that perfume of the fields which make it as different from the piety of the sacristy as from that of the drawing-room4 ,about this time he made a pilgrimage to ,rome1 whether to ask counsel of his friends1 whether as a penance imposed by his confessor1 or from a mere impulse1 no one knows4 ,perhaps he thought that in a visit to the ,holy ,apostles1 as people said then1 he should find the answers to all the questions which he was asking himself4 ,at any rate he went4 ,it is hardly probable that he received from the visit any religious influence1 for his biographers relate the pained surprise which he experienced when he saw in ,saint ,peter's how meagre were the offerings of pilgrims4 ,he wanted to give everything to the prince of the apostles1 and emptying his purse he threw its entire contents upon the tomb4 ,this journey was marked by a more important incident4 ,many a time when succoring the poor he had asked himself if he himself was able to endure poverty2 no one knows the weight of a burden until he has carried it1 at least for a moment1 upon his own shoulders4 ,he desired to know what it is like to have nothing1 and to depend for bread upon the charity or the caprice of the passer by4#ac ,there were swarms of beggars crowding the ,piazza before the great basilica4 ,he borrowed the rags of one of them1 lending him his garment in exchange1 and a whole day he stood there1 fasting1 with outstretched hand4 ,the act was a great victory1 the triumph of compassion over natural pride4 ,returning to ,assisi1 he doubled his kindnesses to those of whom he had truly the right to call himself the brother4 ,with such sentiments he could not long escape the influence of the ,church4 ,on all the roadsides in the environs of the city there were then1 as now1 numerous chapels4 ,very often he must have heard mass in these rustic sanctuaries1 alone with the celebrant4 ,recognizing the tendency of simple natures to bring home to themselves everything that they hear1 it is easy to understand his emotion and agitation when the priest1 turning toward him1 would read the gospel for the day4 ,the ,christian ideal was revealed to him1 bringing an answer to his secret anxieties4 ,and when1 a few moments later1 he would plunge into the forest1 all his thoughts would be with the poor carpenter of ,nazareth1 who placed himself in his path1 saying to him1 even to him1 ,follow thou me4 ,nearly two years had passed since the day when he felt the first shock2 a life of renunciation appeared to him as the goal of his efforts1 but he felt that his spiritual novitiate was not yet ended4 ,he suddenly experienced a bitter assurance of the fact4 ,he was riding on horseback one day1 his mind more than ever possessed with the desire to lead a life of absolute devotion1 when at a turn of the road he found himself face to face with a leper4 ,the frightful malady had always inspired in him an invincible repulsion4 ,he could not control a movement of horror1 and by instinct he turned his horse in another direction4 ,if the shock had been severe1 the defeat was complete4 ,he reproached himself bitterly4 ,to cherish such fine projects and show himself so cowardly6 ,was the knight of ,christ then going to give up his arms8 ,he retraced his steps and springing from his horse he gave to the astounded sufferer all the money that he had2 then kissed his hand as he would have done to a priest4#ad ,this new victory1 as he himself saw1 marked an era in his spiritual life4#ae ,it is far indeed from hatred of evil to love of good4 ,those are more numerous than we think who1 after severe experience1 have renounced what the ancient liturgies call the world1 with its pomps and lusts2 but the greater number of them have not at the bottom of their hearts the smallest grain of pure love4 ,in vulgar souls disillusion leaves only a frightful egoism4 ,this victory of ,francis had been so sudden that he desired to complete it2 a few days later he went to the lazaretto4#af ,one can imagine the stupefaction of these wretches at the entrance of the brilliant cavalier4 ,if in our days a visit to the sick in our hospitals is a real event awaited with feverish impatience1 what must not have been the appearance of ,francis among these poor recluses8 ,one must have seen sufferers thus abandoned1 to understand what joy may be given by an affectionate word1 sometimes even a simple glance4 ,moved and transported1 ,francis felt his whole being vibrate with unfamiliar sensations4 ,for the first time he heard the unspeakable accents of a gratitude which cannot find words burning enough to express itself1 which admires and adores the benefactor almost like an angel from heaven4 ,,footnotes3 #a #a ,cel41 #c2 cf4 ,bon41 #h1 and ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efc;c4 #b ,it is enough to have lived in the country of ,naples to know that there is nothing exaggerated in this picture4 ,i am much surprised that intelligent and good men fancy that to change the religious formula of these people would suffice to transform them4 ,what a mistake6 ,to-day1 as in the time of ,jesus1 the important matter is not to adore on ,mount ,moriah or ,mount ,zion1 but to adore in spirit and in truth4 #c #a ,cel41 #c and #d4 #d #c ,soc41 #e4 ,in the existing state of the documents it is impossible to know whom this name designates1 for at that time it was borne by a number of counts who are only to be distinguished by the names of their castles4 ,the three following are possible3 #a4 ,gentile comes de ,campilio1 who in #abae paid homage for his property to the commune of ,orvieto3 ,le antiche cronache di ,orvieto1 ,arch4 stor4 ital41 #eth series41 #ahhi1 iii41 p4 #dg4 #b4 ,gentilis comes filius ,alberici1 who with others had made donation of a monastery to the ,bishop of ,foligno3 ,confirmatory ,bull ,in eminenti of ,april #aj1 #abaj3 ,ughelli1 ,italia ,sacra1 #a1 p4 #fig2 ,potthast1 #cigd4 #c4 ,gentilis comes ,manupelli2 whom we find in ,july1 #abjj1 assuring to ,palermo the victory over the troops sent by ,innocent ,,iii4 against ,marckwald2 ,huillard-,breholles1 ,hist4 dipl41 i4 p41 #df ff4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #aabf4 ,gesta ,innocenti1 ,migne1 vol4 i41 xxxii1 ff4 ,cf4 ,huillard-,breholles1 loc4 cit41 pages #fj1 #hd1 #hi1 #aja4 ,it is wrong to consider that ,gentile could here be a mere adjective2 the #c ,soc4 say ,gentile nomine4 #e #a ,cel41 #d2 #c ,soc41 #e4 #f #c ,soc41 #f2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #b2 ,bon41 #h4 #g #a ,cel41 #e2 #c ,soc41 #e2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #b2 ,bon41 #i4 #h #c ,soc41 #f2 ,bon41 #i2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #b4 #i #c ,soc41 #f2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #b4 #aj ,these days are recalled by ,celano with a very particular precision4 ,it is very improbable that ,francis1 usually so reserved as to his personal experience1 should have told him about them 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #fh and #db1 cf4 ,bon41 #add74 ,on the other hand1 nothing forbids his having been informed on this matter by ,brother ,elias4 7,i strongly suspect the legend which tells of an old man appearing on the day ,francis was born and begging permission to take the child in his arms1 saying1 ,to-day1 two infants were born--this one1 who will be among the best of men1 and another1 who will be among the worst--of having been invented by the zelanti against ,brother ,elias4 ,it is evident that such a story is aimed at some one4 ,whom1 if not him who was afterward to appear as the ,anti-,francis87 ,we have sufficient details about the eleven first disciples to know that none of them is here in question4 ,there is nothing surprising in the fact that ,elias does not appear in the earliest years of the ,order 7#abji-abab71 because after having practised at ,assisi his double calling of schoolmaster and carriage-trimmer 7suebat cultras et docebat puerulos psalterium legere1 ,salimbene1 p4 #djb7 he was scriptor at ,bologna 7,eccl41 #ac74 ,and from the psychological point of view this hypothesis would admirably explain the ascendency which ,elias was destined always to exercise over his master4 ,still it remains difficult to understand why ,celano did not name ,elias here1 but the passage1 #a ,cel41 #f1 differs in the different manuscripts 7cf4 ,a4 ,,ss4 and ,amoni's edition1 p4 #ad7 and may have been retouched after the latter's fall4 ,beviglia is a simple farm three-quarters of an hour northwest of ,assisi1 almost half way to ,petrignano4 ,half an hour from ,assisi in the direction of ,beviglia is a grotto1 which may very well be that of which we are about to speak4 #aa #a ,cel41 #f2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #e2 #c ,soc41 #h1 #ab2 ,bon41 #aj1 #aa1 #ab4 #ab #c ,soc41 #g2 #a ,cel41 #g2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #c2 #c ,soc41 #ac4 #ac #c ,soc41 #h-aj2 ,bon41 #ac1 #ad2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #d4 #ad ,to this day in the centre and south of ,italy they kiss the hand of priests and monks4 #ae ,see the ,will4 ,cf4 #c ,soc41 #aa2 #a ,cel41 #ag2 ,bon41 #aa2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eff4 #af #c ,soc41 #aa2 ,bon41 #ac4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,church ,,about #abji ,st4 ,francis was inspired as much as any man may be1 but it would be a palpable error to study him apart from his age and from the conditions in which he lived4 ,we know that he desired and believed his life to be an imitation of ,jesus1 but what we know about the ,christ is in fact so little1 that ,st4 ,francis's life loses none of its strangeness for that4 ,his conviction that he was but an imitator preserved him from all temptation to pride1 and enabled him to proclaim his views with incomparable vigor1 without seeming in the least to be preaching himself4 ,we must therefore neither isolate him from external influences nor show him too dependent on them4 ,during the period of his life at which we are now arrived1 #abje-abjf1 the religious situation of ,italy must more than at any other time have influenced his thought and urged him into the path which he finally entered4 ,the morals of the clergy were as corrupt as ever1 rendering any serious reform impossible4 ,if some among the heresies of the time were pure and without reproach1 many were trivial and impure4 ,here and there a few voices were raised in protest1 but the prophesyings of ,gioacchino di ,fiore had no more power than those of ,st4 ,hildegarde to put a stop to wickedness4 ,luke ,wadding1 the pious ,franciscan annalist1 begins his chronicle with this appalling picture4 ,the advance in historic research permits us to retouch it somewhat more in detail1 but the conclusion remains the same2 without ,francis of ,assisi the ,church would perhaps have foundered and the ,cathari would have won the day4 ,the little poor man1 driven away1 cast out of doors by the creatures of ,innocent ,,iii41 saved ,christianity4 ,we cannot here make a thorough study of the state of the ,church at the beginning of the thirteenth century2 it will suffice to trace some of its most prominent features4 ,the first glance at the secular clergy brings out into startling prominence the ravages of simony2 the traffic in ecclesiastical places was carried on with boundless audacity2 benefices were put up to the highest bidder1 and ,innocent ,,iii4 admitted that fire and sword alone could heal this plague4#a ,prelates who declined to be bought by propinae1 fees1 were held up as astounding exceptions6#b ,they are stones for understanding1 it was said of the officers of the ,roman curia1 wood for justice1 fire for wrath1 iron for forgiveness2 deceitful as foxes1 proud as bulls1 greedy and insatiate as the minotaur4#c ,the praises showered upon ,pope ,eugenius ,,iii4 for rebuffing a priest who1 at the beginning of a lawsuit1 offered him a golden mark1 speak only too plainly as to the morals of ,rome in this respect4#d ,the bishops1 on their part1 found a thousand methods1 often most out of keeping with their calling1 for extorting money from the simple priests4#e ,violent1 quarrelsome1 contentious1 they were held up to ridicule in popular ballads from one end of ,europe to the other4#f ,as to the priests1 they bent all their powers to accumulate benefices1 and secure inheritances from the dying1 stooping to the most despicable measures for providing for their bastards4#g ,the monastic orders were hardly more reputable4 ,a great number of these had sprung up in the eleventh and twelfth centuries2 their reputation for sanctity soon stimulated the liberality of the faithful1 and thus fatally brought about their own decadence4 ,few communities had shown the discretion of the first monks of the ,order of ,grammont in the diocese of ,limoges4 ,when ,stephen de ,muret1 its founder1 began to manifest his sanctity by giving sight to a blind man1 his disciples took alarm at the thought of the wealth and notoriety which was likely to come to them from this cause4 ,pierre of ,limoges1 who had succeeded ,stephen as prior1 went at once to his tomb1 praying3 ,o servant of ,god1 thou hast shown us the way of poverty1 and behold1 thou wouldst make us leave the strait and difficult path of salvation1 and wouldst set us in the broad road of eternal death4 ,thou hast preached to us 7the virtues of7 solitude1 and thou art about to change this place into a fair and a market-place4 ,we know well that thou art a saint6 ,thou hast no need to prove it to us by performing miracles which will destroy our humility4 ,be not so zealous for thy reputation as to augment it to the injury of our salvation4 ,this is what we ask of thee1 expecting it of thy love4 ,if not1 we declare unto thee by the obedience which we once owed to thee1 we will unearth thy bones and throw them into the river4 ,stephen obeyed up to the time of his canonization 7#aahi71 but from that time forward ambition1 avarice1 and luxury made such inroads upon the solitude of ,grammont that its monks became the byword and scoff of the ,christian world4#h ,pierre of ,limoges was not entirely without reason in fearing that his monastery would be transformed into a fair-ground2 members of the chapters of most of the cathedrals kept wine-shops literally under their shadows1 and certain monasteries did not hesitate to attract custom by jugglers of all kinds and even by courtesans4#i ,to form an idea of the degradation of the greater number of the monks it is not enough to read the oratorical and often exaggerated reproofs of preachers obliged to strike hard in order to produce an effect4 ,we must run through the collection of bulls1 where appeals to the court of ,rome against assassinations1 violations1 incests1 adulteries1 recur on almost every page4 ,it is easy to see that even an ,innocent ,,iii4 might feel himself helpless and tempted to yield to discouragement1 in the face of so many ills4#aj ,the best spirits were turning toward the ,orient1 asking themselves if perchance the ,greek ,church might not suddenly come forward to purify all these abuses1 and receive for herself the inheritance of her sister4#aa ,the clergy1 though no longer respected1 still overawed the people through their superstitious terror of their power4 ,here and there might have been perceived many a forewarning of direful revolts2 the roads to ,rome were crowded with monks hastening to claim the protection of the ,holy ,see against the people among whom they lived4 ,the ,pope would promptly declare an interdict1 but it was not to be expected that such a resource would avail forever4#ab ,to maintain the privileges of the ,church the papacy was often obliged to spread the mantle of its protection over those who deserved it least4 ,its clients were not always as interesting as the unfortunate ,ingelburge4 ,it would be easier to give unreserved admiration to the conduct of ,innocent ,,iii4 if in this matter one could feel certain that his only interest was to maintain the cause of a poor abandoned woman4 ,but it is only too evident that he desired above all to keep up the ecclesiastical immunities4 ,this is very evident in his intervention in favor of ,waldemar1 ,bishop of ,schleswig4 ,yet we must not assume that all was corrupt in the bosom of the ,church2 then1 as always1 the evil made more noise than the good1 and the voices of those who desired a reformation aroused only passing interest4 ,among the populace there was superstition unimaginable2 the pulpit1 which ought to have shed abroad some little light1 was as yet open only to the bishops1 and the few pastors who did not neglect their duty in this regard accomplished very little1 being too much absorbed in other duties4 ,it was the birth of the mendicant orders which obliged the entire body of secular clergy to take up the practice of preaching4 ,public worship1 reduced to liturgical ceremonies1 no longer preserved anything which appealed to the intelligence2 it was more and more becoming a sort of self-acting magic formula4 ,once upon this road1 the absurd was not far distant4 ,those who deemed themselves pious told of miracles performed by relics with no need of aid from the moral act of faith4 ,in one case a parrot1 being carried away by a kite1 uttered the invocation dear to his mistress1 ,sancte ,thoma adjuva me1 and was miraculously rescued4 ,in another1 a merchant of ,groningen1 having purloined an arm of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 grew rich as if by enchantment so long as he kept it concealed in his house1 but was reduced to beggary so soon as1 his secret being discovered1 the relic was taken away from him and placed in a church4#ac ,these stories1 we must observe1 do not come from ignorant enthusiasts1 hidden away in obscure country places2 they are given us by one of the most learned monks of his time1 who relates them to a novice by way of forming his mind6 ,relics1 then1 were held to be neither more nor less than talismans4 ,not alone did they perform miracles upon those who were in no special state of faith or devotion1 the more potent among them healed the sick in spite of themselves4 ,a chronicler relates that the body of ,saint ,martin of ,tours had in #hhg been secretly transported to some remote hiding place for fear of the ,danish invasion4 ,when the time came for bringing it home again1 there were in ,touraine two impotent men who1 thanks to their infirmity1 gained large sums by begging4 ,they were thrown into great terror by the tidings that the relics were being brought back3 ,saint ,martin would certainly heal them and take away their means of livelihood4 ,their fears were only too well founded4 ,they had taken to flight1 but being too lame to walk fast they had not yet crossed the frontier of ,touraine when the saint arrived and healed them6 ,hundreds of similar stories might be collected1 statistics might be made up to show1 at the accession of ,innocent ,,iii41 the greater number of episcopal thrones occupied by unworthy bishops1 the religious houses peopled with idle and debauched monks2 but would this give a truly accurate picture of the ,church at this epoch8 ,i do not think so4 ,in the first place1 we must reckon with the choice spirits1 who were without doubt more numerous than is generally supposed4 ,five righteous men would have saved ,sodom2 the ,almighty did not find them there1 but he perhaps might have found them had ,he ,himself made search for them instead of trusting to ,lot4 ,the ,church of the thirteenth century had them1 and it was for their sakes that the whirlwind of heresy did not sweep it away4 ,but this is not all3 the ,church of that time offered a noble spectacle of moral grandeur4 ,we must learn to lift our eyes from the wretched state of things which has just been pointed out and fix them on the pontifical throne and recognize the beauty of the struggle there going on3 a power wholly spiritual undertaking to command the rulers of the world1 as the soul masters the body1 and triumphing in the end4 ,it is true that both soldiers and generals of this army were often little better than ruffians1 but here again1 in order to be just1 we must understand the end they aimed at4 ,in that iron age1 when brute force was the only force1 the ,church1 notwithstanding its wounds1 offered to the world the spectacle of peasants and laboring men receiving the humble homage of the highest potentates of earth1 simply because1 seated on the throne of ,saint ,peter1 they represented the moral law4 ,this is why ,alighieri and many others before and after him1 though they might heap curses on wicked ministers1 yet in the depths of their heart were never without an immense compassion and an ardent love for the ,church which they never ceased to call their mother4 ,still1 everybody was not like them1 and the vices of the clergy explain the innumerable heresies of that day4 ,all of them had a certain success1 from those which were simply the outcry of an outraged conscience1 like that of the ,waldenses1 to the most absurd of them all1 like that of ,eon de l',etoile4 ,some of these movements were for great and sacred causes2 but we must not let our sympathies be so moved by the persecutions suffered by heretics as to cloud our judgment4 ,it would have been better had ,rome triumphed by gentleness1 by education and holiness1 but unhappily a soldier may not always choose his weapons1 and when life is at stake he seizes the first he finds within his reach4 ,the papacy has not always been reactionary and obscurantist2 when it overthrew the ,cathari1 for example1 its victory was that of reason and good sense4 ,the list of the heresies of the thirteenth century is already long1 but it is increasing every day1 to the great joy of those erudite ones who are making strenuous efforts to classify everything in that tohu-bohu of mysticism and folly4 ,in that day heresy was very much alive2 it was consequently very complex and its powers of transformation infinite4 ,one may indicate its currents1 mark its direction1 but to go farther is to condemn oneself to utter confusion in this medley of impulsive1 passionate1 fantastic movements which were born1 shot upward1 and fell to earth again1 at the caprice of a thousand incomprehensible circumstances4 ,in certain counties of ,england there are at the present day villages having as many as eight and ten places of worship for a few hundreds of inhabitants4 ,many of these people change their denomination every three or four years1 returning to that they first quitted1 leaving it again only to enter it anew1 and so on as long as they live4 ,their leaders set the example1 throwing themselves enthusiastically into each new movement only to leave it before long4 ,they would all alike find it difficult to give an intelligible reason for these changes4 ,they say that the ,spirit guides them1 and it would be unfair to disbelieve them1 but the historian who should investigate conditions like these would lose his head in the labyrinth unless he made a separate study of each of these ,protean movements4 ,they are surely not worth the trouble4 ,in a somewhat similar condition was a great part of ,christendom under ,innocent ,,iii42 but while the sects of which ,i have just spoken move in a very narrow circle of dogmas and ideas1 in the thirteenth century every sort of excess followed in rapid succession4 ,without the slightest pause of transition men passed through the most contradictory systems of belief4 ,still1 a few general characteristics may be observed2 in the first place1 heresies are no longer metaphysical subtleties as in earlier days2 ,arius and ,priscillian1 ,nestorius and ,eutychus are dead indeed4 ,in the second place1 they no longer arise in the upper and governing class1 but proceed especially from the inferior clergy and the common people4 ,the blows which actually threatened the ,church of the ,middle ,ages were struck by obscure laboring men1 by the poor and the oppressed1 who in their wretchedness and degradation felt that she had failed in her mission4 ,no sooner was a voice uplifted1 preaching austerity and simplicity1 than it drew together not the laity only1 but members of the clergy as well4 ,toward the close of the twelfth century we find a certain ,pons rousing all ,perigord1 preaching evangelical poverty before the coming of ,st4 ,francis4#ad ,two great currents are apparent3 on one side the ,cathari1 on the other1 innumerable sects revolting from the ,church by very fidelity to ,christianity and the desire to return to the primitive ,church4 ,among the sects of the second category the close of the twelfth century saw in ,italy the rise of the ,poor ,men1 who without doubt were a part of the movement of ,arnold of ,brescia2 they denied the efficacy of sacraments administered by unworthy hands4#ae ,a true attempt at reform was made by the ,waldenses4 ,their history1 although better known1 still remains obscure on certain sides2 their name1 ,poor ,men of ,lyons1 recalls the former movement1 with which they were in close agreement1 as also with the ,humiliants4 ,all these names involuntarily suggest that by which ,st4 ,francis afterward called his ,order4 ,the analogy between the inspiration of ,peter ,waldo and that of ,st4 ,francis was so close that one might be tempted to believe the latter a sort of imitation of the former4 ,it would be a mistake3 the same causes produced in all quarters the same effects2 ideas of reform1 of a return to gospel poverty1 were in the air1 and this helps us to understand how it was that before many years the ,franciscan preaching reverberated through the entire world4 ,if at the outset the careers of these two men were alike1 their later lives were very different4 ,waldo1 driven into heresy almost in spite of himself1 was obliged to accept the consequences of the premises which he himself had laid down2#af while ,francis1 remaining the obedient son of the ,church1 bent all his efforts to develop the inner life in himself and his disciples4 ,it is indeed most likely that through his father ,francis had become acquainted with the movement of the ,poor ,men of ,lyons4 ,hence his oft-repeated counsels to his friars of the duty of submission to the clergy4 ,when he went to seek the approbation of ,innocent ,,iii41 it is evident that the prelates with whom he had relations warned him1 by the very example of ,waldo1 of the dangers inherent in his own movement4#ag ,the latter had gone to ,rome in #aagi1 accompanied by a few followers1 to ask at the same time the approbation of their translation of the ,scriptures into the vulgar tongue and the permission to preach4 ,they were granted both requests on condition of gaining for their preaching the authorization of their local clergy4 ,walter ,map 7,cross #abaj71 who was charged with their examination1 was constrained1 while ridiculing their simplicity1 to admire their poverty and zeal for the apostolic life4#ah ,two or three years later they met a very different reception at ,rome1 and in #aahd they were anathematized by the ,council of ,verona4 ,from that day nothing could stop them1 even to the forming of a new ,church4 ,they multiplied with a rapidity hardly exceeded afterward by the ,franciscans4 ,by the end of the twelfth century we find them spread abroad from ,hungary to ,spain2 the first attempts to hunt them down were made in the latter country4 ,other countries were at first satisfied with treating them as excommunicated persons4 ,obliged to hide themselves1 reduced to the impossibility of holding their chapters1 which ought to have come together once or twice a year1 and which1 had they done so1 might have maintained among them a certain unity of doctrine1 the ,waldenses rapidly underwent a change according to their environment2 some obstinately insisting upon calling themselves good ,catholics1 others going so far as to preach the overthrow of the hierarchy and the uselessness of sacraments4#ai ,hence that multiplicity of differing and even hostile branches which seemed to develop almost hourly4 ,a common persecution brought them nearer to the ,cathari and favored the fusion of their ideas4 ,their activity was inconceivable4 ,under pretext of pilgrimages to ,rome they were always on the road1 simple and insinuating4 ,the methods of travel of that day were peculiarly favorable to the diffusion of ideas4 ,while retailing news to those whose hospitality they received1 they would speak of the unhappy state of the ,church and the reforms that were needed4 ,such conversations were a means of apostleship much more efficacious than those of the present day1 the book and the newspaper2 there is nothing like the viva vox#bj for spreading thought4 ,many vile stories have been told of the ,waldenses2 calumny is far too facile a weapon not to tempt an adversary at bay4 ,thus they have been charged with the same indecent promiscuities of which the early ,christians were accused4 ,in reality their true strength was in their virtues1 which strongly contrasted with the vices of the clergy4 ,the most powerful and determined enemies of the ,church were the ,cathari4 ,sincere1 audacious1 often learned and keen in argument1 having among them some choice spirits and men of great intellectual powers1 they were pre-eminently the heretics of the thirteenth century4 ,their revolt did not bear upon points of detail and questions of discipline1 like that of the early ,waldenses2 it had a definite doctrinal basis1 taking issue with the whole body of ,catholic dogma4 ,but1 although this heresy flourished in ,italy and under the very eyes of ,st4 ,francis1 there is need only to indicate it briefly4 ,his work may have received many infiltrations from the ,waldensian movement1 but ,catharism was wholly foreign to it4 ,this is naturally explained by the fact that ,st4 ,francis never consented to occupy himself with questions of doctrine4 ,for him faith was not of the intellectual but the moral domain2 it is the consecration of the heart4 ,time spent in dogmatizing appeared to him time lost4 ,an incident in the life of ,brother ,egidio well brings out the slight esteem in which theology was held by the early ,brothers ,minor4 ,one day1 in the presence of ,st4 ,bonaventura1 he cried1 perhaps not without a touch of irony1 ,alas6 what shall we ignorant and simple ones do to merit the favor of ,god8 ,my brother1 replied the famous divine1 you know very well that it suffices to love the ,lord4 ,are you very sure of that8 replied ,egidio2 do you believe that a simple woman might please ,him as well as a master in theology8 ,upon the affirmative response of his interlocutor1 he ran out into the street and calling to a beggar woman with all his might1 ,poor old creature1 he exclaimed1 rejoice1 for if you love ,god1 you may have a higher place in the kingdom of heaven than ,brother ,bonaventura6#ba ,the ,cathari1 then1 had no direct influence upon ,st4 ,francis1#bb but nothing could better prove the disturbance of thought at this epoch than that resurrection of ,manicheism4 ,to what a depth of lassitude and folly must religious ,italy have fallen for this mixture of ,buddhism1 ,mazdeism1 and gnosticism to have taken such hold upon it6 ,the ,catharist doctrine rested upon the antagonism of two principles1 one bad1 the other good4 ,the first had created matter2 the second1 the soul1 which1 for generation after generation passes from one body to another until it achieves salvation4 ,matter is the cause and the seat of evil2 all contact with it constitutes a blemish1#bc consequently the ,cathari renounced marriage and property and advocated suicide4 ,all this was mixed up with most complicated cosmogonical myths4 ,their adherents were divided into two classes--the pure or perfect1 and the believers1 who were proselytes in the second degree1 and whose obligations were very simple4 ,the adepts1 properly so called1 were initiated by the ceremony of the consolamentum or imposition of hands1 which induced the descent upon them of the ,consoling ,spirit4 ,among them were enthusiasts who after this ceremony placed themselves in endura--that is to say1 they starved themselves to death in order not to descend from this state of grace4 ,in ,languedoc1 where this sect went by the name of ,albigenses1 they had an organization which embraced all ,central ,europe1 and everywhere supported flourishing schools attended by the children of the nobles4 ,in ,italy they were hardly less powerful2 ,concorrezo1 near ,monza in ,lombardy1 and ,bagnolo1 gave their names to two congregations slightly different from those in ,languedoc4#bd ,but it was especially from ,milan#be that they spread abroad over all the ,peninsula1 making proselytes even in the most remote districts of ,calabria4 ,the state of anarchy prevailing in the country was very favorable to them4 ,the papacy was too much occupied in baffling the spasmodic efforts of the ,hohenstaufen1 to put the necessary perseverance and system into its struggles against heresy4 ,thus the new ideas were preached under the very shadow of the ,lateran2 in #abji1 ,otho ,,iv41 coming to ,rome to be crowned1 found there a school in which ,manicheism was publicly taught4#bf ,with all his energy ,innocent ,,iii4 had not been able to check this evil in the ,states of the ,church4 ,the case of ,viterbo tells much of the difficulty of repressing it2 in ,march1 #aaii1 the pope wrote to the clergy and people of this town to recall to their minds1 and at the same time to increase1 the penalties pronounced against heresy4 ,for all that1 the ,patarini had the majority in #abje1 and succeeded in naming one of themselves consul4#bg ,the wrath of the pontiff at this event was unbounded2 he fulminated a bull menacing the city with fire and sword1 and commanding the neighboring towns to throw themselves upon her if within a fortnight she had not given satisfaction4#bh ,it was all in vain3 the ,patarini were dealt with only as a matter of form2 it needed the presence of the pope himself to assure the execution of his orders and obtain the demolition of the houses of the heretics and their abettors 7autumn of #abjg74bi ,but stifled at one point the revolt burst out at a hundred others2 at this moment it was triumphant on all sides2 at ,ferrara1 ,verona1 ,rimini1 ,florence1 ,prato1 ,faenza1 ,treviso1 ,piacenza4 ,the clergy were expelled from this last town1 which remained more than three years without a priest4#cj ,viterbo is twenty leagues from ,assisi1 ,orvieto only ten1 and disturbances in this town were equally grave4 ,a noble ,roman1 ,pietro ,parentio1 the deputy of the ,holy ,see in this place1 endeavored to exterminate the ,patarini4 ,he was assassinated4#ca ,but ,francis needed not to go even so far as ,orvieto to become acquainted with heretics4 ,in ,assisi the same things were going on as in the neighboring cities4 ,in #abjc this town had elected for podesta a heretic named ,giraldo di ,gilberto1 and in spite of warnings from ,rome had persisted in keeping him at the head of affairs until the expiration of his term of office 7#abjd74 ,innocent ,,iii41 who had not yet been obliged to use vigor with ,viterbo1 resorted to persuasion and despatched to ,umbria the ,cardinal ,leo di ,santa ,croce1 who will appear more than once in this history4#cb ,the successor of ,giraldo and fifty of the principal citizens made the amende honorable and swore fidelity to the ,church4 ,it is easy to perceive in what a state of ferment ,italy was during these early years of the thirteenth century4 ,the moral discredit of the clergy must have been deep indeed for souls to have turned toward ,manicheism with such ardor4 ,italy may well be grateful to ,st4 ,francis2 it was as much infected with ,catharism as ,languedoc1 and it was he who wrought its purification4 ,he did not pause to demonstrate by syllogisms or theological theses the vanity of the ,catharist doctrines2 but soaring as on wings to the religious life1 he suddenly made a new ideal to shine out before the eyes of his contemporaries1 an ideal before which all these fantastic sects vanished as birds of the night take flight at the first rays of the sun4 ,a great part of ,st4 ,francis's power came to him thus through his systematic avoidance of polemics4 ,the latter is always more or less a form of spiritual pride2 it only deepens the chasm which it undertakes to fill up4 ,truth needs not to be proved2 it is its own witness4 ,the only weapon which he would use against the wicked was the holiness of a life so full of love as to enlighten and revive those about him1 and compel them to love4#cc ,the disappearance of ,catharism in ,italy1 without an upheaval1 and above all without the ,inquisition1 is thus an indirect result of the ,franciscan movement1 and not the least important among them4#cd ,at the voice of the ,umbrian reformer ,italy roused herself1 recovered her good sense and fine temper2 she cast out those doctrines of pessimism and death1 as a robust organism casts out morbid substances4 ,i have already endeavored to show the strong analogy between the initial efforts of ,francis and those of the ,poor ,men of ,lyons4 ,his thought ripened in an atmosphere thoroughly saturated with their ideas2 unconsciously to himself they entered into his being4 ,the prophecies of the ,calabrian abbot exerted upon him an influence quite as difficult to appreciate1 but no less profound4 ,standing on the confines of ,italy and as it were at the threshold of ,greece1 ,gioacchino di ,fiore#ce was the last link in a chain of monastic prophets1 who during nearly four hundred years succeeded one another in the monasteries and hermitages of ,southern ,italy4 ,the most famous among them had been ,st4 ,nilo1 a sort of untamed ,john the ,baptist1 living in desert places1 but suddenly emerging from them when his duties of maintaining the right called him elsewhere4 ,we see him on one occasion appearing in ,rome itself1 to announce to pope and emperor the unloosing of the divine wrath4#cf ,scattered in the ,alpine solitudes of ,basilicata these ,calabrian hermits were continually obliged to retreat higher and higher into the mountain fastnesses to escape the populace1 who1 pursued by pirates1 were taking refuge in these mountains4 ,they thus passed their lives between heaven and earth1 with two seas for their horizon4 ,disquieted by fear of the corsairs1 and by the war-cries whose echoes reached even to them1 they turned their thoughts toward the future4 ,the ages of great terror are also the ages of great hope2 it is to the captivity of ,babylon that we owe1 with the second part of ,isaiah1 those pictures of the future which have not yet ceased to charm the soul of man2 ,nero's persecutions gave us the ,apocalypse of ,st4 ,john1 and the paroxysms of the twelfth century the eternal ,gospel4 ,converted after a life of dissipation1 ,gioacchino di ,fiore travelled extensively in the ,holy ,land1 ,greece1 and ,constantinople4 ,returning to ,italy he began1 though a layman1 to preach in the outskirts of ,rende and ,cosenza4 ,later on he joined the ,cistercians of ,cortale1 near ,catanzaro1 and there took vows4 ,shortly after elected abbot of the monastery in spite of refusal and even flight1 he was seized after a few years with the nostalgia of solitude1 and sought from ,pope ,lucius ,,iii4 a discharge from his functions 7#aaha71 that he might consecrate all his time to the works which he had in mind4 ,the pope granted his request1 and even permitted him to go wherever he might deem best in the interest of his work4 ,then began for ,gioacchino a life of wandering from convent to convent1 which carried him even as far as ,lombardy1 to ,verona1 where we find him with ,pope ,urban ,,iii4 ,when he returned to the south1 a group of disciples gathered around him to hear his explanations of the most obscure passages of the ,bible4 ,whether he would or no he was obliged to receive them1 to talk with them1 to give them a rule1 and1 finally1 to instal them in the very heart of the ,sila1 the ,black ,forest of ,italy1#cg over against the highest peak1 in gorges where the silence is interrupted only by the murmurs of the ,arvo and the ,neto1 which have their source not far from there4 ,the new ,athos received the name of ,fiore 7flower71 transparent symbol of the hopes of its founder4#ch ,it was there that he put the finishing touch to writings which1 after fifty years of neglect1 were to become the starting-point of all heresies1 and the aliment of all souls burdened with the salvation of ,christendom4 ,the men of the first half of the thirteenth century1 too much occupied with other things1 did not perceive that the spiritual streams at which they were drinking descended from the snowy mountain-tops of ,calabria4 ,it is always thus with mystical influences4 ,there is in them something vague1 tenuous1 and penetrating which escapes an exact estimation4 ,let two choice souls meet1 and they will find it a difficult thing to analyze and name the impressions which each has received from the other4 ,it is so with an epoch2 it is not always those who speak to her the oftenest and loudest whom she best understands2 nor even those at whose feet she sits1 a faithful pupil1 day after day4 ,sometimes1 while on the way to her accustomed masters1 she suddenly meets a stranger2 she barely catches a few words of what he says2 she knows not whence he comes nor whither he goes2 she never sees him again1 but those few words of his go on surging in the depths of her soul1 agitating and disquieting her4 ,thus it was for a long while with ,gioacchino di ,fiore4 ,his teachings1 scattered here and there by enthusiastic disciples1 were germinating silently in many hearts4#ci ,giving back hope to men1 they restored to them strength also4 ,to think is already to act2 alone under the shadow of the hoary pines which surrounded his cell1 the cenobite of ,fiore was laboring for the renovation of the ,church with as much vigor as the reformers who came after him4 ,he was1 however1 far from attaining the height of the prophets of ,israel2 instead of soaring like them to the very heavens1 he always remained riveted to the text1 upon which he commented in the allegorical method1 and whence by this method he brought out the most fantastic improbabilities4 ,a few pages of his books would wear out the most patient reader1 but in these fields1 burnt over by theological arguments more drying than the winds of the desert1 fields where one at first perceives only stones and thistles1 one comes at last to the charming oasis1 with repose and dreams in its shade4 ,the exegesis of ,gioacchino di ,fiore in fact led up to a sort of philosophy of history2 its grand lines were calculated to make a striking appeal to the imagination4 ,the life of humanity is divided into three periods3 in the first1 under the reign of the ,father1 men lived under the rigor of the law2 in the second1 reigned over by the ,son1 men live under the rule of grace2 in the third1 the ,spirit shall reign and men shall live in the plenitude of love4 ,the first is the period of servile obedience2 the second1 that of filial obedience2 the third1 that of liberty4 ,in the first1 men lived in fear2 in the second1 they rest in faith2 in the third1 they shall burn with love4 ,the first saw the shining of the stars2 the second sees the whitening of the dawn2 the third will behold the glory of the day4 ,the first produced nettles1 the second gives roses1 the third will be the age of lilies4 ,if now we consider that in the thought of ,gioacchino the third period1 the ,age of the ,spirit1 was about to open1 we shall understand with what enthusiasm men hailed the words which restored joy to hearts still disturbed with millenarian fears4 ,it is evident that ,st4 ,francis knew these radiant hopes4 ,who knows even that it was not the ,calabrian ,seer who awoke his heart to its transports of love8 ,if this be so1 ,gioacchino was not merely his precursor2 he was his true spiritual father4 ,however this may be1 ,st4 ,francis found in ,gioacchino's thought many of the elements which1 unconsciously to himself1 were to become the foundation of his institute4 ,the noble disdain which he shows for all men of learning1 and which he sought to inculcate upon his ,order1 was for ,gioacchino one of the characteristics of the new era4 ,the truth which remains hidden to the wise1 he says1 is revealed to babes2 dialectics closes that which is open1 obscures that which is clear2 it is the mother of useless talk1 of rivalries and blasphemy4 ,learning does not edify1 and it may destroy1 as is proved by the scribes of the ,church1 swollen with pride and arrogance1 who by dint of reasoning fall into heresy4#dj ,we have seen that the return to evangelical simplicity had become a necessity2 all the heretical sects were on this point in accord with pious ,catholics1 but no one spoke in a manner so ,franciscan as ,gioacchino di ,fiore4 ,not only did he make voluntary poverty one of the characteristics of the age of lilies1 but he speaks of it in his pages with so profound1 so living an emotion1 that ,st4 ,francis could do little more than repeat his words4 ,the ideal monk whom he describes1#da whose only property is a lyre1 is a true ,franciscan before the letter1 him of whom the ,poverello of ,assisi always dreamed4 ,the feeling for nature also bursts forth in him with incomparable vigor4 ,one day he was preaching in a chapel which was plunged in almost total darkness1 the sky being quite overcast with clouds4 ,suddenly the clouds broke away1 the sun shone1 the church was flooded with light4 ,gioacchino paused1 saluted the sun1 intoned the ,veni ,creator1 and led his congregation out to gaze upon the landscape4 ,it would be by no means surprising if toward #abje ,francis should have heard of this prophet1 toward whom so many hearts were turning1 this anchorite who1 gazing up into heaven1 spoke with ,jesus as a friend talks with his friend1 yet knew also how to come down to console men and warm the faces of the dying at his own breast4 ,at the other end of ,europe1 in the heart of ,germany1 the same causes had produced the same effects4 ,from the excess of the people's sufferings and the despair of religious souls was being born a movement of apocalyptic mysticism which seemed to have secret communication with that which was rousing the ,peninsula4 ,they had the same views of the future1 the same anxious expectation of new cataclysms1 joined with a prospect of a reviving of the ,church4 ,cry with a loud voice1 said her guardian angel to ,st4 ,elizabeth of ,schonau 7,cross #aafd71 cry to all nations3 ,woe6 for the whole world has become darkness4 ,the ,lord's vine has withered1 there is no one to tend it4 ,the ,lord has sent laborers1 but they have all been found idle4 ,the head of the ,church is ill and her members are dead4444 ,shepherds of my ,church1 you are sleeping1 but ,i shall awaken you6 ,kings of the earth1 the cry of your iniquity has risen even to me4#db ,divine justice1 said ,st4 ,hildegarde 7,cross #aagh71 shall have its hour2 the last of the seven epochs symbolized by the seven days of creation has arrived1 the judgments of ,god are about to be accomplished2 the empire and the papacy1 sunk into impiety1 shall crumble away together4444 ,but upon their ruins shall appear a new nation of ,god1 a nation of prophets illuminated from on high1 living in poverty and solitude4 ,then the divine mysteries shall be revealed1 and the saying of ,joel shall be fulfilled2 the ,holy ,spirit shall shed abroad upon the people the dew of his prophecies1 of his wisdom and holiness2 the heathen1 the ,jews1 the worldly and the unbelieving shall be converted together1 spring-time and peace shall reign over a regenerated world1 and the angels will return with confidence to dwell among men4 ,these hopes were not wholly confounded4 ,in the evening of his days the prophet of ,fiore was able1 like a new ,simeon1 to utter his ,nunc dimittis1 and for a few years ,christendom could turn in amazement to ,assisi as to a new ,bethlehem4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,bull of ,june #h1 #aaih1 ,quamvis4 ,migne1 i41 col4 #bbj2 ,potthast1 #bfe4 #b ,for example1 ,pierre1 ,cardinal of ,st4 ,chryzogone and former ,bishop of ,meaux1 who in a single election refused the dazzling offer of five hundred silver marks4 ,alexander ,,iii41 ,migne's edition1 epist4 #cie4 #c ,fasciculus rerum expetend4 et fugiend41 t4 ii41 #g1 pp4 #bed1 #bee 7,brown1 #afij74 #d ,john of ,salisbury1 ,policrat4 ,migne1 v4 #ae4 #e ,among their sources of revenue we find the right of collagium1 by payment of which clerics acquired the right to keep a concubine4 ,pierre le ,chantre1 ,verb4 abbrev41 #bd4 #f ,vide ,carmina ,burana1 ,breslau1 #hvo1 #ahhc2 ,political ,songs of ,england1 published by ,th4 ,wright1 ,london1 #hvo1 #ahic2 ,poesies populaires latines du moyen age1 du ,meril1 ,paris1 #ahdg4 ,see also ,raynouard1 ,lexique roman1 i41 #ddf1 #dea1 #dfd1 the fine poems of the troubadour ,pierre ,cardinal1 contemporary of ,st4 ,francis1 upon the woes of the ,church1 and ,dante1 ,inferno1 xix4 ,if one would gain an idea of what the bishop of a small city in those days cost his flock1 he has only to read the bull of ,february #ab1 #abai1 ,justis petentium1 addressed by ,honorius ,,iii4 to the ,bishop of ,terni1 and including the contract by which the inhabitants of that city settled the revenues of the episcopal see4 ,horoy1 t4 iii41 col4 #aad1 or the ,bullarium romanum1 t4 iii41 p4 #cdh1 ,turin4 #g ,conosco sacerdoti che fanno gli usura per formare un patrimonio da lasciare ai loro spurii2 altri che tengono osteria coll' insegna del collare e vendono vino 444 ,salimbene1 ,cantarelli1 ,parma1 #ahhb1 #b vols41 #hvo1 ii41 p4 #cjg4 #h ,vide ,brevis historia ,prior4 ,grandimont4--,stephani ,tornacensis4 ,epist4 #aae1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aef1 #afb2 ,honorius ,,iii41 ,horoy's edition1 lib4 i41 #bhj1 #bhd1 #bhf-bhh2 ii41 #ab1 #acj1 #acf1 #chc-chg4 #i ,guerard1 ,cartulaire de ,n4 ,d4 de ,paris1 t4 i41 p4 cxi2 t4 ii41 p4 #djf4 ,cf4 ,honorius ,,iii41 ,bull ,inter statuta of ,july #be1 #abbc1 ,horoy1 t4 iv41 col4 #dja4 ,see also canon #bc of the ,council of ,beziers1 #abcc2 ,guibert de ,gemblours1 epist4 #e and #f 7,migne72 ,honorius ,,iii41 lib4 ix41 #cb1 #ha2 ii41 #aic2 iv41 #aj2 iii41 #bec and #beh2 iv41 #cc1 #bg1 #gj1 #add2 v41 #ef1 #bia1 #dbj1 #dcj2 vi41 #bad1 #acb1 #aci1 #bjd2 vii41 #abg2 ix41 #ea4 #aj ,vide ,bull ,postquam vocante ,domino of ,july #aa1 #abjf4 ,potthast #bhdj4 #aa ,v4 ,annales ,stadenses ,monumenta ,germaniae historica1 ,scriptorum1 t4 #af1 ad ann4 #abcg4 ,among the comprehensive pictures of the situation of the ,church in the thirteenth century1 there is none more interesting than that left us by the ,cardinal ,jacques de ,vitry in his ,historia occidentalis3 ,libri duo quorum prior ,orientalis1 alter ,occidentalis historiae nomine inscribitur ,duaci1 #aeig1 #afmo4 pp4 #bei-dhj4 #ab ,v4 ,honorius ,,iii41 ,horoy's edition1 lib4 i41 ep4 #aji1 #abe1 #ace1 #bjf1 #bgc2 ii41 #abh1 #afd2 iv41 #abj1 etc4 #ac ,dialogus miraculorum of ,cesar of ,heisterbach ,strange's edition1 ,cologne1 #ahea1 #b vols41 #hvo1 t4 ii41 pp4 #bee and #abe4 ,this book1 with the ,golden ,legend of ,giacomo di ,varaggio1 gives the best idea of the state of religious thought in the thirteenth century4 #ad ,recueil des historiens de ,france4 ,bouquet1 t4 xii41 pp4 #eej1 #eea4 #ae ,bonacorsi3 ,vitae haereticorum d',achery1 ,spicilegium1 t4 i41 p4 #bae ,cf4 ,lucius ,,iii41 epist4 #aga1 ,migne4 #af ,vide ,bernard ,gui1 ,practica inquisitionis1 ,douai edition1 #dto1 ,paris1 #ahhf p4 #bdd ff41 and especially the ,vatican ,,ms41 #bedh1 folio #ga4 #ag ,a chronicle of ,st4 ,francis's time makes this same comparison3 ,burchard1 ,abbot of ,urspurg 7,cross #abbf7 ,burchardi et ,cuonradi chronicon4 ,monum4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bc1 has left us an account of the approbation of ,francis by the ,pope1 all the more precious for being that of a contemporary4 ,loc4 cit41 p4 #cgf4 #ah ,de nugis ,curialium1 ,dist4 #a1 cap4 #ca1 p4 #fd1 ,wright's edition4 ,cf4 ,chronique de ,laon1 ,bouquet xiii41 p4 #fhj4 #ai ,see1 for example1 the letter of the ,italian branch of the ,poor ,men of ,lyons ,pauperos ,lombardi to their brethren of ,germany1 there called ,leonistes4 ,in it they show the points in which they are not in harmony with the ,french ,waldenses4 ,published by ,preger3 ,abhandlungen der ,k4 bayer4 ,akademie der ,wiss4 ,hist4 ,cl41 t4 xiii41 #ahge1 p4 #ai ff4 #bj ,these continual journeyings sometimes gained for them the name of ,passagieni1 as in the south of ,france the preachers of certain sects are to-day called ,courriers4 ,the term1 however1 specially designates a ,judaizing sect who returned to the literal observation of the ,mosaic law3 ,doellinger1 ,beitraege1 t4 ii41 pp4 #cbg and #cge4 ,they should therefore be identified with the ,circonsisi of the constitution of ,frederic ,,ii4 7,huillard-,breholles1 t4 v41 p4 #bhj74 ,see especially the fine monograph of ,m4 ,c4 ,molinier3 ,memoires de l',academie de ,toulouse1 #ahhh4 #ba ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bch;d4 #bb ,i would say that between the inspiration of ,francis and the ,catharian doctrines there is an irreconcilable opposition2 but it would not be difficult to find acts and words of his which recall the contempt for matter of the ,cathari2 for example1 his way of treating his body4 ,some of his counsels to the friars3 ,unusquisque habet in potestate sua inimicum suum videlicit corpus1 per quod peccat4 ,assisi ,,ms4 #cch1 folio #bj;b4 ,conform4 #ach1 b4 #b4--;,cum majorem inimicum corpore non habeam4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fc4 ,these are momentary but inevitable obscurations1 moments of forgetfulness1 of discouragement1 when a man is not himself1 and repeats mechanically what he hears said around him4 ,the real ,st4 ,francis is1 on the contrary1 the lover of nature1 he who sees in the whole creation the work of divine goodness1 the radiance of the eternal beauty1 he who1 in the ,canticle of the ,creatures1 sees in the body not the ,enemy but a brother3 ,caepit hilariter loqui ad corpus2 ,gaude1 frater corpus4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #acg4 #bc ,quodam die1 dicta fabrissa dixit ipsi testi praegnanti1 quod rogaret ,deum1 ut liberaret eam a ,daemone1 quem habebat in ventre 444 ,gulielmus dixit quod ita magnum peccatum erat jacere cum uxore sua quam cum concubina4 ,doellinger1 loc4 cit41 pp4 #bd1 #ce4 #bd ,those of the ,concorrezenses and ,bajolenses4 ,in ,italy ,cathari becomes ,gazzari2 for that matter1 each country had its special appellatives2 one of the most general in the north was that of the ,bulgari1 which marks the oriental origin of the sect1 whence the slang term ,boulgres and its derivatives 7vide ,matthew ,paris1 ann4 #abch74 ,cf4 ,schmit1 ,histoire des ,cathares1 #hvo1 #b vols1 ,paris1 #ahdi4 #be ,the most current name in ,italy was that of the ,patarini1 given them no doubt from their inhabiting the quarter of second-hand dealers in ,milan3 la contrada dei ,patari1 found in many cities4 ,patari6 is still the cry of the ragpickers in the small towns of ,provence4 ,in the thirteenth century ,patarino and ,catharo were synonyms4 ,but before that the term ,patarini had an entirely different sense4 ,see the very remarkable study of ,m4 ,felice ,tocco on this subject in his ,eresia net medio evo1 #abmo1 ,florence1 #ahhd4 #bf ,cesar von ,heisterbach1 ,dial4 mirac41 t4 i41 p4 #cji1 ,strange's edition4 #bg ,innocentii opera1 ,migne1 t4 i41 col4 #ecg2 t4 ii41 #fed4 #bh ,computruistis in peccatis sicut jumenta in stercore suo ut fumus ac fimus putrefactionis vestrae jam fere circumadjacentes regionis infecerit1 ac ipsum ,dominum ut credimus ad nauseam provocaverit4 ,loc4 cit41 col4 #fed4 ,cf4 #fgc2 ,potthast1 #becb1 #beci4 #bi ,gesta ,innocentii1 ,migne1 t4 i41 col4 clxii4 ,cf4 epist4 viii41 #he and #aje4 #cj ,campi1 ,historia ,ecclesiastica di ,piacenza1 parte ii41 p4 #ib ff4 ,cf4 ,innoc41 epist4 ix41 #aca1 #aff-afi2 x41 #ed1 #fd1 #bbb4 #ca ,a4 ,,ss41 ,maii1 t4 v41 p4 #hg4 #cb ,bull of ,june #f1 #abje1 ,potthast1 #bbcg2 ,migne1 vii41 #hc4 ,this ,cardinal ,leo 7of the presbyterial title of ,holy ,cross of ,jerusalem7 was one most valued by ,innocent ,,iii4 ,to him and ,ugolini1 the future ,gregory ,,ix41 he at this epoch confided the most delicate missions 7for example1 in #abji1 they were named legates to ,otho ,,iv474 ,this embassy shows in what importance the pope held the affairs of ,assisi1 though it was a very small city4 #cc ,not once do we find him fighting heretics4 ,the early ,dominicans1 on the contrary1 are incessantly occupied with arguing4 ,see #b ,cel41 #c1 #df4 #cd ,it need not be said that ,i do not assert that no trace of it is to be found after the ministry of ,st4 ,francis1 but it was no longer a force1 and no longer endangered the very existence of the ,church4 #ce ,this strange personality will charm historians and philosophers for a long while to come4 ,i know nothing more learned or more luminous than ,m4 ,felice ,tocco's fine study in his ,eresia nel medio evo1 ,florence1 #ahhd1 #a vol41 #abmo1 pp4 #bfa-dji4 #cf ,a4 ,,ss41 ,sept41 t4 vii41 p4 #bhc ff4 #cg ,a4 ,,ss41 ,maii1 vii42 ,vincent de ,beauvais1 ,speculum historiale1 lib4 #bi1 cap4 #dj4 ,la ,sila is a wooded mountain1 situated eastward from ,cosenza1 which the peasants call ,monte ,nero4 ,the summits are nearly #b1jjj metres above the sea4 #ch ,toward #aaie4 ,gioacchino died there1 ,march #cj1 #abjb4 #ci ,a whole apochryphal literature has blossomed out around ,gioacchino2 certain hypercritics have tried to prove that he never wrote anything4 ,these are exaggerations4 ,three large works are certainly authentic3 ,the ,agreement of the ,old and ,new ,testaments1 ,the ,commentary on the ,apocalypse1 and ,the ,psaltery of ,ten ,strings1 published in ,venice1 the first in #aeag1 the two others in #aebg4 ,his prophecies were so well known1 even in his lifetime1 that an ,english ,cistercian1 ,rudolph1 ,abbot of ,coggeshall 7,cross #abbh71 coming to ,rome in #aaie1 sought a conference with him and has left us an interesting account of it4 ,martene1 ,amplissima ,collectio1 t4 v41 p4 #hci4 #dj ,comm4 in apoc41 folio #gh1 b4 #b4 #da ,qui vere monachus est nihil reputat esse suum nisi citharam3 ,apoc41 ib41 folio #ahc4 a4 #b4 #db ,e4 ,roth1 ,die ,visionen der heiligen ,elisabeth von ,schoenau3 ,bruenn1 #ahhd1 pp4 #aae-aag4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,struggles ,,and ,,triumph ,spring of #abjf-;,february #bd1 #abji ,the biographies of ,st4 ,francis have preserved to us an incident which shows how great was the religious ferment even in the little city of ,assisi4 ,a stranger was seen to go up and down the streets saying to every one he met1 ,peace and welfare6 7,pax et bonum47#a ,he thus expressed in his own way the disquietude of those hearts which could neither resign themselves to perpetual warfare nor to the disappearance of faith and love2 artless echo1 vibrating in response to the hopes and fears that were shaking all ,europe6 ,vox clamantis in deserto6 it will be said4 ,no1 for every heart-cry leaves its trace even when it seems to be uttered in empty air1 and that of the ,unknown of ,assisi may have contributed in some measure to ,francis's definitive call4 ,since his abrupt return from ,spoleto1 life in his father's house had become daily more difficult4 ,bernardone's self-love had received from his son's discomfiture such a wound as with commonplace men is never healed4 ,he might provide1 without counting it1 money to be swallowed up in dissipation1 that so his son might stand on an equal footing with the young nobles2 he could never resign himself to see him giving with lavish hands to every beggar in the streets4 ,francis1 continually plunged in reverie and spending his days in lonely wanderings in the fields1 was no longer of the least use to his father4 ,months passed1 and the distance between the two men grew ever wider2 and the gentle and loving ,pica could do nothing to prevent a rupture which from this time appeared to be inevitable4 ,francis soon came to feel only one desire1 to flee from the abode where1 in the place of love1 he found only reproaches1 upbraidings1 anguish4 ,the faithful confidant of his earlier struggles had been obliged to leave him1 and this absolute solitude weighed heavily upon his warm and loving heart4 ,he did what he could to escape from it1 but no one understood him4 ,the ideas which he was beginning timidly to express evoked from those to whom he spoke only mocking smiles or the head-shakings which men sure that they are right bestow upon him who is marching straight to madness4 ,he even went to open his mind to the bishop1 but the latter understood no more than others his vague1 incoherent plans1 filled with ideas impossible to realize and possibly subversive4#b ,it was thus that in spite of himself ,francis was led to ask nothing of men1 but to raise himself by prayer to intuitive knowledge of the divine will4 ,the doors of houses and of hearts were alike closing upon him1 but the interior voice was about to speak out with irresistible force and make itself forever obeyed4 ,among the numerous chapels in the suburbs of ,assisi there was one which he particularly loved1 that of ,st4 ,damian4 ,it was reached by a few minutes' walk over a stony path1 almost trackless1 under olive trees1 amid odors of lavender and rosemary4 ,standing on the top of a hillock1 the entire plain is visible from it1 through a curtain of cypresses and pines which seem to be trying to hide the humble hermitage and set up an ideal barrier between it and the world4 ,served by a poor priest who had scarcely the wherewithal for necessary food1 the sanctuary was falling into ruin4 ,there was nothing in the interior but a simple altar of masonry1 and by way of reredos one of those byzantine crucifixes still so numerous in ,italy1 where through the work of the artists of the time has come down to us something of the terrors which agitated the twelfth century4 ,in general the ,crucified ,one1 frightfully lacerated1 with bleeding wounds1 appears to seek to inspire only grief and compunction2 that of ,st4 ,damian1 on the contrary1 has an expression of inexpressible calm and gentleness2 instead of closing the eyelids in eternal surrender to the weight of suffering1 it looks down in self-forgetfulness1 and its pure1 clear gaze says1 not ,i suffer1 but1 ,come unto me4#c ,one day ,francis was praying before the poor altar3 ,great and glorious ,god1 and thou1 ,lord ,jesus1 ,i pray ye1 shed abroad your light in the darkness of my mind4444 ,be found of me1 ,lord1 so that in all things ,i may act only in accordance with thy holy will4#d ,thus he prayed in his heart1 and behold1 little by little it seemed to him that his gaze could not detach itself from that of ,jesus2 he felt something marvellous taking place in and around him4 ,the sacred victim took on life1 and in the outward silence he was aware of a voice which softly stole into the very depths of his heart1 speaking to him an ineffable language4 ,jesus accepted his oblation4 ,jesus desired his labor1 his life1 all his being1 and the heart of the poor solitary was already bathed in light and strength4#e ,this vision marks the final triumph of ,francis4 ,his union with ,christ is consummated2 from this time he can exclaim with the mystics of every age1 ,my beloved is mine1 and ,i am his4 ,but instead of giving himself up to transports of contemplation he at once asks himself how he may repay to ,jesus love for love1 in what action he shall employ this life which he has just offered to him4 ,he had not long to seek4 ,we have seen that the chapel where his spiritual espousals had just been celebrated was threatened with ruin4 ,he believed that to repair it was the work assigned to him4 ,from that day the remembrance of the ,crucified ,one1 the thought of the love which had triumphed in immolating itself1 became the very centre of his religious life and as it were the soul of his soul4 ,for the first time1 no doubt1 ,francis had been brought into direct1 personal1 intimate contact with ,jesus ,christ2 from belief he had passed to faith1 to that living faith which a distinguished thinker has so well defined3 ,to believe is to look2 it is a serious1 attentive1 and prolonged look2 a look more simple than that of observation1 a look which looks1 and nothing more2 artless1 infantine1 it has all the soul in it1 it is a look of the soul and not the mind1 a look which does not seek to analyze its object1 but which receives it as a whole into the soul through the eyes4 ,in these words ,vinet unconsciously has marvellously characterized the religious temperament of ,st4 ,francis4 ,this look of love cast upon the crucifix1 this mysterious colloquy with the compassionate victim1 was never more to cease4 ,at ,st4 ,damian1 ,st4 ,francis's piety took on its outward appearance and its originality4 ,from this time his soul bears the stigmata1 and as his biographers have said in words untranslatable1 ,ab illa hora vulneratum et liquefactum est cor ejus ed memoriam ,dominicae passionis4#f ,from that time his way was plain before him4 ,coming out from the sanctuary1 he gave the priest all the money he had about him to keep a lamp always burning1 and with ravished heart he returned to ,assisi4 ,he had decided to quit his father's house and undertake the restoration of the chapel1 after having broken the last ties that bound him to the past4 ,a horse and a few pieces of gayly colored stuffs were all that he possessed4 ,arrived at home he made a packet of the stuffs1 and mounting his horse he set out for ,foligno4 ,this city was then as now the most important commercial town of all the region4 ,its fairs attracted the whole population of ,umbria and the ,sabines4 ,bernardone had often taken his son there1#g and ,francis speedily succeeded in selling all he had brought4 ,he even parted with his horse1 and full of joy set out upon the road to ,assisi4#h ,this act was to him most important2 it marked his final rupture with the past2 from this day on his life was to be in all points the opposite of what it had been2 the ,crucified had given himself to him2 he on his side had given himself to the ,crucified without reserve or return4 ,to uncertainty1 disquietude of soul1 anguish1 longing for an unknown good1 bitter regrets1 had succeeded a delicious calm1 the ecstasy of the lost child who finds his mother1 and forgets in a moment the torture of his heart4 ,from ,foligno he returned direct to ,st4 ,damian2 it was not necessary to pass through the city1 and he was in haste to put his projects into execution4 ,the poor priest was surprised enough when ,francis handed over to him the whole product of his sale4 ,he doubtless thought that a passing quarrel had occurred between ,bernardone and his son1 and for greater prudence refused the gift2 but ,francis so insisted upon remaining with him that he finally gave him leave to do so4 ,as to the money1 now become useless1 ,francis cast it as a worthless object upon a window-seat in the chapel4#i ,meanwhile ,bernardone1 disturbed by his son's failure to return1 sought for him in all quarters1 and was not long in learning of his presence at ,st4 ,damian4 ,in a moment he perceived that ,francis was lost to him4 ,resolved to try every means1 he collected a few neighbors1 and furious with rage hastened to the hermitage to snatch him away1 if need were1 by main force4 ,but ,francis knew his father's violence4 ,when he heard the shouts of those who were in pursuit of him he felt his courage fail and hurried to a hiding-place which he had prepared for himself for precisely such an emergency4 ,bernardone1 no doubt ill seconded in the search1 ransacked every corner1 but was obliged at last to return to ,assisi without his son4 ,francis remained hidden for long days1 weeping and groaning1 imploring ,god to show him the path he ought to follow4 ,notwithstanding his fears he had an infinite joy at heart1 and at no price would he have turned back4#aj ,this seclusion could not last long4 ,francis perceived this1 and told himself that for a newly made knight of the ,christ he was cutting a very pitiful figure4 ,arming himself1 therefore1 with courage1 he went one day to the city to present himself before his father and make known to him his resolution4 ,it is easy to imagine the changes wrought in his appearance by these few weeks of seclusion1 passed much of them in mental anguish4 ,when he appeared1 pale1 cadaverous1 his clothes in tatters1 upon what is now the ,piazza ,nuova1 where hundreds of children play all day long1 he was greeted with a great shout1 ,pazzo1 ,pazzo6 7,a madman6 a madman67 ,un pazzo ne fa cento 7,one madman makes a hundred more71 says the proverb1 but one must have seen the delirious excitement of the street children of ,italy at the sight of a madman to gain an idea how true it is4 ,the moment the magic cry resounds they rush into the street with frightful din1 and while their parents look on from the windows1 they surround the unhappy sufferer with wild dances mingled with songs1 shouts1 and savage howls4 ,they throw stones at him1 fling mud upon him1 blindfold him2 if he flies into a rage1 they double their insults2 if he weeps or begs for pity1 they repeat his cries and mimic his sobs and supplications without respite and without mercy4#aa ,bernardone soon heard the clamor which filled the narrow streets1 and went out to enjoy the show2 suddenly he thought he heard his own name and that of his son1 and bursting with shame and rage he perceived ,francis4 ,throwing himself upon him1 as if to throttle him1 he dragged him into the house and cast him1 half dead1 into a dark closet4 ,threats1 bad usage1 everything was brought to bear to change the prisoner's resolves1 but all in vain4 ,at last1 wearied out and desperate1 he left him in peace1 though not without having firmly bound him4#ab ,a few days after he was obliged to be absent for a short time4 ,pica1 his wife1 understood only too well his grievances against ,francis1 but feeling that violence would be of no avail she resolved to try gentleness4 ,it was all in vain4 ,then1 not being able longer to see him thus tortured1 she set him at liberty4 ,he returned straight to ,st4 ,damian4#ac ,bernardone1 on his return1 went so far as to strike ,pica in punishment for her weakness4 ,then1 unable to tolerate the thought of seeing his son the jest of the whole city1 he tried to procure his expulsion from the territory of ,assisi4 ,going to ,st4 ,damian he summoned him to leave the country4 ,this time ,francis did not try to hide4 ,boldly presenting himself before his father1 he declared to him that not only would nothing induce him to abandon his resolutions1 but that1 moreover1 having become the servant of ,christ1 he had no longer to receive orders from him4#ad ,as ,bernardone launched out into invective1 reproaching him with the enormous sums which he had cost him1 ,francis showed him by a gesture the money which he had brought back from the sale at ,foligno lying on the window-ledge4 ,the father greedily seized it and went away1 resolving to appeal to the magistrates4 ,the consuls summoned ,francis to appear before them1 but he replied simply that as servant of the ,church he did not come under their jurisdiction4 ,glad of this response1 which relieved them of a delicate dilemma1 they referred the complainant to the diocesan authorities4#ae ,the matter took on another aspect before the ecclesiastical tribunal2 it was idle to dream of asking the bishop to pronounce a sentence of banishment1 since it was his part to preserve the liberty of the clerics4 ,bernardone could do no more than disinherit his son1 or at least induce him of his own accord to renounce all claim upon his inheritance4 ,this was not difficult4 ,when called upon to appear before the episcopal tribunal#af ,francis experienced a lively joy2 his mystical espousals to the ,crucified ,one were now to receive a sort of official consecration4 ,to this ,jesus1 whom he had so often blasphemed and betrayed by word and conduct1 he would now be able with equal publicity to promise obedience and fidelity4 ,it is easy to imagine the sensation which all this caused in a small town like ,assisi1 and the crowd that on the appointed day pressed toward the ,piazza of ,santa ,maria ,maggiore1 where the bishop pronounced sentence4#ag ,every one held ,francis to be assuredly mad1 but they anticipated with relish the shame and rage of ,bernardone1 whom every one detested1 and whose pride was so well punished by all this4 ,the bishop first set forth the case1 and advised ,francis to simply give up all his property4 ,to the great surprise of the crowd the latter1 instead of replying1 retired to a room in the bishop's palace1 and immediately reappeared absolutely naked1 holding in his hand the packet into which he had rolled his clothes2 these he laid down before the bishop with the little money that he still had kept1 saying3 ,listen1 all of you1 and understand it well2 until this time ,i have called ,pietro ,bernardone my father1 but now ,i desire to serve ,god4 ,this is why ,i return to him this money1 for which he has given himself so much trouble1 as well as my clothing1 and all that ,i have had from him1 for from henceforth ,i desire to say nothing else than ',our ,father1 who art in heaven4' ,a long murmur arose from the crowd when ,bernardone was seen to gather up and carry off the clothing without the least evidence of compassion1 while the bishop was fain to take under his mantle the poor ,francis1 who was trembling with emotion and cold4#ah ,the scene of the judgment hall made an immense impression2 the ardor1 simplicity1 and indignation of ,francis had been so profound and sincere that scoffers were disconcerted4 ,on that day he won for himself a secret sympathy in many souls4 ,the populace loves such abrupt conversions1 or those which it considers such4 ,francis once again forced himself upon the attention of his fellow-citizens with a power all the greater for the contrast between his former and his new life4 ,there are pious folk whose modesty is shocked by the nudity of ,francis2 but ,italy is not ,germany nor ,england1 and the thirteenth century would have been astonished indeed at the prudery of the ,bollandists4 ,the incident is simply a new manifestation of ,francis's character1 with its ingenuousness1 its exaggerations1 its longing to establish a complete harmony1 a literal correspondence1 between words and actions4 ,after emotions such as he had just experienced he felt the need of being alone1 of realizing his joy1 of singing the liberty he had finally achieved along all the lines where once he had so deeply suffered1 so ardently struggled4 ,he would not1 therefore1 return immediately to ,st4 ,damian4 ,leaving the city by the nearest gate1 he plunged into the deserted paths which climb the sides of ,mount ,subasio4 ,it was the early spring4 ,here and there were still great drifts of snow1 but under the ardor of the ,march sun winter seemed to own itself vanquished4 ,in the midst of this mysterious and bewildering harmony the heart of ,francis felt a delicious thrill1 all his being was calmed and uplifted1 the soul of things caressed him gently and shed upon him peace4 ,an unwonted happiness swept over him2 he made the forest to resound with his hymns of praise4 ,men utter in song emotions too sweet or too deep to be expressed in ordinary language1 but unworded music is in this respect superior to song1 it is above all things the language of the ineffable4 ,song gains almost the same value when the words are only there as a support for the voice4 ,the great beauty of the psalms and hymns of the ,church lies in the fact that being sung in an unknown tongue they make no appeal to the intelligence2 they say nothing1 but they express everything with marvellous modulations like a celestial accompaniment1 which follows the believer's emotions from the most agonizing struggles to the most unspeakable ecstasies4 ,so ,francis went on his way1 deeply inhaling the odors of spring1 singing at the top of his voice one of those songs of ,french chivalry which he had learned in days gone by4 ,the forest in which he was walking was the usual retreat of such people of ,assisi and its environs as had any reason for hiding4 ,some ruffians1 aroused by his voice1 suddenly fell upon him4 ,who are you8 they asked4 ,i am the herald of the great ,king1 he answered but what is that to you8 ,his only garment was an old mantle which the bishop's gardener had lent him at his master's request4 ,they stripped it from him1 and throwing him into a ditch full of snow1 ,there is your place1 poor herald of ,god1 they said4 ,the robbers gone1 he shook off the snow which covered him1 and after may efforts succeeded in extricating himself from the ditch4 ,stiff with cold1 with no other covering than a worn-out shirt1 he none the less resumed his singing1 happy to suffer and thus to accustom himself the better to understand the words of the ,crucified ,one4#ai ,not far away was a monastery4 ,he entered and offered his services4 ,in those solitudes1 peopled often by such undesirable neighbors1 people were suspicious4 ,the monks permitted him to make himself useful in the kitchen1 but they gave him nothing to cover himself with and hardly anything to eat4 ,there was nothing for it but to go away2 he directed his steps toward ,gubbio1 where he knew that he should find a friend4 ,perhaps this was he who had been his confidant on his return from ,spoleto4 ,however this may be1 he received from him a tunic1 and a few days after set out to return to his dear ,st4 ,damian4#bj ,he did not1 however1 go directly thither2 before beginning to restore the little sanctuary1 he desired to see again his friends1 the lepers1 to promise them that he would love them even better than in the past4 ,since his first visit to the leper-house the brilliant cavalier had become a poor beggar2 he came with empty hands but with heart overflowing with tenderness and compassion4 ,taking up his abode in the midst of these afflicted ones he lavished upon them the most touching care1 washing and wiping their sores1 all the more gentle and radiant as their sores were more repulsive4#ba ,the neglected sufferer is as much blinded by love of him who comes to visit him as the child by its love for its mother4 ,he believes him to be all powerful2 at his approach the most painful sufferings are eased or disappear4 ,this love inspired by the sympathy of an affectionate heart may become so deep as to appear at times supernatural2 the dying have been known to recover consciousness in order to look for the last time into the face1 not of some member of the family1 but of the friend who has tried to be the sunshine of their last days4 ,the ties of pure love are stronger than the bonds of flesh and blood4 ,francis had many a time sweet experience of this2 from the time of his arrival at the leper-house he felt that if he had lost his life he was about to find it again4 ,encouraged by his sojourn among the lepers1 he returned to ,st4 ,damian and went to work1 filled with joy and ardor1 his heart as much in the sunshine as the ,umbrian plain in this beautiful month of ,may4 ,after having fashioned for himself a hermit's dress1 he began to go into the squares and open places of the city4 ,there having sung a few hymns1 he would announce to those who gathered around him his project of restoring the chapel4 ,those who will give me one stone1 he would add with a smile1 shall have a reward2 those who give me two shall have two rewards1 and those who give me three shall have three4 ,many deemed him mad1 but others were deeply moved by the remembrance of the past4 ,as for ,francis1 deaf to mockery1 he spared himself no labor1 carrying upon his shoulders1 so ill-fitted for severe toil1 the stones which were given him4#bb ,during this time the poor priest of ,st4 ,damian felt his heart swelling with love for this companion who had at first caused him such embarrassment1 and he strove to prepare for him his favorite dishes4 ,francis soon perceived it4 ,his delicacy took alarm at the expense which he caused his friend1 and1 thanking him1 he resolved to beg his food from door to door4 ,it was not an easy task4 ,the first time1 when at the end of his round he glanced at the broken food in his wallet1 he felt his courage fail him4 ,but the thought of being so soon unfaithful to the spouse to whom he had plighted his faith made his blood run cold with shame and gave him strength to eat ravenously4#bc ,each hour1 so to speak1 brought to him a new struggle4 ,one day he was going through the town begging for oil for the lamps of ,st4 ,damian1 when he arrived at a house where a banquet was going on2 the greater number of his former companions were there1 singing and dancing4 ,at the sound of those well-known voices he felt as if he could not enter2 he even turned away1 but very soon1 filled with confusion by his own cowardice1 he returned quickly upon his steps1 made his way into the banquet-hall1 and after confessing his shame1 put so much earnestness and fire into his request that every one desired to co-operate in this pious work4#bd ,his bitterest trial however was his father's anger1 which remained as violent as ever4 ,although he had renounced ,francis1 ,bernardone's pride suffered none the less at seeing his mode of life1 and whenever he met his son he overwhelmed him with reproaches and maledictions4 ,the tender heart of ,francis was so wrung with sorrow that he resorted to a sort of stratagem for charming away the spell of the paternal imprecations4 ,come with me1 he said to a beggar2 be to me as a father1 and ,i will give you a part of the alms which ,i receive4 ,when you see ,bernardone curse me1 if ,i say1 ',bless me1 my father1' you must sign me with the cross and bless me in his stead4#be ,his brother was prominent in the front rank of those who harassed him with their mockeries4 ,one winter morning they met in a church2 ,angelo leaned over to a friend who was with him1 saying3 ,go1 ask ,francis to sell you a farthing's worth of his sweat4 ,no1 replied the latter1 who overheard4 ,i shall sell it much dearer to my ,god4 ,in the spring of #abjh he finished the restoration of ,st4 ,damian2 he had been aided by all people of good will1 setting the example of work and above all of joy1 cheering everybody by his songs and his projects for the future4 ,he spoke with such enthusiasm and contagious warmth of the transformation of his dear chapel1 of the grace which ,god would accord to those who should come there to pray1 that later on it was believed that he had spoken of ,clara and her holy maidens who were to retire to this place four years later4#bf ,this success soon inspired him with the idea of repairing the other sanctuaries in the suburbs of ,assisi4 ,those which had struck him by their state of decay were ,st4 ,peter and ,santa ,maria1 of the ,portiuncula1 called also ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli4 ,the former is not otherwise mentioned in his biographies4#bg ,as to the second1 it was to become the true cradle of the ,franciscan movement4 ,this chapel1 still standing at the present day after escaping revolutions and earthquakes1 is a true ,bethel1 one of those rare spots in the world on which rests the mystic ladder which joins heaven to earth2 there were dreamed some of the noblest dreams which have soothed the pains of humanity4 ,it is not to ,assisi in its marvellous basilica that one must go to divine and comprehend ,st4 ,francis2 he must turn his steps to ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli at the hours when the stated prayers cease1 at the moment when the evening shadows lengthen1 when all the fripperies of worship disappear in the obscurity1 when all the nation seems to collect itself to listen to the chime of the distant church bells4 ,doubtless it was ,francis's plan to settle there as a hermit4 ,he dreamed of passing his life there in meditation and silence1 keeping up the little church and from time to time inviting a priest there to say mass4 ,nothing as yet suggested to him that he was in the end to become a religious founder4 ,one of the most interesting aspects of his life is in fact the continual development revealing itself in him2 he is of the small number to whom to live is to be active1 and to be active to make progress4 ,there is hardly anyone1 except ,st4 ,paul1 in whom is found to the same degree the devouring need of being always something more1 always something better1 and it is so beautiful in both of them only because it is absolutely instinctive4 ,when he began to restore the ,portiuncula his projects hardly went beyond a very narrow horizon2 he was preparing himself for a life of penitence rather than a life of activity4 ,but these works once finished it was impossible that this somewhat selfish and passive manner of achieving his own salvation should satisfy him long4 ,at the memory of the appearance of the ,crucified ,one his heart would swell with overpowering emotions1 and he would melt into tears without knowing whether they were of admiration1 pity1 or desire4#bh ,when the repairs were finished meditation occupied the greater part of his days4 ,a ,benedictine of the ,abbey of ,mont ,subasio#bi came from time to time to say mass at ,santa ,maria2 these were the bright hours of ,st4 ,francis's life4 ,one can imagine with what pious care he prepared himself and with what faith he listened to the divine teachings4 ,one day1 it was probably ,february #bd1 #abji1 the festival of ,st4 ,matthias1 mass was being celebrated at the ,portiuncula4#cj ,when the priest turned toward him to read the words of ,jesus1 ,francis felt himself overpowered with a profound agitation4 ,he no longer saw the priest2 it was ,jesus1 the ,crucified ,one of ,st4 ,damian1 who was speaking3 ,wherever ye go1 preach1 saying1 ',the kingdom of heaven is at hand4 ,heal the sick1 cleanse the lepers1 cast out devils4 ,freely ye have received1 freely give4 ,provide neither silver nor gold nor brass in your purses1 neither scrip nor two coats1 nor shoes nor staff1 for the laborer is worthy of his meat4' ,these words burst upon him like a revelation1 like the answer of ,heaven to his sighs and anxieties4 ,this is what ,i want1 he cried1 this is what ,i was seeking2 from this day forth ,i shall set myself with all my strength to put it in practice4 ,immediately throwing aside his stick1 his scrip1 his purse1 his shoes1 he determined immediately to obey1 observing to the letter the precepts of the apostolic life4 ,it is quite possible that some allegorizing tendencies have had some influence upon this narrative4#ca ,the long struggle through which ,francis passed before becoming the apostle of the new times assuredly came to a crisis in the scene at ,portiuncula2 but we have already seen how slow was the interior travail which prepared for it4 ,the revelation of ,francis was in his heart2 the sacred fire which he was to communicate to the souls of others came from within his own1 but the best causes need a standard4 ,before the shabby altar of the ,portiuncula he had perceived the banner of poverty1 sacrifice1 and love1 he would carry it to the assault of every fortress of sin2 under its shadow1 a true knight of ,christ1 he would marshal all the valiant warriors of a spiritual strife4 ,,footnotes3 #a #c ,soc41 #bf4 #b #c ,soc41 #aj4 #c ,this crucifix is preserved in the sacristy of ,santa ,chiara1 whither the sisters carried it when they left ,st4 ,damian4 #d ,opuscula ,b4 ,francisci1 ,oratio ,i4 #e #c ,soc41 #ac2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #f2 ,bon41 #ab2 #ae2 #af4 #f #c ,soc41 #ad4 #g ,this incident is found in the narrative of #a ,cel41 #h3 ,ibi ex more venditis4 #h #a ,cel41 #h2 #c ,soc41 #af2 ,bon4 #af4 ,foligno is a three hours' walk from ,assisi4 #i #a ,cel41 #i2 #c ,soc41 #af2 ,bon41 #f4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #efg4 #aj #a ,cel41 #aj2 #c ,soc41 #af2 ,bon41 #ag1 ,a4 ,,ss42 p4 #efh4 #aa #a ,cel41 #aa4 #ab #a ,cel41 #ab2 #c ,soc41 #ag2 ,bon41 #ah4 #ac #a ,cel41 #ac2 #c ,soc41 #ah4 #ad #a ,cel41 #ac4 ,it is possible that at this epoch he had received the lesser order1 and that thus he might be subject to the jurisdiction of the ,church4 #ae #c ,soc41 #ah and #ai2 #a ,cel41 #ad2 ,bon41 #ai4 #af ,from #abjd until after the death of ,st4 ,francis the episcopal throne of ,assisi was occupied by ,guido ,,ii4 ,vide ,cristofano1 #a1 #afi ff4 #ag ,piazza di ,santa ,maria ,maggiore o del vescovado4 ,everything has remained pretty nearly in the same state as in the thirteenth century4 #ah #a ,cel41 #ae2 #c ,soc41 #bj2 ,bon41 #bj4 #ai #c ,soc41 #af2 ,bon41 #ba4 #bj #a ,cel41 #af2 ,bon41 #ba4 ,the curious will read with interest an article by ,m4 ,mezzatinti upon the journey to ,gubbio entitled ,s4 ,francesco e ,frederico ,spadalunga da ,gubbio4 ,miscellanea1 t4 v41 pp4 #gf-gh4 ,this ,spadalunga da ,gubbio was well able to give a garment to ,francis1 but it is very possible that the gift was made much later and that this solemn date in the saint's life has been fixed by an optical illusion1 almost inevitable because of the identity of the fact with the name of the locality4 #ba #a ,cel41 #ag2 ,bon41 #aa2 #ac2 #ba2 #bb2 #c ,soc41 #aa2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ege4 #bb #a ,cel41 #ah2 #c ,soc41 #ba2 ,bon41 #bc4 #bc #c ,soc41 #bb2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #i4 #bd #c ,soc41 #bd2 #b ,cel41 #h2 ,spec41 #bd4 #be #c ,soc41 #bc2 #b ,cel41 #g4 #bf #c ,soc41 #bd2 ,testament de ,claire1 ,wadding1 ann4 #abec v4 #bg ,cel41 #ba2 ,bon41 #bd4 #bh #c ,soc41 #ad2 #b ,cel41 i41 #f4 #bi ,portiuncula was a dependence of this abbey4 #cj ,this is the date adopted by the ,bollandists1 because the ancient missals mark the pericope1 ,matt4 x41 for the gospel of this day4 ,this entails no difficulty and in any case it cannot be very far distant from the truth4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #egd4 #ca ,see in particular ,bon41 #be and #bf4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #egg;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,v ,,first ,,year ,,of ,,apostolate ,spring of #abji-,summer of #abaj ,the very next morning ,francis went up to ,assisi and began to preach4 ,his words were simple1 but they came so straight from the heart that all who heard him were touched4 ,it is not easy to hear and apply to one's self the exhortations of preachers who1 aloft in the pulpit1 seem to be carrying out a mere formality2 it is just as difficult to escape from the appeals of a layman who walks at our side4 ,the amazing multitude of ,protestant sects is due in a great degree to this superiority of lay preaching over clerical4 ,the most brilliant orators of the ,christian pulpit are bad converters2 their eloquent appeals may captivate the imagination and lead a few men of the world to the foot of the altar1 but these results are not more brilliant than ephemeral4 ,but let a peasant or a workingman speak to those whom he meets a few simple words going directly to the conscience1 and the man is always impressed1 often won4 ,thus the words of ,francis seemed to his hearers like a flaming sword penetrating to the very depths of their conscience4 ,his first attempts were the simplest possible2 in general they were merely a few words addressed to men whom he knew well enough to recognize their weak points and strike at them with the holy boldness of love4 ,his person1 his example1 were themselves a sermon1 and he spoke only of that which he had himself experienced1 proclaiming repentance1 the shortness of life1 a future retribution1 the necessity of arriving at gospel perfection4#a ,it is not easy to realize how many waiting souls there are in this world4 ,the greater number of men pass through life with souls asleep4 ,they are like virgins of the sanctuary who sometimes feel a vague agitation2 their hearts throb with an infinitely sweet and subtile thrill1 but their eyelids droop2 again they feel the damp cold of the cloister creeping over them2 the delicious but baneful dream vanishes2 and this is all they ever know of that love which is stronger than death4 ,it is thus with many men for all that belongs to the higher life4 ,sometimes1 alone in the wide plain at the hour of twilight1 they fix their eyes on the fading lights of the horizon1 and on the evening breeze comes to them another breath1 more distant1 fainter1 and almost heavenly1 awaking in them a nostalgia for the world beyond and for holiness4 ,but the darkness falls1 they must go back to their homes2 they shake off their reverie2 and it often happens that to the very end of life this is their only glimpse of the ,divine2 a few sighs1 a few thrills1 a few inarticulate murmurs--this sums up all our efforts to attain to the sovereign good4 ,yet the instinct for love and for the divine is only slumbering4 ,at the sight of beauty love always awakes2 at the appeal of holiness the divine witness within us at once responds2 and so we see1 streaming from all points of the horizon to gather around those who preach in the name of the inward voice1 long processions of souls athirst for the ideal4 ,the human heart so naturally yearns to offer itself up1 that we have only to meet along our pathway some one who1 doubting neither himself nor us1 demands it without reserve1 and we yield it to him at once4 ,reason may understand a partial gift1 a transient devotion2 the heart knows only the entire sacrifice1 and like the lover to his beloved1 it says to its vanquisher1 ,thine alone and forever4 ,that which has caused the miserable failure of all the efforts of natural religion is that its founders have not had the courage to lay hold upon the hearts of men1 consenting to no partition4 ,they have not understood the imperious desire for immolation which lies in the depths of every soul1 and souls have taken their revenge in not heeding these too lukewarm lovers4 ,francis had given himself up too completely not to claim from others an absolute self-renunciation4 ,in the two years and more since he had quitted the world1 the reality and depth of his conversion had shone out in the sight of all2 to the scoffings of the early days had gradually succeeded in the minds of many a feeling closely akin to admiration4 ,this feeling inevitably provokes imitation4 ,a man of ,assisi1 hardly mentioned by the biographers1 had attached himself to ,francis4 ,he was one of those simple-hearted men who find life beautiful enough so long as they can be with him who has kindled the divine spark#b in their hearts4 ,his arrival at ,portiuncula gave ,francis a suggestion2 from that time he dreamed of the possibility of bringing together a few companions with whom he could carry on his apostolic mission in the neighborhood4 ,at ,assisi he had often enjoyed the hospitality of a rich and prominent man named ,bernardo di ,quintavalle1#c who took him to sleep in his own chamber2 it is easy to see how such an intimacy would favor confidential outpourings4 ,when in the silence of the early night an ardent and enthusiastic soul pours out to you its disappointments1 wounds1 dreams1 hopes1 faith1 it is difficult indeed not to be carried along1 especially when the apostle has a secret ally in your soul1 and unconsciously meets your most secret aspirations4 ,one day ,bernardo begged ,francis to pass the following night with him1 at the same time giving him to understand that he was about to make a grave resolution upon which he desired to consult him4 ,the joy of ,francis was great indeed as he divined his intentions4 ,they passed the night without thinking of sleep2 it was a long communion of souls4 ,bernardo had decided to distribute his goods to the poor and cast in his lot with ,francis4 ,the latter desired his friend to pass through a sort of initiation1 pointing out to him that what he himself practised1 what he preached1 was not his own invention1 but that ,jesus himself had expressly ordained it in his word4 ,at early dawn they bent their steps to the ,st4 ,nicholas ,church1 accompanied by another neophyte named ,pietro1 and there1 after praying and hearing mass1 ,francis opened the ,gospels that lay on the altar and read to his companions the portion which had decided his own vocation3 the words of ,jesus sending forth his disciples on their mission4 ,brethren1 he added1 this is our life and our ,rule1 and that of all who may join us4 ,go then and do as you have heard4#d ,the persistence with which the ,three ,companions relate that ,francis consulted the book three times in honor of the ,trinity1 and that it opened of its own accord at the verses describing the apostolic life1 leads to the belief that these passages became the ,rule of the new association1 if not that very day at least very soon afterward4 ,if thou wilt be perfect1 go1 sell that thou hast1 and give to the poor1 and thou shalt have treasure in heaven1 and come and follow me4 ,jesus having called to him the ,twelve1 gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases4 ,and he sent them to preach the kingdom of ,god and to heal the sick4 ,and he said unto them1 ,take nothing for your journey1 neither staves1 nor scrip1 neither bread1 neither money2 neither have two coats apiece4 ,and whatsoever house ye enter into1 there abide1 and thence depart4 ,and whosoever will not receive you1 when ye go out of that city shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them4 ,and they departed and went through the towns1 preaching the gospel and healing everywhere4 ,then said ,jesus unto his disciples1 ,if any man will come after me1 let him deny himself1 and take up his cross and follow me4 ,for whosoever will save his life shall lose it1 and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it4 ,for what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul8#e ,at first these verses were hardly more than the official ,rule of the ,order2 the true ,rule was ,francis himself2 but they had the great merit of being short1 absolute1 of promising perfection1 and of being taken from the ,gospel4 ,bernardo immediately set to work to distribute his fortune among the poor4 ,full of joy1 his friend was looking on at this act1 which had drawn together a crowd1 when a priest named ,sylvester1 who had formerly sold him some stones for the repairs of ,st4 ,damian1 seeing so much money given away to everyone who applied for it1 drew near and said3 ,brother1 you did not pay me very well for the stones which you bought of me4 ,francis had too thoroughly killed every germ of avarice in himself not to be moved to indignation by hearing a priest speak thus4 ,here1 he said1 holding out to him a double handful of coins which he took from ,bernardo's robe1 here2 are you sufficiently paid now8 ,quite so1 replied ,sylvester1 somewhat abashed by the murmurs of the bystanders4#f ,this picture1 in which the characters stand out so strongly1 must have taken strong hold upon the memory of the bystanders3 the ,italians only thoroughly understand things which they make a picture of4 ,it taught them1 better than all ,francis's preachings1 what manner of men these new friars would be4 ,the distribution finished1 they went at once to ,portiuncula1 where ,bernardo and ,pietro built for themselves cabins of boughs1 and made themselves tunics like that of ,francis4 ,they did not differ much from the garment worn by the peasants1 and were of that brown1 with its infinite variety of shades1 which the ,italians call beast color4 ,one finds similar garments to-day among the shepherds of the most remote parts of the ,apennines4 ,a week later1 ,thursday1 ,april #bc1 #abji1g a new disciple of the name of ,egidio presented himself before ,francis4 ,of a gentle and submissive nature1 he was of those who need to lean on someone1 but who1 the needed support having been found and tested1 lift themselves sometimes even above it4 ,the pure soul of brother ,egidio1 supported by that of ,francis1 came to enjoy the intoxicating delights of contemplation with an unheard-of ardor4#h ,here we must be on our guard against forcing the authorities1 and asking of them more than they can give4 ,later1 when the ,order was definitely constituted and its convents organized1 men fancied that the past had been like the present1 and this error still weighs upon the picture of the origins of the ,franciscan movement4 ,the first brothers lived as did the poor people among whom they so willingly moved2 ,portiuncula was their favorite church1 but it would be a mistake to suppose that they sojourned there for any long periods4 ,it was their place of meeting1 nothing more4 ,when they set forth they simply knew that they should meet again in the neighborhood of the modest chapel4 ,their life was that of the ,umbrian beggars of the present day1 going here and there as fancy dictated1 sleeping in hay-lofts1 in leper hospitals1 or under the porch of some church4 ,so little had they any fixed domicile that ,egidio1 having decided to join them1 was at considerable trouble to learn where to find ,francis1 and accidentally meeting him in the neighborhood of ,rivo-,torto#i he saw in the fact a providential leading4 ,they went up and down the country1 joyfully sowing their seed4 ,it was the beginning of summer1 the time when everybody in ,umbria is out of doors mowing or turning the grass4 ,the customs of the country have changed but little4 ,walking in the end of ,may in the fields about ,florence1 ,perugia1 or ,rieti1 one still sees1 at nightfall1 the bagpipers entering the fields as the mowers seat themselves upon the hay-cocks for their evening meal2 they play a few pieces1 and when the train of haymakers returns to the village1 followed by the harvest-laden carts1 it is they who lead the procession1 rending the air with their sharpest strains4 ,the joyous ,penitents who loved to call themselves ,joculatores ,domini1 ,god's jongleurs1 no doubt often did the same4#aj ,they did even better1 for not willing to be a charge to anyone1 they passed a part of the day in aiding the peasants in their field work4#aa ,the inhabitants of these districts are for the most part kindly and sedate2 the friars soon gained their confidence by relating to them first their history and then their hopes4 ,they worked and ate together2 field-hands and friars often slept in the same barn1 and when with the morrow's dawn the friars went on their way1 the hearts of those they left behind had been touched4 ,they were not yet converted1 but they knew that not far away1 over toward ,assisi1 were living men who had renounced all worldly goods1 and who1 consumed with zeal1 were going up and down preaching penitence and peace4 ,their reception was very different in the cities4 ,if the peasant of ,central ,italy is mild and kindly the townsfolk are on a first acquaintance scoffing and ill disposed4 ,we shall shortly see the friars who went to ,florence the butt of all sorts of persecutions4 ,only a few weeks had passed since ,francis began to preach1 and already his words and acts were sounding an irresistible appeal in the depths of many a heart4 ,we have arrived at the most unique and interesting period in the history of the ,franciscans4 ,these first months are for their institution what the first days of spring are for nature1 days when the almond-tree blossoms1 bearing witness to the mysterious labor going on in the womb of the earth1 and heralding the flowers that will suddenly enamel the fields4 ,at the sight of these men--bare footed1 scantily clothed1 without money1 and yet so happy--men's minds were much divided4 ,some held them to be mad1 others admired them1 finding them widely different from the vagrant monks1#ab that plague of ,christendom4 ,sometimes1 however1 the friars found success not responding to their efforts1 the conversion of souls not taking form with enough rapidity and vigor4 ,to encourage them1 ,francis would then confide to them his visions and his hopes4 ,i saw a multitude of men coming toward us1 asking that they might receive the habit of our holy religion1 and lo1 the sound of their footsteps still echoes in my ears4 ,i saw them coming from every direction1 filling all the roads4 ,whatever the biographies may say1 ,francis was far from foreseeing the sorrows that were to follow this rapid increase of his ,order4 ,the maiden leaning with trembling rapture on her lover's arm no more dreams of the pangs of motherhood than he thought of the dregs he must drain after quaffing joyfully the generous wine of the chalice4#ac ,every prosperous movement provokes opposition by the very fact of its prosperity4 ,the herbs of the field have their own language for cursing the longer-lived plants that smother them out2 one can hardly live without arousing jealousy2 in vain the new fraternity showed itself humble1 it could not escape this law4 ,when the brethren went up to ,assisi to beg from door to door1 many refused to give to them1 reproaching them with desiring to live on the goods of others after having squandered their own4 ,many a time they had barely enough not to starve to death4 ,it would even seem that the clergy were not entirely without part in this opposition4 ,the ,bishop of ,assisi said to ,francis one day3 ,your way of living without owning anything seems to me very harsh and difficult4 ,my lord1 replied he1 if we possessed property we should have need of arms for its defence1 for it is the source of quarrels and lawsuits1 and the love of ,god and of one's neighbor usually finds many obstacles therein2 this is why we do not desire temporal goods4#ad ,the argument was unanswerable1 but ,guido began to rue the encouragement which he had formerly offered the son of ,bernardone4 ,he was very nearly in the situation and consequently in the state of mind of the ,anglican bishops when they saw the organizing of the ,salvation ,army4 ,it was not exactly hostility1 but a distrust which was all the deeper for hardly daring to show itself4 ,the only counsel which the bishop could give ,francis was to come into the ranks of the clergy1 or1 if asceticism attracted him1 to join some already existing monastic order4#ae ,if the bishop's perplexities were great1 those of ,francis were hardly less so4 ,he was too acute not to foresee the conflict that threatened to break out between the friars and the clergy4 ,he saw that the enemies of the priests praised him and his companions beyond measure simply to set off their poverty against the avarice and wealth of the ecclesiastics1 yet he felt himself urged on from within to continue his work1 and could well have exclaimed with the apostle1 ,woe is me if ,i preach not the gospel6 ,on the other hand1 the families of the ,penitents could not forgive them for having distributed their goods among the poor1 and attacks came from this direction with all the bitter language and the deep hatred natural to disappointed heirs4 ,from this point of view the brotherhood appeared as a menace to families1 and many parents trembled lest their sons should join it4 ,whether the friars would or no1 they were an unending subject of interest to the whole city4 ,evil rumors1 plentifully spread abroad against them1 simply defeated themselves2 flying from mouth to mouth they speedily found contradictors who had no difficulty in showing their absurdity4 ,all this indirectly served their cause and gained to their side those hearts1 more numerous than is generally believed1 who find the defence of the persecuted a necessity4 ,as to the clergy1 they could not but feel a profound distrust of these lay converters1 who1 though they aroused the hatred of some interested persons1 awakened in more pious souls first astonishment and then admiration4 ,suddenly to see men without title or diploma succeed brilliantly in the mission which has been officially confided to ourselves1 and in which we have made pitiful shipwreck1 is cruel torture4 ,have we not seen generals who preferred to lose a battle rather than gain it with the aid of guerrillas8 ,this covert opposition has left no characteristic traces in the biographies of ,st4 ,francis4 ,it is not to be wondered at2 ,thomas of ,celano1 even if he had had information of this matter1 would have been wanting in tact to make use of it4 ,the clergy1 for that matter1 possess a thousand means of working upon public opinion without ceasing to show a religious interest in those whom they detest4 ,but the more ,st4 ,francis shall find himself in contradiction with the clergy of his time1 the more he will believe himself the obedient son of the ,church4 ,confounding the gospel with the teaching of the ,church1 he will for a good while border upon heresy1 but without ever falling into it4 ,happy simplicity1 thanks to which he had never to take the attitude of revolt6 ,it was five years since1 a convalescent leaning upon his staff1 he had felt himself taken possession of by a loathing of material pleasures4 ,from that time every one of his days had been marked by a step in advance4 ,it was again the spring-time4 ,perfectly happy1 he felt himself more and more impelled to bring others to share his happiness and to proclaim in the four corners of the world how he had attained it4 ,he resolved1 therefore1 to undertake a new mission4 ,a few days were spent in preparing for it4 ,the ,three ,companions have preserved for us the directions which he gave to his disciples3 ,let us consider that ,god in his goodness has not called us merely for our own salvation1 but also for that of many men1 that we may go through all the world exhorting men1 more by our example than by our words1 to repent of their sins and bear the commandments in mind4 ,be not fearful on the ground that we appear little and ignorant1 but simply and without disquietude preach repentance4 ,have faith in ,god1 who has overcome the world1 that his ,spirit will speak in you and by you1 exhorting men to be converted and keep his commandments4 ,you will find men full of faith1 gentleness1 and goodness1 who will receive you and your words with joy2 but you will find others1 and in greater numbers1 faithless1 proud1 blasphemers1 who will speak evil of you1 resisting you and your words4 ,be resolute1 then1 to endure everything with patience and humility4 ,hearing this1 the brethren began to be agitated4 ,st4 ,francis said to them3 ,have no fear1 for very soon many nobles and learned men will come to you2 they will be with you preaching to kings and princes and to a multitude of peoples4 ,many will be converted to the ,lord1 all over the world1 who will multiply and increase his family4 ,after he had thus spoken he blessed them1 saying to each one the word which was in the future to be his supreme consolation3 ,my brother1 commit yourself to ,god with all your cares1 and he will care for you4 ,then the men of ,god departed1 faithfully observing his instructions1 and when they found a church or a cross they bowed in adoration1 saying with devotion1 ,we adore thee1 ,o ,christ1 and we bless thee here and in all churches in the whole world1 for by thy holy cross thou hast ransomed the world4 ,in fact they believed that they had found a holy place wherever they found a church or a cross4 ,some listened willingly1 others scoffed1 the greater number overwhelmed them with questions4 ,whence come you8 ,of what order are you8 ,and they1 though sometimes it was wearisome to answer1 said simply1 ,we are penitents1 natives of the city of ,assisi4#af ,this freshness and poetry will not be found in the later missions4 ,here the river is still itself1 and if it knows toward what sea it is hastening1 it knows nothing of the streams1 more or less turbid1 which shall disturb its limpidity1 nor the dykes and the straightenings to which it will have to submit4 ,a long account by the ,three ,companions gives us a picture from life of these first essays at preaching3 ,many men took the friars for knaves or madmen and refused to receive them into their houses for fear of being robbed4 ,so in many places1 after having undergone all sorts of bad usage1 they could find no other refuge for the night than the porticos of churches or houses4 ,there were at that time two brethren who went to ,florence4 ,they begged all through the city but could find no shelter4 ,coming to a house which had a portico and under the portico a bench1 they said to one another1 ,we shall be very comfortable here for the night4 ,as the mistress of the house refused to let them enter1 they humbly asked her permission to sleep upon the bench4 ,she was about to grant them permission when her husband appeared4 ,why have you permitted these lewd fellows to stay under our portico8 he asked4 ,the woman replied that she had refused to receive them into the house1 but had given them permission to sleep under the portico where there was nothing for them to steal but the bench4 ,the cold was very sharp2 but taking them for thieves no one gave them any covering4 ,as for them1 after having enjoyed on their bench no more sleep than was necessary1 warmed only by divine warmth1 and having for covering only their ,lady ,poverty1 in the early dawn they went to the church to hear mass4 ,the lady went also on her part1 and seeing the friars devoutly praying she said to herself3 ,if these men were rascals and thieves as my husband said1 they would not remain thus in prayer4 ,and while she was making these reflections behold a man of the name of ,guido was giving alms to the poor in the church4 ,coming to the friars he would have given a piece of money to them as to the others1 but they refused his money and would not receive it4 ,why1 he asked1 since you are poor1 will you not accept like the others8 ,it is true that we are poor1 replied ,brother ,bernardo1 but poverty does not weigh upon us as upon other poor people2 for by the grace of ,god1 whose will we are accomplishing1 we have voluntarily become poor4 ,much amazed1 he asked them if they had ever had anything1 and learned that they had possessed much1 but that for the love of ,god they had given everything away4444 ,the lady1 seeing that the friars had refused the alms1 drew near to them and said that she would gladly receive them into her house if they would be pleased to lodge there4 ,may the ,lord recompense to you your good will1 replied the friars1 humbly4 ,but ,guido1 learning that they had not been able to find a shelter1 took them to his own house1 saying1 ,here is a refuge prepared for you by the ,lord2 remain in it as long as you desire4 ,as for them1 they gave thanks to ,god and spent several days with him1 preaching the fear of the ,lord by word and example1 so that in the end he made large distributions to the poor4 ,well treated by him1 they were despised by others4 ,many men1 great and small1 attacked and insulted them1 sometimes going so far as to tear off their clothing2 but though despoiled of their only tunic1 they would not ask for its restitution4 ,if1 moved to pity1 men gave back to them what they had taken away1 they accepted it cheerfully4 ,there were those who threw mud upon them1 others who put dice into their hands and invited them to play1 and others clutching them by the cowl made them drag them along thus4 ,but seeing that the friars were always full of joy in the midst of their tribulations1 that they neither received nor carried money1 and that by their love for one another they made themselves known as true disciples of the ,lord1 many of them felt themselves reproved in their hearts and came asking pardon for the offences which they had committed4 ,they1 pardoning them with all their heart1 said1 ,the ,lord forgive you1 and gave them pious counsels for the salvation of their souls4 ,a translation can but imperfectly give all the repressed emotion1 the candid simplicity1 the modest joy1 the fervent love which breathe in the faulty ,latin of the ,three ,companions4 ,yet these scattered friars sighed after the home-coming and the long conversations with their spiritual father in the tranquil forests of the suburbs of ,assisi4 ,friendship among men1 when it overpasses a certain limit1 has something deep1 high1 ideal1 infinitely sweet1 to which no other friendship attains4 ,there was no woman in the ,upper ,chamber when1 on the last evening of his life1 ,jesus communed with his disciples and invited the world to the eternal marriage supper4 ,francis1 above all1 was impatient to see his young family once more4 ,they all arrived at ,portiuncula almost at the same time1 having already1 before reaching it1 forgotten the torments they had endured1 thinking only of the joy of the meeting4#ag ,,footnotes3 #a #a ,cel41 #bc2 #c ,soc41 #be and #bf2 ,bon41 #bg4 ,cf4 ,auct4 ,vit4 ,sec4 ap41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #egi4 #b #a ,cel41 #bd4 ,we must correct the ,bollandist text3 ,inter quos quidam de ,assisio puer ac simplicem animum gerens1 by3 quidam de ,assisio pium ac simplicem1 etc4 ,the period at which we have arrived is very clear as a whole3 the picture which the ,three ,companions give us is true with a truth which forces conviction at first sight2 but neither they nor ,celano are giving an official report4 ,later on men desired to know precisely in what order the early disciples came1 and they tortured the texts to find an answer4 ,the same course was followed with regard to the first missionary journeys4 ,but on both sides they came up against impossibilities and contradictions4 ,what does it matter whether there were two1 three1 or four missions before the papal approbation8 ,of what consequence are the names of those early disciples who are entirely secondary in the history of the ,franciscan movement8 ,all these things took place with much more simplicity and spontaneity than is generally supposed4 ,there is a wide difference between the plan of a house drawn up by an architect and a view of the same house painted by an artist4 ,the second1 though abounding in inexactitudes1 gives a more just notion of the reality than the plan4 ,the same is true of the ,franciscan biographies4 #c #a ,cel41 #bd4 ,bernard de ,besse is the first to call him ,b4 di ,quintavalle3 ,de laudibus1 fo4 #ie h42 cf4 upon him ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 i41 second part1 pp4 #fh-gj2 ,conform41 #dg2 ,fior41 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f1 #bh2 #c ,soc41 #bg1 #cj1 #ci2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #aj2 #b1 #ai2 ,bon41 #bh2 #a ,cel41 #cj2 ,salimbeni1 ann4 #abbi1 and ,tribul4 ,arch41 ii41 p4 #bgh1 etc4 #d #a ,cel41 #bd2 #c ,soc41 #bg1 #bh1 #bi2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #aj2 #c1 #eb2 ,bon41 #bh2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ehj4 ,it is evident that the tradition has been worked over here3 it soon came to be desired to find a miracle in the manner in which ,francis found the passage for reading4 ,the ,st4 ,nicholas ,church is no longer in existence2 it stood upon the piece of ground now occupied by the barracks of the gendarmerie 7carabinieri reali74 #e ,matt41 xix41 #ba2 ,luke1 ix41 #a-f2 ,matt41 xvi41 #bd-bf4 ,the agreement of tradition upon these passages is complete4 #c ,soc41 #bi2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #aj2 ,bon41 #bh2 ,spec41 #e;b42 ,conform41 #cg;b4 #b1 #dg;a4 #b2 ,fior41 #b2 ,glassberger and the ,chronicle of the xxiv4 generals reversing the order 7,analecta1 fr41 t4 ii41 p4 #e7 as well as the ,conformities in another place1 #hg;b1 #b4 #f #c ,soc41 #cj4 ,cf4 ,anon4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eha;a4 ,this scene is reported neither by ,celano nor by ,st4 ,bonaventura4 #g ,this date is given in the life of ,brother ,egidio2 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,oct41 t4 ii41 p4 #egb2 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bbj4 ,it fits well with the accounts4 ,through it we obtain the approximate date of the definitive conversion of ,francis two full years earlier4 #h #a ,cel41 #be2 #c ,soc41 #bc2 ,bon4 #bi4 ,cf4 ,anon4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ehb1 and ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bbj ff4 #i ,spec41 #be;a3 ,qualiter dixit fratri ,egidio priusquam esset receptus ut daret mantellum ciudam pauperi4 ,in primordio religionis cum maneret apud ,regum ,tortum cum duobus fratribus quos tunc tantum habehat4 ,if we compare this passage with #c ,soc41 #dd1 we shall doubtless arrive at the conclusion that the account in the ,speculum is more satisfactory4 ,it is in fact very easy to understand the optical illusion by which later on the ,portiuncula was made the scene of the greater number of the events of ,st4 ,francis's life1 while it would be difficult to see why there should have been any attempt to surround ,rivo-,torto with an aureola4 ,the ,fioretti say3 ,ando inverso lo spedale dei lebbrosi1 which confirms the indication of ,rivo-,torto4 ,vita d' ,egidio1 ,sec4 #a4 #aj ,an4 ,perus1 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ehb4 ,cf4 ,fior41 ,vita di ,egidio1 #a2 ,spec41 #abd1 #acf2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fh2 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bbg4 #aa ,spec41 #cd;a2 ,conform41 #bai;b1 #a2 ,ant4 fr41 p4 #if4 #ab ,the ,gyrovagi4 ,tr4 #ac #c ,soc4 #cb-cd2 #a ,cel41 #bg and #bh2 ,bon41 #ca4 #ad #c ,soc41 #ce4 ,cf4 ,anon4 ,perus42 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ehd4 #ae ,later on1 naturally1 it was desired that ,francis should have had no better supporter than ,guido2 some have even made him out to be his spiritual director 7,st4 ,francois1 ,plon1 p4 #bd76 ,we have an indirect but unexceptionable proof of the reserve with which these pious traditions must be accepted2 ,francis did not even tell his bishop 7pater et dominus animarum1 #c ,soc41 #bi7 of his design of having his ,rule approved by the pope4 ,this is the more striking because the bishop would have been his natural advocate at the court of ,rome1 and because in the absence of any other reason the most elementary politeness required that he should have been informed4 ,add to this that bishops in ,italy are not1 as elsewhere1 functionaries approached with difficulty by the common run of mortals4 ,almost every village in ,umbria has its bishop1 so that their importance is hardly greater than that of the cure of a ,french canton4 ,furthermore1 several pontifical documents throw a sombre light on ,guido's character4 ,in a chapter of the decretals of ,honorius ,,iii4 7,quinta compil41 lib4 ii41 tit4 iii41 cap4 i47 is given a complaint against this bishop1 brought before the curia by the ,crucigeri of the hospital ,san ,salvatore delle ,pareti 7suburbs of ,assisi71 of having maltreated two of their number1 and having stolen a part of the wine belonging to the convent3 pro eo quod ,aegidium presbyterum1 et fratrem eorem conversum violentas manus injecerat 444 adjiciens quod idem hospitale quadam vini quantitate fuerat per eumdem episcopum spoliatum4 ,honorii opera1 ,horoy's edition1 t4 i41 col4 #bjj ff4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #ggdf4 ,the mention of the hospital de ,pariete proves beyond question that the ,bishop of ,assisi is here concerned and not the ,bishop of ,osimo1 as some critics have suggested4 ,another document shows him at strife with the ,benedictines of ,mount ,subasio 7the very ones who afterward gave ,portiuncula to ,francis71 and ,honorius ,,iii4 found the bishop in the wrong3 ,bull ,conquerente oeconomo monasterii ap4 ,richter1 ,corpus juris canonici4 ,leipzig1 #ahci1 #dto1 ,horoy1 loc4 cit41 t4 i41 col4 #afc2 ,potthast1 #ggbh4 #af #c ,soc41 #cf and #cg4 ,cf4 ,anon4 ,perus4 ap41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ehe2 ,test4 ,b4 ,francisci4 #ag #c ,soc41 #ch-da4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,st4 ,,francis ,,and ,,innocent ,,iii ,summer #abaja ,seeing the number of his friars daily increasing1 ,francis decided to write the ,rule of the ,order and go to ,rome to procure its approval by the ,pope4 ,this resolution was not lightly taken4 ,it would be a mistake in fact to take ,francis for one of those inspired ones who rush into action upon the strength of unexpected revelations1 and1 thanks to their faith in their own infallibility1 overawe the multitude4 ,on the contrary1 he was filled with a real humility1 and if he believed that ,god reveals himself in prayer1 he never for that absolved himself from the duty of reflection nor even from reconsidering his decisions4 ,st4 ,bonaventura does him great wrong in picturing the greater number of his important resolutions as taken in consequence of dreams2 this is to rob his life of its profound originality1 his sanctity of its choicest blossom4 ,he was of those who struggle1 and1 to use one of the noblest expressions of the ,bible1 of those who by their perseverance conquer their souls4 ,thus we shall see him continually retouching the ,rule of his institute1 unceasingly revising it down to the last moment1 according as the growth of the ,order and experience of the human heart suggested to him modifications of it4#b ,the first ,rule which he submitted to ,rome has not come down to us2 we only know that it was extremely simple1 and composed especially of passages from the ,gospels4 ,it was doubtless only the repetition of those verses which ,francis had read to his first companions1 with a few precepts about manual labor and the occupations of the new brethren4#c ,it will be well to pause here and consider the brethren who are about to set out for ,rome4 ,the biographies are in agreement as to their number2 they were twelve1 including ,francis2 but the moment they undertake to give a name to each one of them difficulties begin to arise1 and it is only by some exegetical sleight of hand that they can claim to have reconciled the various documents4 ,the table given below#d briefly shows these difficulties4 ,the question took on some importance when in the fourteenth century men undertook to show an exact conformity between the life of ,st4 ,francis and that of ,jesus4 ,it is without interest to us4 ,the profiles of two or three of these brethren stand out very clearly in the picture of the origins of the ,order2 others remind one of the pictures of primitive ,umbrian masters1 where the figures of the background have a modest and tender grace1 but no shadow of personality4 ,the first ,franciscans had all the virtues1 including the one which is nearly always wanting1 willingness to remain unknown4 ,in the ,lower ,church of ,assisi there is an ancient fresco representing five of the companions of ,st4 ,francis4 ,above them is a ,madonna by ,cimabue1 upon which they are gazing with all their soul4 ,it would be more true if ,st4 ,francis were there in the place of the ,madonna2 one is always changed into the image of what one admires1 and they resemble their master and one another4#e ,to attempt to give them a name is to make a sort of psychological error and become guilty of infidelity to their memory2 the only name they would have desired is that of their father4 ,his love changed their hearts and shed over their whole persons a radiance of light and joy4 ,these are the true personages of the ,fioretti1 the men who brought peace to cities1 awakened consciences1 changed hearts1 conversed with birds1 tamed wolves4 ,of them one may truly say3 ,having nothing1 yet possessing all things 7,nihil habentes1 omnia possidentes74 ,they quitted ,portiuncula full of joy and confidence4 ,francis was too much absorbed in thought not to desire to place in other hands the direction of the little company4 ,let us choose1 he said1 one from among ourselves to guide us1 and let him be to us as the vicar of ,jesus ,christ4 ,wherever it may please him to go we will go1 and when he may wish to stop anywhere to sleep there we will stop4 ,they chose ,brother ,bernardo and did as ,francis had said4 ,they went on full of joy1 and all their conversations had for their object only the glory of ,god and the salvation of their souls4 ,their journey was happily accomplished4 ,everywhere they found kindly souls who sheltered them1 and they felt beyond a doubt that ,god was taking care of them4#f ,francis's thoughts were all fixed upon the purpose of their journey2 he thought of it day and night1 and naturally interpreted his dreams with reference to it4 ,one time1 in his dream1 he saw himself walking along a road beside which was a gigantic and wonderfully beautiful tree4 ,and1 behold1 while he looked upon it1 filled with wonder1 he felt himself become so tall that he could touch the boughs1 and at the same time the tree bent down its branches to him4#g ,he awoke full of joy1 sure of a gracious reception by the sovereign pontiff4 ,his hopes were to be somewhat blighted4 ,innocent ,,iii4 had now for twelve years occupied the throne of ,st4 ,peter4 ,still young1 energetic1 resolute1 he enjoyed that superfluity of authority given by success4 ,coming after the feeble ,celestine ,,iii41 he had been able in a few years to reconquer the temporal domain of the ,church1 and so to improve the papal influence as almost to realize the theocratic dreams of ,gregory ,,vii4 ,he had seen ,king ,pedro of ,aragon declaring himself his vassal and laying his crown upon the tomb of the apostles1 that he might take it back at his hands4 ,at the other end of ,europe1 ,john ,lackland had been obliged to receive his crown from a legate after having sworn homage1 fealty1 and an annual tribute to the ,holy ,see4 ,preaching union to the cities and republics of ,italy1 causing the cry ,,italia6 ,,italia6 to resound like the shout of a trumpet1 he was the natural representative of the national awakening1 and appeared to be in some sort the suzerain of the emperor1 as he was already that of other kings4 ,finally1 by his efforts to purify the ,church1 by his indomitable firmness in defending morality and law in the affair of ,ingelburge and in many others1 he was gaining a moral strength which in times so disquieted was all the more powerful for being so rare4 ,but this incomparable power had its hidden dangers4 ,occupied with defending the prerogatives of the ,holy ,see1 ,innocent came to forget that the ,church does not exist for herself1 that her supremacy is only a transitory means2 and one part of his pontificate may be likened to wars1 legitimate in the beginning1 in which the conqueror keeps on with depredations and massacres for no reason1 except that he is intoxicated with blood and success4 ,and so ,rome1 which canonized the petty ,celestine ,v41 refused this supreme consecration to the glorious ,innocent ,,iii4 ,with exquisite tact she perceived that he was rather king than priest1 rather pope than saint4 ,when he suppressed ecclesiastical disorders it was less for love of good than for hatred of evil2 it was the judge who condemns or threatens1 himself always supported by the law1 not the father who weeps his son's offence4 ,this priest did not comprehend the great movement of his age--the awakening of love1 of poetry1 of liberty4 ,i have already said that at the opening of the thirteenth century the ,middle ,age was twenty years old4 ,innocent ,,iii4 undertook to treat it as if it were only fifteen4 ,possessed by his civil and religious dogmas as others are by their educational doctrines1 he never suspected the unsatisfied longings1 the dreams1 unreasoning perhaps1 but beneficent and divine1 that were dumbly stirring in the depths of men's hearts4 ,he was a believer1 although certain sayings of the historians#h open the door to some doubts on this point1 but he drew his religion rather from the ,old ,testament than from the ,new1 and if he often thought of ,moses1 the leader of his people1 nothing reminded him of ,jesus1 the shepherd of souls4 ,one cannot be everything2 a choice intelligence1 an iron will#i are a sufficient portion even for a priest-god2 he lacked love4 ,the death of this pontiff1 great among the great ones1 was destined to be saluted with songs of joy4#aj ,his reception of ,francis furnished to ,giotto1 the friend of ,dante1 one of his most striking frescos2 the pope1 seated on his throne1 turns abruptly toward ,francis4 ,he frowns1 for he does not understand1 and yet he feels a strange power in this mean and despised man1 vilis et despectus2 he makes a real but futile effort to comprehend1 and now ,i see in this pope1 who lived upon lemons1#aa something that recalls another choice mind1 theocratic like his own1 sacrificed like him to his work3 ,calvin4 ,one might think that the painter had touched his lips to the ,calabrian ,seer's cup1 and that in the attitude of these two men he sought to symbolize a meeting of representatives of the two ages of humanity1 that of ,law and that of ,love4#ab ,a surprise awaited the pilgrims on their arrival in ,rome3 they met the ,bishop of ,assisi1#ac quite as much to his astonishment as to their own4 ,this detail is precious because it proves that ,francis had not confided his plans to ,guido4 ,notwithstanding this the bishop1 it is said1 offered to make interest for them with the princes of the ,church4 ,we may suspect that his commendations were not very warm4 ,at all events they did not avail to save ,francis and his company either from a searching inquiry or from the extended fatherly counsels of ,cardinal ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo#ad upon the difficulties of the ,rule1 counsels which strongly resemble those of ,guido himself4#ae ,what ,francis asked for was simple enough2 he claimed no privilege of any sort1 but only that the pope would approve of his undertaking to lead a life of absolute conformity to the precepts of the gospel4 ,there is a delicate point here which it is quite worth while to see clearly4 ,the pope was not called upon to approve the ,rule1 since that came from ,jesus himself2 at the very worst all that he could do would be to lay an ecclesiastical censure upon ,francis and his companions for having acted without authority1 and to enjoin them to leave to the secular and regular clergy the task of reforming the ,church4 ,cardinal ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo1 to whom the ,bishop of ,assisi presented them1 had informed himself of the whole history of the ,penitents4 ,he lavished upon them the most affectionate tokens of interest1 even going so far as to beg for a mention in their prayers4 ,but such assurances1 which appear to have been always the small change of the court of ,rome1 did not prevent his examining them for several successive days1#af and putting to them an infinite number of questions1 of which the conclusion was always the advice to enter some ,order already existing4 ,to this the unlucky ,francis would reply as best he could1 often not without embarrassment1 for he had no wish to appear to think lightly of the cardinal's counsels1 and yet he felt in his heart the imperious desire to obey his vocation4 ,the prelate would then return to the charge1 insinuating that they would find it very hard to persevere1 that the enthusiasm of the early days would pass away1 and again pointing out a more easy course4 ,he was obliged in the end to own himself vanquished4 ,the persistence of ,francis1 who had never weakened for an instant nor doubted his mission1 begat in him a sort of awe1 while the perfect humility of the ,penitents and their simple and striking fidelity to the ,roman ,church reassured him in the matter of heresy4 ,he announced to them1 therefore1 that he would speak of them to the pope1 and would act as their advocate with him4 ,according to the ,three ,companions he said to the pope3 ,i have found a man of the highest perfection1 who desires to live in conformity with the ,holy ,gospel and observe evangelical perfection in all things4 ,i believe that by him the ,lord intends to reform the faith of the ,holy ,church throughout the whole world4#ag ,on the morrow he presented ,francis and his companions to ,innocent ,,iii4 ,naturally1 the pope was not sparing of expressions of sympathy1 but he also repeated to them the remarks and counsels which they had already heard so often4 ,my dear children1 he said1 your life appears to me too severe2 ,i see indeed that your fervor is too great for any doubt of you to be possible1 but ,i ought to consider those who shall come after you1 lest your mode of life should be beyond their strength4#ah ,adding a few kind words1 he dismissed them without coming to any definite conclusion1 promising to consult the cardinals1 and advising ,francis in particular to address himself to ,god1 to the end that he might manifest his will4 ,francis's anxiety must have been great2 he could not understand these dilatory measures1 these expressions of affection which never led to a categorical approbation4 ,it seemed to him that he had said all that he had to say4 ,for new arguments he had only one resource--prayer4 ,he felt his prayer answered when in his conversation with ,jesus the parable of poverty came to him2 he returned to lay it before the pope4 ,there was in the desert a woman who was very poor1 but beautiful4 ,a great king1 seeing her beauty1 desired to take her for his wife1 for he thought that by her he should have beautiful children4 ,the marriage contracted and consummated1 many sons were born to him4 ,when they were grown up1 their mother spoke to them thus3 ,my sons1 you have no cause to blush1 for you are the sons of the king2 go1 therefore1 to his court1 and he will give you everything you need4 ,when they arrived at the court the king admired their beauty1 and finding in them his own likeness he asked1 ,whose sons are you8 ,and when they replied that they were the sons of a poor woman who lived in the desert1 the king clasped them to his heart with joy saying1 ,have no fear1 for you are my sons2 if strangers eat at my table1 much more shall you who are my lawful sons4 ,then the king sent word to the woman to send to his court all the sons which she had borne1 that they might be nourished there4 ,very holy father1 added ,francis1 ,i am this poor woman whom ,god in his love has deigned to make beautiful1 and of whom he has been pleased to have lawful sons4 ,the ,king of ,kings has told me that he will provide for all the sons which he may have of me1 for if he sustains bastards1 how much more his legitimate sons4#ai ,so much simplicity1 joined with such pious obstinacy1 at last conquered ,innocent4 ,in the humble mendicant he perceived an apostle and prophet whose mouth no power could close4 ,successor of ,st4 ,peter and vicar of ,jesus ,christ that he felt himself1 he saw in the mean and despised man before him one who with the authority of absolute faith proclaimed himself the root of a new lineage of most legitimate ,christians4 ,the biographers have held that by this parable ,francis sought above all things to tranquillize the pope as to the future of the brethren2 they find in it a reply to the anxieties of the pontiff1 who feared to see them starve to death4 ,there can be no doubt that its original meaning was totally different4 ,it shows that with all his humility ,francis knew how to speak out boldly1 and that all his respect for the ,church could not hinder his seeing1 and1 when necessary1 saying1 that he and his brethren were the lawful sons of the gospel1 of which the members of the clergy were only extranei4 ,we shall find in the course of his life more than one example of this indomitable boldness1 which disarmed ,innocent ,,iii4 as well as the future ,gregory ,,ix4 ,in a consistory which doubtless was held between the two audiences some of the cardinals expressed the opinion that the initiative of the ,penitents of ,assisi was an innovation1 and that their mode of life was entirely beyond human power4 ,but1 replied ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo1 if we hold that to observe gospel perfection and make profession of it is an irrational and impossible innovation1 are we not convicted of blasphemy against ,christ1 the author of the gospel8#bj ,these words struck ,innocent ,,iii4 with great force2 he knew better than any one that the possessions of the ecclesiastics were the great obstacles to the reform of the ,church1 and that the threatened success of the ,albigensian heresy was especially due to the fact that it preached the doctrine of poverty4 ,two years before he had accorded his approbation to a group of ,waldensians1 who under the name ,poor ,catholics had desired to remain faithful to the ,church2#ba he therefore gave his approval to the ,penitents of ,assisi1 but1 as a contemporary chronicler has well observed1 it was in the hope that they would wrest the banner from heresy4#bb ,yet his doubts and hesitations were not entirely dissipated4 ,he reserved his definitive approbation1 therefore1 while lavishing upon the brothers the most affectionate tokens of interest4 ,he authorized them to continue their missions everywhere1 after having gained the consent of their ordinaries4 ,he required1 however1 that they should give themselves a responsible superior to whom the ecclesiastical authorities could always address themselves4 ,naturally1 ,francis was chosen4#bc ,this fact1 so humble in appearance1 definitively constituted the ,franciscan family4 ,the mystics whom we saw going from village to village transported with love and liberty accepted the yoke almost without thinking about it4 ,this yoke will preserve them from the disintegration of the heretics1 but it will make itself sharply felt by those pure souls2 they will one day look back to the early days of the ,order as the only time when their life was truly conformed to the gospel4 ,when ,francis heard the words of the supreme pontiff he prostrated himself at his feet1 promising the most perfect obedience with all his heart4 ,the pope blessed them1 saying3 ,go1 my brethren1 and may ,god be with you4 ,preach penitence to everyone according as the ,lord may deign to inspire you4 ,then when the ,all-powerful shall have made you multiply and go forward1 you will refer to us2 we will concede what you ask1 and we may then with greater security accord to you even more than you ask4#bd ,francis and his companions were too little familiar with ,roman phraseology to perceive that after all the ,holy ,see had simply consented to suspend judgment in view of the uprightness of their intentions and the purity of their faith4#be ,the flowers of clerical rhetoric hid from them the shackles which had been laid upon them4 ,the curia1 in fact1 was not satisfied with ,francis's vow of fidelity1 it desired in addition to stamp the ,penitents with the seal of the ,church3 the ,cardinal of ,san ,paolo was deputed to confer upon them the tonsure4 ,from this time they were all under the spiritual authority of the ,roman ,church4 ,the thoroughly lay creation of ,st4 ,francis had become1 in spite of himself1 an ecclesiastical institution3 it must soon degenerate into a clerical institution4 ,all unawares1 the ,franciscan movement had been unfaithful to its origin4 ,the prophet had abdicated in favor of the priest1 not indeed without possibility of return1 for when a man has once reigned1 ,i would say1 thought1 in liberty--what other kingdom is there on this earth8--he makes but an indifferent slave2 in vain he tries to submit2 in spite of himself it happens at times that he lifts his head proudly1 he rattles his chains1 he remembers the struggles1 sadness1 anguish of the days of liberty1 and weeps their loss4 ,among the sons of ,st4 ,francis many were destined to weep their lost liberty1 many to die to conquer it again4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the date usually fixed for the approval of the ,rule by ,innocent ,,iii4 is the month of ,august1 #abji4 ,the ,bollandists had thought themselves able to infer it from the account where ,thomas of ,celano 7#a ,cel41 #dc7 refers to the passage through ,umbria of the ,emperor ,otho ,,iv41 on his way to be crowned at ,rome 7,october #d1 #abji74 ,upon this journey see ,boehmer-,ficker1 ,regesta ,imperii4 ,dei ,regesten des ,kaiserreichs unter ,philipp1 ,otto ,,iv41 etc41 ,insbruck1 #ahgi1 #dto1 pp4 #if and #ig4 ,as this account follows that of the approval1 they conclude that the latter was earlier4 ,but ,thomas of ,celano puts this account there because the context led up to it1 and not in order to fix its date4 ,everything leads to the belief that the ,brothers retired 7recolligebat1 #a ,cel41 #db7 to ,rivo-,torto before and after their journey to ,rome4 ,besides1 the time between ,april #bc;d and the middle of ,august1 #abji1 is much too short for all that the biographers tell us about the life of the ,brothers before their visit to ,innocent ,,iii4 ,the mission to ,florence took place in winter1 or at least in a very cold month4 ,but the decisive argument is that ,innocent ,,iii4 quitted ,rome toward the end of ,may1 #abji1 and went to ,viterbo1 returning only to crown ,otho1 ,october #dth 7,potthast1 #cgbg-chjc74 ,it is therefore absolutely necessary to postpone to the summer of #abaj the visit of the ,penitents to the pope4 ,this is also the date which ,wadding arrives at4 #b #c ,soc41 #ce4 #c #a ,cel41 #cb2 #c ,soc41 #ea2 ,bon41 #cd4 ,cf4 ,test4 ,b4 ,fr4 ,m4 ,k4 ,mueller of ,halle1 in his ,anfaenge1 has made a very remarkable study of the ,rule of #abba1 whence he deduces an earlier ,rule1 which he believes to be that of #abji 7#abaj74 ,for once ,i find myself entirely in accord with him1 except that the ,rule thus reconstructed 7,vide ,anfaenge1 pp4 #ad-be1 #ahd-ahh7 appears to me to be not that of #abaj1 which was very short1 but another1 drawn up between #abaj and #abba4 ,the plures regulas fecit of the #c ,soc41 #ce1 authorizes us to believe that he made perhaps as many as four--#ast1 #abaj1 very short1 containing little more than the three passages of the vocation2 #b;d1 #abag 7871 substantially that proposed by ,m4 ,mueller2 #c;d1 #abba1 that of which we shall speak at length farther on2 #dth1 #abbf1 the ,will1 which if not a ,rule is at least an appendix to the ,rule4 ,if from #abba-abbf he had time to make two ,rules and the ,will1 as is universally admitted1 there is nothing surprising in his having made two from #abaj-abba4 ,perhaps we have a fragment of that of #abag in the regulation of hermitages4 ,vide below1 p4 #aji4 #d ,thomas of ,celano's list4 #a1 ,quidam pium gerens animum2 #b1 ,bernardus2 #c1 ,vir alter2 #d1 ,a,egidius2 #e1 ,unus alius appositus2 #f1 ,philippus2 #g1 ,alius bonus vir2 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 ,quatuor boni et idonei viri4 #a ,cel41 #bd1 #be1 #bi1 #ca4 ,the ,rinaldi-,amoni text says nothing of the last four4 ,three ,companions3 #a1 ,bernardus2 #b1 ,petrus2 #c1 ,a,egidius2 #d1 ,sabbatinus2 #e1 ,moritus2 ,johannes ,capella2 #g1 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 ,disciples received by the brethren in their missions4 #c ,soc41 #cc1 #ce1 #da1 #df1 #eb4 ,bonaventura3 #a1 ,bernardus2 #b1 444 #c1 ,a,egidius2 #d1 #e1 444 #f1 ,silvestro2 #g1 ,alius bonus viri2 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa1 ,quatuor viri honesti4 ,bon41 #bh1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca1 #cc4 ,the ,fioretti1 while insisting on the importance of the twelve ,franciscan apostles1 cite only six in their list3 ,giovanni di ,capella1 ,egidio1 ,philip1 ,silvestro1 ,bernardo1 and ,rufino4 ,fior41 #a4 ,we must go to the ,conformities to find the traditional list1 fo #df;b #a3 #a1 ,bernardus de ,quintavalle2 #b1 ,petrus ,chatanii2 #c1 ,egidius2 #d1 ,sabatinus2 #e1 ,moricus2 #f1 ,johannes de ,capella2 #g1 ,philippus ,longus2 #h1 ,johannes de ,sancto ,constantio2 #i1 ,barbarus2 #aj1 ,bernardus de ,cleviridante 7sic72 #aa1 ,angelus ,tancredi2 #ab1 ,sylvester4 ,as will be seen1 in the last two documents twelve disciples are in question1 while in the preceding ones there are only eleven4 ,this is enough to show a dogmatic purpose4 ,this list reappears exactly in the ,speculum1 with the sole difference that ,francis being there included ,angelo di ,tancrede is the twelfth brother and ,silvestro disappears4 ,spec41 #hg;a4 #e ,according to tradition1 the five compagni del ,santo buried there beside their master are ,bernardo1 ,silvestro1 ,william 7an ,englishman71 ,eletto1 and ,valentino787 #f #c ,soc41 #df2 #a ,cel41 #cb2 ,bon41 #cd4 #g #a ,cel41 #cc2 #c ,soc41 #ec2 ,bon41 #ce4 #h ,st4 ,ludgarde 7#aahb-abdf7 sees him condemned to ,purgatory till the ,last ,judgment4 ,life of this saint by ,thomas of ,catimpre in ,surius3 ,vitae ,,ss4 7#afah71 vi41 #bae-bbf4 #i ,vir clari ingenii1 magnae probitatis et sapientiae1 cui nullus secundus tempore suo3 ,rigordus1 de gestis ,philippi ,augusti in ,duchesne4 ,historiae ,francorum scriptores coaetanei1 t4 v41 p4 #fj4--,nec similem sui scientia1 facundia1 decretorum et legum perititia1 strenuitate1 judiciorum nec adhuc visus est habere sequentem4 ,cf4 ,mencken1 ,script4 rer4 ,sax41 ,leipzig1 #agbh1 t4 iii41 p4 #beb4 ,innocentius1 qui vere stupor mundi erat et immutator saeculi4 ,cotton1 ,hist4 ,anglicana1 ,luard1 #ahei1 p4 #ajg4 #aj ,cujus finis laetitiem potius quam tristitiam generavit subjectis4 ,alberic delle ,tre ,fontane4 ,leibnitz1 ,accessiones historicae1 t4 ii41 p4 #dib4 #aa ,decidit in acutam 7febrem7 quam cum multis diebus fovisset nec a citris quibus in magna quantitatae et ex consuetudine vescebatur 444 minime abstineret 444 ad ultimum in lethargia prolapsus vitam finivit4 ,alberic delle ,tre ,fontane1 loc4 cit4 #ab ,fresco in the great nave of the ,upper ,church of ,assisi4 #ac #a ,cel41 #cb2 #c ,soc41 #dg4 #ad ,of the ,colonna family2 he died in #abaf4 ,cf4 #c ,soc41 #fa4 ,vide ,cardella1 ,memorie storiche de' ,cardinali1 #i vols41 #hvo1 ,rome1 #agib ff41 t4 i41 p4 #agg4 ,he was at ,rome in the summer of #abaj1 for on the #aath of ,august he countersigned the bull ,religiosem vitam4 ,potthast1 #djfa4 ,angelo ,clareno relates the approbation with more precision in certain respects3 ,cum vero ,summo ,pontifici ea quae postulabat ,franciscus ardua valde et quasi impossibilia viderentur infirmitate hominum sui temporis1 exhortabatur eum1 quod aliquem ordinem vel regulam de approbatis assumeret1 at ipse se a ,christo missum ad talem vitam et non aliam postulandam constanter affirmans1 fixus in sua petitione permansit4 ,tunc dominus ,johannes de ,sancto ,paulo episcopus ,sabinensis et dominus ,hugo episcopus ,hostiensis ,dei spiritu moti assisterunt ,sancto ,francisco et pro his quae petebat coram summo ,pontifice et ,cardinalibus plura proposuerunt rationabilia et efficacia valde4 ,tribul4 ,laurentinian ,,ms41 fo #f;a4 ,this intervention of ,ugolini is mentioned in no other document4 ,it is1 however1 by no means impossible4 ,he also was in ,rome in the summer of #abaj4 7,vide ,potthast1 p4 #dfb47 #ae #a ,cel41 #cb and #cc2 #c ,soc41 #dg and #dh4 ,cf4 ,an4 ,per41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eij4 #af #a ,cel41 #cc4 #ag #c ,soc41 #dh4 #ah #c ,soc41 #di2 #a ,cel41 #cc2 ,bon41 #ce and #cf4 ,all this has been much worked over by tradition and gives us only an echo of the reality4 ,it would certainly have needed very little for the ,penitents to meet the same fate before ,innocent ,,iii4 as the ,waldenses before ,lucius ,,iii4 ,traces of this interview are found in two texts which appear to me to be too suspicious to warrant their insertion in the body of the narrative4 ,the first is a fragment of ,matthew ,paris3 ,papa itaque in fratre memorato habitum deformem1 vultum despicabilem1 barbam prolixam1 capillos incultos1 supercilia pendentia et nigra diligenter considerans2 cum petitionem ejus tam arduam et executione impossibilem recitare fecisset1 despexit cum et dixit3 ,vade frater1 et quaere porcus1 quibus potius debes quam hominibus comparari1 et involve te cum eis in volutabro1 et regulam illis a te commentatam tradens1 officium tuae praedicationis impende4 ,quod audiens ,franciscus inclinato capite exixit et porcis tandem inventis1 in luto se cum eis tamdiu involvit quousque a planta pedis usque ad verticem1 corpus suum totum cum ipso habitu polluisset4 ,sicque ad consistorium revertens ,papae se conspectibus praesentavit dicens3 ,domine feci sicut praecepisti exaudi nunc obsecro petitionem meam4 ,ed4 ,wats1 p4 #cdj4 ,the incident has a real ,franciscan color1 and should have some historic basis4 ,curiously1 it in some sort meets a passage in the legend of ,bonaventura which is an interpolation of the end of the thirteenth century4 ,see ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eia4 #ai #c ,soc41 #ej and #ea2 ,bon41 #cg2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #aa2 ,bernard de ,besse1 ,turin ,,ms41 fo #aja;b4 ,ubertini di ,casali 7,arbor vitae crucifixae1 ,venice1 #adhe1 lib4 v41 cap4 iii47 tells a curious story in which he depicts the indignation of the prelates against ,francis4 ,quaenam haec est doctrina nova quam infers auribus nostris8 ,quis potest vivere sine temporalium possessione8 ,numquid tu melior es quam patres nostri qui dederunt nobis temporalia et in temporalibus abundantes ecclesias possiderunt8 ,then follows the fine prayer inserted by ,wadding in ,francis's works4 ,the central idea is the same as in the parable of poverty4 ,this story1 though not referable to any source1 has nevertheless its importance1 since it shows how in the year #acjj a man who had all the documents before his eyes1 represented to himself ,francis's early steps4 #bj ,bon41 #cf4 #ba ,the attempt of ,durand of ,huesca to create a mendicant order has not yet been studied with sufficient minuteness4 ,chief of the ,waldenses of ,aragon1 he was present in #abjg at the conference of ,pamiers1 and decided to return to the ,church4 ,received with kindness by the pope he at first had a great success1 and by #abji had established communities in ,aragon1 at ,carcassonne1 ,narbonne1 ,beziers1 ,nimes1 ,uzes1 ,milan4 ,we find in this movement all the lineaments of the institute of ,st4 ,dominic2 it was an order of priests to whom theological studies were recommended4 ,they disappeared almost completely in the storm of the ,albigensian crusade4 ,innocent ,,iii41 epistolae1 xi41 #aif1 #aig1 #aih2 xii41 #ag1 #ff2 xiii41 #fc1 #gg1 #gh1 #id2 xv41 #hb1 #hc1 #ij1 #ia1 #ib1 #ic1 #id1 #if1 #acg1 #adf4 ,the first of these bulls contains the very curious ,rule of this ephemeral order4 ,upon its disappearance vide ,ripoli1 ,bullarium ,praedicatorum1 #h vols41 folio1 ,rome1 #agbi-agdj1 t4 i41 p4 #if4 ,cf4 ,elie ,berger1 ,registres d',innocent ,,iv41 #bgeb4 #bb ,burchard1 of the order of the ,premostrari1 who died in #abbf4 ,see below1 p4 #bcd4 #bc #c ,soc41 #eb2 ,bon41 #ch4 #bd #c ,soc41 #eb and #di4 #be ,st4 ,antonino1 ,archbishop of ,florence1 saw very clearly that it was quaedam concessio simplex habitus et modi illius vivendi et quasi permissio4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hci4 ,the expression approbation of the ,rule by which the act of ,innocent ,,iii4 is usually designated is therefore erroneous4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,rivo-,,torto #abaj-abaa ,the ,penitents of ,assisi were overflowing with joy4 ,after so many mortally long days spent in that ,rome1 so different from the other cities that they knew1 exposed to the ill-disguised suspicions of the prelates and the jeers of pontifical lackeys1 the day of departure seemed to them like a deliverance4 ,at the thought of once more seeing their beloved mountains they were seized by that homesickness of the child for its native village which simple and kindly souls preserve till their latest breath4 ,immediately after the ceremony they prayed at the tomb of ,st4 ,peter1 and then crossing the whole city they quitted ,rome by the ,porta ,salara4 ,thomas of ,celano1 very brief as to all that concerns ,francis's sojourn in the ,eternal ,city1 recounts at full length the light-heartedness of the little band on quitting it4 ,already it began to be transfigured in their memory2 pains1 fatigues1 fears1 disquietude1 hesitations were all forgotten2 they thought only of the fatherly assurances of the supreme pontiff--the vicar of ,christ1 the lord and father of the ,christian universe--and promised themselves to make ever new efforts to follow the ,rule with fidelity4 ,full of these thoughts they had set out1 without provisions1 to cross the ,campagna of ,rome1 whose few inhabitants never venture out in the heat of the day4 ,the road stretches away northward1 keeping at some distance from the ,tiber2 on the left the jagged crest of ,soracte1 bathed in mists formed by the exhalations of the earth1 looms up disproportionately as it fades in the distance2 on the right1 the everlasting undulations of the hillocks with their wide pastures separated by thickets so parched and ragged that they seemed to cry for mercy and pardon4 ,between them the dusty road which goes straight forward1 implacable1 showing1 as far as the eye can reach1 nothing but the quivering of the fiery air4 ,not a house1 not a tree1 not a passing breeze1 nothing to sustain the traveller under the disquietude which creeps over him4 ,here and there are a few abandoned huts1 their ruins looking like the corpses of departed civilizations1 and on the edge of the horizon the hills rising up like gigantic and unsurmountable walls4 ,there are no words to describe the physical and moral sufferings to which he is exposed who undertakes without proper preparation to cross this inhospitable district4 ,to the weakness caused by lack of air soon succeeds an insurmountable lassitude4 ,the feet sink in a soft1 tenuous dust which every step sends up in clouds2 it covers you1 penetrates your skin1 and parches your mouth even more than thirst4 ,little by little all energy ebbs away1 a dumb dejection seizes you1 sight and thought become alike confused1 fever ensues1 and you cast yourself down by the roadside1 unable to take another step4 ,in their haste to leave ,rome ,francis and his companions had forgotten all this1 and had imprudently set forth4 ,they would have succumbed if a chance traveller had not brought them succor4 ,he was obliged to leave them before they had shaken off the last hallucinations of fever1 leaving them amazed with the unexpected succor which ,providence had sent them4#a ,they were so severely shattered that on arriving at ,orte they were obliged to stop awhile4 ,in a desert spot not far from this city they found a shelter admirably adapted to serve them for refuge2#b it was one of those ,etruscan tombs so common in that country1 whose chambers serve to this day as a shelter for beggars and gypsies4 ,while some of the brethren hastened to the city to beg for food1 the others remained in this solitude enjoying the happiness of being together1 forming a thousand plans1 and more than ever delighting in the charm of freedom from care and renunciation of material goods4 ,this place had so strong an attraction for them that it required an effort of will to quit it at the end of a fortnight4 ,the seduction of a life purely contemplative assailed ,francis1 and he asked himself if instead of preaching to the multitudes he would not do better to live in retreat1 solely mindful of the inward dialogue between the soul and ,god4#c ,this aspiration for the selfish repose of the cloister came back to him several times in his life2 but love always won the victory4 ,he was too much the child of his time not to be at times tempted by that happiness which the ,middle ,ages regarded as the supreme bliss of the elect in paradise--peace4 ,beati mortui quia quiescunt6 ,his distinguishing peculiarity is that he never gave way to it4 ,the reflections of ,francis and his companions during their stay at ,orte only made their apostolic mission more clear and imperative to them4 ,he1 above all1 seemed to be filled with a new ardor1 and like a valiant knight he burned to throw himself into the thick of the fray4 ,their way now led through the valley of the ,nera4 ,the contrast between these cool glens1 awake with a thousand voices1 and the desolation of the ,roman ,campagna1 must have struck them vividly2 the stream is only a swollen torrent1 but it runs so noisily over pebbles and rocks that it seems to be conversing with them and with the trees of the neighboring forest4 ,in proportion as they had felt themselves alone on the road from ,rome to ,otricoli1 they now felt themselves compassed about with the life1 the fecundity1 the gayety of the country4 ,the account of ,thomas of ,celano becomes so animated as it describes the life of ,francis at this epoch that one cannot help thinking that at this time he must have seen him1 and that this first meeting remained always in his memory as the radiant dawn of his spiritual life4#d ,the ,brothers had taken to preaching in such places as they came upon along their route4 ,their words were always pretty much the same1 they showed the blessedness of peace and exhorted to penitence4 ,emboldened by the welcome they had received at ,rome1 which in all innocence they might have taken to be more favorable than it really was1 they told the story to everyone they met1 and thus set all scruples at rest4 ,these exhortations1 in which ,francis spared not his hearers1 but in which the sternest reproaches were mingled with so much of love1 produced an enormous effect4 ,man desires above all things to be loved1 and when he meets one who loves him sincerely he very seldom refuses him either his love or his admiration4 ,it is only a low understanding that confounds love with weakness and compliance4 ,we sometimes see sick men feverishly kissing the hand of the surgeon who performs an operation upon them2 we sometimes do the same for our spiritual surgeons1 for we realize all that there is of vigor1 pity1 compassion in the tortures which they inflict1 and the cries which they force from us are quite as much of gratitude as of pain4 ,men hastened from all parts to hear these preachers who were more severe upon themselves than on anyone else4 ,members of the secular clergy1 monks1 learned men1 rich men even1 often mingled in the impromptu audiences gathered in the streets and public places4 ,all were not converted1 but it would have been very difficult for any of them to forget this stranger whom they met one day upon their way1 and who in a few words had moved them to the very bottom of their hearts with anxiety and fear4 ,francis was in truth1 as ,celano says1 the bright morning star4 ,his simple preaching took hold on consciences1 snatched his hearers from the mire and blood in which they were painfully trudging1 and in spite of themselves carried them to the very heavens1 to those serene regions where all is silent save the voice of the heavenly ,father4 ,the whole country trembled1 the barren land was already covered with a rich harvest1 the withered vine began again to blossom4#e ,only a profoundly religious and poetic soul 7is not the one the other87 can understand the transports of joy which overflowed the souls of ,st4 ,francis's spiritual sons4 ,the greatest crime of our industrial and commercial civilization is that it leaves us a taste only for that which may be bought with money1 and makes us overlook the purest and truest joys which are all the time within our reach4 ,the evil has roots far in the past4 ,wherefore1 said the ,god of old ,isaiah1 do you weigh money for that which is not meat8 why labor for that which satisfieth not8 ,hearken unto me1 and ye shall eat that which is good1 and your soul shall delight itself in fatness4#f ,joys bought with money--noisy1 feverish pleasures--are nothing compared with those sweet1 quiet1 modest but profound1 lasting1 and peaceful joys1 enlarging1 not wearying the heart1 which we too often pass by on one side1 like those peasants whom we see going into ecstasies over the fireworks of a fair1 while they have not so much as a glance for the glorious splendors of a summer night4 ,in the plain of ,assisi1 at an hour's walk from the city and near the highway between ,perugia and ,rome1 was a ruinous cottage called ,rivo-,torto4 ,a torrent1 almost always dry1 but capable of becoming terrible in a storm1 descends from ,mount ,subasio and passes beside it4 ,the ruin had no owner2 it had served as a leper hospital before the construction by the ,crucigeri#g of their hospital ,san ,salvatore delle ,pareti2 but since that time it had been abandoned4 ,now came ,francis and his companions to seek shelter there4#h ,it is one of the quietest spots in the suburbs of ,assisi1 and from thence they could easily go out into the neighborhood in all directions2 it being about an equal distance from ,portiuncula and ,st4 ,damian4 ,but the principal motive for the choice of the place seems to have been the proximity of the ,carceri1 as those shallow natural grottos are called which are found in the forests1 half way up the side of ,mount ,subasio4 ,following up the bed of the torrent of ,rivo-,torto one reaches them in an hour by way of rugged and slippery paths where the very goats do not willingly venture4 ,once arrived1 one might fancy oneself a thousand leagues from any human being1 so numerous are the birds of prey which live here quite undisturbed4#i ,francis loved this solitude and often retired thither with a few companions4 ,the brethren in that case shared between them all care of their material wants1 after which1 each one retiring into one of these caves1 they were able for a few days to listen only to the inner voice4 ,these little hermitages1 sufficiently isolated to secure them from disturbance1 but near enough to the cities to permit their going thither to preach1 may be found wherever ,francis went4 ,they form1 as it were1 a series of documents about his life quite as important as the written witnesses4 ,something of his soul may still be found in these caverns in the ,apennine forests4 ,he never separated the contemplative from the active life4 ,a precious witness to this fact is found in the regulations for the brethren during their sojourn in hermitage4#aj ,the return of the ,brothers to ,rivo-,torto was marked by a vast increase of popularity4 ,the prejudiced attacks to which they had formerly been subjected were lost in a chorus of praises4 ,perhaps men suspected the ill-will of the bishop and were happy to see him checked4 ,however this may be1 a lively feeling of sympathy and admiration was awakened2 the people recalled to mind the indifference manifested by the son of ,bernardone a few months before with regard to ,otho ,,iv4 going to be crowned at ,rome4 ,the emperor had made a progress through ,italy with a numerous suite and a pomp designed to produce an effect on the minds of the populace2 but not only had ,francis not interrupted his work to go and see him1 he had enjoined upon his friars also to abstain from going1 and had merely selected one of them to carry to the monarch a reminder of the ephemeral nature of worldly glory4 ,later on it was held that he had predicted to the emperor his approaching excommunication4 ,this spirited attitude made a vivid impression on the popular imagination4#aa ,perhaps it was of more service in forming general opinion than anything he had done thus far4 ,the masses1 who are not often alive to delicate sentiments1 respond quickly to those who1 whether rightly or wrongly1 do not bow down before power4 ,this time they perceived that where other men would see the poor1 the rich1 the noble1 the common1 the learned1 ,francis saw only souls1 which were to him the more precious as they were more neglected or despised4 ,no biographer informs us how long the ,penitents remained at ,rivo-,torto4 ,it seems probable1 however1 that they spent there the latter part of #abaj and the early months of #abaa1 evangelizing the towns and villages of the neighborhood4 ,they suffered much2 this part of the plain of ,assisi is inundated by torrents nearly every autumn1 and many times the poor friars1 blockaded in the lazaretto1 were forced to satisfy their hunger with a few roots from the neighboring fields4 ,the barrack in which they lived was so narrow that1 when they were all there at once1 they had much difficulty not to crowd one another4 ,to secure to each one his due quota of space1 ,francis wrote the name of each brother upon the column which supports the building4 ,but these minor discomforts in no sense disturbed their happiness4 ,no apprehension had as yet come to cloud ,francis's hopes2 he was overflowing with joy and kindliness2 all the memories which ,rivo-,torto has left with the ,order are fresh and sweet pictures of him4#ab ,one night all the brethren seemed to be sleeping1 when he heard a moaning4 ,it was one of his sheep1 to speak after the manner of the ,franciscan biographer1 who had denied himself too rigorously and was dying of hunger4 ,francis immediately rose1 called the brother to him1 brought forth the meagre reserve of food1 and himself began to eat to inspire the other with courage1 explaining to him that if penitence is good it is still necessary to temper it with discretion4#ac ,francis had that tact of the heart which divines the secrets of others and anticipates their desires4 ,at another time1 still at ,rivo-,torto1 he took a sick brother by the hand1 led him to a grape-vine1 and1 presenting him with a fine cluster1 began himself to eat of it4 ,it was nothing1 but the simple act so bound to him the sick man's heart that many years after the brother could not speak of it without emotion4#ad ,but ,francis was far from neglecting his mission4 ,ever growing more sure1 not of himself but of his duty toward men1 he took part in the political and social affairs of his province with the confidence of an upright and pure heart1 never able to understand how stupidity1 perverseness1 pride1 and indolence1 by leaguing themselves together1 may check the finest and most righteous impulses4 ,he had the faith which removes mountains1 and was wholly free from that touch of scepticism1 so common in our day1 which points out that it is of no more use to move mountains than to change the place of difficulties4 ,when the people of ,assisi learned that his ,rule had been approved by the pope there was strong excitement2 every one desired to hear him preach4 ,the clergy were obliged to give way2 they offered him the ,church of ,st4 ,george1 but this church was manifestly insufficient for the crowds of hearers2 it was necessary to open the cathedral to him4 ,st4 ,francis never said anything especially new2 to win hearts he had that which is worth more than any arts of oratory--an ardent conviction2 he spoke as compelled by the imperious need of kindling others with the flame that burned within himself4 ,when they heard him recall the horrors of war1 the crimes of the populace1 the laxity of the great1 the rapacity which dishonored the ,church1 the age-long widowhood of ,poverty1 each one felt himself taken to task in his own conscience4 ,an attentive or excited crowd is always very impressionable1 but this peculiar sensitiveness was perhaps stronger in the ,middle ,ages than at any other time4 ,nervous disturbances were in the air1 and upon men thus prepared the will of the preacher impressed itself in a manner almost magnetic4 ,to understand what ,francis's preaching must have been like we must forget the manners of to-day1 and transport ourselves for a moment to the ,cathedral of ,assisi in the thirteenth century2 it is still standing1 but the centuries have given to its stones a fine rust of polished bronze1 which recalls ,venice and ,titian's tones of ruddy gold4 ,it was new then1 and all sparkling with whiteness1 with the fine rosy tinge of the stones of ,mount ,subasio4 ,it had been built by the people of ,assisi a few years before in one of those outbursts of faith and union which were almost everywhere the prelude of the communal movement4 ,so1 when the people thronged into it on their high days1 they not merely had none of that vague respect for a holy place which1 though it has passed into the customs of other countries1 still continues to be unknown in ,italy1 but they felt themselves at home in a palace which they had built for themselves4 ,more than in any other church they there felt themselves at liberty to criticise the preacher1 and they had no hesitation in proving to him1 either by murmurs of dissatisfaction or by applause1 just what they thought of his words4 ,we must remember also that the churches of ,italy have neither pews nor chairs1 that one must listen standing or kneeling1 while the preacher walks about gesticulating on a platform2 add to this the general curiosity1 the clamorous sympathies of many1 the disguised opposition of some1 and we shall have a vague notion of the conditions under which ,francis first entered the pulpit of ,san ,rufino4 ,his success was startling4 ,the poor felt that they had found a friend1 a brother1 a champion1 almost an avenger4 ,the thoughts which they hardly dared murmur beneath their breath ,francis proclaimed at the top of his voice1 daring to bid all1 without distinction1 to repent and love one another4 ,his words were a cry of the heart1 an appeal to the consciences of all his fellow-citizens1 almost recalling the passionate utterances of the prophets of ,israel4 ,like those witnesses for ,jehovah the little poor man of ,assisi had put on sackcloth and ashes to denounce the iniquities of his people1 like theirs was his courage and heroism1 like theirs the divine tenderness in his heart4 ,it seemed as if ,assisi were about to recover again the feeling of ,israel for sin4 ,the effect of these appeals was prodigious2 the entire population was thrilled1 conquered1 desiring in future to live only according to ,francis's counsels2 his very companions1 who had remained behind at ,rivo-,torto1 hearing of these marvels1 felt in themselves an answering thrill1 and their vocation took on a new strength2 during the night they seemed to see their master in a chariot of fire1 soaring to heaven like a new ,elijah4#ae ,this almost delirious enthusiasm of a whole people was not perhaps so difficult to arouse as might be supposed3 the emotional power of the masses was at that time as great all over ,europe as it was in ,paris during certain days of the ,revolution4 ,we all know the tragic and touching story of those companies of children from the north of ,europe who appeared in #abab in troops of several thousands1 boys and girls mingled together pell-mell4 ,nothing could stop them1 a mania had overtaken them1 in all good faith they believed that they were to deliver the ,holy ,land1 that the sea would be dried up to let them pass4 ,they perished1 we hardly know how1 perhaps being sold into slavery4#af ,they were accounted martyrs1 and rightly2 popular devotion likened them to the ,holy ,innocents1 dying for a ,god whom they knew not4 ,those children of the crusade also perished for an unknown ideal1 false no doubt2 but is it not better to die for an unknown and even a false ideal than to live for the vain realities of an utterly unpoetic existence8 ,in the end of time we shall be judged neither by philosophers nor by theologians1 and if we were1 it is to be hoped that even in this case love would cover a multitude of sins and pass by many follies4 ,certainly if ever there was a time when religious affections of the nerves were to be dreaded1 it was that which produced such movements as these4 ,all ,europe seemed to be beside itself2 women appeared stark naked in the streets of towns and villages1 slowly walking up and down1 silent as phantoms4#ag ,we can understand now the accounts which have come down to us1 so fantastic at the first glance1 of certain popular orators of this time2 of ,berthold of ,ratisbon1 for example1 who drew together crowds of sixteen thousand persons1 or of that ,fra ,giovanni ,schio di ,vicenza1 who for a time quieted all ,northern ,italy and brought ,guelphs and ,ghibellines into one another's arms4#ah ,that popular eloquence which was to accomplish so many marvels in #abcc comes down in a straight line from the ,franciscan movement4 ,it was ,st4 ,francis who set the example of those open-air sermons given in the vulgar tongue1 at street corners1 in public squares1 in the fields4 ,to feel the change which he brought about we must read the sermons of his contemporaries2 declamatory1 scholastic1 subtile1 they delighted in the minutiae of exegesis or dogma1 serving up refined dissertations on the most obscure texts of the ,old ,testament1 to hearers starving for a simple and wholesome diet4 ,with ,francis1 on the contrary1 all is incisive1 clear1 practical4 ,he pays no attention to the precepts of the rhetoricians1 he forgets himself completely1 thinking only of the end desired1 the conversion of souls4 ,and conversion was not in his view something vague and indistinct1 which must take place only between ,god and the hearer4 ,no1 he will have immediate and practical proofs of conversion4 ,men must give up ill-gotten gains1 renounce their enmities1 be reconciled with their adversaries4 ,at ,assisi he threw himself valiantly into the thick of civil dissensions4 ,the agreement of #abjb between the parties who divided the city had been wholly ephemeral4 ,the common people were continually demanding new liberties1 which the nobles and burghers would yield to them only under the pressure of fear4 ,francis took up the cause of the weak1 the minores1 and succeeded in reconciling them with the rich1 the majores4 ,his spiritual family had not as yet1 properly speaking1 a name1 for1 unlike those too hasty spirits who baptize their productions before they have come to light1 he was waiting for the occasion that should reveal the true name which he ought to give it4#ai ,one day someone was reading the ,rule in his presence4 ,when he came to the passage1 ,let the brethren1 wherever they may find themselves called to labor or to serve1 never take an office which shall put them over others1 but on the contrary1 let them be always under 7sint minores7 all those who may be in that house1#bj these words sint minores of the ,rule1 in the circumstances then existing in the city1 suddenly appeared to him as a providential indication4 ,his institution should be called the ,order of the ,brothers ,minor4 ,we may imagine the effect of this determination4 ,the ,saint1 for already this magic word had burst forth where he appeared1#ba the ,saint had spoken4 ,it was he who was about to bring peace to the city1 acting as arbiter between the two factions which rent it4 ,we still possess the document of this pace civile1 exhumed1 so to speak1 from the communal archives of ,assisi by the learned and pious ,antonio ,cristofani4#bb ,the opening lines are as follows3 ,in the name of ,god6 ,may the supreme grace of the ,holy ,spirit assist us6 ,to the honor of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the blessed ,virgin ,mary1 the ,emperor ,otho1 and ,duke ,leopold4 ,this is the statute and perpetual agreement between the ,majori and ,minori of ,assisi4 ,without common consent there shall never be any sort of alliance either with the pope and his nuncios or legates1 or with the emperor1 or with the king1 or with their nuncios or legates1 or with any city or town1 or with any important person1 except with a common accord they shall do all which there may be to do for the honor1 safety1 and advantage of the commune of ,assisi4 ,what follows is worthy of the beginning4 ,the lords1 in consideration of a small periodical payment1 should renounce all the feudal rights2 the inhabitants of the villages subject to ,assisi were put on a par with those of the city1 foreigners were protected1 the assessment of taxes was fixed4 ,on ,wednesday1 ,november #i1 #abaj1 this agreement was signed and sworn to in the public place of ,assisi2 it was made in such good faith that exiles were able to return in peace1 and from this day we find in the city registers the names of those emigres who1 in #abjb1 had betrayed their city and provoked the disastrous war with ,perugia4 ,francis might well be happy4 ,love had triumphed1 and for several years there were at ,assisi neither victors nor vanquished4 ,in the mystic marriages which here and there in history unite a man to a people1 something takes place of which the transports of sense1 the delirium of love1 seem to be the only symbol2 a moment comes in which saints1 or men of genius1 feel unknown powers striving mightily within them2 they strive1 they seek1 they struggle until1 triumphing over all obstacles1 they have forced trembling1 swooning humanity to conceive by them4 ,this moment had come to ,st4 ,francis4 ,,footnotes3 #a #a ,cel41 #cd2 #c ,soc41 #ec2 ,bon41 #ci4 #b ,probably at ,otricoli1 which lies on the high-road between ,rome and ,spoleto4 ,orte is an hour and a half further on4 ,it is the ancient ,otriculum1 where many antiquities have been found4 #c #a ,cel41 #ce2 ,bon41 #dj and #da4 #d ,the only road connecting ,celano with ,rome1 as well as with all ,central and ,northern ,italy1 passes by ,aquila1 ,rieti1 and ,terni1 where it joins the high-roads leading from the north toward ,rome4 #e #a ,cel41 #cf and #cg2 #c ,soc41 #ed2 ,bon41 #de-dh4 #f ,isaiah1 lv41 #b4 #g ,this ,order deserves to be better known2 it was founded under ,alexander ,,iii4 and rapidly spread all over ,central ,italy and the ,east4 ,in ,francis's lifetime it had in ,italy and the ,holy ,land about forty houses dedicated to the care of lepers4 ,it is very probable that it was at ,san ,salvatore delle ,pareti that ,francis visited these unhappy sufferers4 ,he there made the particular acquaintance of a ,cruciger named ,morico4 ,the latter afterward falling ill1 ,francis sent him a remedy which would cure him1 informing him at the same time that he was to become his disciple1 which shortly afterward took place4 ,the hospital ,san ,salvatore has disappeared2 it stood in the place now called ,ospedaletto1 where a small chapel now stands half way between ,assisi and ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli4 ,it was from there that the dying ,francis blessed ,assisi4 ,for ,morico vide #c ,soc41 #ce2 ,bon41 #di2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abh2 ,conform41 #fc;b4--,for the hospital vide ,bon41 #di2 ,conform41 #ace;a1 #a2 ,honorii ,,iii4 opera1 ,horoy1 t4 i41 col4 #bjf4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #ggdf2 ,l4 ,auvray1 ,registres de ,gregoire ,,ix41 ,paris1 #ahij1 #dto1 no4 #bji4 ,for the ,crucigeri in the time of ,st4 ,francis vide the interesting bull ,cum tu fili prior1 of ,july #h1 #abjc2 ,migne1 ,inn4 op41 t4 ii41 col4 #abe ff4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #aiei1 and ,cum pastoris1 ,april #e1 #abjd2 ,migne1 loc4 cit41 #cai4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #bafi and #ddgd4 #h #c ,soc41 #ee4 #i ,all this yet remains in its primitive state4 ,the road which went from ,assisi to the now ruined ,abbey of ,mount ,subasio 7almost on the summit of the mountain7 passed the ,carceri1 where there was a little chapel built by the ,benedictines4 #aj ,illi qui religiose volunt stare in eremis sint tres aut quatuor ad plus4 ,duo ex ipsis sint matres1 et habeant duos filios1 vel unum ad minus4 ,illi duo teneant vitam ,marthae et alii duo vitam ,mariae ,magdalenae4 ,assisi ,,ms41 #cch1 #dc;a-b2 text given also in ,conf41 #adc;a1 #a1 from which ,wadding borrows it for his edition of the ,opuscules of ,st4 ,francis4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aac4 ,it is possible that we have here a fragment of the ,rule1 which must have been composed toward #abag4 #aa #a ,cel41 #db and #dc2 #c ,soc41 #ee2 ,bon41 #da4 #ab #a ,cel41 #db-dd4 #ac #b ,cel41 #a1 #ae2 ,bon41 #fe4 ,these two authors do not say where the event took place2 but there appears to be no reason for suspecting the indication of ,rivo-,torto given by the ,speculum1 fo4 #ba;a4 #ad #b ,cel41 #c1 #aaj4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #bb;a4 #ae #a ,cel41 #dg2 ,bon41 #dc4 #af ,there are few events of the thirteenth century that offer more documents or are more obscure than this one4 ,the chroniclers of the most different countries speak of it at length4 ,here is one of the shortest but most exact of the notices1 given by an eye-witness 7,annals of ,genoa of the years #aaig-abai1 apud ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #ah73 #abab in mense ,augusti1 die ,sabbati1 octava ,kalendarum ,septembris1 intravit civitatem ,janue quidam puer ,teutonicus nomine ,nicholaus peregrinationis causa1 et cum eo multitudo maxima pelegrinorum defferentes cruces et bordonos atque scarsellas ultra septem millia arbitratu boni viri inter homines et feminas et puellos et puellas4 ,et die dominica sequenti de civitate exierunt4--,cf4 ,giacomo di ,viraggio3 ,muratori1 t4 ix41 col4 #df3 ,dicebant quod mare debebat apud ,januam siccari et sic ipsi debebant in ,hierusalem proficisci4 ,multi autem inter eos erant filii ,nobilium1 quos ipsi etiam cum meretricibus destinarunt 767 ,the most tragic account is that of ,alberic1 who relates the fate of the company that embarked at ,marseilles4 ,mon4 ,ger4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bc1 p4 #hid4 #ag ,the ,benedictine chronicler1 ,albert von ,stade 7,mon4 ,ger4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #af1 pp4 #bga-cgi71 thus closes his notice of the children's crusade3 ,adhuc quo devenerint ignorantur sed plurimi redierunt1 a quibus cum quaereretur causa cursus dixerunt se nescire4 ,nudae etiam mulieres circa idem tempus nihil loquentes per villas et civitates cucurrerunt4 ,loc4 cit41 p4 #cee4 #ah ,chron4 ,veronese1 ann4 #abch 7,muratori1 ,scriptores ,rer4 ,ital41 t4 viii41 p4 #fbf74 ,cf4 ,barbarano de' ,mironi3 ,hist4 ,eccles4 di ,vicenza1 t4 ii41 pp4 #gi-hd4 #ai ,the ,brothers were at first called ,viri paenitentiales de civitate ,assisii 7#c ,soc41 #cg72 it appears that they had a momentary thought of calling themselves ,pauperes de ,assisio1 but they were doubtless dissuaded from this at ,rome1 as too closely resembling that of the ,pauperes de ,lugduno4 ,vide ,burchardi chronicon41 p4 #cgf2 vide ,introd41 cap4 #e4 #bj ,vide ,rule of #abba1 cap4 #g4 ,cf4 #a ,cel41 #ch1 and ,bon41 #gh4 #ba #a ,cel41 #cf4 #bb ,storia d',assisi1 t4 i41 pp4 #abc-abi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,portiuncula #abaa ,it was doubtless toward the spring of #abaa that the ,brothers quitted ,rivo-,torto4 ,they were engaged in prayer one day1 when a peasant appeared with an ass1 which he noisily drove before him into the poor shelter4 ,go in1 go in6 he cried to his beast2 we shall be most comfortable here4 ,it appeared that he was afraid that if the ,brothers remained there much longer they would begin to think this deserted place was their own4#a ,such rudeness was very displeasing to ,francis1 who immediately arose and departed1 followed by his companions4 ,now that they were so numerous the ,brothers could no longer continue their wandering life in all respects as in the past2 they had need of a permanent shelter and above all of a little chapel4 ,they addressed themselves in vain first to the bishop and then to the canons of ,san ,rufino for the loan of what they needed1 but were more fortunate with the abbot of the ,benedictines of ,mount ,subasio1 who ceded to them in perpetuity the use of a chapel already very dear to their hearts1 ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli or the ,portiuncula4#b ,francis was enchanted2 he saw a mysterious harmony1 ordained by ,god himself1 between the name of the humble sanctuary and that of his ,order4 ,the brethren quickly built for themselves a few huts2 a quickset hedge served as enclosing wall1 and thus in three or four days was organized the first ,franciscan convent4 ,for ten years they were satisfied with this4 ,these ten years are the heroic period of the ,order4 ,st4 ,francis1 in full possession of his ideal1 will seek to inculcate it upon his disciples and will succeed sometimes2 but already the too rapid multiplication of the brotherhood will provoke some symptoms of relaxation4 ,the remembrance of the beginning of this period has drawn from the lips of ,thomas of ,celano a sort of canticle in honor of the monastic life4 ,it is the burning and untranslatable commentary of the ,psalmist's cry3 ,behold how sweet and pleasant it is to be brethren and to dwell together4 ,their cloister was the forest which then extended on all sides of ,portiuncula1 occupying a large part of the plain4 ,there they gathered around their master to receive his spiritual counsels1 and thither they retired to meditate and pray4#c ,it would be a gross mistake1 however1 to suppose that contemplation absorbed them completely during the days which were not consecrated to missionary tours3 a part of their time was spent in manual labor4 ,the intentions of ,st4 ,francis have been more misapprehended on this point than on any other1 but it may be said that nowhere is he more clear than when he ordains that his friars shall gain their livelihood by the work of their hands4 ,he never dreamed of creating a mendicant order1 he created a laboring order4 ,it is true we shall often see him begging and urging his disciples to do as much1 but these incidents ought not to mislead us2 they are meant to teach that when a friar arrived in any locality and there spent his strength for long days in dispensing spiritual bread to famished souls1 he ought not to blush to receive material bread in exchange4 ,to work was the rule1 to beg the exception2 but this exception was in nowise dishonorable4 ,did not ,jesus1 the ,virgin1 the disciples live on bread bestowed8 ,was it not rendering a great service to those to whom they resorted to teach them charity8 ,francis in his poetic language gave the name of mensa ,domini1 the table of the ,lord1 to this table of love around which gathered the little poor ones4 ,the bread of charity is the bread of angels2 and it is also that of the birds1 which reap not nor gather into barns4 ,we are far enough1 in this case1 from that mendicity which is understood as a means of existence and the essential condition of a life of idleness4 ,it is the opposite extreme1 and we are true and just to ,st4 ,francis and to the origin of the mendicant orders only when we do not separate the obligation of labor from the praise of mendicity4#d ,no doubt this zeal did not last long1 and ,thomas of ,celano already entitles his chapters1 ,lament before ,god over the idleness and gluttony of the friars2 but we must not permit this speedy and inevitable decadence to veil from our sight the holy and manly beauty of the origin4 ,with all his gentleness ,francis knew how to show an inflexible severity toward the idle2 he even went so far as to dismiss a friar who refused to work4#e ,nothing in this matter better shows the intentions of the ,poverello than the life of ,brother ,egidio1 one of his dearest companions1 him of whom he said with a smile3 ,he is one of the paladins of my ,round ,table4 ,brother ,egidio had a taste for great adventures1 and is a living example of a ,franciscan of the earliest days2 he survived his master twenty-five years1 and never ceased to obey the letter and spirit of the ,rule with freedom and simplicity4 ,we find him one day setting out on a pilgrimage to the ,holy ,land4 ,arrived at ,brindisi1 he borrowed a water-jug that he might carry water while he was awaiting the departure of the ship1 and passed a part of every day in crying through the streets of the city3 ,alla fresca6 ,alla fresca6 like other water-carriers4 ,but he would change his trade according to the country and the circumstances2 on his way back1 at ,ancona1 he procured willow for making baskets1 which he afterward sold1 not for money but for his food4 ,it even happened to him to be employed in burying the dead4 ,sent to ,rome1 every morning after finishing his religious duties1 he would take a walk of several leagues1 to a certain forest1 whence he brought a load of wood4 ,coming back one day he met a lady who wanted to buy it2 they agreed on a price1 and ,egidio carried it to her house4 ,but when he arrived at the house she perceived him to be a friar1 and would have given him more than the price agreed upon4 ,my good lady1 he replied1 ,i will not permit myself to be overcome by avarice1 and he departed without accepting anything at all4 ,in the olive season he helped in the gathering2 in grape season he offered himself as vintager4 ,one day on the ,piazza di ,roma1 where men are hired for day's work1 he saw a padrone who could not find a man to thrash his walnut tree2 it was so high that no one dared risk himself in it4 ,if you will give me part of the nuts1 said ,egidio1 ,i will do it willingly4 ,the bargain struck and the tree thrashed1 there proved to be so many nuts that he did not know where to put his share4 ,gathering up his tunic he made a bag of it and full of joy returned to ,rome1 where he distributed them among all the poor whom he met4 ,is not this a charming incident8 ,does it not by itself alone reveal the freshness1 the youth1 the kindness of heart of the first ,franciscans8 ,there is no end to the stories of the ingenuousness of ,brother ,egidio4 ,all kinds of work seemed good to him provided he had time enough in the morning for his religious duties4 ,now he is in the service of the ,cellarer of the ,four ,crowns at ,rome1 sifting flour and carrying water to the convent from the well of ,san ,sisto4 ,now he is at ,rieti1 where he consents to remain with ,cardinal ,nicholas1 bringing to every meal the bread which he had earned1 notwithstanding the entreaties of the master of the house1 who would gladly have provided for his wants4 ,one day it rained so hard that ,brother ,egidio could not think of going out2 the cardinal was already making merry over the thought that he would be forced to accept bread that he had not earned4 ,but ,egidio went to the kitchen1 and finding that it needed cleaning he persuaded the cook to let him sweep it1 and returned triumphant with the bread he had earned1 which he ate at the cardinal's table4#f ,from the very beginning ,egidio's life commanded respect2 it was at once so original1 so gay1 so spiritual1#g and so mystical1 that even in the least exact and most expanded accounts his legend has remained almost free from all addition4 ,he is1 after ,st4 ,francis1 the finest incarnation of the ,franciscan spirit4 ,the incidents which are here cited are all1 so to speak1 illustrations of the ,rule2 in fact there is nothing more explicit than its commands with respect to work4 ,the ,brothers1 after entering upon the ,order1 were to continue to exercise the calling which they had when in the world1 and if they had none they were to learn one4 ,for payment they were to accept only the food that was necessary for them1 but in case that was insufficient they might beg4 ,in addition they were naturally permitted to own the instruments of their calling4#h ,brother ,ginepro1 whose acquaintance we shall make further on1 had an awl1 and gained his bread wherever he went by mending shoes1 and we see ,st4 ,clara working even on her death-bed4 ,this obligation to work with the hands merits all the more to be brought into the light1 because it was destined hardly to survive ,st4 ,francis1 and because to it is due in part the original character of the first generation of the ,order4 ,yet this was not the real reason for the being of the ,brothers ,minor4 ,their mission consisted above all in being the spouses of ,poverty4 ,terrified by the ecclesiastical disorders of the time1 haunted by painful memories of his past life1 ,francis saw in money the special instrument of the devil2 in moments of excitement he went so far as to execrate it1 as if there had been in the metal itself a sort of magical power and secret curse4 ,money was truly for him the sacrament of evil4 ,this is not the place for asking if he was wrong2 grave authors have demonstrated at length the economic troubles which would have been let loose upon the world if men had followed him4 ,alas6 his madness1 if madness it were1 is a kind of which one need not fear the contagion4 ,he felt that in this respect the ,rule could not be too absolute1 and that if unfortunately the door was opened to various interpretations of it1 there would be no stopping-point4 ,the course of events and the periodical convulsions which shook his ,order show clearly enough how rightly he judged4 ,i do not know nor desire to know if theologians have yet come to a scientific conclusion with regard to the poverty of ,jesus1 but it seems evident to me that poverty with the labor of the hands is the ideal held up by the ,galilean to the efforts of his disciples4 ,still it is easy to see that ,franciscan poverty is neither to be confounded with the unfeeling pride of the stoic1 nor with the stupid horror of all joy felt by certain devotees2 ,st4 ,francis renounced everything only that he might the better possess everything4 ,the lives of the immense majority of our contemporaries are ruled by the fatal error that the more one possesses the more one enjoys4 ,our exterior1 civil liberties continually increase1 but at the same time our inward freedom is taking flight2 how many are there among us who are literally possessed by what they possess8#i ,poverty not only permitted the ,brothers to mingle with the poor and speak to them with authority1 but1 removing from them all material anxiety1 it left them free to enjoy without hindrance those hidden treasures which nature reserves for pure idealists4 ,the ever-thickening barriers which modern life1 with its sickly search for useless comfort1 has set up between us and nature did not exist for these men1 so full of youth and life1 eager for wide spaces and the outer air4 ,this is what gave ,st4 ,francis and his companions that quick susceptibility to ,nature which made them thrill in mysterious harmony with her4 ,their communion with ,nature was so intimate1 so ardent1 that ,umbria1 with the harmonious poetry of its skies1 the joyful outburst of its spring-time1 is still the best document from which to study them4 ,the tie between the two is so indissoluble1 that after having lived a certain time in company with ,st4 ,francis1 one can hardly1 on reading certain passages of his biographers1 help seeing the spot where the incident took place1 hearing the vague sounds of creatures and things1 precisely as1 when reading certain pages of a beloved author1 one hears the sound of his voice4 ,the worship of ,poverty of the early ,franciscans had in it1 then1 nothing ascetic or barbarous1 nothing which recalls the ,stylites or the ,nazirs4 ,she was their bride1 and like true lovers they felt no fatigues which they might endure to find and remain near her4 ,la lor concordia e lor lieti sembianti1 ,amor e maraviglia e dolce sguardo ,facean esser cagion de' pensier santi4#aj ,to draw the portrait of an ideal knight at the beginning of the thirteenth century is to draw ,francis's very portrait1 with this difference1 that what the knight did for his lady1 he did for ,poverty4 ,this comparison is not a mere caprice2 he himself profoundly felt it and expressed it with perfect clearness1 and it is only by keeping it clearly present in the mind that we can see into the very depth of his heart4#aa ,to find any other souls of the same nature one must come down to ,giovanni di ,parma and ,jacoponi di ,todi4 ,the life of ,st4 ,francis as troubadour has been written2 it would have been better to write it as knight1 for this is the explanation of his whole life1 and as it were the heart of his heart4 ,from the day when1 forgetting the songs of his friends and suddenly stopped in the public place of ,assisi1 he met ,poverty1 his bride1 and swore to her faith and love1 down to that evening when1 naked upon the naked earth of ,portiuncula1 he breathed out his life1 it may be said that all his thoughts went out to this lady of his chaste loves4 ,for twenty years he served her without faltering1 sometimes with an artlessness which would appear infantine1 if something infinitely sincere and sublime did not arrest the smile upon the most sceptical lips4 ,poverty agreed marvellously with that need which men had at that time1 and which perhaps they have lost less than they suppose1 the need of an ideal very high1 very pure1 mysterious1 inaccessible1 which yet they may picture to themselves in concrete form4 ,sometimes a few privileged disciples saw the lovely and pure ,lady descend from heaven to salute her spouse1 but1 whether visible or not1 she always kept close beside her ,umbrian lover1 as she kept close beside the ,galilean2 in the stable of the nativity1 upon the cross at ,golgotha1 and even in the borrowed tomb where his body lay4 ,during several years this ideal was not alone that of ,st4 ,francis1 but also of all the ,brothers4 ,in poverty the gente poverelle had found safety1 love1 liberty2 and all the efforts of the new apostles are directed to the keeping of this precious treasure4 ,their worship sometimes might seem excessive4 ,they showed their spouse those delicate attentions1 those refinements of courtesy so frequent in the morning light of a betrothal1 but which one gradually forgets till they become incomprehensible4#ab ,the number of disciples continually increased2 almost every week brought new recruits2 the year #abaa was without doubt devoted by ,francis to a tour in ,umbria and the neighboring provinces4 ,his sermons were short appeals to conscience2 his heart went out to his hearers in ineffable tones1 so that when men tried to repeat what they had heard they found themselves incapable4#ac ,the ,rule of #abba has preserved for us a summary of these appeals3 ,here is an exhortation which all the ,brothers may make when they think best3 ,fear and honor ,god1 praise and bless him4 ,give thanks unto him4 ,adore the ,lord1 ,almighty ,god1 in ,trinity and unity1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,ghost4 ,repent and make fruits meet for repentance1 for you know that we shall soon die4 ,give1 and it shall be given unto you4 ,forgive1 and you shall be forgiven2 for if you forgive not1 ,god will not forgive you4 ,blessed are they who die repenting1 for they shall be in the kingdom of heaven4444 ,abstain carefully from all evil1 and persevere in the good until the end4#ad ,we see how simple and purely ethical was the early ,franciscan preaching4 ,the complications of dogma and scholasticism are entirely absent from it4 ,to understand how new this was and how refreshing to the soul we must study the disciples that came after him4 ,with ,st4 ,anthony of ,padua 7,cross ,june #ac1 #abca2 canonized in #abccae71 the most illustrious of them all1 the descent is immense4 ,the distance between these two men is as great as that which separates ,jesus from ,st4 ,paul4 ,i do not judge the disciple2 he was of his time in not knowing how to say simply what he thought1 in always desiring to subtilize it1 to extract it from passages in the ,bible turned from their natural meaning by efforts at once laborious and puerile2 what the alchemists did in their continual making of strange mixtures from which they fancied that they should bring out gold1 the preachers did to the texts1 in order to bring out the truth4 ,the originality of ,st4 ,francis is only the more brilliant and meritorious2 with him gospel simplicity reappeared upon the earth4#af ,like the lark with which he so much loved to compare himself1#ag he was at his ease only in the open sky4 ,he remained thus until his death4 ,the epistle to all ,christians which he dictated in the last weeks of his life repeats the same ideas in the same terms1 perhaps with a little more feeling and a shade of sadness4 ,the evening breeze which breathed upon his face and bore away his words was their symbolical accompaniment4 ,i1 ,brother ,francis1 the least of your servants1 pray and conjure you by that ,love which is ,god himself1 willing to throw myself at your feet and kiss them1 to receive with humility and love these words and all others of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 to put them to profit and carry them out4 ,this was not a more or less oratorical formula4 ,hence conversions multiplied with an incredible rapidity4 ,often1 as formerly with ,jesus1 a look1 a word sufficed ,francis to attach to himself men who would follow him until their death4 ,it is impossible1 alas6 to analyze the best of this eloquence1 all made of love1 intimate apprehension1 and fire4 ,the written word can no more give an idea of it than it can give us an idea of a sonata of ,beethoven or a painting by ,rembrandt4 ,we are often amazed1 on reading the memoirs of those who have been great conquerors of souls1 to find ourselves remaining cold1 finding in them all no trace of animation or originality4 ,it is because we have only a lifeless relic in the hand2 the soul is gone4 ,it is the white wafer of the sacrament1 but how shall that rouse in us the emotions of the beloved disciple lying on the ,lord's breast on the night of the ,last ,supper8 ,the class from which ,francis recruited his disciples was still about the same2 they were nearly all young men of ,assisi and its environs1 some the sons of agriculturists1 and others nobles2 the ,school and the ,church was very little represented among them4#ah ,everything still went on with an unheard-of simplicity4 ,in theory1 obedience to the superior was absolute2 in practice1 we can see ,francis continually giving his companions complete liberty of action4#ai ,men entered the ,order without a novitiate of any sort2 it sufficed to say to ,francis that they wanted to lead with him a life of evangelical perfection1 and to prove it by giving all that they possessed to the poor4 ,the more unpretending were the neophytes1 the more tenderness he had for them4 ,like his ,master1 he had a partiality for those who were lost1 for men whom regular society casts out of its limits1 but who with all their crimes and scandals are nearer to sainthood than mediocrities and hypocrites4 ,one day ,st4 ,francis1 passing by the desert of ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro came to a place called ,monte-,casale1#bj and behold a noble and refined young man came to him4 ,father1 he said1 ,i would gladly be one of your disciples4 ,my son1 said ,st4 ,francis1 you are young1 refined1 and noble2 you will not be able to follow poverty and live wretched like us4 ,but1 my father1 are not you men like me8 ,what you do ,i can do with the grace of ,jesus4 ,this reply was well-pleasing to ,st4 ,francis1 who1 giving him his blessing1 incontinently received him into the ,order under the name of ,brother ,angelo4 ,he conducted himself so well that a little while after he was made guardian#ba of ,monte-,casale4 ,now1 in those times there were three famous robbers who did much evil in the country4 ,they came to the hermitage one day to beg ,brother ,angelo to give them something to eat2 but he replied to them with severe reproaches3 ,what6 robbers1 evil-doers1 assassins1 have you not only no shame for stealing the goods of others1 but you would farther devour the alms of the servants of ,god1 you who are not worthy to live1 and who have respect neither for men nor for ,god your ,creator4 ,depart1 and let me never see you here again6 ,they went away full of rage4 ,but behold1 the ,saint returned1 bringing a wallet of bread and a bottle of wine which had been given him1 and the guardian told him how he had sent away the robbers2 then ,st4 ,francis reproved him severely for showing himself so cruel4444 ,i command thee by thine obedience1 said he1 to take at once this loaf and this wine and go seek the robbers by hill and dell until you have found them1 to offer them this as from me1 and to kneel there before them and humbly ask their pardon1 and pray them in my name no longer to do wrong but to fear ,god2 and if they do it1 ,i promise to provide for all their wants1 to see that they always have enough to eat and drink4 ,after that you may humbly return hither4 ,brother ,angelo did all that had been commanded him1 while ,st4 ,francis on his part prayed ,god to convert the robbers4 ,they returned with the brother1 and when ,st4 ,francis gave them the assurance of the pardon of ,god1 they changed their lives and entered the ,order1 in which they lived and died most holily4#bb ,what has sometimes been said of the voice of the blood is still more true of the voice of the soul4 ,when a man truly wakens another to moral life1 he gains for himself an unspeakable gratitude4 ,the word master is often profaned1 but it can express the noblest and purest of earthly ties4 ,who are those among us1 who in the hours of manly innocence when they examine their own consciences1 do not see rising up before them from out of the past the ever beloved and loving face of one who1 perhaps without knowing it1 initiated them into spiritual things8 ,at such a time we would throw ourselves at the feet of this father1 would tell him in burning words of our admiration and gratitude4 ,we cannot do it1 for the soul has its own bashfulness2 but who knows that our disquietude and embarrassment do not betray us1 and unveil1 better than words could do1 the depths of our heart8 ,the air they breathed at ,portiuncula was all impregnated with joy and gratitude like this4 ,to many of the ,brothers1 ,st4 ,francis was truly a saviour2 he had delivered them from chains heavier than those of prisons4 ,and therefore their greatest desire was in their turn to call others to this same liberty4 ,we have already seen ,brother ,bernardo on a mission to ,florence a few months after his entrance into the ,order4 ,arrived at maturity when he put on the habit1 he appears in some degree the senior of this apostolic college4 ,he knew how to obey ,st4 ,francis and remain faithful to the very end to the ideal of the early days2 but he had no longer that privilege of the young--of ,brother ,leo1 for example--of being able to transform himself almost entirely into the image of him whom he admired4 ,his physiognomy has not that touch of juvenile originality1 of poetic fancy1 which is so great a charm of the others4 ,toward this epoch two ,brothers entered the ,order1 men such as the successors of ,st4 ,francis never received1 whose history throws a bright light on the simplicity of the early days4 ,it will be remembered with what zeal ,francis had repaired several churches2 his solicitude went further2 he saw a sort of profanation in the negligence with which most of them were kept2 the want of cleanliness of the sacred objects1 ill-concealed by tinsel1 gave him a sort of pain1 and it often happened that when he was going to preach somewhere he secretly called together the priests of the locality and implored them to look after the decency of the service4 ,but even in these cases he was not content to preach only in words2 binding together some stalks of heather he would make them into brooms for sweeping out the churches4 ,one day in the suburbs of ,assisi he was performing this task when a peasant appeared1 who had left his oxen and cart out in the fields while he came to gaze at him4 ,brother1 said he on entering1 give me the broom4 ,i will help you1 and he swept out the rest of the church4 ,when he had finished1 ,brother1 he said to ,francis1 for a long time ,i have decided to serve ,god1 especially when ,i heard men speak of you4 ,but ,i never knew how to find you4 ,now it has pleased ,god that we should meet1 and henceforth ,i shall do whatever you may please to command me4 ,francis seeing his fervor felt a great joy2 it seemed to him that with his simplicity and honesty he would become a good friar4 ,it appears indeed that he had only too much simplicity1 for after his reception he felt himself bound to imitate every motion of the master1 and when the latter coughed1 spat1 or sighed1 he did the same4 ,at last ,francis noticed it and gently reproved him4 ,later he became so perfect that the other friars admired him greatly1 and after his death1 which took place not long after1 ,st4 ,francis loved to relate his conversion1 calling him not ,brother ,john1 but ,brother ,st4 ,john4#bc ,ginepro is still more celebrated for his holy follies4 ,one day he went to see a sick ,brother and offered him his services4 ,the patient confessed that he had a great longing to eat a pig's foot2 the visitor immediately rushed out1 and armed with a knife ran to the neighboring forest1 where1 espying a troop of pigs1 he cut off a foot of one of them1 returning to the monastery full of pride over his trophy4 ,the owner of the pigs shortly followed1 howling like mad1 but ,ginepro went straight to him and pointed out with so much volubility that he had done him a great service1 that the man1 after overwhelming him with reproaches1 suddenly begged pardon1 killed the pig and invited all the ,brothers to feast upon it4 ,ginepro was probably less mad than the story would lead us to suppose2 ,franciscan humility never had a more sincere disciple2 he could not endure the tokens of admiration which the populace very early lavished on the growing ,order1 and which by their extravagance contributed so much to its decadence4 ,one day1 as he was entering ,rome1 the report of his arrival spread abroad1 and a great crowd came out to meet him4 ,to escape was impossible1 but he suddenly had an inspiration2 near the gate of the city some children were playing at see-saw2 to the great amazement of the ,romans ,ginepro joined them1 and1 without heeding the salutations addressed to him1 remained so absorbed in his play that at last his indignant admirers departed4#bd ,it is clear that the life at ,portiuncula must have been very different from that of an ordinary convent4 ,so much youth1#be simplicity1 love1 quickly drew the eyes of men toward it4 ,from all sides they were turned to those thatched huts1 where dwelt a spiritual family whose members loved one another more than men love on earth1 leading a life of labor1 mirth1 and devotion4 ,the humble chapel seemed a new ,zion destined to enlighten the world1 and many in their dreams beheld blind humanity coming to kneel there and recover sight4#bf ,among the first disciples who joined themselves to ,st4 ,francis we must mention ,brother ,silvestro1 the first priest who entered the ,order1 the very same whom we have already seen the day that ,bernardo di ,quintevalle distributed his goods among the poor4 ,since then he had not had a moment's peace1 bitterly reproaching himself for his avarice2 night and day he thought only of that1 and in his dreams he saw ,francis exorcising a horrid monster which infested all the region4#bg ,by his age and the nature of the memory he has left behind him ,silvestro resembles ,brother ,bernardo4 ,he was what is usually understood by a holy priest1 but nothing denotes that he had the truly ,franciscan love of great enterprises1 distant journeys1 perilous missions4 ,withdrawn into one of the grottos of the ,carceri1 absorbed in the contemplative life1 he gave spiritual counsels to his brethren as occasion served4#bh ,the typical ,franciscan priest is ,brother ,leo4 ,the date of his entrance into the ,order is not exactly known1 but we are probably not far from the truth in placing it about #abad4 ,of a charming simplicity1 tender1 affectionate1 refined1 he is1 with ,brother ,elias1 the one who plays the noblest part during the obscure years in which the new reform was being elaborated4 ,becoming ,francis's confessor and secretary1 treated by him as his favorite son1 he excited much opposition1 and was to the end of his long life the head of the strict observance4#bi ,one winter's day1 ,st4 ,francis was going with ,brother ,leo from ,perugia to ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli1 and the cold1 being intense1 made them shiver2 he called ,brother ,leo1 who was walking a little in advance1 and said3 ,o ,brother ,leo1 may it please ,god that the ,brothers ,minor all over the world may give a great example of holiness and edification2 write1 however1 and note with care1 that not in this is the perfect joy4 ,st4 ,francis1 going on a little farther1 called him a second time3 ,o ,brother ,leo1 if the ,brothers ,minor gave sight to the blind1 healed the infirm1 cast out demons1 gave hearing to the deaf1 or even what is much more1 if they raised the four days dead1 write that not in this is the perfect joy4 ,going on a little farther he cried3 ,o ,brother ,leo1 if the ,brother ,minor knew all languages1 all science1 and all scriptures1 if he could prophesy and reveal not only future things but even the secrets of consciences and of souls1 write that not in this consists the perfect joy4 ,going a little farther ,st4 ,francis called to him again3 ,o ,brother ,leo1 little sheep of ,god1 if the ,brother ,minor could speak the language of angels1 if he knew the courses of the stars and the virtues of plants1 if all the treasures of earth were revealed to him1 and he knew the qualities of birds1 fishes1 and all animals1 of men1 trees1 rocks1 roots1 and waters1 write that not in these is the perfect joy4 ,and advancing still a little farther ,st4 ,francis called loudly to him3 ,o ,brother ,leo1 if the ,brother ,minor could preach so well as to convert all infidels to the faith of ,christ1 write that not in this is the perfect joy4 ,while speaking thus they had already gone more than two miles1 and ,brother ,leo1 full of surprise1 said to him3 ,father1 ,i pray you in ,god's name tell me in what consists the perfect joy4 ,and ,st4 ,francis replied3 ,when we arrive at ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli1 soaked with rain1 frozen with cold1 covered with mud1 dying of hunger1 and we knock and the porter comes in a rage1 saying1 ',who are you8' and we answer1 ',we are two of your brethren1' and he says1 ',you lie1 you are two lewd fellows who go up and down corrupting the world and stealing the alms of the poor4 ,go away from here6' and he does not open to us1 but leaves us outside shivering in the snow and rain1 frozen1 starved1 till night2 then1 if thus maltreated and turned away1 we patiently endure all without murmuring against him1 if we think with humility and charity that this porter really knows us truly and that ,god makes him speak thus to us1 then1 ,o ,brother ,leo1 write that in this is the perfect joy4444 ,above all the graces and all the gifts which the ,holy ,spirit gives to his friends is the grace to conquer oneself1 and willingly to suffer pain1 outrages1 disgrace1 and evil treatment1 for the love of ,christ6#cj ,although by its slight and somewhat playful character this story recalls the insipid statues of the fourteenth century1 it has justly become celebrated1 its spirit is thoroughly ,franciscan2 that transcendent idealism1 which sees in perfection and joy two equivalent terms1 and places perfect joy in the pure and serene region of the perfecting of oneself2 that sublime simplicity which so easily puts in their true place the miracle-worker and the scholar1 these are perhaps not entirely new2#ca but ,st4 ,francis must have had singular moral strength to impose upon his contemporaries ideas in such absolute contradiction to their habits and their hopes2 for the intellectual aristocracy of the thirteenth century with one accord found the perfect joy in knowledge1 while the people found it in miracles4 ,doubtless we must not forget those great mystical families1 which1 all through the ,middle ,ages1 were the refuge of the noblest souls2 but they never had this fine simplicity4 ,the ,school is always more or less the gateway to mysticism2 it is possible only to an elect of subtile minds2 a pious peasant seldom understands the ,imitation4 ,it may be said that all ,st4 ,francis's philosophy is contained in this chapter of the ,fioretti4#cb ,from it we foresee what will be his attitude toward learning1 and are helped to understand how it happens that this famous saint was so poor a miracle-worker4 ,twelve centuries before1 ,jesus had said1 ,blessed are the poor in spirit4 ,blessed are they who suffer4 ,the words of ,st4 ,francis are only a commentary1 but this commentary is worthy of the text4 ,it remains to say a word concerning two disciples who were always closely united with ,brother ,leo in the ,franciscan memorials--,rufino and ,masseo4 ,born of a noble family connected with that of ,st4 ,clara1 the former was soon distinguished in the ,order for his visions and ecstasies1 but his great timidity checked him as soon as he tried to preach3 for this reason he is always to be found in the most isolated hermitages--,carceri1 ,verna1 ,greccio4#cc ,masseo1 of ,marignano1 a small village in the environs of ,assisi1 was his very opposite2 handsome1 well made1 witty1 he attracted attention by his fine presence and his great facility of speech2 he occupies a special place in popular ,franciscan tradition4 ,he deserves it4 ,st4 ,francis1 to test his humility1 made him the porter and cook of the hermitage1#cd but in these functions ,masseo showed himself to be so perfectly a ,minor that from that time the master particularly loved to have him for companion in his missionary journeys4 ,one day they were travelling together1 when they arrived at the intersection of the roads to ,sienna1 ,arezzo1 and ,florence4 ,which one shall we take8 asked ,masseo4 ,whichever one ,god wills4 ,but how shall we know which one ,god wills8 ,you shall see4 ,go and stand at the crossing of the roads1 turn round and round as the children do1 and do not stop until ,i bid you4 ,brother ,masseo began to turn2 seized with a vertigo1 he was nearly falling1 but caught himself up at once4 ,finally ,francis called out1 ,stop6 which way are you facing8 ,toward ,sienna4 ,very well2 ,god wills that we go to ,sienna4#ce ,such a method of making up one's mind is doubtless not for the daily needs of life1 but ,francis employed still others1 like it1 if not in form at least in fact4 ,up to this time we have seen the brethren living together in their hermitages or roving the highways1 preaching repentance4 ,it would1 however1 be a mistake to think that their whole lives were passed thus4 ,to understand the first ,franciscans we must absolutely forget what they may have been since that time1 and what monks are in general2 if ,portiuncula was a monastery it was also a workshop1 where each brother practised the trade which had been his before entering the ,order2 but what is stranger still to our ideas1 the ,brothers often went out as servants4#cf ,brother ,egidio's case was not an exception1 it was the rule4 ,this did not last long1 for very soon the friars who entered a house as domestics came to be treated as distinguished guests2 but in the beginning they were literally servants1 and took upon themselves the most menial labors4 ,among the works which they might undertake ,francis recommended above all the care of lepers4 ,we have already seen the important part which these unfortunates played in his conversion2 he always retained for them a peculiar pity1 which he sought to make his disciples share4 ,for several years the ,brothers ,minor may be said to have gone from lazaretto to lazaretto1 preaching by day in the towns and villages1 and retiring at night to these refuges1 where they rendered to these patients of ,god the most repugnant services4 ,the ,crucigeri1 who took charge of the greater number of leper-houses1 always welcomed these kindly disposed aides1 who1 far from asking any sort of recompense1 were willing to eat whatever the patients might have left4#cg ,in fact1 although created solely for the care of lepers1 the ,brothers of this ,order sometimes lost patience when the sufferers were too exacting1 and instead of being grateful had only murmurs or even reproaches for their benefactors4 ,in these desperate cases the intervention of ,francis and his disciples was especially precious4 ,it often happened that a ,brother was put in special charge of a single leper1 whose companion and servant he continued to be1 sometimes for a long period4#ch ,the following narrative shows ,francis's love for these unfortunates1 and his method with them4#ci ,it happened one time that the ,brothers were serving the lepers and the sick in a hospital1 near to the place where ,st4 ,francis was4 ,among them was a leper who was so impatient1 so cross-grained1 so unendurable1 that everyone believed him to be possessed by the devil1 and rightly enough1 for he heaped insults and blows upon those who waited upon him1 and what was worse1 he continually insulted and blasphemed the blessed ,christ and his most holy ,mother the ,virgin ,mary1 so that there was no longer anyone who could or would wait upon him4 ,the ,brothers would willingly have endured the insults and abuse which he lavished upon them1 in order to augment the merit of their patience1 but their souls could not consent to hear those which he uttered against ,christ and his ,mother4 ,they therefore resolved to abandon this leper1 but not without having told the whole story exactly to ,st4 ,francis1 who at that time was dwelling not far away4 ,when they told him ,st4 ,francis betook himself to the wicked leper2 ,may ,god give thee peace1 my most dear brother1 he said to him as he drew near4 ,and what peace1 asked the leper1 can ,i receive from ,god1 who has taken away my peace and every good thing1 and has made my body a mass of stinking and corruption8 ,st4 ,francis said to him3 ,my brother1 be patient1 for ,god gives us diseases in this world for the salvation of our souls1 and when we endure them patiently they are the fountain of great merit to us4 ,how can ,i endure patiently continual pains which torture me day and night8 ,and it is not only my disease that ,i suffer from1 but the friars that you gave me to wait upon me are unendurable1 and do not take care of me as they ought4 ,then ,st4 ,francis perceived that this leper was possessed by the spirit of evil1 and he betook himself to his knees in order to pray for him4 ,then returning he said to him3 ,my son1 since you are not satisfied with the others1 ,i will wait upon you4 ,that is all very well1 but what can you do for me more than they8 ,i will do whatever you wish4 ,very well2 ,i wish you to wash me from head to foot1 for ,i smell so badly that ,i disgust myself4 ,then ,st4 ,francis made haste to heat some water with many sweet-smelling herbs2 next he took off the leper's clothes and began to bathe him1 while a ,brother poured out the water4 ,and behold1 by a divine miracle1 wherever ,st4 ,francis touched him with his holy hands the leprosy disappeared and the flesh became perfectly sound4 ,and in proportion as the flesh was healed the soul of the wretched man was also healed1 and he began to feel a lively sorrow for his sins1 and to weep bitterly4444 ,and being completely healed both in body and soul1 he cried with all his might3 ,woe unto me1 for ,i have deserved hell for the abuses and outrages which ,i have said and done to the ,brothers1 for my impatience and my blasphemies4 ,one day1 ,brother ,john1 whose simplicity we have already seen1 and who had been especially put in charge of a certain leper1 took him for a walk to ,portiuncula1 as if he had not been the victim of a contagious malady4 ,reproaches were not spared him2 the leper heard them and could not hide his sadness and distress2 it seemed to him like being a second time banished from the world4 ,francis was quick to remark all this and to feel sharp remorse for it2 the thought of having saddened one of ,god's patients was unendurable2 he not only begged his pardon1 but he caused food to be served1 and sitting down beside him he shared his repast1 eating from the same porringer4#dj ,we see with what perseverance he pursued by every means the realization of his ideal4 ,the details just given show the ,umbrian movement1 as it appears to me1 to be one of the most humble and at the same time the most sincere and practical attempts to realize the kingdom of ,god on earth4 ,how far removed we are here from the superstitious vulgarity of the mechanical devotion1 the deceitful miracle-working of certain ,catholics2 how far also from the commonplace1 complacent1 quibbling1 theorizing ,christianity of certain ,protestants6 ,francis is of the race of mystics1 for no intermediary comes between ,god and his soul2 but his mysticism is that of ,jesus leading his disciples to the ,tabor of contemplation2 but when1 overflooded with joy1 they long to build tabernacles that they may remain on the heights and satiate themselves with the raptures of ecstasy1 ,fools1 he says to them1 ye know not what ye ask1 and directing their gaze to the crowds wandering like sheep having no shepherd1 he leads them back to the plain1 to the midst of those who moan1 who suffer1 who blaspheme4 ,the higher the moral stature of ,francis the more he was exposed to the danger of being understood only by the very few1 and disappointed by those who were nearest to him4 ,reading the ,franciscan authors1 one feels every moment how the radiant beauty of the model is marred by the awkwardness of the disciple4 ,it could not have been otherwise1 and this difference between this master and the companions is evident from the very beginnings of the ,order4 ,the greater number of the biographers have drawn the veil of oblivion over the difficulties created by certain ,brothers as well as those which came from the ecclesiastical hierarchy1 but we must not allow ourselves to be deceived by this almost universal silence4 ,here and there we find indications all the more precious for being1 so to say1 involuntary4 ,brother ,rufino1 for example1 the same who was destined to become one of the intimates of ,francis's later days1 assumed an attitude of revolt shortly after his entrance into the ,order4 ,he thought it foolish in ,francis when1 instead of leaving the friars to give themselves unceasingly to prayer1 he sent them out in all directions to wait upon lepers4#da ,his own ideal was the life of the hermits of the ,thebaide1 as it is related in the then popular legends of ,st4 ,anthony1 ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,paconius1 and twenty others4 ,he once passed ,lent in one of the grottos of the ,carceri4 ,holy ,thursday having arrived1 ,francis1 who was also there1 summoned all the brethren who were dispersed about the neighborhood1 whether in grottos or huts1 to observe with him the memories to which this day was consecrated4 ,rufino refused to come2 ,for that matter1 he added1 ,i have decided to follow him no longer2 ,i mean to remain here and live solitary1 for in this way ,i shall be more surely saved than by submitting myself to this man and his nonsense4 ,young and enthusiastic for the most part1 it was not always without difficulty that the ,brothers formed the habit of keeping their work in the background4 ,agreeing with their master as to fundamentals1 they would have liked to make more of a stir1 attract public attention by more obvious devotion2 there were some among them whom it did not satisfy to be saints1 but who also wished to appear such4 ,,footnotes3 #a #a ,cel41 #dd2 #c ,soc41 #ee4 #b #c ,soc41 #ef2 ,spec41 #cb;b2 ,conform41 #bag;b1 #a2 ,fior4 ,bibl4 ,angel41 ,amoni1 p4 #cgh4 #c ,this forest has disappeared4 ,some of ,francis's counsels have been collected in the ,admonitions4 ,see #a ,cel41 #cg-da4 #d ,vide ,angelo ,clareno1 ,tribul4 cod4 ,laur41 #c;b4 #e #b ,cel41 #c1 #ig and #ih4 ,the ,conformities1 #adb;a1 #a1 cite textually #ig as coming from the ,legenda ,antiqua4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #fd;b4--#b ,cel41 #c1 #ba4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #aga;a1 #a2 ,spec41 #ai;b4 ,see especially ,rule of #abba1 cap4 #g2 ,rule of #abbc1 cap4 #e2 the ,will and #c ,soc4 #da4 ,the passage1 liceat eis habere ferramenta et instrumenta suis artibus necessaria1 sufficiently proves that certain friars had real trades4 #f ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 pp4 #bbj-bdh2 ,fior4 ,vita d',egidio2 ,spec41 #aeh ff2 ,conform41 #ec-fj4 #g ,other examples will be found below2 it may suffice to recall here his sally3 ,the glorious ,virgin ,mother of ,god had sinners for parents1 she never entered any religious order1 and yet she is what she is6 ,a4 ,,ss41 loc4 cit41 p4 #bcd4 #h ,the passage of the ,will1 firmiter volo quod omnes laborent1 444 has a capital importance because it shows ,francis renewing in the most solemn manner injunctions already made from the origin of the ,order4 ,cf4 #a ,cel41 #ch and #ci2 ,conform41 #bai;b4 #a3 ,juvabant ,fratres pauperes homines in agris eorum et ipsi dabant postea eis de pane amore ,dei4 ,spec41 #cd2 #fi4 ,vide also ,archiv41 t4 ii41 pp4 #bgb and #bii2 ,eccleston1 #a and #ae2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ab4 #i ,nihil volebat proprietatis habere ut omnia plenius posset in ,domino possidere4 ,b4 de ,besse1 #ajb;a4 #aj ,their concord and their joyous semblances ,the love1 the wonder and the sweet regard ,they made to be the cause of holy thought4 ,,dante3 ,paradiso1 canto xi41 verses #gf-gh4 ,longfellow's translation4 #aa ,amor factus 444 castis eam1 stringit amplexibus nec ad horam patitur non esse muritus4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #a2 cf4 #a ,cel41 #ce2 #ea2 #ge2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abh2 #c ,soc41 #ae2 #bb2 #cc2 #ce2 #ej2 ,bon41 #hg2 ,fior4 #ac4 #ab ,bon41 #ic4--,prohibuit fratrem qui faciebat coquinam ne poneret legumina de sero in aqua calida quae debebat dare fratribus ad manducandum die sequenti ut observaverint illud verbum ,evangelii3 ,nolite solliciti esse de crastino4 ,spec41 #ae4 #ac #b ,cel41 #c1 #ej4 #ad ,cap41 #ba4 ,cf4 ,fior41 ,i4 consid41 #ah2 #cj2 ,conform41 #ajc;a1 #b2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ii2 #ajj2 #aba4 ,vide ,mueller1 ,anfaenge1 p4 #ahg4 #ae ,vide his ,opera omnia postillis illustrata1 by ,father de la ,haye1 #agci1 fo4 ,for his life1 ,surius and ,wadding arranged and mutilated the sources to which they had access2 the ,bollandists had only a legend of the fifteenth century4 ,the ,latin manuscript #ad1cfc of the ,bibliotheque ,nationale gives one which dates from the thirteenth4 ,very ,rev4 ,father ,hilary1 of ,paris3 ,saint ,antoine de ,padone1 sa legende primitive1 ,montreuil-sur-,mer1 ,imprimerie ,notre-,dame-des-,pres1 #ahij1 #a vol41 #hvo4 ,cf4 ,legenda seu vita et miracula ,s4 ,antonii saeculo xiii concinnata ex cod4 memb4 antoniae bibliothecae a ,p4,m4 ,antonio ,maria ,josa min4 comv4 ,bologna1 #ahhc1 #a vol41 #hvo4 #af ,this evangelical character of his mission is brought out in relief by all his biographers4 #a ,cel41 #ef2 #hd2 #hi2 #c ,soc4 #be2 #cd2 #dj2 #dc2 #de2 #dh2 #ea2 #eg2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #h2 #ej2 #ic4 #ag ,spec41 #acd2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abh4 #ah ,the ,order was at first essentially lay 7at the present time it is1 so far as ,i know1 the only one in which there is no difference of costume between laymen and priests74 ,vide ,ehrle1 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #efc4 ,it is the influence of the friars from northern countries which has especially changed it in this matter4 ,general ,aymon1 of ,faversham 7#abdj-abdc71 decided that laymen should be excluded from all charges2 laicos ad officia inhabilitavit1 quae usque tunc ut clerici exercebant4 7,chron4 xxiv4 gen4 cod4 ,gadd4 relig41 #ec1 fo #aaj;a74 ,among the early ,brothers who refused ordination there were surely some who did so from humility1 but this sentiment is not enough to explain all the cases4 ,there were also with certain of them revolutionary desires and as it were a vague memory of the prophecies of ,gioacchino di ,fiore upon the age succeeding that of the priests3 ,fior41 #bg4 ,frate ,pellegrino non volle mai andare come chierico1 ma come laico1 benche fassi molto litterato e grande decretalista4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #ga;a41 #b4 ,fr4 ,thomas ,hibernicus sibi pollecem amputavit ne ad sacerdotium cogeretur4 ,conform41 #abd;b1 #b4 #ai ,see1 for example1 the letter to ,brother ,leo4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #ec;b1 #b4 ,fratri ,egidio dedit licentiam liberam ut iret quocumque vellet et staret ubicumque sibi placeret4 #bj ,the hermitage of ,monte-,casale1 at two hours walk northeast from ,borgo ,san ,sepolero1 still exists in its original state4 ,it is one of the most significant and curious of the ,franciscan deserts4 #ba ,the office of guardian 7superior of a monastery7 naturally dates from the time when the ,brothers stationed themselves in small groups in the villages of ,umbria--that is to say1 most probably from the year #abaa4 ,a few years later the monasteries were united to form a custodia4 ,finally1 about #abae1 ,central ,italy was divided unto a certain number of provinces with provincial ministers at their head4 ,all this was done little by little1 for ,francis never permitted himself to regulate what did not yet exist4 #bb ,fior41 #bf2 ,conform41 #aai;b1 #a4 ,cf4 ,rule of #abba1 cap4 vii4 ,quicumque ad eos 7fratres7 venerint1 amicus vel adversarius1 fur vel latro benigne recipiatur4 #bc #b ,cel41 #c1 #abj2 ,spec41 #cg2 ,conform41 #ec;a1 #a4 ,see below1 p4 #che1 n4 #a4 #bd ,fior41 ,vita di fra ,ginepro2 ,spec41 #agd-ahb2 ,conform41 #fb;b4 #be ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjj4 #bf #c ,soc41 #ef2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ac2 ,bon41 #bd4 #bg ,bon41 #cj2 #c ,soc41 #cj1 #ca2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #eb4 ,cf4 ,fior41 #b4 ,the dragon of this dream perhaps symbolizes heresy4 #bh ,bon41 #hc2 #agb2 ,fior41 #a1 #af2 ,conform41 #di;a1 #a1 and #aaj;b1 #a2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ea4 #bi ,bernard de ,besse1 ,de laudibus1 ,turin ,,ms41 fo4 #ajb;b and #if;a4 ,he died ,november #ae1 #abga4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,augusti1 t4 ii41 p4 #bba4 #cj ,fior41 #h2 ,spec41 #hi;b ff42 ,conform41 #cj;b1 #b1 and #adj;a1 #b4 #ca ,i need not here point out the analogy in form between this chapter and ,st4 ,paul's celebrated song of love1 #a ,cor4 xiii4 #cb ,we find the same thoughts in nearly the same terms in cap4 v4 of the ,verba sacrae admonitionis4 #cc ,he is the second of the ,three ,companions4 #c ,soc41 #a2 cf4 #a ,cel41 #ie2 ,fior41 #a2 #bi1 #cj1 #ca2 ,eccleston1 #ab2 ,spec41 #aaj;a-#aad;b2 ,conform41 #ea;b ff42 cf4 #b ,cel41 #b1 #d4 #cd ,very probably that of the ,carceri1 though the name is not indicated ,vide #c ,soc41 #a2 ,fior41 #d2 #aj2 #aa2 #ab2 #ac2 #af2 #bg2 #cb2 ,conform41 #ea;b1 #a ff2 ,tribul4 ,archiv41 t4 ii41 p4 #bfc4 #ce ,fior41 #aa2 ,conform41 #ej;b1 #b2 ,spec41 #ajd;a4 #cf ,rule of #abba1 chap4 #g4 ,omnes fratres1 in quibuscumque locis fuerint apud aliquos ad serviendum1 vel ad laborandum1 non sint camerarii1 nec cellarii1 nec praesint in domibus corum quibus serviunt4 ,cf4 #a ,cel41 #ch and #dj2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjf4 #cg #a ,cel41 #ajc2 #ci2 ,spec41 #bh2 ,reg4 #abba1 ix42 ,giord41 #cc and #ci4 #ch ,vide ,spec41 #cd;b42 ,fior41 #d4 #ci ,all the details of this story lead me to think that it refers to ,portiuncula and the hospital ,san ,salvatore delle ,pareti4 ,the story is given by the ,conform41 #agd;b1 #b1 as taken from the ,legenda ,antiqua4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #ef;b2 ,fior41 #be4 #dj ,in the ,speculum1 fo #da;a1 this story ends with the phrase3 ,qui vidit haec scripsit et testimonium perhibet de hiis4 ,the brother is here called ,frater ,jacobus simplex4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #agd;b4 #da ,conform41 #ea;b1 #a4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #b1 #d2 ,spec41 #aaj;b2 ,fior41 #bi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,santa ,,clara ,popular piety in ,umbria never separates the memory of ,st4 ,francis from that of ,santa ,clara4 ,it is right4 ,clara#a was born at ,assisi in #aaid1 and was consequently about twelve years younger than ,francis4 ,she belonged to the noble family of the ,sciffi4 ,at the age when a little girl's imagination awakes and stirs1 she heard the follies of the son of ,bernardone recounted at length4 ,she was sixteen when the ,saint preached for the first time in the cathedral1 suddenly appearing like an angel of peace in a city torn by intestine dissensions4 ,to her his appeals were like a revelation4 ,it seemed as if ,francis was speaking for her1 that he divined her secret sorrows1 her most personal anxieties1 and all that was ardent and enthusiastic in the heart of this young girl rushed like a torrent that suddenly finds an outlet into the channel indicated by him4 ,for saints as for heroes the supreme stimulus is woman's admiration4 ,but here1 more than ever1 we must put away the vulgar judgment which can understand no union between man and woman where the sexual instinct has no part4 ,that which makes the union of the sexes something almost divine is that it is the prefiguration1 the symbol1 of the union of souls4 ,physical love is an ephemeral spark1 designed to kindle in human hearts the flame of a more lasting love2 it is the outer court of the temple1 but not the most holy place2 its inestimable value is precisely that it leaves us abruptly at the door of the holiest of all as if to invite us to step over the threshold4 ,the mysterious sigh of nature goes out for the union of souls4 ,this is the unknown ,god to whom debauchees1 those pagans of love1 offer their sacrifices1 and this sacred imprint1 even though effaced1 though soiled by all pollutions1 often saves the man of the world from inspiring as much disgust as the drunkard and the criminal4 ,but sometimes--more often than we think--there are souls so pure1 so little earthly1 that on their first meeting they enter the most holy place1 and once there the thought of any other union would be not merely a descent1 but an impossibility4 ,such was the love of ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,clara4 ,but these are exceptions4 ,there is something mysterious in this supreme purity2 it is so high that in holding it up to men one risks speaking to them in an unknown tongue1 or even worse4 ,the biographers of ,st4 ,francis have clearly felt the danger of offering to the multitude the sight of certain beauties which are far beyond them1 and this is for us the great fault of their works4 ,they try to give us not so much the true portrait of ,francis as that of the perfect minister-general of the ,order such as they conceive it1 such as it must needs be to serve as a model for his disciples2 thus they have made this model somewhat according to the measure of those whom it is to serve1 by omitting here and there features which1 stupidly interpreted1 might have furnished material for the malevolence of unscrupulous adversaries1 or from which disciples little versed in spiritual things could not have failed to draw support for permitting themselves dangerous intimacies4 ,thus the relations of ,st4 ,francis with women in general and ,st4 ,clara in particular1 have been completely travestied by ,thomas of ,celano4 ,it could not have been otherwise1 and we must not bear him a grudge for it4 ,the life of the founder of an ,order1 when written by a monk1 in the very nature of things becomes always a sort of appendix to or illustration of the ,rule4 ,and the ,rule1 especially if the ,order has its thousands of members1 is necessarily made not for the elect1 but for the average1 for the majority of the flock4#b ,hence this portrait1 in which ,st4 ,francis is represented as a stern ascetic1 to whom woman appears to be a sort of incarnate devil6 ,the biographers even go so far as to assure us that he knew only two women by sight4 ,these are manifest exaggerations1 or rather the opposite of the truth4#c ,we are not reduced to conjecture to discover the true attitude of the ,umbrian prophet in this matter4 ,without suspecting it1 ,celano himself gives details enough for the correction of his own errors1 and there are besides a number of other documents whose scattered hints correspond and agree with one another in a manner all the more marvellous that it is entirely unintentional1 giving1 when they are brought together1 almost all one could desire to know of the intercourse of these two beautiful souls4 ,after the sermons of ,francis at ,st4 ,rufino1 ,clara's decision was speedily taken2 she would break away from the trivialities of an idle and luxurious life and make herself the servant of the poor2 all her efforts should be bent to make each day a new advance in the royal way of love and poverty2 and for this she would have only to obey him who had suddenly revealed it to her4 ,she sought him out and opened to him her heart4 ,with that exaltation1 a union of candor and delicacy1 which is woman's fine endowment1 and to which she would more readily give free course if she did not too often divine the pitfalls of base passion and incredulity1 ,clara offered herself to ,francis4 ,it is one of the privileges of saints to suffer more than other men1 for they feel in their more loving hearts the echo of all the sorrows of the world2 but they also know joys and delights of which common men never taste4 ,what an inexpressible song of joy must have burst forth in ,francis's heart when he saw ,clara on her knees before him1 awaiting1 with his blessing1 the word which would consecrate her life to the gospel ideal4 ,who knows if this interview did not inspire another saint1 ,fra ,angelico1 to introduce into his masterpiece those two elect souls who1 already radiant with the light of the heavenly ,jerusalem1 stop to exchange a kiss before crossing its threshold8 ,souls1 like flowers1 have a perfume of their own which never deceives4 ,one look had sufficed for ,francis to go down into the depths of this heart2 he was too kind to submit ,clara to useless tests1 too much an idealist to prudently confine himself to custom or arbitrary decorum2 as when he founded the ,order of ,friars1 he took counsel only of himself and ,god4 ,in this was his strength2 if he had hesitated1 or even if he had simply submitted himself to ecclesiastical rules1 he would have been stopped twenty times before he had done anything4 ,success is so powerful an argument that the biographers appear not to have perceived how determined ,francis was to ignore the canonical laws4 ,he1 a simple deacon1 arrogated to himself the right to receive ,clara's vows and admit her to the ,order without the briefest novitiate4 ,such an act ought to have drawn down upon its author all the censures of the ,church1 but ,francis was already one of those powers to whom much is forgiven1 even by those who speak in the name of the holy ,roman ,church4 ,francis had decided that on the night between ,palm ,sunday and ,holy ,monday 7,march #ah-ai1 #abab7 ,clara should secretly quit the paternal castle and come with two companions to ,portiuncula1 where he would await her1 and would give her the veil4 ,she arrived just as the friars were singing matins4 ,they went out1 the story goes1 carrying candles in their hands1 to meet the bride1 while from the woods around ,portiuncula resounded songs of joy over this new bridal4 ,then ,mass was begun at that same altar where1 three years before1 ,francis had heard the decisive call of ,jesus2 he was kneeling in the same place1 but surrounded now with a whole spiritual family4 ,it is easy to imagine ,clara's emotion4 ,the step which she had just taken was simply heroic1 for she knew to what persecutions from her family she was exposing herself1 and what she had seen of the life of the ,brothers ,minor was a sufficient warning of the distresses to which she was exposing herself in espousing poverty4 ,no doubt she interpreted the words of the service in harmony with her own thoughts3 ,surely they are my people1 said ,jehovah4 ,children who will not be faithless6 ,and he was for them a saviour4 ,in none of their afflictions were they without succor4 ,and the angel that is before his face saved them4#d ,then ,francis read again the words of ,jesus to his disciples2 she vowed to conform her life to them2 her hair was cut off2 all was finished4 ,a few moments after1 ,francis conducted her to a house of ,benedictine nuns#e at an hour's distance1 where she was to remain provisionally and await the progress of events4 ,the very next morning ,favorino1 her father1 arrived with a few friends1 inveighing1 supplicating1 abusing everybody4 ,she was unmovable1 showing so much courage that at last they gave up the thought of carrying her off by main force4 ,she was not1 however1 at the end of her tribulations4 ,had this scene frightened the ,benedictines8 ,we cannot tell1 but less than a fortnight after we find her in another convent1 that of ,sant-,angelo in ,panso1 at ,assisi4#f ,a week after ,easter1 ,agnes1 her younger sister1 joined her there1 decided in her turn to serve poverty4 ,francis received her into the ,order4 ,this time the father's fury was horrible4 ,with a band of relatives he invaded the convent1 but neither abuse nor blows could subdue this child of fourteen4 ,in spite of her cries they dragged her away4 ,she fainted1 and the little inanimate body suddenly seemed to them so heavy that they abandoned it in the midst of the fields1 some laborers looking with pity on the painful scene1 until ,clara1 whose cry ,god had heard1 hastened to succor her sister4 ,their sojourn in this convent was of very short duration4 ,it appears that they did not carry away a very pleasant impression of it4#g ,francis knew that several others were burning to join his two women friends2 he therefore set himself to seek out a retreat where they could live under his direction and in all liberty practise the gospel rule4 ,he had not long to seek2 the ,benedictine monks of ,mount ,subasio always seized every possible opportunity to make themselves popular4 ,they belonged to that congregation of ,camaldoli1 whom the common people appear to have particularly detested1 and several of whose convents had lately been pillaged4#h ,the abbey no longer counted more than eight monks1 who were trying to save the wreck of their riches and privileges by partial sacrifices2 on the #bb;d of ,april1 #abab1 they had given to the commune of ,assisi for a communal house a monument which is standing this day1 the temple of ,minerva4#i ,francis1 who already was their debtor for ,portiuncula1 once more addressed himself to them4 ,happy in this new opportunity to render service to one who was the incarnation of popular claims1 they gave him the chapel of ,st4 ,damian2 perhaps they were well pleased1 by favoring the new ,order1 to annoy ,bishop ,guido1 of whom they had reason to complain4#aj ,however this may be1 in this hermitage1 so well adapted for prayer and meditation1 ,francis installed his spiritual daughters4#aa ,in this sanctuary1 repaired by his own hands1 at the feet of this crucifix which had spoken to him1 ,clara was henceforward to pray4 ,it was the house of ,god2 it was also in good measure that of ,francis4 ,crossing its threshold1 ,clara doubtless experienced that feeling1 at once so sweet and so poignant1 of the wife who for the first time enters her husband's house1 trembling with emotion at the radiant and confused vision of the future4 ,if we are not entirely to misapprehend these beginnings1 we must remember with what rapidity external influences transformed the first conception of ,st4 ,francis4 ,at this moment he no more expected to found a second order than he had desired to found the first one4 ,in snatching ,clara from her family he had simply acted like a true knight who rescues an oppressed woman1 and takes her under his protection4 ,in installing her at ,st4 ,damian he was preparing a refuge for those who desired to imitate her and apart from the world practise the gospel ,rule4 ,but he never thought that the perfection of which he and his disciples were the apostles and missionaries1 and which ,clara and her companions were to realize in celibacy1 was not practicable in social positions also2 thence comes what is wrongly called the ,tertiari1 or ,third ,order1 and which in its primitive thought was not separated from the first4 ,this ,third ,order had no need to be instituted in #abba1 for it existed from the moment when a single conscience resolved to practise his teachings1 without being able to follow him to ,portiuncula4#ab ,the enemy of the soul for him as for ,jesus was avarice1 understood in its largest sense--that is to say1 that blindness which constrains men to consecrate their hearts to material preoccupations1 makes them the slave of a few pieces of gold or a few acres of land1 renders them insensible to the beauties of nature1 and deprives them of infinite joys which they alone can know who are the disciples of poverty and love4 ,whoever was free at heart from all material servitude1 whoever was decided to live without hoarding1 every rich man who was willing to labor with his hands and loyally distribute all that he did not consume in order to constitute the common fund which ,st4 ,francis called the ,lord's table1 every poor man who was willing to work1 free to resort1 in the strict measure of his wants1 to this table of the ,lord1 these were at that time true ,franciscans4 ,it was a social revolution4 ,there was then at that time neither one ,order nor several4#ac ,the gospel of the ,beatitudes had been found again1 and1 as twelve centuries before1 it could accommodate itself to all situations4 ,alas6 the ,church1 personified by ,cardinal ,ugolini1 was about1 if not to cause the ,franciscan movement to miscarry1 at least so well to hedge about it that a few years later it would have lost nearly its whole original character4 ,as has been seen1 the word poverty expresses only very imperfectly ,st4 ,francis's point of view1 since it contains an idea of renunciation1 of abstinence1 while in thought the vow of poverty is a vow of liberty4 ,property is the cage with gilded wires1 to which the poor larks are sometimes so thoroughly accustomed that they no longer even think of getting away in order to soar up into the blue4#ad ,from the beginning ,st4 ,damian was the extreme opposite to what a convent of ,clarisses of the strict observance is now2 it is still to-day very much as ,francis saw it4 ,we owe thanks to the ,brothers ,minor for having preserved intact this venerable and charming hermitage1 and not spoiling it with stupid embellishments4 ,this little corner of ,umbrian earth will be for our descendants like ,jacob's well whereon ,christ sat himself down for an instant1 one of the favorite courts of the worship in spirit and in truth4 ,in installing ,clara there ,francis put into her hands the ,rule which he had prepared for her1#ae which no doubt resembled that of the ,brothers save for the precepts with regard to the missionary life4 ,he accompanied it with the engagement#af taken by himself and his brothers to supply by labor or alms all the needs of ,clara and her future companions4 ,in return they also were to work and render to the ,brothers all the services of which they might be capable4 ,we have seen the zeal which ,francis had brought to the task of making the churches worthy of the worship celebrated in them2 he could not endure that the linen put to sacred uses should be less than clean4 ,clara set herself to spinning thread for the altar-cloths and corporals which the ,brothers undertook to distribute among the poor churches of the district4#ag ,in addition1 during the earlier years1 she also nursed the sick whom ,francis sent to her1 and ,st4 ,damian was for some time a sort of hospital4#ah ,one or two friars1 who were called ,zealots of the ,poor ,ladies1 were especially charged with the care of the ,sisters1 making themselves huts beside the chapel1 after the model of those of ,portiuncula4 ,francis was also near at hand2 a sort of terrace four paces long overlooks the hermitage2 ,clara made there a tiny garden1 and when1 at twilight1 she went thither to water her flowers1 she could see1 hardly half a league distant1 ,portiuncula standing out against the aureola of the western sky4 ,for several years the relations between the two houses were continual1 full of charm and freedom4 ,the companions of ,francis who received ,brothers received ,sisters also1 at times returning from their preaching tours with a neophyte for ,st4 ,damian4#ai ,but such a situation could not last long4 ,the intimacy of ,francis and ,clara1 the familiarity of the earlier friars and ,sisters would not do as a model for the relations of the two ,orders when each had some hundreds of members4 ,francis himself very soon perceived this1 though not so clearly as his sister-friend4 ,clara survived him nearly twenty-seven years1 and thus had time to see the shipwreck of the ,franciscan ideal among the ,brothers1 as well as in almost every one of the houses which had at first followed the ,rule of ,st4 ,damian4 ,she herself was led by the pressure of events to lay down rules for her own convent1 but to her very death-bed she contended for the defence of the true ,franciscan ideas1 with a heroism1 a boldness1 at once intense and holy1 by which she took a place in the first rank of witnesses for conscience4 ,is it not one of the loveliest pictures in religious history1 that of this woman who for more than half a century sustains moment by moment a struggle with all the popes who succeed one another in the pontifical throne1 remaining always equally respectful and immovable1 not consenting to die until she has gained her victory8#bj ,to relate her life is to relate this struggle2 the greater number of its vicissitudes may be found in the documents of the ,roman curia4 ,francis had warded off many a danger from his institution1 but he had given himself guardians who were little disposed to yield any of their rights2 ,cardinal ,ugolini in particular1 the future ,gregory ,,ix41 took a part in these matters which is very difficult to understand4 ,we see him continually lavishing upon ,francis and ,clara expressions of affection and admiration which appear to be absolutely sincere2 and yet the ,franciscan ideal--regarded as the life of love at which one arrives by freeing himself from all servitude to material things--has hardly had a worse adversary than he4 ,in the month of ,may1 #abbh1 ,gregory ,,ix4 went to ,assisi for the preliminaries of the canonization of ,st4 ,francis4 ,before entering the city he turned out of his way to visit ,st4 ,damian and to see ,clara1 whom he had known for a long time1 and to whom he had addressed letters burning with admiration and paternal affection4#ba ,how can we understand that at this time1 the eve of the canonization 7,july #af1 #abbh71 the pontiff could have had the idea of urging her to be faithless to her vows8 ,he represented to her that the state of the times made life impossible to women who possess nothing1 and offered her certain properties4 ,as ,clara gazed at him in astonishment at this strange proposition1 he said1 ,if it is your vows which prevent you1 we will release you from them4 ,holy ,father1 replied the ,franciscan sister1 absolve me from my sins1 but ,i have no desire for a dispensation from following ,christ4#bb ,noble and pious utterance1 artless cry of independence1 in which the conscience proudly proclaims its autonomy6 ,in these words is mirrored at full length the spiritual daughter of the ,poverello4 ,by one of those intuitions which often come to very enthusiastic and very pure women1 she had penetrated to the inmost depths of ,francis's heart1 and felt herself inflamed with the same passion which burned in him4 ,she remained faithful to him to the end1 but we perceive that it was not without difficulty4 ,this is not the place in which to ask whether ,gregory ,,ix4 was right in desiring that religious communities should hold estates2 he had a right to his own views on the subject2 but there is something shocking1 to say no more1 in seeing him placing ,francis among the saints at the very moment when he was betraying his dearest ideals1 and seeking to induce those who had remained faithful to betray them4 ,had ,clara and ,francis foreseen the difficulties which they would meet8 ,we may suppose so1 for already under the pontificate of ,innocent ,,iii4 she had obtained a grant of the privilege of poverty4 ,the pope was so much surprised at such a request that he desired to write with his own hands the opening lines of this patent1 the like of which had never been asked for at the court of ,rome4#bc ,under his successor1 ,honorius ,,iii41 the most important personage of the curia was this very ,cardinal ,ugolini4 ,almost a septuagenarian in #abaf he inspired awe at first sight by the aspect of his person4 ,he had that singular beauty which distinguishes the old who have escaped the usury of life2 pious1 enlightened1 energetic1 he felt himself made for great undertakings4 ,there is something in him which recalls ,cardinal ,lavigerie and all the prelates whose red robes cover a soldier or a despot rather than a priest4#bd ,the ,franciscan movement was attacked with violence#be in various quarters2 he undertook to defend it1 and a very long time before the charge of protector of the ,order was officially confided to him1 he exercised it with devouring zeal4#bf ,he felt an unbounded admiration for ,francis and ,clara1 and often manifested it in a touching manner4 ,if he had been a simple man he might have loved them and followed them4 ,perhaps he even had thought of doing so4#bg ,alas6 he was a prince of the ,church2 he could not help thinking of what he would do in case he should be called to guide the ship of ,st4 ,peter4 ,he acted accordingly2 was it calculation on his part or simply one of those states of conscience in which a man absorbed in the end to be attained hardly discusses the ways and means8 ,i do not know1 but we see him immediately on the death of ,innocent ,,iii41 under pretext of protecting the ,clarisses1 take their direction in hand1 give them a ,rule1 and substitute his own ideas for those of ,st4 ,francis4#bh ,in the privilege which as legate he gave in favor of ,monticelli1 ,july #bg1 #abai1 neither ,clara nor ,francis is named1 and the ,damianites become as a congregation of ,benedictines4#bi ,we shall see farther on the wrath of ,francis against ,brother ,philip1 a ,zealot of the ,poor ,ladies1 who had accepted this privilege in his absence4 ,his attitude was so firm that other documents of the same nature granted by ,ugolini at the same epoch were not indorsed by the pope until three years later4 ,the cardinal's ardor to profit by the enthusiasm which the ,franciscan ideas everywhere excited was so great that we find1 in the register of his legation of #abba1 a sort of formula all prepared for those who would found convents like those of the ,sisters of ,st4 ,damian2 but even there we search in vain for the name of ,francis or ,clara4#cj ,this old man had1 however1 a truly mystical passion for the young abbess2 he wrote to her1 lamenting the necessity of being far from her1 in words which are the language of love1 respect1 and admiration4#ca ,there were at least two men in ,ugolini3 the ,christian1 who felt himself subdued before ,clara and ,francis2 the prelate1 that is1 a man whom the glory of the ,church sometimes caused to forget the glory of ,god4 ,francis1 though almost always resisting him1 appears to have kept a feeling of ingenuous gratitude toward him to the very end4 ,clara1 on the contrary1 had too long a struggle to be able to keep any illusions as to the attitude of her protector4 ,after #abcj there is no trace of any relations between them4 ,all the efforts of the pope to mitigate the rigor of ,clara's vow of poverty had remained vain4 ,many other nuns desired to practise strictly the ,rule of ,st4 ,francis4 ,among them was the daughter of the ,king of ,bohemia1 ,ottokar ,i41 who was in continual relations with ,clara4 ,but ,gregory ,,ix41 to whom she addressed herself1 was inflexible4 ,while pouring eulogies upon her he enjoined upon her to follow the ,rule which he sent to her--that is1 the one which he had composed while he was yet cardinal4 ,the ,rule of the ,poverello was put among the utopias1 not to say heresies4#cb ,he never1 however1 could induce ,st4 ,clara to completely submit herself4 ,one day1 indeed1 she rebelled against his orders1 and it was the pope who was obliged to yield3 he had desired to bring about a wider separation between the friars and the ,sisters than had formerly prevailed2 for a long time after the death of ,francis a certain familiarity had continued between ,st4 ,damian and ,portiuncula2 ,clara especially loved these neighborly relations1 and often begged one or another ,brother to come and preach4 ,the pope thought ill of this1 and forbade1 under the severest penalty1 that any friar of ,portiuncula should go to ,st4 ,damian without express permission of the ,holy ,see4 ,this time ,clara became indignant4 ,she went to the few friars attached to her monastery1 and thanking them for their services1 ,go1 she said2 since they deprive us of those who dispense to us spiritual bread1 we will not have those who procure for us our material bread4 ,he who wrote that the necks of kings and princes are bowed at the feet of the priests was obliged to bow before this woman and raise his prohibition4#cc ,st4 ,damian had too often echoed with ,st4 ,francis's hymns of love and liberty to forget him so soon and become an ordinary convent4 ,clara remained surrounded with the master's early companions2 ,egidio1 ,leo1 ,angelo1 ,ginepro never ceased to be assiduous visitors4 ,these true lovers of poverty felt themselves at home there1 and took liberties which would elsewhere have given surprise4 ,one day an ,english friar1 a celebrated theologian1 came according to the minister's orders to preach at ,st4 ,damian4 ,suddenly ,egidio1 though a simple layman1 interrupted him3 ,stop1 brother1 let me speak1 he said to him4 ,and the master in theology1 bowing his head1 covered himself with his cowl as a sign of obedience1 and sat down to listen to ,egidio4 ,clara felt a great joy in this2 it seemed to her that she was once again living in ,st4 ,francis's days4#cd ,the little coterie was kept up until her death2 she expired in the arms of ,brothers ,leo1 ,angelo1 and ,ginepro4 ,in her last sufferings and her dying visions she had the supreme happiness of being surrounded by those who had devoted their lives to the same ideal as she4#ce ,in her will her life shows itself that which we have seen it--a daily struggle for the defence of the ,franciscan idea4 ,we see how courageous and brave was this woman who has always been represented as frail1 emaciated1 blanched like a flower of the cloister4#cf ,she defended ,francis not only against others1 but also against himself4 ,in those hours of dark discouragement which so often and so profoundly disturb the noblest souls and sterilize the grandest efforts1 she was beside him to show him his way4 ,when he doubted his mission and thought of fleeing to the heights of repose and solitary prayer1 it was she who showed him the ripening harvest with no reapers to gather it in1 men going astray with no shepherd to lead them1 and drew him once again into the train of the ,galilean1 into the number of those who give their lives a ransom for many4#cg ,yet this love with which at ,st4 ,damian ,francis felt himself surrounded frightened him at times4 ,he feared that his death1 making too great a void1 would imperil the institution itself1 and he took pains to remind the sisters that he would not be always with them4 ,one day when he was to preach to them1 instead of entering the pulpit he caused some ashes to be brought1 and after having spread them around him and scattered some on his head1 he intoned the ,miserere1 thus reminding them that he was but dust and would soon return to dust4#ch ,but in general it is at ,st4 ,damian that ,st4 ,francis is the most himself2 it is under the shade of its olive-trees1 with ,clara caring for him1 that he composes his finest work1 that which ,ernest ,renan called the most perfect utterance of modern religious sentiment1 the ,canticle of the ,sun4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,easy as it is to seize the large outlines of her life1 it is with difficulty that one makes a detailed and documentary study of it4 ,there is nothing surprising in this1 for the ,clarisses felt the rebound of the struggles which divided and rapidly transformed the ,order of the ,brothers ,minor4 ,the greater number of the documents have disappeared2 we give summary indication of those which will most often be cited3 #a4 ,life of ,st4 ,clara by an anonymous author4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aug41 t4 ii41 pp4 #gci-gfh4 #b4 ,her ,will1 given by ,wadding 7,annales1 #abec1 ,no4 #e71 but which does not appear to be free from alteration4 7,compare1 for example1 the opening of this will with ,chapter ,,vi4 of the ,rule of the ,damianites approved by ,innocent ,,iv41 ,august #h1 #abec47 #c4 ,the bull of canonization1 given ,september #bf1 #abee--that is to say1 two years after ,clara's death2 it is much longer than these documents ordinarily are1 and relates the principal incidents of her life4 ,a4 ,,ss41 loc4 cit41 p4 #gdi2 ,potthast1 #af1jbe4 #d4 ,her correspondence4 ,unhappily we have only fragments of it2 the ,bollandists1 without saying whence they drew them1 have inserted four of her letters in the ,acta of ,st4 ,agnes of ,bohemia1 to whom they were addressed4 7,a4 ,,ss41 ,martii1 t4 i41 pp4 #ejf-ejh47 #b ,reading the ,chronicle of ,fra ,salimbeni1 which represents the average ,franciscan character about #abej1 one sees with what reason the ,rule had multiplied minute precautions for keeping the ,brothers from all relations with women4 ,the desire of ,celano to present the facts in the life of ,francis as the norm of the acts of the friars appears still more in the chapters concerning ,st4 ,clara than in all the others4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #acb3 ,non credatis1 charissimi 7dixit ,franciscus71 quodeas perfecte non diligam4444 ,sed exemplum do vobis1 ut quemadmodum ego facio1 ita et vos faciatis4 ,cf4 ibid41 #acd4 #c #b ,cel41 #c1 #ee4 ,fateor veritatem 444 nullam me si aspicerem recogniturum in facie nisi duas4 ,this chapter and the two following give us a sort of caricature1 in which ,francis is represented as so little sure of himself that he casts down his eyes for fear of yielding to desire4 ,the stories of ,francis and ,jacqueline of ,settesoli give a very different picture of the relations between the ,brothers and the women in the origin of the ,order from that which was given later4 ,bernard de ,besse 7,turin ,,ms41 fo4 #aac7 relates at length the coming of ,jacqueline to ,portiuncula to be present at ,st4 ,francis's death4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #ajg2 #acc2 ,bon41 #aab4 ,also ,clara's repast at ,portiuncula4 ,fior41 #ae2 ,spec41 #aci;b42 ,a4 ,,ss4 ,aug4 ,vita ,clar41 ,no4 #ci ff4 #d ,isaiah1 lxiii41 #h and #i 7,segond's ,french translation74 ,at the ,mass on ,holy ,monday ,isaiah lxiii4 is read for the ,epistle and ,mark xiv4 for the ,gospel4 #e ,san ,paolo on the ,chiasco1 near ,bastia4 #f ,at the present day diocesan seminary of ,assisi1 ,seminarium seraphicum4 ,in the thirteenth century the north gate of the city was there4 ,the houses which lie between there and the ,basilica form the new town1 which is rapidly growing and will unite the city with ,sacro ,convento4 #g ,nam steteramus in alio loco1 licet parum4 ,test4 ,clar4 ,it is truly strange that there is not a word here for the house where the first days of her religious life were passed4 ,cf4 ,vit41 no4 #aj3 ,s4 ,angelus de ,panse 444 ubi cum non plene mens ejus quiesceret4 #h ,mittarelli1 ,annales ,camaldulenses 7,venice1 #agee-aggc1 #i vols41 fo471 t4 iv41 app4 #dca and #dce4 ,cf4 #aef4 #i ,the act of donation is still in the archives of ,assisi4 ,an analysis of it will be found in ,cristofani1 t4 i41 p4 #acc4 ,their munificence remained without result2 the bull ,ab ,ecclesia of ,july #bg1 #abcb1 shows that they were suppressed less than twenty years after4 ,sbaralea1 t4 #a1 p4 #ha4 ,potthast1 #hihd4 ,cf41 ib41 p4 #aie1 note c1 and #cdj1 note a1 and the bulls which are there indicated4 #aj ,see p4 #ha1 note ii4 #aa #a ,cel41 #ah2 #ba2 #c ,soc41 #bd2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #h4 #ab ,an4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjj4 ,cf4 #c ,soc41 #fj4 ,the three ,orders are contemporary1 one might even say1 the four1 including among them the one that miscarried among the secular priests 7see below74 ,in a letter ,st4 ,clara speaks of her ,order as making only a part with that of the ,brothers3 ,sequaris consilia ,reverendi ,patris nostri fratris ,eliae ,ministri generalis totius ordinis4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,martii1 t4 i41 p4 #ejg4 #ac ,this point of view is brought into relief by an anecdote in the ,de laudibus of ,bernard of ,besse 7,turin ,,ms41 #aac;a74 ,this is how he ends chap4 vii4 on the three ,orders3 ,nec ,santus his contentus ordinibus satagebat omnium generi salutis et penitentiae viam dare4 ,unde parochiali cuidam sacerdoti dicenti sibi quod vellet suus1 retenta tamen ecclesia4 ,frater esse1 dato vivendi et induendi modo1 dicitur indixisse ut annuatim1 collectis ,eclesiae fructibus daret pro ,deo1 quod de praeteritis superesset4 #ad ,see the lovely story in the ,fior41 #ac4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #fe;a2 ,conform41 #afh;b4 #a4 #ae ,the text of it was doubtless formerly inserted in chapter vi4 of the ,rule granted to the ,clarisses of ,st4 ,damian1 ,august #i1 #abec1 by the bull ,solet annuere4 ,potthast1 #ae1jhf4 ,but this chapter has been completely changed in many editions4 ,the text of the ,speculum1 ,morin1 ,rouen #aeji1 should be read4 ,tract iii41 #bbf;b4 ,the critical study to be made upon this text by comparing the indications given by the bull ,angelis guadium of ,may #aa1 #abch1 ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #bdb1 is too long to find a place here4 #af #b ,cel41 #c1 #acb4 ,cf4 ,test4 ,b4 ,clar4 #ag ,in illa gravi infirmitate 444 faciebat se erigi 444 et sedens filabat4 ,a4 ,,ss41 #gfj;e4 ,sic vult eas sorores operare manibus suis4 ,ib4 #gfb;a4 #ah ,fior4 #cc4 #ai ,rule of #abba1 chap xii4 ,et nulla penitus mulier ab aliquo frater recipiatur ad obedientiam1 sed dato sibi consilio spirituali1 ubi voluerit agat penitentiam4 ,cf4 below1 p4 #beb1 note #a1 the remainder of this chapter and the indication of the sources4 ,this proves1 #a1 that the friars had received women into the ,order2 #b1 that at the beginning they said ,the ,order in the singular1 and under this appellation included ,sisters as well as ,brothers4 ,we see how far the situation was1 even at the end of #abba1 from being what it became a few years later4 ,it is to be noted that in all the reforming sects of the commencement of the thirteenth century the two sexes were closely united4 7,vide ,burchardi chronicon1 ,pertz1 #a1 #bc1 p4 #cgf4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #bfaa1 bull ,cum otim of ,nov4 #be1 #abje47 ,on the #gth of ,june1 #abja 7bull ,incunubit nobis71 ,innocent ,,iii4 had approved the ,rule of the ,humiliants4 ,this was a religious association whose members continued to live in their own homes1 and who offer surprising points of contact with the ,franciscan ,order1 though they took no vow of poverty4 ,from them issued a more restricted association which founded convents where they worked in wool2 these convents received both men and women4 ,vide ,jacques de ,vitry1 ,hist4 ,occidentalis1 cap4 #bh4 ,de religione et regula ,humiliatorum 7,douai1 #aeig1 pp4 #ccd-ccg74 ,the time came when from these two ,orders issued a third1 composed solely of priests4 ,these ,humiliati are too little known1 though they have had a historian whose book is one of the noble works of the eighteenth century3 ,tiraboschi1 ,vetera ,humiliatorum monumenta 7,milan1 #c vols41 #dto1 #agff-agfh74 ,toward #abjj they had monopolized l'arte della lana in all upper ,italy as far as to ,florence2 it is evident1 therefore1 that ,francis's father must have had relations with them4 #bj ,the bull approving the ,rule of ,st4 ,damian is of ,august #i1 #abec4 ,clara died two days later4 #ba #a ,cel41 #abb4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #haid ff42 cf4 ib41 #gji4 #bb ,a4 ,,ss41 ,vita ,cl41 p4 #geh4 ,cf4 bull of canonization4 #bc ,vit4 ,s4 ,clar41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #geh4 ,this petition was surely made by the medium of ,francis2 and there are several indications of his presence in ,perugia in the latter part of the life of ,innocent ,,iii4 ,in obitu suo ,alexandri papae omnes familiares sui deseruerunt eum praeter fratres ,minores4 ,et similiter ,papam ,gregorium et ,honorium et ,innocentium in cujus obitu fuit praesentialiter ,s4 ,franciscus4 ,eccl4 xv4 ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bh p4 #efh4 ,sbaralea puts forth doubts as to the authenticity of this privilege1 the text of which he gives2 wrongly1 ,i think1 for ,clara alludes to it in her will1 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #gdg4 #bd ,he was born about #aadg1 created cardinal in #aaih4 ,vide ,raynald1 ann41 #abag1 ,sec4 #hh1 the eulogy made upon him by ,honorius ,,iii4 ,forma decorus et venustus aspectu 444 zelator fidei1 disciplina virtutis1 444 castitatis amator et totius sanctitatis exemplar3 ,muratori1 ,scriptores rer4 ,ital41 iii41 #a1 #ege4 #be #a ,cel41 #gd4 #bf ,the bull ,litterae tuae of ,august #bg1 #abah1 shows him already favoring the ,clarisses4 ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #a4 ,vide #c ,soc41 #fa4 ,offero me ipsum1 dixit ,hugolinus1 vobis1 auxilium et consilium1 atque protectionem paratus impendere4 #bg ,in the ,conformities1 #ajg;a1 #b1 there is a curious story which shows ,ugolini going to the ,carceri to find ,francis1 and asking him if he ought to enter his ,order4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #bag4 #bh ,he succeeded so well that ,thomas of ,celano himself seems to forget that1 at least at ,st4 ,damian1 the ,clarisses followed the ,rule given by ,st4 ,francis himself3 ,ipsorum vita mirifica et institutio gloriosa a domino ,papa ,gregorio1 tunc ,hostiensi episcopo4 #a ,cel4 #bj4 ,cf4 ,honorii ,opera ,horoy1 t4 iii41 col4 #cfc2 t4 iv41 col4 #bah2 ,potthast1 #fagi and #fhgi ff4 #bi ,this privilege is inserted in the bull ,sacrosancta of ,december #i1 #abai4 ,honorii opera1 ,horoy1 t4 iii41 col4 #cfc ff4 #cj ,g4 ,levi1 ,registri dei ,cardinali1 no4 #abe4 ,vide below1 p4 #djj4 ,cf4 ,campi1 ,hist4 eccl4 di ,piacenza1 ii41 #cij4 #ca ,see1 for example1 the letter given by ,wadding3 ,annals1 ii41 p4 #af 7,rome1 #agcb74 ,tanta me amaritudo cordis1 abundantia lacrymarum et immanitas doloris invasit1 quod nisi ad pedes ,jesu1 consolationem solitae pietatis invenirem1 spiritus meus forte deficeret et penitus anima liquefieret4 ,wadding's text should be corrected by that of the ,riccardi ,,ms41 #bgi4 fo #hj;a and b4 ,cf4 ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 i41 p4 #ahe2 ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #cg4 #cb ,bull ,angelis gaudium of ,may #aa1 #abch2 it may be found in ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #bdb4 ,cf4 ,palacky1 ,literarische ,reise nach ,italien1 ,prague1 #ahch1 #dto1 no4 #adg4 ,potthast1 #aj1eif2 cf4 #aa1age4 #cc ,a4 ,,ss41 ,vit4 ,clar41 p4 #gfb4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #hd;b1 #b4 #cd ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bci;a2 ,conform41 #ed;a1 #a2 #agg;a1 #b4 #ce ,a4 ,,ss41 ,vit4 ,clar41 p4 #gfd;d4 #cf ,the bull of canonization says nothing of the ,saracens whom she put to flight4 ,her life in the ,a4 ,,ss4 relates the fact1 but shows her simply in prayer before the ,holy ,sacrament4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #hd;b1 #a4 ,mark of ,lisbon t4 i41 part #b1 pp4 #agi-aha4 ,none of these accounts represents ,clara as going to meet them with a monstrance4 #cg ,bon41 #agc2 ,fior4 #af2 ,spec41 #fb;b2 ,conform41 #hd;b1 #b2 #aaj;b #a2 #di;a1 #a4 ,with these should be compared ,spec41 #bbj;b3 ,frater ,leo narravit quod ,sanctus ,franciscus surgens orare 7sic7 venit ad fratres suos dicens3 ,ite ad saeculum et dimittatis habitum1 licentio vos4 #ch #b ,cel41 #c1 #acd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,x ,,first ,,attempts ,,to ,,reach ,,the ,,infidels ,autumn1 #abab-,summer1 #abae ,the early ,brothers ,minor had too much need of the encouragement and example of ,francis not to have very early agreed with him upon certain fixed periods when they would be sure to find him at ,portiuncula4 ,still it appears probable that these meetings did not become true ,chapters-,general until toward #abaf4 ,there were at first two a year1 one at ,whitsunday1 the other at ,michaelmas 7,september #bith74 ,those of ,whitsunday were the most important2 all the ,brothers came together to gain new strength in the society of ,francis1 to draw generous ardor and grand hopes from him with his counsels and directions4 ,the members of the young association had everything in common1 their joys as well as their sorrows2 their uncertainties as well as the results of their experiences4 ,at these meetings they were particularly occupied with the ,rule1 the changes that needed to be made in it1 and above all1 how they might better and better observe it2#a then1 in perfect harmony1 they settled the allotment of the friars to the various provinces4 ,one of ,francis's most frequent counsels bore upon the respect due to the clergy2 he begged his disciples to show a very particular deference to the priests1 and never to meet them without kissing their hands4 ,he saw only too well that the ,brothers1 having renounced everything1 were in danger of being unjust or severe toward the rich and powerful of the earth2 he1 therefore1 sought to arm them against this tendency1 often concluding his counsels with these noble words3 ,there are men who to-day appear to us to be members of the devil who one day shall be members of ,christ4 ,our life in the midst of the world1 said he again1 ought to be such that1 on hearing or seeing us1 every one shall feel constrained to praise our heavenly ,father4 ,you proclaim peace2 have it in your hearts4 ,be not an occasion of wrath or scandal to anyone1 but by your gentleness may all be led to peace1 concord1 and good works4 ,it was especially when he undertook to cheer his disciples1 to fortify them against temptations and deliver them from their power1 that ,francis was most successful4 ,however anxious a soul might be1 his words brought it back to serenity4 ,the earnestness which he showed in calming sadness became fiery and terrible in reproving those who fell away1 but in these days of early fervor he seldom had occasion to show severity2 more often he needed gently to reprove the ,brothers whose piety led them to exaggerate penances and macerations4 ,when all was finished and each one had had his part in this banquet of love1 ,francis would bless them1 and they would disperse in all directions like strangers and travellers4 ,they had nothing1 but already they thought they saw the signs of the grand and final regeneration4 ,like the exile on ,patmos they saw the holy city1 the new ,jerusalem1 coming down from ,god out of heaven1 like a bride adorned for her husband 444 and the throne upon which is seated the ,desired of all nations1 the ,messiah of the new times1 he who is to make all things new4#b ,yet all eyes were turned toward ,syria1 where a ,french knight1 ,jean de ,brienne1 had just been declared ,king of ,jerusalem 7#abaj71 and toward which were hastening the bands of the children's crusade4 ,the conversion of ,francis1 radical as it was1 giving a new direction to his thoughts and will1 had not had power to change the foundation of his character4 ,in a great heart everything is great4 ,in vain is one changed at conversion--he remains the same4 ,that which changes is not he who is converted1 but his surroundings2 he is suddenly introduced into a new path1 but he runs in it with the same ardor4 ,francis still remained a knight1 and it is perhaps this which won for him in so high a degree the worship of the finest souls of the ,middle ,ages4 ,there was in him that longing for the unknown1 that thirst for adventures and sacrifices1 which makes the history of his century so grand and so attractive1 in spite of many dark features4 ,those who have a genius for religion have generally the privilege of illusion4 ,they never quite see how large the world is4 ,when their faith has moved a mountain they thrill with rapture1 like the old ,hebrew prophets1 and it seems to them that they see the dawning of the day when the glory of the ,lord will appear1 when the wolf and the lamb will feed together4 ,blessed illusion1 that fires the blood like a generous wine1 so that the soldiers of righteousness hurl themselves against the most terrific fortresses1 believing that these once taken the war will be ended4 ,francis had found such joys in his union with poverty that he held it for proven that one needed only to be a man to aspire after the same happiness1 and that the ,saracens would be converted in crowds to the gospel of ,jesus1 if only it were announced to them in all its simplicity4 ,he therefore quitted ,portiuncula for this new kind of crusade4 ,it is not known from what port he embarked4 ,it was probably in the autumn of #abab4 ,a tempest having cast the ship upon the coast of ,slavonia1 he was obliged to resign himself either to remain several months in those parts or to return to ,italy2 he decided to return1 but found much difficulty in securing a passage on a ship which was about to sail for ,ancona4 ,he had no ill-will against the sailors1 however1 and the stock of food falling short he shared with them the provisions with which his friends had overloaded him4 ,no sooner had he landed than he set out on a preaching tour1 in which souls responded to his appeals#c with even more eagerness than in times past4 ,we may suppose that he returned from ,slavonia in the winter of #abab-abac1 and that he employed the following spring in evangelizing ,central ,italy4 ,it was perhaps during this ,lent that he retired to an island in ,lake ,trasimeno1 making a sojourn there which afterward became famous in his legend4#d ,however that may be1 a perfectly reliable document shows him to have been in the ,romagna in the month of ,may1 #abac4e ,one day ,francis and his companion1 perhaps ,brother ,leo1 arrived at the chateau of ,montefeltro1#f between ,macerata and ,san ,marino4 ,a grand fete was being given for the reception of a new knight1 but the noise and singing did not affright them1 and without hesitation they entered the court1 where all the nobility of the country was assembled4 ,francis then taking for his text the two lines1 ,tanto e il bene ch' aspetto ,ch'ogni pena m'e diletto1#g preached so touching a sermon that several of those present forgot for a moment the tourney for which they had come4 ,one of them1 ,orlando dei ,cattani1 ,count of ,chiusi in ,casentino1 was so much moved that1 drawing ,francis aside1 ,father1 he said to him1 ,i desire much to converse with you about the salvation of my soul4 ,very willingly1 replied ,francis2 but go for this morning1 do honor to those friends who have invited you1 eat with them1 and after that we will converse as much as you please4 ,so it was done4 ,the count came back and concluded the interview by saying1 ,i have in ,tuscany a mountain especially favorable to contemplation2 it is entirely isolated and would well suit anyone who desired to do penance far from the noises of the world2 if it pleased you ,i would willingly give it to you and your brethren for the salvation of my soul4 ,francis accepted it joyfully1 but as he was obliged to be at ,portiuncula for the ,whitsunday chapter he postponed the visit to the ,verna#h to a more favorable time4 ,it was perhaps in this circuit that he went to ,imola2 at least nothing forbids the supposition4 ,always courteous1 he had gone immediately on his arrival to present himself to the bishop1 and ask of him authority to preach4 ,i am not in need of anyone to aid me in my task1 replied the bishop dryly4 ,francis bowed and retired1 more polite and even more gentle than usual4 ,but in less than hour he had returned4 ,what is it1 brother1 what do you want of me again8 ,monsignor1 replied ,francis1 when a father drives his son out at the door he returns by the window4 ,the bishop1 disarmed by such pious persistence1 gave the desired authorization4#i ,the aim of ,francis at that time1 however1 was not to evangelize ,italy2 his friars were already scattered over it in great numbers2 and he desired rather to gain them access to new countries4 ,not having been able to reach the infidels in ,syria1 he resolved to seek them in ,morocco4 ,some little time before 7,july1 #abab71 the troops of the ,almohades had met an irreparable defeat in the plains of ,tolosa2 beaten by the coalition of the ,kings of ,aragon1 ,navarre1 and ,castile1 ,mohammed-el-,naser had returned to ,morocco to die4 ,francis felt that this victory of arms would be nothing if it were not followed by a peaceful victory of the gospel spirit4 ,he was so full of his project1 so much in haste to arrive at the end of his journey1 that very often he would forget his companion1 and hastening forward would leave him far behind4 ,the biographers are unfortunately most laconic with regard to this expedition2 they merely say that on arriving in ,spain he was so seriously ill that a return home was imperative4 ,beyond a few local legends1 not very well attested1 we possess no other information upon the labors of the ,saint in this country1 nor upon the route which he followed either in going or returning4#aj ,this silence is not at all surprising1 and ought not to make us undervalue the importance of this mission4 ,the one to ,egypt1 which took place six years later1 with a whole train of friars1 and at a time when the ,order was much more developed1 is mentioned only in a few lines by ,thomas of ,celano2 but for the recent discovery of the ,chronicle of ,brother ,giordano di ,giano and the copious details given by ,jacques de ,vitry1 we should be reduced to conjectures upon that journey also4 ,the ,spanish legends1 to which allusion has just been made1 cannot be altogether without foundation1 any more than those which concern the journey of ,st4 ,francis through ,languedoc and ,piedmont2 but in the actual condition of the sources it is impossible to make a choice1 with any sort of authority1 between the historic basis and additions to it wholly without value4 ,the mission in ,spain doubtless took place between the ,whitsunday of #abad and that of #abae4aa ,francis1 ,i think1 had passed the previous year#ab in ,italy4 ,perhaps he was then going to see the ,verna4 ,the ,march of ,ancona and the ,valley of ,rieti would naturally have attracted him equally about this epoch1 and finally the growth of the two branches of the ,order must have made necessary his presence at ,portiuncula and ,st4 ,damian4 ,the rapidity and importance of these missions ought in no sense to give surprise1 nor awaken exaggerated critical doubts4 ,it took only a few hours to become a member of the fraternity1 and we may not doubt the sincerity of these vocations1 since their condition was the immediate giving up of all property of whatever kind1 for the benefit of the poor4 ,the new friars were barely received when they in their turn began to receive others1 often becoming the heads of the movement in whatever place they happened to be4 ,the way in which we see things going on in ,germany in #abba1 and in ,england in #abbd1 gives a very living picture of this spiritual germination4 ,to found a monastery it was enough that two or three ,brothers should have at their disposition some sort of a shelter1 whence they radiated out into the city and the neighboring country4 ,it would1 therefore1 be as much an exaggeration to describe ,st4 ,francis as a man who passed his life in founding convents1 as to deny altogether the local traditions which attribute to him the erection of a hundred monasteries4 ,in many cases a glance is enough to show whether these claims of antiquity are justified2 before #abbj the ,order had only hermitages after the pattern of the ,verna or the ,carceri1 solely intended for the ,brothers who desired to pass some time in retreat4 ,returned to ,assisi1 ,francis admitted to the ,order a certain number of learned men1 among whom was perhaps ,thomas of ,celano4 ,the latter1 in fact1 says that ,god at that time mercifully remembered him1 and he adds further on3 ,the blessed ,francis was of an exquisite nobility of heart and full of discernment2 with the greatest care he rendered to each one what was due him1 with wisdom considering in each case the degree of their dignities4 ,this does not harmonize very well with the character of ,francis as we have sketched it2 one can hardly imagine him preserving in his ,order such profound distinctions as were at that time made between the different social ranks1 but he had that true and eternal politeness which has its roots in the heart1 and which is only an expression of tact and love4 ,it could not be otherwise with a man who saw in courtesy one of the qualities of ,god4 ,we are approaching one of the most obscure periods of his life4 ,after the chapter of #abae he seems to have passed through one of those crises of discouragement so frequent with those who long to realize the ideal in this world4 ,had he discovered the warning signs of the misfortunes which were to come upon his family8 ,had he come to see that the necessities of life were to sully and blight his dream8 ,had he seen in the check of his missions in ,syria and ,morocco a providential indication that he had to change his method8 ,we do not know4 ,but about this time he felt the need of turning to ,st4 ,clara and ,brother ,silvestro for counsel on the subject of the doubts and hesitations which assailed him2 their reply restored to him peace and joy4 ,god by their mouth commanded him to continue his apostolate4#ac ,immediately he rose and set forth in the direction of ,bevagna1#ad with an ardor which he had never yet shown4 ,in encouraging him to persevere ,clara had in some sort inoculated him with a new enthusiasm4 ,one word from her had sufficed to give him back all his courage1 and from this point in his life we find in him more poetry1 more love1 than ever before4 ,full of joy1 he was going on his way when1 perceiving some flocks of birds1 he turned aside a little from the road to go to them4 ,far from taking flight1 they flocked around him as if to bid him welcome4 ,brother birds1 he said to them then1 you ought to praise and love your ,creator very much4 ,he has given you feathers for clothing1 wings for flying1 and all that is needful for you4 ,he has made you the noblest of his creatures2 he permits you to live in the pure air2 you have neither to sow nor to reap1 and yet he takes care of you1 watches over you and guides you4 ,then the birds began to arch their necks1 to spread out their wings1 to open their beaks1 to look at him1 as if to thank him1 while he went up and down in their midst stroking them with the border of his tunic1 sending them away at last with his blessing4#ae ,in this same evangelizing tour1 passing through ,alviano1#af he spoke a few exhortations to the people1 but the swallows so filled the air with their chirping that he could not make himself heard4 ,it is my turn to speak1 he said to them2 little sister swallows1 hearken to the word of ,god2 keep silent and be very quiet until ,i have finished4#ag ,we see how ,francis's love extended to all creation1 how the diffused life shed abroad upon all things inspired and moved him4 ,from the sun to the earthworm which we trample under foot1 everything breathed in his ear the ineffable sigh of beings that live and suffer and die1 and in their life as in their death have a part in the divine work4 ,praised be thou1 ,lord1 with all thy creatures1 especially for my brother ,sun which gives us the day and by him thou showest thy light4 ,he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor2 of thee1 ,most ,high1 he is the symbol4 ,here again1 ,francis revives the ,hebrew inspiration1 the simple and grandiose view of the prophets of ,israel4 ,praise the ,lord6 the royal ,psalmist had sung1 praise the ,lord1 fire and frost1 snow and mists1 stormy winds that do his will1 mountains and all hills1 fruit-trees and all cedars1 beasts and all cattle1 creeping things and fowls with wings1 kings of the earth and all peoples1 princes and all judges of the earth1 young men and maidens1 old men and children1 praise the ,lord1 praise ye the ,lord6 ,the day of the birds of ,bevagna remained in his memory as one of the most beautiful of his whole life1 and though usually so reserved he always loved to tell of it2#ah it was because he owed to ,clara these pure ardors which brought him into a secret and delicious communion with all beings2 it was she who had revived him from sadness and hesitation2 in his heart he bore an immense gratitude to her who1 just when he needed it1 had known how to return to him love for love1 inspiration for inspiration4 ,francis's sympathy for animals1 as we see it shining forth here1 has none of that sentimentalism1 so often artificial and exclusive of all other love1 which certain associations of his time noisily displayed2 in him it is only a manifestation of his feeling for nature1 a deeply mystical1 one might say pantheistic1 sentiment1 if the word had not a too definitely philosophical sense1 quite opposite to the ,franciscan thought4 ,this sentiment1 which in the poets of the thirteenth century is so often false and affected1 was in him not only true1 but had in it something alive1 healthy1 robust4#ai ,it is this vein of poetry which awoke ,italy to self-consciousness1 made her in a few years forget the nightmare of ,catharist ideas1 and rescued her from pessimism4 ,by it ,francis became the forerunner of the artistic movement which preceded the ,renaissance1 the inspirer of that group of ,pre-,raphaelites1 awkward1 grotesque in drawing though at times they were1 to whom we turn to-day with a sort of piety1 finding in their ungraceful saints an inner life1 a moral feeling which we seek for elsewhere in vain4 ,if the voice of the ,poverello of ,assisi was so well understood it was because in this matter1 as in all others1 it was entirely unconventional4 ,how far we are1 with him1 from the fierce or ,pharisaic piety of those monks which forbids even the females of animals to enter their convent6 ,his notion of chastity in no sense resembles this excessive prudery4 ,one day at ,sienna he asked for some turtle-doves1 and holding them in the skirt of his tunic1 he said3 ,little sisters turtle-doves1 you are simple1 innocent1 and chaste2 why did you let yourselves be caught8 ,i shall save you from death1 and have nests made for you1 so that you may bring forth young and multiply according to the commandment of our ,creator4 ,and he went and made nests for them all1 and the turtle-doves began to lay eggs and bring up their broods under the eyes of the ,brothers4#bj ,at ,rieti a family of red-breasts were the guests of the monastery1 and the young birds made marauding expeditions on the very table where the ,brothers were eating4#ba ,not far from there1 at ,greccio1#bb they brought to ,francis a leveret that had been taken alive in a trap4 ,come to me1 brother leveret1 he said to it4 ,and as the poor creature1 being set free1 ran to him for refuge1 he took it up1 caressed it1 and finally put it on the ground that it might run away2 but it returned to him again and again1 so that he was obliged to send it to the neighboring forest before it would consent to return to freedom4#bc ,one day he was crossing the ,lake of ,rieti4 ,the boatman in whose bark he was making the passage offered him a tench of uncommon size4 ,francis accepted it with joy1 but to the great amazement of the fisherman put it back into the water1 bidding it bless ,god4#bd ,we should never have done if we were to relate all the incidents of this kind1#be for the sentiment of nature was innate with him2 it was a perpetual communion which made him love the whole creation4#bf ,he is ravished with the witchery of great forests2 he has the terrors of a child when he is alone at prayer in a deserted chapel1 but he tastes ineffable joy merely in inhaling the perfume of a flower1 or gazing into the limpid water of a brook4#bg ,this perfect lover of poverty permitted one luxury--he even commanded it at ,portiuncula--that of flowers2 the ,brother was bidden not to sow vegetables and useful plants only2 he must reserve one corner of good ground for our sisters1 the flowers of the fields4 ,francis talked with them also1 or rather he replied to them1 for their mysterious and gentle language crept into the very depth of his heart4#bh ,the thirteenth century was prepared to understand the voice of the ,umbrian poet2 the sermon to the birds#bi closed the reign of ,byzantine art and of the thought of which it was the image4 ,it is the end of dogmatism and authority2 it is the coming in of individualism and inspiration2 very uncertain1 no doubt1 and to be followed by obstinate reactions1 but none the less marking a date in the history of the human conscience4#cj ,many among the companions of ,francis were too much the children of their century1 too thoroughly imbued with its theological and metaphysical methods1 to quite understand a sentiment so simple and profound4#ca ,but each in his degree felt its charm4 ,here ,thomas of ,celano's language rises to an elevation which we find in no other part of his works1 closing with a picture of ,francis which makes one think of the ,song of ,songs4#cb ,of more than middle height1 ,francis had a delicate and kindly face1 black eyes1 a soft and sonorous voice4 ,there was in his whole person a delicacy and grace which made him infinitely lovely4 ,all these characteristics are found in the most ancient portraits4#cc ,,footnotes3 #a #c ,soc41 #eg2 cf4 ,an4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eii4 #b ,rev4 xxi42 #a ,cel41 #df2 #c ,soc41 #eg-ei2 ,an4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjj4 #c #a ,cel41 #ee and #ef2 ,bon41 #abi-acb4 #d ,fior41 #g2 ,spec41 #if2 ,conform41 #bbc;a1 #b4 ,the fact of ,francis's sojourn on an island in this lake is made certain by #a ,cel41 #fj4 #e ,vide below1 p4 #djj4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #hbc f4 #f ,at present ,sasso-,feltrio1 between ,conca and ,marecchio1 south of and about two hours' walk from ,san ,marino4 #g ,the happiness that ,i expect is so great that all pain is joyful to me4 ,all the documents give ,francis's text in ,italian1 which is enough to prove that it was the language not only of his poems but also of his sermons4 ,spec4 #ib;a ff4 ,conform4 #aac;a1 #b2 #bca;a1 #a2 ,fior41 ,prima consid4 #h ,see p4 #djj4 #i #b ,cel41 #c1 #he2 ,bon41 #hb4 #aj #a ,cel41 #ef2 ,bon41 #acb4 #aa ,vide ,wadding1 ann4 #abac-abae4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #fjb1 #fjc1 #hbe-hca4 ,mark of ,lisbon1 lib4 i41 cap4 #de1 pp4 #gh-hj2 ,papini1 ,storia di ,s4 ,francesco1 i41 p4 #gi ff4 7,foligno1 #ahbe1 #b vols41 #dto74 ,it is surprising to see ,father ,suysken giving so much weight to the argumentum a silentio4 #ab ,from ,pentecost1 #abac1 to that of #abad4--,post non multum vero temporis versus ,marochium iter arripuit1 says ,thomas of ,celano 7#a ,cel41 #ef71 after having mentioned the return from ,slavonia4 ,taking into account the author's usus loquendi the phrase appears to establish a certain interval between the two missions4 #ac ,conform41 #aaj;b1 #a2 ,spec41 #fb;b2 ,fior41 #af2 ,bon41 #agj-agd4 #ad ,village about two leagues ,s4 ,w4 from ,assisi4 ,the time is indirectly fixed by ,bon41 #agc1 and #a ,cel41 #eh4 #ae #a ,cel4 #eh2 ,bon41 #aji and #agd2 ,fior41 #af2 ,spec41 #fb;b2 ,conform41 #aad;b1 #b4 #af ,about halfway between ,orvieto and ,narni4 #ag #a ,cel41 #ei2 ,bon41 #age4 #ah ,ad haec1 ut ipse dicebat 444 #a ,cel41 #eh4 #ai ,francis has been compared in this regard to certain of his contemporaries1 but the similarity of the words only makes more evident the diversity of inspiration4 ,honorius ,,iii4 may say3 ,forma rosae est inferius angusta1 superius ampla et significat quod ,christus pauper fuit in mundo1 sed est ,dominus super omnia et implet universa4 ,nam sicut forma rosae1 etc4 7,horoy1 t4 i41 col4 xxiv4 and #hjd71 and make a whole sermon on the symbolism of the rose2 these overstrained dissertations have nothing to do with the feeling for nature4 ,it is the arsenal of mediaeval rhetoric used to dissect a word4 ,it is an intellectual effort1 not a song of love4 ,the ,imitation would say3 ,if thy heart were right all creatures would be for thee a mirror of life and a volume of holy doctrine1 lib4 ii41 cap4 #b4 ,the simple sentiment of the beauty of creation is absent here also2 the passage is a pedagogue in disguise4 #bj ,spec41 #aeg4 ,fior42 #bb4 #ba #b ,cel41 #b1 #af2 ,conform41 #adh;a1 #a1 #ahc;b1 #b4 ,cf4 the story of the sheep of ,portiuncula3 ,bon41 #aaa4 #bb ,village in the valley of ,rieti1 two hours' walk from that town1 on the road to ,terni4 #bc #a ,cel41 #fj2 ,bon41 #aac4 #bd #a ,cel41 #fa2 ,bon41 #aad4 #be #b ,cel41 #c1 #ed2 ,bon41 #aji2 #b ,cel41 #c2 #ajc ff42 ,bon41 #aaf ff42 ,bon41 #aaj2 #a ,cel41 #fa2 ,bon41 #aad1 #aac1 #aae2 #a ,cel41 #gi2 ,fior41 #ac1 etc4 #bf #b ,cel41 #c1 #aja ff42 ,bon41 #abc4 #bg #b ,cel41 #c1 #ei2 #a ,cel41 #hj and #ha4 #bh #b ,cel41 #c1 #aja2 ,spec41 #acf;a2 #a ,cel41 #ha4 #bi ,this is the scene in his life most often reproduced by the predecessors of ,giotto4 ,the unknown artist who 7before #abcf7 decorated the nave of the ,lower ,church of ,assisi gives five frescos to the history of ,jesus and five to the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,upon the latter he represents3 #a1 the renunciation of the paternal inheritance2 #b1 ,francis upholding the ,lateran church2 #c1 the sermon to the birds2 #d1 the stigmata2 #e1 the funeral4 ,this work1 unhappily very badly lighted1 and about half of it destroyed at the time of the construction of the chapels of the nave1 ought to be engraved before it completely disappears4 ,the history of art in the time of ,giunta ,pisano is still too much enveloped in obscurity for us to neglect such a source of information4 ,m4 ,thode 7,franz von ,assisi und die ,anfaenge der ,kunst1 ,berlin1 #ahhe1 #hvo4 illust47 and the ,rev4 ,father ,fratini 7,storia della ,basilica d',assisi1 ,prato1 #ahhb1 #hvo7 are much too brief so far as these frescos are concerned4 #cj ,it is needless to say that ,i do not claim that ,francis was the only initiator of this movement1 still less that he was its creator2 he was its most inspired singer1 and that may suffice for his glory4 ,if ,italy was awakened it was because her sleep was not so sound as in the tenth century2 the mosaics of the facade of the ,cathedral of ,spoleto 7the ,christ between the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john7 already belong to the new art4 ,still1 the victory was so little final that the mural paintings of ,st4 ,lawrence without the walls and of the ,quattro ,coronate1 which are subsequent to it by half a score of years1 relapse into a coarse ,byzantinism4 ,see also those of the ,baptistery of ,florence4 #ca ,hence the more or less subtile explanations with which they adorn these incidents4--,as to the part of animals in thirteenth century legends consult ,caesar von ,heisterbach1 ,strange's edition1 t4 ii41 pp4 #beg ff4 #cb #a ,cel41 #hj-hc4 #cc #a ,cel41 #hc2 ,conform41 #aaa;a4 ,m4 ,thode 7,anfaenge1 pp4 #gf-id7 makes a study of some thirty portraits4 ,the most important are reproduced in ,saint ,francois 7#a vol41 #dto1 ,paris1 #ahhe72 #a1 contemporary portrait1 by ,brother ,eudes1 now at ,subiaco 7loc4 cit41 p4 #cj72 #b1 portrait dating about #abcj1 by ,giunta ,pisano 7872 preserved at ,portiuncula 7loc4 cit41 p4 #chd72 #c1 finally1 portrait dated #abce1 by ,bon4 ,berlinghieri1 and preserved at ,pescia1 in ,tuscany 7loc4 cit41 p4 #bgg74 ,in #ahhf ,prof4 ,carattoli studied with great care a portrait which dates from about those years and of which he gives a picture 7also preserved of late years at ,portiuncula74 ,miscellanea francescana t4 i41 pp4 #dd-dh2 cf4 pp4 #afj1 #aij1 and #ahhg1 p4 #cb4 ,m4 ,bonghi has written some interesting papers on the iconography of ,st4 ,francis 7,francesco di ,assisi1 #a vol41 #abmo1 ,citta di ,castello1 ,lapi1 #ahhd4 ,vide pp4 #ajc-aac74 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,inner ,,man ,,and ,,wonder-,,working ,the missionary journey1 undertaken under the encouragement of ,st4 ,clara and so poetically inaugurated by the sermon to the birds of ,bevagna1 appears to have been a continual triumph for ,francis4#a ,legend definitively takes possession of him2 whether he will or no1 miracles burst forth under his footsteps2 quite unawares to himself the objects of which he has made use produce marvellous effects2 folk come out from the villages in procession to meet him1 and the biographer gives us to hear the echo of those religious festivals of ,italy--merry1 popular1 noisy1 bathed in sunshine--which so little resemble the fastidiously arranged festivals of northern peoples4 ,from ,alviano ,francis doubtless went to ,narni1 one of the most charming little towns in ,umbria1 busy with building a cathedral after the conquest of their communal liberties4 ,he seems to have had a sort of predilection for this city as well as for its surrounding villages4#b ,from thence he seems to have plunged into the valley of ,rieti1 where ,greccio1 ,fonte-,colombo1 ,san ,fabiano1 ,sant-,eleuthero1 ,poggio-,buscone retain even stronger traces of him than the environs of ,assisi4 ,thomas of ,celano gives us no particulars of the route followed1 but1 on the other hand1 he goes at length into the success of the apostle in the ,march of ,ancona1 and especially at ,ascoli4 ,did the people of these districts still remember the appeals which ,francis and ,egidio had made to them six years before 7#abji71 or must we believe that they were peculiarly prepared to understand the new gospel8 ,however this may be1 nowhere else was a like enthusiasm shown2 the effect of the sermons was so great that some thirty neophytes at once received the habit of the ,order4 ,the ,march of ,ancona ought to be held to be the ,franciscan province par excellence4 ,there are ,offida1 ,san-,severino1 ,macerata1 ,fornaro1 ,cingoli1 ,fermo1 ,massa1 and twenty other hermitages where1 during more than a century1 poverty was to find its heralds and its martyrs2 from thence came ,giovanni della ,verna1 ,jacopo di ,massa1 ,conrad di ,offida1 ,angelo ,clareno1 and those legions of nameless revolutionists1 dreamers1 and prophets1 who since the extirpes in #abdd by the general of the ,order1 ,crescentius of ,jesi1 never ceased to make new recruits1 and by their proud resistance to all powers filled one of the finest pages of religious history in the ,middle ,ages4 ,this success1 which bathed the soul of ,francis with joy1 did not arouse in him the smallest movement of pride4 ,never has man had a greater power over hearts1 because never preacher preached himself less4 ,one day ,brother ,masseo desired to put his modesty to the test4 ,why thee8 ,why thee8 ,why thee8 he repeated again and again1 as if to make a mock of ,francis4 ,what are you saying8 cried ,francis at last4 ,i am saying that everybody follows thee1 everyone desires to see thee1 hear thee1 and obey thee1 and yet for all that thou art neither beautiful1 nor learned1 nor of noble family4 ,whence comes it1 then1 that it should be thee whom the world desires to follow8 ,on hearing these words the blessed ,francis1 full of joy1 raised his eyes to heaven1 and after remaining a long time absorbed in contemplation he knelt1 praising and blessing ,god with extraordinary fervor4 ,then turning toward ,masseo1 ,thou wishest to know why it is ,i whom men follow8 ,thou wishest to know8 ,it is because the eyes of the ,most ,high have willed it thus2 he continually watches the good and the wicked1 and as his most holy eyes have not found among sinners any smaller man1 nor any more insufficient and more sinful1 therefore he has chosen me to accomplish the marvellous work which ,god has undertaken2 he chose me because he could find no one more worthless1 and he wished here to confound the nobility and grandeur1 the strength1 the beauty1 and the learning of this world4 ,this reply throws a ray of light upon ,st4 ,francis's heart2 the message which he brought to the world is once again the glad tidings announced to the poor2 its purpose is the taking up again of that ,messianic work which the ,virgin of ,nazareth caught a glimpse of in her ,magnificat1 that song of love and liberty1 the sighs of which breathe the vision of a new social state4 ,he comes to remind the world that the welfare of man1 the peace of his heart1 the joy of his life1 are neither in money1 nor in learning1 nor in strength1 but in an upright and sincere will4 ,peace to men of good will4 ,the part which he had taken at ,assisi in the controversies of his fellow-citizens he would willingly have taken in all the rest of ,italy1 for no man has ever dreamed of a more complete renovation2 but if the end he sought was the same as that of many revolutionaries who came after him1 their methods were completely different2 his only weapon was love4 ,the event has decided against him4 ,apart from the illuminati of the ,march of ,ancona and the ,fraticelli of our own ,provence his disciples have vied with one another to misunderstand his thought4#c ,who knows if some one will not arise to take up his work8 ,has not the passion for worm-eaten speculations yet made victims enough8 ,are there not many among us who perceive that luxury is a delusion1 that if life is a battle1 it is not a slaughter-house where ferocious beasts wrangle over their prey1 but a wrestling with the divine1 under whatever form it may present itself--truth1 beauty1 or love8 ,who knows whether this expiring nineteenth century will not arise from its winding-sheet to make amende honorable and bequeath to its successor one manly word of faith8 ,yes1 the ,messiah will come4 ,he who was announced by ,gioacchino di ,fiore and who is to inaugurate a new epoch in the history of humanity will appear4 ,hope maketh not ashamed4 ,in our modern ,babylons and in the huts on our mountains are too many souls who mysteriously sigh the hymn of the great vigil1 ,rorate coeli desuper et nubes pluant ,justum1#d for us not to be on the eve of a divine birth4 ,all origins are mysterious4 ,this is true of matter1 but yet more true of that life1 superior to all others1 which we call holiness2 it was in prayer that ,francis found the spiritual strength which he needed2 he therefore sought for silence and solitude4 ,if he knew how to do battle in the midst of men in order to win them to the faith1 he loved1 as ,celano says1 to fly away like a bird going to make its nest upon the mountain4#e ,with men truly pious the prayer of the lips1 the formulated prayer1 is hardly other than an inferior form of true prayer4 ,even when it is sincere and attentive1 and not a mechanical repetition1 it is only a prelude for souls not dead of religious materialism4 ,nothing resembles piety so much as love4 ,formularies of prayer are as incapable of speaking the emotions of the soul as model love-letters of speaking the transports of an impassioned heart4 ,to true piety as well as to profound love1 the formula is a sort of profanation4 ,to pray is to talk with ,god1 to lift ourselves up to him1 to converse with him that he may come down to us4 ,it is an act of meditation1 of reflection1 which presupposes the effort of all that is most personal in us4 ,looked at in this sense1 prayer is the mother of all liberty and all freedom4 ,whether or no it be a soliloquy of the soul with itself1 the soliloquy would be none the less the very foundation of a strong individuality4 ,with ,st4 ,francis as with ,jesus1 prayer has this character of effort which makes of it the greatest moral act4 ,in order to truly know such men one must have been able to go with them1 to follow ,jesus up to the mountain where he passed his nights4 ,three favored ones1 ,peter1 ,james1 ,john1 followed him thither one day2 but to describe what they saw1 all that a manly sursum corda added to the radiance and the mysterious grandeur of him whom they adored1 they were obliged to resort to the language of symbols4 ,it was so with ,st4 ,francis4 ,for him as for his ,master the end of prayer is communion with the heavenly ,father1 the accord of the divine with the human2 or rather it is man who puts forth his strength to do the work of ,god1 not saying to him a mere passive1 resigned1 powerless ,fiat1 but courageously raising his head3 ,behold me1 ,lord1 ,i delight to do thy will4 ,there are unfathomable depths in the human soul1 because at the bottom is ,god himself4 ,whether this ,god be transcendent or immanent1 whether he be ,one1 the ,creator1 the eternal and immutable ,principle1 or whether he be1 as say the doctors beyond the ,rhine1 the ideal objectivation of our ,me1 is not the question for the heroes of humanity4 ,the soldier in the thick of battle does not philosophize as to how much truth or falsehood there is in the patriotic sentiment2 he takes his arms and fights at the peril of his life4 ,so the soldiers of spiritual conflicts seek for strength in prayer1 in reflection1 contemplation1 inspiration2 all1 poets1 artists1 teachers1 saints1 legislators1 prophets1 leaders of the people1 learned men1 philosophers1 all draw from this same source4 ,but it is not without difficulty that the soul unites itself to ,god1 or if one prefers1 that it finds itself4 ,a prayer ends at last in divine communion only when it began by a struggle4 ,the patriarch of ,israel1 asleep near ,bethel1 had already divined this3 the ,god who passes by tells his name only to those who stop him and do him violence to learn it4 ,he blesses only after long hours of conflict4 ,the gospel has found an untranslatable word to characterize the prayers of ,jesus1 it compares the conflict which preceded the voluntary immolation of ,christ to the death-struggle3 ,factus in agonia4#f ,we might say of his life that it had been a long temptation1 a struggle1 a prayer1 since these words only express different moments of spiritual activity4 ,like their ,master1 the disciples and successors of ,christ can conquer their own souls only through perseverance4 ,but these words1 empty of meaning for devout conventicles1 have had a tragic sense for men of religious genius4 ,nothing is more false1 historically1 than the saints that adorn our churches1 with their mincing attitude1 their piteous expression1 that indescribably anaemic and emaciated--one may almost say emasculated--air which shows in their whole nature2 they are pious seminarists brought up under the direction of ,st4 ,alphonso di ,liguori or of ,st4 ,louis di ,gonzagua2 they are not saints1 not the violent who take the kingdom of heaven by force4 ,we have come to one of the most delicate features of the life of ,francis--his relations with diabolical powers4 ,customs and ideas have so profoundly changed in all that concerns the existence of the devil and his relations with men1 that it is almost impossible to picture to oneself the enormous place which the thought of demons occupied at that time in the minds of men4 ,the best minds of the ,middle ,ages believed without a doubt in the existence of the perverse spirit1 in his perpetual transformations in the endeavor to tempt men and cause them to fall into his snares4 ,even in the sixteenth century1 ,luther1 who undermined so many beliefs1 had no more doubt of the personal existence of ,satan than of sorcery1 conjurations1 or possessions4#g ,finding in their souls a wide background of grandeur and wretchedness1 whence they sometimes heard a burst of distant harmonies calling them to a higher life1 soon to be overpowered by the clamors of the brute1 our ancestors could not refrain from seeking the explanation of this duel4 ,they found it in the conflict of the demons with ,god4 ,the devil is the prince of the demons1 as ,god is the prince of the angels2 capable of all transformations1 they carry on to the end of time terrible battles which will end in the victory of ,god1 but meantime each man his whole life long is contended for by these two adversaries1 and the noblest souls are naturally the most disputed4 ,this is how ,st4 ,francis1 with all men of his time1 explained the disquietudes1 terrors1 anguish1 with which his heart was at times assailed1 as well as the hopes1 consolations1 joys in which in general his soul was bathed4 ,wherever we follow his steps local tradition has preserved the memory of rude assaults of the tempter which he had to undergo4 ,it is no doubt useless to recall here the elementary fact that if manners change with the times1 man himself is quite as strangely modified4 ,if1 according to education1 and the manner of life1 such or such a sense may develop an acuteness which confounds common experience--hearing in the musician1 touch with the blind1 etc4--we may estimate by this how much sharper certain senses may have been then than now4 ,several centuries ago visual delusion was with adults what it is now with children in remotest country parts4 ,a quivering leaf1 a nothing1 a breath1 an unexplained sound creates an image which they see and in the reality of which they believe absolutely4 ,man is all of a piece2 the hyperaesthesia of the will presupposes that of the sensibility1 one is conditioned on the other1 and it is this which makes men of revolutionary epochs so much greater than nature4 ,it would be absurd under pretext of truth to try to bring them back to the common measures of our contemporary society1 for they were veritably demigods for good as for evil4 ,legends are not always absurd4 ,the men of '#ic are still near to us1 but it is nevertheless with good right that legend has taken possession of them1 and it is pitiable to see these men who1 ten times a day1 had to take resolutions where everything was at stake--their destiny1 that of their ideas1 and sometimes that of their country--judged as if they had been mere worthy citizens1 with leisure to discuss at length every morning the garments they were to wear or the menu of a dinner4 ,most of the time historians have perceived only a part of the truth about them2 for not only were there two men in them1 almost all of them are at the same time poets1 demagogues1 prophets1 heroes1 martyrs4 ,to write history1 then1 is to translate and transpose almost continually4 ,the men of the thirteenth century could not bring themselves to not refer to an exterior cause the inner motions of their souls4 ,in what appears to us as the result of our own reflections they saw inspiration2 where we say desires1 instincts1 passions1 they said temptation1 but we must not permit these differences of language to make us overlook or tax with trickery a part of their spiritual life1 bringing us thus to the conclusions of a narrow and ignorant rationalism4 ,st4 ,francis believed himself to have many a time fought with the devil2 the horrible demons of the ,etruscan ,inferno still haunted the forests of ,umbria and ,tuscany2 but while for his contemporaries and some of his disciples apparitions1 prodigies1 possessions1 are daily phenomena1 for him they are exceptional1 and remain entirely in the background4 ,in the iconography of ,st4 ,benedict1 as in that of most of the popular saints1 the devil occupies a preponderant place2 in that of ,st4 ,francis he disappears so completely that in the long series of ,giotto's frescos at ,assisi he is not seen a single time4#h ,in the same way all that is magic and miracle-working occupies in his life an entirely secondary rank4 ,jesus in the ,gospels gave his apostles power to cast out evil spirits1 and to heal all sickness and all infirmity4#i ,francis surely took literally these words1 which made a part of his ,rule4 ,he believed that he could work miracles1 and he willed to do so2 but his religious thought was too pure to permit him to consider miracles otherwise than as an entirely exceptional means of relieving the sufferings of men4 ,not once do we see him resorting to miracle to prove his apostolate or to bolster up his ideas4 ,his tact taught him that souls are worthy of being won by better means4 ,this almost complete absence of the marvellous#aj is by so much the more remarkable that it is in absolute contradiction with the tendencies of his time4#aa ,open the life of his disciple1 ,st4 ,anthony of ,padua 7,cross #abca72 it is a tiresome catalogue of prodigies1 healings1 resurrections4 ,one would say it was rather the prospectus of some druggist who had invented a new drug than a call to men to conversion and a higher life4 ,it may interest invalids or devotees1 but neither the heart nor the conscience is touched by it4 ,it must be said in justice to ,anthony of ,padua that his relations with ,francis appear to have been very slight4 ,among the earliest disciples who had time to fathom their master's thought to the very depths we find traces of this noble disdain of the marvellous2 they knew too well that the perfect joy is not to astound the world with prodigies1 to give sight to the blind1 nor even to revive those who have been four days dead1 but that it lives in the love that goes even to self-immolation4 ,mihi absit gloriari nisi in cruce ,domini4#ab ,thus ,brother ,egidio asked of ,god grace not to perform miracles2 he saw in them1 as in the passion for learning1 a snare in which the proud would be taken1 and which would distract the ,order from its true mission4#ac ,st4 ,francis's miracles are all acts of love2 the greater number of them are found in the healing of nervous maladies1 those apparently inexplicable disquietudes which are the cruel afflictions of critical times4 ,his gentle glance1 at once so compassionate and so strong1 which seemed like a messenger from his heart1 often sufficed to make those who met it forget all their suffering4 ,the evil eye is perhaps a less stupid superstition than is generally fancied4 ,jesus was right in saying that a look sufficed to make one an adulterer2 but there is also a look--that of the contemplative ,mary1 for example--which is worth all sacrifices1 because it includes them all1 because it gives1 consecrates1 immolates him who looks4 ,civilization dulls this power of the glance4 ,a part of the education the world gives us consists in teaching our eyes to deceive1 in making them expressionless1 in extinguishing their flames2 but simple and straightforward natures never give up using this language of the heart1 which brings life and health in its beams4 ,a ,brother was suffering unspeakable tortures2 sometimes he would roll upon the ground1 striking against whatever lay in his way1 frothing at the mouth1 horrible to see2 at times he would become rigid1 and again1 after remaining stark outstretched for a moment1 would roll about in horrible contortions2 sometimes lying in a heap on the ground1 his feet touching his head1 he would bound upward as high as a man's head4 ,francis came to see him and healed him4#ad ,but these are exceptions1 and the greater part of the time the ,saint withdrew himself from the entreaties of his companions when they asked miracles at his hands4 ,to sum up1 if we take a survey of the whole field of ,francis's piety1 we see that it proceeds from the secret union of his soul with the divine by prayer2 this intuitive power of seeing the ideal classes him with the mystics4 ,he knew1 indeed1 both the ecstasy and the liberty of mysticism1 but we must not forget those features of character which separate him from it1 particularly his apostolic fervor4 ,besides this his piety had certain peculiar qualities which it is necessary to point out4 ,and first1 liberty with respect of observances3 ,francis felt all the emptiness and pride of most religious observance4 ,he saw the snare that lies hidden there1 for the man who carefully observes all the minutiae of a religious code risks forgetting the supreme law of love4 ,more than this1 the friar who lays upon himself a certain number of supererogatory facts gains the admiration of the ignorant1 but the pleasure which he finds in this admiration actually transforms his pious act into sin4 ,thus1 strangely enough1 contrary to other founders of orders1 he was continually easing the strictness of the various rules which he laid down4#ae ,we may not take this to be a mere accident1 for it was only after a struggle with his disciples that he made his will prevail2 and it was precisely those who were most disposed to relax their vow of poverty who were the most anxious to display certain bigoted observances before the public eye4 ,the sinner can fast1 ,francis would say at such times2 he can pray1 weep1 macerate himself1 but one thing he cannot do1 he cannot be faithful to ,god4 ,noble words1 not unworthy to fall from the lips of him who came to preach a worship in spirit and in truth1 without temple or priest2 or rather that every fireside shall be a temple and every believer a priest4 ,religious formalism1 in whatever form of worship1 always takes on a forced and morose manner4 ,pharisees of every age disfigure their faces that no one may be unaware of their godliness4 ,francis not merely could not endure these grimaces of false piety1 he actually counted mirth and joy in the number of religious duties4 ,how shall one be melancholy who has in the heart an inexhaustible treasure of life and truth which only increases as one draws upon it8 ,how be sad when in spite of falls one never ceases to make progress8 ,the pious soul which grows and develops has a joy like that of the child1 happy in feeling its weak little limbs growing strong and permitting it every day a further exertion4 ,the word joy is perhaps that which comes most often to the pen of the ,franciscan authors2#af the master went so far as to make it one of the precepts of the ,rule4#ag ,he was too good a general not to know that a joyous army is always a victorious army4 ,in the history of the early ,franciscan missions there are bursts of laughter which ring out high and clear4#ah ,for that matter1 we are apt to imagine the ,middle ,ages as much more melancholy than they really were4 ,men suffered much in those days1 but the idea of grief being never separated from that of penalty1 suffering was either an expiation or a test1 and sorrow thus regarded loses its sting2 light and hope shine through it4 ,francis drew a part of his joy from the communion4 ,he gave to the sacrament of the eucharist that worship imbued with unutterable emotion1 with joyful tears1 which has aided some of the noblest of human souls to endure the burden and heat of the day4#ai ,the letter of the dogma was not fixed in the thirteenth century as it is to-day1 but all that is beautiful1 true1 potent1 eternal in the mystical feast instituted by ,jesus was then alive in every heart4 ,the eucharist was truly the viaticum of the soul4 ,like the pilgrims of ,emmaus long ago1 in the hour when the shades of evening fall and a vague sadness invades the soul1 when the phantoms of the night awake and seem to loom up behind all our thoughts1 our fathers saw the divine and mysterious ,companion coming toward them2 they drank in his words1 they felt his strength descending upon their hearts1 all their inward being warmed again1 and again they whispered1 ,abide with us1 ,lord1 for the day is far spent and the night approacheth4 ,and often their prayer was heard4 ,,footnotes3 #a #a ,cel41 #fb4 #b #a ,cel41 #ff2 cf4 ,bon41 #ahj2 #a ,cel41 #fg2 cf4 ,bon41 #ahb2 #a ,cel41 #fi2 ,bon41 #ahc4 ,after ,st4 ,francis's death the ,narniates were the first to come to pray at his tomb4 #a ,cel41 #abh1 #ace1 #acf1 #ach1 #ada2 ,bon41 #bge4 #c ,as concerning3 #a1 fidelity to ,poverty2 #b1 prohibition of modifying the ,rule2 #c1 the equal authority of the ,will and the ,rule2 #d1 the request for privileges at the court of ,rome2 #e1 the elevation of the friars to high ecclesiastical charges2 #f1 the absolute prohibition of putting themselves in opposition to the secular clergy2 #g1 the interdiction of great churches and rich convents4 ,on all these points and many others infidelity to ,francis's will was complete in the ,order less than twenty-five years after his death4 ,we might expatiate on all this2 the ,holy ,see in interpreting the ,rule had canonical right on its side1 but ,ubertino di ,casali in saying that it was perfectly clear and had no need of interpretation had good sense on his side2 let that suffice6 ,et est stupor quare queritur expositio super litteram sic apertam quia nulla est difficultas in regulae intelligentia4 ,arbor vitae crucifixae1 ,venice1 #adhe4 lib4 v41 cap4 #c4 ,sanctus vir ,egidius tanto ejulatu clamabat super regulae destructionem quam videbat quod ignorantibus viam spiritus quasi videbatur insanus4 ,id4 ibid4 #d ,heavens drop down your dew1 and let the clouds rain down the ,just ,one4 ,anthem for ,advent4 #e ,in foramibus petrae nidificabat4 #a ,cel41 #ga4 ,upon the prayers of ,francis vide ibid41 #ga and #gb2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ch-dc2 ,ben41 #aci-adh4 ,cf4 #a ,cel41 #f2 #ia2 #ajc2 #c ,soc41 #h2 #ab2 etc4 #f ,luke1 xxii4 #dd4 #g ,felix ,kuhn3 ,luther1 sa vie et son oeuvre1 ,paris1 #ahhc1 #c vols41 #hvo4 t4 i41 p4 #abh2 t4 ii41 p4 #i2 t4 iii41 p4 #beg4 ,benvenuto ,cellini does not hesitate to describe a visit which he made one day to the ,coliseum in company with a magician whose words evoked clouds of devils who filled the whole place4 ,b4 ,cellini1 ,la vita scritta da lui medesimo1 ,bianchi's edition1 ,florence1 #ahij1 #abmo1 p4 #cc4 #h ,on the devil and ,francis vide #a ,cel41 #fh1 #gb2 #c ,soc41 #ab2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #f2 #c1 #aj2 #ec2 #eh-fe2 ,bon41 #ei-fb4 ,cf4 ,eccl41 #c2 #e2 #ac2 ,fior41 #bi2 ,spec41 #aaj;b4 ,to form an idea of the part taken by the devil in the life of a monk at the beginning of the thirteenth century1 one must read the ,dialogus miraculorium of ,caesar von ,heisterbach4 #i ,matthew1 x4 #a4 #aj ,miracles occupy only ten paragraphs 7#fa-gj7 in #a ,cel41 and of this number there are several which can hardly be counted as ,francis's miracles1 since they were performed by objects which had belonged to him4 #aa ,heretics often took advantage of this thirst for the marvellous to dupe the catholics4 ,the ,cathari of ,moncoul made a portrait of the ,virgin representing her as one eyed and toothless1 saying that in his humility ,christ had chosen a very ugly woman for mother4 ,they had no difficulty in healing several cases of disease by its means2 the image became famous1 was venerated almost everywhere1 and accomplished many miracles until the day when the heretics divulged the deception1 to the great scandal of the faithful4 ,egbert von ,schoenau1 ,contra ,catharos4 ,serm4 ,i4 cap4 #b4 7,patrol4 lat4 ,migne t4 #aie47 ,cf4 ,heisterbach1 loc4 cit41 v4 #ah4 ,luc de ,tuy1 ,de altera ,vita1 lib4 ii4 #i2 iii4 #i1 #ah 7,patrol4 ,migne41 #bjh74 #ab ,but ,god forbid that ,i should glory save in the cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,gal4 vi4 #ad4 ,this is to this day the motto of the ,brothers ,minor4 #ac ,spec41 #ahb;a2 #bjj;a2 #bcb;a4 ,cf4 #aii;a4 #ad #a ,cel41 #fg4 #ae ,secundum primam regulam fratres feria quarta et sexta et per licentiam beati ,francisci feria secunda et sabbato jejunabant4 ,giord4 #aa4 cf4 ,reg4 #abba1 cap4 #c and ,reg4 #abbc1 cap4 #c1 where ,friday is the only fast day retained4 #af #a ,cel41 #aj2 #bb2 #bg2 #ca2 #db2 #hj2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #a2 #c1 #fe-fh2 ,eccl41 #e2 #f2 ,giord41 #ba2 ,spec41 #aai;a2 ,conform41 #adc;a1 #b4 #ag ,caveant fratres quod non ostendant se tristes extrinsecus nubilosos et hypocritas2 sed ostendant se gaudentis in ,domine1 hilares et convenientes gratiosos4 #ah ,eccl41 loc4 cit42 ,giord41 loc4 cit4 #ai ,vide ,test42 #a ,cel41 #df2 #fb2 #ge2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abi2 ,spec41 #dd;a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,the ,,chapter-,,general ,,of #abaga ,after ,whitsunday of #abag chronological notes of ,francis's life are numerous enough to make error almost impossible4 ,unhappily1 this is not the case for the eighteen months which precede it 7autumn of #abae-,whitsunday1 #abag74 ,for this period we are reduced to conjecture1 or little better4 ,as ,francis at that time undertook no foreign mission1 he doubtless employed his time in evangelizing ,central ,italy and in consolidating the foundations of his institution4 ,his presence at ,rome during the ,lateran ,council 7,november #aa-cj1 #abae7 is possible1 but it has left no trace in the earliest biographies4 ,the ,council certainly took the new ,order into consideration1#b but it was to renew the invitation made to it five years before by the supreme pontiff1 to choose one of the ,rules already approved by the ,church4#c ,st4 ,dominic1 who was then at ,rome to beg for the confirmation of his institute1 received the same counsel and immediately conformed to it4 ,the ,holy ,see would willingly have conceded special constitutions to the ,brothers ,minor1 if they had adopted for a base the ,rule of ,st4 ,benedict2 thus the ,clarisses1 except those of ,st4 ,damian1 while preserving their name and a certain number of their customs1 were obliged to profess the ,benedictine rule4 ,in spite of all solicitations1 ,francis insisted upon retaining his own ,rule4 ,one is led to believe that it was to confer upon these questions that we find him at ,perugia in ,july1 #abaf1 when ,innocent ,,iii4 died4#d ,however this may be1 about this epoch the chapters took on a great importance4 ,the ,church1 which had looked on at the foundation of the ,order with somewhat mixed feelings1 could no longer rest content with being the mere spectator of so profound a movement2 it saw the need of utilizing it4 ,ugolini was marvellously well prepared for such a task4 ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo1 ,bishop of the ,sabine1 charged by ,innocent ,,iii4 to look after the ,brothers1 died in #abaf1 and ,ugolini was not slow to offer his protection to ,francis1 who accepted it with gratitude4 ,this extraordinary offer is recounted at length by the ,three ,companions4#e ,it must certainly be fixed in the summer of #abaff immediately after the death of ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo4 ,it is very possible that the first chapter held in the presence of this cardinal took place on ,may #bi1 #abaf4 ,by an error very common in history1 most of the ,franciscan writers have referred to a single date all the scattered incidents concerning the first solemn assizes of the ,order1 and have called this typical assembly the ,chapter of the ,mats4 ,in reality for long years all the gatherings of the ,brothers ,minor deserved this name4#g ,coming together at the season of the greatest heat1 they slept in the open air or sheltered themselves under booths of reeds4 ,we need not pity them4 ,there is nothing like the glorious transparency of the summer night in ,umbria2 sometimes in ,provence one may enjoy a foretaste of it1 but if at ,baux1 upon the rock of ,doms1 or at ,st4 ,baume1 the sight is equally solemn and grandiose1 it still wants the caressing sweetness1 the effluence of life which in ,umbria give the night a bewitching charm4 ,the inhabitants of the neighboring towns and villages flocked to these meetings in crowds1 at once to see the ceremonies1 to be present when their relatives or friends assumed the habit1 to listen to the appeals of the ,saint and to furnish to the friars the provisions of which they might have need4 ,all this is not without some analogy with the camp-meeting so dear to ,americans4 ,as to the figures of several thousands of attendants given in the legends1 and furnishing even to a ,franciscan1 ,father ,papini1 the occasion for pleasantries of doubtful taste1 it is perhaps not so surprising as might be supposed4#h ,these first meetings1 to which all the ,brothers eagerly hastened1 held in the open air in the presence of crowds come together from distant places1 have then nothing in common with the subsequent chapters-general1 which were veritable conclaves attended by a small number of delegates1 and the majority of the work of which1 done in secret1 was concerned only with the affairs of the ,order4 ,during ,francis's lifetime the purpose of these assemblies was essentially religious4 ,men attended them not to talk business1 or proceed to the nomination of the minister-general1 but in mutual communion to gain new strength from the joys1 the example1 and the sufferings of the other brethren4#i ,the four years which followed the ,whitsunday of #abaf form a stage in the evolution of the ,umbrian movement2 that during which ,francis was battling for autonomy4 ,we find here pretty delicate shades of distinction1 which have been misunderstood by ,church writers as much as by their adversaries1 for if ,francis was particular not to put himself in the attitude of revolt1 he would not compromise his independence1 and he felt with an exquisite divination that all the privileges which the court of ,rome could heap upon him were worth nothing in comparison with liberty4 ,alas1 he was soon forced to resign himself to these gilded bonds1 against which he never ceased to protest1 even to his last sigh2#aj but to shut one's eyes to the moral violence which the papacy did him in this matter is to condemn oneself to an entire misapprehension of his work4 ,a glance over the collection of bulls addressed to the ,franciscans suffices to show with what ardor he struggled against favors so eagerly sought by the monastic orders4#aa ,a great number of legendary anecdotes put ,francis's disdain of privileges in the clearest light4 ,even his dearest friends did not always understand his scruples4 ,do you not see1 they said to him one day1 that often the bishops do not permit us to preach1 and make us remain several days without doing anything before we are permitted to proclaim the word of ,god8 ,it would be better worth while to obtain for this end a privilege from the pope1 and it would be for the good of souls4 ,i would first convert the prelates by humility and respect1 he replied quickly2 for when they have seen us humble and respectful toward them1 they themselves will beg us to preach and convert the people4 ,as for me1 ,i ask of ,god no privilege unless it be that ,i may have none1 to be full of respect for all men1 and to convert them1 as our ,rule ordains1 more by our example than by our speech4#ab ,the question whether ,francis was right or wrong in his antipathy to the privileges of the curia does not come within the domain of history2 it is evident that this attitude could not long continue2 the ,church knows only the faithful and rebels4 ,but the noblest hearts often make a stand at compromises of this kind2 they desire that the future should grow out of the past without convulsion and without a crisis4 ,the chapter of #abag was notable for the definitive organization of the ,franciscan missions4 ,italy and the other countries were divided off into a certain number of provinces1 having each its provincial minister4 ,immediately upon his accession ,honorius ,,iii4 had sought to revive the popular zeal for the crusades4 ,he had not stopped at preaching it1 but appealed to prophecies which had proclaimed that under his pontificate the ,holy ,land would be reconquered4#ac ,the renewal of fervor which ensued1 and of which the rebound was felt as far as ,germany1 had a profound influence on the ,brothers ,minor4 ,this time ,francis1 perhaps from humility1 did not put himself at the head of the friars charged with a mission to ,syria2 for leader he gave them the famous ,elias1 formerly at ,florence1 where he had had opportunity to show his high qualities4#ad ,this ,brother1 who from this time appears in the foreground of this history1 came from the most humble ranks of society2 the date and the circumstances of his entrance into the ,order are unknown1 and hence conjecture has come to see in him that friend of the grotto who had been ,francis's confidant shortly before his decisive conversion4 ,however this may be1 in his youth he had earned his living in ,assisi1 making mattresses and teaching a few children to read2 then he had spent some time in ,bologna as scriptor2 then suddenly we find him among the ,brothers ,minor1 charged with the most difficult missions4 ,his adversaries vie with one another in asserting that he was the finest mind of his century1 but unhappily it is very difficult1 in the existing state of the documents1 to pronounce as to his actions2 learned and energetic1 eager to play the leading part in the work of the reformation of religion1 and having made his plan beforehand as to the proper mode of realizing it1 he made straight for his goal1 half political1 half religious4 ,full of admiration for ,francis and gratitude toward him1 he desired to regulate and consolidate the movement for renovation4 ,in the inner ,franciscan circle1 where ,leo1 ,ginepro1 ,egidio1 and many others represent the spirit of liberty1 the religion of the humble and the simple1 ,elias represents the scientific and ecclesiastical spirit1 prudence and reason4 ,he had great success in ,syria and received into the ,order one of the disciples most dear to ,francis1 ,caesar of ,speyer1 who later on was to make the conquest of all ,southern ,germany in less than two years 7#abba-abbc71 and who in the end sealed with his blood his fidelity to the strict observance1 which he defended against the attacks of ,brother ,elias himself4#ae ,caesar of ,speyer offers a brilliant example of those suffering souls athirst for the ideal1 so numerous in the thirteenth century1 who everywhere went up and down1 seeking first in learning1 then in the religious life1 that which should assuage the mysterious thirst which tortured them4 ,disciple of the scholastic ,conrad1 he had felt himself overpowered with the desire to reform the ,church2 while still a layman he had preached his ideas1 not without some success1 since a certain number of ladies of ,speyer had begun to lead a new life2 but their husbands disapproving1 he was obliged to escape their vengeance by taking refuge at ,paris1 and thence he went to the ,east1 where in the preaching of the ,brothers ,minor he found again his hopes and his dreams4 ,this instance shows how general was the waiting condition of souls when the ,franciscan gospel blazed forth1 and how its way had been everywhere prepared4 ,but it is time to return to the chapter of #abag3 the friars who went to ,germany under conduct of ,giovanni di ,penna were far from having the success of ,elias and his companions2 they were completely ignorant of the language of the country which they had undertaken to evangelize4 ,perhaps ,francis had not taken into account the fact that though ,italian might1 in case of need1 suffice in all the countries bathed by the ,mediterranean1 this could not be the case in ,central ,europe4#af ,the lot of the party going to ,hungary was not more happy4 ,very often it came to pass that the missionaries were fain to give up their very garments in the effort to appease the peasants and shepherds who maltreated them4 ,but no less incapable of understanding what was said to them than of making themselves understood1 they were soon obliged to think of returning to ,italy4 ,we may thank the ,franciscan authors for preserving for us the memory of these checks1 and not attempting to picture the friars as suddenly knowing all languages by a divine inspiration1 as later on was so often related4#ag ,those who had been sent to ,spain had also to undergo persecutions4 ,this country1 like the south of ,france1 was ravaged by heresy2 but already at that time it was vigorously repressed4 ,the ,franciscans1 suspected of being false ,catholics and therefore eagerly hunted out1 found a refuge with ,queen ,urraca of ,portugal1 who permitted them to establish themselves at ,coimbra1 ,guimarraens1 ,alenquero1 and ,lisbon4#ah ,francis himself made preparations for going to ,france4#ai ,this country had a peculiar charm for him because of his fervent love of the ,holy ,sacrament4 ,perhaps also he was unwittingly drawn toward this country to which he owed his name1 the chivalrous dreams of his youth1 all of poetry1 song1 music1 delicious dream that had come into his life4 ,something of the emotion that thrilled through him on undertaking this new mission has passed into the story of his biographers2 one feels there the thrill at once sweet and agonizing1 the heart-throb of the brave knight who goes forth all harnessed in the early dawn to scan the horizon1 dreading the unknown and yet overflowing with joy1 for he knows that the day will be consecrated to love and to the right4 ,the ,italian poet has given the one name of pilgrimages of love to the farings forth of chivalry and the journeys undertaken by dreamers1 artists1 or saints to those parts of the earth which forever mirror themselves before their imagination and remain their chosen fatherland4#bj ,such a pilgrimage as this was ,francis undertaking4 ,set forth1 said he to the ,brothers who accompanied him1 and walk two and two1 humble and gentle1 keeping silence until after tierce1 praying to ,god in your hearts1 carefully avoiding every vain or useless word4 ,meditate as much while on this journey as if you were shut up in a hermitage or in your cell1 for wherever we are1 wherever we go1 we carry our cell with us2 ,brother body is our cell1 and the soul is the hermit who dwells in it1 there to pray to the ,lord and to meditate4 ,arrived at ,florence he found there ,cardinal ,ugolini1 sent by the pope as legate to ,tuscany to preach the crusade and take all needful measures for assuring its success4#ba ,francis was surely far from expecting the reception which the prelate gave him4 ,instead of encouraging him1 the cardinal urged him to give up his project4 ,i am not willing1 my brother1 that you should cross the mountains2 there are many prelates who ask nothing better than to stir up difficulties for you with the court of ,rome4 ,but ,i and the other cardinals who love your ,order desire to protect and aid you1 on the condition1 however1 that you do not quit this province4 ,but1 monsignor1 it would be a great disgrace for me to send my brethren far away while ,i remained idly here1 sharing none of the tribulations which they must undergo4 ,wherefore1 then1 have you sent your brethren so far away1 exposing them thus to starvation and all sorts of perils8 ,do you think1 replied ,francis warmly1 and as if moved by prophetic inspiration1 that ,god raised up the ,brothers for the sake of this country alone8 ,verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,god has raised them up for the awakening and the salvation of all men1 and they shall win souls not only in the countries of those who believe1 but also in the very midst of the infidels4#bb ,the surprise and admiration which these words awoke in ,ugolini were not enough to make him change his mind4 ,he insisted so strongly that ,francis turned back to ,portiuncula1 the inspiration of his work not even shaken4 ,who knows whether the joy which he would have felt in seeing ,france did not confirm him in the idea that he ought to renounce this plan8 ,souls athirst with the longing for sacrifice often have scruples such as these2 they refuse the most lawful joys that they may offer them to ,god4 ,we cannot tell whether it was immediately after this interview or not till the following year that ,francis put ,brother ,pacifico at the head of the missionaries sent into ,france4#bc ,pacifico1 who was a poet of talent1 had before his conversion been surnamed ,prince of ,poesy and crowned at the capital by the emperor4 ,one day while visiting a relative who was a nun at ,san ,severino in the ,march of ,ancona1 ,francis also arrived at the monastery1 and preached with such a holy impetuosity that the poet felt himself pierced with the sword of which the ,bible speaks1 which penetrates between the very joints and marrow1 and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart4#bd ,on the morrow he assumed the habit and received his symbolical surname4#be ,he was accompanied to ,france by ,brother ,agnello di ,pisa1 who was destined to be put at the head of the first mission to ,england in #abbd4bf ,francis1 on sending them forth1 was far from dreaming that from this country1 which exerted such a fascination over him1 was to come forth the influence which was to compromise his dream--that ,paris would be the destruction of ,assisi2 and yet the time was not very far distant2 a few years more and the ,poverello would see a part of his spiritual family forgetting the humility of their name1 their origin1 and their aspirations1 to run after the ephemeral laurels of learning4 ,we have already seen that the habit of the ,franciscans of this time was to make their abode within easy reach of great cities2 ,pacifico and his companions established themselves at ,st4 ,denis4#bg ,we have no particulars of their work2 it was singularly fruitful1 since it permitted them a few years later to attack ,england with full success4 ,francis passed the following year 7#abah7 in evangelizing tours in ,italy4 ,it is naturally impossible to follow him in these travels1 the itinerary of which was fixed by his daily inspirations1 or by indications as fanciful as the one which had formerly determined his going to ,sienna4 ,bologna1#bh the ,verna1 the valley of ,rieti1 the ,sacro-,speco of ,st4 ,benedict at ,subiaco1#bi ,gaeta2#cj ,san ,michele on ,mount ,gargano#ca perhaps received him at this time1 but the notes of his presence in these places are too sparse and vague to permit their being included in any scheme of history4 ,it is very possible that he also paid a visit to ,rome during this time2 his communications with ,ugolini were much more frequent than is generally supposed4 ,we must not permit the stories of biographers to deceive us in this matter2 it is a natural tendency to refer all that we know of a man to three or four especially striking dates4 ,we forget entire years of the life of those whom we have known the best and loved the most and group our memories of them around a few salient events which shine all the more brilliantly the deeper we make the surrounding obscurity4 ,the words of ,jesus spoken on a hundred different occasions came at last to be formed into a single discourse1 the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,it is in such cases that criticism needs to be delicate1 to mingle a little divination with the heavy artillery of scientific argument4 ,the texts are sacred1 but we must not make fetiches of them2 notwithstanding ,st4 ,matthew1 no one to-day dreams of representing ,jesus as uttering the ,sermon on the ,mount all at one time4 ,in the same way1 in the narratives concerning the relations between ,st4 ,francis and ,ugolini1 we find ourselves every moment shut up in no-thoroughfares1 coming up against contradictory indications1 just so long as we try to refer everything to two or three meetings1 as we are at first led to do4 ,with a simple act of analysis these difficulties disappear and we find each of the different narratives bringing us fragments which1 being pieced together1 furnish an organic story1 living1 psychologically true4 ,from the moment at which we have now arrived1 we must make a much larger place for ,ugolini than in the past2 the struggle has definitively opened between the ,franciscan ideal--chimerical1 perhaps1 but sublime--and the ecclesiastical policy1 to go on until the day when1 half in humility1 half in discouragement1 ,francis1 heartsick1 abdicates the direction of his spiritual family4 ,ugolini returned to ,rome at the end of #abag4 ,during the following winter his countersign is found at the bottom of the most important bulls2#cb he devoted this time to the special study of the question of the new orders1 and summoned ,francis before him4 ,we have seen with what frankness he had declared to him at ,florence that many of the prelates would do anything to discredit him with the pope4#cc ,it is evident the success of the ,order1 its methods1 which in spite of all protestations to the contrary seemed to savor of heresy1 the independence of ,francis1 who had scattered his friars in all the four corners of the globe without trying to gain a confirmation of the verbal and entirely provisional authorization accorded him by ,innocent ,,iii4--all these things were calculated to startle the clergy4 ,ugolini1 who better than any one else knew ,umbria1 ,tuscany1 ,emilia1 the ,march of ,ancona1 all those regions where the ,franciscan preaching had been most successful1 was able by himself to judge of the power of the new movement and the imperious necessity of directing it2 he felt that the best way to allay the prejudices which the pope and the sacred college might have against ,francis was to present him before the curia4 ,francis was at first much abashed at the thought of preaching before the ,vicar of ,jesus ,christ1 but upon the entreaties of his protector he consented1 and for greater security he learned by heart what he had to say4 ,ugolini himself was not entirely at ease as to the result of this step2 ,thomas of ,celano pictures him as devoured with anxiety2 he was troubled about ,francis1 whose artless eloquence ran many a risk in the halls of the ,lateran ,palace2 he was also not without some more personal anxieties1 for the failure of his protege might be most damaging to himself4 ,he was in all the greater anxiety when1 on arriving at the feet of the pontiff1 ,francis forgot all he had intended to say2 but he frankly avowed it1 and seeking a new discourse from the inspiration of the moment1 spoke with so much warmth and simplicity that the assembly was won4#cd ,the biographers are mute as to the practical result of this audience4 ,we are not to be surprised at this1 for they write with the sole purpose of edification4 ,they wrote after the apotheosis of their master1 and would with very bad grace have dwelt upon the difficulties which he met during the early years4#ce ,the ,holy ,see must have been greatly perplexed by this strange man1 whose faith and humility were evident1 but whom it was impossible to teach ecclesiastical obedience4 ,st4 ,dominic happened to be in ,rome at the same time1#cf and was overwhelmed with favors by the pope4 ,it is a matter of history that ,innocent ,,iii4 having asked him to choose one of the ,rules already approved by the ,church1 he had returned to his friars at ,notre ,dame de ,prouille1 and after conferring with them had adopted that of ,st4 ,augustine2 ,honorius therefore was not sparing of privileges for him4 ,it is hardly possible that ,ugolini did not try to use the influence of his example with ,st4 ,francis4 ,the curia saw clearly that ,dominic1 whose ,order barely comprised a few dozen members1 was not one of the moral powers of the time1 but its sentiments toward him were by no means so mixed as those it experienced with regard to ,francis4 ,to unite the two ,orders1 to throw over the shoulders of the ,dominicans the brown cassock of the ,poor ,men of ,assisi1 and thus make a little of the popularity of the ,brothers ,minor to be reflected upon them1 to leave to the latter their name1 their habit1 and even a semblance of their ,rule1 only completing it with that of ,st4 ,augustine1 such a project would have been singularly pleasing to ,ugolini1 and with ,francis's humility would seem to have some chance of success4 ,one day ,dominic by dint of pious insistance induced ,francis to give him his cord1 and immediately girded himself with it4 ,brother1 said he1 ,i earnestly long that your ,order and mine might unite to form one sole and same institute#cg in the ,church4 ,but the ,brother ,minor wished to remain as he was1 and declined the proposition4 ,so truly was he inspired with the needs of his time and of the ,church that less than three years after this ,dominic was drawn by an irresistible influence to transform his ,order of ,canons of ,st4 ,augustine into an order of mendicant monks1 whose constitutions were outlined upon those of the ,franciscans4#ch ,a few years later the ,dominicans took1 so to speak1 their revenge1 and obliged the ,brothers ,minor to give learning a large place in their work4 ,thus1 while hardly come to youth's estate1 the two religious families rivalled one another1 impressed1 influenced one another1 yet never so much so as to lose all traces of their origin--summed up for the one in poverty and lay preaching1 for the other in learning and the preaching of the clergy4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the commencement of the great missions and the institution of provincial ministers is usually fixed either at #abag or #abai1 but both these dates present great difficulties4 ,i confess that ,i do not understand the vehemence with which partisans of either side defend their opinions4 ,the most important text is a passage in the #c ,soc41 #fb3 ,expletis itaque undecim annis ab inceptione religionis1 et multiplicatis numero et merito fratribus1 electi fuerant ministri1 et missi cum aliquot fratribus quasi per universas mundi provincias in quibus fides catholica colitur et servatur4 ,what does this expression1 inceptio religionis1 mean8 ,at a first reading one unhesitatingly takes it to refer to the foundation of the ,order1 which occurred in ,april1 #abji1 by the reception of the first ,brothers2 but on adding eleven full years to this date we reach the summer of #abbj4 ,this is manifestly too late1 for the #c ,soc4 say that the brethren who went out were persecuted in most of the countries beyond the mountains1 as being accredited by no pontifical letter2 but the bull ,cum dilecti1 bears the date of ,june #aa1 #abai4 ,we are thus led to think that the eleven years are not to be counted from the reception of the first ,brothers1 but from ,francis's conversion1 which the authors might well speak of as inceptio religionis1 and #abjf #aa #abag4 ,the use of this expression to designate conversion is not entirely without example4 ,glassberger says 7,an4 fr41 p4 #i73 ,ordinem minorum incepit anno #abjf4 ,those who admit #abai are obliged 7like the ,bollandists1 for example71 to attribute an inaccuracy to the text of the #c ,soc41 that of having counted eleven years as having passed when there had been only ten4 ,we should notice that in the two other chronological indications given by the #c ,soc4 7#bg and #fb7 they count from the conversion1 that is from #abjf1 as also ,thomas of ,celano1 #hh1 #aje1 #aai1 #ig1 #hh1 #eg1 #ee1 #ba4 ,curiously1 the ,conformities reproduce the passage of the #c ,soc4 7#aah;b1 #a71 but with the alteration3 ,nono anno ab inceptione religionis4 ,giordano di ,giano opens the door to many scruples3 ,anno vero ,domini #abai et anno conversionis ejus decimo frater ,franciscus 444 misit fratres in ,franciam1 in ,theutoniam1 in ,hungariam1 in ,hespaniam1 ,giord41 #c4 ,as a little later the same author properly harmonizes #abai with the thirteenth year from ,francis's conversion1 everyone is in agreement in admitting that the passage cited needs correction2 we have unfortunately only one manuscript of this chronicle4 ,glassberger1 who doubtless had another before him1 substitutes #abag1 but he may have drawn this date from another document4 ,it is noteworthy that ,brother ,giordano gives as simultaneous the departure of the friars for ,germany1 ,hungary1 and ,france2 but1 as to the latter country1 it certainly took place in #abag4 ,so the ,speculum1 #dd;a4 ,the chronicle of the xxiv4 generals and ,mark of ,lisbon 7,diola's ed41 t4 i41 p4 #hb7 holds also to #abag1 so that1 though not definitely established1 it would appear that this date should be accepted until further information4 ,starting from slightly different premises1 the learned editors of the ,analecta arrive at the same conclusion 7t4 ii41 pp4 #be-cf74 ,cf4 ,evers1 ,analecta ad ,fr4 ,minorum historiam1 ,leipsic1 #ahhb1 #dto1 pp4 #g and #aa4 ,that which appears to me decidedly to tip the balance in favor of #abag1 is the fact that the missionary friars were persecuted because they had no document of legitimation2 and in #abai they would have had the bull ,cum dilecti1 from ,june #aath of that year4 ,the ,bollandists1 who hold for #abai1 have so clearly seen this argument that they have been obliged to deny the authenticity of the bull 7or at least to suppose it wrongly dated74 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hci4 #b ,vide ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjd4 ,cf4 ,angelo ,clareno1 ,tribul4 ,archiv41 i41 p4 #eei4 ,a papa ,innocentis fuit omnibus annuntiatum in concilio generali 444 sicut sanctus vir fr4 ,leo scribit et fr4 ,johannes de ,celano4 ,these lines have not perhaps the significance which one would be led to give them at the first glance1 their author having perhaps confounded consilium and consistorium4 ,the ,speculum1 #bj;b says3 ,eam 7,regulam ,innocentius7 approvabit et concessit et postea in consistorio omnibus annuntiavit4 #c ,ne nimia ,religionem diversitas gravem in ,ecclesia ,dei confusionem inducat1 firmiter prohibemus1 ne quis de coetero novam ,religionem inveniat2 sed quicumque voluerit ad ,religionem converti1 unam de approbatis assumat4 ,labbe and ,cossart3 ,sacrosancta concilia1 ,paris1 #afgb1 t4 xi41 col4 #afe4 #d ,eccl41 #ae 7,an4 franc41 t4 #a1 p4 #bec73 ,innocentium in cujus obitu fuit presentialiter ,s4 ,franciscus4 #e #c ,soc41 #fa2 cf4 ,an4 ,perus41 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjf;f4 #f ,thomas of ,celano must be in error when he declares that ,francis was not acquainted with ,cardinal ,ugolini before the visit which he made him at ,florence 7summer of #abag73 ,nondum alter alteri erat praecipua familiaritate conjunctus 7#a ,cel41 #gd and #ge74 ,the ,franciscan biographer's purpose was not historic2 chronological indications are given in profusion2 what he seeks is the apta junctura4 ,tradition has preserved the memory of a chapter held at ,portiuncula in presence of ,ugolini during a stay of the curia at ,perugia 7,spec41 #acg;b42 ,fior41 #ah2 ,conform41 #bjg;a2 #c ,soc41 #fa74 ,but the curia did not come back to ,perugia between #abaf and ,francis's death4 ,it is also to be noted that according to ,angelo ,clareno1 ,ugolini was with ,francis in #abaj1 supporting him in the presence of ,innocent ,,iii4 ,vide below1 p4 #dac4 ,finally the bull ,sacrosancta of ,december #i1 #abai1 witnesses that already during his legation in ,florence 7#abag7 ,ugolini was actually interesting himself for the ,clarisses4 #g ,see1 for example1 the description of the chapter of #abba by ,brother ,giordano4 ,giord41 #af4 #h ,with regard to the figure of five thousand attendants given by ,bonaventura 7,bon41 #ei7 ,father ,papini writes3 ,io non credo stato capace alcuno di dare ad intendere al ,s4 ,dottore simil fanfaluca1 ne capace lui di crederla4 444 ,in somma il numero quinque millia et ultra non e del ,santo1 incapace di scrivere una cosa tanto improbabile e relativamente impossibile4 ,storia di ,s4 ,fr41 i41 pp4 #aha and #ahc4 ,this figure1 five thousand1 is also indicated by ,eccl41 #f4 ,all this may be explained and become possible by admitting the presence of the ,brothers of ,penitence1 and it seems very difficult to contest it1 since in the ,order of the ,humiliants1 which much resembles that of the ,brothers ,minor 7equally composed of three branches approved by three bulls given ,june1 #abja71 the chapters-general annually held were frequented by the brothers of the three ,orders4 ,tiraboschi t4 ii41 p4 #add4 ,cf4 above1 p4 #aeh4 #i ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #aba2 ,spec41 #db;b2 #abg;b4 #aj ,praecipio firmiter per obedientiam fratribus universis quod ubicunque sunt1 non audeant petere aliquam litteram in ,curia ,romana4 ,test4 ,b4 ,fr4 #aa ,a comparison with the ,bullary of the ,preaching ,friars is especially instructive3 from their first chapter at ,notre ,dame de ,prouille1 in #abaf1 they are about fifteen2 we find there at this time absolutely nothing that can be compared to the ,franciscan movement1 which was already stirring up all ,italy4 ,but while the first bull in favor of the ,franciscans bears the date of ,june #aa1 #abai1 and the approbation properly so called that of ,november #bi1 #abbc1 we find ,honorius already in the end of #abaf lavishing marks of affection upon the ,dominicans2 ,december #bb1 #abaf1 ,religiosam vitam4 ,cf4 ,pressuti1 ,i regesti1 del ,pontefice ,onorio ,,iii41 ,roma1 #ahhd1 t4 i41 no4 #age2 same date2 ,nos attendentes1 ibid41 no4 #agf2 ,january #ba1 #abag1 gratiarum omnium1 ib41 no4 #bdc4 ,vide #bhd1 #ajci1 #aaef1 #abjh4 ,it is needless to continue this enumeration4 ,very much the same could be done for the other ,orders2 whence the conclusion that if the ,brothers ,minor alone are forgotten in this shower of favors1 it is because they decidedly wished to be4 ,it must be admitted that immediately upon ,francis's death they made up for lost time4 #ab ,the authenticity of this passage is put beyond doubt by ,ubertino di ,casal's citation4 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #ec4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #cj;a2 ,conform41 #aaa;b1 #a2 #aah;b1 #a2 ,ubertino1 ,arbor vitae cruc41 iii41 #c4 #ac ,burchardi chronicon ann4 #abag1 loc4 cit41 p4 #cgg4 ,see also the bulls indicated by ,potthast1 #eege1 #eehe-ib4 #ad ,before #abag the office of minister virtually existed1 though its definitive institution dates only from #abag4 ,brother ,bernardo in his mission to ,bologna1 for example 7#abab871 certainly held in some sort the office of minister4 #ae ,imprisoned by order of ,elias1 he died in consequence of blows given him one day when he was taking the air outside of his prison4 ,tribul41 #bd;a4 #af ,giord41 #e and #f2 #c ,soc41 #fb4 #ag ,of ,giovanni di ,parma1 ,clareno1 ,anthony of ,padua1 etc4 #ah ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 i41 p4 #hb4 ,cf4 p4 #gi1 t4 ii41 p4 #hf1 ,glassberger ann41 #abag4 ,an4 fr41 ii41 pp4 #i ff42 ,chron xxiv4 gen41 ,,ms4 of ,assisi1 no4 #cbh1 fo #b;b4 #ai ,spec41 #dd;a42 ,conform41 #aai;a1 #b2 #ace;a2 #aha;b1 #a2 #a ,cel41 #gd and #ge4 #bj ,cel41 #c1 #abi4 ,diligebat ,franciam 444 volebat in ea mori4 #ba ,v4 bull of ,january #bc1 #abag1 ,tempus acceptabile1 ,potthast1 no4 #edcj1 given in ,horoy1 t4 ii41 col4 #bje ff42 cf4 ,pressuti1 i41 p4 #ga4 ,this bull and those following fix without question the time of the journey to ,florence4 ,potthast1 #edhh1 #edhg1 and page #die4 #bb ,it is superfluous to point out the error of the ,bollandist text in the phrase ,monuit 7,cardinalis ,franciscum7 coeptum non perficere iter1 where the non is omitted1 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #gjd4 ,cf41 p4 #fjg and #hce1 which has led ,suysken into several other errors4 #bc ,bon41 #ea4 ,cf4 ,glassberger1 ann4 #abag2 ,spec41 #de;b4 #bd ,heb41 iv41 #ab2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #di2 ,bon41 #ej and #ea4 #be ,brother ,pacifico interests us the ,french people particularly as the first minister of the ,order in ,france2 information about him is abundant3 ,bon41 #gi2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fc2 ,spec41 #da;b43 ,conform41 #ch;a1 #a2 #dc;a1 #a2 #ga;b2 #agc;b1 #a1 and #agf2 #b ,cel41 #h1 #bg2 ,spec41 #ch;b2 ,conform41 #aha;b2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #gf2 ,fior41 #df2 ,conform41 #gj;a4 ,i do not indicate the general references found in ,chevalier's ,bibliography4 ,the ,miscellanea1 t4 ii4 7#ahhg71 p4 #aeh1 contains a most precise and interesting column about him4 ,gregory ,,ix4 speaks of him in the bull ,magna sicut dicitur of ,august #ab1 #abbg4 ,sbaralea1 ,bull1 fr41 i41 p4 #cc 7,potthast1 #hjjg74 ,thomas of ,tuscany1 socius of ,st4 ,bonaventura1 knew him and speaks of him in his ,gesta ,imperatorum 7,mon4 germ4 hist4 script41 t4 #bb1 p4 #dib74 #bf ,eccl41 #a2 ,conform41 #aac;b1 #a4 #bg ,toward #abbd the ,brothers ,minor desired to draw nearer and build a vast convent near the walls of ,paris in the grounds called ,vauvert1 or ,valvert 7now the ,luxembourg ,garden71 7,eccl41 #aj2 cf4 ,top4 hist4 du vieux ,paris1 by ,berty and ,tisserand1 t4 iv41 p4 #gj74 ,in #abcj they received at ,paris from the ,benedictines of ,saint-,germain-des-,pres a certain number of houses in parocchia ,,ss4 ,cosmae et ,damiani infra muros domini regis prope portam de ,gibardo 7,chartularium ,universitatis ,parisiensis1 no4 #gf4 ,cf4 ,topographie historique du vieux ,paris2 ,region occid4 de l'univ41 p4 #ie2 ,felibien1 ,histoire de la ville de ,paris1 i41 p4 #aae74 ,finally1 ,st4 ,louis installed them in the celebrated ,convent of the ,cordeliers1 the refectory of which still exists1 transformed into the ,dupuytren ,museum4 ,the ,dominicans1 who arrived in ,paris ,september #ab1 #abag1 went straight to the centre of the city1 near the bishop's palace on the ,ile de la ,cite1 and on ,august #f1 #abah1 were installed in the ,convent of ,st4 ,jacques4 #bh ,fior41 #bg2 ,spec41 #adh;b2 ,conform41 #ga;a and #aac;a1 #b2 ,bon41 #ahb4 #bi ,the traces of ,francis's visit here are numerous4 ,a ,brother ,eudes painted his portrait here4 #cj ,bon41 #agg4 #ca ,vide ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #hee and #hef4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #acf4 #cb ,among others those of ,december #e1 #abag1 ,potthast1 #efbi2 ,february #h1 ,march #cj1 ,april #g1 #abah1 ,potthast1 #efie1 #egci1 #egdg4 #cc #a ,cel41 #gd4 ,o quanti maxime in principio cum haec agerentur novellae plantationi ordinis insidiabantur ut perderent4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #a1 #af4 ,videbat ,franciscus luporum more sevire quamplures4 #cd #a ,cel41 #gc 7cf4 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ag2 ,spec41 #ajb;a72 #c ,soc41 #fd2 ,bon41 #gh4 ,the fixing of this scene in the winter of #abag-abah seems hardly to be debatable2 ,giordano's account 7#ad7 in fact determines the date at which ,ugolini became officially protector of the ,order2 it supposes earlier relations between ,honorius1 ,francis1 and ,ugolini4 ,we are therefore led to seek a date at which these three personages may have met in ,rome1 and we arrive thus at the period between ,december1 #abag1 and ,april1 #abah4 #ce ,a word of ,brother ,giordano's opens the door to certain conjectures4 ,my lord1 said ,francis to ,honorius ,,iii41 in #abbj1 you have given me many fathers 7popes7 give me a single one to whom ,i may turn with the affairs of my ,order4 7,giord41 #ad1 ,multos mihi papas dedisti da unum1 444 etc47 ,does not this suggest the idea that the pontiff had perhaps named a commission of cardinals to oversee the ,brothers ,minor8 ,its deliberations and the events to be related in the following chapter might have impelled him to issue the bull ,cum dilecti of ,june #aa1 #abai1 which was not an approbation properly so called1 but a safe-conduct in favor of the ,franciscans4 #cf ,he took possession of ,st4 ,sabine on ,february #bh1 #abah4 #cg #b ,cel41 #c1 #hg4 ,the literal meaning of the phrase is somewhat ambiguous4 ,the text is3 ,vellem1 frater ,francisce1 unam fieri religionem tuam et meam et in ,ecclesia pari forma nos vivere4 ,spec4 #bg;b4 ,the echo of this attempt is found in ,thierry d',apolda1 ,vie de ,s4 ,dominique 7,a4 ,,ss41 ,augusti1 t4 i41 p4 #egb d73 ,s4 ,dominicus in oscula sancta ruens et sinceros amplexus1 dixit3 ,tu es socius meus1 tu curres pariter mecum1 stemus simul1 nullus adversarius praevalebit4 ,bernard of ,besse says3 ,b4 ,dominicus tanta ,b4 ,francisco devotione cohesit ut optatam ab eo cordam sub inferiori tunica devotissimi cingeret1 cujus et suam ,religionem unam velle fieri diceret1 ipsumque pro sanctitate caeteris sequendem religiosis assereret4 ,turin ,,ms41 #ajb;b4 #ch ,at the chapter held at ,bologna at ,whitsunday1 #abbj4 ,the bull ,religiosam vitam 7,privilege of ,notre ,dame de ,prouille7 of ,march #cj1 #abah1 enumerates the possessions of the ,dominicans4 ,ripolli1 ,bull4 ,praed41 t4 i41 p4 #f4 ,horoy1 ,honorii opera1 t4 ii41 col4 #fhd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,st4 ,,dominic ,,and ,,st4 ,,francis ,the ,egyptian ,mission4 ,summer #abah-;,autumn #abbj ,art and poetry have done well in inseparably associating ,st4 ,dominic and ,st4 ,francis2 the glory of the first is only a reflection of that of the second1 and it is in placing them side by side that we succeed best in understanding the genius of the ,poverello4 ,if ,francis is the man of inspiration1 ,dominic is that of obedience to orders2 one may say that his life was passed on the road to ,rome1 whither he continually went to ask for instructions4 ,his legend was therefore very slow to be formed1 although nothing forbade it to blossom freely2 but neither the zeal of ,gregory ,,ix4 for his memory nor the learning of his disciples were able to do for the ,hammer of heretics that which the love of the people did for the ,father of the poor4 ,his legend has the two defects which so soon weary the readers of hagiographical writings1 when the question is of the saints whose worship the ,church has commanded4#a ,it is encumbered with a spurious supernaturalism1 and with incidents borrowed right and left from earlier legends4 ,the ,italian people1 who hailed in ,francis the angel of all their hopes1 and who showed themselves so greedy for his relics1 did not so much as dream of taking up the corpse of the founder of the ,order of ,preaching ,friars1 and allowed him to wait twelve years for the glories of canonization4#b ,we have already seen the efforts of ,cardinal ,ugolini to unite the two ,orders1 and the reasons he had for this course4 ,he went to the ,whitsunday chapter-general which met at ,portiuncula 7,june #c1 #abah71 to which came also ,st4 ,dominic with several of his disciples4 ,the ceremonial of these solemnities appears to have been always about the same since #abaf2 the ,brothers ,minor went in procession to meet the cardinal1 who immediately dismounted from his horse and lavished expressions of affection upon them4 ,an altar was set up in the open air1 at which he said mass1 ,francis performing the functions of deacon4#c ,it is easy to imagine the emotion which overcame those present when in its beautiful setting of the ,umbrian landscape burst forth that part of the ,pentecostal service1 that most exciting1 the most apocalyptic of the whole ,catholic liturgy1 the anthem ,alleluia1 ,alleluia1 ,emitte ,spiritum tuum et creabuntur1 et renovabis faciem terrae4 ,alleluia1#d does not this include the whole ,franciscan dream8 ,but what especially amazed ,dominic was the absence of material cares4 ,francis had advised his brethren not to disquiet themselves in any respect about food and drink2 he knew by experience that they might fearlessly trust all that to the love of the neighboring population4 ,this want of carefulness had greatly surprised ,dominic1 who thought it exaggerated2 he was able to reassure himself1 when meal-time arrived1 by seeing the inhabitants of the district hastening in crowds to bring far larger supplies of provisions than were needed for the several thousands of friars1 and holding it an honor to wait upon them4 ,the joy of the ,franciscans1 the sympathy of the populace with them1 the poverty of the huts of ,portiuncula1 all this impressed him deeply2 so much was he moved by it that in a burst of enthusiasm he announced his resolution to embrace gospel poverty4#e ,ugolini1 though also moved1 even to tears1#f did not forget his former anxieties2 the ,order was too numerous not to include a group of malcontents2 a few friars who before their conversion had studied in the universities began to condemn the extreme simplicity laid upon them as a duty4 ,to men no longer sustained by enthusiasm the short precepts of the ,rule appeared a charter all too insufficient for a vast association2 they turned with envy toward the monumental abbeys of the ,benedictines1 the regular ,canons1 the ,cistercians1 and toward the ancient monastic legislations4 ,they had no difficulty in perceiving in ,ugolini a powerful ally1 nor in confiding their observations to him4 ,the latter deemed the propitious moment arrived1 and in a private conversation with ,francis made a few suggestions3 ,ought he not give to his disciples1 especially to the educated among them1 a greater share of the burdens8 consult them1 gain inspiration from their views8 was there not room to profit by the experience of the older orders8 ,though all this was said casually and with the greatest possible tact1 ,francis felt himself wounded to the quick1 and without answering he drew the cardinal to the very midst of the chapter4 ,my brothers1 said he with fire1 the ,lord has called me into the ways of simplicity and humility4 ,in them he has shown me the truth for myself and for those who desire to believe and follow me2 do not1 then1 come speaking to me of the ,rule of ,st4 ,benedict1 of ,st4 ,augustine1 of ,st4 ,bernard1 or of any other1 but solely of that which ,god in his mercy has seen fit to show to me1 and of which he has told me that he would1 by its means1 make a new covenant with the world1 and he does not will that we should have any other4 ,but by your learning and your wisdom ,god will bring you to confusion4 ,for ,i am persuaded that ,god will chastise you2 whether you will or no you will be forced to come to repentance1 and nothing will remain for you but confusion4#g ,this warmth in defending and affirming his ideas profoundly astonished ,ugolini1 who added not a word4 ,as to ,dominic1 what he had just seen at ,portiuncula was to him a revelation4 ,he felt1 indeed1 that his zeal for the ,church could not be greater1 but he also perceived that he could serve her with more success by certain changes in his weapons4 ,ugolini no doubt only encouraged him in this view1 and ,dominic1 beset with new anxieties1 set out a few months later for ,spain4 ,the intensity of the crisis through which he passed has not been sufficiently noticed2 the religious writers recount at length his sojourn in the grotto of ,segovia1 but they see only the ascetic practices1 the prayers1 the genuflexions1 and do not think of looking for the cause of all this4 ,from this epoch it might be said that he was unceasingly occupied in copying ,francis1 if the word had not a somewhat displeasing sense4 ,arrived at ,segovia he follows the example of the ,brothers ,minor1 founds a hermitage in the outskirts of the city1 hidden among the rocks which overlook the town1 and thence he descends from time to time to preach to the people4 ,the transformation in his mode of life was so evident that several of his companions rebelled and refused to follow him in the new way4 ,popular sentiment has at times its intuitions2 a legend grew up around this grotto of ,segovia1 and it was said that ,st4 ,dominic there received the stigmata4 ,is there not here an unconscious effort to translate into an image within the comprehension of all1 that which actually took place in this cave of the ,sierra da ,guaderrama8#h ,thus ,st4 ,dominic also arrived at the poverty of the gospel1 but the road by which he reached it was different indeed from that which ,st4 ,francis had followed2 while the latter had soared to it as on wings1 had seen in it the final emancipation from all the anxieties which debase this life1 ,st4 ,dominic considered it only as a means2 it was for him one more weapon in the arsenal of the host charged with the defence of the ,church4 ,we must not see in this a mere vulgar calculation2 his admiration for him whom he thus imitated and followed afar off was sincere and profound1 but genius is not to be copied4 ,this sacred malady was not his2 he has transmitted to his sons a sound and robust blood1 thanks to which they have known nothing of those paroxysms of hot fever1 those lofty flights1 those sudden returns which make the story of the ,franciscans the story of the most tempest-tossed society which the world has ever known1 in which glorious chapters are mingled with pages trivial and grotesque1 sometimes even coarse4 ,at the chapter of #abah ,francis had other causes for sadness than the murmurs of a group of malcontents2 the missionaries sent out the year before to ,germany and ,hungary had returned completely discouraged4 ,the account of the sufferings they had endured produced so great an effect that from that time many of the friars added to their prayers the formula3 ,lord preserve us from the heresy of the ,lombards and the ferocity of the ,germans4#i ,this explains how ,ugolini at last succeeded in convincing ,francis of his duty to take the necessary measures no longer to expose the friars to be hunted down as heretics4 ,it was decided that at the end of the next chapter the missionaries should be armed with a papal brief1 which should serve them as ecclesiastical passport4 ,here is the translation of this document3 ,honorius1 bishop1 servant of the servants of ,god1 to the archbishops1 bishops1 abbots1 deacons1 archdeacons1 and other ecclesiastical superiors1 salutation and the apostolic blessing4 ,our dear son1 brother ,francis1 and his companions of the life and the ,order of the ,brothers ,minor1 having renounced the vanities of this world to choose a mode of life which has merited the approval of the ,roman ,church1 and to go out after the example of the ,apostles to cast in various regions the seed of the word of ,god1 we pray and exhort you by these apostolic letters to receive as good catholics the friars of the above mentioned society1 bearers of these presents1 warning you to be favorable to them and treat them with kindness for the honor of ,god and out of consideration for us4 ,given 7at ,rieti7 this third day of the ides of ,june 7,june #aa1 #abai71 in the third year of our pontificate4#aj ,it is evident that this bull was calculated to avoid awakening ,francis's susceptibilities4 ,to understand precisely in what it differs from the first letters usually accredited to new ,orders it is necessary to compare it with them2 that which had instituted the ,dominicans had been1 like the others1 a veritable privilege2#aa here there is nothing of the kind4 ,the assembly which was opened at ,whitsunday of #abai 7,may #bf7 was of extreme importance4#ab ,it closed the series of those primitive chapters in which the inspiration and fancy of ,francis were given free course4 ,those which followed1 presided over by the vicars1 have neither the same cheerfulness nor the same charm2 the crude glare of full day has driven away the hues of dawn and the indescribable ardors of nature at its awakening4 ,the summer of #abai was the epoch fixed by ,honorius ,,iii4 for making a new effort in the ,east1 and directing upon ,egypt all the forces of the ,crusaders4#ac ,francis thought the moment arrived for realizing the project which he had not been able to execute in #abab4 ,strangely enough1 ,ugolini who1 two years before had hindered his going to ,france1 now left him in entire liberty to carry out this new expedition4#ad ,several authors have deemed that ,francis1 having found in him a true protector1 felt himself reassured as to the future of the ,order2 he might indeed have thought thus1 but the history of the troubles which burst out immediately after his departure1 the astounding story of the kind reception given by the court of ,rome to some meddlers who took the opportunity of his absence to imperil his ,order1 would suffice to show how much the ,church was embarrassed by him1 and with what ardor she longed for the transformation of his work4 ,we shall find later on the detailed account of these facts4 ,it appears that a ,romagnol brother ,christopher was at this same chapter nominated provincial of ,gascony2 he lived there after the customs of the early ,franciscans1 working with his hands1 living in a narrow cell made of the boughs of trees and potter's earth4#ae ,egidio set out for ,tunis with a few friars1 but a great disappointment awaited them there2 the ,christians of this country1 in the fear of being compromised by their missionary zeal1 hurried them into a boat and constrained them to recross the sea4#af ,if the date of #abai for these two missions has little other basis than conjecture1 the same is not the case as to the departure of the friars who went to ,spain and ,morocco4 ,the discovery has recently been made of the account of their last preachings and of their tragic death1 made by an eye-witness4#ag ,this document is all the more precious because it confirms the general lines of the much longer account given by ,mark of ,lisbon4 ,it would be out of place to give a summary of it here1 because it but very indirectly concerns the life of ,st4 ,francis1 but we must note that these acta have beyond their historic value a truly remarkable psychological--one must almost say pathological--significance2 never was the mania for martyrdom better characterized than in these long pages1 where we see the friars forcing the ,mahometans to pursue them and make them win the heavenly palm4 ,the forbearance which ,miramolin as well as his fellow religionists at first show gives an idea of the civilization and the good qualities of these infidels1 all the higher that very different sentiments would be natural in the vanquished ones of the plains of ,tolosa4 ,it is impossible to call by the name of sermons the collections of rude apostrophes which the missionaries addressed to those whom they wished to convert2 at this paroxysm the thirst for martyrdom becomes the madness of suicide4 ,is this to say that friars ,bernard1 ,pietro1 ,adjutus1 ,accurso1 and ,otho have no right to the admiration and worship with which they have been surrounded8 ,who would dare say so8 ,is not devotion always blind8 ,that a furrow should be fecund it must have blood1 it must have tears1 such tears as ,st4 ,augustine has called the blood of the soul4 ,ah1 it is a great mistake to immolate oneself1 for the blood of a single man will not save the world nor even a nation2 but it is a still greater mistake not to immolate oneself1 for then one lets others be lost1 and is oneself lost first of all4 ,i greet you1 therefore1 ,martyrs of ,morocco2 you do not regret your madness1 ,i am sure1 and if ever some righteous pedant gone astray in the groves of paradise undertakes to demonstrate to you that it would have been better worth while to remain in your own country1 and found a worthy family of virtuous laborers1 ,i fancy that ,miramolin1 there become your best friend1 will take the trouble to refute him4 ,you were mad1 but ,i envy such madness1 for you felt that the essential thing in this world is not to serve this ideal or that one1 but with all one's soul to serve the ideal which one has chosen4 ,when1 a few months after1 the story of their glorious end arrived at ,assisi1 ,francis discerned a feeling of pride among his companions and reproached them in lively terms2 he who would so have envied the lot of the martyrs felt himself humbled because ,god had not judged him worthy to share it4 ,as the story was mingled with some words of eulogy of the founder of the ,order1 he forbade the further reading of it4#ah ,immediately after the chapter he had himself undertaken a mission of the same kind as he had confided to the ,brothers of ,morocco1 but he had proceeded in it in an entirely different manner3 his was not the blind zeal which courts death in a sort of frenzy and forgets all the rest2 perhaps he already felt that the persistent effort after the better1 the continual immolation of self for truth1 is the martyrdom of the strong4 ,this expedition1 which lasted more than a year1 is mentioned by the biographers in a few lines4#ai ,happily we have a number of other papers regarding it2 but their silence suffices to prove the sincerity of the primitive ,franciscan authors2 if they had wanted to amplify the deeds of their subject1 where could they have found an easier opportunity or a more marvellous theme8 ,francis quitted ,portiuncula in the middle of ,june and went to ,ancona1 whence the ,crusaders were to set sail for ,egypt on ,st4 ,john's ,day 7,june #bdth74 ,many friars joined him--a fact which was not without its inconveniences for a journey by sea1 where they were obliged to depend upon the charity of the owners of the boats1 or of their fellow-travellers4 ,we can understand ,francis's embarrassment on arriving at ,ancona and finding himself obliged to leave behind a number of those who so earnestly longed to go with him4 ,the ,conformities relate here an incident for which we might desire an earlier authority1 but which is certainly very like ,francis2 he led all his friends to the port and explained to them his perplexities4 ,the people of the boat1 he told them1 refuse to take us all1 and ,i have not the courage to make choice among you2 you might think that ,i do not love you all alike2 let us then try to learn the will of ,god4 ,and he called a child who was playing close by1 and the little one1 charmed to take the part of ,providence put upon him1 pointed out with his finger the eleven friars who were to set sail4#bj ,we do not know what itinerary they followed4 ,a single incident of the journey has come down to us3 that of the chastisement inflicted in the isle of ,cyprus on ,brother ,barbaro1 who had been guilty of the fault which the master detested above all others--evil-speaking4 ,he was implacable with regard to the looseness of language so customary among pious folk1 and which often made a hell of religious houses apparently the most peaceful4 ,the offence this time appeared to him the more grave for having been uttered in the presence of a stranger1 a knight of that district4 ,the latter was stupefied on hearing ,francis command the guilty one to eat a lump of ass's dung which lay there1 adding3 ,the mouth which has distilled the venom of hatred against my brother must eat this excrement4 ,such indignation1 no less than the obedience of the unhappy offender1 filled him with admiration4#ba ,it is very probable1 as ,wadding has supposed1 that the missionaries debarked at ,st4 ,jean d',acre4 ,they arrived there about the middle of ,july4#bb ,in the environs of this city1 doubtless1 ,brother ,elias had been established for one or two years4 ,francis there told off a few of his companions1 whom he sent to preach in divers directions1 and a few days afterward he himself set out for ,egypt1 where all the efforts of the ,crusaders were concentrated upon ,damietta4 ,from the first he was heart-broken with the moral condition of the ,christian army4 ,notwithstanding the presence of numerous prelates and of the apostolic legate1 it was disorganized for want of discipline4 ,he was so affected by this that when there was talk of battle he felt it his duty to advise against it1 predicting that the ,christians would infallibly be beaten4 ,no one heeded him1 and on ,august #bith the ,crusaders1 having attacked the ,saracens1 were terribly routed4#bc ,his predictions won him a marvellous success4 ,it must be owned that the ground was better prepared than any other to receive the new seed2 not surely that piety was alive there1 but in this mass of men come together from every corner of ,europe1 the troubled1 the seers1 the enlightened ones1 those who thirsted for righteousness and truth1 were elbowed by rascals1 adventurers1 those who were greedy for gold and plunder1 capable of much good or much evil1 the sport of fleeting impulses1 loosed from the bonds of the family1 of property1 of the habits which usually twine themselves about man's will1 and only by exception permit a complete change in his manner of life2 those among them who were sincere and had come there with generous purposes were1 so to speak1 predestined to enter the peaceful army of the ,brothers ,minor4 ,francis was to win in this mission fellow-laborers who would assure the success of his work in the countries of northern ,europe4 ,jacques de ,vitry1 in a letter to friends written a few days later1 thus describes the impression produced on him by ,francis3 ,i announce to you that ,master ,reynier1 ,prior of ,st4 ,michael1 has entered the ,order of the ,brothers ,minor1 an ,order which is multiplying rapidly on all sides1 because it imitates the primitive ,church and follows the life of the ,apostles in everything4 ,the master of these ,brothers is named ,brother ,francis2 he is so lovable that he is venerated by everyone4 ,having come into our army1 he has not been afraid1 in his zeal for the faith1 to go to that of our enemies4 ,for days together he announced the word of ,god to the ,saracens1 but with little success2 then the sultan1 ,king of ,egypt1 asked him in secret to entreat ,god to reveal to him1 by some miracle1 which is the best religion4 ,colin1 the ,englishman1 our clerk1 has entered the same ,order1 as also two others of our companions1 ,michael and ,dom ,matthew1 to whom ,i had given the rectorship of the ,sainte ,chapelle4 ,cantor and ,henry have done the same1 and still others whose names ,i have forgotten4#bd ,the long and enthusiastic chapter which the same author gives to the ,brothers ,minor in his great work on the ,occident is too diffuse to find a place here4 ,it is a living and accurate picture of the early times of the ,order2 in it ,francis's sermon before the sultan is again related4 ,it was written at a period when the friars had still neither monasteries nor churches1 and when the chapters were held once or twice a year2 this gives us a date anterior to #abbc1 and probably even before #abba4 ,we have here1 therefore1 a verification of the narratives of ,thomas of ,celano and the ,three ,companions1 and they find in it their perfect confirmation4 ,as to the interviews between ,francis and the sultan1 it is prudent to keep to the narratives of ,jacques de ,vitry and ,william of ,tyre4#be ,although the latter wrote at a comparatively late date 7between #abge and #abie71 he followed a truly historic method1 and founded his work on authentic documents2 we see that he knows no more than ,jacques de ,vitry of the proposal said to have been made by ,francis to pass through a fire if the priests of ,mahomet would do as much1 intending so to establish the superiority of ,christianity4 ,we know how little such an appeal to signs is characteristic of ,st4 ,francis4 ,perhaps the story1 which comes from ,bonaventura1 is born of a misconception4 ,the sultan1 like a new ,pharaoh1 may have laid it upon the strange preacher to prove his mission by miracles4 ,however this may be1 ,francis and his companions were treated with great consideration1 a fact the more meritorious that hostilities were then at their height4 ,returned to the ,crusading camp1 they remained there until after the taking of ,damietta 7,november #e1 #abai74 ,this time the ,christians were victorious1 but perhaps the heart of the gospel man bled more for this victory than for the defeat of ,august #bith4 ,the shocking condition of the city1 which the victors found piled with heaps of dead bodies1 the quarrels over the sharing of booty1 the sale of the wretched creatures who had not succumbed to the pestilence1#bf all these scenes of terror1 cruelty1 greed1 caused him profound horror4 ,the human beast was let loose1 the apostle's voice could no more make itself heard in the midst of the savage clamor than that of a life-saver over a raging ocean4 ,he set out for ,syria#bg and the ,holy ,places4 ,how gladly would we follow him in this pilgrimage1 accompany him in thought through ,judea and ,galilee1 to ,bethlehem1 to ,nazareth1 to ,gethsemane6 ,what was said to him by the stable where the ,son of ,mary was born1 the workshop where he toiled1 the olive-tree where he accepted the bitter cup8 ,alas6 the documents here suddenly fail us4 ,setting out from ,damietta very shortly after the siege 7,november #e1 #abai7 he may easily have been at ,bethlehem by ,christmas4 ,but we know nothing1 absolutely nothing1 except that his sojourn was more prolonged than had been expected4 ,some of the ,brothers who were present at ,portiuncula at the chapter-general of #abbj 7,whitsunday1 ,may #agth7 had time enough to go to ,syria and still find ,francis there2#bh they could hardly have arrived much earlier than the end of ,june4 ,what had he been doing those eight months8 ,why had he not gone home to preside at the chapter8 ,had he been ill8#bi ,had he been belated by some mission8 ,our information is too slight to permit us even to venture upon conjecture4 ,angelo ,clareno relates that the ,sultan of ,egypt1 touched by his preaching1 gave command that he and all his friars should have free access to the ,holy ,sepulchre without the payment of any tribute4#cj ,bartholomew of ,pisa on his part says incidentally that ,francis1 having gone to preach in ,antioch and its environs1 the ,benedictines of the ,abbey of the ,black ,mountain1#ca eight miles from that city1 joined the ,order in a body1 and gave up all their property to the ,patriarch4 ,these indications are meagre and isolated indeed1 and the second is to be accepted only with reserve4 ,on the other hand1 we have detailed information of what went on in ,italy during ,francis's absence4 ,brother ,giordano's chronicle1 recently discovered and published1 throws all the light that could be desired upon a plot laid against ,francis by the very persons whom he had commissioned to take his place at ,portiuncula1 and this1 if not with the connivance of ,rome and the cardinal protector1 at least without their opposition4 ,these events had indeed been narrated by ,angelo ,clareno1 but the undisguised feeling which breathes through all his writings and their lack of accuracy had sufficed with careful critics to leave them in doubt4 ,how could it be supposed that in the very lifetime of ,st4 ,francis the vicars whom he had instituted could take advantage of his absence to overthrow his work8 ,how could it be that the pope1 who during this period was sojourning at ,rieti1 how that ,ugolini1 who was still nearer1 did not impose silence on these agitators8#cb ,now that all the facts come anew to light1 not in an oratorical and impassioned account1 but brief1 precise1 cutting1 dated1 with every appearance of notes taken day by day1 we must perforce yield to evidence4 ,does this give us reason clamorously to condemn ,ugolino and the pope8 ,i do not think so4 ,they played a part which is not to their honor1 but their intentions were evidently excellent4 ,if the famous aphorism that the end justifies the means is criminal where one examines his own conduct1 it becomes the first duty in judging that of others4 ,here are the facts3 ,on ,july #beth1 about one month after ,francis's departure for ,syria1 ,ugolini1 who was at ,perugia1 laid upon the ,clarisses of ,monticelli 7,florence71 ,sienna1 ,perugia1 and ,lucca that which his friend had so obstinately refused for the friars1 the ,benedictine ,rule4#cc ,at the same time1 ,st4 ,dominic1 returning from ,spain full of new ardor after his retreat in the grotto of ,segovia1 and fully decided to adopt for his ,order the rule of poverty1 was strongly encouraged in this purpose and overwhelmed with favors4#cd ,honorius ,,iii4 saw in him the providential man of the time1 the reformer of the monastic ,orders2 he showed him unusual attentions1 going so far1 for example1 as to transfer to him a group of monks belonging to other ,orders1 whom he appointed to act as ,dominic's lieutenants on the preaching tours which he believed it to be his duty to undertake1 and to serve1 under his direction1 an apprenticeship in popular preaching4#ce ,that ,ugolini was the inspiration of all this1 the bulls are here to witness4 ,his ruling purpose at that time was so clearly to direct the two new ,orders that he chose a domicile with this end in view1 and we find him continually either at ,perugia--that is to say1 within three leagues of ,portiuncula--or at ,bologna1 the stronghold of the ,dominicans4 ,it now becomes manifest that just as the fraternity instituted by ,francis was truly the fruit of his body1 flesh of his flesh1 so does the ,order of the ,preaching ,friars emanate from the papacy1 and ,st4 ,dominic is only its putative father4 ,this character is expressed in one word by one of the most authoritative of contemporary annalists1 ,burchard of ,ursperg 7,cross #abbf74 ,the pope1 he says1 instituted and confirmed the ,order of the ,preachers4#cf ,francis on his journey in the ,orient had taken for special companion a friar whom we have not yet met1 ,pietro di ,catana or dei ,cattani4 ,was he a native of the town of ,catana8 ,there is no precise indication of it4 ,it appears more probable that he belonged to the noble family dei ,cattani1 already known to ,francis1 and of which ,orlando1 ,count of ,chiusi in ,casentino1 who gave him the ,verna1 was a member4 ,however that may be1 we must not confound him with the ,brother ,pietro who assumed the habit in #abji1 at the same time with ,bernardo of ,quintavallo1 and died shortly afterward4 ,tradition1 in reducing these two men to a single personage1 was influenced not merely by the similarity of the names1 but also by the very natural desire to increase the prestige of one who in #abbj-abba was to play an important part in the direction of the ,order4#cg ,at the time of his departure for the ,east ,francis had left two vicars in his place1 the ,brothers ,matteo of ,narni and ,gregorio of ,naples4 ,the former was especially charged to remain at ,portiuncula to admit postulants2#ch ,gregorio of ,naples1 on the other hand1 was to pass through ,italy to console the ,brothers4#ci ,the two vicars began at once to overturn everything4 ,it is inexplicable how men still under the influence of their first fervor for a ,rule which in the plenitude of their liberty they had promised to obey could have dreamed of such innovations if they had not been urged on and upheld by those in high places4 ,to alleviate the vow of poverty and to multiply observances were the two points toward which their efforts were bent4 ,in appearance it was a trifling matter1 in reality it was much1 for it was the first movement of the old spirit against the new4 ,it was the effort of men who unconsciously1 ,i am willing to think1 made religion an affair of rite and observance1 instead of seeing in it1 like ,st4 ,francis1 the conquest of the liberty which makes us free in all things1 and leads each soul to obey that divine and mysterious power which the flowers of the fields adore1 which the birds of the air bless1 which the symphony of the stars praises1 and which ,jesus of ,nazareth called ,abba1 that is to say1 ,father4 ,the first ,rule was excessively simple in the matter of fasts4 ,the friars were to abstain from meat on ,wednesdays and ,fridays2 they might add ,mondays and ,saturdays1 but only on ,francis's special authorization4 ,the vicars and their adherents complicated this rule in a surprising manner4 ,at the chapter-general held in ,francis's absence 7,may #ag1 #abbj71 they decided1 first1 that in times of feasting the friars were not to provide meat1 but if it were offered to them spontaneously they were to eat it2 second1 that all should fast on ,mondays as well as ,wednesdays and ,fridays2 third1 that on ,mondays and ,saturdays they should abstain from milk products unless by chance the adherents of the ,order brought some to them4#dj ,these beginnings bear witness also to an effort to imitate the ancient ,orders1 not without the vague hope that they would be substituted for them4 ,brother ,giordano has preserved to us only this decision of the chapter of #abbj1 but the expressions of which he makes use sufficiently prove that it was far from being the only one1 and that the malcontents had desired1 as in the chapters of ,citeaux and ,monte ,cassino1 to put forth veritable constitutions4 ,these modifications of the ,rule did not pass1 however1 without arousing the indignation of a part of the chapter2 a lay brother made himself their eager messenger1 and set out for the ,east to entreat ,francis to return without delay1 to take the measures called for by the circumstances4 ,there were also other causes of disquiet4 ,brother ,philip1 a ,zealot of the ,clarisses1 had made haste to secure for them from ,ugolini the privileges which had already been under consideration4#da ,a certain ,brother ,giovanni di ,conpello#db had gathered together a great number of lepers of both sexes1 and written a ,rule1 intending to form with them a new ,order4 ,he had afterward presented himself before the supreme pontiff with a train of these unfortunates to obtain his approbation4 ,many other distressing symptoms1 upon which ,brother ,giordano does not dwell1 had manifested themselves4 ,the report of ,francis's death had even been spread abroad1 so that the whole ,order was disturbed1 divided1 and in the greatest peril4 ,the dark presentiments which ,francis seems to have had were exceeded by the reality4#dc ,the messenger who brought him the sad news found him in ,syria1 probably at ,st4 ,jean d',acre4 ,he at once embarked with ,elias1 ,pietro di ,catana1 ,caesar of ,speyer1 and a few others1 and returned to ,italy in a vessel bound for ,venice1 where he might easily arrive toward the end of ,july4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,one proof of the obscurity in which ,dominic remained so long as ,rome did not apotheosize him1 is that ,jacques de ,vitry1 who consecrates a whole chapter of his ,historia ,occidentalis to the ,preaching ,friars 7#bg1 p4 #ccc7 does not even name the founder4 ,this is the more significant since a few pages farther on1 the chapter given to the ,brothers ,minor is almost entirely filled with the person of ,st4 ,francis4 ,this silence about ,st4 ,dominic has been remarked and taken up by ,moschus1 who finds no way to explain it4 ,vide ,vitam ,j4 de ,vitriaco1 at the head of the ,douai edition of #aeig4 #b ,francis1 who died in #abbf1 is canonized in #abbh2 ,anthony of ,padua1 #abca and #abcc2 ,elisabeth of ,thuringia1 #abca and #abce2 ,dominic1 #abba and #abcd4 #c #c ,soc41 #fa4 #d ,shed abroad1 ,lord1 thy ,spirit1 and all shall be created1 and thou shalt renew the face of the earth4 #e #b ,cel41 #c4 #hg2 ,spec41 #acb;b2 ,conform41 #bjg;a1 #aab;a2 ,fior41 #ah4 ,the historians of ,st4 ,dominic have not received these details kindly1 but an incontestable point gained from diplomatic documents is that in #abah ,dominic1 at ,rome1 procured privileges in which the properties of his ,order were indicated1 and that in #abbj he led his friars to profess poverty4 #f #b ,cel41 #c1 #i2 ,spec41 #ag;a4 #g ,spec41 #di;a2 ,tribul41 ,laur4 ,,ms41 #aa;a-#ab;b2 ,spec41 #ahc;a2 ,conform41 #ace;b #a4 #h ,the principal sources are indicated in ,a4 ,,ss41 ,augusti1 t4 i41 pp4 #dgj ff4 #i ,giord41 #ah2 #c ,soc41 #fb4 #aj ,sbaralea1 ,bull4 fr41 t4 i1 p4 #b2 ,potthast1 #fjha3 ,wadding1 ann4 #abai1 ,no4 #bh1 indicates the works where the text may be found4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hci4 #aa ,the title sufficiently indicated the contents3 ,domenico priori ,s4 ,romani tolosani ejusque fratribus1 eos in protectionem recipit eorumque ,ordinem cum bonis et privilegiis confirmat4 ,religiosam vitam3 ,december #bb1 #abaf2 ,pressuti1 t4 i41 #age1 text in ,horoy t4 ii41 col4 #ada-add4 #ab ,vide ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #fjh ff4 and #hch ff4 #ac ,vide ,bull ,multi divinae of ,august #ac1 #abah4 ,horoy1 t4 iii41 col4 #ab2 ,potthast1 #ehia4 #ad ,the contradiction is so striking that the ,bollandists have made of it the principal argument for defending the error in their manuscript 7#a ,cel41 #ge71 and insisting in the face of1 and against everything that ,francis had taken that journey4 ,a4 ,,ss41 #fjg4 #ae ,he died at ,cahors1 ,october #ca1 #abgb4 ,his legend is found in ,,ms4 ,riccardi1 #bgi1 fo4 #fi;a4 ,incipit vita f4 ,christophori quam compilavit fr4 ,bernardus de ,bessa custodiae ,caturcensis3 ,quasi vas auri solidum4 ,cf4 ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 ii41 pp4 #ajf-aac1 t4 iii41 p4 #bab1 and ,glassberger1 ,an4 fr41 t4 ii41 p4 #ad4 #af ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 t4 iii41 p4 #bbd2 ,conform41 #aah;b1 #a2 #ed;a2 ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 ii41 p4 #a--;,brother ,luke had been sent to ,constantinople1 in #abai1 at latest4 ,vide ,constitutus of ,december #i1 #abbj4 ,sbaralea1 ,bull4 fr41 t4 i41 p4 #f2 ,potthast1 #fdca4 #ag ,we owe to ,m4 ,mueller 7,anfaenge1 p4 #bjg7 the honor of this publication1 copied from a manuscript of the ,cottoniana4 #ah ,giord41 #h4 #ai #a ,cel41 #eg2 ,bon41 #acc-ach2 #aed and #aee2 #b ,cel41 #b1 #b2 ,conform41 #aac;b1 #b2 #aad;a1 #b2 ,spec41 #ee;b2 ,fior41 #bd4 #bj ,conform41 #aac;b1 #b2 cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #faa4 #ba #b ,cel41 #c1 #ib2 ,spec41 #cj;b4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aae4 ,conform41 #adb;b1 #a4 ,this incident may possibly have taken place on the return4 #bb ,with the facilities of that period the voyage required from twenty to thirty days4 ,the diarium of a similar passage may be found in ,huillard-,breholles1 ,hist4 ,dipl41 t4 i41 #hih-ija4 ,cf4 ,ibid41 ,introd41 p4 cccxxxi4 #bc #b ,cel41 #bb2 ,bon #aed1 #aee2 cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fab4 #bd ,jacques de ,vitry speaks only incidentally of ,francis here in the midst of salutations2 from the critical point of view this only enhances the value of his words4 ,see the ,study of the ,sources1 p4 #dbh4 #be ,vide below1 the ,study of the ,sources1 p4 #dcj4 #bf ,all this is related at length by ,jacques de ,vitry4 #bg ,cil hom qui comenca l'ordre des ,freres ,mineurs1 si ot nom frere ,francois 444 vint en l'ost de ,damiate1 e i fist moult de bien1 et demora tant que la ville fut prise4 ,il vit le mal et le peche qui comenca a croistre entre les gens de l'ost1 si li desplot1 par quoi il s'en parti1 e fu une piece en ,surie1 et puis s'en rala en son pais4 ,historiens des ,croisades1 ii4 ,l',est de ,eracles ,empereur1 liv4 xxxii41 chap4 xv4 ,cf4 ,sanuto2 ,secreta fid4 cruc41 lib4 iii41 p4 xi41 cap4 #h1 in ,bongars4 #bh ,giord41 ,chron41 #aa-ad4 #bi ,the episode of ,brother ,leonard's complaints1 related below1 gives some probability to this hypothesis4 #cj ,tribul41 ,laur4 ,,ms41 #i;b4 ,cf4 #aj;b3 ,sepulcro ,domini visitato festinat ad ,christianorum terram4 #ca ,upon this monastery see a letter ad familiares of ,jacques de ,vitry1 written in #abaf and published in #ahdg by ,baron ,jules de ,st4 ,genois in t4 xiii4 of the ,memoires de l',academie royale des sciences et des beaux arts de ,bruxelles 7#ahdi74 ,conform41 #ajf;b1 #b2 #aad;a1 #b2 ,spec41 #ahd4 #cb ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #fai-fbj1 #hdh1 #hea1 #fch4 #cc ,vide ,bull ,sacrosancta of ,december #i1 #abai4 ,cf4 those of ,september #ai1 #abbb2 ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #c1 #aa ff42 ,potthast1 #fagi1 #fhgi;a1 b1 c4 #cd ,vide ,potthast1 #faee1 #fagg1 #fahd1 #faii1 #fbad1 #fbag1 #fbah1 #fbbj1 #fbdf4 ,see also ,chartularium ,universitatis ,par41 t4 i41 #dhg4 #ce ,bull ,quia qui seminant of ,may #ab1 #abbj4 ,ripalli1 ,bul4 ,praed41 t4 i41 p4 #aj 7,potthast1 #fbdi74 #cf ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bc1 p4 #cgf4 ,this passage is of extreme importance because it sums up in a few lines the ecclesiastical policy of ,honorius ,,iii4 ,after speaking of the perils with which the ,humiliati threatened the ,church1 ,burchard adds3 ,quae volens corrigere dominus papa ordinem ,predicatorum instituit et confirmavit4 ,now these ,humiliati were an approved ,order4 ,but ,burchard1 while classing them with heretics beside the ,poor ,men of ,lyons1 expresses in a word the sentiments of the papacy toward them2 it had for them an invincible repugnance1 and not wishing to strike them directly it sought a side issue4 ,similar tactics were followed with regard to the ,brothers ,minor1 with that overplus of caution which the prodigious success of the ,order inspired4 ,it all became useless when in #abba ,brother ,elias became ,francis's vicar1 and especially when1 after the latter's death1 he had all the liberty necessary for directing the ,order according to the views of ,ugolini1 now become ,gregory ,,ix4 #cg #a ,cel41 #be2 cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eha4 ,pietro di ,catana had the title of doctor of laws1 ,giord41 #aa1 which entirely disagrees with what is related of ,brother ,pietro1 #c ,soc41 #bh and #bi4 ,cf4 ,bon41 #bh and #bi2 ,spec41 #e;b2 ,fior41 #b2 ,conform41 #dg2 #eb;b1 #b2 ,petrus vir litteratus erat et nobilis1 ,giord41 #ab4 #ch ,we know nothing more of him except that after his death he had the gift of miracles4 ,giord41 #aa2 ,conform41 #fb;a1 #a4 #ci ,he was not an ordinary man2 a remarkable administrator and orator 7,eccl41 #f71 he was minister in ,france before #abbd and again in #abdj1 thanks to the zeal with which he had adopted the ideas of ,brother ,elias4 ,he was nephew of ,gregory ,,ix41 which throws some light upon the practices which have just been described4 ,after having been swept away in ,elias's disgrace and condemned to prison for life1 he became in the end ,bishop of ,bayeux4 ,i note for those who take an interest in those things that manuscripts of two of his sermons may be found in the ,national ,library of ,paris4 ,the author of them being indicated simply as fr4 ,gr4 min41 it has only lately become known whose they were4 ,these sermons were preached in ,paris on ,holy ,thursday and ,saturday4 ,,ms4 new4 acq41 ,lat41 #cch fo #adh1 #aei4 #dj ,giord41 #aa4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #cd;b4 ,fior41 #d2 ,conform41 #ahd;a1 #a4 #da ,giord41 #ab4 ,cf4 ,bull ,sacrosancta of ,december #i1 #abai4 #db ,giord41 #ab4 ,ought we1 perhaps1 to read di ,campello8 ,half way between ,foligno and ,spoleto there is a place of this name4 ,on the other hand1 the #c ,soc41 #ce1 indicate the entrance into the ,order of a ,giovanni di ,capella who in the legend became the ,franciscan ,judas4 ,invenit abusum capelle et ab ipsa denominatus est3 ab ordine recedens factus leprosus laqueo ut ,judas se suspendit4 ,conform41 #ajd;a1 #a4 ,cf4 ,bernard de ,besse1 #if;a2 ,spec41 #b2 ,fior41 #a4 ,all this is much mixed up4 ,perhaps we should believe that ,giovanni di ,campello died shortly afterward1 and that later on1 when the stories of this troubled time were forgotten1 some ingenious ,brother explained the note of infamy attached to his memory by a hypothesis built upon his name itself4 #dc ,giord41 #ab1 #ac1 and #ad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,crisis ,,of ,,the ,,order#a ,autumn1 #abbj ,on his arrival in ,venice ,francis informed himself yet more exactly concerning all that had happened1 and convoked the chapter-general at ,portiuncula for ,michaelmas 7,september #bi1 #abbj74b ,his first care was doubtless to reassure his sister-friend at ,st4 ,damian2 a short fragment of a letter which has been preserved to us gives indication of the sad anxieties which filled his mind3 ,i1 little ,brother ,francis1 desire to follow the life and the poverty of ,jesus ,christ1 our most high ,lord1 and of his most holy ,mother1 persevering therein until the end2 and ,i beg you all and exhort you to persevere always in this most holy life and poverty1 and take good care never to depart from it upon the advice or teachings of any one whomsoever4#c ,a long shout of joy sounded up and down all ,italy when the news of his return was heard4 ,many zealous brethren were already despairing1 for persecutions had begun in many provinces2 so when they learned that their spiritual father was alive and coming again to visit them their joy was unbounded4 ,from ,venice ,francis went to ,bologna4 ,the journey was marked by an incident which once more shows his acute and wise goodness4 ,worn out as much by emotion as by fatigue1 he one day found himself obliged to give up finishing the journey on foot4 ,mounted upon an ass1 he was going on his way1 followed by ,brother ,leonard of ,assisi1 when a passing glance showed him what was passing in his companion's mind4 ,my relatives1 the friar was thinking1 would have been far enough from associating with ,bernardone1 and yet here am ,i1 obliged to follow his son on foot4 ,we may judge of his astonishment when he heard ,francis saying1 as he hastily dismounted from his beast3 ,here1 take my place2 it is most unseemly that thou shouldst follow me on foot1 who art of a noble and powerful lineage4 ,the unhappy ,leonard1 much confused1 threw himself at ,francis's feet1 begging for pardon4#d ,scarcely arrived at ,bologna1 ,francis was obliged to proceed against those who had become backsliders4 ,it will be remembered that the ,order was intended to possess nothing1 either directly or indirectly4 ,the monasteries given to the friars did not become their property2 so soon as the proprietor should desire to take them back or anyone else should wish to take possession of them1 they were to be given up without the least resistance2 but on drawing near to ,bologna he learned that a house was being built1 which was already called ,the house of the ,brothers4 ,he commanded its immediate evacuation1 not even excepting the sick who happened to be there4 ,the ,brothers then resorted to ,ugolini1 who was then in that very city for the consecration of ,santa ,maria di ,rheno4#e ,he explained to ,francis at length that this house did not belong to the ,order2 he had declared himself its proprietor by public acts2 and he succeeded in convincing him4#f ,bolognese piety prepared for ,francis an enthusiastic reception1 the echo of which has come down even to our times3 ,i was studying at ,bologna1 ,i1 ,thomas of ,spalato1 archdeacon in the cathedral church of that city1 when in the year #abbj1 the day of the ,assumption1 ,i saw ,st4 ,francis preaching on the piazza of the ,lesser ,palace1 before almost every man in the city4 ,the theme of his discourse was the following3 ,angels1 men1 the demons4 ,he spoke on all these subjects with so much wisdom and eloquence that many learned men who were there were filled with admiration at the words of so plain a man4 ,yet he had not the manner of a preacher1 his ways were rather those of conversation2 the substance of his discourse bore especially upon the abolition of enmities and the necessity of making peaceful alliances4 ,his apparel was poor1 his person in no respect imposing1 his face not at all handsome2 but ,god gave such great efficacy to his words that he brought back to peace and harmony many nobles whose savage fury had not even stopped short before the shedding of blood4 ,so great a devotion was felt for him that men and women flocked after him1 and he esteemed himself happy who succeeded in touching the hem of his garment4 ,was it at this time that the celebrated ,accurso the ,glossarist1#g chief of that famous dynasty of jurisconsults who during the whole thirteenth century shed lustre upon the ,university of ,bologna1 welcomed the ,brothers ,minor to his villa at ,ricardina1 near the city8#h ,we do not know4 ,it appears that another professor1 ,nicolas dei ,pepoli1 also entered the ,order4#i ,naturally the pupils did not lag behind1 and a certain number asked to receive the habit4 ,yet all this constituted a danger2 this city1 which in ,italy was as an altar consecrated to the science of law1 was destined to exercise upon the evolution of the ,order the same influence as ,paris2 the ,brothers ,minor could no more hold aloof from it than they could keep aloof from the ambient air4 ,this time ,francis remained here but a very short time4 ,an ancient tradition1 of which his biographers have not preserved any trace1 but which nevertheless appears to be entirely probable1 says that ,ugolini took him to pass a month in the ,camaldoli1 in the retreat formerly inhabited by ,st4 ,romuald in the midst of the ,casentino forest1 one of the noblest in ,europe1 within a few hours' walk of the ,verna1 whose summit rises up gigantic1 overlooking the whole country4 ,we know how much ,francis needed repose4 ,there is no doubt that he also longed for a period of meditation in order to decide carefully in advance upon his line of conduct1 in the midst of the dark conjectures which had called him home4 ,the desire to give him the much-needed rest was only a subordinate purpose with ,ugolini4 ,the moment for vigorous action appeared to him to have come4 ,we can easily picture his responses to ,francis's complaints4 ,had he not been seriously advised to profit by the counsels of the past1 by the experience of those founders of ,orders who have been not only saints but skilful leaders of men8 ,was not ,ugolini himself his best friend1 his born defender1 and yet had not ,francis forced him to lay aside the influence to which his love for the friars1 his position in the ,church1 and his great age gave him such just title8 ,yes1 he had been forced to leave ,francis to needlessly expose his disciples to all sorts of danger1 to send them on missions as perilous as they had proved to be ineffectual1 and all for what8 ,for the most trivial point of honor1 because the ,brothers ,minor were determined not to enjoy the smallest privileges4 ,they were not heretics1 but they disturbed the ,church as much as the heretics did4 ,how many times had he not been reminded that a great association1 in order to exist1 must have precise and detailed regulations8 ,it had all been labor lost6 ,of course ,francis's humility was doubted by no one1 but why not manifest it1 not only in costume and manner of living1 but in all his acts8 ,he thought himself obeying ,god in defending his own inspiration1 but does not the ,church speak in the name of ,god8 ,are not the words of her representatives the words of ,jesus forever perpetuated on earth8 ,he desired to be a man of the ,gospel1 an apostolic man1 but was not the best way of becoming such to obey the ,roman pontiff1 the successor of ,peter8 ,with an excess of condescension they had let him go on in his own way1 and the result was the saddest of lessons4 ,but the situation was not desperate1 there was still time to find a remedy2 to do that he had only to throw himself at the feet of the pope1 imploring his blessing1 his light1 and his counsel4 ,reproaches such as these1 mingled with professions of love and admiration on the part of the prelate1 could not but profoundly disturb a sensitive heart like that of ,francis4 ,his conscience bore him good witness1 but with the modesty of noble minds he was ready enough to think that he might have made many mistakes4 ,perhaps this is the place to ask what was the secret of the friendship of these two men1 so little known to one another on certain sides4 ,how could it last without a shadow down to the very death of ,francis1 when we always find ,ugolini the very soul of the group who are compromising the ,franciscan ideal8 ,no answer to this question is possible4 ,the same problem presents itself with regard to ,brother ,elias1 and we are no better able to find a satisfactory answer4 ,men of loving hearts seldom have a perfectly clear intelligence4 ,they often become fascinated by men the most different from themselves1 in whose breasts they feel none of those feminine weaknesses1 those strange dreams1 that almost sickly pity for creatures and things1 that mysterious thirst for pain which is at once their own happiness and their torment4 ,the sojourn at ,camaldoli was prolonged until the middle of ,september1 and it ended to the cardinal's satisfaction4 ,francis had decided to go directly to the pope1 then at ,orvieto1 with the request that ,ugolini should be given him as official protector intrusted with the direction of the ,order4 ,a dream which he had once had recurred to his memory2 he had seen a little black hen which1 in spite of her efforts1 was not able to spread her wings over her whole brood4 ,the poor hen was himself1 the chickens were the friars4 ,this dream was a providential indication commanding him to seek for them a mother under whose wings they could all find a place1 and who could defend them against the birds of prey4 ,at least so he thought4#aj ,he repaired to ,orvieto without taking ,assisi in his way1 since if he went there he would be obliged to take some measures against the fomentors of disturbance2 he now proposed to refer everything directly to the pope4 ,does his profound humility1 with the feeling of culpability which ,ugolini had awakened in him1 suffice to explain his attitude with regard to the pope1 or must we suppose that he had a vague thought of abdicating8 ,who knows whether conscience was not already murmuring a reproach1 and showing him how trivial were all the sophisms which had been woven around him8 ,not daring to present himself in the apartments of so great a prince1 he remained outside before the door1 patiently waiting till the pope should come out4 ,when he appeared ,st4 ,francis made a reverence and said3 ',father ,pope1 may ,god give you peace4' ',may ,god bless you1 my son1' replied he4 ',my lord1' then said ,st4 ,francis to him1 'you are great and often absorbed by great affairs2 poor friars cannot come and talk with you as often as they need to do2 you have given me many popes2 give me a single one to whom ,i may address myself when need occurs1 and who will listen in your stead1 and discuss my affairs and those of the ,order4' ',whom do you wish ,i should give you1 my son8' ',the ,bishop of ,ostia4' ,and he gave him to him4#aa ,conferences with ,ugolini now began again2 he immediately accorded ,francis some amends2 the privilege granted the ,clarisses was revoked2 ,giovanni di ,conpello was informed that he had nothing to hope from the curia1 and last of all leave was given to ,francis himself to compose the ,rule of his ,order4 ,naturally he was not spared counsel on the subject1 but there was one point upon which the curia could not brook delay1 and of which it exacted the immediate application--the obligation of a year's novitiate for the postulants4 ,at the same time a bull was issued not merely for the sake of publishing this ordinance1 but especially to mark in a solemn manner the commencement of a new era in the relations of the ,church and the ,franciscans4 ,the fraternity of the ,umbrian ,penitents became an ,order in the strictest sense of the word4 ,honorius1 bishop1 servant of the servants of ,god1 to ,brother ,francis and the other priors or custodes of the ,brothers ,minor1 greeting and the apostolic benediction4 ,in nearly all religious ,orders it has been wisely ordained that those who present themselves with the purpose of observing the regular life shall make trial of it for a certain time1 during which they also shall be tested1 in order to leave neither place nor pretext for inconsiderate steps4 ,for these reasons we command you by these presents to admit no one to make profession until after one year of novitiate2 we forbid that after profession any brother shall leave the ,order1 and that any one shall take back again him who has gone out from it4 ,we also forbid that those wearing your habit shall circulate here and there without obedience1 lest the purity of your poverty be corrupted4 ,if any friars have had this audacity1 you will inflict upon them ecclesiastical censures until repentance4#ab ,it is surely only by a very decided euphemism that such a bull can be considered in the light of a privilege4 ,it was in reality the laying of the strong hand of the papacy upon the ,brothers ,minor4 ,from this time1 in the very nature of things it became impossible for ,francis to remain minister-general4 ,he felt it himself4 ,heart-broken1 soul-sick1 he would fain1 in spite of all1 have found in the energy of his love those words1 those glances which up to this time had taken the place of rule or constitution1 giving to his earliest companions the intuition of what they ought to do and the strength to accomplish it2 but an administrator was needed at the head of this family which he suddenly found to be so different from what it had been a few years before1 and he sadly acknowledged that he himself was not in the slightest degree such a person4#ac ,ah1 in his own conscience he well knew that the old ideal was the true1 the right one2 but he drove away such thoughts as the temptations of pride4 ,the recent events had not taken place without in some degree weakening his moral personality2 from being continually talked to about obedience1 submission1 humility1 a certain obscurity had come over this luminous soul2 inspiration no longer came to it with the certainty of other days2 the prophet had begun to waver1 almost to doubt of himself and of his mission4 ,anxiously he searched himself to see if in the beginning of his work there had not been some vain self-complacency4 ,he pictured to himself beforehand the chapter which he was about to open1 the attack1 the criticisms of which it would be the object1 and labored to convince himself that if he did not endure them with joy he was not a true ,brother ,minor4#ad ,the noblest virtues are subject to scruples1 that of perfect humility more than any other1 and thus it is that excellent men religiously betray their own convictions to avoid asserting themselves4 ,he resolved then to put the direction of the ,order into the hands of ,pietro di ,catana4 ,it is evident that there was nothing spontaneous in this decision1 and the fact that this brother was a doctor of laws and belonged to the nobility squarely argues the transformation of the ,franciscan institute4 ,it is not known whether or not ,ugolini was present at the chapter of ,september #bi1 #abbj1 but if he was not there in person he was assuredly represented by some prelate1 charged to watch over the debates4#ae ,the bull which had been issued a week before was communicated to the friars1 to whom ,francis also announced that he was about to elaborate a new ,rule4 ,with reference to this matter there were conferences in which the ministers alone appear to have had a deliberative voice4 ,at these conferences the essential points of the new ,rule were settled as to principle1 leaving to ,francis the care of giving them proper form at his leisure4 ,nothing better reveals the demoralized state into which he had fallen than the decision which was taken to drop out one of the essential passages of the old ,rule1 one of his three fundamental precepts1 that which began with these words1 ,carry nothing with you4#af ,how did they go to work to obtain from ,francis this concession which1 a little while before1 he would have looked upon as a denial of his call1 a refusal to accept in its integrity the message which ,jesus had addressed to him8 ,it is the secret of history1 but we may suppose there was in his life at this time one of those moral tempests which overbear the faculties of the strongest1 leaving in their wounded hearts only an unutterable pain4 ,something of this pain has passed into the touching narrative of his abdication which the biographers have given us4 ,from henceforth1 he said to the friars1 ,i am dead for you1 but here is ,brother ,pietro di ,catana1 whom you and ,i will all obey4 ,and prostrating himself before him he promised him obedience and submission4 ,the friars could not restrain their tears and lamentations when they saw themselves thus becoming in some sort orphans1 but ,francis arose1 and1 clasping his hands1 with eyes upraised to heaven3 ,lord1 he said1 ,i return to thee this family which thou hast confided to me4 ,now1 as thou knowest1 most sweet ,jesus1 ,i have no longer strength nor ability to keep on caring for them2 ,i confide them1 therefore1 to the ministers4 ,may they be responsible before thee at the day of judgment if any brother1 by their negligence or bad example1 or by a too severe discipline1 should ever wander away4#ag ,the functions of ,pietro di ,catana were destined to continue but a very short time2 he died on ,march #aj1 #abba4ah ,information abounds as to this period of a few months2 nothing is more natural1 since ,francis remained at ,portiuncula to complete the task confided to him1 living there surrounded with brethren who later on would recall to mind all the incidents of which they were witnesses4 ,some of them reveal the conflict of which his soul was the arena4 ,desirous of showing himself submissive1 he nevertheless found himself tormented by the desire to shake off his chains and fly away as in former days1 to live and breathe in ,god alone4 ,the following artless record deserves1 it seems to me1 to be better known4#ai ,one day a novice who could read the psalter1 though not without difficulty1 obtained from the minister general--that is to say1 from the vicar of ,st4 ,francis--permission to have one4 ,but as he had learned that ,st4 ,francis desired the brethren to be covetous neither for learning nor for books1 he would not take his psalter without his consent4 ,so1 ,st4 ,francis having come to the monastery where the novice was1 ,father1 said he1 it would be a great consolation to have a psalter2 but though the minister-general has authorized me to get it1 ,i would not have it unknown to you4 ,look at the ,emperor ,charles1 replied ,st4 ,francis with fire1 ,roland1 and ,oliver and all the paladins1 valorous heroes and gallant knights1 who gained their famous victories in fighting infidels1 in toiling and laboring even unto death6 ,the holy martyrs1 they also have chosen to die in the midst of battle for the faith of ,christ6 ,but now there are many of those who aspire to merit honor and glory simply by relating their feats4 ,yes1 among us also there are many who expect to receive glory and honor by reciting and preaching the works of the saints1 as if they had done them themselves6 444 ,a few days after1 ,st4 ,francis was sitting before the fire1 and the novice drew near to speak to him anew about his psalter4 ,when you have your psalter1 said ,francis to him1 you will want a breviary1 and when you have a breviary you will seat yourself in a pulpit like a great prelate and will beckon to your companion1 ',bring me my breviary6' ,st4 ,francis said this with great vivacity1 then taking up some ashes he scattered them over the head of the novice1 repeating1 ,there is the breviary1 there is the breviary6 ,several days after1 ,st4 ,francis being at ,portiuncula and walking up and down on the roadside not far from his cell1 the same ,brother came again to speak to him about his psalter4 ,very well1 go on1 said ,francis to him1 you have only to do what your minister tells you4 ,at these words the novice went away1 but ,francis began to reflect on what he had said1 and suddenly calling to the friar1 he cried1 ,wait for me6 wait for me6 ,when he had caught up to him1 ,retrace your steps a little way4 ,i beg you1 he said4 ,where was ,i when ,i told you to do whatever your minister told you as to the psalter8 ,then falling upon his knees on the spot pointed out by the friar1 he prostrated himself at his feet3 ,pardon1 my brother1 pardon6 he cried1 for he who would be ,brother ,minor ought to have nothing but his clothing4 ,this long story is not merely precious because it shows us1 even to the smallest particular1 the conflict between the ,francis of the early years1 looking only to ,god and his conscience1 and the ,francis of #abbj1 become a submissive monk in an ,order approved by the ,roman ,church1 but also because it is one of those infrequent narratives where his method shows itself with its artless realism4 ,these allusions to the tales of chivalry1 and this freedom of manner which made a part of his success with the masses1 were eliminated from the legend with an incredible rapidity4 ,his spiritual sons were perhaps not ashamed of their father in this matter1 but they were so bent upon bringing out his other qualities that they forgot a little too much the poet1 the troubadour1 the joculator ,domini4 ,certain fragments1 later than ,thomas of ,celano by more than a century1 which relate some incidents of this kind1 bear for that very reason the stamp of authenticity4 ,it is difficult enough to ascertain precisely what part ,francis still took in the direction of the ,order4 ,pietro di ,catana and later ,brother ,elias are sometimes called ministers-general1 sometimes vicars2 the two terms often occur successively1 as in the preceding narrative4 ,it is very probable that this confusion of terms corresponds to a like confusion of facts4 ,perhaps it was even intentional4 ,after the chapter of ,september1 #abbj1 the affairs of the ,order pass into the hands of him whom ,francis had called minister-general1 though the friars as well as the papacy gave him only the title of vicar4 ,it was essential for the popularity of the ,brothers ,minor that ,francis should preserve an appearance of authority1 but the reality of government had slipped from his hands4 ,the ideal which he had borne in his body until #abji and had then given birth to in anguish1 was now taking its flight1 like those sons of our loins whom we see suddenly leaving us without our being able to help it1 since that is life1 yet not without a rending of our vitals4 ,mater dolorosa6 ,ah1 no doubt they will come back again1 and seat themselves piously beside us at the paternal hearth2 perhaps even1 in some hour of moral distress1 they will feel the need of taking refuge in their mother's arms as in the old days2 but these fleeting returns1 with their feverish haste1 only reopen the wounds of the poor parents1 when they see how the children hasten to depart again--they who bear their name but belong to them no longer4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,giord41 #ad2 ,tribul41 fo #aj4 #b ,any other date is impossible1 since ,francis in open chapter relinquished the direction of the ,order in favor of ,pietro di ,catana1 who died ,march #aj1 #abba4 #c ,this too short fragment is found in ,sec4 vi4 of the ,rule of the ,damianites 7,august #i1 #abec73 ,speculum1 ,morin1 ,tract4 iii41 #bbf;b4 #d #b ,cel41 #b1 #c2 ,bon41 #afb2 cf4 ,conform41 #ahd;b1 #b1 and #fb;b1 #a4 #e ,sigonius1 ,opera1 t4 iii4 col4 #bbj2 cf4 ,potthast1 #eeaf1 and #fjhf4 #f #b ,cel41 #c1 #d2 ,spec41 #aa;a2 ,tribul41 #ac;a2 ,conform41 #afi;b1 #b4 #g ,died in #abbi4 ,cf4 ,mazzetti1 ,repertorio di tutti i professori di ,bologna1 ,bologna1 #ahdg1 p4 #aa4 #h ,see ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bh1 p4 #fce1 and the notes4 #i ,wadding1 ann4 #abbj1 no4 #i4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hbc4 #aj #b ,cel41 #a1 #af2 ,spec41 #ajj;a-#aja;b4 #aa ,giord41 #ad2 cf4 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ag2 ,spec41 #ajb2 #c ,soc41 #ef and #fc4 #ab ,cum secundum4 ,the original is at ,assisi with ,datum apud ,urbem ,veterem ,x4 ,kal4 ,oct4 pont4 nostri anno quinto 7,september #bb1 #abbj74 ,it is therefore by an error that ,sbaralea and ,wadding make it date from ,viterbo1 which is the less explicable that all the bulls of this epoch are dated from ,orvieto4 ,wadding1 ann4 #abbj1 #eg2 ,sbaralea1 vol4 i41 p4 #f2 ,potthast1 #fefa4 #ac #b ,cel41 #c1 #aah2 ,ubertin1 ,arbor4 ,v41 #b2 ,spec41 #bf2 #ej2 #acj;b2 ,conform41 #acf;a1 #b2 #adc;a1 #b4 #ad #b ,cel41 #c1 #hc2 ,bon4 #gg4 ,one should read this account in the ,conform4 according to the ,antigua ,legenda1 #adb;a1 #b2 #ca;a1 #a2 ,spec4 #dc;b4 #ae ,tribul4 ,laur4 ,,ms41 #ab;b2 ,magl4 ,,ms41 #ga;b4 #af ,luke1 ix41 #a-f4 ,tribul41 #ab;b3 ,et fecerunt de regula prima ministri removere4444 ,this must have taken place at the chapter of ,september #bi1 #abbj1 since the suppression is made in the ,rule of #abba4 #ag #b ,cel41 #c1 #ha2 ,spec41 #bf2 ,conform41 #age;b1 #a2 #ec;a2 ,bon41 #gf2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fbj4 #ah ,the epitaph on his tomb1 which still exists at ,s4 ,m4 dei ,angeli bears this date3 see ,portiuncula1 von ,p4 ,barnabas aus dem ,elsass1 ,rixheim1 #ahhd1 p4 #aa4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fcj4 #ai ,spec41 #i;b2 ,arbor4 ,v41 #c2 ,conform41 #agj;a1 #a2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abd4 ,cf4 ,ubertini1 ,archiv41 iii41 pp4 #ge and #agg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,the ,,rule ,,of #abbaa ,the winter of #abbj-abba was spent by ,francis chiefly in fixing his thought by writing4 ,until now he had been too much the man of action to have been able to give much thought to anything but the living word1 but from this time his exhausted forces compelled him to satisfy his longing for souls by some other means than evangelizing tours4 ,we have seen that the chapter of ,september #bi1 #abbj1 on one side1 and the bull ,cum secundum on the other1 had fixed in advance a certain number of points4 ,for the rest1 complete liberty had been given him1 not indeed to make a final and unchangeable statement of his ideas1 but to set them forth4 ,the substance of legislative power had passed into the hands of the ministers4#b ,that which we call the ,rule of #abba is1 then1 nothing more than a proposed law1 submitted to a representative government at its parliament4 ,the head of authority will one day give it to the world1 so thoroughly modified and altered that ,francis's name at the head of such a document will give but small promise1 and quite indirectly1 that it will contain his personal opinion4 ,never was man less capable of making a ,rule than ,francis4 ,in reality1 that of #abaj and the one which the pope solemnly approved in ,november #bi1 #abbc1 had little in common except the name4 ,in the former all is alive1 free1 spontaneous2 it is a point of departure1 an inspiration2 it may be summed up in two phrases3 the appeal of ,jesus to man1 ,come1 follow me1 the act of man1 ,he left all and followed him4 ,to the call of divine love man replies by the joyful gift of himself1 and that quite naturally1 by a sort of instinct4 ,at this height of mysticism any regulation is not only useless1 it is almost a profanation2 at the very least it is the symptom of a doubt4 ,even in earthly loves1 when people truly love each other nothing is asked1 nothing promised4 ,the ,rule of #abbc1 on the other hand1 is a reciprocal contract4 ,on the divine side the call has become a command2 on the human1 the free impulse of love has become an act of submission1 by which life eternal will be earned4 ,at the bottom of it all is the antinome of law and love4 ,under the reign of law we are the mercenaries of ,god1 bound down to an irksome task1 but paid a hundred-fold1 and with an indisputable right to our wages4 ,under the rule of love we are the sons of ,god1 and coworkers with him2 we give ourselves to him without bargaining and without expectation2 we follow ,jesus1 not because this is well1 but because we can do no otherwise1 because we feel that he has loved us and we love him in our turn4 ,an inward flame draws us irresistibly toward him3 ,et ,spiritus et ,sponsa dicunt3 ,veni4 ,it is necessary to dwell a little on the antithesis between these two ,rules4 ,that of #abaj alone is truly ,franciscan2 that of #abbc is indirectly the work of the ,church1 endeavoring to assimilate with herself the new movement1 which with one touch she transforms and turns wholly from its original purpose4 ,that of #abba marks an intermediate stage4 ,it is the clash of two principles1 or rather of two spirits2 they approach1 they touch1 but they are not merged in one another2 here and there is a mixture1 but nowhere combination2 we can separate the divers elements without difficulty4 ,their condition is the exact reflection of what was going on in ,francis's soul1 and of the rapid evolution of the ,order4 ,to aid him in his work ,francis joined to himself ,brother ,caesar of ,speyer1 who would be especially useful to him by his profound acquaintance with the sacred texts4 ,what strikes us first1 on glancing over this ,rule of #abba1 is its extraordinary length2 it covers not less than ten folio pages1 while that of #abbc has no more than three4 ,take away from it the passages which emanate from the papacy and those which were fixed at the previous chapter1 you will hardly have shortened it by a column2 what remains is not a ,rule1 but a series of impassioned appeals1 in which the father's heart speaks1 not to command but to convince1 to touch1 to awaken in his children the instinct of love4 ,it is all chaotic and even contradictory1#c without order1 a medley of outbursts of joy and bitter sobs1 of hopes and regrets4 ,there are passages in which the passion of the soul speaks in every possible tone1 runs over the whole gamut from the softest note to the most masculine1 from those which are as joyous and inspiring as the blast of a clarion1 to those which are agitated1 stifled1 like a voice from beyond the tomb4 ,by the holy love which is in ,god1 ,i pray all the friars1 ministers as well as others1 to put aside every obstacle1 every care1 every anxiety1 that they may be able to consecrate themselves entirely to serve1 love1 and honor the ,lord ,god1 with a pure heart and a sincere purpose1 which is what he asks above all things4 ,let us have always in ourselves a tabernacle and a home for him who is the ,lord ,god most mighty1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 who says1 ',watch and pray always1 that you may be found worthy to escape all the things which will come to pass1 and to appear upright before the ,son of man4' ,let us then keep in the true way1 the life1 the truth1 and the holy ,gospel of ,him who has deigned for our sake to leave his ,father that he may manifest his name to us1 saying1 ',father1 ,i have manifested thy name to those whom thou hast given me1 and the words which thou hast given me ,i have given also unto them4 ,they have received them1 and they have known that ,i am come from thee1 and they believe that thou hast sent me4 ,i pray for them2 ,i pray not for the world1 but for those whom thou hast given me1 that they may be one as we are one4 ,i have said these things1 being still in the world1 that they may have joy in themselves4 ,i have given them thy words1 and the world hath hated them1 because they are not of the world4 ,i pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world1 but that thou wilt keep them from the evil4 ,sanctify them through the truth2 thy word is truth4 ,as thou hast sent me into the world ,i have also sent them into the world1 and for their sake ,i sanctify myself that they may themselves be sanctified in the truth2 and neither pray ,i for these alone1 but for all those who shall believe on me through their words1 that we all may be one1 and that the world may know that thou hast sent me1 and that thou lovest them as thou hast loved me4 ,i have made known unto them thy name1 that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and ,i in them4' ,,prayer4 ,almighty1 most high and sovereign ,god1 holy ,father1 righteous ,lord1 ,king of heaven and earth1 we give thee thanks for thine own sake1 in that by thy holy will1 and by thine only ,son and thy ,holy ,spirit thou hast created all things spiritual and corporeal1 and that after having made us in thine image and after thy likeness1 thou didst place us in that paradise which we lost by our sin4 ,and we give thee thanks because after having created us by thy ,son1 by that love which is thine1 and which thou hast had for us1 thou hast made him to be born very ,god and very man of the glorious and blessed ,mary1 ever ,virgin1 and because by his cross1 his blood1 and his death thou hast willed to ransom us poor captives4 ,and we give thee thanks that thy ,son is to return in his glorious majesty to send to eternal fire the accursed ones1 those who have not repented and have not known thee2 and to say to those who have known and adored thee and served thee by repentance1 ',come1 ye blessed of my ,father1 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from before the foundation of the world4' ,and since we1 wretched and sinful1 are not worthy to name thee1 we humbly ask our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 thy well-beloved ,son1 in whom thou art well pleased1 that he may give thee thanks for everything2 and also the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,paraclete1 as it may please thee and them2 for this we supplicate him who has all power with thee1 and by whom thou hast done such great things for us4 ,alleluia4 ,and we pray the glorious ,mother1 the blessed ,mary1 ever ,virgin1 ,st4 ,michael1 ,gabriel1 ,raphael1 and all the choir of blessed ,spirits1 ,seraphim1 ,cherubim1 ,thrones1 ,dominions1 ,principalities and ,powers1 ,virtues and ,angels1 ,archangels1 ,john the ,baptist1 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,peter1 ,paul1 and the holy ,patriarchs1 the ,prophets1 the ,holy ,innocents1 ,apostles1 ,evangelists1 ,disciples1 ,martyrs1 ,confessors1 ,virgins1 the blessed ones1 ,elijah and ,enoch1 and all the saints who have been1 shall be1 and are1 we humbly pray them by thy love to give thee thanks for these things1 as it pleases thee1 sovereign1 true1 eternal and living ,god1 and also to thy ,son1 our most holy ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and to the ,holy ,spirit1 the ,comforter1 forever and ever4 ,amen4 ,alleluia4 ,and we supplicate all those who desire to serve the ,lord ,god1 in the bosom of the ,catholic and ,apostolic ,church1 all priests1 deacons1 sub-deacons1 acolytes and exorcists1 readers1 porters1 all clerks1 all monks and nuns1 all children and little ones1 paupers and exiles1 kings1 and princes1 workmen and laborers1 servants and masters1 the virgins1 the continent and the married1 laics1 men and women1 all children1 youths1 young men and old men1 the sick and the well1 the small and the great1 the peoples of every tribe and tongue and nation1 all men in every part of the world whatsoever1 who are or who shall be1 we pray and beseech them1 all we ,brothers ,minor1 unprofitable servants1 that all together1 with one accord we persevere in the true faith and in penitence1 for outside of these no person can be saved4 ,let us all1 with all our heart and all our thought1 and all our strength1 and all our mind1 with all our vigor1 with all our effort1 with all our affection1 with all our inward powers1 our desires1 and our wills1 love the ,lord ,god1 who has given to us all his body1 all his soul1 all his life1 and still gives them every day to each one of us4 ,he created us1 he saved us by his grace alone2 he has been1 he still is1 full of goodness to us1 us wicked and worthless1 corrupt and offensive1 ungrateful1 ignorant1 bad4 ,we desire nothing else1 we wish for nothing else2 may nothing else please us1 or have any attraction for us1 except the ,creator1 the ,redeemer1 the ,saviour1 sole and true ,god1 who is full of goodness1 who is all goodness1 who is the true and supreme good1 who alone is kind1 pious1 and merciful1 gracious1 sweet1 and gentle1 who alone is holy1 righteous1 true1 upright1 who alone has benignity1 innocence1 and purity2 of whom1 by whom1 and in whom is all the pardon1 all the grace1 all the glory of all penitents1 of all the righteous and all the saints who are rejoicing in heaven4 ,then let nothing again hinder1 let nothing again separate1 nothing again retard us1 and may we all1 so long as we live1 in every place1 at every hour1 at every time1 every day and unceasingly1 truly and humbly believe4 ,let us have in our hearts1 let us love1 adore1 serve1 praise1 bless1 glorify1 exalt1 magnify1 thank the most high1 sovereign1 eternal ,god1 ,trinity and ,unity1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit1 ,creator of all men1 both of those who believe and hope in him and of those who love him4 ,he is without beginning and without end1 immutable and invisible1 ineffable1 incomprehensible1 indiscernible1 blessed1 lauded1 glorious1 exalted1 sublime1 most high1 sweet1 lovely1 delectable1 and always worthy of being desired above all things1 in all the ages of ages4 ,amen4 ,have not these artless repetitions a mysterious charm which steals deliciously into the very depths of the heart8 ,is there not in them a sort of sacrament of which the words are only the rude vehicle8 ,francis is taking refuge in ,god1 as the child throws itself upon its mother's bosom1 and in the incoherence of its weakness and its joy stammers out all the words it knows1 repeating by them all only the eternal ,i am thine of love and faith4 ,there is in them also something which recalls1 not only by citations1 but still more by the very inspiration of the thought1 that which we call the sacerdotal prayer of ,christ4 ,the apostle of poverty appears here as if suspended between earth and heaven by the very strength of his love1 consecrated the priest of a new worship by the inward and irresistible unction of the ,spirit4 ,he does not offer sacrifice like the priest of the past time2 he sacrifices himself1 and carries in his body all the woes of humanity4 ,the more beautiful are these words from the mystical point of view1 the less do they correspond with what is expected in a ,rule2 they have neither the precision nor the brief and imperative forms of one4 ,the transformations which they were to undergo in order to become the code of #abbc were therefore fatal when we consider the definitive intervention of the ,church of ,rome to direct the ,franciscan movement4 ,it is probable that this rough draft of a ,rule1 such as we have it now1 is that which was distributed in the chapter of ,whitsunday1 #abba4 ,the variants1 sometimes capital1 which are found in the different texts1 can be nothing other than outlines of the corrections proposed by the provincial ministers4 ,once admit the idea of considering this document as a rough draft1 we are very soon brought to think that it had already undergone a rapid preliminary revision1 a sort of pruning1 in which ecclesiastical authority has caused to disappear all that was in flagrant contradiction with its own projects for the ,order4 ,if it is asked1 who could have made these curtailments1 one name springs at once to our lips--,ugolini4 ,he criticised its exaggerated proportions1 its want of unity and precision4 ,later on it is related that ,francis had seen in a dream a multitude of starving friars1 and himself unable to satisfy their wants1 because though all around him lay innumerable crumbs of bread1 they disappeared between his fingers when he would give them to those about him4 ,then a voice from heaven said to him3 ,francis1 make of these crumbs a wafer2 with that thou shalt feed these starving ones4 ,there is little hazard in assuming that this is the picturesque echo of the conferences which took place at this time between ,francis and the cardinal2 the latter might have suggested to him by such a comparison the essential defects of his project4 ,all this1 no doubt1 took place during ,francis's stay in ,rome1 in the beginning of #abba4d ,before going there1 we must cast a glance over the similarity in inspiration and even in style which allies the ,rule of #abba with another of ,st4 ,francis's works1 that which is known under the title of ,the ,admonitions4#e ,this is a series of spiritual counsels with regard to the religious life2 it is closely united both in matter and form with the work which we have just examined4 ,the tone of voice is so perfectly the same that one is tempted to see in it parts of the original draft of the ,rule1 separated from it as too prolix to find place in a ,rule4 ,however it may be with this hypothesis1 we find in ,the ,admonitions all the anxieties with which the soul of ,francis was assailed in this uncertain and troubled hour4 ,some of these counsels sound like bits from a private journal4 ,we see him seeking1 with the simplicity of perfect humility1 for reasons for submitting himself1 renouncing his ideas1 and not quite succeeding in finding them4 ,he repeats to himself the exhortations that others had given him2 we feel the effort to understand and admire the ideal monk whom ,ugolini and the ,church have proposed to him for an example3 ,the ,lord says in the ,gospels3 ,he who does not give up all that he has cannot be my disciple4 ,and he who would save his life shall lose it4 ,one gives up all he possesses and loses his life when life gives himself entirely into the hands of his superior1 to obey him4444 ,and when the inferior sees things which would be better or more useful to his soul than those which the superior commands him1 let him offer to ,god the sacrifice of his will4 ,reading this one might think that ,francis was about to join the ranks of those to whom submission to ecclesiastical authority is the very essence of religion4 ,but no2 even here his true feeling is not wholly effaced1 he mingles his words with parentheses and illustrations1 timid1 indeed1 but revealing his deepest thought2 always ending by enthroning the individual conscience as judge of last resort4#f ,all this shows clearly enough that we must picture to ourselves moments when his wounded soul sighs after passive obedience1 the formula of which1 perinde ac cadaver1 goes apparently much farther back than the ,company of ,jesus4 ,these were moments of exhaustion1 when inspiration was silent4 ,one day he was sitting with his companions1 when he began to groan and say3 ,there is hardly a monk upon earth who perfectly obeys his superior4 ,his companions1 much astonished1 said3 ,explain to us1 father1 what is perfect and supreme obedience4 ,then1 comparing him who obeys to a corpse1 he replied3 ,take a dead body1 and put it where you will1 it will make no resistance2 when it is in one place it will not murmur1 when you take it away from there it will not object2 put it in a pulpit1 it will not look up but down2 wrap it in purple1 it will only be doubly pale4#g ,this longing for corpse-like obedience witnesses to the ravages with which his soul had been laid waste2 it corresponds in the moral domain to the cry for annihilation of great physical anguish4 ,the worst was that he was absolutely alone4 ,everywhere else the ,franciscan obedience is living1 active1 joyful4#h ,he drank this cup to the very dregs1 holding sacred the revolts dictated by conscience4 ,one day in the later years of his life a ,german friar came to see him1 and after having long discussed with him pure obedience3 ,i ask you one favor1 he said to him1 it is that if the ,brothers ever come to live no longer according to the ,rule you will permit me to separate myself from them1 alone or with a few others1 to observe it in its completeness4 ,at these words ,francis felt a great joy4 ,know1 said he1 that ,christ as well as ,i authorize what you have just been asking2 and laying hands upon him1 ,thou art a priest forever1 he added1 after the order of ,melchisedec4#i ,we have a yet more touching proof of his solicitude to safeguard the spiritual independence of his disciples3 it is a note to ,brother ,leo4#aj ,the latter1 much alarmed by the new spirit which was gaining power in the ,order1 opened his mind thereupon to his master1 and doubtless asked of him pretty much the same permission as the friar from ,germany4 ,after an interview in which he replied viva voce1 ,francis1 not to leave any sort of doubt or hesitation in the mind of him whom he surnamed his little sheep of ,god1 pecorella di ,dio1 wrote to him again3 ,brother ,leo1 thy brother ,francis wishes thee peace and health4 ,i reply yes1 my son1 as a mother to her child4 ,this word sums up all we said while walking1 as well as all my counsels4 ,if thou hast need to come to me for counsel1 it is my wish that thou shouldst do it4 ,whatever may be the manner in which thou thinkest thou canst please the ,lord ,god1 follow it1 and live in poverty4 ,do this 7faites le#aa71 ,god will bless thee and ,i authorize it4 ,and if it were necessary for thy soul1 or for thy consolation that thou shouldst come to see me1 or if thou desirest it1 my ,leo1 come4 ,thine in ,christ4 ,surely we are far enough here from the corpse of a few pages back4 ,it would be superfluous to pause over the other admonitions4 ,for the most part they are reflections inspired by circumstances4 ,counsels as to humility recur with a frequency which explains both the personal anxieties of the author1 and the necessity of reminding the brothers of the very essence of their profession4 ,the sojourn of ,st4 ,francis at ,rome1 whither he went in the early months of #abba1 to lay his plan before ,ugolini1 was marked by a new effort of the latter to bring him and ,st4 ,dominic together4#ab ,the cardinal was at this time at the apogee of his success4 ,everything had gone well with him4 ,his voice was all powerful not only in affairs of the ,church1 but also in those of the ,empire4 ,frederic ,,ii41 who seemed to be groping his way1 and in whose mind were germinating dreams of religious reformation1 and the desire of placing his power at the service of the truth1 treated him as a friend1 and spoke of him with unbounded admiration4#ac ,in his reflections upon the remedies to be applied to the woes of ,christianity1 the cardinal came at last to think that one of the most efficacious would be the substitution of bishops taken from the two new ,orders1 for the feudal episcopate almost always recruited from local families in which ecclesiastical dignities were1 so to speak1 hereditary4 ,in the eyes of ,ugolini such bishops were usually wanting in two essential qualities of a good prelate3 religious zeal and zeal for the ,church4 ,he believed that the ,preaching and the ,minor ,friars would not only possess those virtues which were lacking in the others1 but that in the hands of the papacy they might become a highly centralized hierarchy1 truly catholic1 wholly devoted to the interests of the ,church at large4 ,the difficulties which might occur on the part of the chapters which should elect the bishops1 as well as on the side of the high secular clergy1 would be put to flight by the enthusiasm which the people would feel for pastors whose poverty would recall the days of the primitive ,church4 ,at the close of his interviews with ,francis and ,dominic1 he communicated to them some of these thoughts1 asking their advice as to the elevation of their friars to prelatures4 ,there was a pious contest between the two saints as to which should answer first4 ,finally1 ,dominic said simply that he should prefer to see his companions remain as they were4 ,in his turn1 ,francis showed that the very name of his institute made the thing impossible4 ,if my friars have been called ,minores1 he said1 it is not that they may become ,majores4 ,if you desire that they become fruitful in the ,church of ,god1 leave them alone1 and keep them in the estate into which ,god has called them4 ,i pray you1 father1 do not so act that their poverty shall become a motive for pride1 nor elevate them to prelatures which would move them to insolence toward others4#ad ,the ecclesiastical policy followed by the popes was destined to render this counsel of the two founders wholly useless4#ae ,francis and ,dominic parted1 never again to meet4 ,the ,master of the ,preaching ,friars shortly after set out for ,bologna1 where he died on ,august #fth following1 and ,francis returned to ,portiuncula1 where ,pietro di ,catana had just died 7,march #aj1 #abba74 ,he was replaced at the head of the ,order by ,brother ,elias4 ,ugolini was doubtless not without influence in this choice4 ,detained by his functions of legate1 he could not be present at the ,whitsunday chapter 7,may #cj1 #abba74af ,he was represented there by ,cardinal ,reynerio1#ag who came accompanied by several bishops and by monks of various orders4#ah ,about three thousand friars were there assembled1 but so great was the eagerness of the people of the neighborhood to bring provisions1 that after a session of seven days they were obliged to remain two days longer to eat up all that had been brought4 ,the sessions were presided over by ,brother ,elias1 ,francis sitting at his feet and pulling at his robe when there was anything that he wished to have put before the ,brothers4 ,brother ,giordani di ,giano1 who was present1 has preserved for us all these details and that of the setting out of a group of friars for ,germany4 ,they were placed under the direction of ,caesar of ,speyer1 whose mission succeeded beyond all expectation4 ,eighteen months after1 when he returned to ,italy1 consumed with the desire to see ,st4 ,francis again1 the cities of ,wurzburg1 ,mayence1 ,worms1 ,speyer1 ,strasburg1 ,cologne1 ,salzburg1 and ,ratisbon had become ,franciscan centres1 from whence the new ideas were radiating into all ,southern ,germany4 ,the foundation of the ,tertiaries1 or ,third ,order1 generally in the oldest documents called ,brotherhood of ,penitence1 is usually fixed as occurring in the year #abba2 but we have already seen that this date is much too recent1 or rather that it is impossible to fix any date1 for what was later called1 quite arbitrarily1 the ,third ,order is evidently contemporary with the ,first4#ai ,francis and his companions desired to be the apostles of their time2 but they1 no more than the apostles of ,jesus1 desired to have all men enter their association1 which was necessarily somewhat restricted1 and which1 according to the gospel saying1 was meant to be the leaven of the rest of humanity4 ,in consequence1 their life was literally the apostolic life1 but the ideal which they preached was the evangelical life1 such as ,jesus had preached it4 ,st4 ,francis no more condemned the family or property than ,jesus did2 he simply saw in them ties from which the apostle1 and the apostle alone1 needs to be free4 ,if before long sickly minds fancied that they interpreted his thought in making the union of the sexes an evil1 and all that concerns the physical activity of man a fall2 if unbalanced spirits borrowed the authority of his name to escape from all duty2 if married persons condemned themselves to the senseless martyrdom of virginity1 he should certainly not be made responsible4 ,these traces of an unnatural asceticism come from the dualist ideas of the ,catharists1 and not from the inspired poet who sang nature and her fecundity1 who made nests for doves1 inviting them to multiply under the watch of ,god1 and who imposed manual labor on his friars as a sacred duty4 ,the bases of the corporation of the ,brothers and ,sisters of ,penitence were very simple4 ,francis gave no new doctrine to the world2 what was new in his message was wholly in his love1 in his direct call to the evangelical life1 to an ideal of moral vigor1 of labor1 and of love4 ,naturally1 there were soon found men who did not understand this true and simple beauty2 they fell into observances and devotions1 imitated1 while living in the world1 the life of the cloister to which for one reason or another they were not able to retire2 but it would be unjust to picture to ourselves the ,brothers of ,penitence as modelled after them4 ,did they receive a ,rule from ,st4 ,francis8 ,it is impossible to say4 ,the one which was given#bj them in #abhi by ,pope ,nicholas ,,iv4 is simply the recasting and amalgamation of all the rules of lay fraternities which existed at the end of the thirteenth century4 ,to attribute this document to ,francis is nothing less than the placing in a new building of certain venerated stones from an ancient edifice4 ,it is a matter of facade and ornamentation1 nothing more4 ,notwithstanding this absence of any ,rule emanating from ,francis himself1 it is clear enough what1 in his estimation1 this association ought to be4 ,the ,gospel1 with its counsels and examples1 was to be its true ,rule4 ,the great innovation designed by the ,third ,order was concord2 this fraternity was a union of peace1 and it brought to astonished ,europe a new truce of ,god4 ,whether the absolute refusal to carry arms#ba was an idea wholly chimerical and ephemeral1 the documents are there to prove1 but it is a fine thing to have had the power to bring it about for a few years4 ,the second essential obligation of the ,brothers of ,penitence appears to have been that of reducing their wants so far as possible1 and while preserving their fortunes to distribute to the poor at proper intervals the free portion of the revenue after contenting themselves with the strictly necessary4#bb ,to do with joy the duties of their calling2 to give a holy inspiration to the slightest actions2 to find in the infinitely littles of existence1 things apparently the most commonplace1 parts of a divine work2 to keep pure from all debasing interest2 to use things as not possessing them1 like the servants in the parable who would soon have to give account of the talents confided to them2 to close their hearts to hatred1 to open them wide to the poor1 the sick1 to all abandoned ones1 such were the other essential duties of the ,brothers and ,sisters of ,penitence4 ,to lead them into this royal road of liberty1 love1 and responsibility1 ,francis sometimes appealed to the terrors of hell and the joys of paradise1 but interested love was so little a part of his nature that these considerations and others of the same kind occupy an entirely secondary place in those of his writings which remain1 as also in his biographies4 ,for him the gospel life is natural to the soul4 ,whoever comes to know it will prefer it2 it has no more need to be proved than the outer air and the light4 ,it needs only to lead prisoners to it1 for them to lose all desire to return to the dungeons of avarice1 hatred1 or frivolity4 ,francis and his true disciples make the painful ascent of the mountain heights1 impelled solely1 but irresistibly1 by the inner voice4 ,the only foreign aid which they accept is the memory of ,jesus1 going before them upon these heights and mysteriously living again before their eyes in the sacrament of the eucharist4 ,the letter to all ,christians in which these thoughts break forth is a living souvenir of ,st4 ,francis's teachings to the ,tertiaries4 ,to represent these latter to ourselves in a perfectly concrete form we may resort to the legend of ,st4 ,lucchesio1 whom tradition makes the first ,brother of ,penitence4#bc ,a native of a little city of ,tuscany he quitted it to avoid its political enmities1 and established himself at ,poggibonsi1 not far from ,sienna1 where he continued to trade in grain4 ,already rich1 it was not difficult for him to buy up all the wheat1 and1 selling it in a time of scarcity1 realize enormous profits4 ,but soon overcome by ,francis's preaching1 he took himself to task1 distributed all his superfluity to the poor1 and kept nothing but his house with a small garden and one ass4 ,from that time he was to be seen devoting himself to the cultivation of this bit of ground1 and making of his house a sort of hostelry whither the poor and the sick came in swarms4 ,he not only welcomed them1 but he sought them out1 even to the malaria-infected ,maremma1 often returning with a sick man astride on his back and preceded by his ass bearing a similar burden4 ,the resources of the garden were necessarily very limited2 when there was no other way1 ,lucchesio took a wallet and went from door to door asking alms1 but most of the time this was needless1 for his poor guests1 seeing him so diligent and so good1 were better satisfied with a few poor vegetables from the garden shared with him than with the most copious repast4 ,in the presence of their benefactor1 so joyful in his destitution1 they forgot their own poverty1 and the habitual murmurs of these wretches were transformed into outbursts of admiration and gratitude4 ,conversion had not killed in him all family ties2 ,bona ,donna1 his wife1 became his best co-laborer1 and when in #abfj he saw her gradually fading away his grief was too deep to be endured4 ,you know1 dear companion1 he said to her when she had received the last sacraments1 how much we have loved one another while we could serve ,god together2 why should we not remain united until we depart to the ineffable joy8 ,wait for me4 ,i also will receive the sacraments1 and go to heaven with you4 ,so he spoke1 and called back the priest to administer them to him4 ,then after holding the hands of his dying companion1 comforting her with gentle words1 when he saw that her soul was gone he made over her the sign of the cross1 stretched himself beside her1 and calling with love upon ,jesus1 ,mary1 and ,st4 ,francis1 he fell asleep for eternity4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,text in ,firmamentum1 #aj2 ,spec41 #ahi2 ,spec41 ,morin4 ,tract41 iii41 #b;b4 ,m4 ,mueller 7,anfaenge7 has made a study of the ,rule of #abba which is a masterpiece of exegetical scent4 ,nevertheless if he had more carefully collated the different texts he would have arrived at still more striking results1 thanks to the variants which he would have been able to establish4 ,i cite a single example4 ,text ,firm4--,wadding1 adopted by ,mr4 ,m4 ,omnes fratres ubicunque sunt vel vadunt1 caveant sibi a malo visu et frequentia mulierum et nullus cum eis consilietur solus4 ,sacerdos honeste loquatur cum eis dando penitentiam vel aliud spirituale consilium4 ,text of the ,speculum1 #ahi ff4 ,omnes fratres ubicunque sunt et vadunt caveant se a malo visu et frequentia mulierum et nullus cum eis concilietur aut per viam vadat solus aut ad mensam in una paropside comedat4 7667 ,sacerdos honeste loquatur cum eis dando 444 etc4 ,this passage is sufficient to show the superiority of the text of the ,speculum1 which is to be preferred also in other respects1 but this is not the place for entering into these details4 ,it is evident that the phrase in which we see the earliest friars sometimes sharing the repast of the sisters and eating from their porringer is not a later interpolation4 #b ,tribul41 #ab;b2 ,spec41 #ed;b2 ,arbor4 ,v41 #c2 ,spec41 #h;b4 #c ,cf4 cap4 #ag and #ba4 #d #b ,cel41 #c1 #acf4 #e ,see below1 p4 #ced1 text in the ,firmamentum1 #ai ff42 ,speculum1 ,morin1 tract4 iii41 #bad;a ff42 cf4 ,conform41 #acg ff4 #f ,cum facit 7subditus7 voluntatem 7praelati7 dummodo benefacit vera obedientia est4 ,admon41 iii42 ,conform41 #aci;a1 #b4--,si vero praelatus subdito aliquid contra animam praecipiat licet ei non obediat tamen ipsum non dimittat41 ,ibid4--,nullus tenetur ad obedientiam in eo ubi committitus delictum vel peccatum4 ,epist41 ii4 #g #b ,cel41 #c1 #hi2 ,spec41 #bi;b2 ,conform41 #agf;b1 #a2 ,bon41 #gg4 #h ,per caritatem spiritus voluntarii serviant et obediant invicem4 ,et haec est vera et sancta obedientia4 ,reg41 #abba1 v4 #i ,tribul41 ,laur4 ,,ms41 #ad;b2 ,spec41 #abe;a2 ,conform41 #ajg;b1 #a2 #ahd;b1 #a4 #aj ,wadding gives it 7,epist4 xvi471 after the autograph preserved in the treasury of the ,conventuals of ,spoleto4 ,the authenticity of this piece is evident4 #aa ,this plural1 which perplexed ,wadding1 shows plainly that ,brother ,leo had spoken in the name of a group4 #ab ,this date for the new communications between them seems incontestable1 though it has never been proposed2 in fact1 we are only concerned to find a time when all three could have met at ,rome 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #hf2 ,spec41 #bg;a71 between ,december #bb1 #abaf 7the approbation of the ,dominicans71 and ,august #f1 #abba 7death of ,dominic74 ,only two periods are possible3 the early months of #abah 7,potthast1 #egci and #egdg7 and the winter of #abbj-abba4 ,at any other time one of the three was absent from ,rome4 ,on the other hand we know that ,ugolini was in ,rome in the winter of #abbj-abba 7,huillard-,breholles1 ,hist4 dipl41 ii41 pp4 #dh1 #abc1 #adb4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #fehi74--;,for ,dominic see ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aug41 vol4 i41 p4 #ejc4 ,the later date is imperative because ,ugolini could not offer prelatures to the ,brothers ,minor before their explicit approbation 7,june #aa1 #abai71 and this offer had no meaning with regard to the ,dominicans until after the definitive establishment of their ,order4 #ac ,see the imperial letters of ,february #aj1 #abba2 ,huillard-,breholles1 vol4 ii41 pp4 #abb-abg4 #ad #b ,cel41 #c1 #hf2 ,bon41 #gh2 ,spec41 #bg;b4 #ae ,vide ,k4 ,eubel3 ,die ,bischoefe1 ,cardinaele und ,paepste aus dem ,minoritenorden bis #acje1 #hvo1 #ahhi4 #af ,he was in ,northern ,italy4 ,vide ,registri3 ,doc41 #ag-bh4 #ag ,reynerius1 cardinal-deacon with the title of ,s4 ,m4 in ,cosmedin1 ,bishop of ,viterbo 7cf4 ,innocent ,,iii41 ,opera1 ,migne1 #a1 col4 ccxiii71 #a ,cel41 #abe4 ,he had been named rector of the ,duchy of ,spoleto1 ,august #c1 #abbj4 ,potthast1 #fcai4 #ah ,giord1 #af4 ,the presence of ,dominic at an earlier chapter had therefore been quite natural4 #ai ,this view harmonizes in every particular with the witness of #a ,cel41 #cf and #cg1 which shows the ,third ,order as having been quite naturally born of the enthusiasm excited by the preaching of ,francis immediately after his return from ,rome in #abaj 7cf4 ,auctor vit4 sec42 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eic;b74 ,nothing in any other document contradicts it2 quite the contrary4 ,vide #c ,soc41 #fj4 ,cf4 ,anon4 ,perus42 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fjj2 ,bon41 #be1 #df4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #fca-fcd4 ,the first bull which concerns the ,brothers of ,penitence 7without naming them7 is of ,december #af1 #abba1 ,significatum est4 ,if it really refers to them1 as ,sbaralea thinks1 with all those who have interested themselves in the question to ,m4 ,mueller inclusively--but which1 it appears1 might be contested--it is because in #abba they had made appeal to the pope against the podestas of ,faenza and the neighboring cities4 ,this evidently supposes an association not recently born4 ,sbaralea1 ,bull4 fr41 #a1 p4 #h2 ,horoy1 vol4 iv41 col4 #di2 ,potthast1 #fgcf4 #bj ,bull ,supra montem of ,august #ag1 #abhi1 ,potthast4 #bcjdd4 ,m4 ,mueller has made a luminous study of the origin of this bull2 it may be considered final in all essential points 7,anfaenge1 pp4 #aag-aga74 ,by this bull ,nicholas ,,iv4--minister-general of the ,brothers ,minor before becoming pope--sought to draw into the hands of his ,order the direction of all associations of pious laics 7,third ,order of ,st4 ,dominic1 the ,gaudentes1 the ,humiliati4 etc474 ,he desired by that to give a greater impulse to those fraternities which depended directly on the court of ,rome1 and augment their power by unifying them4 #ba ,vide ,bull ,significatum est of ,december #af1 #abba4 ,cf4 ,supra montem1 chap4 vii4 #bb ,the ,rule of the ,third ,order of the ,humiliati1 which dates from #abja1 contains a similar clause4 ,tiraboschi1 vol4 ii41 p4 #acb4 #bc ,in the ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aprilis1 vol4 ii4 p4 #fjj-faf4 ,orlando di ,chiusi also received the habit from the hands of ,francis4 ,vide ,instrumentum1 etc41 below1 p4 #djj4 ,the ,franciscan fraternity1 under the influence of the other third orders1 rapidly lost its specific character4 ,as to this title1 ,third ,order1 it surely had originally a hierarchical sense1 upon which little by little a chronological sense has been superposed4 ,all these questions become singularly clearer when they are compared with what is known of the ,humiliati4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,brothers ,,minor ,,and ,,learning ,autumn1 #abba-;,december1 #abbc ,after the chapter of #abba the evolution of the ,order hurried on with a rapidity which nothing was strong enough to check4 ,the creation of the ministers was an enormous step in this direction2 by the very pressure of things the latter came to establish a residence2 those who command must have their subordinates within reach1 must know at all times where they are2 the ,brothers1 therefore1 could no longer continue to do without convents properly so-called4 ,this change naturally brought about many others2 up to this time they had had no churches4 ,without churches the friars were only itinerant preachers1 and their purpose could not but be perfectly disinterested2 they were1 as ,francis had wished1 the friendly auxiliaries of the clergy4 ,with churches it was inevitable that they should first fatally aspire to preach in them and attract the crowd to them1 then in some sort erect them into counter parishes4#a ,the bull of ,march #bb1 #abbb1b shows us the papacy hastening these transformations with all its power4 ,the pontiff accords to ,brother ,francis and the other friars the privilege of celebrating the sacred mysteries in their churches in times of interdict1 on the natural condition of not ringing the bells1 of closing the door1 and previously expelling those who were excommunicated4 ,by an astonishing inadvertence the bull itself bears witness to its uselessness1 at least for the time in which it was given3 ,we accord to you1 it runs1 the permission to celebrate the sacraments in times of interdict in your churches1 if you come to have any4 ,this is a new proof that in #abbb the ,order as yet had none2 but it is not difficult to see in this very document a pressing invitation to change their way of working1 and not leave this privilege to be of no avail4 ,another document of the same time shows a like purpose1 though manifested in another direction4 ,by the bull ,ex parte of ,march #bi1 #abbb1 ,honorius ,,iii4 laid upon the ,preachers and ,minors of ,lisbon conjointly a singularly delicate mission2 he gave them full powers to proceed against the bishop and clergy of that city1 who exacted from the faithful that they should leave to them by will one-third of their property1 and refused the ,church's burial service to those who disobeyed4#c ,the fact that the pope committed to the ,brothers the care of choosing what measures they should take proves how anxious they were at ,rome to forget the object for which they had been created1 and to transform them into deputies of the ,holy ,see4 ,it is1 therefore1 needless to point out that the mention of ,francis's name at the head of the former of these bulls has no significance4 ,we do not picture the ,poverello seeking a privilege for circumstances not yet existing6 ,we perceive here the influence of ,ugolini1#d who had found the ,brother ,minor after his own heart in the person of ,elias4 ,what was ,francis doing all this time8 ,we have no knowledge1 but the very absence of information1 so abundant for the period that precedes as well as for that which follows1 shows plainly enough that he has quitted ,portiuncula1 and gone to live in one of those ,umbrian hermitages that had always had so strong an attachment for him4#e ,there is hardly a hill in ,central ,italy that has not preserved some memento of him4 ,it would be hard to walk half a day between ,florence and ,rome without coming upon some hut on a hillside bearing his name or that of one of his disciples4 ,there was a time when these huts were inhabited1 when in these leafy booths ,egidio1 ,masseo1 ,bernardo1 ,silvestro1 ,ginepro1 and many others whose names history has forgotten1 received visits from their spiritual father1 coming to them for their consolation4#f ,they gave him love for love and consolation for consolation4 ,his poor heart had great need of both1 for in his long1 sleepless nights it had come to him at times to hear strange voices2 weariness and regret were laying hold on him1 and looking over the past he was almost driven to doubt of himself1 his ,lady ,poverty1 and everything4 ,between ,chiusi and ,radicofani--an hour's walk from the village of ,sartiano--a few ,brothers had made a shelter which served them by way of hermitage1 with a little cabin for ,francis in a retired spot4 ,there he passed one of the most agonizing nights of his life4 ,the thought that he had exaggerated the virtue of asceticism and not counted enough upon the mercy of ,god assailed him1 and suddenly he came to regret the use he had made of his life4 ,a picture of what he might have been1 of the tranquil and happy home that might have been his1 rose up before him in such living colors that he felt himself giving way4 ,in vain he disciplined himself with his hempen girdle until the blood came2 the vision would not depart4 ,it was midwinter2 a heavy fall of snow covered the ground2 he rushed out without his garment1 and gathering up great heaps of snow began to make a row of images4 ,see1 he said1 here is thy wife1 and behind her are two sons and two daughters1 with the servant and the maid carrying all the baggage4 ,with this child-like representation of the tyranny of material cares which he had escaped1 he finally put away the temptation4#g ,there is nothing to show whether or not we should fix at the same epoch another incident which legend gives as taking place at ,sartiano4 ,one day a brother of whom he asked1 ,whence do you come8 replied1 ,from your cell4 ,this simple answer was enough to make the vehement lover of ,poverty refuse to occupy it again4 ,foxes have holes1 he loved to repeat1 and the birds of the air have nests1 but the ,son of man had not where to lay his head4 ,when the ,lord spent forty days and forty nights praying and fasting in the desert1 he built himself neither cell nor house1 but made the side of a rock his shelter4#h ,it would be a mistake to think1 as some have done1 that as time went on ,francis changed his point of view4 ,certain ecclesiastical writers have assumed that since he desired the multiplication of his ,order1 he for that very reason consented to its transformation4 ,the suggestion is specious1 but in this matter we are not left to conjecture2 almost everything which was done in the ,order after #abba was done either without ,francis's knowledge or against his will4 ,if one were inclined to doubt this1 it would need only to glance over that most solemn and also most adequate manifesto of his thought--his ,will4 ,there he is shown freed from all the temptations which had at times made him hesitate in the expression of his ideas1 bravely gathering himself up to summon back the primitive ideal1 and set it up in opposition to all the concessions which had been wrung from his weakness4 ,the ,will is not an appendix to the ,rule of #abbc1 it is almost its revocation4 ,but it would be a mistake to see in it the first attempt made to return to the early ideal4 ,the last five years of his life were only one incessant effort at protest1 both by his example and his words4 ,in #abbb he addressed to the brethren of ,bologna a letter filled with sad forebodings4 ,in that city1 where the ,dominicans1 overwhelmed with attentions1 were occupied with making themselves a stronghold in the system of instruction1 the ,brothers ,minor were more than anywhere else tempted to forsake the way of simplicity and poverty4 ,francis's warnings had put on such dark and threatening colors that after the famous earthquake of ,december #bc1 #abbb1 which spread terror over all northern ,italy1 there was no hesitation in believing that he had predicted the catastrophe4#i ,he had indeed predicted a catastrophe which was none the less horrible for being wholly moral1 and the vision of which forced from him the most bitter imprecations3 ,lord ,jesus1 thou didst choose thine apostles to the number of twelve1 and if one of them did betray thee1 the others1 remaining united to thee1 preached thy holy gospel1 filled with one and the same inspiration2 and behold now1 remembering the former days1 thou hast raised up the ,religion of the ,brothers in order to uphold faith1 and that by them the mystery of thy gospel may be accomplished4 ,who will take their place if1 instead of fulfilling their mission and being shining examples for all1 they are seen to give themselves up to works of darkness8 ,oh6 may they be accursed by thee1 ,lord1 and by all the court of heaven1 and by me1 thine unworthy servant1 they who by their bad example overturn and destroy all that thou didst do in the beginning and ceasest not to do by the holy ,brothers of this ,order4#aj ,this passage from ,thomas of ,celano1 the most moderate of the biographers1 shows to what a pitch of vehemence and indignation the gentle ,francis could be worked up4 ,in spite of very natural efforts to throw a veil of reserve over the anguish of the founder with regard to the future of his spiritual family1 we find traces of it at every step4 ,the time will come1 he said one day1 when our ,order will so have lost all good renown that its members will be ashamed to show themselves by daylight4#aa ,he saw in a dream a statue with the head of pure gold1 the breast and arms of silver1 the body of crystal1 and the legs of iron4 ,he thought it was an omen of the future in store for his institute4#ab ,he believed his sons to be attacked with two maladies1 unfaithful at once to poverty and humility2 but perhaps he dreaded for them the demon of learning more than the temptation of riches4 ,what were his views on the subject of learning8 ,it is probable that he never examined the question as a whole1 but he had no difficulty in seeing that there will always be students enough in the universities1 and that if scientific effort is an homage offered to ,god1 there is no risk of worshippers of this class being wanting2 but in vain he looked about him on all sides1 he saw no one to fulfil the mission of love and humility reserved for his ,order1 if the friars came to be unfaithful to it4 ,therefore there was something more in his anguish than the grief of seeing his hopes confounded4 ,the rout of an army is nothing in comparison with the overthrow of an idea2 and in him an idea had been incarnated1 the idea of peace and happiness restored to mankind1 by the victory of love over the trammels of material things4 ,by an ineffable mystery he felt himself the ,man of his age1 him in whose body are borne all the efforts1 the desires1 the aspirations of men2 with him1 in him1 by him humanity yearns to be renewed1 and to use the language of the gospel1 born again4 ,in this lies his true beauty4 ,by this1 far more than by a vain conformity1 an exterior imitation1 he is a ,christ4 ,he also bears the affliction of the world1 and if we will look into the very depths of his soul we must give this word affliction the largest possible meaning for him as for ,jesus4 ,by their pity they bore the physical sufferings of humanity1 but their overwhelming anguish was something far different from this1 it was the birth-throes of the divine4 ,they suffer1 because in them the ,word is made flesh1 and at ,gethsemane1 as under the olive-trees of ,greccio1 they are in agony because their own received them not4 ,yes1 ,st4 ,francis forever felt the travail of the transformation taking place in the womb of humanity1 going forward to its divine destiny1 and he offered himself1 a living oblation1 that in him might take place the mysterious palingenesis4 ,do we now understand his pain8 ,he was trembling for the mystery of the gospel4 ,there is in him something which reminds us of the tremor of life when it stands face to face with death1 something by so much the more painful as we have here to do with moral life4 ,this explains how the man who would run after ruffians that he might make disciples of them could be pitiless toward his fellow-laborers who by an indiscreet1 however well-intentioned1 zeal forgot their vocation and would transform their ,order into a scientific institute4 ,under pretext of putting learning at the service of ,god and of religion1 the ,church had fostered the worst of vices1 pride4 ,according to some it is her title to glory1 but it will be her greatest shame4 ,must we renounce the use of this weapon against the enemies of the faith8 she asks4 ,but can you imagine ,jesus joining the school of the rabbins under the pretext of learning how to reply to them1 enfeebling his thought by their dialectic subtleties and fantastic exegesis8 ,he might perhaps have been a great doctor1 but would he have become the ,saviour of the world8 ,you feel that he would not4 ,when we hear preachers going into raptures over the marvellous spread of the gospel preached by twelve poor fishermen of ,galilee1 might we not point out to them that the miracle is at once more and less astounding than they say8 ,more--for among the twelve several returned to the shores of their charming lake1 and forgetful of the mystic net1 thought of the ,crucified ,one1 if they thought of him at all1 only to lament him1 and not to raise him from the dead by continuing his work in the four quarters of the world2 less--for if even now1 in these dying days of the nineteenth century1 preachers would go forth beside themselves with love1 sacrificing themselves for each and all as in the old days their ,master did1 the miracle would be repeated again4 ,but no2 theology has killed religion4 ,the clergy repeat to satiety that we must not confound the two2 but what good does this do if in practice we do not distinguish them8 ,never was learning more eagerly coveted than in the thirteenth century4 ,the ,empire and the ,church were anxiously asking of it the arguments with which they might defend their opposing claims4 ,innocent ,,iii4 sends the collection of his ,decretals to the ,university of ,bologna and heaps favors upon it4 ,frederick ,,ii4 founds that of ,naples1 and the ,patarini themselves send their sons from ,tuscany and ,lombardy to study at ,paris4 ,we remember the success of ,francis's preaching at ,bologna1#ac in ,august1 #abbj2 at the same period he had strongly reprimanded ,pietro ,staccia1 the provincial minister and a doctor of laws1 not only for having installed the ,brothers in a house which appeared to belong to them1 but especially for having organized a sort of college there4 ,it appears that the minister paid no attention to these reproaches4 ,when ,francis became aware of his obstinacy he cursed him with frightful vehemence2 his indignation was so great that when1 later on1 ,pietro ,staccia was about to die and his numerous friends came to entreat ,francis to revoke his malediction1 all their efforts were in vain4#ad ,in the face of this attitude of the founder it is very difficult to believe in the authenticity of the note purporting to be addressed to ,anthony of ,padua3 ,to my very dear ,anthony1 brother ,francis1 greetings in ,christ4 ,it pleases me that you interpret to the ,brothers the sacred writings and theology1 in such a way1 however 7conformably to our ,rule71 that the spirit of holy prayer be not extinguished either in you or in the others1 which ,i desire earnestly4 ,greetings4 ,must we see in this a pious fraud to weaken the numberless clear declarations of ,francis against learning8 ,it is difficult to picture to ourselves the rivalry which existed at this time between the ,dominicans and ,franciscans in the attempt to draw the most illustrious masters into their respective ,orders4 ,petty intrigues were organized1 in which the devotees had each his part1 to lead such or such a famous doctor to assume the habit4#ae ,if the object of ,st4 ,francis had been scientific1 the friars of ,bologna1 ,paris1 and ,oxford could not have done more4#af ,the current was so strong that the elder ,orders were swept away in it whether they would or no2 twenty years later the ,cistercians also desired to become legists1 theologians1 decretalists1 and the rest4 ,perhaps ,francis did not in the outset perceive the gravity of the danger1 but illusion was no longer possible1 and from this time he showed1 as we have seen1 an implacable firmness4 ,if later on his thought was travestied1 the guilty ones--the popes and most of the ministers-general--were obliged to resort to feats of prestidigitation that are not to their credit4 ,suppose1 he would say1 that you had subtility and learning enough to know all things1 that you were acquainted with all languages1 the courses of the stars1 and all the rest1 what is there in that to be proud of8 ,a single demon knows more on these subjects than all the men in this world put together4#ag ,but there is one thing that the demon is incapable of1 and which is the glory of man3 to be faithful to ,god4#ah ,definite information with regard to the chapters of #abbb and #abbc is wanting4 ,the proposed modifications of the project of #abba were discussed by the ministers#ai and afterward definitively settled by ,cardinal ,ugolini4 ,the latter had long conferences on the subject with ,francis1 who has himself given us the account of them4#bj ,the result of them all was the ,rule of #abbc4 ,very soon a swarm of marvellous stories1 which it would be tedious to examine in detail1 came to be clustered around the origin of this document2 all that we need to retain of them is the memory that they keep of the struggles of ,francis against the ministers for the preservation of his ideal4 ,before going to ,rome to ask for the final approbation he had meditated long in the solitude of ,monte ,colombo1 near ,rieti4 ,this hill was soon represented as a new ,sinai1 and the disciples pictured their master on its heights receiving another ,decalogue from the hands of ,jesus himself4#ba ,angelo ,clareno1 one of the most complacent narrators of these traditions1 takes upon himself to point out their slight value2 he shows us ,honorious ,,iii4 modifying an essential passage in the plan at the last moment4#bb ,i have already so far described this ,rule that there is no need to return to the subject here4 ,it was approved ,november #be1 #abbc4bc ,many memories appear to have clustered about the journey of ,francis to ,rome4 ,one day ,cardinal ,ugolini1 whose hospitality he had accepted1 was much surprised1 and his guests as well1 to find him absent as they were about to sit down at table1 but they soon saw him coming1 carrying a quantity of pieces of dry bread1 which he joyfully distributed to all the noble company4 ,his host1 somewhat abashed by the proceeding1 having undertaken after the meal to reproach him a little1 ,francis explained that he had no right to forget1 for a sumptuous feast1 the bread of charity on which he was fed every day1 and that he desired thus to show his brethren that the richest table is not worth so much to the poor in spirit as this table of the ,lord4#bd ,we have seen that during the earlier years the ,brothers ,minor had been in the habit of earning their bread by going out as servants4 ,some of them1 a very small number1 had continued to do so4 ,little by little1 in this matter also all had been changed4 ,under color of serving1 the friars entered the families of the highest personages of the pontifical court1 and became their confidential attendants2 instead of submitting themselves to all1 as the ,rule of #abba ordained1 they were above everyone4 ,entirely losing sight of the apostolic life1 they became courtiers of a special type2 their character1 half ecclesiastic and half lay1 rendered them capable of carrying out a number of delicate missions and of playing a part in the varied intrigues for which the greater number of ,roman prelates have always seemed to live4#be ,by way of protest ,francis had only one weapon1 his example4 ,one day1 the ,speculum relates1 the ,blessed ,francis came to ,rome to see the ,bishop of ,ostia 7,ugolini71 and after having remained some time at his house1 he went also to visit ,cardinal ,leo1 who had a great devotion for him4 ,it was winter2 the cold1 the wind1 the rain made any journey impossible1 so the cardinal begged him to pass a few days in his house and to take his food there1 like the other poor folk who came there to eat4 444 ,i will give you1 he added1 a good lodging1 quite retired1 where if you like you may pray and eat4 ,then ,brother ,angelo1 one of the twelve first disciples1 who lived with the cardinal1 said to ,francis3 ,there is1 close by here1 a great tower standing by itself and very quiet2 you will be there as in a hermitage4 ,francis went to see it and it pleased him4 ,then1 returning to the cardinal1 ,monsignor1 he said1 it is possible that ,i may pass a few days with you4 ,the latter was very joyful1 and ,brother ,angelo went to prepare the tower for the ,blessed ,francis and his companion4 ,but the very first night1 when he would have slept1 the demons came and smote him4 ,calling then to his companion1 ,brother1 he said1 the demons have come and smitten me with violence2 remain near me1 ,i beg1 for ,i am afraid here alone4 ,he was trembling in all his members1 like one who has a fever4 ,they passed the night both without sleeping4 ,the demons are commissioned with the chastisements of ,god1 said ,francis2 as a podesta sends his executioner to punish the criminal1 so ,god sends demons1 who in this are his ministers4444 ,why has he sent them to me8 ,perhaps this is the reason3 ,the cardinal desired to be kind to me1 and ,i have truly great need of repose1 but the ,brothers who are out in the world1 suffering hunger and a thousand tribulations1 and also those others who are in hermitages or in miserable houses1 when they hear of my sojourn with a cardinal will be moved to repine4 ',we endure all privations1' they will say1 'while he has all that he can desire2 'but ,i ought to give them a good example--that is my true mission4 444 ,early next morning1 therefore he quitted the tower1 and having told the cardinal all1 took leave of him and returned to the hermitage of ,monte ,colombo1 near ,rieti4 ,they think me a holy man1 he said1 and see1 it needed demons to cast me out of prison4#bf ,this story1 notwithstanding its strange coloring1 shows plainly how strong was his instinct for independence4 ,to compare the hospitality of a cardinal to an imprisonment6 ,he spoke better than he knew1 characterizing in one word the relation of the ,church to his ,order4 ,the lark was not dead2 in spite of cold and the north wind it gayly took its flight to the vale of ,rieti4 ,it was mid-,december4 ,an ardent desire to observe to the life the memories of ,christmas had taken possession of ,francis4 ,he opened his heart to one of his friends1 the knight ,giovanni di ,greccio1 who undertook the necessary preparations4 ,the imitation of ,jesus has in all times been the very centre of ,christianity2 but one must be singularly spiritual to be satisfied with the imitation of the heart4 ,with most men there is need that this should be preceded and sustained by an external imitation4 ,it is indeed the spirit that gives life1 but it is only in the country of the angels that one can say that the flesh profiteth nothing4 ,in the ,middle ,ages a religious festival was before all things else a representation1 more or less faithful1 of the event which it recalled2 hence the santons of ,provence1 the processions of the ,palmesel1 the ,holy ,supper of ,maundy ,thursday1 the ,road to the ,cross of ,good ,friday1 the drama of the ,resurrection of ,easter1 and the flaming tow of ,whitsunday4 ,francis was too thoroughly ,italian not to love these festivals where every visible thing speaks of ,god and of his love4 ,the population of ,greccio and its environs was1 therefore1 convoked1 as well as the ,brothers from the neighboring monasteries4 ,on the evening of the vigil of ,christmas one might have seen the faithful hastening to the hermitage by every path with torches in their hands1 making the forests ring with their joyful hymns4 ,everyone was rejoicing--,francis most of all4 ,the knight had prepared a stable with straw1 and brought an ox and an ass1 whose breath seemed to give warmth to the poor bambino1 benumbed with the cold4 ,at the sight the saint felt tears of pity bedew his face2 he was no longer in ,greccio1 his heart was in ,bethlehem4 ,finally they began to chant matins2 then the mass was begun1 and ,francis1 as deacon1 read the ,gospel4 ,already hearts were touched by the simple recital of the sacred legend in a voice so gentle and so fervent1 but when he preached1 his emotion soon overcame the audience2 his voice had so unutterable a tenderness that they also forgot everything1 and were living over again the feeling of the shepherds of ,judea who in those old days went to adore the ,god made man1 born in a stable4#bg ,toward the close of the thirteenth century1 the author of the ,stabat ,mater dolorosa1 ,giacopone dei ,todi1 that ,franciscan of genius who spent a part of his life in dungeons1 inspired by the memory of ,greccio1 composed another ,stabat1 that of joy1 ,stabat ,mater speciosa4 ,this hymn of ,mary beside the manger is not less noble than that of ,mary at the foot of the cross4 ,the sentiment is even more tender1 and it is hard to explain its neglect except by an unjust caprice of fate4 ,stabat ,mater speciosa ,juxtum foenum gaudiosa ,dum jacebat parvulus4 ,quae gaudebat et ridebat ,exsultabat cum videbat ,nati partum inclyti4 ,fac me vere congaudere ,jesulino cohaerere ,donec ego vixero4#bh ,,footnotes3 #a ,all this took place with prodigious rapidity4 ,the dimensions of the ,basilica of ,assisi1 the plans of which were made in #abbh1 no more permits it to be considered as a conventual chapel than ,santa-,croce in ,florence1 ,san ,francesco in ,sienna1 or the ,basilica ,san ,antonio at ,padua1 monuments commenced between #abcj and #abdj4 ,already before #abde one party of the episcopate utters a cry of alarm1 in which he speaks of nothing less than of closing the door of the secular churches1 which have become useless4 ,he complains with incredible bitterness that the ,minor and ,preaching ,friars have absolutely supplanted the parochial clergy4 ,this letter may be found in ,pierre de la ,vigne1 addressed at once to ,frederick ,,ii4 and the ,council of ,lyons3 ,epistolae1 ,basle1 #agdj1 #b vols41 vol4 i41 pp4 #bbj-bbb4 ,it is much to be desired that a critical text should be given4 ,see also the satire against the two new ,orders1 done in rhyme about #abdb by ,pierre de la ,vigne1 and of which1 allowing for possible exaggerations1 the greater number of the incidents cannot have been invented3 ,e4 du ,meril1 ,poesies pop4 lat41 pp4 #aec-agg1 ,paris1 #hvo1 #ahdg4 #b ,and not of the #bith1 as ,sbaralea will have it4 ,bull4 fr41 vol4 i41 n4 #aj4 ,horoy1 vol4 iv41 col4 #abi2 the original1 still in the archives of ,assisi1 bears the title3 ,datum ,anagnie #aa ,kalendas ,aprilis pontificatus nostri anno sexto4 #c ,potthast1 #fhji2 ,horoy1 iv41 col4 #abi4 ,see also the bull ,ecce ,venit ,deus of ,july #ad1 #abbg2 ,l4 ,auvray3 ,registres de ,gregoire ,,ix41 no4 #abi2 cf4 #aec2 ,potthast1 #hjbg and #hjbh1 #hahi4 #d ,he had finished his mission as legate in ,lombardy toward the close of ,september1 #abba 7see his register2 cf4 ,boehmer1 ,acta imp4 sel4 doc41 #iea74 ,in the spring of #abbb we find him continually near the pope at ,anagni1 ,veroli1 ,alatri 7,potthast1 #fhjg1 #fhab1 #fhdi74 ,the ,holy ,see had still at that time a marked predilection for the ,preachers2 the very trite privilege of power to celebrate the offices in times of interdict had been accorded them ,march #g1 #abbb1 but instead of the formula usual in such cases1 a revised form had been made expressly for them1 with a handsome eulogy4 ,ripolli1 ,bull4 ,praed41 t4 i41 p4 #ae4 #e #b ,cel41 #c1 #ic3 ,subtrahebat se a consortio fratrum4 #f ,it is needless to say that local traditions1 in this case1 though as to detail they must be accepted only with great reserve1 yet on the whole are surely true4 ,the geography of ,st4 ,francis's life is yet to be made4 #g #b ,cel41 #c1 #ei2 ,bon41 #fj2 ,conform41 #abb;b1 #b4 #h #b ,cel41 #c1 #e2 ,spec41 #ab;a2 ,conform41 #afi;b1 #b4 #i ,eccl41 #f4 ,vide ,liebermann's text1 ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bh1 p4 #ffc4 #aj #b ,cel41 #c1 #ic2 ,bon41 #ajd and #aje2 ,conform41 #aja;a1 #b4 #aa #b ,cel41 #c1 #ic2 ,spec41 #di;b2 #ahb;a2 ,conform41 #ahb;a1 #a2 ,tribul41 fo #e;a2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ih2 #aac2 #aae2 #a ,cel41 #bh1 #ej2 #if2 #ajc2 #ajd2 #ajh2 #aaa2 #aah4 #ab #b ,cel41 #c1 #bg2 ,spec41 #ch;b2 ,conform41 #aha;b1 #a2 ,tribul41 #g;b4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #bbj;b2 ,conform41 #ajc;b4 #ac ,francis's successors were nearly all without exception students of ,bologna4 ,pietro di ,catana was doctor of laws1 as also ,giovanni ,parenti 7,giord41 #ea74--;,elias had been scriptor at ,bologna4--,alberto of ,pisa had been minister there 7,eccl41 #f74--;,aymon had been reader there 7,eccl41 #f74--;,crescentius wrote works on jurisprudence 7,conform41 #aba;b1 #a1 etc41 etc474 #ad ,this name cannot be warranted2 he is called ,giovanni di ,laschaccia in a passage of the ,conformities 7#ajd;a1 #a72 ,pietro ,schiaccia in the ,italian ,,ms4 of the ,tribulations 7fo #ge;a72 ,petrus ,stacia in the ,laurentinian ,,ms4 7#ac;b2 cf4 ,archiv41 ii41 p4 #beh74 ,tribul41 #ac;b2 ,spec41 #ahd;b4 ,this story has been much amplified in other places4 ,spec41 #abf;a2 ,conform41 #ajd;b1 #a4 #ae ,vide ,eccl41 #c3 ,history of the entrance of ,adam of ,oxford into the ,order4 ,cf41 ,chartularium ,univ4 ,par41 t4 i41 nos4 #dg and #di4 #af ,eccleston's entire chronicle is a living witness to this4 #ag ,admonitio1 v42 cf4 ,conform41 #ada;a4 ,compare the ,constitutiones antiquae 7,speculum1 ,morin1 iii41 fo #aie;b-#bjf7 with the ,rule4 ,from the opening chapters the contradiction is apparent3 ,ordinamus quod nullus recipiatur in ordine nostro nisi sit talis clericus qui sit competenter instructus in grammatica vel logica2 aut nisi sit talis laicus de cujus ingressu esset valde celebris et edificatio in populo et in clero4 ,this is surely far from the spirit of him who said3 ,et quicumque venerit amicus vel adversarius fur vel latro benigne recipiatur4 ,rule of #abba1 cap4 vii4 ,see also the ,exposition of the ,rule of ,bonaventura4 ,speculum1 ,morin1 iii41 fo #ba-dj4 #ah ,upon ,francis's attitude toward learning see ,tribul41 ,laur41 #ad;b2 ,spec41 #ahd;a2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #h2 #dh2 #ajj2 #aaf2 #aai2 #abj-abd4 ,bon41 chap4 #aeb1 naturally expresses only ,bonaventura's views4 ,see especially ,rule of #abba1 cap4 xvii42 of #abbc1 cap4 x4 #ai ,spec41 #g;b3 ,fecit ,franciscus regulam quam papa ,honorius confirmavit cum bulla1 de qua regula multa fuerunt extracta per ministros contra voluntatem b4 ,francisci4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #acf4 #bj ,bull ,quo elongati of ,september #bh1 #abcj2 ,sbaralea1 i41 p4 #ef4 #ba ,bon41 #ee and #ef #c ,soc41 #fb2 ,spec41 #gf2 #abd;a2 ,tribul41 ,laur41 #ag;b-#ai;b2 ,ubertini1 ,arbor4 ,v41 #e2 ,conform41 #hh;a1 #b4 #bb ,tribul41 ,laur41 #ai;a2 ,archiv41 t4 iii41 p4 #fja4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #fch;e4 #bc ,potthast1 #gajh4--,the work of this bull was completed by that of ,december #ah1 #abbc4 7,the original of the ,sacro ,convento bears ,datum ,laterani ,,xv4 ,kal4 jan47 ,fratrem ,minorum3 ,potthast1 #gabc4 #bd #b ,cel41 #c1 #ai2 ,bon41 #ie2 ,spec41 #ah;b2 ,conform41 #aga;a1 #a4 #be #b ,cel41 #c1 #fa and #fb4 ,cf4 ,eccl41 #f1 the account of ,rod4 de ,rosa4 #bf ,spec41 #dg;b ff42 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fa2 ,bon41 #hd and #he4 #bg #a ,cel41 #hd-hg2 ,bon41 #adi4 #bh ,this little poem was published entire by ,m4 ,ozanam in vol4 v4 of his works1 p4 #ahd4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,stigmata #abbd ,the upper valley of the ,arno forms in the very centre of ,italy a country apart1 the ,casentino1 which through centuries had its own life1 somewhat like an island in the midst of the ocean4 ,the river flows out from it by a narrow defile at the south1 and on all other sides the ,apennines encircle it with a girdle of inaccessible mountains4#a ,this plain1 some ten leagues in diameter1 is enlivened with picturesque villages1 finely posted on hillocks at the base of which flows the stream2 here are ,bibbiena1 ,poppi1 the antique ,romena sung by ,dante1 the ,camaldoli1 and up there on the crest ,chiusi1 long ago the capital of the country1 with the ruins of ,count ,orlando's castle4 ,the people are charming and refined2 the mountains have sheltered them from wars1 and on every side we see the signs of labor1 prosperity1 a gentle gayety4 ,at any moment we might fancy ourselves transported into some valley of the ,vivarais or ,provence4 ,the vegetation on the borders of the ,arno is thoroughly tropical2 the olive and the mulberry marry with the vine4 ,on the lower hill-slopes are wheat fields divided by meadows2 then come the chestnuts and the oaks1 higher still the pine1 the fir1 the larch1 and above all the bare rock4 ,among all the peaks there is one which especially attracts the attention2 instead of a rounded and so to say flattened top1 it uplifts itself slender1 proud1 isolated2 it is the ,verna4#b ,one might think it an immense rock fallen from the sky4 ,it is in fact an erratic block set there1 a little like a petrified ,noah's ark on the summit of ,mount ,ararat4 ,the basaltic mass1 perpendicular on all sides1 is crowned with a plateau planted with pines and gigantic beeches1 and accessible only by a footpath4#c ,such was the solitude which ,orlando had given to ,francis1 and to which ,francis had already many a time come for quiet and contemplation4 ,seated upon the few stones of the ,penna1#d he heard only the whispering of the wind among the trees1 but in the splendor of the sunrise or the sunset he could see nearly all the districts in which he had sown the seed of the gospel3 the ,romagna and the ,march of ,ancona1 losing themselves on the horizon in the waves of the ,adriatic2 ,umbria1 and farther away1 ,tuscany1 vanishing in the waters of the ,mediterranean4 ,the impression on this height is not crushing like that which one has in the ,alps3 a feeling infinitely calm and sweet flows over you2 you are high enough to judge of men from above1 not high enough to forget their existence4 ,besides the wide horizons1 ,francis found there other objects of delight2 in this forest1 one of the noblest in ,europe1 live legions of birds1 which never having been hunted are surprisingly tame4#e ,subtile perfumes arise from the ground1 and in the midst of borage and lichens frail and exquisite cyclamens blossom in fantastic variety4 ,he desired to return thither after the chapter of #abbd4 ,this meeting1 held in the beginning of ,june1 was the last at which he was present4 ,the new ,rule was there put into the hands of the ministers1 and the mission to ,england decided upon4 ,it was in the early days of ,august that ,francis took his way toward ,verna4 ,with him were only a few ,brothers1 ,masseo1 ,angelo1 and ,leo4 ,the first had been charged to direct the little band1 and spare him all duties except that of prayer4#f ,they had been two days on the road when it became necessary to seek for an ass for ,francis1 who was too much enfeebled to go farther on foot4 ,the ,brothers1 in asking for this service1 had not concealed the name of their master1 and the peasant1 to whom they had addressed themselves respectfully1 asked leave to guide the beast himself4 ,after going on a certain time1 ,is it true1 he said1 that you are ,brother ,francis of ,assisi8 ,very well1 he went on1 after the answer in the affirmative1 apply yourself to be as good as folk say you are1 that they may not be deceived in their expectation2 that is my advice4 ,francis immediately got down from his beast and1 prostrating himself before the peasant1 thanked him warmly4#g ,meanwhile the warmest hour of the day had come on4 ,the peasant1 exhausted with fatigue1 little by little forgot his surprise and joy2 one does not feel the burning of thirst the less for walking beside a saint4 ,he had begun to regret his kindness1 when ,francis pointed with his finger to a spring1 unknown till then1 and which has never since been seen4#h ,at last they arrived at the foot of the last precipice4 ,before scaling it they paused to rest a little under a great oak1 and immediately flocks of birds gathered around them1 testifying their joy by songs and flutterings of their wings4 ,hovering around ,francis1 they alighted on his head1 his shoulders1 or his arms4 ,i see1 he said joyfully to his companions1 that it is pleasing to our ,lord ,jesus that we live in this solitary mount1 since our brothers and sisters the birds have shown such great delight at our coming4#i ,this mountain was at once his ,tabor and his ,calvary4 ,we must not wonder1 then1 that legends have flourished here even more numerously than at any other period of his life2 the greater number of them have the exquisite charm of the little flowers1 rosy and perfumed1 which hide themselves modestly at the feet of the fir-trees of ,verna4 ,the summer nights up there are of unparalleled beauty3 nature1 stifled by the heat of the sun1 seems then to breathe anew4 ,in the trees1 behind the rocks1 on the turf1 a thousand voices rise up1 sweetly harmonizing with the murmur of the great woods2 but among all these voices there is not one which forces itself upon the attention1 it is a melody which you enjoy without listening4 ,you let your eyes wander over the landscape1 still for long hours illumined with hieratic tints by the departed star of day1 and the peaks of the ,apennines1 flooded with rainbow hues1 drop down into your soul what the ,franciscan poet called the nostalgia of the everlasting hills4#aj ,more than anyone ,francis felt it4 ,the very evening of their arrival1 seated upon a mound in the midst of his ,brothers1 he gave them his directions for their dwelling-place4 ,the quiet of nature would have sufficed to sow in their hearts some germs of sadness1 and the voice of the master harmonized with the emotion of the last gleams of light2 he spoke with them of his approaching death1 with the regret of the laborer overtaken by the shades of evening before the completion of his task1 with the sighs of the father who trembles for the future of his children4#aa ,for himself he desired from this time to prepare himself for death by prayer and contemplation2 and he begged them to protect him from all intrusion4 ,orlando1#ab who had already come to bid them welcome and offer his services1 had at his request hastily caused a hut of boughs to be made1 at the foot of a great beech4 ,it was there that he desired to dwell1 at a stone's throw from the cells inhabited by his companions4 ,brother ,leo was charged to bring him each day that which he would need4 ,he retired to it immediately after this memorable conversation1 but several days later1 embarrassed no doubt by the pious curiosity of the friars1 who watched all his movements1 he went farther into the woods1 and on ,assumption ,day he there began the ,lent which he desired to observe in honor of the ,archangel ,michael and the celestial host4 ,genius has its modesty as well as love4 ,the poet1 the artist1 the saint1 need to be alone when the ,spirit comes to move them4 ,every effort of thought1 of imagination1 or of will is a prayer1 and one does not pray in public4 ,alas for the man who has not in his inmost heart some secret which may not be told1 because it cannot be spoken1 and because if it were spoken it could not be understood4 ,,secretum ,,meum ,,mihi6 ,jesus felt it deeply3 the raptures of ,tabor are brief2 they may not be told4 ,before these soul mysteries materialists and devotees often meet and are of one mind in demanding precision in those things which can the least endure it4 ,the believer asks in what spot on the ,verna ,francis received the stigmata2 whether the seraph which appeared to him was ,jesus or a celestial spirit2 what words were spoken as he imprinted them upon him2#ac and he no more understands that hour when ,francis swooned with woe and love than the materialist1 who asks to see with his eyes and touch with his hands the gaping wound4 ,let us try to avoid these extremes4 ,let us hear what the documents give us1 and not seek to do them violence1 to wrest from them what they do not tell1 what they cannot tell4 ,they show us ,francis distressed for the future of the ,order1 and with an infinite desire for new spiritual progress4 ,he was consumed with the fever of saints1 that need of immolation which wrung from ,st4 ,theresa the passionate cry1 ,either to suffer or to die6 ,he was bitterly reproaching himself with not having been found worthy of martyrdom1 not having been able to give himself for ,him who gave himself for us4 ,we touch here upon one of the most powerful and mysterious elements of the ,christian life4 ,we may very easily not understand it1 but we may not for all that deny it4 ,it is the root of true mysticism4#ad ,the really new thing that ,jesus brought into the world was that1 feeling himself in perfect union with the heavenly ,father1 he called all men to unite themselves to him and through him to ,god3 ,i am the vine1 and ye are the branches2 he who abides in me and ,i in him brings forth much fruit1 for apart from me ye can do nothing4 ,the ,christ not only preached this union1 he made it felt4 ,on the evening of his last day he instituted its sacrament1 and there is probably no sect which denies that communion is at once the symbol1 the principle1 and the end of the religious life4 ,for eighteen centuries ,christians who differ on everything else cannot but look with one accord to him who in the upper chamber instituted the rite of the new times4 ,the night before he died he took the bread and brake it and distributed it to them1 saying1 ,,take ,,and ,,eat1 ,,for ,,this ,,is ,,my ,,body4 ,jesus1 while presenting union with himself as the very foundation of the new life1#ae took care to point out to his brethren that this union was before all things a sharing in his work1 in his struggles1 and his sufferings3 ,let him that would be my disciple take up his cross and follow me4 ,st4 ,paul entered so perfectly into the ,master's thought in this respect that he uttered a few years later this cry of a mysticism that has never been equalled3 ,i have been crucified with ,christ1 yet ,i live 444 or rather1 it is not ,i who live1 but ,christ who liveth in me4 ,this utterance is not an isolated exclamation with him1 it is the very centre of his religious consciousness1 and he goes so far as to say1 at the risk of scandalizing many a ,christian3 ,i fill up in my body that which is lacking of the sufferings of ,christ1 for his body's sake1 which is the ,church4 ,perhaps it has not been useless to enter into these thoughts1 to show to what point ,francis during the last years of his life1 where he renews in his body the passion of ,christ1 is allied to the apostolic tradition4 ,in the solitudes of the ,verna1 as formerly at ,st4 ,damian1 ,jesus presented himself to him under his form of the ,crucified ,one1 the man of sorrows4#af ,that this intercourse has been described to us in a poetic and inexact form is nothing surprising4 ,it is the contrary that would be surprising4 ,in the paroxysms of divine love there are ineffabilia which1 far from being able to relate them or make them understood1 we can hardly recall to our own minds4 ,francis on the ,verna was even more absorbed than usual in his ardent desire to suffer for ,jesus and with him4 ,his days went by divided between exercises of piety in the humble sanctuary on the mountain-top and meditation in the depths of the forest4 ,it even happened to him to forget the services1 and to remain several days alone in some cave of the rock1 going over in his heart the memories of ,golgotha4 ,at other times he would remain for long hours at the foot of the altar1 reading and re-reading the ,gospel1 and entreating ,god to show him the way in which he ought to walk4#ag ,the book almost always opened of itself to the story of the ,passion1 and this simple coincidence1 though easy enough to explain1 was enough of itself to excite him4 ,the vision of the ,crucified ,one took the fuller possession of his faculties as the day of the ,elevation of the ,holy ,cross drew near 7,september #adth71 a festival now relegated to the background1 but in the thirteenth century celebrated with a fervor and zeal very natural for a solemnity which might be considered the patronal festival of the ,crusades4 ,francis doubled his fastings and prayers1 quite transformed into ,jesus by love and compassion1 says one of the legends4 ,he passed the night before the festival alone in prayer1 not far from the hermitage4 ,in the morning he had a vision4 ,in the rays of the rising sun1 which after the chill of night came to revive his body1 he suddenly perceived a strange form4 ,a seraph1 with outspread wings1 flew toward him from the edge of the horizon1 and bathed his soul in raptures unutterable4 ,in the centre of the vision appeared a cross1 and the seraph was nailed upon it4 ,when the vision disappeared1 he felt sharp sufferings mingling with the ecstasy of the first moments4 ,stirred to the very depths of his being1 he was anxiously seeking the meaning of it all1 when he perceived upon his body the stigmata of the ,crucified4#ah ,,footnotes3 #a ,the passes that give access to the ,casentino have all about one thousand metres of altitude4 ,until the most recent years there was no road properly so called4 #b ,in ,france ,mount ,aiguille1 one of the seven wonders of ,dauphiny1 presents the same aspect and the same geological formation4 ,st4 ,odile also recalls the ,verna1 but is very much smaller4 #c ,the summit has an altitude of #abfi metres4 ,in ,italian they call it the ,verna1 in ,latin ,alvernus4 ,the etymology1 which has tested the acuteness of the learned1 appears to be very simple2 the verb vernare1 used by ,dante1 signifies make cold1 freeze4 #d ,name of the highest point on the plateau4 ,hardly three-quarters of an hour from the monastery1 and not two hours and a half1 as these worthy anchorites believed4 ,this is said for the benefit of tourists 444 and pilgrims4 #e ,the forest has been preserved as a relic4 ,alexander ,,iv4 fulminated excommunication against whomever should cut down the firs of ,verna4 ,as to the birds1 it is enough to pass a day at the monastery to be amazed at their number and variety4 ,m4 ,c4 ,beni has begun at ,stia 7in ,casentino7 an ornithological collection which already includes more than five hundred and fifty varieties4 #f #a ,cel41 #ia2 ,bon41 #ahh2 ,fior4 i41 consid4 #g ,fior4 i41 consid42 ,conform41 #agf;b1 #a4 #h ,cel41 #b1 #ae2 ,bon41 #ajj4 ,fior4 i41 consid4 #i ,bon41 #aah4 ,fior4 i41 consid4 #aj #b ,cel41 #ajj4 #aa ,fior4 ii41 consid4 #ab ,the ruins of the castle of ,chiusi are three quarters of an hour from ,verna4 #ac ,fior4 iv4 and v4 consid4 ,these two considerations appear to be the result of a reworking of the primitive document4 ,the latter no doubt included the three former1 which the continuer has interpolated and lengthened4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #bca;a1 #a2 ,spec41 #ia;b1 #ib;a1 #ig2 ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #hfj ff4 #ad ,in current language we often include under the word mysticism all the tendencies--often far from ,christian--which give predominance in the religious life to vague poetic elements1 impulses of the heart4 ,the name of mystic ought to be applied only to those ,christians to whom immediate relations with ,jesus form the basis of the religious life4 ,in this sense ,st4 ,paul 7whose theologico-philosophical system is one of the most powerful efforts of the human mind to explain sin and redemption7 is at the same time the prince of mystics4 #ae ,he did not desire to institute a religion1 for he felt the vanity of observances and dogmas4 7,the apostles continued to frequent the ,jewish temple4 ,acts1 ii41 #df2 iii41 #a2 v41 #be2 xxi41 #bf47 ,he desired to inoculate the world with a new life4 #af #b ,cel41 #c1 #bi2 cf4 #a ,cel41 #aae2 #c ,soc41 #ac and #ad2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #f2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #abc and #aca2 ,bon41 #eg2 #abd2 #bjc2 #bjd2 #bbd2 #bbe2 #cji2 #caj2 #caa2 ,conform41 #bbi;b ff4 #ag #a ,cel41 #ia-id2 ,bon41 #ahi1 #aij4 #ah ,see the annotations of ,brother ,leo upon the autograph of ,st4 ,francis 7,crit4 ,study1 p4 #ceg7 and #a ,cel41 #id1 #ie2 ,bon41 #aia1 #aib1 #aic 7#c ,soc41 #fi1 #gj72 ,fior4 iii4 consid4 ,cf4 ,auct4 vit4 sec42 ,a4 ,,ss4 p4 #fdi4 ,it is to be noted that ,thomas of ,celano 7#a ,cel41 #ie71 as well as all the primitive documents1 describe the stigmata as being fleshy excrescences1 recalling in form and color the nails with which the limbs of ,jesus were pierced4 ,no one speaks of those gaping1 sanguineous wounds which were imagined later4 ,only the mark at the side was a wound1 whence at times exuded a little blood4 ,finally1 ,thomas of ,celano says that after the seraphic vision began to appear1 coeperunt apparere signa clavorum4 ,vide ,appendix3 ,study of the ,stigmata4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,canticle ,,of ,,the ,,sun ,autumn1 #abbd-;,autumn1 #abbe ,the morning after ,st4 ,michael's ,day 7,september #cj1 #abbd7 ,francis quitted ,verna and went to ,portiuncula4 ,he was too much exhausted to think of making the journey on foot1 and ,count ,orlando put a horse at his disposal4 ,we can imagine the emotion with which he bade adieu to the mountain on which had been unfolded the drama of love and pain which had consummated the union of his entire being with the ,crucified ,one4 ,amor1 amor1 ,gesu desideroso1 ,amor voglio morire1 ,te abrazando ,amor1 dolce ,gesu1 meo sposo1 ,amor1 amor1 la morte te domando1 ,amor1 amor1 ,gesu si pietoso ,tu me te dai in te transformato ,pensa ch'io vo spasmando ,non so o io me sia ,gesu speranza mia ,ormai va1 dormi in amore4 ,so sang ,giacopone dei ,todi in the raptures of a like love4#a ,if we are to believe a recently published document1#b ,brother ,masseo1 one of those who remained on the ,verna1 made a written account of the events of this day4 ,they set out early in the morning4 ,francis1 after having given his directions to the ,brothers1 had had a look and a word for everything around2 for the rocks1 the flowers1 the trees1 for brother hawk1 a privileged character which was authorized to enter his cell at all times1 and which came every morning1 with the first glimmer of dawn1 to remind him of the hour of service4#c ,then the little band set forth upon the path leading to ,monte-,acuto4#d ,arrived at the gap from whence one gets the last sight of the ,verna1 ,francis alighted from his horse1 and kneeling upon the earth1 his face turned toward the mountain1 ,adieu1 he said1 mountain of ,god1 sacred mountain1 mons coagulatus1 mons pinguis1 mons in quo bene placitum est ,deo habitare2 adieu ,monte-,verna1 may ,god bless thee1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit2 abide in peace2 we shall never see one another more4 ,has not this artless scene a delicious and poignant sweetness8 ,he must surely have uttered these words1 in which suddenly the ,italian does not suffice and ,francis is obliged to resort to the mystical language of the breviary to express his feelings4 ,a few minutes later the rock of the ecstacy had disappeared4 ,the descent into the valley is rapid4 ,the ,brothers had decided to spend the night at ,monte-,casale1 the little hermitage above ,borgo ,san-,sepolcro4 ,all of them1 even those who were to remain on the ,verna1 were still following their master4 ,as for him1 absorbed in thought he had become entirely oblivious to what was going on1 and did not even perceive the noisy enthusiasm which his passage aroused in the numerous villages along the ,tiber4 ,at ,borgo ,san-,sepolcro he received a real ovation without even then coming to himself2 but when they had some time quitted the town1 he seemed suddenly to awake1 and asked his companion if they ought not soon to arrive there4#e ,the first evening at ,monte ,casale was marked by a miracle4 ,francis healed a friar who was possessed4#f ,the next morning1 having decided to pass several days in this hermitage1 he sent the brothers back to the ,verna1 and with them ,count ,orlando's horse4 ,in one of the villages through which they had passed the day before a woman had been lying several days between death and life unable to give birth to her child4 ,those about her had only learned of the passage of the saint through their village when he was too far distant to be overtaken4 ,we may judge of the joy of these poor people when the rumor was spread that he was about to return4 ,they went to meet him1 and were terribly disappointed on finding only the friars4 ,suddenly an idea occurred to them3 taking the bridle of the horse consecrated by the touch of ,francis's hands1 they carried it to the sufferer1 who1 having laid it upon her body1 gave birth to her child without the slightest pain4#g ,this miracle1 established by narratives entirely authentic1 shows the degree of enthusiasm felt by the people for the person of ,francis4 ,as for him1 after a few days at ,monte-,casale1 he set out with ,brother ,leo for ,citta di ,castello4 ,he there healed a woman suffering from frightful nervous disorders1 and remained an entire month preaching in this city and its environs4 ,when he once more set forth winter had almost closed in4 ,a peasant lent him his ass1 but the roads were so bad that they were unable to reach any sort of shelter before nightfall4 ,the unhappy travellers were obliged to pass the night under a rock2 the shelter was more than rudimentary1 the wind drifted the snow in upon them1 and nearly froze the unlucky peasant1 who with abominable oaths heaped curses on ,francis2 but the latter replied with such cheerfulness that he made him at last forget both the cold and his bad humor4 ,on the morrow the saint reached ,portiuncula4 ,he seems to have made only a brief halt there1 and to have set forth again almost immediately to evangelize ,southern ,umbria4 ,it is impossible to follow him in this mission4 ,brother ,elias accompanied him1 but so feeble was he that ,elias could not conceal his uneasiness as to his life4#h ,ever since his return from ,syria 7,august1 #abbj71 he had been growing continually weaker1 but his fervor had increased from day to day4 ,nothing could check him1 neither suffering nor the entreaties of the ,brothers2 seated on an ass he would sometimes go over three or four villages in one day4 ,such excessive toil brought on an infirmity even more painful than any he had hitherto suffered from3 he was threatened with loss of sight4#i ,meanwhile a sedition had forced ,honorius ,,iii4 to leave ,rome 7end of ,april1 #abbe74 ,after passing a few weeks at ,tivoli1 he established himself at ,rieti1 where he remained until the end of #abbf4aj ,the pope's arrival had drawn to this city1 with the entire pontifical court1 several physicians of renown2 ,cardinal ,ugolini1 who had come in the pope's train1 hearing of ,francis's malady1 summoned him to ,rieti for treatment4 ,but notwithstanding ,brother ,elias's entreaties ,francis hesitated a long time as to accepting the invitation4#aa ,it seemed to him that a sick man has but one thing to do2 place himself purely and simply in the hands of the heavenly ,father4 ,what is pain to a soul that is fixed in ,god6#ab ,elias1 however1 at last overcame his objections1 and the journey was determined upon1 but first ,francis desired to go and take leave of ,clara1 and enjoy a little rest near her4 ,he remained at ,st4 ,damian much longer than he had proposed to do#ac 7end of ,july to beginning of ,september1 #abbe74 ,his arrival at this beloved monastery was marked by a terrible aggravation of his malady4 ,for fifteen days he was so completely blind that he could not even distinguish light4 ,the care lavished upon him produced no result1 since every day he passed long hours in weeping--tears of penitence1 he said1 but also of regret4#ad ,ah1 how different they were from those tears of his moments of inspiration and emotion1 which had flowed over a countenance all illumined with joy6 ,they had seen him1 in such moments1 take up two bits of wood1 and1 accompanying himself with this rustic violin1 improvise ,french songs in which he would pour out the abundance of his heart4#ae ,but the radiance of genius and hope had become dimmed4 ,rachel weeps for her children1 and will not be comforted because they are not4 ,there are in the tears of ,francis this same quia non sunt for his spiritual sons4 ,but if there are irremediable pains there are none which may not be at once elevated and softened1 when we endure them at the side of those who love us4 ,in this respect his companions could not be of much help to him4 ,moral consolations are possible only from our peers1 or when two hearts are united by a mystical passion so great that they mingle and understand one another4 ,ah1 if the ,brothers knew what ,i suffer1 ,st4 ,francis said a few days before the impression of the stigmata1 with what pity and compassion they would be moved6 ,but they1 seeing him who had laid cheerfulness upon them as a duty becoming more and more sad and keeping aloof from them1 imagined that he was tortured with temptations of the devil4#af ,clara divined that which could not be uttered4 ,at ,st4 ,damian her friend was looking back over all the past3 what memories lived again in a single glance6 ,here1 the olive-tree to which1 a brilliant cavalier1 he had fastened his horse2 there1 the stone bench where his friend1 the priest of the poor chapel1 used to sit2 yonder1 the hiding-place in which he had taken refuge from the paternal wrath1 and1 above all1 the sanctuary with the mysterious crucifix of the decisive hour4 ,in living over these pictures of the radiant past1 ,francis aggravated his pain2 yet they spoke to him of other things than death and regret4 ,clara was there1 as steadfast1 as ardent as ever4 ,long ago transformed by admiration1 she was now transfigured by compassion4 ,seated at the feet of him whom she loved with more than earthly love she felt the soreness of his soul1 and the failing of his heart4 ,after that1 what did it matter that ,francis's tears became more abundant to the point of making him blind for a fortnight8 ,soothing would come2 the sister of consolation would give him peace once more4 ,and first she kept him near her1 and1 herself taking part in the labor1 she made him a large cell of reeds in the monastery garden1 that he might be entirely at liberty as to his movements4 ,how could he refuse a hospitality so thoroughly ,franciscan8 ,it was indeed only too much so3 legions of rats and mice infested this retired spot2 at night they ran over ,francis's bed with an infernal uproar1 so that he could find no repose from his sufferings4 ,but he soon forgot all that when near his sister-friend4 ,once again she gave back to him faith and courage4 ,a single sunbeam1 he used to say1 is enough to drive away many shadows6 ,little by little the man of the former days began to show himself1 and at times the ,sisters would hear1 mingling with the murmur of the olive trees and pines1 the echo of unfamiliar songs1 which seemed to come from the cell of reeds4 ,one day he had seated himself at the monastery table after a long conversation with ,clara4 ,the meal had hardly begun when suddenly he seemed to be rapt away in ecstasy4 ,laudato sia lo ,signore6 he cried on coming to himself4 ,he had just composed the ,canticle of the ,sun4#ag ,,text#ah ,,incipiunt ,,laudes ,,creaturarum ,,quas ,,fecit ,,beatus ,,franciscus ,,ad ,,laudem ,,et ,,honorem ,,dei ,,cum ,,esset ,,infirmus ,,ad ,,sanctum ,,damianum4 ,,altissimu1 onnipotente1 bon signore1 tue so le laude la gloria e l'onore et onne benedictione4 ,ad te sole1 altissimo1 se konfano et nullu homo ene dignu te mentovare4 ,laudato sie1 mi signore1 cum tucte le tue creature spetialmente messor lo frate sole1 lo quale jorna1 et illumini per lui2 ,et ellu e bellu e radiante cum grande splendore2 de te1 altissimo1 porta significatione4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per sora luna e le stelle1 in celu l' ai formate clarite et pretiose et belle4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per frate vento et per aere et nubilo et sereno et onne tempo1 per le quale a le tue creature dai sustentamento4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per sor acqua1 la quale e multo utile et humele et pretiosa et casta4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per frate focu1 per lo quale ennallumini la nocte1 ed ello e bello et jucundo et robustoso et forte4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per sora nostra matre terra1 la quale ne sustenta et governa et produce diversi fructi con colorite flori et herba4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per quilli ke perdonano per lo tuo amore et sosteugo infirmitate et tribulatione1 beati quilli ke sosterrano in pace1 ka da te1 altissimo1 sirano incoronati4 ,laudato si1 mi signore1 per sora nostra morte corporale1 de la quale nullu homo vivente po skappare3 guai a quilli ke morrano ne le peccata mortali2 beati quilli ke se trovara ne le tue sanctissime voluntati1 ka la morte secunda nol farra male4 ,laudate et benedicete mi signore et rengratiate et serviteli cum grande humilitate4 ,,translation4#ai ,o most high1 almighty1 good ,lord ,god1 to thee belong praise1 glory1 honor1 and all blessing6 ,to thee alone1 ,most ,high1 do they belong1 and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce thy ,name4 ,praised be my ,lord ,god with all his creatures1 and specially our brother the sun1 who brings us the day and who brings us the light2 fair is he and shines with a very great splendor3 ,o ,lord1 he signifies to us thee6 ,praised be my ,lord for our sister the moon1 and for the stars1 the which he has set clear and lovely in heaven4 ,praised be my ,lord for our brother the wind1 and for air and cloud1 calms and all weather by the which thou upholdest life in all creatures4 ,praised be my ,lord for our sister water1 who is very serviceable unto us and humble and precious and clean4 ,praised be my ,lord for our brother fire1 through whom thou givest us light in the darkness2 and he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong4 ,praised be my ,lord for our mother the earth1 the which doth sustain us and keep us1 and bringeth forth divers fruits and flowers of many colors1 and grass4 ,praised be my ,lord for all those who pardon one another for his love's sake1 and who endure weakness and tribulation2 blessed are they who peaceably shall endure1 for thou1 ,o most ,highest1 shalt give them a crown4 ,praised be my ,lord for our sister1 the death of the body1 from which no man escapeth4 ,woe to him who dieth in mortal sin6 ,blessed are they who are found walking by thy most holy will1 for the second death shall have no power to do them harm4 ,praise ye and bless the ,lord1 and give thanks unto him and serve him with great humility4 ,joy had returned to ,francis1 joy as deep as ever4 ,for a whole week he forsook his breviary and passed his days in repeating the ,canticle of the ,sun4 ,during a night of sleeplessness he had heard a voice saying to him1 ,if thou hadst faith as a grain of mustard seed1 thou wouldst say to this mountain1 ',be thou removed from there1' and it would move away4 ,was not the mountain that of his sufferings1 the temptation to murmur and despair8 ,be it1 ,lord1 according to thy word1 he had replied with all his heart1 and immediately he had felt that he was delivered4#bj ,he might have perceived that the mountain had not greatly changed its place1 but for several days he had turned his eyes away from it1 he had been able to forget its existence4 ,for a moment he thought of summoning to his side ,brother ,pacifico1 the ,king of ,verse1 to retouch his canticle2 his idea was to attach to him a certain number of friars1 who would go with him from village to village1 preaching4 ,after the sermon they would sing the ,hymn of the ,sun2 and they were to close by saying to the crowd gathered around them in the public places1 ,we are ,god's jugglers4 ,we desire to be paid for our sermon and our song4 ,our payment shall be that you persevere in penitence4#ba ,is it not in fact true1 he would add1 that the servants of ,god are really like jugglers1 intended to revive the hearts of men and lead them into spiritual joy8 ,the ,francis of the old raptures had come back1 the layman1 the poet1 the artist4 ,the ,canticle of the ,creatures is very noble3 it lacks1 however1 one strophe2 if it was not upon ,francis's lips1 it was surely in his heart3 ,be praised1 ,lord1 for ,sister ,clara2 thou hast made her silent1 active1 and sagacious1 and by her thy light shines in our hearts4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,thirty-sixth and last strophe of the song ,amor de caritade ,perche m' hai si ferito8 found in the collection of ,st4 ,francis's works4 #b ,by the ,abbe ,amoni1 at the close of his edition of the ,fioretti1 ,rome1 #a vol41 #abmo1 #ahhi1 pp4 #cij-cib4 ,we can but once more regret the silence of the editor as to the manuscript whence he has drawn these charming pages4 ,certain indications seem unfavorable to the author having written it before the second half of the thirteenth century2 on the other hand1 the object of a forgery is not evident4 ,an apochryphal piece always betrays itself by some interested purpose1 but here the story is of an infantine simplicity4 #c #b ,cel41 #c1 #ajd2 ,bon41 #aai2 ,fior4 ii4 consid4 #d ,parti san ,francesco per ,monte-,acuto prendendo la via di ,monte-,arcoppe e del foresto4 ,this road from the ,verna to ,borgo ,san-,sepolero is far from being the shortest or the easiest1 for instead of leading directly to the plain it lingers for long hours among the hills4 ,is not all ,francis in this choice8 #e #b ,cel41 #c1 #da2 ,bon41 #ada2 ,fior4 iv4 consid4 #f #a ,cel41 #fc and #fd2 ,fior4 iv4 consid4 #g #a ,cel41 #gj2 ,fior4 iv4 consid4 #h #a ,cel41 #aji2 #fi2 ,bon4 #bjh4 ,perhaps we must refer to this circuit the visit to ,celano4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #cj2 ,spec41 #bb2 ,bon41 #aef and #aeg4 #i #a ,cel41 #ig and #ih2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #acg2 ,bon41 #bje and #bjf4 #aj ,richard of ,st4 ,germano1 ann4 #abbe4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #gdjj ff4 #aa #a ,cel41 #ih and #ii2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #acg2 ,fior41 #ai4 #ab #b ,cel41 #c1 #aaj2 ,rule of #abba1 cap4 #aj4 #ac ,see the reference to the sources after the ,canticle of the ,sun4 #ad #b ,cel41 #c1 #ach4 #ae ,this incident appeared to the authors so peculiar that they emphasized it with an ut oculis videmus4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fg2 ,spec41 #aai;a4 #af ,spec41 #abc;a2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #eh4 #ag ,i have combined ,celano's narrative with that of the ,conformities4 ,the details given in the latter document appear to me entirely worthy of faith4 ,it is easy to see1 however1 why ,celano omitted them1 and it would be difficult to explain how they could have been later invented4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ach2 ,conform41 #db;b1 #b2 #aai;b1 #a2 #ahd;b1 #b2 #bci;a1 #b2 ,spec41 #abc;a ff42 ,fior41 #ai4 #ah ,after the ,assisan ,,ms41 #cch1 fo #cc;a4 ,vide p4 #ced4 ,father ,panfilo da ,magliano has already published it after this manuscript3 ,storia compendiosa di ,san ,francesco1 ,rome1 #b vols41 #ahmo1 #ahgd-ahgf4 ,the ,conformities1 #bjb;b1 #b-bjc;a #a1 give a version of it which differs from this only by insignificant variations4 ,the learned philologue ,monaci has established a very remarkable critical text in his ,crestomazia italiana dei primi secoli4 ,citta di ,castello1 fas4 i41 #ahhi1 #hvo1 pp4 #bi-ca4 ,this thoroughly scrupulous work dispenses me from indicating manuscripts and editions more at length4 #ai ,matthew ,arnold1 ,essays in ,criticism1 ,first ,series4 ,macmillan ,company1 #ahhc4 #bj #b ,cel41 #c1 #eh2 ,spec41 #abc;a4 #ba ,spec41 #abd;a4 ,cf4 ,miscellanea 7#ahhi71 iv41 p4 #hh4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,last ,,year ,september1 #abbe-;,end of ,september1 #abbf ,what did ,ugolini think when they told him that ,francis was planning to send his friars1 transformed into ,joculatores ,domini1 to sing up and down the country the ,canticle of ,brother ,sun8 ,perhaps he never heard of it4 ,his protege finally decided to accept his invitation and left ,st4 ,damian in the course of the month of ,september4 ,the landscape which lies before the eyes of the traveller from ,assisi1 when he suddenly emerges upon the plain of ,rieti1 is one of the most beautiful in ,europe4 ,from ,terni the road follows the sinuous course of the ,velino1 passes not far from the famous cascades1 whose clouds of mist are visible1 and then plunges into the defiles in whose depths the torrent rushes noisily1 choked by a vegetation as luxuriant as that of a virgin forest4 ,on all sides uprise walls of perpendicular rocks1 and on their crests1 several hundred yards above your head1 are feudal fortresses1 among others the ,castle of ,miranda1 more giddy1 more fantastic than any which ,gustave ,dore's fancy ever dreamed4 ,after four hours of walking1 the defile opens out and you find yourself without transition in a broad valley1 sparkling with light4 ,rieti1 the only city in this plain of several leagues1 appears far away at the other extremity1 commanded by hills of a thoroughly tropical aspect1 behind which rise the mighty ,apennines1 almost always covered with snow4 ,the highway goes directly toward this town1 passing between tiny lakes2 here and there roads lead off to little villages which you see1 on the hillside1 between the cultivated fields and the edge of the forests2 there are ,stroncone1 ,greccio1 ,cantalice1 ,poggio-,buscone1 and ten other small towns1 which have given more saints to the ,church than a whole province of ,france4 ,between the inhabitants of the district and their neighbors of ,umbria1 properly so called1 the difference is extreme4 ,they are all of the striking type of the ,sabine peasants1 and they remain to this day entire strangers to new customs4 ,one is born a ,capuchin there as elsewhere one is born a soldier1 and the traveller needs to have his wits about him not to address every man he meets as ,reverend ,father4 ,francis had often gone over this district in every direction4 ,like its neighbor1 the hilly ,march of ,ancona1 it was peculiarly prepared to receive the new gospel4 ,in these hermitages1 with their almost impossible simplicity1 perched near the villages on every side1 without the least care for material comfort1 but always where there is the widest possible view1 was perpetuated a race of ,brothers ,minor1 impassioned1 proud1 stubborn1 almost wild1 who did not wholly understand their master1 who did not catch his exquisite simplicity1 his impossibility of hating1 his dreams of social and political renovation1 his poetry and delicacy1 but who did understand the lover of nature and of poverty4#a ,they did more than understand him2 they lived his life1 and from that ,christmas festival observed in the woods of ,greccio down to to-day they have remained the simple and popular representatives of the ,strict ,observance4 ,from them comes to us the ,legend of the ,three ,companions1 the most life-like and true of all the portraits of the ,poverello1 and it was there1 in a cell three paces long1 that ,giovanni di ,parma had his apocalyptic visions4 ,the news of ,francis's arrival quickly spread1 and long before he reached ,rieti the population had come out to meet him4 ,to avoid this noisy welcome he craved the hospitality of the priest of ,st4 ,fabian4 ,this little church1 now known under the name of ,our ,lady of the ,forest1 is somewhat aside from the road upon a grassy mound about a league from the city4 ,he was heartily welcomed1 and desiring to remain there for a little1 prelates and devotees began to flock thither in the next few days4 ,it was the time of the early grapes4 ,it is easy to imagine the disquietude of the priest on perceiving the ravages made by these visitors among his vines1 his best source of revenue1 but he probably exaggerated the damage4 ,francis one day heard him giving vent to his bad humor4 ,father1 he said1 it is useless for you to disturb yourself for what you cannot hinder2 but1 tell me1 how much wine do you get on an average8 ,fourteen measures1 replied the priest4 ,very well1 if you have less than twenty1 ,i undertake to make up the difference4 ,this promise reassured the worthy man1 and when at the vintage he received twenty measures1 he had no hesitation in believing in a miracle4#b ,upon ,ugolini's entreaties ,francis had accepted the hospitality of the bishop's palace in ,rieti4 ,thomas of ,celano enlarges with delight upon the marks of devotion lavished on ,francis by this prince of the ,church4 ,unhappily all this is written in that pompous and confused style of which diplomats and ecclesiastics appear to have by nature the secret4 ,francis entered into the condition of a relic in his lifetime4 ,the mania for amulets displayed itself around him in all its excesses4 ,people quarrelled not only over his clothing1 but even over his hair and the parings of his nails4#c ,did these merely exterior demonstrations disgust him8 ,did he sometimes think of the contrast between these honors offered to his body1 which he picturesquely called ,brother ,ass1 and the subversion of his ideal8 ,we cannot tell4 ,if he had feelings of this kind those who surrounded him were not the men to understand them1 and it would be idle to expect any expression of them from his pen4 ,soon after he had a relapse1 and asked to be removed to ,monte-,colombo1#d a hermitage an hour distant from the city1 hidden amidst trees and scattered rocks4 ,he had already retired thither several times1 notably when he was preparing the ,rule of #abbc4 ,the doctors1 having exhausted the therapeutic arsenal of the time1 decided to resort to cauterization2 it was decided to draw a rod of white-hot iron across his forehead4 ,when the poor patient saw them bringing in the brazier and the instruments he had a moment of terror2 but immediately making the sign of the cross over the glowing iron1 ,brother fire1 he said1 you are beautiful above all creatures2 be favorable to me in this hour2 you know how much ,i have always loved you2 be then courteous to-day4 ,afterward1 when his companions1 who had not had the courage to remain1 came back he said to them1 smiling1 ,oh1 cowardly folk1 why did you go away8 ,i felt no pain4 ,brother doctor1 if it is necessary you may do it again4 ,this experiment was no more successful than the other remedies4 ,in vain they quickened the wound on the forehead1 by applying plasters1 salves1 and even by making incisions in it2 the only result was to increase the pains of the sufferer4#e ,one day1 at ,rieti1 whither he had again been carried1 he thought that a little music would relieve his pain4 ,calling a friar who had formerly been clever at playing the guitar1 he begged him to borrow one2 but the friar was afraid of the scandal which this might cause1 and ,francis gave it up4 ,god took pity upon him2 the following night he sent an invisible angel to give him such a concert as is never heard on earth4#f ,francis1 hearing it1 lost all bodily feeling1 say the ,fioretti1 and at one moment the melody was so sweet and penetrating that if the angel had given one more stroke of the bow1 the sick man's soul would have left his body4#g ,it seems that there was some amelioration of his state when the doctors left him2 we find him during the months of this winter1 #abbe-abbf1 in the most remote hermitages of the district1 for as soon as he had a little strength he was determined to begin preaching again4 ,he went to ,poggio-,buscone#h for the ,christmas festival4 ,people flocked thither in crowds from all the country round to see and hear him4 ,you come here1 he said1 expecting to find a great saint2 what will you think when ,i tell you that ,i ate meat all through ,advent8#i ,at ,st4 ,eleutheria1#aj at a time of extreme cold which tried him much1 he had sewn some pieces of stuff into his own tunic and that of his companion1 so as to make their garments a little warmer4 ,one day his companion came home with a fox-skin1 with which in his turn he proposed to line his master's tunic4 ,francis rejoiced much over it1 but would permit this excess of consideration for his body only on condition that the piece of fur should be placed on the outside over his chest4 ,all these incidents1 almost insignificant at a first view1 show how he detested hypocrisy even in the smallest things4 ,we will not follow him to his dear ,greccio1#aa nor even to the hermitage of ,st4 ,urbano1 perched on one of the highest peaks of the ,sabine4#ab ,the accounts which we have of the brief visits he made there at this time tell us nothing new of his character or of the history of his life4 ,they simply show that the imaginations of those who surrounded him were extraordinarily overheated2 the least incidents immediately took on a miraculous coloring4#ac ,the documents do not say how it came about that he decided to go to ,sienna4 ,it appears that there was in that city a physician of great fame as an oculist4 ,the treatment he prescribed was no more successful than that of the others2 but with the return of spring ,francis made a new effort to return to active life4 ,we find him describing the ideal ,franciscan monastery1#ad and another day explaining a passage in the ,bible to a ,dominican4 ,did the latter1 a doctor in theology1 desire to bring the rival ,order into ridicule by showing its founder incapable of explaining a somewhat difficult verse8 ,it appears extremely likely4 ,my good father1 he said1 how do you understand this saying of the prophet ,ezekiel1 ',if thou dost not warn the wicked of his wickedness1 ,i will require his soul of thee8' ,i am acquainted with many men whom ,i know to be in a state of mortal sin1 and yet ,i am not always reproaching them for their vices4 ,am ,i1 then1 responsible for their souls8 ,at first ,francis excused himself1 alleging his ignorance1 but urged by his interlocutor he said at last3 ,yes1 the true servant unceasingly rebukes the wicked1 but he does it most of all by his conduct1 by the truth which shines forth in his words1 by the light of his example1 by all the radiance of his life4#ae ,he soon suffered so grave a relapse that the ,brothers thought his last hour had come4 ,they were especially affrighted by the hemorrhages1 which reduced him to a state of extreme prostration4 ,brother ,elias hastened to him4 ,at his arrival the invalid felt in himself such an improvement that they could acquiesce in his desire to be taken back to ,umbria4 ,toward the middle of ,april they set out1 going in the direction of ,cortona4 ,it is the easiest route1 and the delightful hermitage of that city was one of the best ordered to permit of his taking some repose4 ,he doubtless remained there a very short time3 he was in haste to see once more the skies of his native country1 ,portiuncula1 ,st4 ,damian1 the ,carceri1 all those paths and hamlets which one sees from the terraces of ,assisi and which recalled to him so many sweet memories4 ,instead of going by the nearest road1 they made a long circuit by ,gubbio and ,nocera1 to avoid ,perugia1 fearing some attempt of the inhabitants to get possession of the ,saint4 ,such a relic as the body of ,francis lacked little of the value of the sacred nail or the sacred lance4#af ,battles were fought for less than that4 ,they made a short halt near ,nocera1 at the hermitage of ,bagnara1 on the slopes of ,monte-,pennino4#ag ,his companions were again very much disturbed4 ,the swelling which had shown itself in the lower limbs was rapidly gaining the upper part of the body4 ,the ,assisans learned this1 and wishing to be prepared for whatever might happen sent their men-at-arms to protect the ,saint and hasten his return4 ,bringing ,francis back with them they stopped for food at the hamlet of ,balciano1#ah but in vain they begged the inhabitants to sell them provisions4 ,as the escort were confiding their discomfiture to the friars1 ,francis1 who knew these good peasants1 said3 ,if you had asked for food without offering to pay1 you would have found all you wanted4 ,he was right1 for1 following his advice1 they received for nothing all that they desired4#ai ,the arrival of the party at ,assisi was hailed with frantic joy4 ,this time ,francis's fellow-citizens were sure that the ,saint was not going to die somewhere else4#bj ,customs in this matter have changed too much for us to be able thoroughly to comprehend the good fortune of possessing the body of a saint4 ,if you are ever so unlucky as to mention ,st4 ,andrew before an inhabitant of ,amalfi1 you will immediately find him beginning to shout ,evviva ,san ,andrea6 ,evviva ,san ,andrea6 ,then with extraordinary volubility he will relate to you the legend of the ,grande ,protettore1 his miracles past and present1 those which he might have done if he had chosen1 but which he refrained from doing out of charity because ,st4 ,januarius of ,naples could not do as much4 ,he gesticulates1 throws himself about1 hustles you1 more enthusiastic over his relic and more exasperated by your coldness than a soldier of the ,old ,guard before an enemy of the ,emperor4 ,in the thirteenth century all ,europe was like that4 ,we shall find here several incidents which we may be tempted to consider shocking or even ignoble1 if we do not make an effort to put them all into their proper surroundings4 ,francis was installed in the bishop's palace2 he would have preferred to be at ,portiuncula1 but the ,brothers were obliged to obey the injunctions of the populace1 and to make assurance doubly sure1 guards were placed at all the approaches of the palace4 ,the abode of the ,saint in this place was much longer than had been anticipated4 ,it perhaps lasted several months 7,july to ,september74 ,this dying man did not consent to die4 ,he rebelled against death2 in this centre of the work his anxieties for the future of the ,order1 which a little while before had been in the background1 now returned1 more agonizing and terrible than ever4 ,we must begin again1 he thought1 create a new family who will not forget humility1 who will go and serve lepers and1 as in the old times1 put themselves always1 not merely in words1 but in reality1 below all men4#ba ,to feel that implacable work of destruction going on against which the most submissive cannot keep from protesting3 ,my ,god1 my ,god1 why8 why hast thou forsaken me8 ,to be obliged to look on at the still more dreaded decomposition of his ,order2 he1 the lark1 to be spied upon by soldiers watching for his corpse--there was quite enough here to make him mortally sad4 ,during these last weeks all his sighs were noted4 ,the disappearance of the greater part of the legend of the ,three ,companions certainly deprives us of some touching stories1 but most of the incidents have been preserved for us1 notwithstanding1 in documents from a second hand4 ,four ,brothers had been especially charged to lavish care upon him3 ,leo1 ,angelo1 ,rufino1 and ,masseo4 ,we already know them2 they are of those intimate friends of the first days1 who had heard in the ,franciscan gospel a call to love and liberty4 ,and they too began to complain of everything4#bb ,one day one of them said to the sick man3 ,father1 you are going away to leave us here2 point out to us1 then1 if you know him1 the one to whom we might in all security confide the burden of the generalship4 ,alas1 ,francis did not know the ideal ,brother1 capable of assuming such a duty2 but he took advantage of the question to sketch the portrait of the perfect minister-general4#bc ,we have two impressions of this portrait1 the one which has been retouched by ,celano1 and the original proof1 much shorter and more vague1 but showing us ,francis desiring that his successor shall have but a single weapon1 an unalterable love4 ,it was probably this question which suggested to him the thought of leaving for his successors1 the generals of the ,order1 a letter which they should pass on from one to another1 and where they should find1 not directions for particular cases1 but the very inspiration of their activity4#bd ,to the ,reverend ,father in ,christ1 ,n 4441 ,minister-,general of the entire ,order of the ,brothers ,minor4 ,may ,god bless thee and keep thee in his holy love4 ,patience in all things and everywhere1 this1 my ,brother1 is what ,i specially recommend4 ,even if they oppose thee1 if they strike thee1 thou shouldst be grateful to them and desire that it should be thus and not otherwise4 ,in this will be manifest thy love for ,god and for me1 his servant and thine2 that there shall not be a single friar in the world who1 having sinned as much as one can sin1 and coming before thee1 shall go away without having received thy pardon4 ,and if he does not ask it1 do thou ask it for him1 whether he wills or not4 ,and if he should return again a thousand times before thee1 love him more than myself1 in order to lead him to well-doing4 ,have pity always on these ,brothers4 ,these words show plainly enough how in former days ,francis had directed the ,order2 in his dream the ministers-general were to stand in a relation of pure affection1 of tender devotion toward those under them2 but was this possible for one at the head of a family whose branches extended over the entire world8 ,it would be hazardous to say1 for among his successors have not been wanting distinguished minds and noble hearts2 but save for ,giovanni di ,parma and two or three others1 this ideal is in sharp contrast with the reality4 ,st4 ,bonaventura himself will drag his master and friend1 this very ,giovanni of ,parma1 before an ecclesiastical tribunal1 will cause him to be condemned to perpetual imprisonment1 and it will need the intervention of a cardinal outside of the ,order to secure the commutation of this sentence4#be ,the agonies of grief endured by the dying ,francis over the decadence of the ,order would have been less poignant if they had not been mingled with self-reproaches for his own cowardice4 ,why had he deserted his post1 given up the direction of his family1 if not from idleness and selfishness8 ,and now it was too late to take back this step2 and in hours of frightful anguish he asked himself if ,god would not hold him responsible for this subversion of his ideal4 ,ah1 if ,i could go once again to the chapter-general1 he would sigh1 ,i would show them what my will is4 ,shattered as he was by fever1 he would suddenly rise up in his bed1 crying with a despairing intensity3 ,where are they who have ravished my brethren from me8 ,where are they who have stolen away my family8 ,alas1 the real criminals were nearer to him than he thought4 ,the provincial ministers1 of whom he appears to have been thinking when he thus spoke1 were only instruments in the hands of the clever ,brother ,elias2 and he--what else was he doing but putting his intelligence and address at ,cardinal ,ugolini's service8 ,far from finding any consolation in those around him1 ,francis was constantly tortured by the confidences of his companions1 who1 impelled by mistaken zeal1 aggravated his pain instead of calming it4#bf ,forgive me1 ,father1 said one of them to him one day1 but many people have already thought what ,i am going to say to you4 ,you know how1 in the early days1 by ,god's grace the ,order walked in the path of perfection2 for all that concerns poverty and love1 as well as for all the rest1 the ,brothers were but one heart and one soul4 ,but for some time past all that is entirely changed3 it is true that people often excuse the ,brothers by saying that the ,order has grown too large to keep up the old observances2 they even go so far as to claim that infidelities to the ,rule1 such as the building of great monasteries1 are a means of edification of the people1 and so the primitive simplicity and poverty are held for nothing4 ,evidently all these abuses are displeasing to you2 but then1 people ask1 why do you tolerate them8 ,god forgive you1 brother4 replied ,francis4 ,why do you lay at my door things with which ,i have nothing to do8 ,so long as ,i had the direction of the ,order1 and the ,brothers persevered in their vocation ,i was able1 in spite of weakness1 to do what was needful4 ,but when ,i saw that1 without caring for my example or my teaching1 they walked in the way you have described1 ,i confided them to the ,lord and to the ministers4 ,it is true that when ,i relinquished the direction1 alleging my incapacity as the motive1 if they had walked in the way of my wishes ,i should not have desired that before my death they should have had any other minister than myself2 though ill1 though bedridden1 even1 ,i should have found strength to perform the duties of my charge4 ,but this charge is wholly spiritual2 ,i will not become an executioner to strike and punish as political governors must4#bg ,francis's complaints became so sharp and bitter that1 to avoid scandal1 the greatest prudence was exercised with regard to those who were permitted to see him4#bh ,disorder was everywhere1 and every day brought its contingent of subjects for sorrow4 ,the confusion of ideas as to the practice of the ,rule was extreme2 occult influences1 which had been working for several years1 had succeeded in veiling the ,franciscan ideal1 not only from distant ,brothers1 or those who had newly joined the ,order1 but even from those who had lived under the influence of the founder4#bi ,under circumstances such as these1 ,francis dictated the letter to all the members of the ,order1 which1 as he thought would be read at the opening of chapters and perpetuate his spiritual presence in them4#cj ,in this letter he is perfectly true to himself2 as in the past1 he desires to influence the ,brothers1 not by reproaches but by fixing their eyes on the perfect holiness4 ,to all the revered and well-beloved ,brothers ,minor1 to ,brother ,a 4441#ca minister-general1 its ,lord1 and to the ministers-general who shall be after him1 and to all the ministers1 custodians1 and priests of this fraternity1 humble in ,christ1 and to all the simple and obedient ,brothers1 the oldest and the most recent1 ,brother ,francis1 a mean and perishing man1 your little servant1 gives greeting6 ,hear1 my ,lords1 you who are my sons and my brothers1 give ear to my words4 ,open your hearts and obey the voice of the ,son of ,god4 ,keep his commandments with all your hearts1 and perfectly observe his counsels4 ,praise him1 for he is good1 and glorify him by your works4 ,god has sent you through all the world1 that by your words and example you may bear witness of him1 and that you may teach all men that he alone is all powerful4 ,persevere in discipline and obedience1 and with an honest and firm will keep that which you have promised4 ,after this opening ,francis immediately passes to the essential matter of the letter1 that of the love and respect due to the ,sacrament of the altar2 faith in this mystery of love appeared to him indeed as the salvation of the ,order4 ,was he wrong8 ,how can a man who truly believes in the real presence of the ,god-,man between the fingers of him who lifts up the host1 not consecrate his life to this ,god and to holiness8 ,one has some difficulty in imagining4 ,it is true that legions of devotees profess the most absolute faith in this dogma1 and we do not see that they are less bad2 but faith with them belongs in the intellectual sphere2 it is the abdication of reason1 and in sacrificing their intelligence to ,god they are most happy to offer to him an instrument which they very much prefer not to use4 ,to ,francis the question presented itself quite differently2 the thought that there could be any merit in believing could never enter his mind2 the fact of the real presence was for him of almost concrete evidence4 ,therefore his faith in this mystery was an energy of the heart1 that the life of ,god1 mysteriously present upon the altar1 might become the soul of all his actions4 ,to the eucharistic transubstantiation1 effected by the words of the priest1 he added another1 that of his own heart4 ,god offers himself to us as to his children4 ,this is why ,i beg you1 all of you1 my brothers1 kissing your feet1 and with all the love of which ,i am capable1 to have all possible respect for the body and blood of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,then addressing himself particularly to the priests3 ,hearken1 my brothers1 if the blessed ,virgin ,mary is justly honored for having carried ,jesus in her womb1 if ,john the ,baptist trembled because he dared not touch the ,lord's head1 if the sepulchre in which for a little time he lay is regarded with such great adoration1 oh1 how holy1 pure1 and worthy should be the priest who touches with his hands1 who receives into his mouth and into his heart1 and who distributes to others the living1 glorified ,jesus1 the sight of whom makes angels rejoice6 ,understand your dignity1 brother priests1 and be holy1 for he is holy4 ,oh6 what great wretchedness and what a frightful infirmity to have him there present before you and to think of other things4 ,let each man be struck with amazement1 let the whole earth tremble1 let the heavens thrill with joy when the ,christ1 the ,son of the living ,god1 descends upon the altar into the hands of the priest4 ,oh1 wonderful profundity6 ,oh1 amazing grace6 ,oh1 triumph of humility6 ,see1 the ,master of all things1 ,god1 and the ,son of ,god1 humbles himself for our salvation1 even to disguising himself under the appearance of a bit of bread4 ,contemplate1 my brothers1 this humility of ,god1 and enlarge your hearts before him2 humble yourselves as well1 that you1 even you1 may be lifted up by him4 ,keep nothing for yourselves1 that he may receive you without reserve1 who has given himself to you without reserve4 ,we see with what vigor of love ,francis's heart had laid hold upon the idea of the communion4 ,he closes with long counsels to the ,brothers1 and after having conjured them faithfully to keep their promises1 all his mysticism breathes out and is summed up in a prayer of admirable simplicity4 ,god ,almighty1 eternal1 righteous1 and merciful1 give to us poor wretches to do for thy sake all that we know of thy will1 and to will always what pleases thee2 so that inwardly purified1 enlightened1 and kindled by the fire of the ,holy ,spirit1 we may follow in the footprints of thy well-beloved ,son1 our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,what separates this prayer from the effort to discern duty made by choice spirits apart from all revealed religion8 ,very little in truth2 the words are different1 the action is the same4 ,but ,francis's solicitudes reached far beyond the limits of the ,order4 ,his longest epistle is addressed to all ,christians2 its words are so living that you fancy you hear a voice speaking behind you2 and this voice1 usually as serene as that which from the mountain in ,galilee proclaimed the law of the new times1 becomes here and there unutterably sweet1 like that which sounded in the upper chamber on the night of the first eucharist4 ,as ,jesus forgot the cross that was standing in the shadows1 so ,francis forgets his sufferings1 and1 overcome with a divine sadness1 thinks of humanity1 for each member of which he would give his life2 he thinks of his spiritual sons1 the ,brothers of ,penitence1 whom he is about to leave without having been able to make them feel1 as he would have had them feel1 the love for them with which he burns3 ,father1 ,i have given them the words which thou hast given me4444 ,for them ,i pray6 ,the whole ,franciscan gospel is in these words1 but to understand the fascination which it exerted we must have gone through the ,school of the ,middle ,ages1 and there listened to the interminable tournaments of dialectics by which minds were dried up2 we must have seen the ,church of the thirteenth century1 honeycombed by simony and luxury1 and only able1 under the pressure of heresy or revolt1 to make a few futile efforts to scotch the evil4 ,to all ,christians1 monks1 clerics1 or laymen1 whether men or women1 to all who dwell in the whole world1 ,brother ,francis1 their most submissive servitor1 presents his duty and wishes the true peace of heaven1 and sincere love in the ,lord4 ,being the servitor of all men1 ,i am bound to serve them and to dispense to them the wholesome words of my ,master4 ,this is why1 seeing ,i am too weak and ill to visit each one of you in particular1 ,i have resolved to send you my message by this letter1 and to offer you the words of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 the ,word of ,god1 and of the ,holy ,spirit1 which are spirit and life4 ,it would be puerile to expect here new ideas either in fact or form4 ,francis's appeals are of value only by the spirit which animates them4 ,after having briefly recalled the chief features of the gospel1 and urgently recommended the communion1 ,francis addresses himself in particular to certain categories of hearers1 with special counsels4 ,let the podestas1 governors1 and those who are placed in authority1 exercise their functions with mercy1 as they would be judged with mercy by ,god4444 ,monks in particular1 who have renounced the world1 are bound to do more and better than simple ,christians1 to renounce all that is not necessary to them1 and to have in hatred the vices and sins of the body4444 ,they should love their enemies1 do good to them who hate them1 observe the precepts and counsels of our ,redeemer1 renounce themselves1 and subdue their bodies4 ,and no monk is bound to obedience1 if in obeying he would be obliged to commit a fault or a sin4444 ,let us not be wise and learned according to the flesh1 but simple1 humble1 and pure4444 ,we should never desire to be above others1 but rather to be below1 and to obey all men4 ,he closes by showing the foolishness of those who set their hearts on the possession of earthly goods1 and concludes by the very realistic picture of the death of the wicked4 ,his money1 his title1 his learning1 all that he believed himself to possess1 all are taken from him2 his relatives and his friends to whom he has given his fortune will come to divide it among themselves1 and will end by saying3 ,curses on him1 for he might have given us more and he has not done it2 he might have amassed a larger fortune1 and he has done nothing of the kind4 ,the worms will eat his body and the demons will consume his soul1 and thus he will lose both soul and body4 ,i1 ,brother ,francis1 your little servitor1 ,i beg and conjure you by the love that is in ,god1 ready to kiss your feet1 to receive with humility and love these and all other words of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and to conform your conduct to them4 ,and let those who devoutly receive them and understand them pass them on to others4 ,and if they thus persevere unto the end1 may they be blessed by the ,father1 the ,son1 and the ,holy ,spirit4 ,amen4#cb ,if ,francis ever made a ,rule for the ,third ,order it must have very nearly resembled this epistle1 and until this problematical document is found1 the letter shows what were originally these associations of ,brothers of ,penitence4 ,everything in these long pages looks toward the development of the mystic religious life in the heart of each ,christian4 ,but even when ,francis dictated them1 this high view had become a ,utopia1 and the ,third ,order was only one battalion more in the armies of the papacy4 ,we see that the epistles which we have just examined proceed definitely from a single inspiration4 ,whether he is leaving instructions for his successors1 the ministers-general1 whether he is writing to all the present and future members of his ,order1 to all ,christians or even to the clergy1#cc ,francis has only one aim1 to keep on preaching after his death1 and perhaps1 too1 by putting into writing his message of peace and love1 to provide that he shall not be entirely travestied or misunderstood4 ,considered in connection with those sorrowful hours which saw their birth1 they form a whole whose import and meaning become singularly energetic4 ,if we would find the ,franciscan spirit1 it is here1 in the ,rule of #abba1 and in the ,will that we must seek for it4 ,neglect1 and especially the storms which later overwhelmed the ,order1 explain the disappearance of several other documents which would cast a glimmer of poetry and joy over these sad days2#cd ,francis had not forgotten his sister-friend at ,st4 ,damian4 ,hearing that she had been greatly disquieted by knowing him to be so ill1 he desired to reassure her3 he still deceived himself as to his condition1 and wrote to her promising soon to go to see her4 ,to this assurance he added some affectionate counsels1 advising her and her companions not to go to extremes with their macerations4 ,to set her an example of cheerfulness he added to this letter a ,laude in the vulgar tongue which he had himself set to music4#ce ,in that chamber of the episcopal palace in which he was as it were imprisoned he had achieved a new victory1 and it was doubtless that which inspired his joy4 ,the ,bishop of ,assisi1 the irritable ,guido1 always at war with somebody1 was at this time quarrelling with the podesta of the city2 nothing more was needed to excite in the little town a profound disquiet4 ,guido had excommunicated the podesta1 and the latter had issued a prohibition against selling and buying or making any contract with ecclesiastics4 ,the difference grew more bitter1 and no one appeared to dream of attempting a reconciliation4 ,we can the better understand ,francis's grief over all this by remembering that his very first effort had been to bring peace into his native city1 and that he considered the return of ,italy to union and concord to be the essential aim of his apostolate4 ,war in ,assisi would be the final dissolution of his dream2 the voice of events crying brutally to him1 ,thou hast wasted thy life6 ,the dregs of this cup were spared him1 thanks to an inspiration in which breaks forth anew his natural play of imagination4 ,to the ,canticle of the ,sun he added a new strophe3 ,be praised1 ,lord1 for those who forgive for love of thee1 and bear trials and tribulations2 happy they who persevere in peace1 by thee1 ,most high1 shall they be crowned4 ,then1 calling a friar1 he charged him to beg the governor to betake himself1 with all the notables whom he could assemble1 to the paved square before the bishop's palace4 ,the magistrate1 to whom legend gives the nobler part in the whole affair1 at once yielded to the saint's request4 ,when he arrived and the bishop had come forth from the palace1 two friars came forward and said3 ,brother ,francis has made to the praise of ,god a hymn to which he prays you to listen piously1 and immediately they began to sing the ,hymn of ,brother ,sun1 with its new strophe4 ,the governor listened1 standing in an attitude of profound attention1 copiously weeping1 for he dearly loved the blessed ,francis4 ,when the singing was ended1 ,know in truth1 said he1 that ,i desire to forgive the lord bishop1 that ,i wish and ought to look upon him as my lord1 for if one had even assassinated my brother ,i should be ready to pardon the murderer4 ,with these words he threw himself at the bishop's feet1 and said3 ,i am ready to do whatsoever you would1 for the love of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ and his servant ,francis4 ,then the bishop1 taking him by the hand1 lifted him up and said1 ,with my position it would become me to be humble1 but since ,i am naturally too quick to wrath1 thou must pardon me4#cf ,this unexpected reconciliation was immediately looked upon as miraculous1 and increased still more the reverence of the ,assisans for their fellow-citizen4 ,the summer was drawing to a close4 ,after a few days of relative improvement ,francis's sufferings became greater than ever3 incapable of movement1 he even thought that he ought to give up his ardent desire to see ,st4 ,damian and ,portiuncula once more1 and gave the brothers all his directions about the latter sanctuary3 ,never abandon it1 he would repeat to them1 for that place is truly sacred3 it is the house of ,god4#cg ,it seemed to him that if the ,brothers remained attached to that bit of earth1 that chapel ten feet long1 those thatched huts1 they would there find the living reminder of the poverty of the early days1 and could never wander far from it4 ,one evening he grew worse with frightful rapidity2 all the following night he had hemorrhages which left not the slightest hope2 the ,brothers hastening to him1 he dictated a few lines in form of a ,will and gave them his blessing3 ,adieu1 my children2 remain all of you in the fear of ,god1 abide always united to ,christ2 great trials are in store for you1 and tribulation draws nigh4 ,happy are they who persevere as they have begun2 for there will be scandals and divisions among you4 ,as for me1 ,i am going to the ,lord and my ,god4 ,yes1 ,i have the assurance that ,i am going to him whom ,i have served4#ch ,during the following days1 to the great surprise of those who were about him1 he again grew somewhat better2 no one could understand the resistance to death offered by this body so long worn out by suffering4 ,he himself began to hope again4 ,a physician of ,arezzo whom he knew well1 having come to visit him1 ,good friend1 ,francis asked him1 how much longer do you think ,i have to live8 ,father1 replied the other reassuringly1 this will all pass away1 if it pleases ,god4 ,i am not a cuckoo1#ci replied ,francis smiling1 using a popular saying1 to be afraid of death4 ,by the grace of the ,holy ,spirit ,i am so intimately united to ,god that ,i am equally content to live or to die4 ,in that case1 father1 from the medical point of view1 your disease is incurable1 and ,i do not think that you can last longer than the beginning of autumn4 ,at these words the poor invalid stretched out his hands as if to call on ,god1 crying with an indescribable expression of joy1 ,welcome1 ,sister ,death6 ,then he began to sing1 and sent for ,brothers ,angelo and ,leo4 ,on their arrival they were made1 in spite of their emotion1 to sing the ,canticle of the ,sun4 ,they were at the last doxology when ,francis1 checking them1 improvised the greeting to death3 ,be praised1 ,lord1 for our ,sister the ,death of the body1 whom no man may escape2 alas for them who die in a state of mortal sin2 happy they who are found conformed to thy most holy will1 for the second death will do to them no harm4 ,from this day the palace rang unceasingly with his songs4 ,continually1 even through the night1 he would sing the ,canticle of the ,sun or some other of his favorite compositions4 ,then1 when wearied out1 he would beg ,angelo and ,leo to go on4 ,one day ,brother ,elias thought it his duty to make a few remarks on the subject4 ,he feared that the nurses and the people of the neighborhood would be scandalized2 ought not a saint to be absorbed in meditation in the face of death1 to await it with fear and trembling instead of indulging in a gayety that might be misinterpreted8#dj ,perhaps ,bishop ,guido was not entirely a stranger to these reproaches2 it seems not improbable that to have his palace crowded with ,brothers ,minor all these long weeks had finally put him a little out of humor4 ,but ,francis would not yield2 his union with ,god was too sweet for him to consent not to sing it4 ,they decided at last to remove him to ,portiuncula4 ,his desire was to be fulfilled2 he was to die beside the humble chapel where he had heard ,god's voice consecrating him apostle4 ,his companions1 bearing their precious burden1 took the way through the olive-yards across the plain4 ,from time to time the invalid1 unable to distinguish anything1 asked where they were4 ,when they were half way there1 at the hospital of the ,crucigeri1 where long ago he had tended the leper1 and from whence there was a full view of all the houses of the city1 he begged them to set him upon the ground with his face toward ,assisi1 and raising his hand he bade adieu to his native place and blessed it4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the following is the list of monasteries which1 according to ,rodolfo di ,tossignano1 accepted the ideas of ,angelo ,clareno before the end of the thirteenth century3 ,fermo1 ,spoleto1 ,camerino1 ,ascoli1 ,rieti1 ,foligno1 ,nursia1 ,aquila1 ,amelia3 ,historiarum seraphicae religionis1 libri tres1 ,venice1 #aehf1 #a vol41 fo1 #aee;a4 #b ,spec41 #abi;b2 ,fior41 #ai4 ,in some of the stories of this period the evidence is clear how certain facts have been1 little by little1 transformed into miracles4 ,compare1 for example1 the miracle of ,st4 ,urbano in ,bon41 #fh1 and #a ,cel41 #fa4 ,see also #b ,cel41 #b1 #aj2 ,bon41 #aeh and #aei4 #c #a ,cel41 #hg2 #b ,cel41 #b1 #aa2 ,conform41 #adh;a1 #b2 ,bon41 #ii4 ,upon this visit see #b ,cel41 #b1 #aj2 ,bon41 #aeh and #aei2 #b ,cel41 #b1 #aa2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #cf4 #d ,the present ,italian name of the monastery which has also been called ,monte-,rainerio and ,fonte-,palumbo4 #e #a ,cel41 #aja2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ajb2 ,bon41 #fg2 ,spec41 #acd;a4 #f #b ,cel41 #c1 #ff2 ,bon41 #fi4 #g ,fior4 ii4 consid4 ,cf4 ,roger ,bacon1 ,opus tertium 7ap4 ,mon4 ,germ4 hist41 ,script4 t4 #bh1 p4 #egg74 ,b4 ,franciscus jussit fratri cythariste ut dulcius personaret1 quatenus mens excitaretur ad harmonias coelestes quas pluries andivit4 ,mira enim musicae super omnes scientias et spectanda potestas4 #h ,village three hours' walk northward from ,rieti4 ,francis's cell still remains on the mountain1 three-quarters of an hour from the place4 #i #b ,cel41 #c1 #ga2 cf4 ,spec41 #dc;a4 #aj ,chapel still standing1 a few minutes' walk from ,rieti4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #gj2 ,spec41 #ae;a1 #dc;a4 #aa #b ,cel41 #b1 #ad2 ,bon41 #afg2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aj2 ,bon41 #eh2 ,spec41 #abb;b4 #ab ,wadding1 ann4 #abac1 n4 #ad1 rightly places ,st4 ,urbano in the county of ,narni4 ,l',eremo di ,s4 ,urbano is about half an hour from the village of the same name1 on ,mount ,san ,pancrazio 7#ajbf m471 three leagues south of ,narni4 ,the panorama is one of the finest in ,central ,italy4 ,the ,bollandists allowed themselves to be led into error by an interested assertion when they placed ,san ,urbano near to ,jesi 7pp4 #fbc;f and #fbd;a74 #a ,cel41 #fa2 ,bon41 #fh4 7,vide ,bull ,cum aliqua of ,may #ae1 #abah1 where mention is made of ,san ,urbano47 #ac ,as much may be said of the apparition of the three virgins between ,campilia and ,san ,quirico4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #cg2 ,bon41 #ic4 #ad ,spec41 #ab;b2 ,conform41 #afi;a1 #a4 #ae #b ,cel41 #c1 #df2 ,bon41 #aec2 ,spec41 #ca;b2 ,ezek41 xxxiii41 #i4 #af ,two years after1 the ,king of ,france and all his court kissed and revered the pillow which ,francis had used during his illness4 #a ,cel41 #abj4 #ag ,bagnara is near the sources of the ,topino1 about an hour east of ,nocera4 ,these two localities were then dependents of ,assisi4 #ah ,and not ,sartiano4 ,balciano still exists1 about half way between ,nocera and ,assisi4 #ai #b ,cel41 #c1 #bc2 ,bon41 #ih2 ,spec41 #ag;b2 ,conform41 #bci;a1 #b;f4 #bj #b ,cel41 #c1 #cc2 #a ,cel41 #aje1 is still more explicit3 ,the multitude hoped that he would die very soon1 and that was the subject of their joy4 #ba #a ,cel41 #ajc and #ajd4 #bb #a ,cel41 #ajb2 ,spec41 #hc;b4 #bc #b ,cel41 #c1 #aaf2 ,spec41 #fg;a2 ,conform41 #adc;b1 #a1 and #bbe;b1 #b2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aag2 ,spec41 #acj;a4 #bd ,for the text vide ,conform41 #acf;b1 #b2 #ach;b1 #b2 #adb b1 #a4 #be ,tribul41 ,archiv41 ii41 pp4 #bhe ff4 #bf #b ,cel41 #c1 #aah4 #bg ,these words are borrowed from a long fragment cited by ,ubertini di ,casali1 as coming from ,brother ,leo3 ,arbor vit4 cruc41 lib4 v41 cap4 #c4 ,it is surely a bit of the ,legend of the ,three ,companions2 it may be found textually in the ,tribulations1 ,laur41 fo #af;b1 with a few more sentences at the end4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #acf;a1 #b2 #adc;a1 #b2 ,spec41 #h;b2 #bf;b2 #ej;a2 #acj;b2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aah4 #bh ,tribul41 ,laur41 #ag;b4 #bi ,see1 for example1 ,brother ,richer's question as to the books3 ,ubertini1 ,loc4 cit4 ,cf4 ,archiv41 iii41 pp4 #ge and #agg2 ,spec41 #h;a2 ,conform41 #ga;b1 #b4 ,see also3 ,ubertini1 ,archiv41 iii41 pp4 #ge and #agg2 ,tribul41 #ac;a2 ,spec41 #i;a2 ,conform41 #agj;a1 #a4 ,it is curious to compare the account as it found in the documents with the version of it given in #b ,cel41 #c1 #h4 #cj ,assisi ,,ms41 #cch1 fo #bh;a-#ca;a1 with the rubric3 ,de lictera et ammonitione beatissimi patris nostri ,francisci quam misit fratribus ad capitulum quando erat infirmus4 ,this letter was wrongly divided into three by ,rodolfo di ,tossignano 7fo #bcg71 who was followed by ,wadding 7,epistolae x41 xi41 xii474 ,the text is found without this senseless division in the manuscript cited and in ,firmamentum1 fo #ba2 ,spec41 ,morin1 iii41 #bag;a2 ,ubertini1 ,arbor vit4 cruc41 v41 #g4 #ca ,this initial 7given only by the ,assisi ,,ms47 has not failed to excite surprise4 ,it appears that there ought to have been simply an ,n 444 ,this letter then would have been replaced by the copyist1 who would have used the initial of the minister general in charge at the time of his writing4 ,if this hypothesis has any weight it will aid to fix the exact date of the manuscript4 7,alberto of ,pisa minister from #abci-abdj2 ,aimon of ,faversham1 #abdj-abdd47 #cb ,this epistle also was unskilfully divided into two distinct letters by ,rodolfo di ,tossignano1 fo #agd;a1 who was followed by ,wadding4 ,see ,assisi ,,ms41 #cch1 #bc;a-#bh;a2 ,conform41 #acg;a1 #a ff4 #cc ,the letter to the clergy only repeats the thoughts already expressed upon the worship of the holy sacrament4 ,we remember ,francis sweeping out the churches and imploring the priests to keep them clean2 this epistle has the same object3 it is found in the ,assisi ,,ms41 #cch1 fo #ca;b-#cb;b1 with the rubric3 ,de reverentia ,corporis ,domini et de munditia altaris ad omnes clericos4 ,incipit3 ,attendamus omnes4 ,explicit3 fecerint exemplari4 ,this1 therefore1 is the letter given by ,wadding xiii41 but without address or salutation4 #cd ,we need not despair of finding them4 ,the archives of the monasteries of ,clarisses are usually rudimentary enough1 but they are preserved with pious care4 #ce ,spec41 #aag;b2 ,conform41 #ahe;a #a2 #ace;b1 #a4 ,cf4 ,test4 ,b4 ,clarae1 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aug41 ii41 p4 #gdg4 #cf ,this story is given in the ,spec41 #abh;b1 as from eye-witnesses4 ,cf4 ,conform41 #ahd;b1 #a2 #bjc;a1 #a4 #cg #a ,cel41 #ajf4 ,these recommendations as to ,portiuncula were amplified by the ,zelanti1 when1 under the generalship of ,crescentius 7,bull ,is qui ecclesiam1 ,march #f1 #abde71 the ,basilica of ,assisi was substituted for ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli as mater et caput of the ,order4 ,vide ,spec41 #cb;b1 #fi;b-#ga;a2 ,conform41 #add;a1 #b2 #bah;a1 #a2 #c ,soc41 #ef2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ab and #ac2 ,bon41 #bd1 #be2 see the ,appendix1 the ,study of the ,indulgence of ,august #b4 #ch #b ,cel41 #ajh4 ,as will be seen 7below1 p4 #cfg7 the remainder of ,celano's narrative seems to require to be taken with some reserve4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #aae;b2 ,conform41 #bbe;a1 #b2 ,bon41 #baa4 #ci ,non sum cuculus1 in ,italian cuculo4 #dj ,spec41 #acf;b2 ,fior4 iv4 consid4 ,it is to be noted that ,guido1 instead of waiting at ,assisi for the certainly impending death of ,francis1 went away to ,mont ,gargano4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #adb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,francis',s ,,will ,,and ,,death ,end of ,september-,october #c1 #abbf ,the last days of ,francis's life are of radiant beauty4 ,he went to meet death1 singing1#a says ,thomas of ,celano1 summing up the impression of those who saw him then4 ,to be once more at ,portiuncula after so long a detention at the bishop's palace was not only a real joy to his heart1 but the pure air of the forest must have been much to his physical well-being2 does not the ,canticle of the ,creatures seem to have been made expressly to be sung in the evening of one of those autumn days of ,umbria1 so soft and luminous1 when all nature seems to retire into herself to sing her own hymn of love to ,brother ,sun8 ,we see that ,francis has come to that almost entire cessation of pain1 that renewing of life1 which so often precedes the approach of the last catastrophe4 ,he took advantage of it to dictate his ,will4#b ,it is to these pages that we must go to find the true note for a sketch of the life of its author1 and an idea of the ,order as it was in his dreams4 ,in this record1 which is of an incontestable authenticity1 the most solemn manifestation of his thought1 the ,poverello reveals himself absolutely1 with a virginal candor4 ,his humility is here of a sincerity which strikes one with awe2 it is absolute1 though no one could dream that it was exaggerated4 ,and yet1 wherever his mission is concerned1 he speaks with tranquil and serene assurance4 ,is he not an ambassador of ,god8 ,does he not hold his message from ,christ himself8 ,the genesis of his thought here shows itself to be at once wholly divine and entirely personal4 ,the individual conscience here proclaims its sovereign authority4 ,no one showed me what ,i ought to do1 but the ,most ,high himself revealed to me that ,i ought to live conformably to his holy gospel4 ,when a man has once spoken thus1 submission to the ,church has been singularly encroached upon4 ,we may love her1 hearken to her1 venerate her1 but we feel ourselves1 perhaps without daring to avow it1 superior to her4 ,let a critical hour come1 and one finds himself heretic without knowing it or wishing it4 ,ah1 yes1 cries ,angelo ,clareno1 ,st4 ,francis promised to obey the pope and his successors1 but they cannot and must not command anything contrary to the conscience or to the ,rule4#c ,for him1 as for all the spiritual ,franciscans1 when there is conflict between what the inward voice of ,god ordains and what the ,church wills1 he has only to obey the former4#d ,if you tell him that the ,church and the ,order are there to define the true signification of the ,rule1 he appeals to common sense1 and to that interior certitude which is given by a clear view of truth4 ,the ,rule1 as also the gospel1 of which it is a summary1 is above all ecclesiastical power1 and no one has the right to say the last word in their interpretation4#e ,the ,will was not slow to gain a moral authority superior even to that of the ,rule4 ,giovanni of ,parma1 to explain the predilection of the ,joachimites for this document1 points out that after the impression of the stigmata the ,holy ,spirit was in ,francis with still greater plenitude than before4#f ,did the innumerable sects which disturbed the ,church in the thirteenth century perceive that these two writings--the ,rule and the ,testament--the one apparently made to follow and support the other1 substantially identical as it was said1 proceeded from two opposite inspirations8 ,very confusedly1 no doubt1 but guided by a very sure instinct1 they saw in these pages the banner of liberty4 ,they were not mistaken4 ,even to-day1 thinkers1 moralists1 mystics may arrive at solutions very different from those of the ,umbrian prophet1 but the method which they employ is his1 and they may not refuse to acknowledge in him the precursor of religious subjectivism4 ,the ,church1 too1 was not mistaken4 ,she immediately understood the spirit that animated these pages4 ,four years later1 perhaps to the very day1 ,september #bh1 #abcj1 ,ugolini1 then ,gregory ,,ix41 solemnly interpreted the ,rule1 in spite of the precautions of ,francis1 who had forbidden all gloss or commentary on the ,rule or the ,will1 and declared that the ,brothers were not bound to the observation of the ,will4#g ,what shall we say of the bull in which the pope alleges his familiar relations with the ,saint to justify his commentary1 and in which the clearest passages are so distorted as to change their sense completely4 ,one is stupefied1 cries ,ubertini of ,casali1 that a text so clear should have need of a commentary1 for it suffices to have common sense and to know grammar in order to understand it4 ,and this strange monk dares to add3 ,there is one miracle which ,god himself cannot do2 it is to make two contradictory things true4#h ,certainly the ,church should be mistress in her own house2 it would have been nothing wrong had ,gregory ,,ix4 created an ,order conformed to his views and ideas1 but when we go through ,sbaralea's folios and the thousands of bulls accorded to the spiritual sons of him who in the clearest and most solemn manner had forbidden them to ask any privilege of the court of ,rome1 we cannot but feel a bitter sadness4 ,thus upheld by the papacy1 the ,brothers of the ,common ,observance made the ,zelanti sharply expiate their attachment to ,francis's last requests4 ,caesar of ,speyer died of violence from the ,brother placed in charge of him2#i the first disciple1 ,bernardo di ,quintavalle1 hunted like a wild beast1 passed two years in the forests of ,monte-,sefro1 hidden by a wood-cutter2#aj the other first companions who did not succeed in flight had to undergo the severest usage4 ,in the ,march of ,ancona1 the home of the ,spirituals1 the victorious party used a terrible violence4 ,the ,will was confiscated and destroyed2 they went so far as to burn it over the head of a friar who persisted in desiring to observe it4#aa ,,will 7,,literal ,,translation74 ,see in what manner ,god gave it to me1 to me1 ,brother ,francis1 to begin to do penitence2 when ,i lived in sin1 it was very painful to me to see lepers1 but ,god himself led me into their midst1 and ,i remained here a little while4#ab ,when ,i left them1 that which had seemed to me bitter had become sweet and easy4 ,a little while after ,i quitted the world1 and ,god gave me such a faith in his churches that ,i would kneel down with simplicity and ,i would say3 ,we adore thee1 ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 here and in all thy churches which are in the world1 and we bless thee that by thy holy cross thou hast ransomed the world4 ,besides1 the ,lord gave me and still gives me so great a faith in priests who live according to the form of the holy ,roman ,church1 because of their sacerdotal character1 that even if they persecuted me ,i would have recourse to them4 ,and even though ,i had all the wisdom of ,solomon1 if ,i should find poor secular priests1 ,i would not preach in their parishes without their consent4 ,i desire to respect them like all the others1 to love them and honor them as my lords4 ,i will not consider their sins1 for in them ,i see the ,son of ,god and they are my lords4 ,i do this because here below ,i see nothing1 ,i perceive nothing corporally of the most high ,son of ,god1 if not his most holy ,body and ,blood1 which they receive and they alone distribute to others4 ,i desire above all things to honor and venerate all these most holy mysteries and to keep them precious4 ,whenever ,i find the sacred names of ,jesus or his words in indecent places1 ,i desire to take them away1 and ,i pray that others take them away and put them in some decent place4 ,we ought to honor and revere all the theologians and those who preach the most holy word of ,god1 as dispensing to us spirit and life4 ,when the ,lord gave me some brothers no one showed me what ,i ought to do1 but the ,most ,high himself revealed to me that ,i ought to live according to the model of the holy gospel4 ,i caused a short and simple formula to be written1 and the lord pope confirmed it for me4 ,those who presented themselves to observe this kind of life distributed all that they might have to the poor4 ,they contented themselves with a tunic1 patched within and without1 with the cord and breeches1 and we desired to have nothing more4 ,the clerks said the office like other clerks1 and the laymen ,pater noster4 ,we loved to live in poor and abandoned churches1 and we were ignorant and submissive to all4 ,i worked with my hands and would continue to do1 and ,i will also that all other friars work at some honorable trade4 ,let those who have none learn one1 not for the purpose of receiving the price of their toil1 but for their good example and to flee idleness4 ,and when they do not give us the price of the work1 let us resort to the table of the ,lord1 begging our bread from door to door4 ,the ,lord revealed to me the salutation which we ought to give3 ,god give you peace6 ,let the ,brothers take great care not to receive churches1 habitations1 and all that men build for them1 except as all is in accordance with the holy poverty which we have vowed in the ,rule1 and let them not receive hospitality in them except as strangers and pilgrims4 ,i absolutely interdict all the brothers1 in whatever place they may be found1 from asking any bull from the court of ,rome1 whether directly or indirectly1 under pretext of church or convent or under pretext of preachings1 nor even for their personal protection4 ,if they are not received anywhere let them go elsewhere1 thus doing penance with the benediction of ,god4 ,i desire to obey the minister-general of this fraternity1 and the guardian whom he may please to give me4 ,i desire to put myself entirely into his hands1 to go nowhere and do nothing against his will1 for he is my lord4 ,though ,i be simple and ill1 ,i would1 however1 have always a clerk who will perform the office1 as it is said in the ,rule2 let all the other brothers also be careful to obey their guardians and to do the office according to the ,rule4 ,if it come to pass that there are any who do not the office according to the ,rule1 and who desire to make any other change1 or if they are not ,catholics1 let all the ,brothers1 wherever they may be1 be bound by obedience to present them to the nearest custode4 ,let the custodes be bound by obedience to keep him well guarded like a man who is in bonds night and day1 so that he may not escape from their hands until they personally place him in the minister's hands4 ,and let the minister be bound by obedience to send him by brothers who will guard him as a prisoner day and night until they shall have placed him in the hands of the ,lord ,bishop of ,ostia1 who is the lord1 the protector1 and the correcter of all the ,fraternity4#ac ,and let the ,brothers not say3 ,this is a new ,rule2 for this is a reminder1 a warning1 an exhortation2 it is my ,will1 that ,i1 little ,brother ,francis1 make for you1 my blessed ,brothers1 in order that we may observe in a more catholic way the ,rule which we promised the ,lord to keep4 ,let the ministers-general1 all the other ministers and the custodes be held by obedience to add nothing to and take nothing from these words4 ,let them always keep this writing near them1 beside the ,rule2 and in all the chapters which shall be held1 when the ,rule is read let these words be read also4 ,i interdict absolutely1 by obedience1 all the ,brothers1 clerics and layman1 to introduce glosses in the ,rule1 or in this ,will1 under pretext of explaining it4 ,but since the ,lord has given me to speak and to write the ,rule and these words in a clear and simple manner1 without commentary1 understand them in the same way1 and put them in practice until the end4 ,and may whoever shall have observed these things be crowned in heaven with the blessings of the heavenly ,father1 and on earth with those of his well-beloved ,son and of the ,holy ,spirit the consoler1 with the assistance of all the heavenly virtues and all the saints4 ,and ,i1 little ,brother ,francis1 your servitor1 confirm to you so far as ,i am able this most holy benediction4 ,amen4 ,after thinking of his ,brothers ,francis thought of his dear ,sisters at ,st4 ,damian and made a will for them4 ,it has not come down to us1 and we need not wonder2 the ,spiritual ,brothers might flee away1 and protest from the depths of their retreats1 but the ,sisters were completely unarmed against the machinations of the ,common ,observance4#ad ,in the last words that he addressed to the ,clarisses1 after calling upon them to persevere in poverty and union1 he gave them his benediction4#ae ,then he recommended them to the ,brothers1 supplicating the latter never to forget that they were members of one and the same religious family4#af ,after having done all that he could for those whom he was about to leave1 he thought for a moment of himself4 ,he had become acquainted in ,rome with a pious lady named ,giacomina di ,settisoli4 ,though rich1 she was simple and good1 entirely devoted to the new ideas2 even the somewhat singular characteristics of ,francis pleased her4 ,he had given her a lamb which had become her inseparable companion4#ag ,unfortunately all that concerns her has suffered much from later retouchings of the legend4 ,the perfectly natural conduct of the ,saint with women has much embarrassed his biographers2 hence heavy and distorted commentaries tacked on to episodes of a delicious simplicity4 ,before dying ,francis desired to see again this friend1 whom he smilingly called ,brother ,giacomina4 ,he caused a letter to be written her to come to ,portiuncula2 we can imagine the dismay of the narrators at this far from monastic invitation4 ,but the good lady had anticipated his appeal3 at the moment when the messenger with the letter was about to leave for ,rome1 she arrived at ,portiuncula and remained there until the last sigh of the ,saint4#ah ,for one moment she thought of sending away her suite2 the invalid was so calm and joyful that she could not believe him dying1 but he himself advised her to keep her people with her4 ,this time he felt with no possible doubt that his captivity was about to be ended4 ,he was ready1 he had finished his work4 ,did he think then of the day when1 cursed by his father1 he had renounced all earthly goods and cried to ,god with an ineffable confidence1 ,our ,father who art in heaven6 ,we cannot say2 but he desired to finish his life by a symbolic act which very closely recalls the scene in the bishop's palace4 ,he caused himself to be stripped of his clothing and laid upon the ground1 for he wished to die in the arms of his ,lady ,poverty4 ,with one glance he embraced the twenty years that had glided by since their union3 ,i have done my duty1 he said to the ,brothers1 may the ,christ now teach you yours6#ai ,this was ,thursday1 ,october #a4bj ,they laid him back upon his bed1 and1 conforming to his wishes1 they again sang to him the ,canticle of the ,sun4 ,at times he added his voice to those of his ,brothers1#ba and came back with preference to ,psalm #adb1 ,voce mea ad ,dominum clamavi4#bb ,with my voice ,i cry unto the ,lord1 ,with my voice ,i implore the ,lord1 ,i pour out my complaint before him1 ,i tell him all my distress4 ,when my spirit is cast down within me1 ,thou knowest my path4 ,upon the way where ,i walk ,they have laid a snare for me1 ,cast thine eyes to the right and look6 ,no one recognizes me2 ,all refuge is lost for me1 ,no one takes thought for my soul4 ,lord1 unto thee ,i cry2 ,i say3 ,thou art my refuge1 ,my portion in the land of the living4 ,be attentive to my cries6 ,for ,i am very unhappy4 ,deliver me from those who pursue me6 ,for they are stronger than ,i4 ,bring my soul out of its prison ,that ,i may praise thy name4 ,the righteous shall compass me about ,when thou hast done good unto me6 ,the visits of death are always solemn1 but the end of the just is the most moving sursum corda that we can hear on earth4 ,the hours flowed by and the ,brothers would not leave him4 ,alas1 good ,father1 said one of them to him1 unable longer to contain himself1 your children are going to lose you1 and be deprived of the true light which lightened them3 think of the orphans you are leaving and forgive all their faults1 give to them all1 present and absent1 the joy of your holy benediction4 ,see1 replied the dying man1 ,god is calling me4 ,i forgive all my ,brothers1 present and absent1 their offences and faults1 and absolve them according to my power4 ,tell them so1 and bless them all in my name4#bc ,then crossing his arms he laid his hands upon those who surrounded him4 ,he did this with peculiar emotion to ,bernard of ,quintavalle3 ,i desire1 he said1 and with all my power ,i urge whomsoever shall be minister-general of the ,order1 to love and honor him as myself2 let the provincials and all the ,brothers act toward him as toward me4#bd ,he thought not only of the absent ,brothers but of the future ones2 love so abounded in him that it wrung from him a groan of regret for not seeing all those who should enter the ,order down to the end of time1 that he might lay his hand upon their brows1 and make them feel those things that may only be spoken by the eyes of him who loves in ,god4#be ,he had lost the notion of time2 believing that it was still ,thursday he desired to take a last meal with his disciples4 ,some bread was brought1 he broke it and gave it to them1 and there in the poor cabin of ,portiuncula1 without altar and without a priest1 was celebrated the ,lord's ,supper4#bf ,a ,brother read the ,gospel for ,holy ,thursday1 ,ante diem festum ,paschae3 ,before the feast of the ,passover1 ,jesus knowing that his hour was come to go from this world to the ,father1 having loved his own who were in the world he loved them unto the end4 ,the sun was gilding the crests of the mountains with his last rays1 there was silence around the dying one4 ,all was ready4 ,the angel of death might come4 ,saturday1 ,october #c1 #abbf1 at nightfall1 without pain1 without struggle1 he breathed the last sigh4 ,the ,brothers were still gazing on his face1 hoping yet to catch some sign of life1 when innumerable larks alighted1 singing1 on the thatch of his cell1#bg as if to salute the soul which had just taken flight and give the ,little ,poor ,man the canonization of which he was most worthy1 the only one1 doubtless1 which he would ever have coveted4 ,on the morrow1 at dawn1 the ,assisans came down to take possession of his body and give it a triumphant funeral4 ,by a pious inspiration1 instead of going straight to the city they went around by ,st4 ,damian1 and thus was realized the promise made by ,francis to the ,sisters a few weeks before1 to come once more to see them4 ,their grief was heart-rending4 ,these women's hearts revolted against the absurdity of death2#bh but there were tears on that day at ,st4 ,damian only4 ,the ,brothers forgot their sadness on seeing the stigmata1 and the inhabitants of ,assisi manifested an indescribable joy on having their relic at last4 ,they deposited it in the ,church ,st4 ,george4#bi ,less than two years after1 ,sunday1 ,july #bf1 #abbh1 ,gregory ,,ix4 came to ,assisi to preside in person over the ceremonies of canonization1 and to lay1 on the morrow1 the first stone of the new church dedicated to the ,stigmatized4 ,built under the inspiration of ,gregory ,,ix4 and the direction of ,brother ,elias1 this marvellous basilica is also one of the documents of this history1 and perhaps ,i have been wrong in neglecting it4 ,go and look upon it1 proud1 rich1 powerful1 then go down to ,portiuncula1 pass over to ,st4 ,damian1 hasten to the ,carceri1 and you will understand the abyss that separates the ideal of ,francis from that of the pontiff who canonized him4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,mortem cantando suscepit4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci4 #b ,the text here taken as a basis is that of the ,assisi ,,ms41 #cch 7fo #af;a-#ah;a74 ,it is also to be found in ,firmamentum1 fo #ai1 col4 #d2 ,speculum1 ,morin1 tract4 iii41 #h;a2 ,wadding1 ann4 #abbf1 #ce2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ffc2 ,amoni1 ,legenda ,trium ,sociorum2 ,appendix1 p4 #aaj4 ,everything in this document proclaims its authenticity1 but we are not reduced to internal proof4 ,it is expressly cited in #a ,cel41 #ag 7before #abcj72 by the ,three ,companions 7#abdf71 #c ,soc41 #aa2 #bf2 #bi2 by #b ,cel41 #c1 #ii 7#abdg74 ,these proofs would be more than sufficient1 but there is another of even greater value3 the bull ,quo elongati of ,september #bh1 #abcj1 where ,gregory ,,ix4 cites it textually and declares that the friars are not bound to observe it4 #c ,promittet ,franciscus obedientiam 444 papae 444 et successoribus 444 qui non possunt nec debent eis praecipere aliquid quod sit contra animam et regulam4 ,archiv41 i1 p4 #efc4 #d ,quod si quando a quocumque 444 pontifice aliquid 444 mandaretur quod esset contra fidem 444 et caritatem et fructus ejus tunc obediet ,deo magis quam hominibus4 ,ib41 p4 #efa4 #e ,est ,regula et stat et intelligitur super eos 444 ,cum spei fiducia pace fruemur cum conscientiae et ,christi spiritus testimonio certo4 ,ib41 pp4 #efc and #efe4 #f ,archiv41 ii41 p4 #bgd4 #g ,ad mandatum illud vos dicimus non teneri3 quod sine consensu ,fratrum maxime ministrorum1 quos universos tangebat obligare nequivit nec successorem suum quomodolibet obligavit2 cum non habeat imperium par in parem4 ,the sophism is barely specious2 ,francis was not on a par with his successors2 he did not act as minister-general1 but as founder4 #h ,arbor vit4 cruc41 lib4 v41 cap4 #c and #e4 ,see above1 p4 #ahe4 #i ,tribul41 ,laur41 #be;b2 ,archiv41 i41 p4 #ecb4 #aj ,at the summit of the ,apennines1 about half way between ,camerino and ,nocera 7,umbria74 ,tribul41 ,laur41 #bf;b2 ,magl41 #ace;b4 #aa ,declaratio ,ubertini1 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #afh4 ,this fact is not to be questioned1 since it is alleged in a piece addressed to the pope1 in response to the liberal friars1 to whom it was to be communicated4 #ab ,feci moram cum illis41 ,,ms41 #cch4 ,most of the printed texts give miseracordiam1 which gives a less satisfactory meaning4 ,cf4 ,miscellanea iii4 7#ahhh71 p4 #gj2 #a ,cel41 #ag2 #c ,soc41 #aa4 #ac ,it is evident that heresy is not here in question4 ,the ,brothers who were infected with it were to be delivered to the ,church4 #ad ,urban ,,iv4 published1 ,october #ah1 #abfc1 ,potthast 7#ahfhj71 a ,rule for the ,clarisses which completely changed the character of this ,order4 ,its author was the cardinal protector ,giovanni degli ,ursini 7the future ,nicholas ,,iii471 who by way of precaution forbade the ,brothers ,minor under the severest penalties to dissuade the ,sisters from accepting it4 ,it differs as much from the first ,rule1 said ,ubertini di ,casali as black and white1 the savory and the insipid4 ,arbor4 vit4 cruc4 lib4 v41 cap4 vi4 #ae ,v4 ,test4 ,b4 ,clarae2 ,conform41 #ahe;a #a2 ,spec41 #aag;b4 #af #b ,cel41 #c1 #acb4 #ag ,bon41 #aab4 #ah ,the ,bollandists deny this whole story1 which they find in opposition to the prescriptions of ,francis himself4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ffd ff4 ,but it is difficult to see for what object authors who take great pains to explain it could have had for inventing it4 ,spec41 #acc;a2 ,fior4 iv42 consid42 ,conform41 #bdj;a4 ,i have borrowed the whole account from ,bernard of ,besse3 ,de ,laudibus1 fo #aac;b4 ,it appears that ,giacomina settled for the rest of her life at ,assisi1 that she might gain edification from the first companions of ,francis4 ,spec41 #ajg;b4 7,what a lovely scene1 and with what a ,franciscan fragrance67 ,the exact date of her death is not known4 ,she was buried in the lower church of the basilica of ,assisi1 and on her tomb was engraved3 ,hic jacit ,jacoba sancta nobilisque romana4 ,vide ,fratini3 ,storia della basilica1 p4 #dh4 ,cf4 ,jacobilli3 ,vite dei ,santi e ,beati dell' ,umbria1 ,foligno1 #c vols41 #dto1 #afdg2 i41 p4 #bad4 #ai #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci2 ,bon41 #bji1 #baj2 ,conform41 #aga;b1 #b4 #bj #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci3 ,cum me videritis 444 sicut me nudius tertius nudum vidistis4 #ba #a ,cel41 #aji2 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci4 #bb #a ,cel41 #aji2 ,bon41 #bab4 #bc #a ,cel41 #aji4 ,cf4 ,epist4 ,eliae4 #bd ,tribul4 ,laur41 #bb;b4 ,nothing better shows the historic value of the chronicle of the ,tribulations than to compare its story of these moments with that of the following documents3 ,conform41 #dh;b1 #a2 #ahe;a1 #b2 ,fior41 #f42 ,spec41 #hf;a4 #be #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci2 ,spec41 #aaf;b2 ,conform41 #bbd;b1 #a4 #bf #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci4 ,a simple comparison between this story in the ,speculum 7#aaf;b7 and that in the ,conformities 7#bbd;b1 #a7 is enough to show how in certain of its parts the ,speculum represents a state of the legend anterior to #ache4 #bg ,bon41 #bad4 ,this cell has been transformed into a chapel and may be found a few yards from the little church of ,portiuncula4 ,church and chapel are now sheltered under the great ,basilica of ,santa ,maria degli ,angeli4 ,see the picture and plan1 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #had1 or better still in ,p4 ,barnabas aus dem ,elsass1 ,portiuncula oder ,geschichte ,u4 ,l4 ,f4 v4 den ,engeln4 ,rixheim1 #ahhd1 #a vol41 #hvo1 pp4 #caa and #cab4 #bh #a ,cel41 #aaf and #aag2 ,bon41 #bai2 ,conform4 #ahe;a1 #a4 #bi ,to-day in the cloture of the convent ,st4 ,clara4 ,vide ,miscellanea #a1 pp4 #dd-dh1 a very interesting study by ,prof4 ,carattoli upon the coffin of ,st4 ,francis4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,sources 99 99 99 99 99 ,,summary ,i4 ,,st4 ,,francis',s ,,works4 ,,ii4 ,,biographies ,,properly ,,so ,,called4 #a4 ,preliminary ,note4 #b4 ,first ,life by ,thomas of ,celano4 #c4 ,review of the ,history of the ,order #abcj-abdd4 #d4 ,legend of the ,three ,companions4 #e4 ,fragments of the ,suppressed ,portion of the ,legend4 #f4 ,second ,life by ,thomas of ,celano4 ,first ,part4 #g4 ,second ,life by ,thomas of ,celano4 ,second ,part4 #h4 ,documents of ,secondary ,importance3 ,biography for ,use of the ,choir4 ,life in ,verse4 ,biography by ,giovanni di ,ceperano4 ,life by ,brother ,julian4 #i4 ,legend of ,st4 ,bonaventura4 #aj4 ,de ,laudibus of ,bernard of ,besse4 ,,iii4 ,,diplomatic ,,documents4 #a4 ,donation of the ,verna4 #b4 ,registers of ,cardinal ,ugolini4 #c4 ,bulls4 ,,iv4 ,,chroniclers ,,of ,,the ,,order4 #a4 ,chronicle of ,brother ,giordano di ,giano4 #b4 ,eccleston3 ,arrival of the ,friars in ,england4 #c4 ,chronicle of ,fra ,salimbeni4 #d4 ,chronicle of the ,tribulations4 #e4 ,the ,fioretti and their ,appendices4 #f4 ,chronicle of the ,,xxiv4 ,generals4 #g4 ,the ,conformities of ,bartolommeo di ,pisa4 #h4 ,glassberger's ,chronicle4 #i4 ,chronicle of ,mark of ,lisbon4 ,v4 ,,chroniclers ,,not ,,of ,,the ,,order4 #a4 ,jacques de ,vitry4 #b4 ,thomas of ,spalato4 #c4 ,divers ,chroniclers4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,sources ,there are few lives in history so abundantly provided with documents as that of ,st4 ,francis4 ,this will perhaps surprise the reader1 but to convince himself he has only to run over the preceding list1 which1 however1 has been made as succinct as possible4 ,it is admitted in learned circles that the essential elements of this biography have disappeared or have been entirely altered4 ,the exaggeration of certain religious writers1 who accept everything1 and among several accounts of the same fact always choose the longest and most marvellous1 has led to a like exaggeration in the contrary sense4 ,if it were necessary to point out the results of these two excesses as they affect each event1 this volume would need to be twice and even four times as large as it is4 ,those who are interested in these questions will find in the notes brief indications of the original documents on which each narrative is based4#a ,to close the subject of the errors which are current in the ,franciscan documents1 and to show in a few lines their extreme importance1 ,i shall take two examples4 ,among our own contemporaries no one has so well spoken on the subject of ,st4 ,francis as ,m4 ,renan2 he comes back to him with affecting piety1 and he was in a better condition than any one to know the sources of this history4 ,and yet he does not hesitate to say in his study of the ,canticle of the ,sun1 ,francis's best known work3 ,the authenticity of this piece appears certain1 but we must observe that we have not the ,italian original4 ,the ,italian text which we possess is a translation of a ,portuguese version1 which was itself translated from the ,spanish4#b ,and yet the primitive ,italian exists#c not only in numerous manuscripts in ,italy and ,france1 particularly in the ,mazarine ,library1#d but also in the well-known book of the ,conformities4#e ,an error1 grave from quite another point of view1 is made by the same author when he denies the authenticity of ,st4 ,francis's ,will2 this piece is not only the noblest expression of its author's religious feeling1 it constitutes also a sort of autobiography1 and contains the solemn and scarcely disguised revocation of all the concessions which had been wrung from him4 ,we have already seen that its authenticity is not to be challenged4#f ,this double example will1 ,i hope1 suffice to show the necessity of beginning this study by a conscientious examination of the sources4 ,if the eminent historian to whom ,i have alluded were still living1 he would have for this page his large and benevolent smile1 that simple1 ,oui1 oui1 which once made his pupils in the little hall of the ,college de ,france to tremble with emotion4 ,i do not know what he would think of this book1 but ,i well know that he would love the spirit in which it was undertaken1 and would easily pardon me for having chosen him for scape-goat of my wrath against the learned men and biographers4 ,the documents to be examined have been divided into five categories4 ,the first includes ,st4 ,francis's works4 ,the second1 biographies properly so called4 ,the third1 diplomatic documents4 ,the fourth1 chronicles of the ,order4 ,the fifth1 chronicles of authors not of the ,order4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,if any student finds himself embarrassed by the extreme rarity of certain works cited1 ,i shall make it my duty and pleasure to send them to him1 as well as a copy of the ,italian manuscripts4 #b ,e4 ,renan3 ,nouvelles etudes d'histoire religieuse1 ,paris1 #ahhd1 #hvo1 p4 #cca4 #c ,see above1 pp4 #cjd ff4 #d ,mazarine ,library1 ,,ms4 #heca3 ,speculum perfectionis ,s4 ,francisci2 the ,canticle is found at fo4 #ea4 ,cf4 ,,ms41 #acej 7date of #adei74 ,that text was published by ,boehmer in the ,romanische ,studien1 ,halle1 #ahga4 pp4 #aah-abb4 ,der ,sonnengesang v4 ,fr4 d',a4 #e ,conform4 7,milan1 #aeaj71 #bjb;b1 #bs4 ,for that matter it is correct that ,diola1 in the ,croniche degli ordini instituti da ,s4 ,francisco 7,venice1 #afjf1 #c vols4 #dto71 translated after the ,castilian version of the work composed in ,portuguese by ,mark of ,lisbon1 was foolish enough to render into ,italian this translation of a translation4 #f ,see pages #ccc ff4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i ,,st4 ,,francis',s ,,works ,the writings of ,st4 ,francis#a are assuredly the best source of acquaintance with him2 we can only be surprised to find them so neglected by most of his biographers4 ,it is true that they give little information as to his life1 and furnish neither dates nor facts1#b but they do better1 they mark the stages of his thought and of his spiritual development4 ,the legends give us ,francis as he appeared1 and by that very fact suffer in some degree the compulsion of circumstances2 they are obliged to bend to the exigencies of his position as general of an ,order approved by the ,church1 as miracle-worker1 and as saint4 ,his works1 on the contrary1 show us his very soul2 each phrase has not only been thought1 but lived2 they bring us the ,poverello's emotions1 still alive and palpitating4 ,so1 when in the writings of the ,franciscans we find any utterance of their master1 it unconsciously betrays itself1 sounding out suddenly in a sweet1 pure tone which penetrates to your very heart1 awakening with a thrill a sprite that was sleeping there4 ,this bloom of love enduing ,st4 ,francis's words would be an admirable criterion of the authenticity of those opuscules which tradition attributes to him2 but the work of testing is neither long nor difficult4 ,if after his time injudicious attempts were here and there made to honor him with miracles which he did not perform1 which he would not even have wished to perform1 no attempt was ever made to burden his literary efforts with false or supposititious pieces4#c ,the best proof of this is that it is not until ,wadding--that is to say1 until the seventeenth century--that we find the first and only serious attempt to collect these precious memorials4 ,several of them have been lost1#d but those which remain are enough to give us in some sort the refutation of the legends4 ,in these pages ,francis gives himself to his readers1 as long ago he gave himself to his companions2 in each one of them a feeling1 a cry of the heart1 or an aspiration toward the ,invisible is prolonged down to our own time4 ,wadding thought it his duty to give a place in his collection to several suspicious pieces2 more than this1 instead of following the oldest manuscripts that he had before him1 he often permitted himself to be led astray by sixteenth-century writers whose smallest concern was to be critical and accurate4 ,to avoid the tedious and entirely negative task to which it would be necessary to proceed if ,i took him for my starting-point ,i shall confine myself to a positive study of this question4 ,all the pieces which will be enumerated are found in his collection4 ,they are sometimes cut up in a singular way2 but in proportion as each document is studied we shall find sufficient indications to enable us to make the necessary rectifications4 ,the archives of ,sacro ,convento of ,assisi#e possess a manuscript whose importance is not to be overestimated4 ,it has already been many times studied1#f and bears the number #cch4 ,it appears1 however1 that a very important detail of form has been overlooked4 ,it is this3 that ,no4 #cch is not one manuscript1 but a collection of manuscripts of very different periods1 which were put together because they were of very nearly the same size1 and have been foliated in a peculiar manner4 ,this artificial character of the collection shows that each of the pieces which compose it needs to be examined by itself1 and that it is impossible to say of it as a whole that it is of the thirteenth or the fourteenth century4 ,the part that interests us is perfectly homogeneous1 is formed of three parchment books 7fol4 #ab;a-#dd;b7 and contains a part of ,francis's works4 #a4 ,the ,rule1 definitively approved by ,honorius ,,iii41 ,november #bj1 #abbcg 7fol4 #ab;a-#af;a74 #b4 ,st4 ,francis's ,will#h 7fol4 #af;a-#ah;a74 #c4 ,the ,admonitions#i 7fol4 #ah;a-#bc;b74 #d4 ,the ,letter to all ,christians#aj 7fol4 #bc;b-#bh;a74 #e4 ,the letter to all the members of the ,order assembled in ,chapter-general#aa 7fol4 #bh;a-#ca;a74 #f4 ,counsel to all clerics on the respect to be paid to the ,eucharist#ab 7fol41 #ca;b-#cb;b74 #g4 ,a very short piece preceded by the rubric3 ,of the virtues which adorn the ,virgin ,mary and which ought to adorn the holy soul#ac 7fol4 #cb;b74 #h4 ,the ,laudes ,creaturarum1 or ,canticle of the ,sun#ad 7fol4 #cc;a74 #i4 ,a paraphrase of the ,pater introduced by the rubric3 ,incipiunt laudes quas ordinavit4 ,b4 pater noster ,franciscus et dicebat ipsas ad omnes horas diei et noctis et ante officium ,b4 ,v4 ,mariae sic incipiens3 ,sanctissime ,pater#ae 7fol4 #cd;a74 #aj4 ,the office of the ,passion 7#cd;b-#dc;a74 ,this office1 where the psalms are replaced by several series of biblical verses1 are designed to make him who repeats them follow1 hour by hour1 the emotions of the ,crucified ,one from the evening of ,holy ,thursday4#af #aa4 ,a rule for friars in retreat in hermitages#ag 7fol4 #dc;a-#dc;b74 ,a glance over this list is enough to show that the works of ,francis here collected are addressed to all the ,brothers1 or are a sort of encyclicals1 which they are charged to pass on to those for whom they are destined4 ,the very order of these pieces shows us that we have in this manuscript the primitive library of the ,brothers ,minor1 the collection of which each minister was to carry with him a copy4 ,it was truly their viaticum4 ,matthew ,paris tells us of his amazement at the sight of these foreign monks1 clothed in patched tunics1 and carrying their books in a sort of case suspended from their necks4#ah ,the ,assisi manuscript was without doubt destined to this service2 if it is silent on the subject of the journeys it has made1 and of the ,brothers to whom it has been a guide and an inspiration1 it at least brings us1 more than all the legends1 into intimacy with ,francis1 makes us thrill in unison with that heart which never admitted a separation between joy1 love1 and poetry4 ,as to the date of this manuscript1 one must needs be a paleographer to determine4 ,we have already found a hypothesis which1 if well grounded1 would carry it back to the neighborhood of #abdj4ai ,its contents seem to countenance this early date4 ,in fact1 it contains several pieces of which the ,manual of the ,brother ,minor very early rid itself4 ,very soon they were content to have only the ,rule to keep company with the breviary2 sometimes they added the ,will4 ,but the other writings1 if they did not fall entirely into neglect1 ceased at least to be of daily usage4 ,those of ,st4 ,francis's writings which are not of general interest or do not concern the ,brothers naturally find no place in this collection4 ,in this new category we must range the following documents3 #a4 ,the ,rule of #abba4bj #b4 ,the ,rule of the ,clarisses1 which we no longer possess in its original form4#ba #c4 ,a sort of special instruction for ministers-general4#bb #d4 ,a letter to ,st4 ,clara4#bc #e4 ,another letter to the same4#bd #f4 ,a letter to ,brother ,leo4#be #g4 ,a few prayers4#bf #h4 ,the benediction of ,brother ,leo4 ,the original autograph1 which is preserved in the treasury of ,sacro ,convento1 has been very well reproduced by heliograph4#bg ,as to the two famous hymns ,amor de caritade#bh and ,in foco l'amor mi mise1#bi they cannot be attributed to ,st4 ,francis1 at least in their present form4 ,it belongs to ,m4 ,monaci and his numerous and learned emulators to throw light upon these delicate questions by publishing in a scientific manner the earliest monuments of ,italian poetry4 ,i have already spoken of several tracts of which assured traces have been found1 though they themselves are lost4 ,they are much more numerous than would at first be supposed4 ,in the missionary zeal of the early years the ,brothers would not concern themselves with collecting documents4 ,we do not write our memoirs in the fulness of our youth4 ,we must also remember that ,portiuncula had neither archives nor library4 ,it was a chapel ten paces long1 with a few huts gathered around it4 ,the ,order was ten years old before it had seen any other than a single book3 a ,new ,testament4 ,the ,brothers did not even keep this one4 ,francis1 having nothing else1 gave it to a poor woman who asked for alms1 and when ,pietro di ,catania1 his vicar1 expressed his surprise at this prodigality3 ,has she not given her two sons to the ,order8 replied the master#cj quickly4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,collected first by ,wadding 7,antwerp1 #afbc1 #dto71 they have been published many times since then1 particularly by ,de la ,haye 7,paris1 #afda1 fo74 ,these two editions having become scarce1 were republished--in a very unsatisfactory manner--by the ,abbe ,horoy3 ,s4 ,francisci ,assisiatis opera omnia 7,paris1 #ahhj1 #dto74 ,for want of a more exact edition1 that of ,father ,bernardo da ,fivizzano is the most useful3 ,opuscoli di ,s4 ,francesco d',assisi1 #a vol41 #abmo1 pp4 #efd1 ,florence1 #ahhj4 ,the ,latin text is accompanied by an ,italian translation4 #b ,die ,briefe1 die unter seinem ,namen gehen1 moegen theilweise aecht sein4 ,aber sie tragen kaum etwas zur naeheren ,kenntniss bei und koennen daher fast ganz ausser ,acht bleiben4 ,mueller1 ,die ,anfaenge des ,minoritenordens1 ,freiburg1 #a vol41 #hvo1 #ahhe1 p4 #c4 #c ,pieces have been often attributed to ,st4 ,francis which do not belong to him2 but those are unintentional errors and made without purpose4 ,the desire for literary exactness is relatively of recent date1 and it was easier for those who were ignorant of the author of certain ,franciscan writings to attribute them to ,st4 ,francis than to admit their ignorance or to make deep researches4 #d ,for example1 the first ,rule2 probably also a few canticles2 a letter to the ,brothers in ,france1 ,eccl41 #f2 another to the ,brothers in ,bologna3 ,praedixerat per litteram in qua fuit plurimum latinum1 ,eccl41 ib42 a letter to ,antony of ,padua1 other than the one we have1 since on the witness of ,celano it was addressed3 ,fratri ,antonio episcopo meo 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #ii72 certain letters to ,st4 ,clara3 ,scripsit ,clarae et sororibus ad consolationem litteram in qua dabat benedictionem suam et absolvebat1 etc4 ,conform41 fo4 #ahe;a1 #a2 cf4 ,test4 ,b4 ,clarae4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,augusti1 t4 ii41 p4 #gfg3 ,plura scripta tradidit nobis1 ne post mortem suam declinaremus a paupertate2 certain letters to ,cardinal ,ugolini1 #c ,soc41 #fg4 ,it is not to negligence alone that we must attribute the loss of many of the epistles3 ,quod nephas est cogitare1 in provincia ,marchie et in pluribus aliis locis testamentum beati ,francisci mandaverunt 7prelati ordinis7 districte per obedientiam ab omnibus auferi et comburi4 ,et uni fratri devoto et sancto1 cujus nomen est ,n4 de ,rocanato combuxerunt dicum testamentum super caput suum4 ,et toto conatu fuerunt solliciti1 annulare scripta beati patris nostri ,francisci1 in quibus sua intentio de observantia regule declaratur4 ,ubertino di ,casali1 apud ,archiv41 iii41 pp4 #afh-afi4 #e ,italy is too obliging to artists1 archaeologists1 and scholars not to do them the favor of disposing in a more practical manner this trust1 the most precious of all ,umbria4 ,even with the indefatigable kindness of the curator1 ,m4 ,alessandro1 and of the municipality of ,assisi1 it is very difficult to profit by these treasures heaped up in a dark room without a table to write upon4 #f ,in particular by ,ehrle3 ,die historischen ,handschriften von ,s4 ,francesco in ,assisi4 ,archiv41 t4 i41 p4 #dhd4 #g ,see pages #beb ff 444 and #bhc4 #h ,see pages #ccc ff4 #i ,see pages #bei ff4 #aj ,see page #cbe ff4 #aa ,see pages #cbb ff4 #ab ,see page #cbg4 #ac ,i give it entire3 ,regina sapientia1 ,dominus te salvet1 cum tua sorore sancta pura simplicitate4--,domina sancta paupertas1 ,domimus te salvet1 cum tua sorore sancta humilitate4--,domina sancta caritas1 ,dominus te salvet1 cum tua sorrore sancta obedientia4 ,sanctissimae virtutes omnes1 vos salvet ,dominus1 a quo venitis et proceditis4 ,its authenticity is guaranteed by a citation by ,celano3 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aai4 ,cf4 #abf;b and #abg;a4 #ad ,see pages #cjd f4 #ae ,i shall not recur to this3 the text is in the ,conformities #ach;a #b4 #af ,the authenticity of this service1 to which there is not a single allusion in the biographies of ,st4 ,francis1 is rendered certain by the life of ,st4 ,clara3 ,officium crucis1 prout crucis amator ,franciscus instituerat 7,clara7 didicit et affectu simili frequentavit4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,augusti1 t4 ii41 p4 #gfa;a4 #ag ,it begins3 ,illi qui volunt stare in heremis4 ,this text is also found in the ,conformities1 #adc;a1 #a4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #dc2 see p4 #ig4 #ah ,nudis pedibus incedentes1 funiculis cincti1 tunicis griseis et talaribus peciatis1 insuto capucio utentes 444 nihil sibi ultra noctem reservantes 444 libros continue suos 444 in forulis a collo dependentes bajulantes4 ,historia ,anglorum1 ,pertz3 ,script41 t4 #bh1 p4 #cig4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ace2 ,fior41 #e2 ,spec41 #de;b4 #ai ,see page #cbb n4 #bj ,see page #beb4 #ba ,see page #aeg4 #bb ,see pages #cah ff4 #bc ,see page #bci4 #bd ,see page #cbg4 #be ,see page #bfb4 #bf a4 ,sanctus ,dominus ,deus noster4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #abf;a2 ,firmamentum1 #ah;b1 #b2 ,conform41 #bjb;b1 #a4 b4 ,ave ,domina sancta4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #abg;a2 ,conform41 #ach;a1 #b4 c4 ,sancta ,maria virgo4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #abf;b2 ,conform41 #bjb;b1 #b4 #bg ,vide ,s4 ,francois1 in #dto1 ,paris4 #ahhe 7,plon71 p4 #bcc4 ,the authenticity of this benediction appears to be well established1 since it was already jealously guarded during the life of ,thomas of ,celano4 ,no one has ever dreamed of requiring historical proof of this writing4 ,is this perhaps a mistake8 ,the middle of the sheet is taken up with the benediction which was dictated to ,brother ,leo3 ,benedicat tibi ,dominus et custodiat te1 ostendat faciem suam tibi et misereatur tui convertat vultum suum ad te et det tibi pacem4 ,at the bottom1 ,francis added the letter tau4 ,greek3 ,tau1 which was1 so to speak1 his signature 7,bon41 #ea2 #cjh71 and the words3 ,frater ,leo ,dominus benedicat te4 ,then when this memorial became a part of the relics of the ,saint1 ,brother ,leo1 to authenticate it in a measure1 added the following notes3 toward the middle3 ,beatus ,franciscus scripsit manu sua istam benedictionem mihi fratri ,leoni2 toward the close3 ,simili modo fecit istud signum thau cum capite manu sua4 ,but the most valuable annotation is found at the top of the sheet3 ,beatus ,franciscus duobus annis ante mortem suam fecit quadragesimam in loco ,alvernae ad honorem ,beatae ,virginia ,mariae matris ,dei et beati ,michael archangeli a festo assumptionis sanctae ,mariae ,virginis usque ad festum sancti ,michael septembris et facta est super eum manus ,domini per visionem et allucotionem seraphym et impressionem stigmatum in corpore suo4 ,fecit has laudes ex alio latere catule scriptas et manu1 sua scripsit gratias agens ,domino de beneficio sibi collato4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #b1 #ah4 #bh ,wadding gives the text according to ,st4 ,bernardino da ,siena4 ,opera1 t4 iv41 sermo #af1 extraord4 et sermo feriae sextae ,parasceves4 ,amoni3 ,legenda trium sociorum1 p4 #aff4 #bi ,wadding has drawn the text from ,st4 ,bernardino1 loc4 cit41 sermo iv41 extraord4 ,it was also reproduced by ,amoni1 loc4 cit41 p4 #afe4 ,two very curious versions may be found in the ,miscellanea1 #ahhh1 pp4 #if and #aij4 #cj #b ,cel41 #c1 #ce4 ,this took place under the vicariat of ,pietro di ,catania2 consequently between ,september #bi1 #abbj1 and ,march #aj1 #abba4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ii ,,biographies ,,properly ,,so ,,called ,i4 ,,preliminary ,,note ,to form a somewhat exact notion of the documents which are to occupy us1 we must put them back into the midst of the circumstances in which they appeared1 study them in detail1 and determine the special value of each one4 ,here1 more than anywhere else1 we must beware of facile theories and hasty generalizations4 ,the same life described by two equally truthful contemporaries may take on a very different coloring4 ,this is especially the case if the man concerned has aroused enthusiasm and wrath1 if his inmost thought1 his works1 have been the subject of discussion1 if the very men who were commissioned to realize his ideals and carry on his work are divided1 and at odds with one another4 ,this was the case with ,st4 ,francis4 ,in his lifetime and before his own eyes divergences manifested themselves1 at first secretly1 then in the light of day4 ,in a rapture of love he went from cottage to cottage1 from castle to castle1 preaching absolute poverty2 but that buoyant enthusiasm1 that unbounded idealism1 could not last long4 ,the ,order of the ,brothers ,minor in process of growth was open not only to a few choice spirits aflame with mystic fervor1 but to all men who aspired after a religious reformation2 pious laymen1 monks undeceived as to the virtues of the ancient ,orders1 priests shocked at the vices of the secular clergy1 all brought with them--unintentionally no doubt and even unconsciously--too much of their old man not by degrees to transform the institution4 ,francis perceived the peril several years before his death1 and made every effort to avert it4 ,even in his dying hour we see him summoning all his powers to declare his ,will once again1 and as clearly as possible1 and to conjure his ,brothers never to touch the ,rule1 even under pretext of commenting upon or explaining it4 ,alas6 four years had not rolled away when ,gregory ,,ix41 at the prayer of the ,brothers themselves1 became the first one of a long series of pontiffs who have explained the ,rule4#a ,poverty1 as ,francis understood it1 soon became only a memory4 ,the unexampled success of the ,order brought to it not merely new recruits1 but money4 ,how refuse it when there were so many works to found8 ,many of the friars discovered that their master had exaggerated many things1 that shades of meaning were to be observed in the ,rule1 for example1 between counsels and precepts4 ,the door once opened to interpretations1 it became impossible to close it4 ,the ,franciscan family began to be divided into opposing parties often difficult to distinguish4 ,at first there were a few restless1 undisciplined men who grouped themselves around the older friars4 ,the latter1 in their character of first companions of the ,saint1 found a moral authority often greater than the official authority of the ministers and guardians4 ,the people turned to them by instinct as to the true continuers of ,st4 ,francis's work4 ,they were not far from right4 ,they had the vigor1 the vehemence of absolute convictions2 they could not have temporized had they desired to do so4 ,when they emerged from their hermitages in the ,apennines1 their eyes shining with the fever of their ideas1 absorbed in contemplation1 their whole being spoke of the radiant visions they enjoyed2 and the amazed and subdued multitude would kneel to kiss the prints of their feet with hearts mysteriously stirred4 ,a larger group was that of those ,brothers who condemned these methods without being any the less saints4 ,born far away from ,umbria1 in countries where nature seems to be a step-mother1 where adoration1 far from being the instinctive act of a happy soul soaring upward to bless the heavenly ,father1 is1 on the contrary1 the despairing cry of an atom lost in immensity1 they desired above all things a religious reformation1 rational and profound4 ,they dreamed of bringing the ,church back to the purity of the ancient days1 and saw in the vow of poverty1 understood in its largest sense1 the best means of struggling against the vices of the clergy2 but they forgot the freshness1 the ,italian gayety1 the sunny poetry that there had been in ,francis's mission4 ,full of admiration for him1 they yet desired to enlarge the foundations of his work1 and for that they would neglect no means of influence1 certainly not learning4 ,this tendency was the dominant one in ,france1 ,germany1 and ,england4 ,in ,italy it was represented by a very powerful party1 powerful if not in the number1 at least in the authority1 of its representatives4 ,this was the party favored by the papacy4 ,it was the party of ,brother ,elias and all the ministers-general of the ,order in the thirteenth century1 if we except ,giovanni di ,parma 7#abdg-abeg7 and ,raimondo ,gaufridi 7#abhi-abie74 ,in ,italy a third group1 the liberals1 was much more numerous2 men of mediocrity to whom monastic life appeared the most facile existence1 vagrant monks happy to secure an aftermath of success by displaying the new ,rule1 formed in this country the greater part of the ,franciscan family4 ,we can understand without difficulty that documents emanating from such different quarters must bear the impress of their origin4 ,the men who are to bring us their testimony are combatants in the struggle over the question of poverty1 a struggle which for two centuries agitated the ,church1 aroused all consciences1 and which had its monsters and its martyrs4 ,to determine the value of these witnesses we must first of all discover their origin4 ,it is evident that the narratives of the no-compromise party of the right or the left can have but slender value where controverted points are concerned2 whence the conclusion that the authority of a narrator may vary from page to page1 or even from line to line4 ,these considerations1 so simple that one almost needs to beg pardon for uttering them1 have not1 however1 guided those who have studied ,st4 ,francis's life4 ,the most learned1 like ,wadding and ,papini1 have brought together the narratives of different biographers1 here and there pruning those that are too contradictory2 but they have done this at random1 with neither rule nor method1 guided by the impression of the moment4 ,the long work of the ,bollandist ,suysken is vitiated by an analogous fault2 fixed in his principle that the oldest documents are always the best1#b he takes his stand upon the first ,life of ,thomas of ,celano as upon an impregnable rock1 and judges all other legends by that one4#c ,when we connect the documents with the disturbed circumstances which brought them into being1 some of them lose a little of their authority1 others which have been neglected1 as being in contradiction with witnesses who have become so to say official1 suddenly recover credit1 and in fact all gain a new life which doubles their interest4 ,this altered point of view in the valuation of the sources1 this criticism which ,i am inclined to call reciprocal and organic1 brings about profound alterations in the biography of ,st4 ,francis4 ,by a phenomenon which may appear strange we end by sketching a portrait of him much more like that which exists in the popular imagination of ,italy than that made by the learned historians above mentioned4 ,when ,francis died 7#abbf7 the parties which divided the ,order had already entered into conflict4 ,that event precipitated the crisis3 ,brother ,elias had been for five years exercising the functions of minister-general with the title of vicar4 ,he displayed an amazing activity4 ,intrenched in the confidence of ,gregory ,,ix4 he removed the ,zelanti from their charges1 strengthened the discipline even in the most remote provinces1 obtained numerous privileges from the curia1 and with incredible rapidity prepared for the building of the double basilica1 destined for the repose of the ashes of the ,stigmatized ,saint2 but notwithstanding all his efforts1 the chapter of #abbg set him aside and chose ,giovanni ,parenti as minister-general4 ,furious at this check1 he immediately set all influences to work to be chosen at the following chapter4 ,it even seems as if he paid no attention to the nomination of ,giovanni ,parenti1 and continued to go on as if he had been minister4#d ,very popular among the ,assisans1 who were dazzled by the magnificence of the monument which was springing up on the ,hill of ,hell1 now become the ,hill of ,paradise1 sure of being supported by a considerable party in the ,order and by the pope1 he pushed forward the work on the basilica with a decision and success perhaps unique in the annals of architecture4#e ,all this could not be done without arousing the indignation of the ,zealots of poverty4 ,when they saw a monumental poor-box1 designed to receive the alms of the faithful1 upon the tomb of him who had forbidden his disciples the mere contact of money1 it seemed to them that ,francis's prophecy of the apostasy of a part of the ,order was about to be fulfilled4 ,a tempest of revolt swept over the hermitages of ,umbria4 ,must they not1 by any means1 prevent this abomination in the holy place8 ,they knew that ,elias was terrible in his severities1 but his opponents felt in themselves courage to go to the last extremity1 and suffer everything to defend their convictions4 ,one day the poor-box was found shattered by ,brother ,leo and his friends4#f ,to this degree of intensity the struggle had arrived4 ,at this crisis the first legend appeared4 ,,ii4 ,first ,life by ,thomas of ,celano#g ,thomas of ,celano1 in writing this legend1 to which he was later to return for its completion1 obeyed an express order of ,pope ,gregory ,,ix4#h ,why did he not apply to one of the ,brothers of the ,saint's immediate circle8 ,the talent of this author might explain this choice1 but besides the fact that literary considerations would in this case hold a secondary place1 ,brother ,leo and several others proved later that they also knew how to handle the pen4 ,if ,celano was put in trust with the official biography1 it is because1 being equally in sympathy with ,gregory ,,ix4 and ,brother ,elias1 his absence had kept him out of the conflicts which had marked the last years of ,francis's life4 ,of an irenic temper1 he belonged to the category of those souls who easily persuade themselves that obedience is the first of virtues1 that every superior is a saint2 and if unluckily he is not1 that we should none the less act as though he were4 ,we have some knowledge of his life4 ,a native of ,celano in the ,abruzzi1 he discreetly observes that his family was noble1 even adding1 with a touch of artless simplicity1 that the master had a peculiar regard for noble and educated ,brothers4 ,he entered the ,order about #abae1i on the return of ,francis from ,spain4 ,at the chapter of #abba ,caesar of ,speyer1 charged with the mission to ,germany1 took him among those who were to accompany him4#aj ,in #abbc he was named custode of ,mayence1 ,worms1 ,cologne1 and ,speyer4 ,in ,april of the same year1 when ,caesar returned to ,italy1 devoured with the longing to see ,st4 ,francis again1 he commissioned ,celano to execute his functions until the arrival of the new provincial4#aa ,we have no information as to where he was after the chapter-general held at ,speyer ,september #h1 #abbc4 ,he must have been in ,assisi in #abbh1 for his account of the canonization is that of an eye-witness4 ,he was there again in #abcj1 and doubtless clothed with an important office1 since he could commit to ,brother ,giordano the relics of ,st4 ,francis4#ab ,written in a pleasing style1 very often poetic1 his work breathes an affecting admiration for his hero2 his testimony at once makes itself felt as sincere and true3 when he is partial it is without intention and even without his knowledge4 ,the weak point in this biography is the picture which it outlines of the relations between ,brother ,elias and the founder of the ,order3 from the chapters devoted to the last two years we receive a very clear impression that ,elias was named by ,francis to succeed him4#ac ,now if we reflect that at the time when ,celano wrote1 ,giovanni ,parenti was minister-general1 we at once perceive the bearing of these indications4#ad ,every opportunity is seized to give a preponderating importance to ,elias4#ae ,it is a true manifesto in his favor4 ,have we reason to blame ,celano8 ,i think not4 ,we must simply remember that his work might with justice be called the legend of ,gregory ,,ix4 ,elias was the pope's man1 and the biography is worked up from the information he gave4 ,he could not avoid dwelling with peculiar satisfaction upon his intimacy with ,francis4 ,on the other hand1 we cannot expect to find here such details as might have sustained the pretension of the adversaries of ,elias1 those unruly ,zealots who were already proudly adorning themselves with the title of ,companions of the ,saint and endeavoring to constitute a sort of spiritual aristocracy in the ,order4 ,among them were four who during the last two years had not1 so to say1 quitted ,francis4 ,we can imagine how difficult it was not to speak of them4 ,celano carefully omits to mention their names under pretext of sparing their modesty2#af but by the praises lavished upon ,gregory ,,ix41 ,brother ,elias1#ag ,st4 ,clara1#ah and even upon very secondary persons1 he shows that his discretion is far from being always so alert4 ,all this is very serious1 but we must not exaggerate it4 ,there is an evident partiality1 but it would be unjust to go farther and believe1 as men did later1 that the last part of ,francis's life was an active struggle against the very person of ,elias4 ,a struggle there surely was1 but it was against tendencies whose spring ,francis did not perceive4 ,he carried with him to his tomb his delusion as to his co-laborer4 ,for that matter this defect is after all secondary so far as the physiognomy of ,francis himself is concerned4 ,in ,celano's ,life1 as in the ,three ,companions or the ,fioretti1 he appears with a smile for all joys1 and floods of tears for all woes2 we feel everywhere the restrained emotion of the writer2 his heart is subjected by the moral beauty of his hero4 ,,iii4 ,,survey ,,of ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,order ,,from #abcj-abdd ,when ,thomas of ,celano closed his legend he perceived more than anyone the deficiencies of his work1 for which he had been able to collect but insufficient material4 ,elias and the other ,assisan brothers had told him of ,francis's youth and his activity in ,umbria2 but besides that he would have preferred1 whether from prudence or from love of peace1 to keep silence upon certain events1#ai there were long periods upon which he had not received a single item of information4#bj ,he therefore seems to indicate his intention of resuming and completing his work4#ba ,this is not the place to write the history of the ,order1 but a few facts are necessary to put the documents into their proper surroundings4 ,elected minister-general in #abcb1 ,brother ,elias took advantage of the fact to labor with indomitable energy toward the realization of his own ideas4 ,in all the provinces new collections were organized for the ,basilica of ,assisi1 the work upon which was pushed with an activity which however injured neither the strength of the edifice nor the beauty of its details1 which are as finished and perfect as those of any monument in ,europe4 ,we may conceive of the enormous sums which it had been necessary to raise in order to complete such an enterprise in so short a time4 ,more than that1 ,brother ,elias exacted absolute obedience from all his subordinates2 naming and removing the provincial ministers according to his personal views1 he neglected to convoke the chapter-general1 and sent his emissaries under the name of visitors into all the provinces to secure the execution of his orders4 ,the moderate party in ,germany1 ,france1 and ,england very soon found his yoke insupportable4 ,it was hard for them to be directed by an ,italian minister resident at ,assisi1 a small town quite aside from the highways of civilization1 entirely a stranger to the scientific movement concentred in the universities of ,oxford1 ,paris1 and ,bologna4 ,in the indignation of the ,zelanti against ,elias and his contempt for the ,rule1 they found a decisive support4 ,very soon the minister had for his defence nothing but his own energy1 and the favor of the pope and of the few ,italian moderates4 ,by a great increase of vigilance and severity he repressed several attempts at revolt4 ,his adversaries1 however1 succeeded in establishing secret intelligence at the court of ,rome2 even the pope's confessor was gained2 yet in spite of all these circumstances1 the success of the conspiracy was still uncertain when the chapter of #abci opened4 ,gregory ,,ix41 still favorable to ,elias1#bb presided4 ,fear gave sudden courage to the conspirators2 they threw their accusations in their enemy's face4 ,thomas of ,eccleston gives a highly colored narrative of what took place4 ,elias was proud1 violent1 even threatening4 ,there were cries and vociferations from both sides2 they were about to come to blows when a few words from the pope restored silence4 ,he had made up his mind to abandon his protege4 ,he asked for his resignation4 ,elias indignantly refused4 ,gregory ,,ix4 then explained that in keeping him in charge he had thought himself acting in accordance with the wishes of the majority3 that he had no intention to dominate the ,order1 and1 since the ,brothers no longer desired ,elias1 he declared him deposed from the generalate4 ,the joy of the victors1 says ,eccleston1 was immense and ineffable4 ,they chose ,alberto di ,pisa1 provincial of ,england1 to succeed him1 and from that time bent all their efforts to represent ,elias as a creature of ,frederick ,,ii4#bc ,the former minister wrote indeed to the pope to explain his conduct1 but the letter did not reach its destination4 ,it must have reached the hands of his successor1 and not been sent forward2 when ,alberto of ,pisa died it was found in his tunic4#bd ,all the fury of the aged pontiff was unchained against ,elias4 ,one must read the documents to see to what a height his anger could rise4 ,the friar retorted with a virulence which though less wordy was far more overpowering4#be ,these events gained an indescribable notoriety#bf all over ,europe and threw the ,order into profound disturbance4 ,many of the partisans of ,elias became convinced that they had been deceived by an impostor1 and they drew toward the group of ,zealots1 who never ceased to demand the observance pure and simple of the ,rule and the ,will4 ,thomas of ,celano was of this number4#bg ,with profound sadness he saw the innumerable influences that were secretly undermining the ,franciscan institute and menacing it with ruin4 ,already a refrain was going the rounds of the convents1 singing the victory of ,paris over ,assisi1 that is1 of learning over poverty4 ,the ,zealots gained new courage4 ,unaccustomed to the subtleties of ecclesiastical politics1 they did not perceive that the pope1 while condemning ,brother ,elias1 had in nowise modified the general course which he had marked out for the ,order4 ,the ministers-general1 ,alberto di ,pisa1 #abci-abdj1 ,aymon of ,faversham1 #abdj-abdd1 ,crescentius de ,jesi1 #abdd-abdg1 were all1 with different shades of meaning1 representatives of the moderate party4 ,thomas of ,celano's first legend had become impossible4 ,the prominence there given to ,elias was almost a scandal4 ,the necessity of working it over and completing it became clearly evident at the chapter of ,genoa 7#abdd74 ,all the ,brothers who had anything to tell about ,francis's life were invited to commit it to writing and send it to the minister ,crescentius de ,jesi4#bh ,the latter immediately caused a tract to be drawn up in the form of a dialogue1 commencing with the words3 ,venerabilium gesta ,patrum4 ,so soon after as the time of ,bernard de ,besse1 only fragments of this were left4#bi ,but happily several of the works which saw the light in consequence of the decision of this chapter have been preserved to us4 ,it is to this that we owe the ,legend of the ,three ,companions and the ,second ,life by ,thomas of ,celano4 ,,iv4 ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,companions#cj ,the life of ,st4 ,francis which has come down to us under the name of the ,legend of the ,three ,companions was finished on ,august #aa1 #abdf1 in a little convent in the vale of ,rieti1 which appears often in the course of this history1 that of ,greccio4 ,this hermitage had been ,francis's favorite abode1 especially in the latter part of his life4 ,he had thus made it doubly dear to the hearts of his disciples4#ca ,it naturally became1 from the earliest days of the ,order1 the headquarters of the ,observants1#cb and it remains through all the centuries one of the purest centres of ,franciscan piety4 ,the authors of this legend were men worthy to tell ,st4 ,francis's story1 and perhaps the most capable of doing it3 the friars ,leo1 ,angelo1 and ,rufino4 ,all three had lived in intimacy with him1 and had been his companions through the most important years4 ,more than this1 they took the trouble to go to others for further information1 particularly to ,filippo1 the visitor of the ,clarisses1 to ,illuminato di ,rieti1 ,masseo di ,marignano1 ,john1 the confidant of ,egidio1 and ,bernardo di ,quintavalle4 ,such names as these promise much1 and happily we are not disappointed in our expectation4 ,as it has come down to us1 this document is the only one worthy from the point of view of history to be placed beside the ,first ,life by ,celano4 ,the names of the authors and the date of the composition indicate before examination the tendency with which it is likely to be in harmony4 ,it is the first manifesto of the ,brothers who remained faithful to the spirit and letter of the ,rule4 ,this is confirmed by an attentive reading2 it is at least as much a panegyric of ,poverty as a history of ,st4 ,francis4 ,we naturally expect to see the ,three ,companions relating to us with a very particular delight the innumerable features of the legends of which ,greccio was the theatre2 we turn to the end of the volume1 expecting to find the story of the last years of which they were witnesses1 and are lost in surprise to find nothing of the kind4 ,while the first half of the work describes ,francis's youth1 filling out here and there ,celano's ,first ,life1 the second#cc is devoted to a picture of the early days of the ,order1 a picture of incomparable freshness and intensity of life2 but strangely enough1 after having told us so much at length of ,francis's youth and then of the first days of the ,order1 the story abruptly leaps over from the year #abbj to the death and the canonization1 to which after all only a few pages are given4#cd ,this is too extraordinary to be the result of chance4 ,what has happened8 ,it is evident that the ,legend of the ,three ,companions as we have it to-day is only a fragment of the original1 which was no doubt revised1 corrected1 and considerably cut down by the authorities of the ,order before they would permit it to be circulated4#ce ,if the authors had been interrupted in their work1 and obliged to cut short the end1 as might have been the case1 they would have said so in their letter of envoy1 but there are still other arguments in favor of our hypothesis4 ,brother ,leo having had the first and principal part in the production of the work of the ,three ,companions1 it is often called ,brother ,leo's ,legend2 now ,brother ,leo's ,legend is several times cited by ,ubertini di ,casali1 arraigned before the court of ,avignon by the party of the ,common ,observance4 ,evidently ,ubertini would have taken good care not to appeal to an apocryphal document2 a false citation would have been enough to bring him to confusion1 and his enemies would not have failed to make the most of his imprudence4 ,we have at hand all the documents of the trial1#cf attacks1 replies1 counter replies1 and nowhere do we see the ,liberals accuse their adversary of falsehood4 ,for that matter1 the latter makes his citations with a precision that admits of no cavil4#cg ,he appeals to writings to be found in a press in the convent of ,assisi1 of which he gives sometimes a copy1 sometimes an original4#ch ,we are then authorized to conclude that we have here fragments which have survived the suppression of the last and most important part of the ,legend of the ,three ,companions4 ,it is not surprising that the work of ,francis's dearest friends should have been so seriously mutilated4 ,it was the manifesto of a party that ,crescentius was hunting down with all his power4 ,after the fleeting reaction of the generalate of ,giovanni di ,parma we shall see a man of worth like ,st4 ,bonaventura moving for the suppression of all the primitive legends that his own compilation may be substituted for them4 ,it is truly singular that no one has perceived the fragmentary state of the work of the ,three ,companions4 ,the prologue alone might have suggested this idea4 ,why should it take three to write a few pages8 ,why this solemn enumeration of ,brothers whose testimony and collaboration are asked for8 ,there would be a surprising disproportion between the effort and the result4 ,more than all1 the authors say that they shall not stop at relating the miracles1 but they desire above all to exhibit the ideas of ,francis and his life with the ,brothers1 but we search in vain for any account of miracles in what we now have4#ci ,an ,italian translation of this legend1 published by ,father ,stanislaus ,melchiorri1#dj has suddenly given me an indirect confirmation of this point of view4 ,this monk is only its publisher1 and has simply been able to discover that in #aegg it was taken from a very ancient manuscript by a certain ,muzio ,achillei di ,san ,severino4#da ,this ,italian translation contained only the last chapters of the legend1 those which tell of the death1 the stigmata1 and the translation of the remains4#db ,it was1 then1 made at a time when the suppressed portion had not been replaced by a short summary of the other legends4 ,from all this two conclusions emerge for the critics3 #a4 ,this final summary has not the same authority as the rest of the work1 since the time when it was added is unknown4 #b4 ,fragments of a legend by ,brother ,leo or by the ,three ,companions scattered through later compilations may be perfectly authentic4 ,in its present condition this legend of the ,three ,companions is the finest piece of ,franciscan literature1 and one of the most delightful productions of the ,middle ,ages4 ,there is something indescribably sweet1 confiding1 chaste1 in these pages1 an energy of virile youth which the ,fioretti suggest but never attain to4 ,at more than six hundred years of distance the purest dream that ever thrilled the ,christian ,church seems to live again4 ,these friars of ,greccio1 who1 scattered over the mountain1 under the shade of the olive-trees1 passed their days in singing the ,hymn of the ,sun1 are the true models of the primitive ,umbrian ,masters4 ,they are all alike2 they are awkwardly posed2 everything in and around them sins against the most elementary rules of art1 and yet their memory pursues you1 and when you have long forgotten the works of impeccable modern artists you recall without effort these creations of those unknown painters2 for love calls for love1 and these vapid personages have very true and pure hearts1 a more than human love shines forth from their whole being1 they speak to you and make you better4 ,such is this book1 the first utterance of the ,spiritual ,franciscans1 in which we already see the coming to life of some of those bold doctrines that not only divided the ,franciscan family into two hostile branches1 but which were to bring some of their defenders to the heretic's stake4#dc ,v4 ,,fragments ,,of ,,the ,,suppressed ,,part ,,of ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,companions ,we may now take a step forward and try to group the fragments of the ,legend of the ,three ,companions1 or of ,brother ,leo1 which are to be found in later writings4 ,we must here be more than ever on our guard against absolute theories2 one of the most fruitful principles of historic criticism is to prefer contemporary documents1 or at least those which are nearest them2 but even with these it is necessary to use a little discretion4 ,it seems impossible to attack the reasoning of the ,bollandists1 who refuse to know anything of legends written after that of ,st4 ,bonaventura 7#abfj71 under pretext that1 coming after several other authorized biographies1 he was better situated than anyone for getting information and completing the work of his predecessors4#dd ,in reality this is absurd1 for it assumes that ,bonaventura undertook to write as a historian4 ,this is to forget that he wrote not only for the purpose of edification1 but also as minister-general of the ,minor ,brothers4 ,from this fact his first duty was to keep silent on many facts1 and those not the least interesting4 ,what shall we say of a biography where ,francis's ,will is not even mentioned8 ,it is easy to turn away from a writing of the fourteenth century1 on the ground that the author did not see what was going on a hundred years before2 still we must not forget that many books of the end of the ,middle ,ages resemble those old mansions at which four or five generators have toiled4 ,an inscription on their front often only shows the touch of the last restorer or the last destroyer1 and the names which are set forth with the greatest complacency are not always those of the real workmen4 ,such have been many ,franciscan books2 to attribute them to any one author would be impracticable2 very different hands have worked upon them1 and such an amalgam has its own charm and interest4 ,turning them over--,i had almost said associating with them--we come to see clearly into this tangled web1 for every work of man bears the trace of the hand that made it3 this trace may perhaps be of an almost imperceptible delicacy2 it exists none the less1 ready to reveal itself to practised eyes4 ,what is more impersonal than the photograph of a landscape or of a painting1 and yet among several hundreds of proofs the amateur will go straight to the work of the operator he prefers4 ,these reflections were suggested by the careful study of a curious book printed many times since the sixteenth century1 the ,speculum ,vitae ,s4 ,francisci et sociorum ejus4#de ,a complete study of this work1 its sources1 its printed editions1 the numerous differences in the manuscripts1 would by itself require a volume and an epitome of the history of the ,order4 ,i can give here only a few notes1 taking for base the oldest edition1 that of #aejd4 ,the confusion which reigns here is frightful4 ,incidents in the life of ,francis and his companions are brought together with no plan2 several of them are repeated after the interval of a few pages in a quite different manner2#df certain chapters are so awkwardly introduced that the compiler has forgotten to remove the number that they bore in the work from which he borrowed them2#dg finally1 to our great surprise1 we find several ,incipit4#dh ,however1 with a little perseverance we soon perceive a few openings in the labyrinth4 ,in the first place1 here are several chapters of the legend of ,bonaventura which seem to have been put in the van as if to protect the rest of the book4 ,if we abstract them and the whole series of chapters from the ,fioretti1 we shall have diminished the work by nearly three-quarters4 ,if we take away two more chapters taken from ,st4 ,bernard of ,clairvaux and those containing ,franciscan prayers1 or various attestations concerning the indulgence of ,portiuncula1 we finally arrive at a sort of residue1 if the expression may be forgiven1 of a remarkable homogeneity4 ,here the style is very different from that in the surrounding pages1 closely recalling that of the ,three ,companions2 a single thought inspires these pages1 that the corner-stone of the ,order is the love of poverty4 ,why should we not have here some fragments of the original legend of the ,three ,companions8 ,we find here nothing which does not fit in with what we know1 nothing which suggests the embellishments of a late tradition4 ,to confirm this hypothesis come different passages which we find cited by ,ubertini di ,casali and by ,angelo ,clareno as being by ,brother ,leo1 and an attentive comparison of the text shows that these authors can neither have drawn them from the ,speculum nor the ,speculum from them4 ,there is1 besides1 one phrase which1 apart from the inspiration and style1 will suffice at the first glance to mark the common origin of most of these pieces4#di ,nos qui cum ipso fuimus4 ,we who have been with him4 ,these words1 which recur in almost every incident1#di are in many cases only a grateful tribute to their spiritual father1 but sometimes1 too1 they have a touch of bitterness4 ,these hermits of ,greccio suddenly recall to mind their rights4 ,are we not the only1 the true interpreters of the ,saint's instructions--we who lived continually with him2 we who1 hour after hour1 have meditated upon his words1 his sighs1 and his hymns8 ,we can understand that such pretensions were not to the taste of the ,common ,observance1 and that ,crescentius1 with an incontestable authority1 has suppressed nearly all this legend4#ea ,as for the fragments that have been preserved to us1 though they furnish many details about the last years of ,st4 ,francis's life1 they still are not those whose loss is so much to be regretted4 ,the authors who reproduce them were defending a cause4 ,we owe them little more than the incidents which in one way or another concern the question of poverty4 ,they had nothing to do with the other accounts1 as they were not writing a biography4 ,but even within these narrow limits these fragments are in the first order of importance2 and ,i have not hesitated to use them largely4 ,it is needless to say that while ascribing their origin to the ,three ,companions1 and in particular to ,brother ,leo1 we must not suppose that we have the very letter in the texts which have come down to us4 ,the pieces given by ,ubertini di ,casali and ,angelo ,clareno are actual citations1 and deserve full confidence as such4 ,as for those which are preserved to us in the ,speculum1 they may often have been abridged1 explanatory notes may have slipped into the text1 but nowhere do we find interpolations in the bad sense of the word4#eb ,finally1 if we compare the fragments with the corresponding accounts in the ,second ,life of ,celano1 we see that the latter has often borrowed verbatim from ,brother ,leo1 but generally he has considerably abridged the passages1 adding reflections here and there1 especially retouching the style to make it more elegant4 ,such a comparison soon proves that ,brother ,leo's narratives are the original and that it is impossible to see in them a later amplification of those of ,thomas of ,celano1 as we might at first be tempted to think them4#ec ,,vi4 ,,second ,,life ,,by ,,thomas ,,of ,,celano#ed ,first ,part ,in consequence of the decision of the chapter of #abdd search was begun in all quarters for memorials of the early times of the ,order4 ,in view of the ardor of this inquiry1 in which zeal for the glory of the ,franciscan institute certainly cast the interests of history into the background1 the minister-general1 ,crescentius1 was obliged to take certain precautions4 ,many of the pieces that he received were doing double duty2 others might contradict one another2 many of them1 under color of telling the life of the ,saint1 had no other object than to oppose the present to the past4 ,it soon became imperative to constitute a sort of commission charged to study and cooerdinate all this matter4#ee ,what more natural than to put ,thomas of ,celano at its head8 ,ever since the approbation of the first legend by ,gregory ,,ix4 he had appeared to be in a sense the official historiographer of the ,order4#ef ,this view accords perfectly with the contents of the seventeen chapters which contain the first part of the second legend4 ,it offers itself at the outset as a compilation4 ,celano is surrounded with companions who help him4#eg ,a more attentive examination shows that its principal source is the ,legend of the ,three ,companions1 which the compilers worked over1 sometimes filling out certain details1 more often making large excisions4 ,everything that does not concern ,st4 ,francis is ruthlessly proscribed2 we feel the well-defined purpose to leave in the background the disciples who so complacently placed themselves in the foreground4#eh ,the work of the ,three ,companions had been finished ,august #aa1 #abdf4 ,on ,july #ac1 #abdg1 the chapter of ,lyons put an end to the powers of ,crescentius4 ,it is1 therefore1 between these two dates that we must place the composition of the first part of ,thomas of ,celano's ,second ,life4#ei ,,vii4 ,,second ,,life ,,by ,,thomas ,,of ,,celano#ei ,second ,part ,the election of ,giovanni di ,parma 7#abdg-abeg7 as successor of ,crescentius was a victory for the ,zealots4 ,this man1 in whose work-table the birds came to make their nests1#fa was to astonish the world by his virtues4 ,no one saw more deeply into ,st4 ,francis's heart1 no one was more worthy to take up and continue his work4 ,he soon asked ,celano to resume his work4#fb ,the latter was perhaps alone at first1 but little by little a group of collaborators formed itself anew about him4#fc ,thenceforth nothing prevented his doing with that portion of the work of the ,three ,companions which ,crescentius had suppressed what he had already done with the part he had approved4 ,the ,legend of ,brother ,leo has thus come down to us1 entirely worked over by ,thomas of ,celano1 abridged and with all its freshness gone1 but still of capital importance in the absence of the major part of the original4 ,the events of which we possess two accounts permit us to measure the extent of our loss4 ,we find1 in fact1 in ,celano's compilation all that we expected to find in the ,three ,companions3 the incidents belong especially to the last two years of ,francis's life1 and the scene of many of them is either ,greccio or one of the hermitages of the vale of ,rieti2#fd according to tradition1 ,brother ,leo was the hero of a great number of the incidents here related#fe and all the citations that ,ubertini di ,casali makes from ,brother ,leo's book find their correspondents here4#ff ,this second part of the ,second ,life perfectly reflects the new circumstances to which it owes its existence4 ,the question of ,poverty dominates everything2#fg the struggle between the two parties in the ,order reveals itself on every page2 the collaborators are determined that each event narrated shall be an indirect lesson to the ,liberals1 to whom they oppose the ,spirituals2 the popes had commented on the ,rule in the large sense2 they1 on their side1 undertook to comment on it in a sense at once literal and spiritual1 by the actions and words of its author himself4 ,history has hardly any part here except as the vehicle of a thesis1 a fact which diminishes nothing of the historic value of the information given in the course of these pages4 ,but while in ,celano's ,first ,life and in the ,legend of the ,three ,companions the facts succeed one another organically1 here they are placed side by side4 ,therefore when we come to read this work we are sensible of a fall2 even from the literary point of view the inferiority makes itself cruelly felt4 ,instead of a poem we have before us a catalogue1 very cleverly made1 it is true1 but with no power to move us4 ,,viii4 ,,notes ,,on ,a ,,few ,,secondary ,,documents a4 ,celano's ,life of ,st4 ,francis for ,use in the ,choir4 ,thomas of ,celano made also a short legend for use in the choir4 ,it is divided into nine lessons and served for the ,franciscan breviaries up to the time when ,st4 ,bonaventura made his ,legenda ,minor4 ,that of ,celano may be found in part 7the first three lessons7 in the ,assisi ,,ms4 #cch1 fol4 #eb;a-#ec;b2 it is preceded by a letter of envoy3 ,rogasti me frater ,benedicte1 ut de legenda ,b4 ,p4 ,n4 ,f4 quaedam exciperem et in novem lectionum seriem ordinarem 444 etc4 ,b4 ,franciscus de civitate ,assisii ortus a puerilibus annis nutritus extitit insolenter4 ,this work has no historic importance4 b4 ,life of ,st4 ,francis in ,verse4 ,in the list of biographers has sometimes been counted a poem in hexameter verse#fh the text of which was edited in #ahhb by the lamented ,cristofani4#fi ,this work does not furnish a single new historic note4 ,it is the ,life by ,celano in verse and nothing more2 the author's desire was to figure as a poet4 ,it is superfluous1 therefore1 to concern ourselves with it4#fi c4 ,biography of ,st4 ,francis by ,giovanni di ,ceperano4 ,one of the biographies which disappeared1 no doubt in consequence of the decision of the chapter of #abff1ga is that of ,giovanni di ,ceperano4 ,the resemblance of his name to that of ,thomas of ,celano has occasioned much confusion4#gb ,the most precious information which we have respecting him is given by ,bernard of ,besse in the opening of his ,de laudibus ,st4 ,francisci3 ,plenam virtutibus ,b4 ,francisci vitam scripsit in ,italia exquisitae vir eloquentiae fr4 ,thomas jubente ,domino ,gregorio papa ,,ix4 et eam quae incipit3 ,quasi stella matutina vir venerabilis ,dominus et fertur ,joannes1 ,apostolicae sedis notarius4#gc ,in the face of so precise a text all doubt as to the existence of the work of ,giovanni di ,ceperano is impossible4 ,the ,reverend ,father ,denifle has been able to throw new light upon this question4 ,in a manuscript containing the liturgy of the ,brothers ,minor and finished in #abef he found the nine lessons for the festival of ,st4 ,francis preceded by the title3 ,ex gestis ejus abbreviatis quae sic incipiunt3 ,quasi stella 7,zeitschrift fuer kath4 ,theol41 vii41 p4 #gaj4 ,cf4 ,archiv41 i41 p4 #adh74 ,this summary of ,ceperano's work gives1 as we should expect1 no new information2 but perhaps we need not despair of finding the very work of this author4 d4 ,life of ,st4 ,francis by ,brother ,julian4 ,it was doubtless about #abcj that ,brother ,julian1 the ,teuton1 who had been chapel-master at the court of the ,king of ,france1 was commissioned to put the finishing touches to the ,office of ,st4 ,francis4#gd ,evidently such a work would contain nothing original1 and its loss is little felt4 ,,ix4 ,,legend ,,of ,,st4 ,,bonaventura ,under the generalate of ,giovanni di ,parma 7#abdg-abeg7 the ,franciscan parties underwent modifications1 in consequence of which their opposition became still more striking than before4 ,the ,zelanti1 with the minister-general at their head1 enthusiastically adopted the views of ,gioacchino di ,fiore4 ,the predictions of the ,calabrian abbot corresponded too well with their inmost convictions for any other course to be possible3 they seemed to see ,francis1 as a new ,christ1 inaugurating the third era of the world4 ,for a few years these dreams moved all ,europe2 the faith of the ,joachimites was so ardent that it made its way by its own force2 sceptics like ,salimbeni told themselves that on the whole it was surely wiser not to be taken unawares by the great catastrophe of #abfj1 and hastened in crowds to the cell of ,hyeres to be initiated by ,hugues de ,digne in the mysteries of the new times3 as to the people1 they waited1 trembling1 divided between hope and terror4 ,nevertheless their adversaries did not consider themselves beaten1 and the ,liberal party still remained the most numerous4 ,of an angelic purity1 ,giovanni di ,parma believed in the omnipotence of example3 events showed how mistaken he was2 at the close of his term of office scandals were not less flagrant than ten years earlier4#ge ,between these two extreme parties1 against which he was to proceed with equal rigor1 stood that of the ,moderates1 to which belonged ,st4 ,bonaventura4#gf ,a mystic1 but of a formal and orthodox mysticism1 he saw the revolution toward which the ,church was hastening if the party of the eternal ,gospel was to triumph2 its victory would not be that of this or that heresy in detail1 it would be1 with brief delay1 the ruin of the entire ecclesiastical edifice2 he was too perspicacious not to see that in the last analysis the struggle then going on was that of the individual conscience against authority4 ,this explains1 and up to a certain point gains him pardon for1 his severities against his opponents2 he was supported by the court of ,rome and by all those who desired to make the ,order a school at once of piety and of learning4 ,no sooner was he elected general than1 with a purpose that never knew hesitation1 and a will whose firmness made itself everywhere felt1 he took his steps to forward this double aim4 ,on the very morrow of his nomination he sketched the programme of reforms against the ,liberal party1 and at the same time secured the summons of the ,joachimite ,brothers before an ecclesiastical tribunal at ,citta-della-,pieve4 ,this tribunal condemned them to perpetual imprisonment1 and it needed the personal intervention of ,cardinal ,ottobonus1 the future ,adrian ,v41 for ,giovanni di ,parma to be left free to retire to the ,convent of ,greccio4 ,the first chapter held under the presidence of ,bonaventura1 in the extended decisions of which we find everywhere tokens of his influence1 assembled at ,narbonne in #abfj4 ,he was then commissioned to compose a new life of ,st4 ,francis4#gg ,we easily understand the anxieties to which this decision of the ,brothers was an answer4 ,the number of legends had greatly increased1 for besides those which we have first studied or noted there were others in existence which have completely disappeared1 and it had become equally difficult for the ,brothers who went forth on missions either to make a choice between them or to carry them all4 ,the course of the new historian was therefore clearly marked out3 he must do the work of compiler and peacemaker4 ,he failed in neither4 ,his book is a true sheaf1 or rather it is a millstone under which the indefatigable author has pressed1 somewhat at hazard1 the sheaves of his predecessors4 ,most of the time he inserts them just as they are1 confining himself to the work of harvesting them and weeding out the tares4 ,therefore1 when we reach the end of this voluminous work we have a very vague impression of ,st4 ,francis4 ,we see that he was a saint1 a very great saint1 since he performed an innumerable quantity of miracles1 great and small2 but we feel very much as if we had been going through a shop of objects of piety4 ,all these statues1 whether they are called ,st4 ,anthony the ,abbot1 ,st4 ,dominic1 ,st4 ,theresa1 or ,st4 ,vincent de ,paul1 have the same expression of mincing humility1 of a somewhat shallow ecstasy4 ,these are saints1 if you please1 miracle-workers2 they are not men2 he who made them made them by rule1 by process2 he has put nothing of his heart in these ever-bowed foreheads1 these lips with their wan smile4 ,god forbid that ,i should say or think that ,st4 ,bonaventura was not worthy to write a life of ,st4 ,francis1 but the circumstances controlled his work1 and it is no injustice to him to say that it is fortunate for ,francis1 and especially for us1 that we have another biography of the ,poverello than that of the ,seraphic ,doctor4 ,three years after1 in #abfc1 he brought his completed work to the chapter-general convoked under his presidence at ,pisa4 ,it was there solemnly approved4#gh ,it is impossible to say whether they thought that the presence of the new legend would suffice to put the old ones out of mind1 but it seems that at this time nothing was said about the latter4 ,it was not so at the following chapter4 ,this one1 held at ,paris1 came to a decision destined to have disastrous results for the primitive ,franciscan documents4 ,this decree1 emanating from an assembly presided over by ,bonaventura in person1 is too important not to be quoted textually3 ,item1 the ,chapter-general ordains on obedience that all the legends of the ,blessed ,francis formerly made shall be destroyed4 ,the ,brothers who shall find any without the ,order must try to make away with them since the legend made by the ,general is compiled from accounts of three who almost always accompanied the ,blessed ,francis2 all that they could certainly know and all that is proven has been carefully inserted therein4#gi ,it would have been difficult to be more precise4 ,we see the perseverance with which ,bonaventura carried on his struggle against the extreme parties4 ,this decree explains the almost complete disappearance of the manuscripts of ,celano and the ,three ,companions1 since in certain collections even those of ,bonaventura's legend are hardly to be found4 ,as we have seen1 ,bonaventura aimed to write a sort of official or canonical biography2 he succeeded only too well4 ,most of the accounts that we already know have gone into his collection1 but not without at times suffering profound mutilations4 ,we are not surprised to find him passing over ,francis's youth with more discretion than ,celano in the ,first ,life1 but we regret to find him ornamenting and materializing some of the loveliest incidents of the earlier legends4 ,it is not enough for him that ,francis hears the crucifix of ,st4 ,daraian speak2 he pauses to lay stress on the assertion that he heard it corporeis auribus and that no one was in the chapel at that moment6 ,brother ,monaldo at the chapter of ,arles sees ,st4 ,francis appear corporeis oculis4 ,he often abridges his predecessors1 but this is not his invariable rule4 ,when he reaches the account of the stigmata he devotes long pages to it1#gi relates a sort of consultation held by ,st4 ,francis as to whether he could conceal them1 and adds several miracles due to these sacred wounds2 further on he returns to the subject to show a certain ,girolamo1 ,knight of ,assisi1 desiring to touch with his hands the miraculous nails4#ha ,on the other hand1 he uses a significant discretion wherever the companions of the ,saint are in question4 ,he names only three of the first eleven disciples1#hb and no more mentions ,brothers ,leo1 ,angelo1 ,rufino1 ,masseo1 than their adversary1 ,brother ,elias4 ,as to the incidents which we find for the first time in this collection1 they hardly make us regret the unknown sources which must have been at the service of the famous ,doctor2 it would appear that the healing of ,morico1 restored to health by a few pellets of bread soaked in the oil of the lamp which burned before the altar of the ,virgin1#hc has little more importance for the life of ,st4 ,francis than the story of the sheep given to ,giacomina di ,settesoli which awakened its mistress to summon her to go to mass4#hd ,what shall we think of that other sheep1 of ,portiuncula1 which hastened to the choir whenever it heard the psalmody of the friars1 and kneeled devoutly for the elevation of the ,holy ,sacrament8#he ,all these incidents1 the list of which might be enlarged1#hf betrays the working-over of the legend4 ,st4 ,francis becomes a great thaumaturgist1 but his physiognomy loses its originality4 ,the greatest fault of this work is1 in fact1 the vagueness of the figure of the ,saint4 ,while in ,celano there are the large lines of a soul-history1 a sketch of the affecting drama of a man who attains to the conquest of himself1 with ,bonaventura all this interior action disappears before divine interventions2 his heart is1 so to speak1 the geometrical locality of a certain number of visitants2 he is a passive instrument in the hands of ,god1 and we really cannot see why he should have been chosen rather than another4 ,and yet ,bonaventura was an ,italian2 he had seen ,umbria2 he must have knelt and celebrated the sacred mysteries in ,portiuncula1 that cradle of the noblest of religious reformations2 he had conversed with ,brother ,egidio1 and must have heard from his lips an echo of the first ,franciscan fervor2 but1 alas6 nothing of that rapture passed into his book1 and if the truth must be told1 ,i find it quite inferior to much later documents1 to the ,fioretti1 for example2 for they understood1 at least in part1 the soul of ,francis2 they felt the throbbing of that heart1 with all its sensitiveness1 admiration1 indulgence1 love1 independence1 and absence of carefulness4 ,x4 ,,de ,,laudibus ,,of ,,bernard ,,of ,,besse#hg ,bonaventura's work did not discourage the biographers4 ,the historic value of their labor is almost nothing1 and we shall not even attempt to catalogue them4 ,bernard of ,besse1 a native probably of the south of ,france#hh and secretary of ,bonaventura1#hi made a summary of the earlier legends4 ,this work1 which brings us no authentic historic indication1 is interesting only for the care with which the author has noted the places where repose the ,brothers who died in odor of sanctity1 and relates a mass of visions all tending to prove the excellence of the ,order4#hi ,still the publication of this document will perform the valuable office of throwing a little light upon the difficult question of the sources4 ,several passages of the ,de laudibus appear again textually in the ,speculum1#ia and as a single glance is enough to show that the ,speculum did not copy the ,de laudibus1 it must be that ,bernard of ,besse had before him a copy1 if not of the ,speculum at least of a document of the same kind4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,bull ,quo elongati of ,september #bh1 #abcj4 ,see p4 #ccf4 #b ,it is needless to say that ,i have no desire to put myself in opposition to that principle1 one of the most fruitful of criticism1 but still it should not be employed alone4 #c ,the learned works that have appeared in ,germany in late years err in the same way4 ,they will be found cited in the body of the work4 #d ,eccl41 #ac4 ,voluerunt ipsi1 quos ad capitulam concesserat venire frater ,helias2 nam omnes concessit1 etc4 ,an4 fr41 t4 i41 p4 #bda4 ,cf4 ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t41 #bh1 p4 #efd4 #e ,the death of ,francis occurred on ,october #c1 #abbf4 ,on ,march #bi1 #abbh1 ,elias acquired the site for the basilica4 ,the ,instrumentum donationis is still preserved at ,assisi3 ,piece ,no4 #a of the twelfth package of ,instrumenta diversa pertinentia ad ,sacrum ,conventum4 ,it has been published by ,thode3 ,franz von ,assisi1 p4 #cei4 ,on ,july #agth of the same year1 the day after the canonization1 ,gregory ,,ix4 solemnly laid the first stone4 ,less than two years afterward the ,lower church was finished1 and on ,may #be1 #abcj1 the body of the ,saint was carried there4 ,in #abcf the ,upper church was finished4 ,it was already decorated with a first series of frescos1 and ,giunta ,pisano painted ,elias1 life size1 kneeling at the foot of the crucifix over the entrance to the choir4 ,in #abci everything was finished1 and the campanile received the famous bells whose chimes still delight all the valley of ,umbria4 ,thus1 then1 three months and a half before the canonization1 ,elias received the site of the basilica4 ,the act of canonization commenced at the end of ,may1 #abbh 7#a ,cel41 #abc and #abd4 ,cf4 ,potthast1 #haid;ff74 #f ,spec41 #afg;a4 ,cf4 ,an4 fr41 ii41 p4 #de and note4 #g ,the ,bollandists followed the text 7,a4 ,,ss41 ,octobris1 t4 ii41 pp4 #fhc-gbc7 of a manuscript of the ,cistercian abbey of ,longpont in the diocese of ,soissons4 ,it has since been published in ,rome in #ahjf1 without the name of the editor 7in reality by the ,convent ,father ,rinaldi71 under the title3 ,seraphici viri ,s4 ,francisci ,assisiatis vitae dual auctore ,b4 ,thoma de ,celano1 according to a manuscript 7of ,fallerone1 in the ,march of ,ancona7 which was stolen in the vicinity of ,terni by brigands from the ,brother charged with bringing it back4 ,the second text was reproduced at ,rome in #ahhj by ,canon ,amoni3 ,vita prima ,s4 ,francisci1 auctore ,b4 ,thoma de ,celano4 ,roma1 tipografia della pace1 #ahhj1 in #hvo1 #db pp4 ,the citations will follow the divisions made by the ,bollandists1 but in many important passages the ,rinaldi-,amoni text gives better readings than that of the ,bollandists4 ,the latter has been here and there retouched and filled out4 ,see1 for example1 #a ,cel41 #bd and #ca4 ,as for the manuscripts1 ,father ,denifle thinks that the oldest of those which are known is that at ,barcelona3 ,archivo de la corona de ,aragon1 ,ripoll1 n4 #da 7,archiv41 t4 i41 p4 #adh74 ,there is one in the ,national ,library of ,paris1 ,latin alcove1 ,no4 #chag1 which includes a curious note3 ,apud ,perusium felix domnus papa ,gregorius nonus gloriosi secundo pontificus sui anno1 quinto kal4 martii 7,february #be1 #abbi7 legendam hanc recepit1 confirmavit et censuit fore tenendam4 ,another manuscript1 which merits attention1 both because of its age1 thirteenth century1 and because of the correction in the text1 and which appears to have escaped the researches of the students of the ,franciscans1 is the one owned by the ,ecole de ,medicine at ,montpellier1 ,no4 #cj1 in vellum folio3 ,passionale vetus ecclesiae ,s4 ,benigni divionensis4 ,the story of ,celano occupies in it the fos4 #beg;a-#bga;b4 ,the text ends abruptly in the middle of paragraph #aab with supiriis ostendebant4 ,except for this final break it is complete4 ,cf4 ,archives ,pertz1 t4 vii41 pp4 #aie and #aif4 ,vide ,general catalogue of the manuscripts of the public libraries of the departments1 t4 i41 p4 #bie4 #h ,vide #a ,cel41 ,prol4 ,jubente domino et glorioso ,papa ,gregorio4 ,celano wrote it after the canonization 7,july #af1 #abbh7 and before ,february #be1 #abbi1 for the date indicated above raises no difficulty4 #i #a ,cel41 #ef4 ,perhaps he was the son of that ,thomas1 ,count of ,celano1 to whom ,ryccardi di ,s4 ,germano so often made allusion in his chronicle3 #abai-abbc4 ,see also two letters of ,frederick ,,ii4 to ,honorius ,,iii41 on ,april #bd and #be1 #abbc1 published in ,winckelmann3 ,acta imperii inedita1 t4 i41 p4 #bcb4 #aj ,giord41 #ai4 #aa ,giord41 #cj and #ca4 #ab ,giord41 #ei4 ,cf4 ,glassberger1 ann4 #abcj4 ,the question whether he is the author of the ,dies irae would be out of place here4 #ac ,this is so true that the majority of historians have been brought to believe in two generalates of ,elias1 one in #abbg-abcj1 the other in #abcf-abci4 ,the letter ,non ex odio of ,frederick ,,ii4 7#abci7 gives the same idea3 ,revera papa iste quemdam religiosum et timoratum fratrem ,helyam1 ministrum ordinis fratrum minorum ab ipso beato ,francisco patre ordinis migrationis suae tempore constitutum 444 in odium nostrum 444 deposuit4 ,huillard-,breholles3 ,hist4 dipl4 ,fred4 ,,ii41 t4 v41 p4 #cdf4 #ad ,he is named only once1 #a ,cel41 #dh4 #ae #a ,cel41 #ie1 #ih1 #aje1 #aji4 ,the account of the ,benediction is especially significant4 ,super quem inquit 7,franciscus7 tenes dexteram meam8 ,super fratrem ,heliam1 inquiunt4 ,et ego sic volo1 sit4444 #a ,cel41 #ajh4 ,those last words obviously disclose the intention4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aci4 #af #a ,cel41 #ajb2 cf4 #ia and #aji4 ,brother ,leo is not even named in the whole work4 ,nor ,angelo1 ,illuminato1 ,masseo either6 #ag #a ,cel41 ,prol41 #gc-ge2 #ii-aja2 #aba-abf4 ,next to ,st4 ,francis1 ,gregory ,,ix4 and ,brother ,elias 7#a ,cel41 #fi2 #ie2 #ih2 #aje2 #ajh2 #aji7 are in the foreground4 #ah #a ,cel41 #ah and #ai2 #aaf and #aag4 #ai ,those which occurred during the absence of ,francis 7#abbj-abba74 ,he overlooks the difficulties met at ,rome in seeking the approbation of the first ,rule2 he mentions those connected neither with the second nor the third1 and makes no allusion to the circumstances which provoked them4 ,he recognized them1 however1 having lived in intimacy with ,caesar of ,speyer1 the collaborator of the second 7#abba74 #bj ,for example1 ,francis's journey to ,spain4 #ba #a ,cel41 #a1 #hh4 ,et sola quae necessaria magis occurrunt ad praesens intendimus adnotare4 ,it is to be observed that in the prologue he speaks in the singular4 #bb ,in #abch he had sent ,elias to ,cremona1 charged with a mission for ,frederick ,,ii4 ,salembeni1 ann4 #abbi4 ,see also the reception given by ,gregory ,,ix4 to the appellants against the ,general4 ,giord41 #fc4 #bc ,see the letter of ,frederick ,,ii4 to ,elias upon the translation of ,st4 ,elizabeth1 ,may1 #abcf4 ,winkelmann1 ,acta i41 p4 #bii4 ,cf4 ,huillard-,breholles1 ,hist4 dipl4 ,intr4 p4 cc4 #bd ,the authorities for this story are3 ,catalogus ministrorum of ,bernard of ,besse1 ap ,ehrle1 ,zeitschrift1 vol4 #g 7#ahhc71 p4 #cci2 ,speculum1 #bjg;b1 and especially #afg;a-#agj;a2 ,eccl41 #ac2 ,giord41 #fa-fc2 ,speculum1 ,morin41 tract i41 fo4 #fj;b4 #be ,asserabat etiam ipse praedictus frater ,helyas 444 papam 444 fraudem facere de pecunia collecta ad succursum ,terrae ,sanctae1 scripta etiam ad beneplacitum suum in camera sua bullare clam et sine fratrum assensu et etiam cedulas vacuas1 sed bullatas1 multas nunciis suis traderet 444 et alia multa enormia imposuit domino papae ponens os suum in celo4 ,matth4 ,paris1 ,chron4 ,maj41 ann4 #abci1 ap ,mon4 ,ger4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bh1 p4 #ahb4 ,cf4 ,ficker1 n4 #bfhe4 #bf ,vide ,ryccardi di ,s4 ,germano1 ,chron41 ap ,mon4 ,ger4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #ai1 p4 #chj1 ann4 #abci4 ,the letter of ,frederick complaining of the deposition of ,elias 7#abci73 ,huillard-,breholles1 ,hist4 ,dipl41 v41 pp4 #cdf-cdi4 ,cf4 the ,bull1 ,attendite ad petram1 at the end of ,february1 #abdj1 ibid41 pp4 #ggg-ggi2 ,potthast1 #ajhdi4 #bg ,he was without doubt one of the bitterest adversaries of the emperor4 ,his village had been burnt in #abbd1 by order of ,frederick ,,ii41 and the inhabitants transported to ,sicily1 afterward to ,malta4 ,ryccardi di ,s4 ,germano1 loc4 cit41 ann4 #abbc and #abbd4 #bh ,vide the prologue to #b ,cel4 and to the #c ,soc4 ,cf4 ,glassberger1 ann4 #abdd1 ,an4 fr41 ii41 p4 #fh4 ,speculum1 ,morin1 tract4 i41 #fa;b4 #bi ,catalogus ministrorum1 edited by ,ehrle3 ,zeitschrift1 t4 #g 7#ahhc74 no4 #e4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #bjh;a4 ,mark of ,lisbon speaks of it a little more at length1 but he gives the honor of it to ,giovanni of ,parma1 ed4 ,diola1 t4 ii41 p4 #ch4 ,on the other hand1 in manuscript #fia of the archives of the ,sacro-,convento at ,assisi 7a catalogue of the library of the convent made in #acha7 is found1 fo4 #de;a1 a note of that work3 ,dyalogus sanctorum fratrum cum postibus cujus principium est3 ,venerabilia gesta patrum dignosque memoria1 finis vero2 non indigne feram me quoque reperisse consortem4 ,in quo libro omnes quaterni sunt xiii4 #cj ,the text was published for the first time by the ,bollandists 7,a4 ,,ss41 ,octobris1 t4 ii41 pp4 #gbc-gdb71 after a manuscript of the convent of the ,brothers ,minor of ,louvain4 ,it is from this edition that we make our citations4 ,the editions published in ,italy in the course of this century1 cannot be found1 except the last1 due to ,abbe ,amoni4 ,this one1 unfortunately1 is too faulty to serve as the basis of a scientific study4 ,it appeared in ,rome in #ahhj 7#hvo1 pp4 #ahd7 under the title3 ,legenda ,s4 ,francisci ,assisiensis quae dicitur ,legenda trium sociorum ex cod4 membr4 ,biblioth4 ,vatic4 num4 #gcci4 #ca #b ,cel41 #b1 #e2 #c1 #g2 #a ,cel41 #fj2 ,bon41 #aac2 #a ,cel41 #hd2 ,bon41 #adi2 #b ,cel41 #b1 #ad2 #c1 #aj4 #cb ,giovanni di ,parma retired thither in #abgf and lived there almost entirely until his death 7#abhh74 ,tribul41 ,archiv41 vol4 ii4 7#ahhf71 p4 #bhf4 #cc #c ,soc41 #be-fg4 #cd #c ,soc41 #fh-gc4 #ce ,the minister-general ,crescentius of ,jesi was an avowed adversary of the ,zealots of the ,rule4 ,the contrary idea has been held by ,m4 ,mueller 7,anfaenge1 p4 #ahj72 but that learned scholar is not1 it appears1 acquainted with the recitals of the ,chronicle of the ,tribulations1 which leave not a single doubt as to the persecutions which he directed against the ,zealots 7,archiv41 t4 ii41 pp4 #beg-bfj74 ,anyone who attempts to dispute the historical worth of this proof will find a confirmation in the bulls of ,august #e1 #abdd1 and of ,february #g1 #abdf 7,potthast1 #aadej and #abjjg74 ,it was ,crescentius1 also1 who obtained a bull stating that the ,basilica of ,assisi was ,caput et ,mater ordinis1 while for the ,zealots this rank pertained to the ,portiuncula 7#a ,cel41 #ajf2 #c ,soc41 #ef2 ,bon41 #bc2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #ab2 ,conform41 #bag ff74 7,see also on ,crescentius1 ,glassberger1 ann4 #abdd1 ,an4 fr41 p4 #fi2 ,sbaralea1 ,bull4 fr41 i41 p4 #ejb ff2 ,conform41 #aba;b4 #a47 ,m4 ,mueller has been led into error through a blunder of ,eccleston1 #i 7,an4 fr41 i41 p4 #bce74 ,it is evident that the chapter of ,genoa 7#abdd7 could not have pronounced against the ,declaratio ,regulae published ,november #ad1 #abde4 ,on the contrary1 it is ,crescentius who called forth this ,declaratio1 against which1 not without regret1 the ,zealots found a majority of the chapter of ,metz 7#abdi7 presided over by ,giovanni of ,parma1 a decided enemy of any ,declaratio 7,archiv41 ii41 p4 #bgf74 ,this view is found to be confirmed by a passage of the ,speculum ,morin 7,rouen1 #aeji71 fo #fb;a3 ,in hoc capitulo 7,narbonnae7 fuit ordinatum quod declaratio ,d4 ,innocentii1 p4 iv41 maneat suspensa sicut in ,capitulo ,,metensi4 ,et praeceptum est omnibus ne quis utatur ea in iis in quibus expositioni ,d4 ,gregorii ,,ix4 contradicit4 #cf ,published with all necessary scientific apparatus by ,f4 ,ehrle1 ,s4 ,j41 in his studies ,zur ,vorgeschichte des ,concils von ,vienne4 ,archiv41 ii41 pp4 #cec-daf2 iii41 pp4 #a-aie4 #cg ,see1 for example1 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #ec ff4 ,cf4 #gf4 ,adduxi verba et facta b4 ,francisci sicut est aliquando in legenda et sicut a sociis sancti patris audivi et in cedulis sanctae memoriae fratris ,leonis legi manu sua conscriptis1 sicut ab ore beati ,francisci audivit4 ,ib41 p4 #he4 #ch ,haec omnia patent per sua ,b4 ,francisci verba expressa per sanctum fratrem virum ,leonem ejus socium tam de mandato sancti patris quam etiam de devotione praedicti fratris fuerunt solemniter conscripta1 in libro qui habetur in armario fratrum de ,assisio et in rotulis ejus1 quos apud me habeo1 manu ejusdem fratris ,leonis conscriptis4 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #afh4 ,cf4 p4 #agh4 #ci #c ,soc41 ,prol4 ,non contenti narrare solum miracula 444 conversationis insignia et pii beneplaciti voluntatem4 #dj ,leggenda di ,s4 ,francesco1 tipografia ,morici et ,badaloni1 ,recanati1 #ahef1 #a vol41 #hvo4 #da ,see ,father ,stanislaus's preface4 #db #c ,soc41 #fh-gc4 #dc ,the book lacks little of representing ,st4 ,francis as taking up the work of ,jesus1 interrupted 7by the fault of the secular clergy7 since the time of the apostles4 ,the viri evangelici consider the members of the clergy filios extraneos4 #c ,soc41 #dh and #ea4 ,cf4 #c ,soc41 #dh4 ,inveni virum 444 per quem1 credo ,dominus velit in toto mundo fedem sanctae ,ecclesiae reformare4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ada4 ,videbatur revera fratri et omnium comitatium turbae quod ,christi et b4 ,francisci una persona foret4 #dd ,a4 ,,ss4 p4 #eeb4 #de ,venetiis1 expensis domini ,jordani de ,dinslaken per ,simonem de ,luere1 #cj januarii1 #aejd4 ,impressum ,metis per ,jasparem ,hochffeder1 ,anno ,domini #aeji4 ,these two editions are identical1 small #abmos1 of #bdj folios badly numbered4 ,edited under the same title by ,spoelberch1 ,antwerp1 #afbj1 #b tomes in one volume1 #hvo1 #bjh and #aib pages1 with a mass of alterations4 ,the most important manuscript resembles that of the ,vatican #dced4 ,there are two at the ,mazarin ,library1 #ijd and #acej1 dated #adei and #adfj1 one at ,berlin 7,,ms4 theol4 lat41 #dto1 no4 #aif saec4 #ad74 ,vide ,ehrle1 ,zeitschrift4 t4 vii4 7#ahhc71 p4 #cib;f2 ,analecta fr41 t4 i41 p4 xi42 ,miscellanea1 #ahhh1 pp4 #aai4 #afd4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #eej-eeb4 ,the chapters are numbered in the first #gb folios only1 but these numbers teem with errors2 fo4 #ch;b4 caput lix41 #dj;b1 lix41 #da;b1 lxi4 ibid41 lxii41 #db;a1 lx41 #dc;a1 lxi4 ,besides at fos4 #df;b and #dg;b there are two chapters lxvi4 ,there are two lxxi41 two lxxii41 two lxxiii41 etc4 #df ,for example1 the history of the brigands of ,monte-,casale1 fos4 #df;b1 and #eh;b4 ,the remarks of ,brother ,elias to ,francis1 who is continually singing1 #acf;b and #acg;a4 ,the visit of ,giacomina di ,settesoli1 #acc;a and #ach;a4 ,the autograph benediction given to ,brother ,leo1 #hg;a2 #ahh;a4 #dg ,at fo4 #bj;b we read3 ,tertium capitulam de charitate et compassione et condescensione ad proximum4 ,capitulum xxvi4 ,cf4 #bf;a1 #hc;a1 #aag;b1 #aai;a1 #abb;a1 #abh;b1 #acc;b1 #acf;b1 where there are similar indications4 #dh ,fo4 #e;b3 ,incipit ,speculum vitae b4 ,francesci et sociorum ejus4 ,fo4 #g;b2 ,incipit ,speculum perfectionis4 #di ,we should search for it in vain in the other pieces of the ,speculum1 and it reappears in the fragments of ,brother ,leo cited by ,ubertini di ,casali and ,angelo ,clareno4 #ej ,fo4 #h;b1 #aa;a1 #ab;a1 #ae;a1 #ah;b1 #ba;b1 #bc;b1 #bf;a1 #bi;a1 #cc;b1 #dc;b1 #da;a1 #dh;b1 #aah;a1 #abi;a1 #acj;a1 #acd;a1 #ace;a1 #acf;a4 #ea ,does not ,thomas de ,celano say in the prologue of the ,second ,life3 ,oramus ergo1 benignissime pater1 ut laboris hujus non contemnenda munuscula 444 vestra benedictione consecrare velitis1 corrigendo errata et superflua resecantes4 #eb ,the legend of #c ,soc4 was preserved in the ,convent of ,assisi3 ,omnia 444 fuerunt conscripta 444 per ,leonem1 444 in libro qui habetur in armario fratrum de ,assisio4 ,ubertini1 ,archiv41 iii41 p4 #afh4 ,later1 ,brother ,leo seems to have gone more into detail as to certain facts2 he confided these new manuscripts to the ,clarisses3 ,in rotulis ejus quos apud me habeo1 manu ejusdem fratres ,leonis conscriptis1 ibid4 ,cf4 p4 #agh4 ,quod sequitur a sancto fratre ,conrado predicto et viva voce audivit a sancto fratre ,leone qui presens erat et regulam scripsit4 ,et hoc ipsum in quibusdam rotulis manu sua conscriptis quos commendavit in monasterio ,s4 ,clarae custodiendos4444 ,in illis multa scripsit 444 quae industria fr4 ,bonaventura omisit et noluit in legenda publice scribere1 maxime quia aliqua erant ibi in quibus ex tunc deviatio regulae publice monstrabatur et nolebat fratres ante tempus in famare4 ,arbor41 lib4 v41 cap #e4 ,cf4 ,antiquitates1 p4 #adf4 ,cf4 ,speculum1 #ej;b4 ,infra scripta verba1 frater ,leo socius et ,confessor ,b4 ,francisci1 ,conrado de ,offida1 dicebat se habuisse ex ore ,beati ,patris nostri ,francisci1 quae idem ,frater ,conradus retulit1 apud ,sanctum ,damianum prope ,assisium4 ,conrad di ,offidia copied1 then1 both the book of ,brother ,leo and his rotuli2 he added to it certain oral information 7,arbor1 vit4 cruc41 lib4 v41 cap4 #c71 and so perhaps composed the collection so often cited by the ,conformists under the title of ,legenda ,antiqua and reproduced in part in the ,speculum4 ,the numbering of the chapters1 which the ,speculum has awkwardly inserted without noting that they were not in accord with his own division1 were vestiges of the division adopted by ,conrad di ,offida4 ,it may well be that1 after the interdiction of his book and its confiscation at the ,sacro ,convento1 ,brother ,leo repeated in his rotuli a large part of the facts already made1 so that the same incident1 while coming solely from ,brother ,leo1 could be presented under two different forms1 according as it would be copied from the book or the rotuli4 #ec ,compare1 for example1 #b ,cel41 #abj3 ,vocation of ,john the ,simple1 and ,speculum1 fo #cg;a4 ,from the account of ,thomas de ,celano1 one does not understand what drew ,john to ,st4 ,francis2 in the ,speculum everything is explained1 but ,celano has not dared to depict ,francis going about preaching with a broom upon his shoulder to sweep the dirty churches4 #ed ,it was published for the first time at ,rome1 in #ahjf1 by ,father ,rinaldi1 following upon the ,first ,life 7vide above1 p4 #cfe1 note #b71 and restored in #ahhj by ,abbe ,amoni3 ,vita secunda ,s4 ,francisci ,assisiensis auctore ,b4 ,thomade ,celano ejus discipulo4 ,romae1 tipografia della pace1 #ahhj1 #hvo1 #aeb pp4 ,the citations are from this last edition1 which ,i collated at ,assisi with the most important of the rare manuscripts at present known3 ,archives of ,sacro ,convento1 ,,ms4 #fhf1 on parchment of the end of the thirteenth century1 if ,i do not mistake1 #acj millim4 by #adb2 #ajb numbered pages4 ,except for the fact that the book is divided into two parts instead of three1 the last two forming only one1 ,i have not found that it noticeably differs from the text published by ,amoni2 the chapters are divided only by a paragraph and a red letter1 but they have in the table which occupies the first seven pages of the volume the same titles as in the edition ,amoni4 ,this ,second ,life escaped the researches of the ,bollandists4 ,it is impossible to explain how these students ignored the worth of the manuscript which ,father ,theobaldi1 keeper of the records of ,assisi1 mentioned to them1 and of which he offered them a copy 7,a4 ,,ss41 ,oct41 t4 ii41 p4 #edf;f74 ,father ,suysken was thus thrown into inextricable difficulties1 and exposed to a failure to understand the lists of biographies of ,st4 ,francis arranged by the annalists of the ,order2 he was at the same time deprived of one of the most fruitful sources of information upon the acts and works of the ,saint4 ,professor ,mueller 7,die ,anfaenge1 pp4 #age-ahd7 was the first to make a critical study of this legend4 ,his conclusions appear to me narrow and extreme4 ,cf4 ,analecta fr41 t4 ii41 pp4 xvii4-xx4 ,father ,ehrle mentions two manuscripts1 one in the ,british ,museum1 ,harl41 #dg2 the other at ,oxford1 ,christ ,college1 cod4 #bjb4 ,zeitschrift1 #ahhc1 p4 #cij4 #ee ,the ,three ,companions foresee the possibility of their legend being incorporated with other documents3 quibus 7legendis7 haec pauca quae scribimus poleritis facere inseri1 si vestra discretio viderit esse justum4 #c ,soc41 ,prol4 #ef ,one phrase of the ,prologue 7#b ,cel47 shows that the author received an entirely special commission3 ,placuit 444 robis 444 parvitati nostrae injungere1 while on the contrary the #c ,soc4 shows that the decision of the chapter only remotely considered them3 ,cum de mandato proeteriti capituli fratres teneantur 444 visum est nobis 444 pauca de multis 444 sanctitati vestrae intimare4 #c ,soc41 ,prol4 #eg ,compare the ,prologue of #b ,cel4 with that of #a ,cel4 #eh ,longum esset de singulis persequi1 qualiter bravium supernae vocationis attigerit4 #b ,cel41 #a1 #aj4 #ei ,this first part corresponds exactly to that portion of the legend of the #c ,soc41 which ,crescentius had authorized4 #fj ,observe that the ,assisi ,,ms4 #fhf divides the ,second ,life into two parts only by joining the last two4 #fa ,salimbeni1 ann4 #abdh4 #fb ,glassberger1 ann4 #abec4 ,an4 fr4 t4 ii41 p4 #gc4 ,frater ,johannes de ,parma minister generalis1 multiplicatis litteris praecipit fr4 ,thomae de ,celano 7cod4 ,ceperano71 ut vitam beati ,francisci quae antiqua ,legenda dicitur perficeret1 quia solum de ejus conversatione et verbis in primo tractatu1 de mandato1 ,fr4 ,crescentii olim generalis compilato1 ommissis miraculis fecerat mentionem1 et sic secundum tractatum de miraculis sancti ,patris compilavit1 quem cum epistola quae incipit3 ,religiosa vestra sollicitudo eidem generali misit4 ,this treatise on the miracles is lost1 for one cannot identify it1 as ,m4 ,mueller suggests 7,anfaenge1 p4 #agg71 with the second part 7counting three with the ,amoni edition7 of the ,second ,life3 #ao1 epistle ,religiosa vestra sollicitudo does not have it2 #bo1 this second part is not a collection of miracles1 using this word in the sense of miraculous cures which it had in the thirteenth century4 ,the twenty-two chapters of this second part have a marked unity2 they might be entitled ,francis a prophet1 but not ,francis a thaumaturgus4 #fc ,in the ,prologue 7#b ,cel41 #b1 ,prol47 ,insignia patrum the author speaks in the singular1 while the ,epilogue is written in the name of a group of disciples4 #fd ,greccio1 #b ,cel41 #b1 #e2 #ad2 #c1 #g2 #aj2 #ajc4--,rieti1 #b ,cel41 #b1 #aj2 #aa2 #ab2 #ac2 #c1 #cf2 #cg2 #ff2 #ajc4 #fe ,st4 ,francis gives him an autograph1 #b ,cel41 #b1 #ah4 ,cf4 ,fior4 ii4 consid42 his tunic1 #b ,cel41 #b1 #ai2 he predicts to him a famine1 #b ,cel41 #b1 #ba2 cf4 ,conform41 #di;b4 ,fr4 ,leo ill at ,bologna1 #b ,cel41 #c1 #e4 #ff ,the text of ,ubertini di ,casali may be found in the ,archiv41 t4 iii41 pp4 #ec1 #ge1 #gf1 #he1 #afh1 #agh1 where ,father ,ehrle points out the corresponding passages of #b ,cel4 #fg ,it is the subject of thirty-seven narratives 7#a1 #b ,cel41 #c1 #a-cg71 then come examples on the spirit of prayer 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #ch-dd71 the temptations 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #eh-fd71 true happiness 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #fd-gi71 humility 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #gi-hg71 submission 7#b ,cel41 #c1 #hh1 #ia71 etc4 #fh ,le ,monnier1 t4 i41 p4 xi42 ,f4 ,barnabe1 ,portiuncula1 p4 #ae4 ,cf4 ,analecta fr41 t4 ii41 p4 xxi4 ,zeitschrift fuer kath4 ,theol41 vii4 7#ahhc71 p4 #cig4 #fi ,il piu antico poema della vita di ,s4 ,francisco d',assisi scritto inanzi all' anno #abcj ora per la prima volta pubblicato et tradotto da ,antonio ,cristofani1 ,prato1 #ahhb1 #a vol41 #hvo4 #bhh pp4 #gj ,note1 however1 two articles of the ,miscellanea1 one on the manuscript of this biography which is found in the library at ,versailles1 t4 iv4 7#ahhi71 p4 #cd ff42 the other on the author of the poem1 t4 v4 7#ahij71 pp4 #b-d and #gd ff4 #ga ,see below1 p4 #daj4 #gb ,vide ,glassberger1 ann4 #abdd2 ,analecta1 t4 ii41 p4 #fh4 ,cf4 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #ede ff4 #gc ,manuscript in the ,library of ,turin1 ,j4 vi41 #cc1 fo #ie;a4 #gd ,plenam virtutibus ,s4 ,francisci vitam scripsit in ,italia 444 frater ,thomas 444 in ,francia vero frater ,julianus scientia et sanctitate conspicuus qui etiam nocturnali sancti officium in littera et cantu possuit praeter hymnos et aliquas antiphonas quae summus ipse ,pontifex et aliqui de ,cardinalibus in sancti praeconium ediderunt4 ,opening of the ,de laudibus of ,bernard of ,besse4 ,see below1 p4 #dac4 ,laur4 ,,ms41 fo #ie;a4 ,cf4 ,giord41 #ec2 ,conform41 #ge;b4 #ge ,in proof of this is the circular letter1 ,licet insufficentiam nostram1 addressed by ,bonaventura1 ,april #bc1 #abeg1 immediately after his election1 to the provincials and custodes upon the reformation of the ,order4 ,text3 ,speculum1 ,morin1 tract4 iii41 fo #bac;a4 #gf ,salimbeni1 ann4 #abdh1 p4 #aca4 ,the ,chronica tribulationum gives a long and dramatic account of these events3 ,archiv41 t4 ii41 pp4 #bhc ff4 ,tunc enim sapientia et sanctitas fratris ,bonaventurae eclipsata paluit et obscurata est et ejus manswetudo 7sic7 ab agitante spiritu in furorum et iram defecit4 ,ib41 p4 #bhc4 #gg ,bon41 #c4 #a4 ,at the same chapter were collected the constitutions of the ,order according to edicts of the preceding chapters2 new ones were added to them and all were arranged4 ,in the first of the twelve rubrics the chapter prescribed that1 upon the publication of the account1 all the old constitutions should be destroyed4 ,the text was published in the ,firmamentum trium ordinum1 fo #g;b1 and restored lately by ,father ,ehrle3 ,archiv41 t4 vi4 7#ahia71 in his beautiful work ,die aeltesten ,redactionen der ,general-constitutionen des ,franziskanerordens4 ,cf4 ,speculum ,morin1 fo4 #aie;b of tract4 iii4 #gh ,the ,legenda ,minor of ,bonaventura was also approved at this time2 it is simply an abridgment of the ,legenda ,major arranged for use of the choir on the festival of ,st4 ,francis and its octave4 #gi ,item praecipit ,generale capitulum per obedientiam quod omnes legenae de ,b4 ,francisco olim factae deleantur et ubi inveniri poterant extra ordinem ipsas fratres studeant amovere1 cum illa legenda quae facta est per ,generalem sit compilata prout ipse habuit ab ore illorum qui cum ,b4 ,francisco quasi semper fuerunt et cuncta certitudinaliter sciverint et probata ibi sint posita diligenter4 ,this precious text has been found and published by ,father ,rinaldi in his preface to the text of ,celano3 ,seraphici viri ,francisci vitae duae1 p4 xi4 ,wadding seems to have known of it1 at least indirectly1 for he says3 ,utramque ,historiam1 longiorem et breviorem1 obtulit 7,bonaventura7 triennio post in comitiis ,pisanis patribus ,ordinis1 quas reverentur cum gratiarum actione1 ,,supressis ,,aliis ,,quibusque ,,legendis1 ,,admiserunt4 ,ad ann41 #abfj1 no4 #ah4 ,cf4 ,ehrle1 ,zeitschrift fuer kath4 ,theol41 t4 vii4 7#ahhc71 p4 #chf4--;,communicaverat sanctus ,franciscus plurima sociis suis et fratribus antiquis1 que oblivioni tradita sunt1 tum quia que scripta erant in legenda prima1 nova edita a fratre4 ,bonaventura deleta et destructa sunt1 ,,ipsojubente tum quia 444 ,chronica tribul41 ,archiv41 t4 ii41 p4 #bef4 #hj ,bon41 #ahh-bjd4 #ha ,bon41 #bah4 #hb ,bernardo 7,bon41 #bh71 ,egidio 7,bon41 #bi71 and ,silvestro 7,bon41 #cj74 #hc ,bon41 #di4 #hd ,bon41 #aab4 #he ,bon41 #aaa4 #hf ,vide ,bon41 #aae2 #ii1 etc4 ,m4 ,thode has enumerated the stories relating especially to ,bonaventura3 7,franz von ,assisi1 p4 #ece74 #hg ,manuscript ,i1 iv41 #cc1 of the library of the ,university of ,turin4 ,it is a #dto upon parchment of the close of the fourteenth century1 #abd ff4 ,it comprises first the biography of ,st4 ,francis by ,st4 ,bonaventura and a legend of ,st4 ,clara1 afterwards at fo #ie the ,de laudibus4 ,the text will soon be published in the ,analecta franciscana of the ,franciscans of ,quaracchi1 near ,florence4 #hh ,in reading it we quickly discover that he was specially well acquainted with the convents of the ,province of ,aquitania1 and noted with care everything that concerned them4 #hi ,wadding1 ann4 #abcj1 no4 #g4 ,many passages prove at least that he accompanied ,bonaventura in his travels3 ,hoc enim 7the special aid of ,brother ,egidio7 in iis quae ad bonum animae pertinent devotus ,generalis et ,cardinalis predictus 444 nos docuit4 ,fo #if;a4 ,jamdudum ego per ,theutoniae partes et ,flandriae cum ,ministro transiens ,generali4 ,ibid41 fo #ajf;a4 #ij ,bernard de ,besse is the author of many other writings1 notably an important ,calalogus ,ministrorum generalium published after the ,turin manuscript by ,father ,ehrle 7,zeitschrift fuer kath4 ,theol41 t4 vii41 pp4 #cch-ceb71 with a very remarkable critical introduction 7ib41 pp4 #cbc-ccg74 ,cf4 ,archiv fuer ,litt4 u4 ,kirchg41 i41 p4 #ade4--;,bartolommeo di ,pisa1 when writing his ,conformities1 had before him a part of his works1 fo #adh;b1 #b2 #abf;a1 #a2 but he calls the author sometimes ,bernardus de ,blesa1 then again ,johannes de ,blesa4 ,see also ,mark of ,lisbon1 t4 ii41 p4 #bab1 and ,haureau1 ,notices et extraits1 t4 vi41 p4 #aec4 #ia ,denique primos ,francisci xii4 discipulos 444 omnes sanctos fuisse audirimus preter unum qui ,ordinem exiens leprosus factus laqueo vel alter ,judas interiit1 ne ,francisco cum ,christo vel in discipulis similitudo deficeret1 fo #if;a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iii ,,diplomatic ,,documents ,in this category we place all the acts having a character of public authenticity1 particularly those which were drawn up by the pontifical cabinet4 ,this source of information1 where each document has its date1 is precisely the one which has been most neglected up to this time4 ,i4 ,,donation ,,of ,,the ,,verna ,the ,instrumentum donationis ,montis ,alvernae1 a notarial document preserved in the archives of ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro1#a not only gives the name of the generous friend of ,francis1 and many picturesque details1 but it fixes with precision a date all the more important because it occurs in the most obscure period of the ,saint's life4 ,it was on ,may #h1 #abac1 that ,orlando dei ,catani1 ,count of ,chiusi in ,casentino1 gave the ,verna to ,brother ,francis4 ,,ii4 ,,registers ,,of ,,cardinal ,,ugolini ,the documents of the pontifical chancellery addressed to ,cardinal ,ugolini1 the future ,gregory ,,ix41 and those which emanate from the hand of the latter during his long journeys as apostolic legate1#b are of first rate importance4 ,it would be too long to give even a simple enumeration of them4 ,those which mark important facts have been carefully indicated in the course of this work4 ,it will suffice to say that by bringing together these two series of documents1 and interposing the dates of the papal bulls countersigned by ,ugolini1 we are able to follow almost day by day this man1 who was1 perhaps without even excepting ,st4 ,francis1 the one whose will most profoundly fashioned the ,franciscan institute4 ,we see also the pre-eminent part which the ,order had from the beginning in the interest of the future pontiff1 and we arrive at perfect accuracy as to the dates of his meetings with ,st4 ,francis4 ,,iii4 ,,bulls ,the pontifical bulls concerning the ,franciscans were collected and published in the last century by the monk ,sbaralea4#c ,but from these we gain little help for the history of the origins of the ,order4#d ,the following is a compendious list2 the details have been given in the course of the work3 ,no4 #a4 ,august #ah1 #abah4--;,bull ,literae tuae addressed to ,ugolini4 ,the pope permits him to accept donations of landed property in behalf of women fleeing the world 7,clarisses7 and to declare that these monasteries are holden by the ,apostolic ,see4 ,no4 #b4 ,june #aa1 #abai4--;,cum delecti filii4 ,this bull1 addressed in a general way to all prelates1 is a sort of safe conduct for the ,brothers ,minor4 ,no4 #c4 ,december #ai1 #abai4--,sacrosancta romana4 ,privileges conceded to the ,sisters 7,clarisses7 of ,monticelli1 near ,florence4 ,no4 #d4 ,may #bi1 #abbj4--,pro dilectis4 ,the pope prays the prelates of ,france to give a kindly reception to the ,brothers ,minor4 ,no4 #e4 ,september #bb1 #abbj4--;,cum secundum4 ,honorius ,,iii4 prescribes a year of noviciate before the entry into the ,order4 ,no4 #f4 ,december #i1 #abbj4--;,constitutus in praesentia4 ,this bull concerns a priest of ,constantinople who had made a vow to enter the ,order4 ,as there is question here of frater ,lucas ,magister fratrum ,minorem de partibus ,romaniae we have here indirect testimony1 all the more precious for that reason1 as to the period of the establishment of the ,order in the ,orient4 ,no4 #g4 ,february #ac1 #abba4--,new bull for the same priest4 ,no4 #h4 ,december #af1 #abba4--,significatum est nobis4 ,honorius ,,iii4 recommends to the ,bishop of ,rimini to protect the ,brothers of ,penitence 7,third ,order74 ,no4 #i4 ,march #bb1 #abbb4e--;,devotionis vestrae4 ,concession to the ,franciscans1 under certain conditions1 to celebrate the offices in times of interdict4 ,no4 #aj4 ,march #bi1 #abbb4--;,ex parte ,universitatis4 ,mission given to the ,dominicans1 ,franciscans1 and ,brothers of the ,troops of ,san ,iago in ,lisbon4 ,nos4 #aa1 #ab1 and #ac4--,september #ai1 #abbb4--,sacrosancta ,romana4 ,privileges for the monasteries 7,clarisses7 of ,lucca1 ,sienna1 and ,perugia4 ,no4 #ad4 ,november #bi1 #abbc4--,solet annuere4 ,solemn approbation of the ,rule1 which is inserted in the bull4 ,no4 #ae4 ,december #ah1 #abbc4--;,fratrum ,minorum4 ,concerns apostates from the ,order4 ,no4 #af4 ,december #a1 #abbd4--;,cum illorum4 ,authorization given to the ,brothers of ,penitence to take part in the offices in times of interdict1 etc4 ,no4 #ag4 ,december #c1 #abbd4--,quia populares tumultus4 ,concession of the portable altar4 ,no4 #ah4 ,august #bh1 #abbe4--;,in hiis4 ,honorius explains to the ,bishop of ,paris and the ,archbishop of ,rheims the true meaning of the privileges accorded to the ,brothers ,minor4 ,no4 #ai4 ,october #g1 #abbe4--,vineae ,domini4 ,this bull contains divers authorizations in favor of the ,brothers who are going to evangelize ,morocco4 ,this list includes only those of ,sbaralea's bulls which may directly or indirectly throw some light upon the life of ,st4 ,francis and his institute4 ,sbaralea's nomenclature is surely incomplete and should be revised when the ,registers of ,honorius ,,iii4 shall have been published in full4#f ,,footnotes3 #a ,it was published by ,sbaralea1 ,bull41 t4 iv41 p4 #aef1 note h4 ,this act was drawn up ,july #i1 #abgd1 at a time when the son of ,orlando as well as the ,brothers ,minor desired to authenticate the donation1 which until then had been verbal4 #b ,see ,registri dei ,cardinali ,ugolino d',ostia e ,ottaviano degli ,ubaldini pubblicati a cura di ,guido ,levi dall',istituto storico italiano4--,fonti per la storia d',italia1 ,roma1 #ahij1 #a vol41 #dto1 xxviii4 and #bej pp4 ,this edition follows the manuscript of the ,national ,library1 ,paris3 ,ancien fonds ,colbert lat41 #eaeb;,a4 ,we must draw attention to a very beautiful work due also to ,mr4 ,g4 ,levi3 ,documenti ad illustrazione del ,registro del ,card4 ,ugolino1 in the ,archivio della societa ,romana di storia patria1 t4 xii4 7#ahhi71 pp4 #bda-cbf4 #c ,bullarium franciscanum seu ,rom4 ,pontificum constitutiones epistolae diplomata ordinibus ,minorum1 ,clarissarum et ,poenitentium concessa1 edidit ,joh4 ,hyac4 ,sbaralea ord4 min4 conv41 #d vols41 fol41 ,rome1 t4 i4 7#agei71 t4 ii4 7#agfa71 t4 iii4 7#agfc71 t iv41 7#agfh7--,supplementum ab ,annibale de ,latera ord4 min4 obs4 ,romae1 #aghj4--,sbaralea had a comparatively easy task1 because of the number of collections made before his4 ,i shall mention only one of those which ,i have before me4 ,it is1 comparatively1 very well done1 and appears to have escaped the researches of the ,franciscan bibliographers3 ,singularissimum eximiumque opus universis mortalibus sacratissimi ordinis seraphici patris nostri ,francisci a ,domino ,jesu mirabili modo approbati necnon a quampluribus nostri ,redemptoris sanctissimis vicariis romanis pontificabus multipharie declarati notitiam habere cupientibus profecto per necessarium4 ,speculum ,minorum 444 per ,martinum ,morin 444 ,rouen1 #aeji4 ,it is #hvo1 with numbered folios1 printed with remarkable care4 ,it contains besides the bulls the principal dissertations upon the ,rule1 elaborated in the thirteenth century1 and a ,memoriale ordinis 7first part1 fo #fj-hb71 a kind of catalogue of the ministers-general1 which would have prevented many of the errors of the historians1 if it had been known4 #d ,the ,bollandists themselves have entirely overlooked those sources of information1 thinking1 upon the authority of a single badly interpreted passage1 that the ,order had not obtained a single bull before the solemn approval of ,honorius ,,iii41 ,november #bi1 #abbc4 #e ,and not ,march #bi1 as ,sbaralea has it4 ,the original1 which ,i have had under my eyes in the archives of ,assisi1 bears in fact3 ,datum ,anagnie ,,xi4 ,kal4 aprilis pontificatus nostri anno sexto4 #f ,the ,abbe ,horoy has indeed published in five volumes what he entitles the ,opera omnia of ,honorius ,,iii41 but he omits1 without a word of explanation1 a great number of letters1 certain of which are brought forward in the well-known collection of ,potthast4 ,the ,abbe ,pietro ,pressuti has undertaken to publish a compendium of all the bulls of this pope according to the original ,registers of the ,vatican4 ,i regesti del ,pontifice ,onorio ,,iii4 ,roma1 t4 i41 #ahhd4 ,volume i4 only has as yet appeared4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,iv ,,chroniclers ,,of ,,the ,,order ,i4 ,,chronicle ,,of ,,brother ,,giordano ,,di ,,giano#a ,born at ,giano1 in ,umbria1 in the mountainous district which closes the southern horizon of ,assisi1 ,brother ,giordano was in #abba one of the twenty-six friars who1 under the conduct of ,caesar of ,speyer1 set out for ,germany4 ,he seems to have remained attached to this province until his death1 even when most of the friars1 especially those who held cures1 had been transferred1 often to a distance of several months' journey1 from one end of ,europe to the other4 ,it is not1 then1 surprising that he was often prayed to commit his memories to writing4 ,he dictated them to ,brother ,baldwin of ,brandenburg in the spring of #abfb4 ,he must have done it with joy1 having long before prepared himself for the task4 ,he relates with artless simplicity how in #abba1 at the chapter-general of ,portiuncula1 he went from group to group questioning as to their names and country the ,brothers who were going to set out on distant missions1 that he might be able to say later1 especially if they came to suffer martyrdom3 ,i knew them myself6#b ,his chronicle bears the imprint of this tendency4 ,what he desires to describe is the introduction of the ,order into ,germany and its early developments there1 and he does it by enumerating1 with a complacency which has its own coquetry1 the names of a multitude of friars#c and by carefully dating the events4 ,these details1 tedious for the ordinary reader1 are precious to the historian2 he sees there the diverse conditions from which the friars were recruited1 and the rapidity with which a handful of missionaries thrown into an unknown country were able to branch out1 found new stations1 and in five years cover with a network of monasteries1 the ,tyrol1 ,saxony1 ,bavaria1 ,alsace1 and the neighboring provinces4 ,it is needless to say that it is worth while to test ,giordano's chronology1 for he begins by praying the reader to forgive the errors which may have escaped him on this head2 but a man who thus marks in his memory what he desires later to tell or to write is not an ordinary witness4 ,reading his chronicle1 it seems as if we were listening to the recollections of an old soldier1 who grasps certain worthless details and presents them with an extraordinary power of relief1 who knows not how to resist the temptation to bring himself forward1 at the risk sometimes of slightly embellishing the dry reality4#d ,in fact this chronicle swarms with anecdotes somewhat personal1 but very artless and welcome1 and which on the whole carry in themselves the testimony to their authenticity4 ,the perfume of the ,fioretti already exhales from these pages so full of candor and manliness2 we can follow the missionaries stage by stage1 then when they are settled1 open the door of the monastery and read in the very hearts of these men1 many of whom are as brave as heroes and harmless as doves4 ,it is true that this chronicle deals especially with ,germany1 but the first chapters have an importance for ,francis's history that exceeds even that of the biographers4 ,thanks to ,giordano of ,giano1 we are from this time forward informed upon the crises which the institute of ,francis passed through after #abai2 he furnishes us the solidly historical base which seems to be lacking in the documents emanating from the ,spirituals1 and corroborates their testimony4 ,,ii4 ,,eccleston3 ,,arrival ,,of ,,the ,,friars ,,in ,,england#e ,our knowledge of ,thomas of ,eccleston is very slight1 for he has left no more trace of himself in the history of the ,order than of ,simon of ,esseby1 to whom he dedicates his work4 ,a native no doubt of ,yorkshire1 he seems never to have quitted ,england4 ,he was twenty-five years gathering the materials of his work1 which embraces the course of events from #abbd almost to #abfj4 ,the last facts that he relates belong to years very near to this date4 ,of almost double the length of that of ,giordano1 ,eccleston's work is far from furnishing as interesting reading4 ,the former had seen nearly everything that he described1 and thence resulted a vigor in his story that we cannot find in an author who writes on the testimony of others4 ,more than this1 while ,giordano follows a chronological order1 ,eccleston has divided his incidents under fifteen rubrics1 in which the same people continually reappear in a confusion which at length becomes very wearisome4 ,finally1 his document is amazingly partial3 the author is not content with merely proving that the ,english friars are saints2 he desires to show that the province of ,england surpasses all others#f by its fidelity to the ,rule and its courage against the upholders of new ways1 ,brother ,elias in particular4 ,but these few faults ought not to make us lose sight of the true value of this document4 ,it embraces what we may call the heroic period of the ,franciscan movement in ,england1 and describes it with extreme simplicity4 ,aside from all question of history1 we have here enough to interest all those who are charmed by the spectacle of moral conquest4 ,on ,monday1 ,september #ajth1 the ,brothers ,minor landed at ,dover4 ,they were nine in number3 a priest1 a deacon1 two who had only the lesser ,orders1 and five laymen4 ,they visited ,canterbury1 ,london1 ,oxford1 ,cambridge1 ,lincoln1 and less than ten months later all who have made their mark in the history of science or of sanctity had joined them2 it may suffice to name ,adam of ,marisco1 ,richard of ,cornwall1 ,bishop ,robert ,grossetete1 one of the proudest and purest figures of the ,middle ,ages1 and ,roger ,bacon1 that persecuted monk who several centuries before his time grappled with and answered in his lonely cell the problems of authority and method1 with a firmness and power which the sixteenth century would find it hard to surpass4 ,it is impossible that in such a movement human weaknesses and passions should not here and there reveal themselves1 but we owe our chronicler thanks for not hiding them4 ,thanks to him1 we can for a moment forget the present hour1 call to life again that first ,cambridge chapel--so slight that it took a carpenter only one day to build it--listen to three ,brothers chanting matins that same night1 and that with so much ardor that one of them--so rickety that his two companions were obliged to carry him--wept for joy3 in ,england as in ,italy the ,franciscan gospel was a gospel of peace and joy4 ,moral ugliness inspired them with a pity which we no longer know4 ,there are few historic incidents finer than that of ,brother ,geoffrey of ,salisbury confessing ,alexander of ,bissingburn2 the noble penitent was performing this duty without attention1 as if he were telling some sort of a story2 suddenly his confessor melted into tears1 making him blush with shame and forcing tears also from him1 working in him so complete a revolution that he begged to be taken into the ,order4 ,the most interesting parts are those where ,thomas gives us an intimate view of the friars3 here drinking their beer1 there hastening1 in spite of the ,rule1 to buy some on credit for two comrades who have been maltreated1 or again clustering about ,brother ,solomon1 who had just come in nearly frozen with cold1 and whom they could not succeed in warming--sicut porcis mos est cum comprimendo foverunt1 says the pious narrator4#g ,all this is mingled with dreams1 visions1 numberless apparitions1#h which once more show us how different were the ideas most familiar to the religious minds of the thirteenth century from those which haunt the brains and hearts of to-day4 ,the information given by ,eccleston bears only indirectly on this book1 but if he speaks little of ,francis he speaks much at length of some of the men who have been most closely mingled with his life4 ,,iii4 ,,chronicle ,,of ,,fra ,,salimbeni#i ,as celebrated as it is little known1 this chronicle is of quite secondary value in all that concerns the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,its author1 born ,october #i1 #abba1 entered the ,order in #abch1 and wrote his memoirs in #abhb-abhg2 it is therefore especially for the middle years of the thirteenth century that his importance is capital4 ,notwithstanding this1 it is surprising how small a place the radiant figure of the master holds in these long pages1 and this very fact shows1 better than long arguments could do1 how profound was the fall of the ,franciscan idea4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,chronicle ,,of ,,the ,,tribulations ,,by ,,angelo ,,careno#aj ,this chronicle was written about #accj2 we might therefore be surprised to see it appear among the sources to be consulted for the life of ,st4 ,francis1 dead more than a century before2 but the picture which ,clareno gives us of the early days of the ,order gains its importance from the fact that in sketching it he made constant appeal to eye-witnesses1 and precisely to those whose works have disappeared4 ,angelo ,clareno1 earlier called ,pietro da ,fossombrone#aa from the name of his native town1 and sometimes da ,cingoli1 doubtless from the little convent where he made profession1 belonged to the ,zelanti of the ,march of ,ancona as early as #abfe4 ,hunted and persecuted by his adversaries during his whole life1 he died in the odor of sanctity ,june #ae1 #acci1 in the little hermitage of ,santa ,maria d' ,aspro in the diocese of ,marsico in ,basilicata4 ,thanks to published documents1 we may now1 so to speak1 follow day by day not only the external circumstances of his life1 but the inner workings of his soul4 ,with him we see the true ,franciscan live again1 one of those men who1 while desiring to remain the obedient son of the ,church1 cannot reconcile themselves to permit the domain of the dream to slip away from them1 the ideal which they have hailed4 ,often they are on the borders of heresy2 in these utterances against bad priests and unworthy pontiffs there is a bitterness which the sectaries of the sixteenth century will not exceed4#ab ,often1 too1 they seem to renounce all authority and make final appeal to the inward witness of the ,holy ,spirit2#ac and yet ,protestantism would be mistaken in seeking its ancestors among them4 ,no1 they desired to die as they had lived1 in the communion of that ,church which was as a stepmother to them and which they yet loved with that heroic passion which some of the ci-devant nobles brought in '#ic to the love of ,france1 governed though she was by ,jacobins1 and poured out their blood for her4 ,clareno and his friends not only believed that ,francis had been a great ,saint1 but to this conviction1 which was also that of the ,brothers of the ,common ,observance1 they added the persuasion that the work of the ,stigmatized could only be continued by men who should attain to his moral stature1 to which men might arrive through the power of faith and love4 ,they were of the violent who take the kingdom of heaven by force2 so when1 after the frivolous and senile interests of every day we come face to face with them1 we feel ourselves both humbled and exalted1 for we suddenly find unhoped-for powers1 an unrecognized lyre in the human heart4 ,there is one of ,jesus's apostles of whom it is difficult not to think while reading the chronicle of the ,tribulations and ,angelo ,clareno's correspondence3 ,st4 ,john4 ,between the apostle's words about love and those of the ,franciscan there is a similarity of style all the more striking because they were written in different languages4 ,in both of these the soul is that of the aged man1 where all is only love1 pardon1 desire for holiness1 and yet it sometimes wakes with a sudden thrill--like that which stirred the soul of the seer of ,patmos--of indignation1 wrath1 pity1 terror1 and joy1 when the future unveils itself and gives a glimpse of the close of the great tribulation4 ,clareno's works1 then1 are in the strictest sense of the word partisan2 the question is whether the author has designedly falsified the facts or mutilated the texts4 ,to this question we may boldly answer1 ,no4 ,he commits errors1#ad especially in his earlier pages1 but they are not such as to diminish our confidence4 ,like a good ,joachimite1 he believed that the ,order would have to traverse seven tribulations before its final triumph4 ,the pontificate of ,john ,,xxii4 marked1 he thought1 the commencement of the seventh2 he set himself1 then1 to write1 at the request of a friend1 the history of the first six4#ae ,his account of the first is naturally preceded by an introduction1 the purpose of which is to exhibit to the reader1 taking the life of ,st4 ,francis as a framework1 the intention of the latter in composing the ,rule and dictating the ,will4 ,born between #abdj and #abej1 ,clareno had at his service the testimony of several of the first disciples2#af he found himself in relations with ,angelo di ,rieti1#ag ,egidio1#ah and with that ,brother ,giovanni1 companion of ,egidio1 mentioned in the prologue of the ,legend of the ,three ,companions4#ai ,his chronicle1 therefore1 forms as it were the continuation of that legend4 ,the members of the little circle of ,greccio are they who recommend it to us2 it has also their inspiration4 ,but writing long years after the death of these ,brothers1 ,clareno feels the need of supporting himself also on written testimony2 he repeatedly refers to the four legends from which he borrows a part of his narrative2 they are those of ,giovanni di ,ceperano1 ,thomas of ,celano1 ,bonaventura1 and ,brother ,leo4#bj ,bonaventura's work is mentioned only by way of reference2 ,clareno borrows nothing from him1 while he cites long passages from ,giovanni di ,ceperano1#ba ,thomas of ,celano#bb and ,brother ,leo4#bc ,clareno takes from these writers narratives containing several new and extremely curious facts4#bd ,i have dwelt particularly upon this document because its value appears to me not yet to have been properly appreciated4 ,it is indeed partisan2 the documents of which we must be most wary are not those whose tendency is manifest1 but those where it is skilfully concealed4 ,the life of ,st4 ,francis and a great part of the religious history of the thirteenth century will surely appear to us in an entirely different light when we are able to fill out the documents of the victorious party by those of the party of the vanquished4 ,just as ,thomas of ,celano's first legend is dominated by the desire to associate closely ,st4 ,francis1 ,gregory ,,ix41 and ,brother ,elias1 so the ,chronicle of the ,tribulations is inspired from beginning to end with the thought that the troubles of the ,order--to say the word1 the apostasy--began so early as #abai4 ,this contention finds a striking confirmation in the ,chronicle of ,giordano di ,giano4 ,v4 ,,the ,,fioretti#be ,with the ,fioretti we enter definitively the domain of legend4 ,this literary gem relates the life of ,francis1 his companions and disciples1 as it appeared to the popular imagination at the beginning of the fourteenth century4 ,we have not to discuss the literary value of this document1 one of the most exquisite religious works of the ,middle ,ages1 but it may well be said that from the historic point of view it does not deserve the neglect to which it has been left4 ,most authors have failed in courage to revise the sentence lightly uttered against it by the successors of ,bollandus4 ,why make anything of a book which ,father ,suysken did not even deign to read6#bf ,yet that which gives these stories an inestimable worth is what for want of a better term we may call their atmosphere4 ,they are legendary1 worked over1 exaggerated1 false even1 if you please1 but they give us with a vivacity and intensity of coloring something that we shall search for in vain elsewhere--the surroundings in which ,st4 ,francis lived4 ,more than any other biography the ,fioretti transport us to ,umbria1 to the mountains of the ,march of ,ancona2 they make us visit the hermitages1 and mingle with the life1 half childish1 half angelic1 which was that of their inhabitants4 ,it is difficult to pronounce upon the name of the author4 ,his work was only that of gathering the flowers of his bouquet from written and oral tradition4 ,the question whether he wrote in ,latin or ,italian has been much discussed and appears to be not yet settled2 what is certain is that though this work may be anterior to the ,conformities1#bg it is a little later than the ,chronicle of the ,tribulations1 for it would be strange that it made no mention of ,angelo ,clareno1 if it was written after his death4 ,this book is in fact an essentially local#bh chronicle2 the author has in mind to erect a monument to the glory of the ,brothers ,minor of the ,march of ,ancona4 ,this province1 which is evidently his own1 does it not resemble the sky blazing with stars8 ,the holy ,brothers who dwelt in it1 like the stars in the sky1 have illuminated and adorned the ,order of ,st4 ,francis1 filling the world with their examples and teaching4 ,he is acquainted with the smallest villages1#bi each having at a short distance its monastery1 well apart1 usually near a torrent1 in the edge of a wood1 and above1 near the hilltop1 a few almost inaccessible cells1 the asylums of ,brothers even more than the others in love with contemplation and retirement4#cj ,the chapters that concern ,st4 ,francis and the ,umbrian ,brothers are only a sort of introduction2 ,egidio1 ,masseo1 ,leo on one side1 ,st4 ,clara on the other1 are witnesses that the ideal at ,portiuncula and ,st4 ,damian was indeed the same to which in later days ,giachimo di ,massa1 ,pietro di ,monticulo1 ,conrad di ,offida1 ,giovanni di ,penna1 and ,giovanni della ,verna endeavored to attain4 ,while most of the other legends give us the ,franciscan tradition of the great convents1 the ,fioretti are almost the only document which shows it as it was perpetuated in the hermitages and among the people4 ,in default of accuracy of detail1 the incidents which are related here contain a higher truth--their tone is true4 ,here are words that were never uttered1 acts that never took place1 but the soul and the heart of the early ,franciscans were surely what they are depicted here4 ,the ,fioretti have the living truth that the pencil gives4 ,something is wanting in the physiognomy of the ,poverello when we forget his conversation with ,brother ,leo on the perfect joy1 his journey to ,sienna with ,masseo1 or even the conversion of the wolf of ,gubbio4 ,we must not1 however1 exaggerate the legendary side of the ,fioretti3 there are not more that two or three of these stories of which the kernel is not historic and easy to find4 ,the famous episode of the wolf of ,gubbio1 which is unquestionably the most marvellous of all the series1 is only1 to speak the engraver's language1 the third state of the story of the robbers of ,monte ,casale#ca mingled with a legend of the ,verna4 ,the stories crowd one another in this book like flocks of memories that come upon us pell-mell1 and in which insignificant details occupy a larger place than the most important events2 our memory is1 in fact1 an overgrown child1 and what it retains of a man is generally a feature1 a word1 a gesture4 ,scientific history is trying to react1 to mark the relative value of facts1 to bring forward the important ones1 to cast into shade that which is secondary4 ,is it not a mistake8 ,is there such a thing as the important and the secondary8 ,how is it going to be marked8 ,the popular imagination is right3 what we need to retain of a man is the expression of countenance in which lives his whole being1 a heart-cry1 a gesture that expresses his personality4 ,do we not find all of ,jesus in the words of the ,last ,supper8 ,and all of ,st4 ,francis in his address to brother wolf and his sermon to the birds8 ,let us beware of despising these documents in which the first ,franciscans are described as they saw themselves to be4 ,unfolding under the ,umbrian sky at the foot of the olives of ,st4 ,damian1 or the firs of the ,march of ,ancona1 these wild flowers have a perfume and an originality which we look for in vain in the carefully cultivated flowers of a learned gardener4 ,,appendices ,,of ,,the ,,fioretti ,in the first of these appendices the compiler has divided into five chapters all the information on the stigmata which he was able to gather4 ,it is easy to understand the success of the ,fioretti4 ,the people fell in love with these stories1 in which ,st4 ,francis and his companions appear both more human and more divine than in the other legends2 and they began very soon to feel the need of so completing them as to form a veritable biography4#cb ,the second1 entitled ,life of ,brother ,ginepro1 is only indirectly connected with ,st4 ,francis2 yet it deserves to be studied1 for it offers the same kind of interest as the principal collection1 to which it is doubtless posterior4 ,in these fourteen chapters we find the principal features of the life of this ,brother1 whose mad and saintly freaks still furnish material for conversation in ,umbrian monasteries4 ,these unpretending pages discover to us one aspect of the ,franciscan heart4 ,the official historians have thought it their duty to keep silence upon this ,brother1 who to them appeared to be a supremely indiscreet personage1 very much in the way of the good name of the ,order in the eyes of the laics4 ,they were right from their point of view1 but we owe a debt of gratitude to the ,fioretti for having preserved for us this personality1 so blithe1 so modest1 and with so arch a good nature4 ,certainly ,st4 ,francis was more like ,ginepro than like ,brother ,elias or ,st4 ,bonaventura4#cc ,the third1 ,life of ,brother ,egidio1 appears to be on the whole the most ancient document on the life of the famous ,ecstatic that we possess4 ,it is very possible that these stories might be traced to ,brother ,giovanni1 to whom the ,three ,companions appeal in their prologue4 ,in the defective texts given us in the existing editions we perceive the hand of an annotator whose notes have slipped into the text1#cd but in spite of that this life is one of the most important of the secondary texts4 ,this always itinerant brother1 one of whose principal preoccupations is to live by his labor1 is one of the most original and agreeable figures in ,francis's surroundings1 and it is in lives of this sort that we must seek the true meaning of some of the passages of the ,rule1 and precisely in those that have had the most to suffer from the enterprise of exegetes4 ,the fourth includes the favorite maxims of ,brother ,egidio2 they have no other importance than to show the tendencies of the primitive ,franciscan teaching4 ,they are short1 precise1 practical counsels1 saturated with mysticism1 and yet in them good sense never loses its rights4 ,the collection1 just as it is in the ,fioretti1 is no doubt posterior to ,egidio1 for in #ache ,bartolommeo of ,pisa furnished a much longer one4#ce ,,vi4 ,,chronicle ,,of ,,the ,,xxiv4 ,,generals#cf ,we find here at the end of the life of ,francis that of most of his companions1 and the events that occurred under the first twenty-four generals4 ,it is a very ordinary work of compilation4 ,the authors have sought to include in it all the pieces which they had succeeded in collecting1 and the result presents a very disproportioned whole4 ,a thorough study of it might be interesting and useful1 but it would be possible only after its publication4 ,this cannot be long delayed3 twice 7at intervals of fifteen months7 when ,i have desired to study the ,assisi manuscript it was found to be with the ,franciscans of ,quaracchi1 who were preparing to print it4 ,it is difficult not to bring the epoch in which this collection was closed near to that when ,bartolommeo of ,pisa wrote his famous work4 ,perhaps the two are quite closely related4 ,this chronicle was one of ,glassberger's favorite sources4 ,,vii4 ,,the ,,conformities ,,of ,,bartolommeo ,,of ,,pisa#cg ,the ,book of the ,conformities1 to which ,brother ,bartolommeo of ,pisa devoted more than fifteen years of his life1#ch appears to have been read very inattentively by most of the authors who have spoken of it4#ci ,in justice to them we must add that it would be hard to find a work more difficult to read2 the same facts reappear from ten to fifteen times1 and end by wearying the least delicate nerves4 ,it is to this no doubt that we must attribute the neglect to which it has been left4 ,i do not hesitate1 however1 to see in it the most important work which has been made on the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,of course the author does not undertake historical criticism as we understand it to-day1 but if we must not expect to find him a historian1 we can boldly place him in the front rank of compilers4#dj ,if the ,bollandists had more thoroughly studied him they would have seen more clearly into the difficult question of the sources1 and the authors who have come after them would have been spared numberless errors and interminable researches4 ,starting with the thought that ,francis's life had been a perfect imitation of that of ,jesus1 ,bartolommeo attempted to collect1 without losing a single one1 all the instances of the life of the ,poverello scattered through the diverse legends still known at that time4 ,he regretted that ,bonaventura1 while borrowing the narratives of his predecessors1 had often abridged them1#da and himself desired to preserve them in their original bloom4 ,better situated than any one for such a work1 since he had at his disposal the archives of the ,sacro ,convento of ,assisi1 it may be said that he has omitted nothing of importance and that he has brought into his work considerable pieces from nearly all the legends which appeared in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries2 they are there only in fragments1 it is true1 but with perfect accuracy4#db ,when his researches were unsuccessful he avows it simply1 without attempting to fill out the written testimonies with his own conjectures4#dc ,he goes farther1 and submits the documents he has before him to a real testing1 laying aside those he considers uncertain4#dd ,finally he takes pains to point out the passages in which his only authority is oral testimony4#de ,as he is almost continually citing the legends of ,celano1 the ,three ,companions1 and ,bonaventura1 and as the citations prove on verification to be literally accurate1 as well as those of the ,will1 the divers ,rules1 or the pontifical bulls1 it seems natural to conclude that he was equally accurate with the citations which we cannot verify1 and in which we find long extracts from works that have disappeared4#df ,the citations which he makes from ,celano present no difficulty2 they are all accurate1 corresponding sometimes with the ,first sometimes with the ,second ,legend4#dg ,those from the ,legend of the ,three ,companions are accurate1 but it appears that ,bartolommeo drew them from a text somewhat different from that which we have4#dh ,with the citations from the ,legenda ,antiqua the question is complicated and becomes a nice one4 ,was there a work of this name8 ,certain authors1 and among them the ,bollandist ,suysken1 seem to incline toward the negative1 and believe that to cite the ,legenda ,antiqua is about the same as to refer vaguely to tradition4 ,others among contemporaries have thought that after the approbation and definitive adoption of ,bonaventura's ,legenda ,major by the ,order the ,legends anterior to that1 and especially that of ,celano1 were called ,legenda ,antiqua4 ,the ,conformities permit us to look a little closer into the question4 ,we find1 in fact1 passages from the ,legenda ,antiqua which reproduce ,celano's ,first ,life4#di ,others present points of contact with the ,second1 sometimes a literary exactitude1#ej but often these are the same stories told in too different a way for us to consider them borrowed4#ea ,finally there are many of these extracts from the ,legenda ,antiqua of which we find no source in any of the documents already discussed4#eb ,this would suffice to show that the two are not to be confounded4 ,it has absorbed them and brought about certain changes while completing them with others4#ec ,the study of the fragments which ,bartolommeo has preserved to us shows immediately that this collection belonged to the party of the ,zealots of ,poverty2 we might be tempted to see in it the work of ,brother ,leo4 ,most fortunately there is a passage where ,bartolommeo di ,pisa cites as being by ,conrad di ,offida a fragment which he had already cited before as borrowed from the ,legenda ,antiqua4#ed ,i would not exaggerate the value of an isolated instance1 but it seems an altogether plausible hypothesis to make ,conrad di ,offida the author of this compilation4 ,all that we know of him1 of his tendencies1 his struggle for the strict observance1 accords with what the known fragments of the ,legenda ,antiqua permit us to infer as to its author4#ee ,however this may be1 it appears that in this collection the stories have been given us 7the principal source being the ,legend of ,brother ,leo or the ,three ,companions before its mutilation7 in a much less abridged form than in the ,second ,life of ,celano4 ,this work is hardly more than a second edition of that of ,brother ,leo1 here and there completed with a few new incidents1 and especially with exhortations to perseverance addressed to the persecuted ,zealots4#ef ,,viii4 ,,chronicle ,,of ,,glassberger#eg ,evidently this work1 written about #aejh1 cannot be classed among the sources properly so called2 but it presents in a convenient form the general history of the ,order1 and thanks to its citations permits us to verify certain passages in the primitive legends of which ,glassberger had the ,,ms4 before his eyes4 ,it is thus in particular with the chronicle of ,brother ,giordano di ,giano1 which he has inserted almost bodily in his own work4 ,,ix4 ,,chronicle ,,of ,,mark ,,of ,,lisbon#eh ,this work is of the same character as that of ,glassberger2 it can only be used by way of addition4 ,there is1 however1 a series of facts in which it has a special value2 it is when the ,franciscan missions in ,spain or ,morocco are in question4 ,the author had documents on this subject which did not reach the friars in distant countries4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,chronica fratris ,jordani a ,giano4 ,the text was published for the first time in #ahgj by ,dr4 ,g4 ,voigt under the title3 ,die ,denkwuerdigkeiten des ,minoriten ,jordanus von ,giano in the ,abhandlungen der philolog4 histor4 ,cl4 der ,koenigl4 saechsischen ,gesellschaft der ,wissenschaften1 pp4 #dba-ede1 ,leipsic1 by ,hirzel1 #ahgj4 ,only one manuscript is known2 it is in the royal library at ,berlin 7,manuscript4 theolog4 lat41 #dto1 n4 #aif1 saec4 xiv41 foliorum #ada74 ,it has served as the base of the second edition3 ,analecta franciscana sive ,chronica aliaque documenta ad historiam minorum spectantia4 ,ad ,claras ,aquas 7,quaracchi7 ex typographia collegii ,s4 ,bonaventurae1 #ahhe1 t4 i41 pp4 #a-ai4 ,except where otherwise noted1 ,i cite entirely this edition1 in which is preserved the division into sixty-three paragraphs introduced by ,dr4 ,voigt4 #b ,giord41 #ha4 #c ,he names more than twenty four persons4 #d ,it does not seem to me that we can look upon the account of the interview between ,gregory ,,ix4 and ,brother ,giordano as rigorously accurate4 ,giord41 #fc4 #e ,liber de adventu ,minorum in ,angliam1 published under the title of ,monumenta ,franciscana 7in the series of ,rerum ,britannicarum medii ,a,evi scriptores1 ,roll series7 in two volumes1 #hvo2 the first through the care of ,j4 ,s4 ,brewer 7#aheh71 the second through that of ,r4 ,howlett 7#ahhb74 ,this text is reproduced without the scientific dress of the ,analecta franciscana1 t4 i41 pp4 #bag-beg4 ,cf4 ,english ,historical ,review1 v4 7#ahij71 #ged4 ,he has published an excellent critical edition of it1 but unfortunately partial1 in vol4 xxviii41 ,scriptorum1 of the ,monumenta ,germaniae ,historica by ,mr4 ,liebermann1 ,hanover1 #ahhh1 folio1 pp4 #efj-efi4 #f ,eccl41 #aa2 #ac2 #ad2 #ae4 ,cf4 ,eccl41 #ad1 where the author takes pains to say that ,alberto of ,pisa died at ,rome1 surrounded by ,english ,brothers inter ,anglicos4 #g ,eccl41 #d2 #ab4 #h ,eccl41 #d2 #e2 #f2 #g2 #aj2 #ab2 #ac2 #ad2 #ae4 #i ,it was published1 but with many suppressions1 in #aheg1 at ,parma4 ,the ,franciscans of ,quaracchi prepared a new edition of it1 which appeared in the ,analecta ,franciscana4 ,this work is in manuscript in the ,vatican under no4 #gbfj4 ,vide ,ehrle4 ,zeitschrift fuer kath4 ,theol4 7#ahhc71 t4 vii41 pp4 #gfg and #gfh4 ,the work of ,mr4 ,cledat will be read with interest3 ,de fratre ,salembene et de ejus chronicae auctoritate1 ,paris1 #dto1 #ahgg1 with fac simile4 #aj ,father ,ehrle has published it1 but unfortunately not entire1 in the ,archiv41 t4 ii41 pp4 #abe-aee1 text of the close of the fifth and of the sixth tribulation2 pp4 #bef-cbg text of the third1 of the fourth1 and of the commencement of the fifth4 ,he has added to it introductions and critical notes4 ,for the parts not published ,i will cite the text of the ,laurentian manuscript 7,plut4 #bj1 cod4 #g71 completed where possible with the ,italian version in the ,national ,library at ,florence 7,magliabecchina1 xxxvii4-#bh74 ,see also an article of ,professor ,tocco in the ,archivio storico italiano1 t4 xvii4 7#ahhf71 pp4 #ab-cf and #bdc-fa1 and one of ,mr4 ,richard's3 ,library of the ,ecole des chartes1 #ahhd1 #eth livr4 p4 #ebe4 ,cf4 ,tocco1 the ,eresia nel medio ,evo1 p4 #dai ff4 ,as to the text published by ,doellinger in his ,beitraege zur ,sektengeschichte des ,mittelalters1 ,muenich1 #ahij1 #b vols41 #hvo1 ,,ii4 ,theil ,dokumente1 pp4 #dag-dbg1 it is of no use4 ,it can only beget errors1 as it abounds with gross mistakes4 ,whole pages are wanting4 #aa ,archiv41 t4 iii41 pp4 #djf-dji4 #ab ,vide ,archiv41 i41 p4 #eeg 444 ,et hoc totum ex rapacitate et malignitate luporum pastorum qui voluerunt esse pastores1 sed operibus negaverunt deum1 et seq4 ,cf41 p4 #efb3 ,avaritia et symoniaca heresis absque pallio regnat et fere totum invasit ecclesie corpus4 #ac ,qui excommunicat et hereticat altissimam evangelii paupertatem1 excommunicatus est a ,deo et hereticus coram ,christo1 qui est eterna et in commutabilis veritas4 ,arch41 i41 p4 #eji4 ,non est potestas contra christum ,dominum et contra evangelium4 ,ib4 p4 #efj4 ,he closes one of his letters with a sentence of a mysticism full of serenity1 and which lets us see to the bottom of the hearts of the ,spiritual ,brothers4 ,totum igitur studium esse debet quod unum inseparabiliter simus per ,franciscum in ,christo4 ,ib41 p4 #efd4 #ad ,for example in the list of the first six generals of the ,order4 #ae ,the first 7#abai-abbf7 extends from the departure of ,st4 ,francis for ,egypt up to his death2 the second includes the generalate of ,brother ,elias 7#abcb-abci72 the third that of ,crescentius 7#abdd-abdh72 the fourth1 that of ,bonaventura 7#abeg-abgd72 the fifth commences with the epoch of the council of ,lyon 7#abgd7 and extends up to the death of the inquisitor1 ,thomas d',aversa 7#abjd74 ,and the sixth goes from #acjh to #acbc4 #af ,supererant adhuc multi de sociis b4 ,francisci 444 et alii non pauci de quibus ego vidi et ab ipsis audivi quae narro4 ,laur4 ,ms41 cod4 #g1 pl4 xx41 fo #bd;a3 ,qui passi sunt eam 7tribulationem tertiam7 socii fundatoris fratres ,aegdius et ,angelus1 qui supererant me audiente referibant4 ,laur4 ,ms41 fo #bg;b4 ,cf41 ,italian ,ms41 xxxvii41 #bh1 ,magliab41 fo #ach;b4 #ag ,the date of his death is unknown2 on ,august #aa1 #abec1 he was present at the death-bed of ,st4 ,clara4 #ah ,died ,april #bc1 #abfa4 #ai ,quem 7fratrem ,jacobum de ,massa7 dirigente me fratre ,johanne socio fratris prefati ,egidii videre laboravi4 ,hic enim frater ,johannes 444 dixit mihi4444 ,arch41 ii41 p4 #bgi4 #bj 444 ,tribulationes preteritas memoravi1 ut audivi ab illis qui sustinuerunt eas et aliqua commemoravi de hiis que didici in quatuor legendis quas vidi et legi4 ,arch41 ii41 p4 #ace4--,vitam pauperis et humilis viri ,dei ,francisci trium ordinum fundatoris quatuor solemnes personae scripserunt1 fratres videlicet scientia et sanctitate praeclari1 ,johannes et ,thomas de ,celano1 frater ,bonaventura unus post ,beatum ,franciscum ,generalis ,minister et vir mirae simplicitatis et sanctitatis frater ,leo1 ejusdem sancti ,francisci socius4 ,has quatuor descriptiones seu historias qui legerit4444 ,laurent4 ,,ms41 pl4 xx41 c4 #g1 fo #a;a4 ,did the ,italian translator think there was an error in this quotation8 ,i do not know1 but he suppressed it4 ,at fo #ab;a of manuscript xxxvii41 #bh1 of the ,magliabecchina1 we read3 ,incominciano alcune croniche del ordine franciscano1 come la vita del povero e humile servo di ,dio ,francesco fondatore del minorico ordine fu scripta da ,san ,bonaventura e da quatro altri frati4 ,queste poche scripture ovveramente hystorie quello il quale diligentemente le leggiera1 expeditamente potra cognoscere 444 la vocatione la santita di ,san ,francisco4 #ba ,laur4 ,,ms41 fo #d;b ff4 ,on the other hand we read in a letter of ,clareno3 ,ad hanc 7paupertatem7 perfecte servandam ,christus ,franciscum vocavit et elegit in hac hora novissima et precepit ei evangelicam assumere regulam1 et a papa ,innocentio fuit omnibus annuntiatum in concilio generali1 quod de sua auctoritate et obedientia sanctus ,franciscus evangelicam vitam et regulam assumpserat et ,christo inspirante servare promiserat1 sicut sanctus vir fr4 ,leo scribit et fr4 ,johannes de ,celano4 ,archiv41 i41 p4 #eei4 #bb ,audiens enim semel quorundam fratrum enormes excessus1 ut fr4 ,thomas de ,celano scribit1 et malum exemplum per eos secularibus datum4 ,laur4 ,,ms41 fo #ac;b4 ,the passage which follows evidently refers to #b ,cel41 #c1 #ic and #aab4 #bc ,et fecerunt de regula prima ministri removeri capitulum istud de prohibitionibus sancti evangelii1 sicut frater ,leo scribit4 ,laur4 ,ms4 fo #ab;b4 ,cf4 ,spec41 #i;a1 see p4 #bdh4 ,nam cum rediisset de partibus ultramarinis1 minister quidam loquebatur cum eo1 ut frater ,leo refert1 de capitulo paupertatis1 fo #ac;a1 cf4 ,spec41 #i;a1 ,s4 ,franciscus1 teste fr4 ,leone1 frequenter et cum multo studio recitabat fabulam 444 quod oportebat finaliter ordinem humiliari et ad sue humilitatis principia confitenda et tenenda reduci4 ,archiv41 ii41 p4 #abi4 ,there is only one point of contact between the ,legend of the ,three ,companions1 such as it is to-day1 and these passages2 but we find on the contrary revised accounts in the ,speculum and in the other collections1 where they are cited as coming from ,brother ,leo4 #bd ,clareno1 for example1 holds that the ,cardinal ,ugolini had sustained ,st4 ,francis without approving of the first ,rule1 in concert with ,cardinal ,giovanni di ,san ,paolo4 ,this is possible1 since ,ugolini was created cardinal in #aaih 7,vide ,cardella3 ,memorie storiche de' ,cardinali1 #i vols41 #hvo1 ,rome1 #agib-agic1 t4 i41 pt4 #b1 p4 #aij74 ,besides this would better explain the zeal with which he protected the divers ,orders founded by ,st4 ,francis1 from #abag4 ,the chapter where ,clareno tells how ,st4 ,francis wrote the ,rule shows the working over of the legend1 but it is very possible that he has borrowed it in its present form from ,brother ,leo4 ,it is to be noted that we do not find in this document a single allusion to the ,indulgences of ,portiuncula4 #be ,the manuscripts and editions are well-nigh innumerable4 ,m4 ,luigi ,manzoni has studied them with a carefulness that makes it much to be desired that he continue this difficult work4 ,studi sui ,fioretti3 ,miscelenea1 #ahhh1 pp4 #aaf-aai1 #aej-aeb1 #afb-afh2 #ahhi1 #i-ae1 #gh-hd1 #acb-ace4 ,when shall we find some one who can and will undertake to make a scientific edition of them8 ,those which have appeared during our time in the various cities of ,italy are insignificant from a critical point of view4 ,see ,mazzoni ,guido1 ,capitoli inediti dei ,fioretti di ,s4 ,francesco1 in the ,propugnatore1 ,bologna1 #ahhh1 vol4 xxi41 pp4 #cif-daa4 #bf ,vide ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hfe3 ,floretum non legi1 nec curandum putavi4 ,cf4 #eec;f3 ,floretum ad manum non habeo4 #bg ,bartolommeo di ,pisa compiled it in #ache2 then certain manuscripts of the ,fioretti are earlier4 ,besides1 in the stories that the ,conformities borrow from the ,fioretti1 we perceive ,bartolommeo's work of abbreviation4 #bh ,i am speaking here only of the fifty-three chapters which form the true collection of the ,fioretti4 #bi ,the province of the ,march of ,ancona counted seven custodias3 #a1 ,ascoli2 #b1 ,camerino2 #c1 ,ancona2 #d1 ,jesi2 #e1 ,fermo2 #f1 ,fano2 #g1 ,felestro4 ,the ,fioretti mention at least six of the monasteries of the custodia of ,fermo3 ,moliano1 #ea1 #ec2 ,fallerone1 #cb1 #ea2 ,bruforte and ,soffiano1 #df1 #dg2 ,massa1 #ea2 ,penna1 #de2 ,fermo1 #da1 #di1 #ea4 #cj ,at each page we are reminded of those groves which were originally the indispensable appendage of the ,franciscan monasteries3 ,la selva ch' era allora allato a ,s4 ,m4 degli ,angeli1 #c1 #aj1 #ae1 #af1 etc4 ,la selva d' un luogo deserto del val di ,spoleto 7,carceri871 #d2 selva di ,forano1 #db4 di ,massa1 #ea1 etc4 #ca ,the ,speculum1 #df;b1 #eh;b1 #aeh;a1 gives us three states4 ,cf4 ,fior41 #bf and #ba2 ,conform41 #aai;b1 #b4 #cb ,this desire was so natural that the manuscript of the ,angelica ,library includes many additional chapters1 concerning the gift of ,portiuncula1 the indulgence of ,august #b;d1 the birth of ,st4 ,francis1 etc4 7,vide ,amoni1 ,fioretti1 ,roma1 #ahhi1 pp4 #bff1 #cgh-chf47 ,it would be an interesting study to seek the origin of these documents and to establish their relationship with the ,speculum and the ,conformities4 ,vide ,conform41 #bca;a1 #a2 #aba;b2 ,spec41 #ib-if4 #cc ,ginepro was received into the ,order by ,st4 ,francis4 ,in #abec he was present at ,st4 ,clara's death4 ,a4 ,,ss41 ,aug41 t4 ii41 p4 #gfd;d4 ,the ,conformities speak of him in detail1 fo #fb;b4 #cd ,the first seven chapters form a whole4 ,the three which follow are doubtless a first attempt at completing them4 #ce ,conformities1 fo #ee;b1 #a-fj;a1 #a4 #cf ,see ,archiv41 t4 i41 p4 #ade1 an article of ,father ,denifle3 ,zur ,quellenkunde der ,franziskaner ,geschichte1 where he mentions at least eight manuscripts of this work4 ,cf4 ,ehrle3 ,zeitschrift1 #ahhc1 p4 #cbd1 note #c4 ,i have studied only the two manuscripts of ,florence3 ,riccardi1 #bgi1 paper1 #bdc fos4 of two cols4 recently numbered4 ,the ,codex of the ,laurentian ,gaddian4 rel41 #ec1 is less careful4 ,it is also on paper1 #bj x #bg1 and counts #bed fos4 of #a column4 ,fo #a was formerly numbered #hh4 ,the order of the chapters is not the same as in the preceding4 #cg ,the citations are always made from the edition of ,milan1 #aeaj1 #dto of #bef folios of two columns4 ,the best known of the subsequent editions are those of ,milan1 #aeac1 and ,bologna1 #aeij4 #ch ,he began it in #ache 7fo #a71 and it was authorized by the chapter general ,august #b1 #acii 7fo #bef;a1 #a74 ,besides1 on fo #aej;a1 #a1 he set down the date when he was writing4 ,it was in #acij4 #ci ,i am not here concerned with the foolish attacks of certain ,protestant authors upon this life4 ,that is a quarrel of the theologians which in no way concerns history4 ,nowhere does ,bartolommeo of ,pisa make ,st4 ,francis the equal of ,jesus1 and he was able even to forestall criticism in this respect4 ,the ,bollandists are equally severe3 ,cum ,pisanus fuerit scriptor magis pius et credulus quam crisi severa usus4444 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #eea;e4 #dj ,he has avoided the mistakes so unfortunately committed by ,wadding in his list of ministers general4 ,vide #ff;a4 #b1 #ajd;a1 #a1 #aah;b1 #b4 ,he was lecturer on theology at ,bologna1 ,padua1 ,pisa1 ,sienna1 and ,florence4 ,he preached for many years and with great success in the principal villages of the ,peninsula and could thus take advantage of his travels by collecting useful notes4 ,mark of ,lisbon has preserved for us a notice of his life4 ,vide ,croniche dei fratri ,minori1 t4 iii41 p4 #f ff4 of the ,diola edition4 ,he died ,december #aj1 #adja4 ,for further details see ,wadding1 ann4 #acii1 vii41 viii41 and above all ,sbaralea1 ,supplementum1 p4 #aji4 ,he is the author of an exposition of the ,rule little known which can be found in the ,speculum ,morin1 ,rouen1 #aeji1 fo #ff;b-#hc;a1 of part three4 #da ,this opinion is expressed in a guarded manner4 ,for example1 fo #bjg;a1 #a1 ,bartolommeo relates the miracle of the ,chapter of the ,mats1 first following ,st4 ,bonaventura1 then adding3 ,et quia non aliter tangit dicta pars 7legendae majoris7 hoc insigne miraculum3 antiqua legenda hoc refertur in hunc modum4 ,cf4 #bbe;a1 #bm4 ,et quia fr4 ,bonaventura succincte multa tangit et in brevi3 pro evidentia prefatorum notandum est 444 ut dicit antiqua legenda4 #db ,however1 it is necessary to note that not only are there considerable differences between the editions published1 but also that the first 7that of ,milan1 #aeaj7 has been completed and revised by its editor4 ,the judgments passed upon ,raymond ,ganfridi1 #ajd;a1 #a1 and ,boniface ,,viii41 #ajc;b1 #a1 show traces of later corrections4 7,cf4 #abe;a1 #a4 ,at fo #gb;a1 #bm1 is indicated the date of the death of ,st4 ,bernardin1 which was in #addd1 etc47 ,besides1 we are surprised to find beside the pages where the sources are indicated with clearness others where stories follow one another coming one knows not from whence4 #dc ,fo #gj;a1 #a3 ,cujus nomen non reperi4 #a;a1 #b3 ,multaque non ex industria sed quia ea noscere non valui omittendo4 #dd ,fo #gh;a1 #a3 ,informationes quas non scribo quia imperfectas reperi4 ,cf4 #bbi;b1 #b3 ,de aliis multis apparitionibus non reperi scripturam1 quare hic non pono4 #de ,fo #fi;a1 #a3 ,hec ut audivi posui quia ejus legendam non vidi4 ,cf4 #fh;b1 #bm3 ,fr4 ,henricus generalis minister mihi magistro ,bartholomeo dixit ipse oretenus4 #df ,the citations from ,bonaventura are decidedly more frequent4 ,we should not be surprised1 since this story is the official biography of ,st4 ,francis2 the chapter from which ,bartolommeo takes his quotations is almost always indicated1 and1 naturally1 follows the old division in five parts4 ,opening the book at hazard at folio #acf;a ,i find no less than six references to the ,legenda ,major in the first column4 ,to give an idea of the style of ,bartolommeo of ,pisa ,i shall give in substance the contents of a page of his book4 ,see1 for example1 fo #aaa;a 7lib4 i41 conform4 x41 pars4 ii41 ,franciscus predicator74 ,in the third line he cites ,bonaventura3 ,fr4 ,bonaventura in quarta parte majoris legende dicit quod b4 ,franciscus videbatur intuentibus homo alterius seculi4 ,textual citation of ,bonaventure1 #de4 ,three lines further on3 ,verum qualis esset b4 ,f4 quoad personam sic habetur in legenda antiqua 444 homo facundissimus1 facie hilaris1 etc4 ,the literal citation of the sketch of ,francis follows as #a ,celano1 #hc1 gives it as far as3 inter peccatores quasi unus ex illis1 and to mark the end of the quotation ,bartolommeo adds3 ,hec legenda antiqua4 ,in the next column paragraph #d commences with the words3 ,b4 ,francisci predicationem reddebat mirabilem et gloriosam ipsius sancti loquutio3 etenim legenda trium ,sociorum dicit et ,legenda major parte tertia3 ,b4 ,francisei eloquia erant non inania1 neo risu digna1 etc41 which corresponds literally with #c ,soc41 #be1 and ,bon41 #bh4 ,then come two chapters of ,bonaventura almost entire1 beginning with3 ,in duodecima parte legende majoris dicit ,fr4 ,bonaventura3 ,erat enim verbum ejus1 etc4 ,textual quotation of ,bon41 #agh and #agi4 ,the page ends with another quotation from ,bonaventura3 ,sic dicebat prout recitat ,bonaventura in octava parte ,legende majoris3 ,hac officium patri misericordiarum4 ,vide ,bonav41 #ajb end and #ajc entire4 ,this suffices without doubt to show with what precision the authorities have been quoted in this work1 with what attention and confidence ought to be examined those portions of documents lost or mislaid which he has here preserved for us4 #dg ,fo #ca;b1 #b3 ut dicit fr4 ,thomas in sua legenda1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fj4--adj;a1 #b3 ,fr4 in leg4 fr4 ,thome1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fj4--adj;a #a1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c #af4--adb;b1 #a3 ,fr4 in leg4 ,thome capitulo de charitate1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aae4--add;b1 #a3 ,fr4 in leg4 fr4 ,thome capitulo de oratione1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #dj4--add;b1 #a1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #fe4--add;b1 #b1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #gh4--agf;b1 #b1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #gi4--ahb;b1 #b1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #b1 #a4--bda;b1 #a1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ada4--aha;a1 #b1 cf4 #a ,cel41 #bg4 ,it is needless to say that these lists of quotations do not pretend to be complete4 #dh ,fo #cf;b1 #b4 ,ut enim habetur in leg4 #c ,soc41 cf4 #c ,soc41 #aj4--df;b1 #a1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #be-bh4--ch;b #b1 cf4 #c ,soc4 #c4--aaa;a1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #be4--acd;a1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #d4--adb;b1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #eg and #eh4--afg;b1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #c and #h4--afh;a1 #a1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #aj4--agj;b1 #a1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #ci1 #d4--age;b1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #ei4--ahj;b1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #d4--aha;a1 #a1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #e1 #g1 #bd1 #cc1 and #fg4--aha;a4 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #cf4--bbi;b1 #b1 cf4 #c ,soc41 #ad4 etc4 ,the reading of #c ,soc4 which ,bartolommeo had before his eyes was pretty much the same we have to day1 for he says1 #aha;a1 #b4 referring to #c ,soc41 #fg3 ,ut habetur quasi in fine leg4 #c ,soc4 #di ,fo #aaa;a1 #a1 ,sic habetur in leg4 ant41 corresponds literally with #a ,cel41 #hc4--add;a1 #b4 ,franciscus in leg4 ant4 cap4 v4 de zelo ad religionem1 to #a ,cel4 #ajf4 #ej ,fo #aaa;b1 #a4 ,de predicantibus loqueus sic dicebat in ant4 leg4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ii and #ajf4 #adj;b1 #a4 ,cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #hd4--add;b1 #a1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #de--add;a1 #a1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #ie and #ae4--bbe;b1 #b1 cf4 #b ,cel41 #c1 #aaf4 #ea ,fo #ca;a1 #a4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #hc4--adc;a1 #b4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #fe and #aaf4--add;a1 #a4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #id4--agj;b4 #a4 ,vide #b ,cel41 #c1 #aa4 #eb ,fo #ad;a1 #b4--cb;a4 #a4--aja;a1 #b4--afi;b1 #a4--add;b1 #b4--adb;a1 #b4--adc;b1 #b4--afh;b1 #a4--add;b1 #a4 #ec ,chapters #ah 7chapter of the mats7 and #be 7lepers cured7 of the ,fioretti are found in ,latin in the ,conf4 as borrowed from the ,leg4 ,ant4 ,vide #agd;b1 #a1 and #bjg;a4 #a4 ,finally1 according to fo #afh;b1 #b1 it is also from the ,leg4 ,ant4 that the description of the coat1 such as we find at the end of the ,chronique des ,tribulations1 was borrowed4 ,see ,archiv41 t4 ii41 p4 #aec4 #ed ,fo #ahb;a1 #b2 cf4 #ea;b1 #a2 #add;a1 #a4 #ee ,he died ,december #ab1 #acjf1 at ,bastia1 near ,assisi4 ,see upon him ,chron4 ,tribul4 ,archiv41 ii42 #caa and #cab2 ,conform41 #fj1 #aai1 and #aec4 #ef ,although the history of the ,indulgence of ,portiuncula was of all subjects the one most largely treated in the ,conformities1 #aea;b1 #b--aeg;a1 #b1 not once does ,bartolommeo of ,pisa refer to it in the ,legenda ,antiqua4 ,it seems1 then1 that this collection also was silent as to this celebrated pardon4 #eg ,published with extreme care by the ,franciscan ,fathers of the ,observance in t4 ii4 of the ,analecta ,franciscana1 ad ,clarae ,aquas 7,quaracchi1 near ,florence71 #ahhh1 #a vol41 crown #hvo1 of xxxvi4-#fab pp4 ,this edition1 as much from the critical point of view of the text1 its correctness1 its various readings and notes1 as from the material point of view1 is perfect and makes the more desirable a publication of the chronicles of the xxiv4 generals and of ,salimbeni by the same editors4 ,the beginning up to the year #abfb has been published already by ,dr4 ,karl ,evers under the title ,analecta ad ,fratrum ,minorum historiam1 ,leipsic1 #ahhb1 #dto of #hi pp4 #eh ,i have been able only to procure the ,italian edition published by ,horatio ,diola under the title ,croniche degli ,ordini instituti dal ,p4 ,s4 ,francesco1 #c vols41 #hvo1 ,venice1 #afjf4 99 99 99 99 99 ,v ,,chronicles ,,outside ,,of ,,the ,,order ,i4 ,,jacques ,,de ,,vitry ,the following documents1 which we can only briefly indicate1 are of inestimable value2 they emanate from men particularly well situated to give us the impression which the ,umbrian prophet produced on his generation4 ,jacques de ,vitry#a has left extended writings on ,st4 ,francis4 ,like a prudent man who has already seen many religious madmen1 he is at first reserved2 but soon this sentiment disappears1 and we find in him only a humble and active admiration for the ,apostolic ,man4 ,he speaks of him in a letter which he wrote immediately after the taking of ,damietta 7,november1 #abai71 to his friends in ,lorraine1 to describe it to them4#b ,a few lines suffice to describe ,st4 ,francis and point out his irresistible influence4 ,there is not a single passage in the ,franciscan biographers which gives a more living idea of the apostolate of the ,poverello4 ,he returns to him more at length in his ,historia ,occidentalis1 devoting to him the thirty-second chapter of this curious work4#c ,these pages1 vibrating with enthusiasm1 were written during ,francis's lifetime1#d at the time when the most enlightened members of the ,church1 who had believed themselves to be living in the evening of the world1 in vespere mundi tendentis ad occasum1 suddenly saw in the direction of ,umbria the light of a new day4 ,,ii4 ,,thomas ,,of ,,spalato ,an archdeacon of the ,cathedral of ,spalato1 who in #abbj was studying at ,bologna1 has left us a very living portrait of ,st4 ,francis and the memory of the impression which his preachings produced in that learned town4#e ,something of his enthusiasm has passed into his story2 we feel that that day1 ,august #ae1 #abbj1 when he met the ,poverello of ,assisi1 was one of the best of his life4#f ,,iii4 ,,divers ,,chronicles ,the continuation of ,william of ,tyre#g brings us a new account of ,francis's attempt to conquer the ,soudan4 ,this narrative1 the longest of all three we have on this subject1 contains no feature essentially new1 but it gives one more witness to the historic value of the ,franciscan legends4 ,finally1 there are two chronicles written during ,francis's life1 which1 without giving anything new1 speak with accuracy of his foundation1 and prove how rapidly that religious renovation which started in ,umbria was being propagated to the very ends of ,europe4 ,the anonymous chronicler of ,monte ,sereno#h in fact wrote about #abbe1 and tells us1 not without regret1 of the brilliant conquests of the ,franciscans4 ,burchard1#i ,abbot ,premontre d',ursberg 7died in #abbf71 who was in ,rome in #abaa1 leaves us a very curious criticism of the ,order4 ,the ,brothers ,minor appeared to him a little like an orthodox branch of the ,poor ,men of ,lyons4 ,he even desires that the pope1 while approving the ,franciscans1 should do so with a view to satisfy1 in the measure of the possible1 the aspirations manifested by that heresy and that of the ,humiliati4 ,it is impossible to attribute any value whatever to the long pages given to ,st4 ,francis by ,matthew ,paris4#aj ,his information is correct wherever the activities of the friars are concerned1 and he could examine the work around him4#aa ,they are absolutely fantastic when he comes to the life of ,st4 ,francis1 and we can only feel surprised to find ,m4 ,hase#ab adopting the ,english monk's account of the stigmata4 ,the notice which he gives of ,francis contains as many errors as sentences2 he makes him born of a family illustrious by its nobility1 makes him study theology from his infancy 7hoc didicerat in litteris et theologicis disciplinis quibus ab aetate tenera incubuerat1 usque ad notitiam perfectam71 etc4#ac ,it would be useless to enlarge this list and mention those chroniclers who simply noticed the foundation of the ,order1 its approbation1 and the death of ,st4 ,francis1#ad or those which spoke of him at length1 but simply by copying a ,franciscan legend4#ae ,it suffices to point out by way of memory the long chapter consecrated to ,st4 ,francis in the ,golden ,legend4 ,giachimo di ,voraggio 7,cross #abih7 there sums up with accuracy but without order the essential features of the first legends and in particular the ,second ,life by ,celano4#af ,as for the inscription of ,santa ,maria del ,vescovado at ,assisi it is too unformed to be anything but a simple object of curiosity4#ag 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have given up preparing a complete bibliography of works concerning ,st4 ,francis1 that task having been very well done by the ,abbe ,ulysse ,chevalier in his ,repertoire des sources historiques du moyen age1 ,bio-,bibliographie1 cols4 #gfe-gfg and #behh-beij1 ,paris1 #a vol41 #dto1 #ahgf-ahhh4 ,to it ,i refer my readers4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,he was born at ,vitry sur ,seine1 became ,cure of ,argenteuil1 near ,paris2 ,canon of ,oignies1 in the diocese of ,namur1 preached the crusade against the ,albigenses1 and accompanied the ,crusaders to ,palestine2 having been made ,bishop of ,acre1 he was present in #abai at the siege and at the capture of ,damietta and returned to ,europe in #abbe2 created ,cardinal-bishop of ,frascati in #abbi1 he died in #abdd1 leaving a number of writings4 ,for his life1 see the preface of his ,historiae1 edition of ,douai1 #aeig4 #b ,this letter may be found in 7,bongars7 ,gesta ,dei per ,francio1 pp4 #aadf-aadi4 #c ,jacobi de ,vitriaco ,libri duo quorum prior ,orientalis1 alter ,occidentalis ,historiae nomine inscribitur studio ,fr4 ,moschi ,duaci ex officina ,balthazaris ,belleri1 #aeig1 #afmo1 #dhj pp4 ,chapter xxxii4 fills pages #cdi-cec1 and is entitled ,de ordine et praedicatione fratrum ,minorum4 ,see above1 p4 #bbi4 #d ,this appears from the passage3 ,videmus primus ordinis fundatorem magestrum cui tanquam summo ,priori suo omnes alii obediunt4 ,loc4 cit41 p4 #ceb4 #e ,it is inserted in the treatise of ,sigonius on the bishops of ,bologna3 ,caroli ,sigonii de episcopis ,bononiensibus libri quinque cum notis ,l4 ,c4 ,rabbii1 a work which occupies cols4 #cec-eij of t4 iii4 of his ,opera omnia1 ,milan1 #agcb-agcg1 #f vols41 fo4 ,we find our fragment in col4 #dcb4 #f ,this passage will be found above1 p4 #bda4 #g ,guillelmi ,tyrensis arch4 ,continuala belli sacri historia in ,martene3 ,amplissima ,collectio1 t4 v4 pp4 #ehd-egb4 ,the piece concerning ,francis is cols4 #fhi-fij4 #h ,chronicon ,montis ,sereni 7at present ,petersberg1 near ,halle71 edited by ,ehrenfeuchter in the ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 #bc1 pp4 #acj-bbf1 #bbi4 #i ,burchardi et ,cuonradi ,urspergensium chronicon ed41 ,a4 ,otto ,abel and ,l4 ,weiland1 apud ,mon4 ,germ1 hist41 t4 #bc1 pp4 #ccc-chc4 ,the monastery of ,ursperg was half-way between ,ulm and ,augsburg4 ,vide p4 #cgf4 #aj ,matthaei ,parisiensis monachie ,albanensis1 ,historia major1 edition ,watts1 ,london1 #afdj4 ,the ,brothers ,minor are first mentioned in the year #abjg1 p4 #bbb1 then #abbg1 pp4 #cci-cdb4 #aa ,see the article1 ,minores1 in the table of contents of the ,mon4 ,germ4 hist4 ,script41 t4 xxviii4 #ab ,franz von ,assisi1 p4 #afh ff4 #ac ,see above1 p4 #ig1 his story of the audience with ,innocent ,,iii4 #ad ,for example1 ,chronica ,albrici trium fontium in ,pertz3 ,script41 t4 #bc1 ad ann4 #abjg1 #abbf1 #abbh4 ,vide ,fragment of the chron4 of ,philippe ,mousket 7,cross before #abde74 ,recueil des historiens1 t4 xxii41 p4 #ga1 lines #cjcdg-cjcfj4 ,the number of annalists in this century is appalling1 and there is not one in ten who has omitted to note the foundation of the ,minor ,brothers4 #ae ,for example1 ,vincent de ,beauvais 7,cross #abfd7 gives in his ,speculum historiale1 lib4 #bi1 cap4 #ig-ii1 lib4 #cj1 cap4 #ii-aaa1 nearly every story given by the ,bollandists under the title of ,secunda legenda in their ,commentarium praevium4 #af ,legenda aurea1 ,graesse1 ,breslau1 #ahij1 pp4 #ffb-fgd4 #ag ,a good reproduction of it will be found in the ,miscellanea francescana1 t4 ii41 pp4 #cc-cg1 accompanied by a learned dissertation by ,m4 ,faloci ,pulignani4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,appendix ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,stigmata ,,and ,,the ,,indulgence ,,of ,,august #b ,i4 ,,the ,,stigmata ,a dissertation upon the possibility of miracles would be out of place here2 a historic sketch is not a treatise on philosophy or dogmatics4 ,still1 ,i owe the reader a few explanations1 to enable him with thorough understanding to judge of my manner of viewing the subject4 ,if by miracle we understand either the suspension or subversion of the laws of nature1 or the intervention of the first cause in certain particular cases1 ,i could not concede it4 ,in this negation physical and logical reasons are secondary2 the true reason--let no one be surprised--is entirely religious2 the miracle is immoral4 ,the equality of all before ,god is one of the postulates of the religious consciousness1 and the miracle1 that good pleasure of ,god1 only degrades him to the level of the capricious tyrants of the earth4 ,the existing churches1 making1 as nearly all of them do1 this notion of miracle the very essence of religion and the basis of all positive faith1 involuntarily render themselves guilty of that emasculation of manliness and morality of which they so passionately complain4 ,if ,god intervenes thus irregularly in the affairs of men1 the latter can hardly do otherwise than seek to become courtiers who expect all things of the sovereign's favor4 ,the question changes its aspect1 if we call miracle1 as we most generally do1 all that goes beyond ordinary experience4 ,many apologists delight in showing that the unheard of1 the inexplicable1 are met with all through life4 ,they are right and ,i agree with them1 on condition that they do not at the close of their explanation replace this new notion of the supernatural by the former one4 ,it is thus that ,i have come to conclude the reality of the stigmata4 ,they may have been a unique fact without being more miraculous than other phenomena2 for example1 the mathematical powers or the musical ability of an infant prodigy4 ,there are in the human creature almost indefinite powers1 marvellous energies2 in the great majority of men these lie in torpid slumber1 but awaking to life in a few1 they make of them prophets1 men of genius1 and saints who show humanity its true nature4 ,we have caught but fleeting glimpses into the domain of mental pathology1 so vast is it and unexplored2 the learned men of the future will perhaps make1 in the realms of psychology and physiology1 such discoveries as will bring about a complete revolution in our laws and customs4 ,it remains to examine the stigmata from the point of view of history4 ,and though in this field there is no lack of difficulties1 small and great1 the testimony appears to me to be at once too abundant and too precise not to command conviction4 ,we may at the outset set aside the system of those who hold that ,brother ,elias helped on their appearance by a pious fraud4 ,such a claim might indeed be defended if these marks had been gaping wounds1 as they are now or in most cases have been represented to be2 but all the testimony agrees in describing them1 with the exception of the mark on the side1 as blackish1 fleshy excrescences1 like the heads of nails1 and in the palms of the hands like the points of nails clinched by a hammer4 ,there was no bloody exudation except at the side4 ,on the other hand1 any deception on the part of ,elias would oblige us to hold that his accomplices were actually the heads of the party opposed to him1 ,leo1 ,angelo1 and ,rufino4 ,such want of wit would be surprising indeed in a man so circumspect4 ,finally the psychological agreement between the external circumstances and the event is so close that an invention of this character would be as inexplicable as the fact itself4 ,that which indeed almost always betrays invented or unnatural incidents is that they do not fit into the framework of the facts4 ,they are extraneous events1 purely decorative elements whose place might be changed at will4 ,nothing of the sort is the case here3 ,thomas of ,celano is so veracious and so exact1 that though holding the stigmata to be miraculous1 he gives us all the elements necessary for explaining them in a diametrically opposite manner4 #a4 ,the preponderating place of the passion of ,jesus in ,francis's conscience ever since his conversion 7#a ,cel41 #aae2 #b ,cel41 #a1 #f2 #c1 #bi2 #di2 #eb74 #b4 ,his sojourn in the ,verna coincides with a great increase of mystical fervor4 #c4 ,he there observes a ,lent in honor of the archangel ,st4 ,michael4 #d4 ,the festival of the exaltation of the cross comes on1 and in the vision of the crucified seraph is blended the two ideas which have taken possession of him1 the angels and the crucifix 7#a ,cel41 #ia-if1 #aab-aae74 ,this perfect congruity between the circumstances and the prodigy itself forms a moral proof whose value cannot be exaggerated4 ,it is time to pass the principal witnesses in review4 #a4 ,brother ,elias1 #abbf4 ,on the very day after the death of ,francis1 ,brother ,elias1 in his capacity of vicar1 sent letters to the entire ,order announcing the event and prescribing prayers4#a ,after having expressed his sorrow and imparted to the ,brothers the blessing with which the dying ,francis had charged him for them1 he adds3 ,i announce to you a great joy and a new miracle4 ,never has the world seen such a sign1 except on the ,son of ,god who is the ,christ ,god4 ,for a long time before his death our ,brother and ,father appeared as crucified1 having in his body five wounds which are truly the stigmata of ,christ1 for his hands and his feet bore marks as of nails without and within1 forming a sort of scars2 while at the side he was as if pierced with a lance1 and often a little blood oozed from it4 #b4 ,brother ,leo4 ,we find that it is the very adversary of ,elias who is the natural witness1 not only of the stigmata1 but of the circumstances of their imprinting4 ,this fact adds a peculiar value to his account4 ,we learned above 7,critical ,study1 p4 #cgg7 the untoward fate of a part of the ,legend of ,brothers ,leo1 ,angelo1 and ,rufino4 ,the chapters with which it now closes 7#fh-gc7 and in which the narrative of the miracle occurs1 were not originally a part of it4 ,they are a summary added at a later time to complete this document4 ,this appendix1 therefore1 has no historic value1 and we neither depend on it with the ecclesiastical authors to affirm the miracle1 nor with ,m4 ,hase to call it in question4 ,happily the testimony of ,brother ,leo has come down to us in spite of that4 ,we are not left even to seek for it in the ,speculum1 the ,fioretti1 the ,conformities1 where fragments of his work are to be found2 we find it in several other documents of incontestable authority4 ,the authenticity of the autograph of ,st4 ,francis preserved at ,assisi appears to be thoroughly established 7see ,critical ,study1 p4 #ceg72 it contains the following note by ,brother ,leo's hand3 ,the ,blessed ,francis two years before his death kept on the ,verna in honor of the ,b4 ,v4 ,mary mother of ,god1 and ,st4 ,michael ,archangel1 a ,lent from the festival of the ,assumption of the ,b4 ,v4 ,m4 to the festival of ,st4 ,michael in ,september1 and the hand of ,god was upon him by the vision and the address of the seraph and the impression of the stigmata upon his body4 ,he made the laudes that are on the other side1 444 etc4 ,again1 ,eccleston 7#ac7 shows us ,brother ,leo complaining to ,brother ,peter of ,tewkesbury1 minister in ,england1 that the legend is too brief concerning the events on the ,verna1 and relating to him the greater number of the incidents which form the nucleus of the ,fioretti on the stigmata4 ,these memorials are all the more certain that they were immediately committed to writing by ,peter of ,tewkesbury's companion1 ,brother ,garin von ,sedenfeld4 ,finally ,salembeni1 in his chronicle 7ad ann4 #abbd7 in speaking of ,ezzelino da ,romano is led to oppose him to ,francis4 ,he suddenly remembers the stigmata and says1 ,never man on earth1 but he1 has had the five wounds of ,christ4 ,his companion1 ,brother ,leo1 who was present when they washed the body before the burial1 told me that he looked precisely like a crucified man taken down from the cross4 #c4 ,thomas of ,celano1 before #abcj4 ,he describes them more at length than ,brother ,elias 7#a ,cel41 #id1 #ie1 #aab74 ,the details are too precise not to suggest a lesson learned by heart4 ,the author nowhere assumes to be an eye-witness1 yet he has the tone of a legal deposition4 ,these objections are not without weight1 but the very novelty of the miracle might have induced the ,franciscans to fix it in a sort of canonical and so to say1 stereotyped narrative4 #d4 ,the portrait of ,francis1 by ,berlinghieri1 dated #abcf1b preserved at ,pescia 7province of ,lucca7 shows the stigmata as they are described in the preceding documents4 #e4 ,gregory ,,ix4 in #abcg4 ,bull of ,march #ca2 ,confessor ,domini 7,potthast1 #ajcjg4 ,cf4 #ajcae74 ,a movement of opinion against the stigmata had been produced in certain countries4 ,the pope asks all the faithful to believe in them4 ,two other bulls of the same day1 one addressed to the ,bishop of ,olmuetz1 the other to the ,dominicans1 energetically condemns them for calling the stigmata in question 7,potthast1 #ajcjh and #ajcji74 #f4 ,alexander ,,iv41 in his bull ,benigna operatio of ,october #bi1 #abee 7,potthast1 #afjgg71 states that having formerly been the domestic prelate of ,cardinal ,ugolini1 he knew ,st4 ,francis familiarly1 and supports his description of the stigmata by these relations4 ,to this pontiff are due several bulls declaring excommunicate all those who deny them4 ,these contribute nothing new to the question4 #g4 ,bonaventura 7#abfj7 repeats in his legend ,thomas of ,celano's description 7,bon41 #aic2 cf4 #a ,cel4 #id and #ie71 not without adding some new factors 7,bon41 #aid-bjj and #bae-bah71 often so coarse and clumsy that they inevitably awaken doubt 7see for example1 #bja74 #h4 ,matthew ,paris 7,cross #abei74 ,his discordant witness barely deserves being cited by way of memoir 7see ,critical ,study1 p4 #dca74 ,to be able to forgive the fanciful character of his long disquisitions on ,st4 ,francis1 we are forced to recall to mind that he owed his information to the verbal account of some pilgrim4 ,he makes the stigmata appear a fortnight before the ,saint's death1 shows them continually emitting blood1 the wound on the side so wide open that the heart could be seen4 ,the people gather in crowds to see the sight1 the cardinals come also1 and all together listen to ,francis's strange declarations4 7,historia major1 ,watts's edition ,london1 #a vol4 fol41 #afdj1 pp4 #cci-cdb47 ,this list might be greatly lengthened by the addition of a passage from ,luke bishop of ,tuy 7,lucas ,tudensis7 written in #abca2c based especially on the ,life by ,thomas of ,celano1 and oral witnesses4 ,the statement of ,brother ,boniface1 an eye-witness1 at the chapter of ,genoa 7#abed74 7,eccl4 #ac47 ,finally and especially1 we should study the strophes relating to the stigmata in the proses1 hymns1 and sequences composed in #abbh by the pope and several cardinals for the ,office of ,st4 ,francis2 but such a work1 to be done with accuracy1 would carry us very far1 and the authorities already cited doubtless suffice without bringing in others4#d ,the objections which have been opposed to these witnesses may be reduced1 ,i think1 to the following3#e a4 ,francis's funeral took place with surprising precipitation4 ,dead on ,saturday evening1 he was buried ,sunday morning4 b4 ,his body was enclosed in a coffin1 which is contrary to ,italian habits4 c4 ,at the time of the removal1 the body1 wrested from the multitude1 is so carefully hidden in the basilica that for centuries its precise place has been unknown4 d4 ,the bull of canonization makes no mention of the stigmata4 e4 ,they were not admitted without a contest1 and among those who denied them were some bishops4 ,none of these arguments appears to me decisive4 a4 ,in the ,middle ,ages funerals almost always took place immediately after death 7,innocent ,,iii4 dying at ,perugia ,july #af1 #abaf1 is interred the #agth2 ,honorius ,,iii4 dies ,march #ah1 #abbg1 and is interred the next day74 b4 ,it is more difficult than many suppose to know what were the habits concerning funerals in ,umbria in the thirteenth century4 ,however that may be1 it was certainly necessary to put ,francis's body into a coffin4 ,he being already canonized by popular sentiment1 his corpse was from that moment a relic for which a reliquary was necessary2 nay more1 a strong box such as the secondary scenes in ,berlinghieri's picture shows it to have been4 ,without such a precaution the sacred body would have been reduced to fragments in a few moments4 ,call to mind the wild enthusiasm that led the devotees to cut off the ears and even the breasts of ,st4 ,elizabeth of ,hungary4 ,quaedam aures illius truncabant1 etiam summitatem mamillarum ejus quidam praecidebant et pro reliquiis sibi servabant4--,liber de dictis iv4 ancillarum1 ,mencken1 vol4 ii41 p4 #bjcb4 c4 ,the ceremony of translation brought an innumerable multitude to ,assisi4 ,if ,brother ,elias concealed the body1#f he may have been led to do so by the fear of some organized surprise of the ,perugians to gain possession of the precious relic4 ,with the customs of those days1 such a theft would have been in nowise extraordinary4 ,these very ,perugians a few years later stole away from ,bastia1 a village dependent on ,assisi1 the body of ,conrad of ,offida1 which was performing innumerable miracles there4 7,conform41 #fj;b1 #a2 cf4 ,giord41 #ej47 ,similar affrays took place at ,padua over the relics of ,st4 ,anthony4 7,hilaire1 ,saint ,antoine de ,padoue1 sa legende primitive1 ,montreuil-sur-,mer1 #a vol41 #hvo1 #ahij1 pp4 #cj-dj47 d4 ,the bull of canonization1 with the greater number of such documents1 for that matter1 makes no historic claim4 ,in its wordy rhetoric we shall sooner learn the history of the ,philistines1 of ,samson1 or even of ,jacob1 than of ,st4 ,francis4 ,canonization here is only a pretext which the old pontiff seizes for recurring to his favorite figures4 ,this silence signifies nothing after the very explicit testimony of other bulls by the same pontiff in #abbg1 and after the part given to the stigmata in the liturgical songs which in #abbh he composed for the office of ,st4 ,francis4 e4 ,these attacks by certain bishops are in nowise surprising2 they are episodes in the struggle of the secular clergy against the mendicant orders4 ,at the time when these negations were brought forward 7#abcg7 the narrative of ,thomas of ,celano was official and everywhere known2 nothing therefore would have been easier1 half a score of years after the events1 than to bring witnesses to expose the fraud if there had been any2 but the ,bishop of ,olmuetz and the others base their objections always and only upon dogmatic grounds4 ,as to the attacks of the ,dominicans1 it is needless to recall the rivalry between the two ,orders2#g is it not then singular to find these protestations coming from ,silesia 767 and never from ,central ,italy1 where1 among other eye-witnesses1 ,brother ,leo was yet living 7,cross #abga78 ,thus the witnesses appear to me to maintain their integrity4 ,we might have preferred them more simple and shorter1 we could wish that they had reached us without details which awake all sorts of suspicions1#h but it is very seldom that a witness does not try to prove his affirmations and to prop them up by arguments which1 though detestable1 are appropriate to the vulgar audience to which he is speaking4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,pardon ,,of ,,august #b;,d1 ,,called ,,indulgence ,,of ,,portiuncula#i ,this question might be set aside2 on the whole it has no direct connection with the history of ,st4 ,francis4 ,yet it occupies too large a place in modern biographies not to require a few words3 it is related that ,francis was in prayer one night at ,portiuncula when ,jesus and the ,virgin appeared to him with a retinue of angels4 ,he made bold to ask an unheard-of privilege1 that of plenary indulgence of all sins for all those who1 having confessed and being contrite1 should visit this chapel4 ,jesus granted this at his mother's request1 on the sole condition that his vicar the pope would ratify it4 ,the next day ,francis set out for ,perugia1 accompanied by ,masseo1 and obtained from ,honorius the desired indulgence1 but only for the day of ,august #b;d4 ,such1 in a few lines1 is the summary of this legend1 which is surrounded with a crowd of marvellous incidents4 ,the question of the nature and value of indulgences is not here concerned4 ,the only one which is here put is this3 ,did ,francis ask this indulgence and did ,honorius ,,iii4 grant it8 ,merely to reduce it to these simple proportions is to be brought to answer it with a categorical ,no4 ,it would be tedious to refer even briefly to the difficulties1 contradictions1 impossibilities of this story1 many a time pointed out by orthodox writers4 ,in spite of all they have come to the affirmative conclusion3 ,roma locuta est4 ,those whom this subject may interest will find in the note above detailed bibliographical indications of the principal elements of this now quieted discussion4 ,i shall confine myself to pointing out the impossibilities with which tradition comes into collision2 they are both psychological and historical4 ,the ,bollandists long since pointed out the silence of ,francis's early biographers upon this question4 ,now that the published documents are much more numerous1 this silence is still more overwhelming4 ,neither the ,first nor the ,second ,life by ,thomas of ,celano1 nor the anonymous author of the second life given in the ,acta ,sanctorum1 nor even the anonymous writer of ,perugia1 nor the ,three ,companions1 nor ,bonaventura say a single word on the subject4 ,no more do very much later works mention it1 which sin only by excessive critical scruples3 ,bernard of ,besse1 ,giordiano di ,giano1 ,thomas ,eccleston1 the ,chronicle of the ,tribulations1 the ,fioretti1 and even the ,golden ,legend4 ,this conspiracy of silence of all the writers of the thirteenth century would be the greatest miracle of history if it were not absurd4 ,by way of explanation1 it has been said that these writers refrained from speaking of this indulgence for fear of injuring that of the ,crusade2 but in that case1 why did the pope command seven bishops to go to ,portiuncula to proclaim it in his name8 ,the legend takes upon itself to explain that ,francis refused a bull or any written attestation of this privilege2 but1 admitting this1 it would still be necessary to explain why no hint of this matter has been preserved in the papers of ,honorius ,,iii4 ,and how is it that the bulls sent to the seven bishops have left not the slightest trace upon this pontiff's register8 ,again1 how does it happen1 if seven bishops officially promulgated this indulgence in #abag1 that ,st4 ,francis1 after having related to ,brother ,leo his interview with the pope1 said to him3 ,teneas secretum hoc usque circa mortem tuam2 quia non habet locum adhuc4 ,quia haec indulgentia occultabitur ad tempus2 sed ,dominus trahet eam extra et manifestabitur4 ,conform41 #aec;b1 #b4 ,such an avowal is not wanting in simplicity4 ,it abundantly proves that before the death of ,brother ,leo 7#abga7 no one had spoken of this famous pardon4 ,after this it is needless to insist upon secondary difficulties2 how is it that the chapters-general were not fixed for ,august #b;d1 to allow the ,brothers to secure the indulgence8 ,how explain that ,francis1 after having received in #abaf a privilege unique in the annals of the ,church1 should be a stranger to the pope in #abai6 ,there is1 however1 one more proof whose value exceeds all the others--,francis's ,will3 ,i forbid absolutely all the ,brothers by their obedience1 in whatever place they may be1 to ask any bull of the court of ,rome1 whether directly or indirectly1 nor under pretext of church or convent1 nor under pretext of preaching1 nor even for their personal protection4 ,before closing it remains for us to glance at the growth of this legend4 ,it was definitively constituted about #accj-acdj1 but it was in the air long before4 ,with the patience of four ,benedictines 7of the best days7 we should doubtless be able to find our way in the medley of documents1 more or less corrupted1 from which it comes to us1 and little by little we might find the starting-point of this dream in a friar who sees blinded humanity kneeling around ,portiuncula to recover sight4#aj ,it is not difficult to see in general what led to the materialization of this graceful fancy3 people remembered ,francis's attachment to the chapel where he had heard the decisive words of the gospel1 and where ,st4 ,clara in her turn had entered upon a new life4 ,when the great ,basilica of ,assisi was built1 drawing to itself pilgrims and privileges1 an opposition of principles and of inspiration came to be added to the petty rivalry between it and ,portiuncula4 ,the zealots of poverty said aloud that though the ,saint's body rested in the basilica his heart was at ,portiuncula4#aa ,by dint of repeating and exaggerating what ,francis had said about the little sanctuary1 they came to give a precise and so to say doctrinal sense to utterances purely mystical4 ,the violences and persecutions of the party of the ,large ,observance under the generalship of ,crescentius#ab 7#abdd-abdg7 aroused a vast increase of fervor among their adversaries4 ,to the bull of ,innocent ,,iv4 declaring the basilica thenceforth ,caput et ,mater of the ,order#ac the ,zealots replied by the narratives of ,celano's ,second ,life and the legends of that period4#ad ,they went so far as to quote a promise of ,francis to make it in perpetuity the ,mater et ,caput of his institute4#ae ,in this way the two parties came to group themselves around these two buildings4 ,even to-day it is the same4 ,the ,franciscans of the ,strict ,observance occupy ,portiuncula1 while the ,basilica of ,assisi is in the hands of the ,conventuals 7,large ,observance71 who have adopted all the interpretations and mitigations of the ,rules2 they are worthy folk1 who live upon their dividends4 ,by a phenomenon1 unique1 ,i think1 in the annals of the ,church1 they have pushed the freedom of their infidelity to the point of casting off the habit1 the popular brown cassock4 ,dressed all in black1 shod and hatted1 nothing distinguishes them from the secular clergy except a modest little cord4 ,poor ,francis6 ,that he may have the joy of feeling his tomb brushed by a coarse gown1 some daring friar must overcome his very natural repugnances1 and come to kneel there4 ,the indulgence of ,august #b;d is then the reply of the ,zealots to the persecutions of their brothers4 ,an attentive study will perhaps show it emerging little by little under the generalship of ,raimondo ,gaufridi 7#abhi-abie72 ,conrad di ,offida 7,cross #acjf7 seems to have had some effect upon it1 but only with the next generation do we find the legend completed and avowed in open day4 ,begun in a misapprehension it ends by imposing itself upon the ,church1 which to-day guarantees it with its infallible authority1 and yet in its origin it was a veritable cry of revolt against the decisions of ,rome4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,the text was published in #afbj by ,spoelberch 7in his ,speculum vitae ,b4 ,francisci1 ,antwerp1 #b vols41 #abmo1 ii41 pp4 #ajc-ajf71 after the copy addressed to ,brother ,gregory1 minister in ,france1 and then preserved in the convent of the ,recollects in ,valenciennes4 ,it was reproduced by ,wadding 7,ann4 #abbf1 no4 #dd7 and the ,bollandists 7pp4 #ffh and #ffi74 ,so late an appearance of a capital document might have left room for doubts2 there is no longer reason for any1 since the publication of the chronicle of ,giordano di ,giano1 who relates the sending of this letter 7,giord41 #ej74 ,the ,abbe ,amoni has also published this text 7at the close of his ,legenda trium ,sociorum1 ,rome1 #ahhj1 pp4 #aje-aji71 but according to his deplorable habit1 he neglects to tell whence he has drawn it4 ,this is the more to be regretted since he gives a variant of the first order3 ,nam diu ante mortem instead of ,non diu1 as ,spoelberch's text has it4 ,the reading ,nam diu appears preferable from a philological point of view4 #b ,engraved in ,saint ,francois d',assise1 ,paris1 #dto1 #ahhe1 p4 #bgg4 #c ,bibliotheca ,patrum4 ,lyons1 #afgg1 xxv41 adv4 ,albigenses1 lib4 ii41 cap4 #aa41 cf4 iii41 #ad and #ae4 ,reproduced in the ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #feb4 #d ,the curious may consult the following sources3 ,salimbeni1 ann4 #abej--;,conform41 #aga;b #b1 #bce;a #b2 ,bon41 #bjj2 ,wadding1 ann4 #abbh1 no4 #gh2 ,a4 ,,ss41 p4 #hjj4 ,manuscript #cdj of the ,sacro ,convento contains 7fo4 #ee;b-#ef;b7 four of these hymns4 ,cf4 ,archiv4 i41 p4 #dhe4 #e ,see in particular ,hase3 ,franz v4 ,assisi4 ,leipsic1 #a vol41 #hvo41 #ahef4 ,the learned professor devotes no less than sixty closely printed pages to the study of the stigmata1 #adb-bjb4 #f ,the more ,i think about it1 the more incapable ,i become of attributing any sort of weight to this argument from the disappearance of the body2 for in fact1 if there had been any pious fraud on ,elias's part1 he would on the contrary have displayed the corpse4 #g ,see1 for example1 #b ,cel41 #c1 #hf1 as well as the encyclical of ,giovanni di ,parma and ,umberto di ,romano1 in #abbe4 #h ,the following among many others3 ,francis had particularly high breeches made for him1 to hide the wound in the side 7,bon41 #bja74 ,at the moment of the apparition1 which took place during the night1 so great a light flooded the whole country1 that merchants lodging in the inns of ,casentino saddled their beasts and set out on their way4 ,fior41 iii4 consid4 ,hase1 in his study1 is continually under the weight of the bad impression made upon him by ,bonaventura's deplorable arguments2 he sees the other witness only through him4 ,i think that if he had read simply ,thomas of ,celano's first ,life1 he would have arrived at very different conclusions4 #i ,the most important document is manuscript #cdd of the archives of ,sacro ,convento at ,assisi4 ,liber indulgentiae ,s4 ,mariae de ,angelis sive de ,portiuncula in quo libra ego fr4 ,franciscus ,bartholi de ,assisio posui quidquid potui sollicite invenire in legendis antiquis et novis b4 ,francisci et in aliis dictis sociorum ejus de loco eodem et commendatione ipsius loci et quidquid veritatis et certitudinis potui invenire de sacra indulgentia prefati loci1 quomodo scilicet fuit impetrata et data b4 ,francisco de miraculis ipsius indulgentiae quae ipsam declarant certam et veram4 ,bartholi lived in the first half of the fourteenth century4 ,his work is still unpublished1 but ,father ,leo ,patrem ,m4 ,o4 is preparing it for publication4 ,the name of this learned monk gives every guaranty for the accuracy of this difficult work2 meanwhile a detailed description and long extracts may be found in the ,miscellanea 7ii41 #ahhg74 ,la storia del perdono di ,francesco de ,bartholi1 by ,don ,michele ,faloci ,pulignani1 pp4 #adi-aec 7cf4 ,archiv41 i41 p4 #dhf74 ,see also in the ,miscellanea 7i41 #ahhf1 p4 #ae7 a bibliographical note containing a detailed list of fifty-eight works 7cf4 ibid41 pp4 #dh1 #ade74 ,the legend itself is found in the ,speculum1 #fi;b-#hc;a1 and in the ,conformities1 #aea;b-#aeg;a4 ,in these two collections it is still found laboriously worked in and is not an integral part of the rest of the work4 ,in the latter1 ,bartolemmeo di ,pisa has carried accuracy so far as to copy from end to end all the documents that he had before him1 and as they belong to different periods he thus gives us several phases of the development of the tradition4 ,the most complete work is that of the ,recollect ,father ,grouwel3 ,historia critica ,s4 ,indulgentiae ,b4 ,mariae ,angelorum vulgo de ,portiuncula 444 contra ,libellos aliquos anonymo ac famosos nuper editos1 ,antwerp1 #agbf1 #a vol41 #hvo4 pp4 #eaj4 ,the ,bollandist ,suysken also makes a long study of it 7,a4 ,,ss41 pp4 #hgi-iaj71 as also the ,recollect ,father ,candide ,chalippe1 ,vie de saint ,francois d',assise1 #c vols41 #hvo1 ,paris1 #ahgd 7the first edition is of #agbj71 vol4 iii41 pp4 #aij-cbg4 ,in each of these works we find what has been said in all the others4 ,the numerous writings against the ,indulgence are either a collection of vulgarities or dogmatic treatises2 ,i refrain from burdening these pages with them4 ,the principal ones are indicated by ,grouwel and ,chalippe4 ,among contemporaries ,father ,barnabas of ,alsace3 ,portiuncula oder ,geschichte ,unserer lieben ,frau von den ,engeln 7,rixheim1 #a vol41 #hvo4 #ahhd71 represents the tradition of the ,order1 and the ,abbe ,le ,monnier 7,histoire de ,saint ,francois1 #b vols41 #hvo1 ,paris1 #ahhi71 moderate ,catholic opinion in non-,franciscan circles4 ,the best summary is that of ,father ,panfilo da ,magliano in his ,storia compendiosa4 ,it has been completed and amended in the ,german translation3 ,geschichte des h4 ,franciscus und der ,franziskaner uebersetzt und bearbeitet von ,fr4 ,quintianus ,mueller1 vol4 i41 ,munich1 #ahhc1 pp4 #bcc-bei4 #aj #b ,cel41 #a1 #ac2 #c ,soc41 #ef2 ,bon41 #bd4 #aa ,conform41 #bci;b1 #b4 #ab ,see in particular ,archiv41 ii41 p4 #bei1 and the bull of ,february #g1 #abdf4 ,potthast1 #abjjg2 ,glassberger1 ann4 #abdd 7,an4 fr4 t4 ii41 p4 #fi74 #ac ,is qui ecclesiam1 ,march4 #f1 #abde1 ,potthast1 #aaegf4 #ad #b ,cel41 #a1 #ab 7cf4 ,conform41 #bah;a1 #a72 #c ,soc41 #ef2 ,spec41 #cb;b ff42 #di;b ff42 ,conform41 #add;a1 #b4 #ae ,conform41 #afi;a2 #b1 #bag;b4 #a ff4 ,cf4 ,fior41 ,amoni's ed4 7,appendix to the ,codex of the ,bib4 ,angelica71 p4 #cgh4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes ,,text ,,conventions ,text surrounded by underscores 7text7 indicates italics in the original4 ,text surrounded by tildes 7text7 indicates bold in the original4 ',folio' abbreviation3 ,the original has two versions4 ',f' or 'f' followed by superscripted 'o' is transcribed ,fo_/fo4 'fo4'_/'fos4' is transcribed 'fo4'_/'fos4'4 ,cross is used where the text had a single character that resembled a ,maltese ,cross1 and denotes year of death4 ,footnotes have been moved from the bottom of each page to the end of each chapter1 and renumbered by chapter4 ,,changes ,,from ,,the ,,original ,,text ,in many spots in the scans1 primarily in footnote citations1 periods and commas are partially or completely obscured1 with white space where the mark would logically appear4 ,where the scan is unclear1 punctuation has been transcribed to match the most common use in the book4 ,where the punctuation is different from common usage1 but clearly present 7i4e4 no extra white space after an abbreviation or full comma where a period seems to make more sense71 the scans have been replicated4 ,there were a number of incidences of missing closing quotation marks1 particularly for dialog or prayers4 ,these have been corrected without further comment4 ,two lines missing from the translation of the prayer commonly known as ,the ,canticle of ,all ,creatures 7,chapter ,,xvii7 have been added4 ,the added text is shown in braces 774 ',analecta ,fracniscana' in ,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,works1 ,section ,,iv1 ,part ,,iii1 ,footnote #i was changed to ',analecta ,franciscana'4 ',served by a poor priest who scarely' in ,chapter ,,iv was changed to ',served by a poor priest who scarcely'4 ,in the original text1 'obediunt' was ,,not italicized in the following quotation3 ,videmus primus ordinis fundatorem magestrum cui tanquam summo ,priori suo omnes alii obediunt4 7,,critical ,,study ,,of ,,the ,,works1 ,section ,,iii1 ,part ,v1 ,footnote #d74 ,it is italicized here4 ,chapter ,,xv1 footnote #d had no anchor marker in the original text4 ,the placement of this marker in this transcription is not confirmed4