,transcriber's ,notes ,this text is derived from a copy in the ,ave ,maria ,university library1 catalog number ,b #gfe 4,b#gd ,c#fgh #aiaa ,footnotes have been renumbered to avoid ambiguity4 ,end ,transcriber's ,notes ,,the ,,friar ,,saints ,,series ,editors for the ,franciscan ,lives ,the ,very ,rev4 ,fr4 ,,osmund4 ,o4,f4,m41 ,provincial1 and ,c4 ,m4 ,,antony ,editors for the ,dominican ,lives ,the ,rev4 ,fr4 ,,bede ,,jarrett4 ,o4,p41 and ,c4 ,m4 ,,antony ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,nihil ,obstat3 ,d4 ,,thomas ,,bergh1 ,o4,s4,b41 ,censor ,deputatus ,imprimatur3 ,,edm4 ,,can4 ,,surmont1 ,vicarius ,generalis ,,westmonasterii1 die #cj ,martii1 #aiaa4 ,illustration2 ,,st4 ,,bonaventure4 ,from an engraving by ,eitel after the painting by ,cavazzola 7,p4 ,morando7 ,,saint ,,bonaventure ,,the ,,seraphic ,,doctor ,,minister-,,general ,,of ,,the ,,franciscan ,,order ,,cardinal ,,bishop ,,of ,,albano ,,by ,,the ,,rev4 ,,fr4 ,,laurence ,,costelloe1 ,o4,f4,m4 ,illustration3 ,herald4 ,,deus ,,meus ,,et ,,omnia ,,with ,,six ,,illustrations ,,longmans1 ,,green ,,and ,,co4 ,,fourth ,,avenue ,,and #cj,,th ,,street1 ,,new ,,york ,,london1 ,,bombay ,,and ,,calcutta #aiaa v ,,prefatory ,,notice4 ,the first two volumes of the ,friar ,saints ,series now published will be followed at short intervals by four more ,lives1 two at a time1 ,dominican and ,franciscan together4 ,should the first six ,lives prove successful they will be followed by a second set of six4 ,the order of publication will probably be as follows3-- ,dominican4 7#a7 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 ,by ,fr4 ,,placid ,,conway1 ,o4,p4 7#b7 ,st4 ,vincent ,ferrer4 ,by ,fr4 ,,stanislaus ,,hogan1 ,o4,p4 7#c7 ,st4 ,pius ,v4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,antony4 7#d7 ,st4 ,antoninus of ,florence4 ,by ,fr4 ,,bede ,,jarrett1 ,o4,p4 7#e7 ,st4 ,raymond of ,pennafort4 ,by ,fr4 ,,thomas ,,schwertner1 ,o4,p 7#f7 ,st4 ,louis ,bertrand4 ,by the ,rev4 ,mother ,,mary ,,reginald1 ,franciscan4 7#a7 ,st4 ,bonaventure4 ,by ,fr4 ,,laurence ,,costelloe4 ,o4,f4,m4 7#b7 ,st4 ,antony of ,padua4 ,by ,c4 ,m4 ,,antony4 7#c7 ,st4 ,john ,capistran4 ,by ,fr4 ,,vincent ,,fitzgerald1 ,o4,f4,m4 7#d7 ,st4 ,bernardine of ,siena4 ,by ,miss ,m4 ,,ward4 7#e7 ,st4 ,leonard of ,port-,maurice4 ,by ,fr4 ,,alexander ,,murphy1 ,o4,f4,m4 7#f7 ,st4 ,peter of ,alcantara4 ,by ,fr4 ,,eobert ,,carrol1 ,o4,f4,m4 ,o4,s4,d4 vi ,the ,friar ,saints ,series1 which has received the warm approval of the authorities of both ,orders in ,england1 ,ireland1 and ,america1 is earnestly recommended to ,tertiaries1 and to the ,catholic public generally4 ,the ,master-,general of the ,dominicans at ,rome1 sending his blessing to the writers and readers of the ,friar ,saints ,series1 says3 ,the ,lives should teach their readers not only to know the ,saints1 but also to imitate them 4 ,the ,minister-,general of the ,franciscans1 ,fr4 ,denis ,schuler1 sends his blessing and best wishes for the success of the ,lives of the ,friar ,saints4 ,f4 ,,osmund4 ,o4,f4,m41 ,,provincial1 ,f4 ,,bede ,,jarrett1 ,o4,p41 ,c4 ,m4 ,,antony1 ,editors4 vii ,,foreword4 ,the life of ,saint ,bonaventure1 the ,seraphic ,doctor1 is now appropriately presented to the public as the first of the ,franciscan lives in this ,series of the ,lives of the ,friar ,saints4 ,till the days of this ,second ,founder of the ,franciscan ,order1 the simplicity of our ,holy ,father ,st4 ,francis had been the salient feature of his institute3 no successful effort had hitherto been made to organize the growing ,order unto the full measure of its efficiency4 ,speaking generally1 everything so far had been left to individual initiative1 and the keynote of those early days is struck in the liberty enjoyed by the individual--a liberty which1 though charming to contemplate and of irresistible appeal to a democratic age1 is yet incompatible with the distinctive work a corporate body must perforce fulfil if its deeds are to justify its viii existence4 ,to effect this purpose a certain amount of that rigid uniformity attendant on all organization was imperatively demanded4 ,under the influence of ,st4 ,bonaventure this was successfully accomplished4 ,among the many elements that entered into this process of development we must1 perhaps1 assign the most conspicuous place to the systematic pursuit of learning which our ,saint engrafted on ,st4 ,francis' ideal of contemplation and zeal1 and which1 under the guidance of ,god's ,providence1 has been destined to render the ,franciscan ,order an effective force in dealing with the world's most vital problems4 ,together with this pursuit of learning came the introduction into the ,order of a uniform exterior observance2 an observance inculcated and fostered by a systematized code of ,constitutions and ordinances which remain substantially the same to-day as when first framed centuries ago4 ,the life of ,st4 ,bonaventure may1 accordingly1 be considered as the ideal to which the modern ,franciscan tends3 an ideal in which the simplicity of ,st4 ,francis is blended with a thorough grasp of the latest developments in scientific thought3 in which personal holiness1 because cognizant of self-weakness1 is ix large-hearted and generous in its sympathy with others3 in which the multitudinous details of active and administrative life are raised by a strong interior spirit from what might be a fertile source of distraction into a means of closer union with ,god4 ,we have now but to add that the following pages on the life-work of ,st4 ,bonaventure1 written by the late ,fr4 ,laurence ,costelloe1 ,o4,f4,m41 are based on the critical life of the ,seraphic ,doctor contained in the tenth volume of his works 7,quaracchi1 #aijb74 ,at the request of his superiors he intended to revise and publish his work1 but sudden death frustrated his design4 ,this revision has now been undertaken by the ,rev4 ,fr4 ,leo1 ,o4,f4,m41 who has verified the sources1 and introduced such changes as were demanded by the prescribed length of this work4 ,,osmund ,,cooney1 ,o4,f4,m41 ,provincial4 ,,the ,,friary1 ,,forest ,,gate1 ,,london1 ,feast of the ,annunciation1 #aiaa x xi ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,childhood ,,and ,,youth #a ,,ii4 ,,sanctity ,,and ,,learning #h ,,iii4 ,,the ,,mendicant ,,orders ,,assailed #ag ,,iv4 ,,the ,,mendicants ,,vindicated #bc ,v4 ,,minister-,,general #cj ,,vi4 ,,discipline ,,and ,,observance #cg ,,vii4 ,,incidents ,,of ,,administration #de ,,viii4 ,,st4 ,,francis' ,,biographer #ef ,,ix4 ,,interior ,,spirit #fd ,x4 ,,love ,,of ,,god #gb ,,xi4 ,,the ,,archbishopric ,,of ,,york #hb ,,xii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,anecdotes ,,of ,,the ,,saint #hh ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,cardinalate #ig ,,xiv4 ,,death #ajd ,,xv4 ,,canonization #aae xii ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,frontispiece ,from an ,engraving by ,eitel1 after the painting by ,cavazzola 7,p4 ,morando74 ,,the ,,coronation ,,of ,,our ,,lady ,to face ,to face p4 #cf ,from a ,photograph by ,alinari of the picture by ,pinturichio in the ,vatican1 ,rome4 ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,,in ,,ecstasy ,,while ,,writing ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis ,,is ,,visited ,,by ,,st4 ,,thomas ,,aquinas ,from a ,fresco by ,giacomelli in the ,franciscan ,church at ,cimiex ,to face p4 #fb ,,the ,,papal ,,envoy ,,presenting ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,,with ,,the ,,cardinal',s ,,hat ,page #gc ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,from ,raphael's ,disputa in the ,vatican4 ,page #aje ,,st4 ,,bonaventure4 ,church of ,s4 ,maria degli ,angeli1 ,dintorni 7,tiberio d' ,assisi7 ,from a ,photograph by ,alinari4 ,to face p4 #aad #a ,,chapter ,i4 ,,childhood ,,and ,,youth4 ,it is refreshing to turn from the depressing materialism of the present time to the inspiring faith of the ,middle ,ages4 ,the change of outlook is invigorating2 it has on the soul the effect which a bracing atmosphere has on the body4 ,the temper of modern times tends to enfeeble our sense of the supernatural4 ,if we would maintain undiminished our spiritual vigour we must withdraw occasionally from its influence and endeavour to dwell for a time in a more healthy religious atmosphere4 ,this is why ,i would take my readers back to the thirteenth century--a period glowing with the faith and fervour of the great spiritual revival effected by ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,dominic4 ,i do not intend to treat of that epoch and its characteristics generally2 a field so wide could be but very imperfectly surveyed in these pages4 ,i think we shall receive a clearer and more forcible impression of it if we study it as exemplified in the life of one #b of those great saints who personified its spirit in themselves4 ,of course we should find this in all its fulness in ,st4 ,francis1 but there are so many works treating of the ,seraphic ,patriarch that only the discovery of some entirely new aspect of his marvellous life would fully justify another4 ,i do not pretend to this2 but ,i consider that we shall achieve our purpose by studying the life of one of ,francis' most remarkable sons1 viz4 the ,seraphic ,doctor1 ,st4 ,bonaventure4 ,this great man presents to us an aspect of the ,franciscan spirit which those who study the life of ,st4 ,francis in all its literal simplicity may fail to discover4 ,for actual pre-eminence in learning and the establishment of means to secure its continuance amongst his followers do not at first sight appear to receive either approval or support from the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,learning and the honour naturally attaching to it seem to savour of temporal greatness1 but direct and absolute opposition to this was the dominant note in ,francis' life4 ,he would have his brethren called ,friars ,minor1 or lesser brethren1 and he directly says in his ,rule3 ,let those who are unlearned not seek to learn4 ,yet we find ,st4 ,bonaventure--deeply imbued with the spirit of ,st4 ,francis1 and seventh ,general of his ,order--bearing the high dignity of ,master of ,theology and ,arts1 and as ,cardinal of the ,holy ,roman ,church1 occupying one of the most exalted stations in ,christendom4 #c ,in the course of our survey we shall discover the secret of this apparent anomaly4 ,no one appears to have been more fully alive to its existence than ,st4 ,bonaventure himself1 as frequent references to it in his writings testify4 ,it is from these references and the explanations they contain that we receive the truest insight into the development of the spirit of learning in the ,franciscan ,order4 ,st4 ,bonaventure was born in the year #abba1 at ,balneumregis1 the modern ,bagnorea1 in the vicinity of ,viterbo4 ,his parents were ,john and ,ritella ,fidanza4 ,their station in life is a matter of conjecture4 ,one historian asserts that ,john ,fidanza was descended from the noble house of ,fidanza of ,castello1 and was a ,master of ,medicine4 ,we are in no way concerned to prove the nobility of ,bonaventure's ancestors4 ,his personal eminence in learning and holiness1 with which alone we are concerned1 was not the inheritance of rank or station4 ,it may have been otherwise with those instincts of piety and virtue that developed in his soul even as a child4 ,to the fostering care of a devout mother the presence of these may justly be attributed4 ,experience teaches us that the mother's influence1 if it be good1 and well and prudently directed1 is paramount in the life of the child for all time1 determining it for good according to the degree of its own excellence4 ,of the early years of our ,saint only one striking episode is preserved to us1 which is thus recorded #d by himself in his introduction ,footnote #a to the ,life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,lamenting his inability and unworthiness to relate that life most worthy of all imitation1 he feels himself bound1 through the love he is compelled to feel for our ,holy ,father1 to undertake the task which the ,general ,chapter so urgently laid on him4 ,for1 he continues1 through his invocation and merits ,i was snatched from the jaws of death while yet a child--as ,i remember with fresh and vivid memory4 ,were ,i then to refrain from publishing his praises ,i should fear to incur the crime of ingratitude4 ,in his smaller life of ,st4 ,francis1,footnote #b he again refers to this incident1 but adds a further detail4 ,god does not cease1 are his words1 to glorify his servant by numberless miracles wrought in various parts of the world1 as ,i myself can vouch from personal experience4 ,for as ,i lay dangerously ill as a child1 ,i was snatched from the very jaws of death and restored to healthy life owing to a vow my mother made to the ,blessed ,father ,francis4 ,footnote #a3 ,legenda ,major ,sti ,francisci1 ,prolog4 ,no4#c4 ,footnote #b3 ,legenda ,minor ,sti ,francisci1 ,lectio ,octava4 ,around this incident1 thus simply recorded1 the legend has grown up that our ,saint owes his name to a prophecy uttered by ,st4 ,francis on the occasion of his cure4 ,we are told that the sick child was presented to ,francis by the anxious mother who with tears besought his intercession4 ,the ,saint took the child in his arms and1 raising his eyes to #e ,heaven1 prayed earnestly for its restoration4 ,assured that his petition was granted1 he restored it to its mother1 and regarding it with prophetic gaze1 exclaimed1 ,o buona ventura--,oh good luck6 ,we cannot vouch for the authenticity of this narrative1 but it has the support of a fairly reliable tradition4 ,one thing is certain1 that prior to the time of our ,saint1 the name ,bonaventure was in existence4 ,from his father he appears to have received the name of ,john1 and in many ,,mss4 he is frequently referred to under that name4 ,he has also been referred to as ,eustachius1 ,jacobus1 ,eutychius4 ,this must be attributed partly to errors in transcription and partly to the ,saint's intercourse with ,greek theologians who adapted the ,greek form of his name4 ,bonaventure1 however1 is the name by which he was commonly known to his contemporaries1 and it is the one under which his fame has come down to us4 ,as has been said1 the story of his boyhood is lost to us4 ,we might sketch a fanciful portrait of it1 to harmonize with the holiness and learning of his subsequent life1 but conjecture is not history4 ,in the absence of recorded facts we are condemned to silence4 ,the biographers to whom we might look for enlightenment on this matter are silent4 ,they seem so intent on proclaiming the world-wide fame of his mature years and recording his great achievements on behalf of the ,church and the ,franciscan ,order1 that they have overlooked the #f comparatively obscure period of his youth4 ,this was no uncommon fault with the chroniclers of that period4 ,we have another very striking example of it in the insoluble obscurity in which the biographers of the renowned ,duns ,scotus have left the question of his birthplace and nationality4 ,we do not know where ,bonaventure acquired the rudiments of learning2 we do not know with anything like certainty the name of the convent in which he made his novitiate4 ,our certain knowledge of him dates from his appearance in ,paris in the year #abdb4 ,certain of our ,saint's words1 however1 lift the veil1 though somewhat slightly1 from the shadows that obscure his early years4 ,writing in after years against a detractor of the ,rule he professed1 ,bonaventure thus gave expression ,footnote #c to the trend of his earlier thoughts3 ,do not take offence1 he wrote1 that in the beginning1 the brethren were simple and unlettered4 ,this ought rather to raise the ,order in your esteem4 ,for my part ,i acknowledge as before ,god that what chiefly drew me to love the life-work of ,blessed ,francis was that it bore so close a resemblance to the beginning and growth of the ,church4 ,as the ,church began with simple fishermen and afterwards numbered renowned and skilled doctors1 so too did it happen in the ,order of the ,blessed ,francis4 ,in this way ,god makes it #g evident that the ,institute was founded not by the prudence of men but by ,christ4 ,footnote #c3 ,epistola de tribus ,quaestionibus1 ,tom4 ,,viii1 p4 #ccf4 ,no4 #ac4 ,with his mind penetrated with that miracle of his early years we can readily conceive how the spiritual awakening started by the ,franciscan movement seized on ,bonaventure's thoughts4 ,his mother's vow1 harmonizing with his youthful desires1 would clothe those impulses with the glamour of the virtue of religion4 ,it is certain that our ,saint entered the ,franciscan ,order as a youth2 all the ancient chroniclers testify to this4 ,the precise year of his reception1 however1 is a debatable question4 ,to the learned editors of our ,saint's works ,footnote #d it seems almost established that he entered the ,order in the year #abch4 ,we know authoritatively that it was in the novitiate of the ,roman ,province ,st4 ,bonaventure received the habit1 but the name of the friary has not come down to us4 ,the three years following on his profession in #abci were spent in the study of philosophy at some quiet house of the ,roman ,province which tradition tells us was ,orvieto4 ,wherever these three years were passed1 our ,saint's lectors could not but notice his opening powers1 and plans were formed for developing those conspicuous abilities which would reflect1 they were sure--and time has ratified their conviction--such glory on the ,order4 ,accordingly in #abdb ,bonaventure proceeded to the ,university of ,paris4 ,footnote #d3 ,opera ,omnia 7,quaracchi1 #aijb71 ,tom4 ,x1 pp4 #db1 #dc1 #dd4 #h ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,sanctity ,,and ,,learning4 ,when ,st4 ,bonaventure arrived at ,paris he was twenty-one years of age and had spent three years in the ,order4 ,in those days ,paris was the great centre of philosophical and theological learning4 ,universities devoted to the study of those branches did not exist in ,italy until fully a century later1 hence all who were desirous of acquiring proficiency in these sciences had to journey to ,france4 ,the ,franciscans founded a monastery at ,paris about the year #abaf4 ,footnote #e ,only about twenty years later were they thoroughly established there4 ,by the munificent benefactions of ,st4 ,louis and his saintly mother1 ,blanche of ,castille1 they succeeded in erecting a large church and monastery4 ,the latter was to be the chief house of studies not only for ,france but for all the ,provinces of the ,order4 ,footnote #e3 ,wadding1 ,tom4 ,i1 ,anno #abai4 ,no4 #dc4 ,a very detailed account of this convent1 and of the nature of the studies1 and the manner in which they were pursued1 is given by ,wadding4 ,footnote #f ,there was accommodation for #bdj ,friars1 including professors4 ,the school comprised four departments1 one for ,grammar1 ,rhetoric and ,logic respectively1 and one for ,theology and ,philosophy4 ,the study #i rooms and public lecture halls were the largest and best appointed in the city4 ,they were four in number1 each measuring seventy-six feet by forty-six4 ,unlike similar structures of that period1 they were built without pillars and were lighted by eleven large windows4 ,at the end of the ,theological hall stood a large rostrum composed of two stages or compartments1 from the higher of which the ,licentiates and ,doctors lectured1 whilst the lower served for the ,bachelors who under the guidance of the former were sometimes allowed to lecture on ,physics and ,theology4 ,each morning there were two lectures on ,theology1 and in the evening two on ,scripture4 ,an hour was devoted every day to the discussion by students and professors of the matter treated of in class4 ,once a week the public defence of some thesis was undertaken4 ,like the other students of the ,university the ,friars1 when necessary1 attended lectures outside their own convent4 ,they underwent examinations and took their degrees publicly4 ,as early as the year #abcd1 we find special ordinations1 issuing from the ,minister-,general of the ,order1 determining the number of ,friars to be sent to ,paris from each ,province and regulating the manner in which they were to be presented for degrees4 ,two ,fathers from each ,province were generally chosen every year for the degree of ,doctor4 ,having successfully complied with all the tests1 public and private1 imposed by the ,university1 they were #aj formally proclaimed ,doctors in the court of the ,archbishop of ,paris4 ,footnote #f3 ,tom4 ,,ii1 ,anno #abcd4 ,nos4 #ag-cf4 ,to this world-famous centre of theological learning ,bonaventure came in #abdb1 and for three years followed the ordinary ,university course which was based mainly on ,scriptural ,exegesis and on the ,exposition of the ,book of ,sentences4 ,this oft-referred-to work was a compendium of ,dogmatic ,theology written about the year #aadj by ,peter ,lombard4 ,it takes its name from the fact that its doctrine is based upon the ,sentences1 i4e4 the views or opinions of the ,fathers of the ,church4 ,divided into four books1 it treats respectively of ,god and the ,trinity2 of ,creation and the ,fall2 of the ,incarnation2 and finally of the ,sacramental system4 ,for years it constituted the recognized text-book among scholastic theologians whose labours and lectures upon it are embodied in the immense commentaries bequeathed to us4 ,at this time the great ,franciscan doctor ,alexander of ,hales occupied the chair of ,theology at ,paris4 ,born in ,gloucestershire1 he derived his name from the monastery in that county at which he was educated4 ,before his entrance into the ,order 7#abbb7 he had studied at ,paris and was already one of the most renowned professors of that ,university4 ,he was subsequently styled and is now known as ,the ,irrefragable ,doctor1 and ,the ,monarch of ,theologians3 ,there is1 perhaps1 no greater blessing for a rich and growing #aa mind than to come early and to remain long under the influence of another mind which1 while equally rich1 is yet more highly educated and matured with a wider experience than itself4 ,during the three years our ,saint was following ,alexander through his expositions of ,scripture and of ,the ,sentences of ,lombard--studying his points of view1 his workable materials and his constructive methods--the magnificence of his master's genius allured him as with magnetic force2 and ,bonaventure's emulous efforts to be worthy of his master's care could not but lead him to undreamt of heights of knowledge4 ,we catch a glimpse of their mutually cordial attitude from a few of their casual expressions4 ,whereas ,st4 ,bonaventure refers to ,alexander as his master1 and his father and in his choice of a decision is drawn almost unconsciously to that ,father's opinion1 ,alexander anticipated in the case of his pupil the verdict of ,sixtus ,,iv4 ,that part of the ,bull of canonization serves as so apt a commentary on ,alexander's words that we quote it in full4 ,bonaventure was great in learning1 but not less great in humility and holiness4 ,the innocence and dove-like simplicity of his life were such that the renowned ,doctor ,alexander of ,hales used to say of him1 ',it seemed as though ,adam had never sinned in him'4 ,in #abde1 when twenty-four years of age1 ,bonaventure received his degree of ,bachelor4 ,following #ab this came the necessary letters from the ,minister-,general1 our ,saint then fulfilling the office of ,professor to his own brethren and at times teaching publicly in the ,university under the guidance of a fully-qualified lector4 ,that same year ,alexander died1 and the chair thus vacated was filled by ,john of ,la ,rochelle4 ,three years later1 however1 he resigned1 and then at the command of the ,minister-,general1 ,john of ,parma1 and at the earnest entreaty of the authorities of the ,university1 ,bonaventure succeeded to the post4 ,this took place in #abdh4 ,bonaventure was now a ,licentiate1 i4e4 he was licensed or allowed to lecture publicly in view of his qualifications being recognized4 ,it was no doubt a trial to his humility to follow so eminent a light as the ,monarch of ,theologians1 but fortunately personal distrust yielded to obedience4 ,one of the ancient chroniclers1 referring to this event1 shows us ,bonaventure as his contemporaries saw him4 ,this ,brother ,bonaventure1 writes ,blessed ,francis of ,fabriano1 was a most eloquent man1 wonderful in his understanding of the ,sacred ,page and of the whole of ,theology4 ,he was also an excellent lecturer1 a very fine preacher and in his presence every tongue was hushed4 ,bonaventure occupied this post from #abde to #abeg1 and during that time acquired those stores of knowledge which he at first communicated to his pupils in the form of lectures1 and then1 with after-thoughts1 corrections and additions bequeathed to #ac the world in the four folio volumes known as ,the ,commentary on the ,sentences of the ,lombard4 ,his love of ,god growing in proportion1 ,bonaventure ultimately reached those sublime heights of contemplation which earned for him the title of ,seraphic ,doctor4 ,to the ,saint his youthful age seemed unequal to the fulfilment of such a task4 ,his superiors1 however1 in laying on him the burden of obedience1 felt assured that he would more than justify the wisdom of their appointment4 ,and indeed so exceptional were the natural and supernatural gifts of this ,seraphic ,doctor that ,sixtus ,,iv4 could say of him in his ,bull of ,canonization3 ,such things he uttered on sacred science that the ,holy ,ghost would seem to have spoken through his mouth4 ,and again1 ,enlightened by ,him ,who is the ,light1 the ,way1 the ,truth and the ,life1 in the space of a few years he attained to incredible knowledge4 ,the timidity with which his humility undertook the work contrasts strangely with the universal appreciation it has received at the hands of others4 ,thus at the end of the third volume1 he writes3 ,i render thanks to our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 that taking pity on the poverty of my knowledge and ability1 ,he has enabled me to come to the end of this work4 ,i beseech ,him to aid me to go forward in my work unto the merit of obedience and the welfare of my brethren--for which two motives alone this task was undertaken4 ,and again in the #ad ,introduction to the second volume1 ,by the help of ,god's grace ,i have ended the ,commentary on the first book1 and at the instance of the ,brethren must needs begin the second4 4 4 4 ,i do not intend to propound new opinions but to reproduce those that are generally admitted4 ,nor should anyone think that ,i wish to be the author of a new book2 ,i am sincerely conscious and acknowledge that ,i am but a poor and faulty compiler4 ,this is the language of profound humility which is all the more striking in view of posterity's verdict on our ,saint1 and his writings4 ,salimbene1 ,footnote #g a contemporary chronicler1 writes as follows of ,bonaventure3 ,he then lectured on the whole ,gospel of ,st4 ,luke--a beautiful and excellent treatise3 and he wrote four books on the ,sentences which even to this day remain useful and esteemed4 ,it was then the year #abdh but now the year #abhd4 ,gerson1 the learned chancellor of ,paris ,university1 is more unstinting in his praise4 ,were ,i to be asked1 he writes1 who is the most eminent amongst all the doctors1 ,i should answer1 without prejudice1 ',bonaventure'4 ,i know not that ,paris ever possessed another such ,doctor4 ,and again1 ,in ,theology there is nothing more sublime1 more divine1 more salutary1 nor more sweet than ,bonaventure's writings4 ,the following striking testimony of ,pope ,sixtus ,v in the ,bull ,triumphantis ,jerusalem--conferring on ,st4 ,bonaventure the title #ae of ,doctor--adumbrates his two salient characteristics as embodied in his title ,the ,seraphic ,doctor4 ,in his writings1 the ,pope's words run1 ,bonaventure united to the deepest erudition an equal amount of the most ardent piety1 so that whilst enlightening his readers1 he also moved their hearts1 penetrating to the inmost recesses of their souls4 ,footnote #g3 ,chronica1 p4 #abi4 ,numberless other proofs might be adduced of the high esteem in which ,bonaventure's works have always been held1 but these will suffice4 ,as an instance1 however1 of the widespread popularity they enjoyed it is curious to note that amongst the depredations of his book-borrowing friends which ,charles ,lamb1 the genial author of the ,essays of ,elia1 deplores1 ,footnote #h is the abstraction of his ,opera ,bonaventurae4 ,that foul gap in the bottom of the shelf facing you1 like a great eye-tooth knocked out1 with the huge ,switzer-like tomes on each side 7like the ,guildhall giants in their reformed posture1 guardant of nothing7 once held the tallest of my folios1 ',opera ,bonaventurae1' choice and massy divinity1 to which its two supporters 7school divinity also1 but of a lesser calibre--,bellarmine and ,holy ,thomas71 showed but as dwarfs--itself an ,ascapart6 ,footnote #h3 ,the ,two ,races of ,men4 ,the fundamental characteristic underlying the fervour and the love of the ,seraphic ,doctor's writings1 is his ever-conscious realization of ,god's #af presence4 ,this with ,bonaventure was not a feature of passing or variable devotion2 it rested upon the basis of philosophical conviction1 and of vivid childlike faith4 ,to ,bonaventure1 in his system of thought as in his spiritual ideals1 ,god is constantly and emphatically the ,alpha and ,omega1 the ,beginning and the ,end1 the ,source and ,centre1 by ,whom and in ,whom and from ,whom all things are4 ,throughout the whole of his writings ,god is ever the central idea round which all converges4 ,as in his writings so in his life4 ,in this continual and abiding presence of ,god--the very spirit as it is also the ideal of monastic solitude--his soul1 his entire being1 grew and blossomed1 turning ever to the light and warmth of the ,divine ,beauty as the sunflower to the sun4 ,not only was this the source of his light and unction1 it was also the guiding principle of his spiritual and mental life4 ,hence sprang that moderation of tone--the calm balancing of evidence as in the presence of an impartial ,judge4 ,hence that humility--his simultaneous knowledge of ,god and himself--to which all arrogance and pretension are so alien4 ,hence1 too1 that directness of aim--fastening on the essence of facts1 rather than on their accidental surroundings--which ensured at once a love of truth for truth's sake1 and limpid1 simple utterance as its worthiest channel4 ,in ,god's sight all men are brothers1 so it became our ,saint to communicate his lights in the spirit of deference #ag and self-effacement4 ,hence1 finally1 came that unflinching loyalty to ,his ,lord's revelations which implies aversion to curious searchings1 singular views1 and novel innovations--which1 when not the result1 are often the occasion of heretical betrayal of the trust committed to our care4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,mendicant ,,orders ,,assailed4 ,from #abdh to #abee ,bonaventure taught publicly at ,paris with great distinction4 ,about this time1 however1 owing to a violent outburst of opposition to the ,mendicant ,friars on the part of the secular professors of the ,university1 he was compelled to suspend his lectures4 ,this occurrence affords us a valuable insight into the condition of the ,friars at that epoch4 ,it shows us how they were regarded by their friends and by their enemies1 and it enables us to form a better estimate of their merits4 ,their lives and actions were openly and unsparingly impeached4 ,they were put on their trial before the entire ,church1 and their very existence depended on the issue4 ,every weak spot in their constitution was laid bare--their faults and failings were proclaimed with emphasis3 ,their adversaries were men of repute and learning--doctors and professors of the most renowned ,theological ,school of ,christendom4 ,thoroughly versed in all the #ah wiles of controversy1 and apparently animated by religious zeal1 they were unscrupulous in their methods1 and frequently had recourse to slander and falsehood4 ,the conflict was thorough and decisive4 ,issuing triumphant from such an ordeal the ,mendicant ,orders proved once and for all that their position in the ,church of ,christ is impregnable4 ,so important an incident ought not to be lightly dismissed4 ,various causes tended to create a spirit of opposition to the ,friars4 ,jealousy at their success1 and a spirit of worldliness to which their lives was a constant reproach1 appear to be the chief4 ,the ,friars succeeded in attracting universal admiration4 ,their professors were the most brilliant in the ,university2 their lecture halls the best appointed2 their audience the most enthusiastic4 ,they enjoyed the favour of the ,pope and of the ,king1 both of whom conferred many privileges on them4 ,they possessed neither money nor lands1 yet they stood in need of nothing4 ,they had renounced the pomp and glory of the world1 but the world ran eagerly after them4 ,their preaching attracted immense crowds and their confessionals were thronged4 ,they were the least by profession but the greatest by repute4 ,to some extent they supplanted the secular clergy4 ,the bishops and the ,faithful found themselves less dependent upon the latter1 for the ,friars formed willing and efficient substitutes for them in almost every capacity4 ,the spirit of #ai the secular clergy of ,paris at that period was not such as to enable them to view this new development without hostility4 ,an indevout and worldly spirit reigned amongst them1 and they were profoundly indifferent to the highest maxims of the ,gospel4 ,this we learn from the strain in which ,pope ,alexander ,footnote #i writes to the ,bishop of ,paris in the year #abef3 ,concerning certain masters and scholars of ,paris it is notorious that they glory not in being considered the children of peace but rather in being the authors of scandal2 they glory not in being called the sons of ,god1 but of ,satan4 ,so great is their disorder that they hinder piety not only in themselves but also in others1 and impede the salvation of souls which we so greatly desire4 ,footnote #i3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,no4 #bc4 ,the smouldering elements of discord were fanned into flame in the year #abed1 and the secular and regular professors came to an open rupture4 ,the matter arose thus4 ,a noisy brawl occurred amongst the students4 ,the civil guard intervened2 a riot ensued1 and one student was killed and several were wounded4 ,such encounters were not infrequent1 and they resulted in creating a bad spirit between the magistrates and the authorities of the ,university4 ,the latter sought to exempt the students from civil jurisdiction1 whilst the former1 in the interests of public order1 insisted on subjecting them to it4 ,the occurrence just recorded brought matters to a #bj climax4 ,the ,university demanded the punishment of the civil guard1 the magistrates refused compliance4 ,thereupon the entire staff of secular professors suspended their lectures and withdrew from the city4 ,the ,regulars kept their halls open and continued to teach4 ,this gave great offence to the secular professors1 and when the difference between them and the municipal authorities was eventually settled1 and they had once more resumed their duties1 they did not forget it4 ,determined to prevent its recurrence1 they framed a statute binding the ,regulars to act in accordance with the majority of the professors4 ,to this they refused to submit1 and in consequence they were forced to abandon their ,chairs4 ,they appealed to the ,pope who eventually reinstated them and revoked the obnoxious statute4 ,meantime the agitation against them was vigorously carried on4 ,its leading spirit was ,william of ,st4 ,amour1 a doctor and professor of the ,university4 ,prominently associated with him were ,odo of ,douay1 ,christian1 ,canon of ,beauvais1 ,john ,belin and ,john of ,gectville1 an ,englishman and ,rector of the ,university--all men of consequence and possessing considerable influence4 ,william of ,st4 ,amour was a type of the worldly-wise ,christian1 and he represented a large and powerful element at ,paris4 ,he was a man of undoubted ability and learning1 but wanting in moderation and soundness of judgment4 ,possibly he may have meant well1 #ba but blinded by prejudice he did not see the injustice of his conduct1 nor the falseness of his views4 ,he aimed at expelling the ,regulars from the ,university and eventually obtaining their suppression4 ,he wrote and preached1 against them4 ,his book on the ,perils of the ,last ,times1 his sermon on the ,publican and the ,pharisee1 his pamphlet on the ,robust ,beggar1 were violent onslaughts upon them4 ,they were based on false principles and teemed with slander and invective4 ,william endeavoured to show that the mendicant form of life was unchristian and pernicious1 and that those who professed it were outside the pale of salvation4 ,mendicancy1 preaching1 hearing confessions1 and teaching publicly were the capital sins that consigned the ,friars to reprobation4 ,he speaks thus of mendicancy3 ,there is a great danger attendant upon begging4 ,those who live by it become flatterers1 liars1 detractors1 thieves and unjust4 ,to leave all things for ,christ and to follow ,christ begging is not an act of perfection4 ,regulars may not beg even though the ,church permits it4 ,whoever begs whilst in good health sins grievously4 ,hence1 whoever places himself in the necessity of doing so is not within the pale of salvation4 ,to preach and hear confessions was also on the part of the ,friars wrong and unjustifiable3 ,all though authorized by the ,pope or the bishop they may not preach unless invited by the parish priest4 #bb ,they may not live by the ,gospel4 ,those who preach to the ,faithful who have their own pastors1 viz4 bishops and priests1 are not true but false ,apostles4 ,it is greatly to be feared that such as these will grievously injure the ,church unless they are expelled from it4 ,confession to ,mendicants1 approved of by the ,pope1 does not satisfy the ,easter ,precept4 ,to become professors and teach publicly was another grievous transgression3 ,the office of master is an honour1 and ,religious should not aspire to honours4 ,seeing that they belong to a state of perfection1 they should observe the ,gospel ,counsels1 one of which is3 ',wish not to be called master'4 ,aspiring to the dignity of master they transgress this counsel and thereby sin publicly1 scandalize the ,faithful and deserve to be shunned4 ,such were the opinions proclaimed by ,william1 and the effect they produced was deplorable4 ,a species of universal boycott was instituted against the ,mendicants4 ,students were dissuaded from attending their lectures2 they were excluded from the ,university1 and the people were exhorted to refuse them alms4 ,matters reached such a crisis that the ,dominicans were way-laid and beaten in the streets so that they were afraid to leave their convent4 ,the opposition to the latter seems to have been much keener than to the ,franciscans1 and it would appear that they were forced to quit the ,university earlier4 ,it is certain that #bc ,st4 ,bonaventure lectured publicly on the question in dispute4 ,his treatise on ,evangelical ,perfection is a reply to the utterances of ,william of ,st4 ,amour4 ,it is recorded that the latter1 hearing of the ,saint's action1 sent one of his adherents to report the substance of his lectures--to which he wrote a rejoinder4 ,as we intend to treat in detail of ,bonaventure's apology for the ,franciscan ,order1 we shall make no further reference to it here4 ,lest1 however1 a false impression concerning the merits of this controversy should remain on the minds of my readers1 ,i consider it expedient to point out1 in the next chapter1 how it was regarded by the ,holy ,see4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,mendicants ,,vindicated4 ,the commotion caused by ,william of ,st4 ,amour's book extended to the ,court1 and the pious ,king ,louis1 desirous of removing the scandal1 formally referred the matter to the ,holy ,see4 ,two doctors of the ,paris ,university were appointed to take the book to the ,papal ,court and present it for examination to the ,pope4 ,this project having become public1 ,william and his chief adherents determined to defend their views and set out for ,anagni4 ,the ,pope received the ,king's envoys and regarded the matter as of very grave importance4 ,he appointed a ,commission of ,cardinals carefully to examine the #bd book and to judge between the ,mendicants and their opponents4 ,a public discussion was instituted at which were present representatives of both parties4 ,on the side of the ,mendicants were the ,ministers ,general of the ,dominican and ,franciscan ,orders--,humbert of ,rome and ,john of ,parma--,albert the ,great1 ,st4 ,thomas of ,aquin1 ,o4,p41 ,bertrand of ,bajona1 ,o4,f4,m41 and1 according to some authors1 ,st4 ,bonaventure4 ,we cannot say with certainty who the defenders of ,st4 ,amour's book were4 ,it is doubtful if he himself had arrived at ,anagni before the work was condemned4 ,albert the ,great and ,st4 ,thomas powerfully vindicated the cause of the ,mendicants4 ,the treatise composed by the latter1 ,contra impugnantes ,dei cultum1 is a masterly defence of the principles attacked by ,st4 ,amour4 ,st4 ,bonaventure's work on ,evangelical ,perfection is no less solid and convincing4 ,it was written in connection with this dispute and was very probably submitted to the ,commission4 ,this may account for the assertion put forward by some writers that ,bonaventure was present at ,anagni and took part in the discussion--an assertion which more accurate investigation has almost entirely discredited4 ,on the arrival of ,william and his followers a strenuous effort was made to avert the impending condemnation1 and even to effect its revocation1 but to no purpose4 ,after an examination extending over several #be weeks the ,cardinals gave their decision4 ,it was an unconditional condemnation of ,amour's book1 which was ordered to be publicly burned both at the ,papal ,court and at the ,university of ,paris4 ,the sentence was proclaimed by the ,pope in the ,bull ,romanus ,pontifex issued on #e ,october1 #abef4 ,referring to ,william and his supporters the ,pontiff says3--,footnote #aj ,footnote #aj3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,no4 #ca4 ,they heaped calumny on the ,brethren and placed a stumbling-block in the way of the chosen children of the ,church4 ,nay1 more1 in the excess of their bitterness they burst forth into malicious invectives1 and composed a certain book which is most pernicious and detestable--a book not only not according to reason but utterly opposed to it2 not true but false2 not edifying but scandalous2 not enlightening but misleading4 ,this book having been brought to ,our knowledge1 ,we entrusted it for examination to certain ,cardinals that they might discover and diligently consider all that it contained4 ,which having carefully and with due deliberation performed1 they report to ,us that the said book contains many things false and pernicious concerning the ,pope and the bishops1 also concerning those who1 overcoming the world and its works1 live by alms in strict poverty4 ,it also assails those who1 burning with zeal for souls and devoted to sacred science1 greatly further the spiritual welfare of ,god's ,church4 ,it condemns the state of life of #bf poor ,religious1 such as the ,friars ,preachers and ,friars ,minor1 who by the power of the ,spirit1 having abandoned earthly things1 aspire with all their force to the heavenly reward4 ,the book is a veritable hot-bed of scandal and disorder1 and greatly injures souls by withdrawing them from devotion1 the giving of alms1 and entrance into holy ,religion4 ,this same book which bears the title ',perils of the ,last ,times1' with the advice of ,our ,brethren and by ,our ,apostolic authority ,we reject and condemn for ever as wicked1 iniquitous and execrable1 and containing bad1 false and nefarious sentiments4 ,we strictly command all its possessors to burn it and procure its destruction within eight days from the issue of this ,our condemnation4 ,against those who despise ,our command ,we pronounce sentence of excommunication4 ,this condemnation does not appear to have produced the desired effect4 ,the agitation against the ,friars still continued4 ,it was found necessary to counteract the pernicious influence of ,amour's teaching by some more direct and forcible method1 and to this end the ,pope addressed ,footnote #aa the following letter #ai ,october1 #abef1 to ,king ,louis and the ,french bishops3-- ,footnote #aa3 ,ibid4 ,no4 #cc4 ,not without much bitterness of heart and trouble of mind1 ,we have learnt that certain ,masters and ,doctors and others1 'sharpening their tongues like swords1' and 'bearing the poison of #bg asps in their lips1' for the defamation1 vexation and destruction of the innocent1 have wickedly poured it out in slander and injuries on our beloved sons1 the ,brothers of the ,order of ,preachers and ,friars ,minor4 ,by lecturing and preaching and otherwise1 they have dared to say that they were not in the way of salvation2 that their ,mendicancy was neither salutary or meritorious1 since health permitting1 and other reasonable hindrances ceasing1 they should work with their hands and not depend for necessary help upon others4 ,furthermore1 they have asserted that they may not preach nor hear confessions1 even when authorized by the ,pope or the bishop1 lest they encroach upon the rights of the parish priests1 and many other things false and reprehensible have they uttered against them4 ,now these same ,orders for some time back have been approved by the ,holy ,see as holy1 renowned and illustrious4 ,and some of the ,brothers thereof1 having reached their heavenly country1 are inscribed in the catalogue of the ,saints and shine like suns in the ,church of ,god1 whilst by their ,brethren the light of holy doctrine is shed over the whole world1 the ,gospel of ,christ is earnestly and efficaciously preached1 and right and sound counsel and salutary example prevail4 ,furthermore1 as the aforesaid ,brothers are assiduously and continually engaged in the study of the ,holy ,scriptures and the ,word of ,god1 in saying the ,divine ,office and in prayer1 they are by no means indulging in idleness1 but exercising #bh themselves in the best and highest pursuit1 for wisdom is the noblest attainment2 nor do they do more who devote themselves to external labours1 than those who are engaged in the study of divine things4 ,hence1 the ,lord1 whilst ,martha was busy working and ministering1 commended principally the docility and devout attention of ,mary to ,his word4 ,from this it appears clearly that the ,brothers are not bound to work with their hands4 ,nay more1 were they to neglect spiritual things for manual labour they would be abandoning1 not without detriment to their souls1 the greater for the lesser1 the necessary for the unnecessary4 ,moreover1 these ,brothers1 having left all things for ,god1 when they beg the bare necessaries of life1 imitate the poor ,christ and practise ,evangelical ,perfection4 ,hence1 it clearly follows that they are in the way of salvation1 and by the observance of their ,rule merit eternal life4 ,furthermore1 by commission or command of the ,roman ,pontiff or the ,bishop of the ,dioceses they may lawfully preach and hear confessions4 ,therefore1 ,we strictly command all the ,doctors or ,masters who have dared to deny these things1 publicly to retract and renounce the same and hold and proclaim the contrary4 ,should they refuse to do this they must be proceeded against by suspension1 excommunication1 and the perpetual deprivation of their benefices4 ,lay people transgressing in this matter are to be seriously reprimanded4 #bi ,some of the prominent adherents of ,william of ,st4 ,amour accepted the ,papal condemnation in a submissive spirit and publicly retracted their false opinions1 and promised on oath never more to maintain them4 ,amongst these were ,christian of ,beauvais and ,odo of ,douay4 ,william himself was not so tractable4 ,he had recourse to evasions and explanations1 and endeavoured to show that his views were not really condemned4 ,he continued to foster a spirit of hostility to the ,mendicants amongst his partisans at ,paris1 and eventually he drew upon himself the sentence of perpetual banishment from ,france4 ,under pain of excommunication and forfeiture of all his benefices he was forbidden ever to return1 and under like penalties he was prohibited to preach or teach4 ,his friends at ,paris did all in their power to procure his recall1 but they were strenuously opposed by the ,mendicants4 ,thus1 the ill-feeling between the two parties was maintained1 and it was only by the renewed intervention of the ,pope and the employment by him of stringent measures against the secular professors that order was established and the ,mendicants treated with justice and tolerance4 ,after ten years' exile ,pope ,clement permitted ,william to return to ,paris4 ,he had not abandoned his old opinions1 and it needed a severe reprimand on the part of the ,pope accompanied by a threat of further banishment to restrain him from again assailing the ,mendicants4 ,after his death1 some #cj years later1 the agitation against the ,friars gradually died out1 and they regained the esteem and confidence in which they had formerly been held4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,minister-,,general4 ,bonaventure was elected ,minister-,general of the ,franciscan ,order in the year #abeg4 ,at that time the ,order was passing through a serious crisis in its history4 ,internal difficulties had arisen concerning the observance of certain points of the ,rule4 ,some of the ,brethren advocated the rigorous and literal acceptation of all its prescriptions3 others contended for a more mild and liberal interpretation4 ,amongst the advocates of both views were extremists who sought to introduce excessive rigour or undue laxity3 the main body on either side were men of moderation4 ,these eventually prevailed and preserved to the world the ,order of ,st4 ,francis in the only feasible way in which it could continue to exist4 ,those who aimed at too great laxity1 which would deprive the ,order of its distinctive features1 and those who would accentuate those features until they became impracticable or grotesque1 were gradually eliminated4 ,the process by which this was effected was slow #ca and fraught with the gravest danger to the ,order4 ,it could be accomplished successfully only under the prudent guidance of a wise ,superior4 ,bonaventure was eminently such a man4 ,his predecessor1 ,john of ,parma1 could not cope with the difficulties of the situation4 ,he was possessed of great ability1 and his heroic sanctity has raised him to our altars1 but he seems to have lacked that enlightened judgment and liberal sympathy which smooths away opposition and brings conflicting views into harmony4 ,where the motive of subjection is the love of ,god and the desire of perfection1 the exercise of authority must be tempered with infinite tact and kindness4 ,the inflexible rigour of the stern ,superior is so wholly opposed to the spirit of ,christ1 to whom the ,religious ever looks1 that instead of securing obedience it excites resentment1 and if it does not culminate in apostasy begets an abiding spirit of bitterness and discontent4 ,with one section of the ,order the latter appears to have been the effect of ,john of ,parma's rule4 ,some writers ,footnote #ab affirm that he was released from his office at the express wish of the ,sovereign ,pontiff4 ,footnote #ab3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,nos4 #b and #c4 ,in view of his failure1 ,bonaventure's success is all the more conspicuous4 ,in order to appreciate this success at its proper value we must consider briefly the difficulties that troubled the peace of the ,order4 ,what precisely they were it is somewhat #cb difficult to determine4 ,they must be traced back to the influence of ,brother ,elias4 ,for a period1 even during the lifetime of ,st4 ,francis1 this man seems to have exerted an influence in the ,order second only to that of the ,saint himself4 ,he was truly a remarkable man and the story of his life is strange and sad4 ,an intimate friend and devoted disciple of ,st4 ,francis1 he had been deemed worthy by the latter to rule the ,order during his absence in ,palestine4 ,though full of admiration for the ,seraphic ,father and professing intense reverence for his saintly life and ,christ-like spirit1 he appears never to have quite accepted his views concerning the absolute poverty and rigorous mode of life he wished to impose upon his followers4 ,he seems to have considered that such austerity would render impossible its uniform and continued observance by any considerable body of men4 ,whilst a few chosen souls such as ,francis himself could live up to it1 the heterogeneous multitude who were flocking to the ,order could not prudently be expected to do so4 ,hence he advocated certain mitigations in the matter of poverty4 ,what these were we cannot definitely affirm4 ,his views and actions are presented to us from a thoroughly hostile standpoint4 ,his biographers1 generally speaking1 were his avowed opponents1 and although they were men of remarkable virtue and integrity of life1 we can hardly believe that they were free from the #cc influence of bias and party spirit4 ,in their eyes ,elias was a wrecker--the enemy of their ,order and the destroyer of its high ideals4 ,hence their accounts of him must be cautiously received and allowance made for the exaggerations of pious zeal4 ,we are told that ,elias sought to introduce the use of money2 that in visiting the ,order he rode on horseback2 that he wore a somewhat elegant habit2 that there was a general tendency to relaxation discernible in his life4 ,no doubt he was guilty of these things1 but in view of subsequent developments it is not easy to determine how far they were incompatible with the spirit of the ,rule4 ,we are told that he was a man of remarkable foresight and a born ruler4 ,perhaps he wished to establish from the beginning what the natural evolution of circumstances was eventually to achieve4 ,he may have foreseen that certain prescriptions theoretically feasible for all1 and practically so for a few1 would actually become impracticable for the general body of the ,order4 ,thus by the very force of circumstances it soon became necessary for the ,friars to use money at least indirectly4 ,be the country where they reside ,catholic or ,protestant1 friendly or hostile1 there are instances where to live means to use money4 ,nor does the ,minister-,general of the ,order now visit the ,order on foot1 nor is the ,franciscan habit of the present day such perhaps as would meet with entire approval from those #cd early rigorists4 ,but there has been no substantial defection from the primitive spirit of the ,rule2 these modifications have arisen as the necessary result of changed conditions4 ,nor is this to be wondered at4 ,christianity itself began even as the ,franciscan ,order4 ,like to that ,order it increased and developed4 ,in course of time1 whilst theoretically maintaining its highest ideals1 it practically ceased to make them the guiding principles of its general conduct4 ,thus1 community of goods1 prevalent in the time of the ,apostles1 gradually ceased4 ,again1 the successors of the ,apostles who were counselled to possess neither gold nor silver nor scrip eventually appear as temporal rulers2 and the ,saviour's doctrine of submission to evil gave way1 when circumstances demanded1 to armed resistance4 ,the highest ideals of ,christianity were practically abandoned by the multitude1 and maintained only by the few4 ,indeed1 it is very questionable from an historical point of view1 whether the absolute perfection of the ,gospel outlined in the counsels of our ,lord could ever be more than the ideal of the very few--something to which one or other favoured soul might actually attain but which was never intended to be the practical aim of society in general4 ,this must be borne in mind when studying the history of the ,franciscan movement1 which was an attempt to restore literally and rigidly the highest ,christian ideals4 ,broadly speaking it succeeded and continues to succeed4 ,the ,order #ce can never revert to the attitude of the world towards the ,evangelical ,counsels although time and circumstances may modify its interpretation of them4 ,the ,friars have absolute community of goods2 they are bound to the poor use of the necessities of life4 ,whilst some interpret their obligations in this and all other matters most rigidly1 and emulate ,st4 ,francis in every respect1 others1 although fully observing the substance of the ,rule1 quite justifiably regard its precepts in a milder light4 ,they are none the less true ,franciscans4 ,of late years there has arisen a class of writers whom we may describe as the academic critics of the ,rule and ,spirit of ,st4 ,francis4 ,regarding the ,franciscan movement from an extrinsic and speculative point of view1 they are particularly attracted by its more rigorous features4 ,but they look upon them as things of the past and discuss them with melancholy interest4 ,they seem to think that the ,franciscan ideal has vanished from the world1 and that the modern ,friar is scarcely a representative of his prototype4 ,whoever is not a ,francis1 or a ,giles1 or a ,juniper1 is not worthy of consideration4 ,to the professor of the ,rule of ,st4 ,francis there is something particularly irritating in the attitude of these writers4 ,he knows that he is observing the ,rule in its simple literalness--that there is no precept of it which he does not fulfil2 yet because he does not realize the romantic ideal conceived by these shallow critics he #cf receives at most only tolerant pity or condescending regard4 ,but to return to ,elias and the dissensions his influence created in the ,order4 ,he seems to have gained over to his side the majority of the ,provincial ,ministers1 so that he was twice elected ,general4 ,on both occasions1 strange to say1 his administration ended in his deposition4 ,still1 many of his supporters adhered to him and he was proposed a third time for the office of ,general4 ,on this occasion ,elias was ignominiously rejected by the ,pope1 who also deprived him of some privileges he enjoyed4 ,thereupon1 overcome by pride and indignation1 he set the ,pontiff at defiance1 and sought the protection of his declared enemy1 the ,emperor ,frederic4 ,he thus absolutely abandoned the ,order1 but there remained behind him some who advocated his views4 ,we are even told that the succeeding ,general1 ,crescentius1 was one of his followers and pursued a similar policy4 ,certain it is the dissensions increased during his time of office4 ,illustration3 ,photo4 ,a liuari ,pinturichio1 pinx4 ,,the ,,coronation ,,of ,,our ,,lady4 ,from the picture in the ,vatican1 ,rome4 7,st4 ,bonaventure is the figure to the left of the group of ,saints74 #cg ,we have seen how ,john of ,parma1 his successor1 failed to grapple with the difficulties of the situation4 ,wadding ,footnote #ac represents him as stern and uncompromising in his views1 and as equally rigorous in forcing those views on others4 ,when at length he saw that many ,religious1 who would conscientiously carry out a less lofty ideal1 were being simply forced by reason of his well-meant yet none the less stringent insistence to a revolt against the very principle of obedience1 ,john summoned a ,general ,chapter at ,rome and resigned his office4 ,according to certain writers1 ,footnote #ad ,alexander ,,iv41 the ,cardinals and the ,brethren assembled sought to persuade him to continue in office4 ,john1 however1 was resolute in his refusal4 ,for a whole day the business of the ,chapter was suspended2 still the ,minister-,general stood firm4 ,then the ,vocals ,footnote #ae in view of his determined attitude said to him3 ',father1 you who have invited the whole ,order and know the merits of all the ,brethren1 tell us who is the best suited to succeed you8' ,there and then ,john replied ',brother ,bonaventure of ,bagnorea2 no one is more worthy than he'4 ,thereupon he was unanimously elected4 ,footnote #ac3 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,,no4#b4 ,footnote #ad3 ,author of the ,chronicles of the ,,xxiv ,generals4 ,analecta ,franciscana1 ,tom4 ,,iii1 pp4 #bhf1 #bhg4 ,also ,bernard of ,besse4 ,ibid4 p4 #fih4 ,footnote #ae3 ,salimbene1 p4 #acg4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,discipline ,,and ,,observance4 ,bonaventure was teaching at ,paris when he was elected ,minister-,general4 ,however reluctant he may have been to accept the responsibility1 he did not think of shirking it4 ,he was a young man-- only thirty-seven years of age--and fully conscious #ch of his deficiencies and of the arduous task before him4 ,that he undertook it calmly and confidently shows that he possessed the virtue of fortitude in no slight degree4 ,he was well aware of the dissensions within the ,order and of the relaxation of discipline that prevailed amongst some of the ,brethren4 ,to remedy these was his first concern4 ,shortly after his election he wrote ,footnote #af a remarkable letter to the ,provincials of the ,order4 ,he began by acknowledging his unfitness for the high and important office to which he had been called1 alleging the weakness of his body1 the imperfection of his mind1 the inexperience of his life and the repugnance of his will4 ,still1 he did not dare to resist the voice of obedience1 and to make up for his shortcomings he counts upon the worthy cooperation of the ,provincial ,ministers4 ,he then refers to the irregularities existing in the ,order which had begun to endanger its success and bring it into disrepute amongst the ,faithful4 ,remembering that the ,order was then in existence barely fifty years it is interesting to consider what these were4 ,ten causes of relaxation are enumerated by ,bonaventure3-- #a4 ,too great multiplication of temporal affairs for which money is eagerly sought1 carelessly received1 and recklessly handled4 #b4 ,the idleness of some of the ,brethren4 #c4 ,useless travelling from place to place1 to the #ci scandal rather than to the edification of the people4 #d4 ,importunate begging1 whereby the ,brethren are feared as highwaymen4 #e4 ,the construction of costly and pretentious buildings1 which disturbs the peace of the ,order and exposes the ,brethren to the attacks of their enemies4 #f4 ,the increase of dangerous friendships from which arose suspicions1 calumnies and scandals4 #g4 ,the imprudent bestowal of offices on those who were incapable of discharging them4 #h4 ,the eager reception of legacies and officious interference with obsequies1 to the great offence of the secular clergy4 #i4 ,frequent and expensive change of residence1 to the disturbance of the locality and the prejudice of poverty4 #aj4 ,finally1 expensive living1 by which the ,brethren became a burden to the people4 ,footnote #af3 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia 7,quaracchi71 ,tom4 ,,viii1 p4 #dfh4 ,whilst many1 he remarks1 are blameless in these matters1 still1 the evil redounds upon all1 and must not be overlooked nor tolerated on any account4 ,he then points out the remedy and insists on its application4 ,he concludes his letter with the following remarkable utterance3 ,should ,i learn from the ,visitors whom ,i desire to pay special attention to these matters1 that my directions have been obeyed1 ,i shall give thanks to ,god and to you2 but if it should be otherwise 7which ,god #dj forbid71 you may rest assured that my conscience will not permit me to allow the matter to pass unnoticed4 ,although it is not my intention to forge new chains for you1 yet must ,i in compliance with the dictates of conscience aim at the extirpation of abuses4 ,from this we can gather the nature of the policy adopted by the ,saint4 ,it was clearly one of firmness and moderation4 ,perceiving that they arose from minor causes1 such as the particular views of individuals1 he makes no reference to the internal dissensions of the ,order4 ,he aimed at uniformity on general lines1 convinced that if this were accomplished lesser differences would gradually disappear1 or1 at least1 lose their power of seriously disturbing the peace of the ,order4 ,the ,rule was to be observed2 no abuse was to be tolerated4 ,but whilst strongly condemning the excesses of those who aimed at relaxation1 he was not less determined in restraining the zeal of those who sought excessive rigour4 ,this provoked the displeasure of the latter4 ,in view of the ,saint's words quoted above and of the ,constitutions enforced by him at the ,chapter of ,narbonne1 their failure to agree with his policy demonstrates how extreme were the views they entertained4 ,and it is apparent that those who regard such men as representing the true spirit of the ,order are seriously mistaken4 ,excessive rigour is as foreign to the latter as excessive mildness4 ,true virtue avoids #da both extremes1 and ,bonaventure's wisdom enabled him to aim at the golden mean4 ,in #abfj our ,saint celebrated the ,general ,chapter of ,narbonne4 ,here the various ,constitutions hitherto established in the ,order were revised and promulgated anew4 ,these ,constitutions differ but slightly from those that prevail at the present day4 ,the vicissitudes of six hundred years have necessitated certain additions and modifications1 but they have remained substantially the same and constitute an enduring monument to the wisdom and foresight of ,bonaventure4 ,wadding ,footnote #ag says of them3 ,the ,statutes of ,bonaventure are weighty--the outcome of mature deliberation and discussion--and they are redolent of a truly religious spirit4 ,in them is enjoined whatever is of primary importance and necessity4 ,they ought never to be abrogated1 but whatever modifications changes of time and place may call for should be added to them1 for of all they are the most excellent4 ,the ,annalist is unsparing in his condemnation of the attempts made at various times to change them4 ,one cannot but be displeased1 he writes1 deploring a state of things which now happily no longer exists1 at the facility with which some make laws at ,general ,chapters4 ,it would seem as though one could not consider himself a renowned ruler unless he posed as a legislator and drew up new laws to mark his term of office4 ,hence1 we have daily #db fresh and bewildering laws1 and such a multitude of crude and undigested statutes1 that the poor subject does not know to-day what he may have to observe to-morrow4 ,footnote #ag3 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abfj4 ,no4 ,,ii4 ,the ,constitutions of ,narbonne were distributed under twelve heads and formed an enlightened and prudent interpretation of the twelve chapters of the ,rule4 ,writing ,footnote #ah to the ,provincials six years after their promulgation1 ,bonaventure attributes the existence of certain irregularities to their non-observance4 ,his appeal to the prelates of the ,order on this occasion reveals the burning zeal of the ,saint3 ,lest the 'blood of souls'--not only of those committed to our care but of all who esteem the religious life--should be 'demanded at our hands' 4444 ,i adjure you by the shedding of ,christ's ,most ,precious ,blood and by the ,wounds of ,his ,passion1 which appeared with unmistakable clearness on the body of our ,holy ,father1 ,st4 ,francis1 that like prudent and faithful servants of ,christ you apply yourselves diligently to the rooting out of pestiferous abuses1 and that you show yourselves attentive to discipline and examples of religious fervour4 ,in the first place1 excite the ,brethren to a love of prayer1 and at the same time entreat and even compel them to observe the ,rule faithfully--'fearing the countenance of none2 rooting up and pulling down2 wasting and destroying'2 committing the disaffected and insubordinate to prison1 #dc or expelling them from the ,order1 as the laws or justice and piety may demand1 lest1 whilst with cruel mercy you spare a diseased member1 the corruption extend itself to the entire body4 ,footnote #ah3 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,,viii1 p4 #dgj4 ,no reasonable man reading these words of ,bonaventure could doubt his earnestness in procuring regular observance1 or think of accusing him of remissness or laxity4 ,it only shows how extreme were the views of a certain section of the ,order when we find them attempting to do so4 ,peter ,john ,olivi1 the leader of the rigorists1 replying to some who sought to justify their relaxations by saying that ,bonaventure and others lived very laxly1 says3 ,footnote #ai ,hitherto1 it was the custom to adduce worthy men as examples of perfection2 now1 alas6 they are brought forward to justify relaxation and inobservance 4444 ,let me say what ,i think of ,bonaventure4 ,he was a most excellent and pious man1 and in his teaching he insisted on the perfection of poverty4 ,but he was of a somewhat delicate constitution and therefore1 perhaps1 inclined to be somewhat indulgent to himself1 as ,i have often heard him humbly admit4 ,for he was not greater than the ,apostle who said ',we all offend in many things'4 ,still1 the prevailing relaxation affected him so much that ,i heard him declare at the ,chapter of ,paris that from the day he was made ,general there never was a moment when he was not prepared to be ground to dust so that the ,order might retain the purity and #dd strictness intended by ,st4 ,francis and his companions1 and attain the end they aimed at4 ,on this account the holy man may be excused somewhat1 though not entirely4 ,he was not one of those who sought to justify relaxation or assail the purity of the ,rule1 making such conduct the rule of their lives4 ,if he was in any way found wanting he regarded the matter with grief and sorrow4 ,in conclusion1 ,peter ,john ,olivi makes the astounding assertion that he does not consider ,bonaventure's attitude to have been mortally sinful4 ,i do not think1 he says1 that such men are to be judged guilty of mortal sin unless1 taking everything into account1 this kind of excess should in their case be considered enormous4 ,footnote #ai3 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #ej4 ,assuredly1 ,bonaventure is deserving of our sympathy4 ,on the one hand we find him grief-stricken at the relaxations in the ,order and doing everything in his power to remedy them2 on the other hand we find him assailed as conniving at them and in some degree responsible for them4 ,the rigorists could not distinguish between what was strictly commanded and what was a matter of perfection4 ,this latter could be recommended but not enforced1 and because our ,saint's wisdom would not allow him to attempt its enforcement they accused him of laxity4 ,it has been said in a previous chapter that the observance of ,st4 ,francis was something peculiar to the ,saint himself and could not become a matter #de of obligation for all4 ,strict observance admits of many degrees of perfection4 ,this ,bonaventure perceived1 and whilst sincerely desiring that which was most perfect he felt that it was unattainable4 ,hence1 he chose a middle course and steadfastly adhered to it4 ,by this means unity and peace were on the whole well maintained in the ,order during his ,generalship4 ,still the elements of discord were not destroyed4 ,they were only held in check by the powerful personality of the ,saint4 ,they continued to operate slowly and imperceptibly1 giving rise in time to the fanatical sect known as the ,fraticelli4 ,we are justified in thinking that the maintenance of the body of the ,order in its substantial purity was due to the wise administration of ,bonaventure4 ,a more rigorous ,general or a less observant one might have led the ,order to some extreme which would have wrought its ruin4 ,from this point of view our ,saint deserves the title which has widely been bestowed upon him of ,second ,founder of the ,franciscan ,order4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,incidents ,,of ,,administration4 ,bonaventure's life1 for the ensuing years1 is a record of fast-succeeding events centring mainly round the work of his personal sanctification and his exertions for the welfare of the ,order4 ,on #df #bc ,october1 #abeg1 our ,saint received the degree of ,doctor of ,theology4 ,the differences between the ,university and the ,mendicant ,friars had gradually passed away and a better spirit1 prevailed4 ,still1 the favour bestowed upon our ,saint is to be attributed principally to the letter of the ,sovereign ,pontiff commanding the ,university to extend1 all its privileges to the ,friars ,thomas of ,aquin and ,bonaventure4 ,during the ,pentecost of #abha ,footnote #bj we find him assisting at the foundation of a hospital at ,pisa4 ,in the official record of this institution we read how ,friar ,bonaventure1 the ,minister-,general of the whole ,order of ,friars ,minor1 was1 at the command of ,pope ,alexander1 present at the afore-mentioned foundation2 at the command of the same ,holy ,father he made each and every benefactor of the hospital a sharer in the prayers said and good works performed by all the members of the ,order4 ,footnote #bj3 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #eb4 ,bonaventure celebrated five ,general ,chapters--that of ,narbonne in #abfj2 of ,pisa in #abfc2 of ,paris in #abff2 of ,assisi in #abfi2 of ,lyons in #abgd4 ,these ,chapters are the most convincing proofs of his indefatigable activity4 ,in each of them1 apart from the general efforts made to further regular observance1 some special ordination of a remarkable kind was enacted4 ,thus1 in the ,chapter of ,pisa1 the suffrages for the dead were regulated1 and amongst the ,masses and prayers appointed to #dg be said for deceased benefactors we find the ,solemn ,requiem for the parents of the ,brethren4 ,in the ,chapter of ,assisi in #abfi the recital of the ,angelus and the celebration of a ,mass every ,saturday in honour of our ,lady were prescribed4 ,in the ,chapter of ,paris1 by the tact and prudence of ,bonaventure1 a somewhat serious difference which had arisen between the ,franciscans and ,dominicans was amicably settled4 ,the disagreement arose concerning the respective spheres of the ,inquisitors of the two ,orders4 ,the office of ,inquisitor1 already held by the ,dominicans1 was assigned to the ,franciscans by ,innocent ,,iv4 in the year #abed4 ,the settlement of this dispute became the occasion of the consolidation of that spirit of fraternity and friendship that has ever since existed between the two ,orders1 and which1 as is commonly known1 originated in the reciprocal brotherly love of ,francis and ,dominic4 ,it is asserted that it was at the ,chapter of ,narbonne that the ,franciscan habit received its present shape4 ,up to that time it appears to have been more or less identical with the dress worn by the ,umbrian shepherds--a simple tunic with a girdle1 and a hood to protect the head4 ,it is not1 however1 easy to determine the precise nature of the alteration effected4 ,there is one incident of ,bonaventure's administration which calls for special attention2 an incident which has deeply influenced the historical estimate formed of him by certain writers4 ,this is his action #dh with regard to ,john of ,parma--his predecessor in the ,generalship of the ,order4 ,the upholders of the rigorous observance of the ,rule pretend to see in it evidence of harshness1 injustice1 nay1 even of duplicity4 ,this assumption1 needless to say1 is utterly devoid of solid foundation4 ,owing to the peculiar temperament of the times and some untoward circumstances1 ,john of ,parma fell under the suspicion of heresy1 and at the request of the ,sovereign ,pontiff it became necessary for ,bonaventure to investigate the charge4 ,the biographers of our ,saint are at variance in determining the year in which this trial was held4 ,wadding ,footnote #ba and the editors of our ,saint's works ,footnote #bb place it under the year #abeg1 but as ,father ,livarius ,oliger1 ,o4,f4,m41 points out in a review ,footnote #bc of ,father ,lemmens' recent ,life of ,st4 ,bonaventure1 the investigation is known to have been proceeded with before ,cardinal ,john ,cajetan1 who at the time was the ,protector of the ,order4 ,cardinal ,cajetan1 however1 was nominated ,protector of the ,order shortly after the assumption of ,pope ,urban1 who was elected ,pope1 #bi ,august1 #abfa4 ,this is a typical instance of the chronological difficulties and uncertainties which are associated with the life of our ,saint4 ,footnote #ba3 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,nos4 #e and #f4 ,footnote #bb3 ,,ii ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #dh4 ,no4#d4 ,footnote #bc3 ,archivium ,franciscanum ,historicum1 ,annus ,,iii1 ,fasc4 ,,ii1 p4 #cdf4 #di ,how a man so remarkable for learning and virtue as the ex-,general should have provoked such an accusation demands some further explanation4 ,in the first place1 it must be borne in mind that this was the period when the ,inquisition reigned in all the fervent zeal of its recent institution4 ,whatever savoured in the least of heterodoxy1 either in theory or in practice1 aroused its vigilance4 ,it was closely investigated and its author1 no matter what admirable qualities he might otherwise display1 was regarded with suspicion and distrust4 ,this attitude of the ecclesiastical authorities was fully justified by the prevalence of false mysticism1 under the guise of which the ,waldenses and ,albigenses were just then putting forth the most pernicious and subversive doctrines4 ,true mysticism is the perfection of ,christianity4 ,its essence is union with ,god4 ,the more perfectly it accomplishes this union1 the more thoroughly it achieves its end4 ,it is the noblest and most exalted aspect of religion1 but1 at the same time1 it is attended by very grave dangers4 ,the mystic sees only ,god and his own soul--or rather he has no direct consciousness of anything but ,god alone4 ,he converses with ,god and is guided directly by him--anything else is to a large extent ignored4 ,the danger of this state is apparent4 ,the mystic is at the mercy of his imagination and of a thousand natural influences which he is liable to #ej mistake for the voice of ,god4 ,and when he thinks that ,god speaks1 no matter to what folly or extravagance the imagined voice may urge him1 nor how clearly it may oppose the dictates of obedience1 he considers himself bound to obey it2 for is he not sure1 even as ,st4 ,peter1 that he must obey ,god rather than man6 ,unless he possess a sound judgment and a thorough grasp of ,catholic doctrine1 or1 failing these1 unless he be humbly submissive to the teaching of some competent spiritual guide1 he needs must go astray4 ,this danger1 ,francis1 who was a mystic in the truest sense of the word1 avoided perfectly1 but as much cannot be said of some of his earlier followers4 ,for notwithstanding ,pontifical utterances and the enactments of ,general ,chapters1 they persisted in maintaining that their particular views concerning the observance of the ,rule were the only permissible ones4 ,a mild form of fanaticism seems to have laid hold of them4 ,their immoderate regard for the ,rule and its observance led them to extremes4 ,they were convinced that it was inspired by our ,lord ,himself and they attributed to it an authority equal to that of the ,gospels4 ,contending that it was perfectly clear and intelligible1 they denied that any authority on earth had the power to explain or interpret it4 ,in these ideas they were strengthened by the writings of ,joachim1 ,abbot of ,flora4 ,this remarkable man flourished about the latter #ea portion of the twelfth century4 ,he was deeply imbued with the spirit of mysticism1 and its dangers were only too fully realized in his case4 ,in treating of the ,blessed ,trinity he erred seriously1 and his doctrine was condemned by the ,fourth ,lateran ,council4 ,he seems to have considered himself inspired1 and he gave utterance to a long series of prophecies concerning the ,church's future4 ,he declaimed vehemently against all ranks of the clergy--denouncing ,popes1 ,cardinals and ,bishops for their indifference and corruption1 and predicting for them the most terrible punishments4 ,turning to the relations between mankind and ,god he proceeded to divide ,revelation into three epochs3 that of the ,father1 or the ,old ,testament2 that of the ,son1 or the ,new ,testament2 and that of the ,holy ,ghost--a period which was to come and which would be much more perfect than the preceding two4 ,it was to be characterized by the most powerful and universal sway of ,divine ,love1 a clear vision of the eternal truths1 and the rise of a contemplative monachism4 ,notwithstanding these peculiar tenets1 ,joachim was a man of rare virtue and piety and he died in full union with the ,church4 ,he was regarded by many as a saint and a prophet1 and his writings were thought to be divinely inspired4 ,john of ,parma1 indeed1 held him in high esteem1 but some of the ,brethren with whom he was intimately associated1 and to some extent identified1 exceeded #eb the bounds of all moderation in their ardent advocacy of him4 ,inflamed as they were with intense religious fervour and deeply penetrated with a spirit of penance and self-sacrifice1 the teaching of ,joachim appealed most forcibly to them4 ,his denunciation of the worldliness of the age1 his contempt for all things temporal1 his love of contemplation1 and above all1 his vivid prophecy about the institution of a new ,religious ,order in which the light and love of ,god would govern all1 filled them with unbounded admiration4 ,they pretended to see in ,joachim the precursor of ,st4 ,francis and the realization of his prophecy in the ,order he established4 ,amongst the most extreme partisans of ,joachim were two intimate friends of ,john of ,parma--,friars ,gerard and ,leonard4 ,upon these principally rested the suspicion of heresy4 ,they were tried1 found guilty1 and condemned to perpetual confinement4 ,the trial of ,blessed ,john of ,parma then came on4 ,he was accused of leaning to the views of ,abbot ,joachim and of wavering in his belief in the ,trinity4 ,the ex-,general1 perhaps1 inclined somewhat to certain of the ,abbot's views2 in any case the suspicion that such was the fact had subjected him to many and great persecutions4 ,the public character of ,john1 the immense influence he wielded over a great part of the ,order1 rendered it imperative that the case should be thoroughly investigated and a definite issue come to at a public trial4 ,were #ec ,john guilty of heresy--the stern measure would be more than justified2 were he innocent--his name would gain lustre from the ordeal1 and malicious tongues be silenced4 ,the details of the trial have not come down to us4 ,wadding ,footnote #bd merely gives us the result1 stating that iniquity was not found in him 4 ,he admits1 however1 that ,john was too favourably inclined to the mysticism of ,joachim1 and that he submissively retracted in the presence of the ,cardinal and assembled ,fathers4 ,a few details we have1 but it is impossible to determine how far they are coloured with partisan prejudice4 ,one historian states that the suavity of ,john's answers so wrought on his opponents that they openly declared that as a heretic he should be sentenced to perpetual imprisonment4 ,to be stigmatized as a heretic was more than ,john could bear in patience4 ,drawing himself to his full height and looking up to heaven he professed clearly and with ardent zeal his adherence to all the articles contained in the ,apostles' ,creed4 ,he assumed the role of an innocent follower of ,christ1 writes ,angelo ,clarenus1 and averred that he did believe as he ever had believed on that question as on all other questions what the ,church holds and the ,saints teach4 ,this further incensed his accusers2 and they determined to imprison for life their late ,minister-,general4 ,that he was finally #ed acquitted must be attributed to the intervention of ,cardinal ,otto ,boni--then one of the most influential members of the ,sacred ,college and afterwards ,pope ,adrian ,v4 ,he dispatched two letters1 one to the ,cardinal ,president1 the other to ,bonaventure1 in which1 among other things1 he wrote3 ,it is with the deepest regret ,i have learned of the process instituted against ,john of ,parma1 and that party strife has led to his arraignment on a charge of heresy4 ,for many years--even before my elevation to the ,cardinalate--,i have had personal warrant both as to the orthodoxy of his doctrine and the holiness of his life2 nor have ,i yet found anyone more loyal to his creed or more faithful to his ideals4 ,so firmly am ,i persuaded of this1 that ,i have no hesitation in saying that his faith is my faith4 ,let me then most earnestly beseech you that this trial be not conducted recklessly nor with partisan bias4 ,he and ,i are one3 injustice towards him will redound on me2 the verdict you pass on him you pass also on me2 his sentence1 too1 is mine--and my sincerest wish is to be fully associated with him4 ,footnote #bd3 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abef4 ,no4#f4 ,these letters produced the desired effect4 ,john left the ,assembly fully acquitted1 and availing himself of the choice of residence that ,bonaventure courteously extended to him1 withdrew to the friary at ,greccio4 ,there he spent many years in the practice of every virtue and finally expired in the odour of sanctity4 #ee ,angelo ,clarenus1 ,footnote #be condemns the part played by ,bonaventure in this inquiry4 ,bonaventure1 he states1 on the testimony of ,john of ,parma himself1 acted wrongly in no slight degree2 for whilst discussing the question in dispute privately with ,john of ,parma in his cell he agreed with him1 affirming that he thought as he did1 but publicly in presence of the ,brethren he showed that he held the contrary4 ,and again he says3 ,brother ,john enters2 as one suspect of heresy he is forced to take an oath2 a wise man is cross-examined by those less wise1 an aged man by youths2 one full of the ,holy ,ghost is searched into by the indevout1 and by those who follow the desires of their heart4 ,then the wisdom and holiness of ,bonaventure were obscured and vanished1 and his mildness by the agitation of his soul was changed into violent anger4 ,to such an extent was he carried away that he exclaimed3 ',if it were not for the honour of the ,order ,i should have him publicly punished as a heretic'4 ,footnote #be3 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #di4 ,to preside at this trial was one of the painful duties which his position placed upon ,bonaventure4 ,at the instance of the ,brethren and the ,sovereign ,pontiff he was bound to undertake it4 ,john of ,parma had acquired a great reputation for holiness1 and his indefatigable labours on behalf of the ,order and of the ,church had made his name famous throughout ,europe4 ,furthermore1 he was a #ef personal friend of ,bonaventure1 for was it not he who recommended him for the office of ,general6 ,in the face of these considerations it is incredible that he should have been guilty of injustice or duplicity towards him4 ,it is much easier to believe that ,angelo ,clarenus1 carried away by party spirit1 gave ready credence to the exaggerated reports circulated by the admirers of ,john of ,parma1 who were bitterly1 though unreasonably1 indignant that ,bonaventure should have listened to the accusation of heresy and lent his authority to the investigation that followed4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,st4 ,,francis' ,,biographer4 ,at the ,general ,chapter of ,narbonne1 in #abfj1 ,bonaventure was requested to write the life of ,st4 ,francis4 ,owing to the circumstances that surround it1 considerable importance attaches to this incident4 ,there already existed several legends of the ,saint4 ,thomas of ,celano had written one in #abbi4 ,his work received the approval of ,gregory ,,ix41 who had officially recommended it to the ,brethren4 ,in the year #abdf1 at the request of the ,minister-,general1 ,crescentius1 appeared the ,legend of the ,three ,companions1 written by ,brothers ,angelo1 ,rufinus and ,leo4 ,a second life was written by ,thomas of ,celano in #abdg or #abdh4 ,a few years ago the well-known ,french writer1 #eg ,m4 ,paul ,sabatier1 edited a work ,footnote #bf which he contended was anterior to any of these4 ,he maintained it was nothing less than a complete life of ,st4 ,francis written by ,brother ,leo in the year #abbg--within a year of the ,saint's death4 ,this remarkable work had been already well known1 but according to ,m4 ,sabatier its authorship and the date of its compilation had been misconceived4 ,although the learned writer supports his contention with weighty arguments he cannot be said to have rendered it certain4 ,he is enamoured of the tone and spirit of the book4 ,if it be an original work and the production of ,brother ,leo1 it is1 to the modern critic1 an ideal biography4 ,it reveals simply and forcibly the human side of ,francis4 ,the personal traits of the ,saint are brought prominently before us in all their unique individuality4 ,we have the real1 living man--not the stereotyped example of every virtue which the earlier hagiographers delighted in4 ,still it must be admitted that the book is characterized by the prejudices of its author4 ,certain sayings and doings of ,francis which appealed to his prepossessions are insisted upon with evident emphasis4 ,indeed1 to such an extent is this apparent that the work cannot be regarded as purely historical4 ,it is largely polemical and would seem to have been designed to refute the ideas of the moderate party concerning certain points of observance4 ,footnote #bf3 ,the ,mirror of ,perfection1 by ,brother ,leo1 ,paris1 #ahih4 ,before quitting this subject it may be said that #eh the ardour and enthusiasm with which the greatest literary critics of the day1 ,catholic and non-,catholic1 devote themselves to the investigation of the sources of ,st4 ,francis' biography1 is one of the most remarkable phenomena which our times witness4 ,we hear of the formation of societies composed of the ablest scholars of ,europe for the study of early documents relating to ,francis and his ,order4 ,how the words of ,christ are herein verified3 ,he that humbleth himself shall be exalted6 ,i doubt if there is a personality in history1 exclusive of the ,divine ,founder of ,christianity1 whose words and actions are so closely studied in a spirit of loving admiration as are those of ,st4 ,francis4 ,to return to ,bonaventure and the task imposed upon him by the ,general ,chapter1 the importance of the latter becomes apparent when we reflect that as far as the ,order could effect it1 the legend he was about to compose was to be the sole record of the life of ,francis which should come down to posterity4 ,this purpose evidently underlay the demand for its composition1 for when the work was finished and submitted to the ,general ,chapter of ,pisa three years later it was officially approved of and all the other legends were formally proscribed4 ,more stringent measures still for the suppression of the older legends were adopted at the ,chapter of ,paris in #abff4 ,therein was framed the following ,constitution3 ,footnote #bg ,the ,general ,chapter commands #ei under obedience that all the legends of ,st4 ,francis hitherto composed be destroyed1 and that where they can be found outside the ,order the ,brethren shall strive to remove them1 for the legend composed by the ,general was written according as he had it from the mouth of those who1 as it were1 had been always with ,blessed ,francis and knew everything with certainty1 and those things which are proven are therein diligently set down4 ,footnote #bg3 ,rinaldi1 p4 #aa4 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #eh4 ,on the part of modern historiographers this ordination has excited much criticism1 and even the warmest admirers and staunchest advocates of the ,order must confess their inability to account for it adequately4 ,at first sight it appears to be a very high-handed and obscurantist procedure1 little in keeping with the ingenuous simplicity of the ,franciscan spirit4 ,it looks like an attempt to put out the light--to abolish the true ideal and substitute a counterfeit in its stead4 ,but in reality it was nothing of the sort4 ,at the present day it is impossible to determine the precise motives that actuated the authors of that statute1 but no one who is even slightly acquainted with the condition of the ,order at the period can fail to conjecture what most likely was the prevailing influence4 ,the ,chapter aimed at introducing peace and harmony amongst the ,brethren and producing uniformity of thought and action in their common life4 ,we have seen that these most desirable elements were wanting--that there were dissensions #fj and differences concerning the nature of the observance to be pursued4 ,the appeal of the contending parties was ever to the words and actions of ,st4 ,francis1 which1 according to their respective views1 they strained and exaggerated and1 unconsciously perhaps1 even falsified4 ,we cannot but conclude that such a state of affairs affected very prejudicially the biographers of the ,saint and tended to depreciate the historical value of their labours4 ,for these1 too1 took sides1 and1 as it is easy to see1 they made the ,lives they wrote the vehicle of their particular ideas4 ,thus ,thomas of ,celano favours ,brother ,elias and the moderate observance1 whilst the ,three ,companions1 and 7if ,m4 ,sabatier's contention be correct71 the ,mirror of ,perfection by ,brother ,leo1 constitute a species of manifesto against the latter1 and an appeal for a literal and rigorous observance4 ,now it is evident that whilst such a condition of things was tolerated1 unity and peace could never be established4 ,as long as these old legends1 redolent of party spirit and biassed views1 remained1 legislation making for harmony would be of no avail4 ,this the ,chapter clearly perceived1 and hence its statute4 ,we may say of it finally that although it was a drastic measure the circumstances more than justified it4 ,and we must not forget that it was adopted only after ,bonaventure's work had been examined and approved4 ,of this work it is now time to give some account4 #fa ,owing to the important place in history this new life was to hold1 and the manifold distractions of public duties among which it was to be written1 we may accept in strict and literal sincerity our ,saint's expressions of reluctance to undertake it4 ,feeling myself unworthy1 he writes1 ,footnote #bh to relate that life most worthy of all imitation1 ,i should in no wise have attempted it1 had not the devout desires of the ,brethren and the unanimous importunity of the ,chapter moved me thereunto1 and had not that love compelled me which ,i am bound to feel for our holy ,father4 4 4 4 ,this1 indeed1 was my chief reason for undertaking this work2 to wit1 that since ,i owe to him under ,god the life of my body and soul1 and have learned the holiness of his life through personal experience of his power with ,god1 it behoved me in return to collect1 as best ,i could1 his words and deeds--fragments1 as it were1 partly overlooked and partly scattered--that they be not utterly lost with the death of those who lived and conversed with the ,blessed ,servant or ,god4 ,footnote #bh3 ,legend of ,st4 ,francis1 ,prologue1 ,sec4 #c4 ,during the year #abfa1 ,st4 ,bonaventure was in ,italy collecting the materials for his work4 ,the better to come by first-hand information of this life1 he tells ,footnote #bi us1 ,i visited the scenes of the birth1 life and death of the ,blessed ,francis1 and held studious converse on these things with all who had enjoyed his intimacy1 and with such especially as #fb had fuller knowledge of his holiness and were his chief disciples4 ,to all of these all credence is due alike for their tried virtue as for their perfect knowledge of the truth4 ,we cannot say definitely who these chief disciples were4 ,to have mentioned them by name would have frustrated the purpose for which the life was undertaken4 ,we presume1 however1 that our ,saint was chiefly indebted to ,brothers ,leo1 ,illuminatus1 and ,giles4 ,footnote #bi3 ,ibid4 ,sec4 #d4 ,when these researches were completed1 ,bonaventure returned to ,paris to work up into an authentic record of ,st4 ,francis' life all the materials--oral and written--he had come by during his sojourn in ,italy4 ,every incident of any moment in ,st4 ,francis' life is faithfully recorded4 ,the graces bestowed upon him1 the labours he undertook1 the sufferings he bore1 the virtues he practised1 the miracles he worked3 all are graphically and sympathetically described4 ,the following episode gives us an insight into the fervour of soul with which this task was undertaken4 ,on one occasion1 as our ,saint was engaged on his work1 his intimate friend ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas came to visit him4 ,gently opening the door of his cell1 the saintly ,dominican saw ,bonaventure seated at his table1 pen in hand1 and so engrossed in contemplation that he was lost to exterior things4 ,deeply moved1 ,st4 ,thomas withdrew whispering to his companion ,come6 let us leave a ,saint to write the life of a ,saint4 ,illustration3 ,,st4 ,,bonaventure ,,in ,,ecstasy ,,while ,,writing ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,st4 ,,francis ,,is ,,visited ,,by ,,st4 ,,thomas ,,aquinas ,from a fresco by ,giacomelli in the ,franciscan ,church at ,cimiez4 #fc ,in his undertaking ,bonaventure had before him an ideal4 ,he wished to present ,francis as the chosen servant of ,god1 raised up to be the founder and head of a great ,religious ,order4 ,accordingly1 his attention is fixed on the supernatural rather than on the natural element in ,francis1 and he deals more with those aspects of his life and character that bring him within practical reach of his spiritual children than with those that lift him up into a sphere so high that the ordinary soul dares not aspire to it4 ,he distinguishes judiciously between what ,francis recommended and practised himself and that which he strictly enjoined upon his ,brethren4 ,here the conciliatory aim of the book is apparent4 ,but he is never betrayed into anything unworthy of an upright biographer4 ,all his facts are unassailable--nothing of importance is suppressed or distorted4 ,in consequence1 such a picture of ,francis as his spiritual children required is the result4 ,this was the end ,bonaventure had in view1 and having accomplished it1 it matters little if his work forfeits the approval of those modern critics who1 in the life of ,francis1 wish to find a record of the natural rather than the supernatural4 ,from this ,greater ,legend--as it is called--,bonaventure made an abstract of the salient events1 and arranged them under seven headings1 each of which contained nine lessons or readings4 ,this was called the ,smaller ,legend and was intended #fd for the use of the ,religious in the ,divine ,office during the ,octave of ,st4 ,francis4 ,to this smaller work attaches the same historical accuracy that distinguishes the ,greater ,legend4 ,in many instances events are described in the same words2 other incidents are given in abridged form2 the whole work is marked by a more liturgic style1 and occasionally fresh details are given4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,interior ,,spirit4 ,hitherto we have considered principally the outward life of ,bonaventure2 we now turn to those interior virtues which made him a saint4 ,notwithstanding his manifold labours and the eminently strenuous life he led he was a perfect master of the interior life4 ,a glance at his writings will show how thoroughly he understood the secrets of ,mystic ,theology1 and how intimately acquainted he was with every aspect of the spiritual life4 ,there is no phase of divine contemplation that he does not seem to have learnt by personal experience4 ,it was this very striking characteristic which gained for him the title of ,seraphic ,doctor4 ,he possessed the rare faculty of keeping his mind habitually fixed upon ,god in the midst of external occupations4 ,to this may be traced the very remarkable attribute of his writings whereby #fe every subject he treats of is made ultimately to converge ,godwards4 ,in his treatises ,the ,journey of the ,mind to ,god1 and ,the ,reduction of the ,arts to ,theology1 the workings of his soul in this respect are systematized and reduced to scientific order4 ,st4 ,antoninus notes this feature of ,bonaventure's works when he says3 ,according as ,bonaventure made progress in science and the knowledge of the ,scriptures1 so1 too1 he grew in the grace of devotion4 ,for whatever he perceived with the intellect he reduced to the form of prayer and worship of ,god and kept meditating on it continually in his heart4 ,besides maintaining at all times this habitual spirit of recollection1 our ,saint sometimes withdrew entirely from the cares of his office and gave himself exclusively to prayer and recollection4 ,it was on one such occasion1 in the seclusion of ,mount ,alverna1 that he conceived the idea of1 and actually composed1 his ,journey of the ,mind to ,god4 ,he tells us this himself4 ,on an occasion1 he says1 ,footnote #cj when1 after the example of the most ,blessed ,francis1 ,i1 a sinner1 sighed for spiritual peace--,i who1 though unworthy in every respect1 am yet his seventh successor in the general ministry of the ,brethren--it happened that about the thirty-third year after his death ,i had withdrawn to ,mount ,alverna as to a quiet place where ,i might find #ff the peace ,i sought4 ,whilst there1 as ,i reflected on certain elevations of the soul to ,god1 amongst other thoughts there occurred to me the miracle which happened to ,blessed ,francis in this place1 viz4 the apparition of the ,crucified ,seraph4 ,on reflection it instantly seemed to me that the vision signified the lifting up of ,st4 ,francis by contemplation and the manner in which it was accomplished4 ,footnote #cj3 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,v1 ,prologus1 p4 #bie4 ,unfortunately the biographers of ,bonaventure give us no definite insight into his interior spirit4 ,there is no attempt at depicting that inner life which by words and actions1 by trains of thought1 lines of policy and personal habits1 is always revealed to observant contemporaries4 ,we have innumerable vague1 though glowing1 appreciations of his virtues and character in general4 ,we are told most emphatically that he was a saint1 but what kind of a saint we are not informed4 ,in this dearth of particulars we must fall back upon the ,saint's writings4 ,we can justly hope to find in them some revelation of his spirit--of those particular ideas that guided and animated him4 ,we can take it for granted that what he taught he practised4 ,the fact that he is a canonized ,saint forbids us to think otherwise4 ,hence1 in his numerous descriptions of those interior virtues that should adorn the spiritual life in general1 we may see a reflection of those virtues which flourished in his own soul4 ,there is a small work on the spiritual life written by our ,saint in which he depicts the virtues that #fg make for religious perfection4 ,the book is entitled ,the ,perfection of ,life1 and it reveals the spirit of ,bonaventure more simply and1 for our present purpose1 more suitably than his greater works4 ,it was written at the request of the ,mother ,abbess of some ,community of ,poor ,clares4 ,he refers to this fact in his introduction1 and his words breathe such a deep spirit of humility that ,i cannot refrain from quoting them4 ,wherefore1 ,reverend ,mother1 devoted to ,god and dear to me1 you have asked me out of the poverty of my heart to write something whereby1 for the time being1 you may instruct your soul in the way of devotion4 ,i sincerely confess that rather do ,i stand in need of such instruction myself1 seeing that my life is not adorned with virtue outwardly1 nor is it inflamed with devotion inwardly1 nor is it enhanced by learning4 ,nevertheless1 moved by your pious wish1 even as you have requested ,i have obeyed4 ,but ,i ask your blessedness1 most holy mother1 to regard rather my good will than the result of my efforts2 rather the truth of my words than the elegance of my language2 and1 that1 where ,i fail to give satisfaction1 you will excuse and forgive me on account of the lack of time and the pressure of business4 ,we must remember that these words were uttered by the successor of ,st4 ,francis--a man whose reputation for learning and sanctity was world-wide--a man who was consulted by ,popes and ,princes1 #fh whose merits were soon to raise him to the dignity of the ,cardinalate1 and upon whose words a few years later the entire ,christian ,church in ,general ,council assembled would hang with profound admiration4 ,such an utterance gives us a better insight into ,bonaventure's mind and character than pages of indefinite eulogy4 ,his deep sense of humility sprang from his perfect knowledge of himself4 ,he considered self-knowledge an essential condition to the acquisition of true knowledge of any kind4 ,he knows nothing aright who knows not himself--who understands not the conditions of his own being4 ,how dangerous it is for a religious soul to be eager to know indifferent things and yet neglect to learn its own deficiencies4 ,that soul is near to ruin which is curious to know extraneous things and prone to judge others yet cares not to know itself4 ,apart from the sentiment of humility prompting this utterance1 what profound wisdom does it not reveal6 ,it establishes a truly golden rule for the guidance of the soul in its search after knowledge1 secular or spiritual4 ,it must begin by discovering its own limitations and defects4 ,if it ignores these it cannot form a true estimate of anything4 ,this truth was uttered by our ,saint six hundred years ago and it is strange to hear it re-echoed in our own day under totally different circumstances4 ,men of science1 on purely rational grounds1 are reverting to the advice given by ,bonaventure and are #fi deprecating the consequences of having hitherto more or less ignored it4 ,our knowledge of things distinct from ourselves must be modified and verified by our knowledge of the means by which it is acquired4 ,the intensity of ,bonaventure's humility is evidenced by the fact that whereas his biographers seem to have overlooked his other virtues1 they have left on record several instances of his humility4 ,the following incident related ,footnote #ca by ,wadding is touching in its simplicity3-- ,footnote #ca3 ,annals1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abfi4 ,,no4#e4 ,as ,bonaventure was on his way to the ,general ,chapter of ,assisi1 it happened that a poor spiritually afflicted ,brother1 named ,fulginas1 was very desirous of speaking to him but could not do so because of the numbers that surrounded him and engaged his attention4 ,the poor ,brother went along in advance of the ,saint until he came almost to the walls of ,assisi and there awaited him4 ,on his approach he cried out3 ',reverend ,father1 ,i should like very much to speak with you for my consolation1 and ,i humbly beseech you not to despise your poor subject though he is beneath notice'4 ,bonaventure immediately left the company that surrounded him and seating himself on the ground beside the poor ,brother1 listened with great patience and kindness to his long and tedious recital1 and consoled him with much compassion and sympathy4 ,his #gj companions1 impatient at his long absence1 expressed their disapproval of his action4 ,but he said3 ',i could not do otherwise4 ,i am the minister and servant--the poor ,brother my lord and master4 ,i often recall those words of the ,rule3 ',let the ,ministers receive the ,brothers charitably and kindly1 and show themselves so familiar towards them that they 7the ,brothers7 may speak and act with them like masters with their servants4' ,i1 being the servant1 should obey the will of my master and solace the misery of that poor sufferer4 ,this other anecdote illustrates this virtue of humility quite as forcibly1 and has the advantage of being more authentic4 ,salimbene1 ,footnote #cb a contemporary chronicler1 is our authority4 ,brother ,mark1 he wrote1 was my special friend1 and to such a degree did he love ,brother ,bonaventure1 that he would frequently burst into tears on recalling 7after his father's death7 the learning and heavenly graces that had crowned his life4 ,when ,brother ,bonaventure1 the ,minister-,general1 was about to preach to the clergy1 this same brother ,mark would say to him3 ',you are indeed a hireling1' or1 ',on former occasions you have preached without knowing precisely what you were talking about4 ,i sincerely hope you are not going to do that now4' ,brother ,mark acted thus to incite the ,general to more painstaking efforts4 ,his depreciation was merely #ga affected and in no way genuine1 for ,mark reported all the sermons of his master and treasured them greatly4 ,brother ,bonaventure rejoiced at his friend's reproaches1 and that for five reasons4 ,first1 because his was a kindly-hearted and long-suffering character2 secondly1 because thus he could imitate his blessed ,father ,francis2 thirdly1 because it showed how loyally ,mark was devoted to him2 fourthly1 because it afforded him the means of avoiding vainglory2 lastly1 because it incited him to more careful preparation4 ,footnote #cb3 ,chronica1 p4 #ach4 ,for a mind so powerful1 so enlightened1 of such perfect equilibrium and sound judgment1 humility was the only possible attitude4 ,pride is the accompaniment of a weak mind or an unsound judgment4 ,it is based upon a notion so palpably false and unworthy as to be inadmissible to a powerful mind4 ,the proud man attributes to himself what he does not possess1 or he fails to see that what he does possess is limited and imperfect1 and that it is attributable rather to the ,author of his being than to himself4 ,consequently1 he does not perceive how senseless it is to glory in it or to despise his neighbour because he lacks it4 ,the more a man knows1 however1 the humbler he is2 because the very greatness of his knowledge only widens the extent of his outlook into the boundless sphere of truth that surrounds him1 and which he feels he cannot explore4 ,in keeping with his spirit of humility our ,saint #gb shunned honours of every kind4 ,he steadfastly refused the ,archbishopric of ,york to which he was appointed by ,clement ,,iv41 and when that ,pope1 to secure more effectively his invaluable services for the ,church1 insisted on making him ,cardinal1 the envoys who brought him the ,cardinal's hat found him washing the dishes of the monastery--nor would he receive it before he had finished his menial task4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,love ,,of ,,god4 ,the ,love of ,god is the perfection of the interior life4 ,it is this which unites the soul with ,god1 and the more intense it is1 the closer is the union and the greater the consequent perfection4 ,it is the crown and1 consummation of all the virtues4 ,where it exists we shall1 as a matter of consequence1 find all the other virtues2 and to describe it is implicitly to portray them all4 ,hence1 when we shall have treated of ,st4 ,bonaventure's love for ,god1 we shall consider ourselves absolved from the necessity of discussing his other virtues1 especially as there is such a scarcity of data to lay under contribution4 ,and even concerning the virtue under consideration1 we must be content with reviewing the ,saint's teaching upon it4 ,illustration3 ,the ,papal ,envoy presenting ,st4 ,bonaventure with the ,cardinal's hat4 #ge ,none realized better than ,bonaventure the supremacy of charity4 ,charity alone1 he writes1 ,footnote #cc renders us pleasing to ,god4 ,of all the virtues charity alone makes its possessor wealthy and blessed4 ,if it is absent1 in vain are all the other virtues present2 if only it be present1 all is present--for whoso possesses it possesses the ,holy ,ghost4 ,if virtue constitute the blessed life--virtue1 ,i should add1 is nothing else but the highest love of ,god4 ,since charity is so excellent it must be insisted upon beyond all the other virtues4 ,nor ought any kind of charity to be considered sufficient but that alone by which we love ,god above all things and our neighbour as ourselves for ,god's sake4 ,the ,saint insists1 particularly1 on the exclusive nature of the love of ,god4 ,no interest in creatures and no affection for them should be allowed to interfere with it4 ,we should love ,god1 he says1 with the whole heart1 the whole mind and the whole soul4 ,to love anything not in ,god and for ,god is to be wanting in ,his love4 ,he quotes with approval the remarkable utterance of ,st4 ,augustine3 ,he loveth ,thee less1 ,o ,lord6 who loveth anything along with ,thee which he does not love because of ,thee4 ,he assigns as the proof of perfect love willingness to lay down one's life for ,god3 ,we love ,god with our whole soul when for the love of ,jesus ,christ we freely expose ourselves to death #gf when circumstances demand it4 ,to love ,god with our whole mind is to be ever mindful of ,him1 to love ,him unceasingly and without forgetfulness or neglect4 ,such is the substance of ,bonaventure's general teachings on charity4 ,footnote #cc3 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,,viii1 ,de ,perfectione ,vitae1 ,cap4 ,,vii1 p4 #abd4 ,elsewhere in his treatise1 ,the ,triple ,way1 or the ,fire of ,love1 he treats of the subject more in detail4 ,he writes1 no doubt1 from the fulness of his heart and describes1 the love which dominated his own soul4 ,he distinguishes ,footnote #cd six stages or degrees of perfect charity4 ,footnote #cd3 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,,viii1 ,de ,triplici ,via1 ,cap4 ,,ii1 ,sec4#d1 p4 #aj4 ,the first stage is that of sweetness when the soul learns to taste and see how sweet the ,lord is4 ,the second consists in the yearning of the soul for ,god4 ,having become accustomed to spiritual sweetness1 it is filled with a longing which nothing save the perfect possession of that which it loves can satisfy4 ,and as this cannot be attained to here below the soul is continually transported out of itself by ecstatic love1 and exclaims in the words of the ,psalmist3 ,as the hart panteth after the fountains of water1 so my soul panteth after ,thee1 ,o ,god6 7,ps4 ,,xli4 #b74 ,the third degree is satiety which succeeds to the yearning just described4 ,as the soul most vehemently desires ,god and is lifted up towards ,him1 everything that tends to hold it down becomes distasteful to it4 ,it can find no pleasure in #gg anything save its beloved4 ,it is like one whose appetite has been fully appeased3 if he attempt to take more food it produces disgust rather than pleasure4 ,such is the attitude of the soul at this stage towards all earthly things4 ,the fourth degree is that of spiritual inebriation which follows upon the aforesaid satiety4 ,inebriation consists in this3 ,the soul's love for ,god is so great that not only does it reject all comfort and pleasure but it delights in suffering4 ,for its consolation it embraces pain1 and1 as the ,apostle did of old1 it rejoices in reproaches and scourgings and torments for the love of its beloved4 ,the fifth degree of perfect charity is security4 ,when the soul realizes that it loves ,god so greatly that it would willingly bear every pain and opprobrium for ,him1 it conceives such confidence in the divine assistance that it casts out all fear and assures itself that it can never by any means be separated from ,god4 ,the ,apostle had reached this stage when he exclaimed3 ,who shall separate me from the love of ,christ8 ,i am certain that neither life nor death can separate us from the love of ,god which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,the sixth and last degree is found in true and perfect tranquillity1 wherein such peace and quiet reign that the soul appears to lie in peaceful slumber from which there is nothing to disturb it4 ,for what can disturb the soul which no movement of passion assails and no pang of fear disquiets8 #gh ,in such a soul peace and quiet reign4 ,it has reached the final stage--,his place is in peace4 ,it is impossible to reach such perfect tranquillity save by perfect charity4 ,when this is attained it is very easy for a man to fulfil all that appertains to perfection--whether it be to do or to suffer1 to live or to die4 ,here indeed we have disclosed to us the dizziest heights of spiritual perfection4 ,no more intimate union with ,god can we conceive1 and yet may we not justly conjecture that it is a faithful portrayal of the personal experience of the ,saint himself4 ,the title of ,seraphic ,doctor bestowed upon ,bonaventure is an undeniable tribute to his all-absorbing love for ,god4 ,to the minds of his contemporaries1 impregnated with the mysticism and supernatural atmosphere of the ,middle ,ages1 the spirit that breathed in his writings seemed to find its parallel only in the lives of those heavenly beings--the ,seraphim--whose existence is depicted as like to a glowing flame of divine love4 ,furthermore1 in his utterances concerning the workings of the soul in prayer1 there is what ,i consider a very striking revelation of the intensity of ,bonaventure's love for ,god4 ,it is the love of ,god that vivifies prayer4 ,prayer is more or less perfect according to the charity that reigns in the soul--it reaches its highest perfection where love is all-pervading4 ,then we look for raptures and ecstasies such as marked the lives of the greatest saints4 #gi ,bonaventure's reflections on prayer imply this most burning love4 ,the following utterances1 ,footnote #ce of which ,i give the substance1 are clearly indicative of this4 ,footnote #ce3 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,,viii1 ,de ,perfectione ,vitae1 ,cap4 ,v1 passim4 ,in prayer we must enter with the ,beloved into the chamber of the heart and there remain alone with ,him4 ,we must forget all external things1 and with our whole heart and all our mind and all our affections and desires endeavour to lift our souls up to ,god4 ,we should endeavour by the ardour of our devotion to mount higher and higher until we enter even into the heavenly court1 and there with the eyes of the soul having caught sight of our ,beloved1 and having tasted how sweet the ,lord is1 we should rush into ,his embrace1 kissing ,him with the lips of tenderest devotion4 ,thus are we carried out of ourselves1 rapt up to ,heaven1 and as it were1 transformed into ,christ4 ,the ,saint proceeds to explain how the ecstatic state is reached4 ,it sometimes happens1 he says1 that the mind is rapt out of itself when we are so inflamed with heavenly desires that everything earthly becomes distasteful1 and the fire of divine love burns beyond measure1 so that the soul melts like wax1 and is dissolved--ascending up before the throne of ,god like the fumes of fragrant incense4 ,again1 it sometimes arrives that the soul is so flooded with divine light and overwhelmed by the vision of ,god's beauty that it is stricken with #hj bewilderment and dislodged from its bearings4 ,and the deeper it sinks down by self-abasement in the presence of ,god's beauty1 like a streak of lightning1 the quicker it is caught up and rapt out of itself4 ,finally1 it occurs that the soul inebriated by the fulness of interior sweetness utterly forgets what it is and what it has been1 and is transported into a state of ineffable beatitude and entirely permeated with uncreated love4 ,it is forced to cry out with the ,prophet3 ',how lovely are ,thy tabernacles1 ,o ,lord of ,hosts4 ,my soul longeth and fainteth for the ,courts of the ,lord4 ,my heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living ,god' 7,ps4 ,,lxxxiii474 ,effusions such as these assuredly give us an insight into the extraordinary love that burned in the soul of ,bonaventure4 ,from the spiritual tepidity that oppresses us we can only contemplate it with wistful admiration4 ,it proves to us indeed how wonderful is ,god in ,his ,saints1 and how profoundly and intimately ,he influences the hearts of ,his chosen ones and attaches them inseparably to ,himself4 ,it will be fitting to bring this chapter to a close by quoting1 as outside testimony1 the tribute which ,cardinal ,wiseman paid ,footnote #cf to this feature of our ,saint's life4 ,there is another writer upon this inexhaustible subject1 said ,his ,eminence1 who more than any other will justify all that ,i have #ha said2 and1 moreover1 prove the influence which these festivals of the ,passion may exercise upon the habitual feelings of a ,christian4 ,i speak of the exquisite meditations of ,st4 ,bonaventure upon the life of ,christ1 a work in which it is difficult what most to admire1 the riches of imagination surpassed by no poet1 or the tenderness of sentiment1 or the variety of adaptation4 ,after having led us through the affecting incidents of ,our ,saviour's infancy and life1 and brought us to the last moving scenes1 his steps become slower from the variety of his beautiful but melancholy fancies2 he now proceeds1 not from year to year1 or from month to month1 or from day to day1 but each hour has its meditations1 and every act of the last tragedy affords him matter for pathetic imagination4 ,but when at the conclusion1 he comes to propose to us the method of practising his holy contemplations1 he so distributes them1 that from ,monday to ,wednesday shall embrace the whole1 of ,our ,saviour's life2 but from ,thursday to ,sunday inclusive each day shall be entirely taken up with the mystery which the ,church in ,holy ,week has allotted to it4 ,in this manner did he1 with many others1 extend throughout the whole year the solemn commemorations of ,holy ,week1 for the promotion of individual devotion and sanctification1 even as the ,church had done for the public welfare4 ,footnote #cf3 ,four ,lectures on the ,offices and ,ceremonies of ,holy ,week4 ,lecture the ,fourth4 #hb ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,the ,,archbishopric ,,of ,,york4 ,in a previous chapter reference was made to ,st4 ,bonaventure's appointment to the ,archiepiscopal ,see of ,york4 ,it occurred in the year #abfe4 ,the ,see of ,york had been rendered vacant by the death of ,bishop ,godfrey de ,kinton1 or ,william ,ludham--it is not certain which of these two prelates immediately preceded ,bonaventure's appointment4 ,the ,english chroniclers do not refer to our ,saint's nomination4 ,the fact may never have come to their knowledge1 or their silence may be accounted for by their opposition to foreign appointments4 ,the epoch was one of the most troublous in the history of ,england4 ,the country was in the throes of the civil war kindled by the revolt of the ,earl of ,leicester against ,henry ,,iii4 ,the partial success of the ,earl and the captivity of ,henry moved ,pope ,urban to intervene4 ,he despatched ,cardinal ,guido to ,england as his legate1 but the latter having been threatened with death if he dared to set foot in the country1 remained in ,france4 ,his mission was a failure4 ,after a short delay1 and some ineffectual negotiations1 he returned to ,rome1 where shortly afterwards he was raised to the ,papacy4 ,it was this ,pontiff who appointed ,bonaventure to the ,see of ,york4 ,he was thoroughly acquainted with the disturbed state of the country #hc and knew full well the manifold and serious difficulties which would beset the occupant of so important a ,see4 ,in the ,bull of appointment he makes particular reference to this4 ,he beseeches the ,saint to attend diligently to the needs of the ,church and to work for the peace and welfare of the ,kingdom sorely disturbed and convulsed by the storms of civil strife4 ,the condition of the ,church in ,england was not more satisfactory than that of the ,state4 ,it was deprived of the liberty necessary for its genuine welfare4 ,in the year #abfa1 we hear the ,bishops of ,england1 in ,council at ,lambeth1 bewailing the violation of the ,church's rights which they asserted were trampled under foot4 ,they enumerated the following abuses which commonly prevailed3 the undue interference of the civil power in ecclesiastical matters2 the intrusion by secular authority of incumbents into benefices2 the unjust and violent seizure of ,church property and the goods of the clergy2 the pretension of the ,crown to the right of patronage in all the more important benefices2 finally1 the plurality of benefices1 and the tenure of benefices by foreign ecclesiastics4 ,no sooner was the ,papal ,bull delivered to ,bonaventure than he hastened to ,perugia1 where the ,pope was residing1 and besought him not to impose upon him so weighty a responsibility4 ,we know not what reasons he adduced1 but they must have been very powerful to overcome the ,pope's #hd resolution and turn him from his purpose1 for he seems to have chosen ,bonaventure after the fullest deliberation and to have been very intent upon his accepting the dignity4 ,it appears that the ,chapter of ,york had chosen its ,dean as ,archbishop1 but the ,pope refused to ratify the election1 declaring that on the present occasion he reserved to himself the right of appointment4 ,in the ,bull which he issued to our ,saint1 ,footnote #cg he says3-- ,footnote #cg3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,anno #abfe4 ,no4 #ad4 ,we have long considered this appointment4 ,we have given it our profound and careful attention4 ,our mind has long been occupied with it in all its bearings4 ,the welfare of a ,church so great and honourable1 of a daughter so noble and so devoted to the ,apostolic ,see1 of a ,catholic ,kingdom so renowned as ,england and so dear to the ,roman ,see--the welfare of a ,church so amply endowed and enjoying ,archiepiscopal dignity fills us with deepest solicitude4 ,it has aroused our anxiety1 increased our vigilance and intensified our deliberation4 ,we have studied more intimately1 and considered more carefully1 all that in this election might make for the greater welfare of the ,church1 of the ,apostolic ,see1 and of the entire ,kingdom4 ,we have striven by every means in our power to find a worthy man--one devoted to the ,apostolic ,see and suited to the wants of the aforesaid ,church and zealous for the peace and welfare of the ,kingdom--a man conspicuous for virtue1 renowned for #he learning1 remarkable for foresight--a man whom the ,lord might love1 in whose goodness ,he might dwell--a man whose good deeds render him worthy of imitation1 by whom the ,catholic flock as by a shining light may be led to salvation4 ,seeking for such an one we have fixed our choice on thee--our mind has rested upon thee with entire satisfaction4 ,for we behold in thee religious fervour1 candour of life1 irreproachable conduct1 renowned learning1 prudent foresight1 serious gravity4 ,we see that thou hast so long and so laudably presided over thine ,order1 and fulfilled so faithfully the office of ,minister-,general--exercising it prudently and profitably for the greater honour and welfare of the ,order1 striving to live innocently under regular observance1 showing thyself peaceful and lovable to all4 ,wherefore1 we are fully convinced that we see in thee what we desire for the welfare of the said ,church1 the ,apostolic ,see and the entire ,kingdom4 ,by our ,apostolic authority1 therefore1 we make provision for the aforesaid ,church through thee1 and constitute thee its ,archbishop and ,pastor1 absolving thee from the office of ,minister-,general and transferring thee to the said ,church1 granting thee free licence to go thither4 ,therefore we exhort1 admonish1 affectionately entreat1 and strictly command thee by virtue of holy obedience not to resist the ,divine ,will1 nor to oppose any obstacle nor delay to our command1 but humbly to submit to the call of ,heaven and accept the burden placed upon thee by ,god4 #hf ,undoubtedly1 only the gravest reasons could have induced ,bonaventure to resist so urgent an appeal of the ,vicar of ,christ4 ,what they were we do not know1 and it is useless to enter upon conjectures4 ,the incident shows us the extraordinary esteem in which our ,saint was held1 and it also gives us an insight into the deep solicitude with which the ,popes in the thirteenth century watched over the interests of the ,church in ,england4 ,the action of the ,roman ,pontiffs in appointing foreign ecclesiastics to ,english ,sees has been severely condemned by ,protestant historians1 but anyone reading the ,bull of ,bonaventure's appointment must confess that they took the greatest care to select worthy and suitable candidates4 ,having succeeded in obtaining the revocation of his appointment1 our ,saint went to ,paris1 where he remained teaching and attending to the affairs of the ,order until the year #abfi1 when he celebrated the ,general ,chapter at ,assisi4 ,returning again to ,paris he devoted himself to his writings1 lectures1 sermons and ministerial duties1 until #abga1 when at ,viterbo he played a most important part in a very memorable event4 ,on the death of ,clement ,,iv4 7#abfh71 the ,cardinals were so hopelessly divided in their opinions that for nearly three years they were unable to agree in the choice of a successor4 ,in the year just mentioned they were assembled at ,viterbo4 ,six candidates were1 before them for election and there seemed but little chance #hg of arriving at any decision4 ,bonaventure's reputation was so great that the ,cardinals sought his services1 and1 according to one chronicler1 ,footnote #ch empowered him to nominate himself or any other to the ,papal ,see1 promising at the same time to ratify his selection4 ,he nominated ,theobald of ,piacenza1 a most worthy man who was at that time ,legate in ,syria4 ,the ,cardinals acquiesced in his choice and the new ,pope took the name of ,gregory ,x4 ,this incident must be regarded as quite authentic1 for reference is made to it in the process of our ,saint's canonization4 ,that the ,cardinals seriously authorized him to nominate himself is the only item concerning which a doubt may be raised4 ,to some writers it seems too improbable on the face of it1 and they refuse to admit it4 ,footnote #ch3 ,bartholomew of ,pisa1 ,conformities1 ,lib4 ,i4 ,conform4 #h4 ,pars4 #b4 ,the election of ,gregory exercised an unforeseen influence on ,bonaventure's career4 ,the new ,pope arrived at ,viterbo in #abgb1 and proceeded to ,rome1 where he was solemnly crowned in the year #abgc4 ,full of admiration for our ,saint and reposing the greatest confidence in his wisdom1 he desired to avail himself of his counsel in the government of the ,church4 ,accordingly he summoned him to ,rome and confided to him the transaction of many important matters4 ,amongst these was the selection of ,legates to undertake the reconciliation #hh of the ,greeks and ,tartars to the ,latin ,church4 ,however1 his stay in ,rome was not of long duration1 for in the same year1 #abgc1 he was back again in ,paris attending to his ministerial duties and working for the fulfilment of a very important commission entrusted to him by the ,pope4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,miscellaneous ,,anecdotes ,,of ,,the ,,saint4 ,before we pass on to ,st4 ,bonaventure's elevation to the ,cardinalate it will be worth while to gather under one heading such scattered memories of him as have been preserved1 and which shed additional light on his life and character4 ,these are associated chiefly with the ,french ,king ,st4 ,louis ,,ix41 and ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 ,as the sainted ,franciscan ,general lived almost thirty-two years at the ,university of ,paris1 it was but natural he should come into close relationship with the equally sainted ,king of ,france4 ,king ,louis died #be ,august1 #abgj1 and at the second chapter of ,pisa1 held in #abgb1 ,st4 ,bonaventure introduced into the ,order the solemn annual celebration of the day of his death4 ,mindful of his old-time friendship1 our ,saint secured this favour from ,gregory ,x1 as the first act of grace on the occasion of his coronation4 ,the following incident reveals the unreserve #hi with which ,louis ,,ix4 confided in his ,franciscan friend4 ,on the death of his eldest son1 the ,french ,king1 in spite of the great love he had ever borne him1 was thoroughly resigned to what he recognized as the will of ,god4 ,he told ,st4 ,bonaventure that since ,god had willed the heir apparent should die he himself would not1 even if he could1 have his son live4 ,sire1 our ,saint made answer1 how can that be8 ,st4 ,louis replied1 ,i believe and ,i know that such was the will of ,god4 ,seeing that it is ,god's will1 on no account ought ,i to will the contrary2 rather ought ,i cheerfully to accept ,god's good pleasure and not prove disloyal to ,his supreme will4 ,how much ,i suffer1 he continued1 you can scarcely credit4 ,yet though ,i feel this loss so keenly1 ,i must force myself not to manifest it4 ,as he said1 so he did1 as the whole nation was witness4 ,on another occasion the ,king told ,st4 ,bonaventure that someone had approached him saying1 ,the ,lord our ,god has three crowns1 one of gold1 one of thorns and the other incorruptible--the crown of ,eternal ,life4 ,two of these ,he has bestowed on you4 ,i earnestly recommend you1 however1 that after the example of ,jesus ,christ1 you strive to acquire by your good works the crown of ,eternal ,life4 ,what will the two crowns you have avail you1 if you secure not the third8 ,now it seems to me1 was the pious ,king's comment1 that he spoke with very much wisdom4 #ij ,his words entered my very heart4 ,this lesson1 our ,saint adds1 he also impressed on his court4 ,st4 ,louis once sought ,st4 ,bonaventure's opinion on an abstruse philosophic-theological question4 ,may a man1 queried the ,king1 choose rather to be annihilated than to remain in everlasting torments8 or ought he to prefer eternal torture to non-existence8 ,sire1 answered ,bonaventure1 endless torments presuppose sin and ,god's undying wrath against sin2 and as no one may choose to remain for ever at enmity with ,god1 non-existence is to be preferred to endless suffering4 ,i hold with ,brother ,bonaventure1 the pious ,king exclaimed4 ,then turning to his courtiers he continued1 ,i assure you ,i would far rather cease to exist2 ,i would far rather suffer annihilation1 than live for ever1 even in this world1 reigning even as ,i now reign1 and yet withal remain in perpetual enmity with my ,god4 ,a further incident reveals a still more intimate interchange of ideas4 ,the ,king once came to ,bonaventure and said to him3 ,the ,queen is greatly disturbed because she hears that our son ,peter wishes to join the ,franciscan ,order4 ,i said to her1 ',do not trouble and do not allow the affair to weigh on your mind4 ,besides1 you may mention the matter so often that the youth may come by the desire of joining the ,order4 ,personally ,i feel assured that the love ,brother ,bonaventure1 their ,general1 bears me will not allow him #ia to receive our son without my being forewarned4' ,did ,i not speak the truth1 ,brother ,bonaventure8 ,to this our ,saint made answer1 ,sire1 if your son comes to me on this matter1 ,i shall refer to you and lay the responsibility on your shoulders4 ,no1 ,brother ,bonaventure1 replied ,king ,louis1 that would not do4 ,i should not like to have it on my conscience that ,i stood in the way of my son's following the voice of ,god4 ,pious and holy ,king6 the narrative concludes1 his soul was so holy and so given to ,god1 he preferred to be deprived of his son's society rather than withdraw that son from the service of ,god4 ,in the fourteenth century ,,mss4 from which the previous incidents are drawn1 and which are preserved in the ,vatican ,library1 the following episode is found4 ,we insert it1 though historically it is not beyond question4 ,the brother of ,st4 ,bonaventure once besought our ,saint to use his influence with ,st4 ,louis on his behalf4 ,do you wish me to speak to the ,king for you8 asked our ,saint4 ,how could ,i exhort and induce others to the contempt of the world and the embracing of the ,religious ,life1 if ,i interested myself on your worldly behalf3 if1 by procuring you what you desire1 ,i afforded you the occasion of remaining in the lay state and of loving the world8 ,in the course of this biography we have alluded casually to the intimate friendship which existed between ,st4 ,bonaventure and ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 #ib ,there is an account of a holy rivalry of modest courtesy which took place between them when they were both to receive the degree of ,doctor at the ,paris ,university4 ,st4 ,thomas could not be brought to take precedence of our ,saint3 whilst ,bonaventure1 true to the name of ,friar ,minor1 shrank from the thought of anticipating ,st4 ,thomas4 ,what they were unable to arrange between themselves was settled for them by their friends4 ,it was thus finally determined that ,bonaventure1 as being somewhat older1 should be the first to occupy the place of honour4 ,when our ,saint had been adorned with the insignia of his new degree1 he was conducted to his place amongst the ,masters of ,divinity1 whence he witnessed ,st4 ,thomas passing triumphantly through the ordeal from which he himself had just emerged with credit4 ,on a subsequent occasion1 however1 it was ,st4 ,thomas' turn to be worsted in a similar contest of holy humility4 ,there is a tradition to the effect that when ,pope ,urban ,,iv4 was contemplating to extend to the whole ,church the ,feast of ,corpus ,christi he commissioned ,st4 ,thomas and ,st4 ,bonaventure to compose separately a suitable ,office and ,mass for the feast4 ,while the work was being done1 ,st4 ,bonaventure called upon his friend1 and during the course of the conversation took up and read that antiphon for the ,magnificat beginning with the words1 ,o ,sacrum ,convivium6--,o ,sacred ,banquet6 ,so overcome was he by its depth and #ic sweetness that he returned home and cast into the fire the work he himself had been preparing4 ,whatever the authenticity of these two episodes1 they certainly breathe the spirit of love and of courteous esteem with which these two ,saints--representatives of two kindred ,orders--were actuated towards each other4 ,this is another episode of the same holy friendship1 which ,wadding ,footnote #ci recounts on the testimony of ,mark of ,lisbon4 ,as ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas was once wondering at the varied learning and depth of insight displayed in his friend's writings1 he asked ,st4 ,bonaventure to show him the books from which he had drawn4 ,thereupon the humble ,franciscan ,general showed ,st4 ,thomas a ,crucifix1 and pointing to it exclaimed3 ,it is from this well-spring of light and love that ,i have drawn whatever is to be found in my lectures or writings4 ,footnote #ci3 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abfj4 ,no4 #bj4 ,the following incident in connexion with ,st4 ,antony of ,padua gives us an insight into ,st4 ,bonaventure's unctuous devotion4 ,when our ,saint was in ,italy in the year #abfc1 he presided over the translation of ,st4 ,antony's relics1 which were then removed on #h ,april from the humble ,church where they had reposed since #abcb to the noble ,basilica where they still remain4 ,when the lid of the coffin was removed and all pressed eagerly forward to gaze1 it was seen that though the flesh had long since returned to dust1 and even the bones #id were fast crumbling away1 the tongue1 which for #cb years had lain under the earth1 was found as fresh and ruddy as though the ,most ,blessed ,father had died that self-same hour4 ,footnote #dj ,with the tact and eloquence which were so peculiarly his own1 ,bonaventure turned this extraordinary happening to devout account4 ,reverently taking the relic into his hands and kissing it with tender devotion1 he exclaimed1 ,o ,blessed ,tongue1 which in life didst ever bless the ,lord and lead others to bless ,him1 now doth it manifestly appear in what high honour thou wast held by ,god ,himself4 ,he then directed that it be preserved in a costly reliquary1 as a special object of veneration1 rather than remain with the rest of the body4 ,footnote #dj3 ,cf4 ,analecta ,franciscana1 ,tom4 ,,iii1 pp4 #cbh and #aeg4 ,there is also recorded a quaint and interesting dialogue which took place between our ,saint and ,brother ,giles4 ,on one occasion1 we read ,footnote #da in the ,life of ,brother ,giles commonly attributed to ,brother ,leo1 ,brother ,giles said to ,friar ,bonaventure1 the ,minister-,general1 ',father1 ,god has laden you with many graces4 ,but we uneducated and unlearned men who have not received of this fullness1 what shall we do to be saved8' ,the ,general made answer1 ',did ,god confer on man no other grace save only the power to love ,him1 that surely would suffice'4 ,then asked ,brother ,giles1 ',can an ignorant man love ,god even as can a scholar8' #ie ',a poor1 little1 aged peasant woman1' the ,general made answer1 'can love ,god even more than a ,master in ,theology4' ,then arose ,brother ,giles in the fervour of his soul1 and running towards that part of the garden nearest the highway1 cried aloud1 ',poor little peasant woman love the ,lord thy ,god1 and foolish and ignorant as thou art1 thou mayest be greater in ,his sight even than ,friar ,bonaventure'4 ,and as he thus cried aloud he was rapt in ecstasy and remained immovable for the space of three hours4 ,footnote #da3 ,ibid4 p4 #aja4 ,there is one of our ,saint's works which we must not omit to mention1 for through it he is closely connected with an important present-day feature of the ,church's life4 ,some authors tell us that it is to ,st4 ,bonaventure that we are indebted for our numerous modern confraternities2 either1 as some say1 because he originated the idea of these pious societies1 or1 as others hold1 because he prescribed for them a definite form of prayer4 ,it is certain that our ,saint founded the ,confraternity of the ,holy ,standard1 and did so probably about the year #abfd4 ,footnote #db ,the root idea of a ,confraternity1 however1 existed before the time of ,st4 ,bonaventure2 these pious societies1 in fact1 seem but to be the counterpart of those local guilds which were early established over ,europe4 ,then anent specific rules and prayers1 etc41 there are the religious #if prescriptions which ,hincmar1 ,archbishop of ,rheims1 drew up for his guild1 not to mention the ,confraternity organized by ,odo1 ,bishop of ,paris1 who died in #abjh4 ,this ,confraternity of the ,standard1 however1 would seem to have been the first introduced into ,rome2 and its immediate and extensive adoption throughout ,italy may possibly explain how it came to pass that upon ,st4 ,bonaventure was fathered an idea that1 probably1 was merely borrowed from ,bishop ,odo4 ,footnote #db3 ,bull of ,pope ,gregory ,,xiii4 ,pastoris ,a,eterni1 #bc ,october1 #aegf4 ,this ,confraternity of the ,holy ,standard took its name from the banner which was borne at the head of the ,society's processions and on which was wrought the likeness of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,it was also known as the ,society of the ,proteges of ,our ,blessed ,lady1 for among their insignia was a representation of the mother of ,god shielding her clients with her mantle4 ,at first the ,society embraced only twelve members1 all of noble birth1 the number1 it is said1 shown to our ,saint in a vision2 soon1 however1 it grew into a large and public body4 ,the distinctive dress of the association was a white habit1 to the right shoulder of which was attached a blue badge on which a cross was traced in red and white4 ,this was the period when the ,crusades were kindling the ,west with religious enthusiasm1 and it seemed appropriate that in spiritual as in temporal warfare1 soldiers should bear an their person the insignia of the ,king under whose banner they were fighting4 #ig ,the whiteness of the ,cross recalled the purity of ,our ,lady2 its deep red colour symbolized the love with which ,our ,lord purchased our redemption1 and the heart-felt loyalty we should manifest in return4 ,the aims of this ,confraternity were prayer1 fasting1 and almsdeeds3 the promotion of peace and harmony among citizens--then so fiercely given to feuds of civic politics2 the procuring of dowries for destitute girls2 voluntary service to hospitals2 and1 perhaps1 chiefly1 the ransom of captives from the tyranny of the ,saracens4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,cardinalate4 ,soon after his election to the ,papacy1 ,gregory ,x4 decided to hold a ,general ,council at ,lyons4 ,he directed ,bonaventure to undertake the preparation of the various matters to be discussed4 ,amongst all those who might co-operate for the success of the ,council1 the ,pope perceived that there was no one more capable than our ,saint4 ,his1 authority was great and his influence was widespread1 ,in the preceding chapter we have dwelt upon his familiar friendship with ,king ,louis of ,france1 ,with ,charles ,i4 of ,anjou he was likewise on intimate terms4 ,after his elevation to the ,cardinalate the prince gave orders for his suitable conveyance to the ,papal ,court4 ,another somewhat curious #ih instance of ,bonaventure's widespread influence is seen in a letter written to him by the ,secretary of ,otto ,carus1 ,king of ,bohemia4 ,he asks our ,saint to intercede for him with his royal master so that he might receive from him some office which he coveted4 ,as ,general of the ,franciscan ,order his power was very considerable1 but it was greatly increased by his reputation for learning and profound piety4 ,the ,order had already spread into almost every country of the ,old ,world4 ,in the ,east and ,west it possessed thirty-three ,provinces and four ,vicariates4 ,it had penetrated into ,egypt1 ,palestine1 and ,syria2 and was firmly established all over ,europe including the ,british ,isles4 ,the supreme ruler of so vast and powerful an organization is necessarily a noteworthy personage in the life of the ,church4 ,and it is not to be wondered at that ,gregory ,x4 fixed his eyes upon ,bonaventure1 and with a view to enhancing his authority and extending his sphere of action determined to raise him to the cardinalate4 ,accordingly1 on #bc ,june1 #abgc1 he made him ,bishop of ,albano and ,cardinal of the ,roman ,church4 ,bonaventure's secretary1 ,bernard of ,besse1 viewing the procedure from the standpoint of the humble ,friar and with apparently little approval1 refers briefly to the fact in these words3 ,the aforesaid ,lord ,gregory ,x4 forced him to become a ,cardinal4 ,we can imagine how strenuously ,bonaventure refused the honour1 but the ,pope was inflexible and even peremptory4 #ii ,he commanded ,bonaventure to submit to his appointment and in a spirit of humility to place no obstacle in the way4 ,he furthermore ordered him to repair to the ,papal ,court without any unreasonable delay or hesitation4 ,our ,saint received the ,brief at ,paris and he set out at once for ,florence where the ,pope happened to be residing4 ,having reached the vicinity of the town he took up his abode in a small convent of the ,order4 ,thither came the ,pope's envoys with the ,cardinal's insignia4 ,as has already been said they found the ,bishop and ,cardinal-elect washing the plates of the monastery1 and tradition has it that he ordered them to hang the hat on a branch of a tree close by until he had finished4 ,after a brief stay at ,florence1 at the ,pope's command our ,saint set out for ,lyons1 where the ,general ,council was to be held4 ,the assembly began its sessions in ,may1 #abgd4 ,the importance of the part which ,bonaventure played in this ,council is admitted by all4 ,his secretary and biographer1 ,bernard of ,besse1 says3 ,by command of our ,lord the ,pope he conducted the principal affairs of the ,council4 ,pope ,sixtus ,,iv4 affirms that ,bonaventure presided at the ,council of ,lyons and directed everything to the praise and glory of ,god2 so that having suppressed discords and overcome difficulties1 he was a source of honour and utility to the ,church4 ,it is1 however1 hardly credible that ,bonaventure really presided over the ,council1 for #ajj the ,pope himself was present4 ,most likely he presided over the private sessions and prepared and directed the business to be publicly transacted4 ,the union of the ,greek ,church with the ,latin1 the deliverance of the ,holy ,land from ,mohammedan rule1 and the restoration of ecclesiastical discipline were the chief matters discussed by the ,council4 ,in the work of reuniting the ,greek and ,latin ,churches the ,friars ,minor played a very conspicuous part4 ,through them the negotiations with the ,emperor ,paleologus1 and the ,greek ,church had been carried on4 ,their efforts seemed for a time to be crowned with complete success4 ,the ,emperor sent civil and ecclesiastical representatives to the ,council of ,lyons to express the adherence of himself and the entire ,greek ,church to all the tenets of the ,church of ,rome4 ,in presence of the assembled ,council and amid great solemnity the envoys made a public profession of ,faith1 and the great ,eastern schism seemed to be healed4 ,unfortunately the result was of very brief duration4 ,in the course of a few years the ,greeks had once more returned to their old condition of schism and heresy4 ,still1 even for this temporary success great credit is due to ,bonaventure1 for to his personal influence it must in no small degree be attributed4 ,his learning1 his eloquence1 his affability and his piety deeply impressed the ,greeks4 ,they marked their appreciation of his great ability by bestowing on him #aja the name of ,eutychius4 ,he surpassed the high opinion which ,pope ,gregory had formed of him4 ,his extraordinary gifts filled the whole ,council with admiration4 ,the facility and precision of his diction1 the prudence and moderation of his counsel1 the breadth and depth of his learning1 his skill in controversy and his wonderful power of dispatching most weighty matters made him the most prominent figure in the whole of the assembly4 ,at the same time1 his humility and meekness and the cheerful sweetness of his disposition won all hearts4 ,his words were listened to with sympathetic attention and never failed to produce the desired effect4 ,it is recorded that he preached twice during the ,council3 first when it was officially announced that the ,greeks were sending representatives to ,lyons1 and1 secondly1 when the reunion had been accomplished4 ,a large number of his sermons are extant1 but amongst them is not found either of these discourses4 ,whilst our gaze is fixed on ,bonaventure as the central figure in that grand assembly of the ,christian ,church we can read with interest the pen-portrait of him left to us by an old chronicler4 ,this writer1 ,footnote #dc after insisting at much length on the spiritual endowments of the ,saint1 continues thus3-- ,footnote #dc3 ,peter ,rodulph1 fol4 #ib4 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abgd4 ,no4 #bj4 ,such beauty of soul was matched by exterior #ajb comeliness2 of imposing appearance1 tall in stature1 and with a certain nobility of bearing4 ,his features were handsome and of serious expression4 ,his words were calm and his conversation kind and gentle4 ,he rarely suffered from ill health4 ,his disposition was more than admirable4 ,his appearance cannot be described other than like that of an angel sent from ,heaven1 for in his day there was no one more beautiful1 holier1 or more wise4 ,such affability and grace shone forth in his countenance that he was to all not only an object of love but of admiration4 ,those who once beheld him felt themselves drawn instinctively to admire and venerate him as one especially designed to further the interests of religion4 ,the description is evidently that of an ardent admirer of ,bonaventure1 but making all due allowance for its palpable exaggerations we are justified in believing that the personal appearance of the ,saint must have been impressive and attractive in no ordinary degree4 ,this seems to have been a characteristic of many of the saints1 although their biographers1 imbued with the peculiar ascetical notion that unsightliness of body is somehow necessarily associated with beauty and excellence of soul1 usually discard all reference to bodily endowments4 ,in his labours at the ,council our ,saint was ably seconded by two other ,franciscans--,rigaldi1 ,archbishop of ,rouen1 and ,paul1 ,bishop of ,tripolis4 ,their prominence and the authority they wielded #ajc seem to have excited a certain amount of jealousy among their contemporaries4 ,thus we find them referred to in the following satirical triplet3-- ,bonaventure1 ,rouen and ,tripolitane ,dispense papal laws and unmindful remain ,of their ,order which scorns all honours as vain4 ,this suggests the question3 ,how can we reconcile the acceptance of ecclesiastical dignities with the ,spirit of ,st4 ,francis and the profession of his ,rule8 ,many answers might be given1 but ,i believe the following to be the most satisfactory4 ,the leading principle of the ,franciscan ,rule is obedience to the ,pope1 the supreme authority in all things spiritual4 ,hence1 submission to what he commands cannot be a violation of the ,franciscan spirit4 ,like every other religious development of human origin the ,order of ,st4 ,francis is entirely subject to the authority of the ,head of the ,church4 ,he can modify it in its constitution and in its members as circumstances may demand4 ,non-,catholic writers1 and even ,catholics1 sometimes lose sight of this4 ,they seem to think that the ,rule of ,francis possesses some species of supreme and absolute authority which no power on earth can1 or ought to1 interfere with4 ,this assumption is utterly false4 ,none would have more emphatically rejected it than ,st4 ,francis himself4 ,hence1 when the ,vicar of ,christ1 for the welfare of the ,church1 calls upon a child of ,st4 ,francis to accept some office to #ajd which attaches dignity or honour he may humbly refuse1 but a persistent and obstinate refusal would find no justification in the profession he has made4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,death4 ,by special ,pontifical dispensation ,bonaventure retained the office of ,minister-,general for a short time after his elevation to the ,cardinalate4 ,his successor could be elected only by a ,general ,chapter1 and this could not conveniently be convoked until the feast of ,pentecost4 ,this occurred on #bj ,may1 #abgd1 and the place chosen for the assembly was ,lyons4 ,the ,saint presided1 and having formally resigned his office1 ,jerome of ,ascoli1 afterwards ,pope ,nicholas ,,iv41 was appointed his successor4 ,with this event ,bonaventure's official connection with the ,order of ,st4 ,francis ceased4 ,as we shall see1 it was almost coincident with his death4 ,the ,council of ,lyons was still sitting when ,bonaventure was called to his reward4 ,he was only fifty-three years of age1 but the immense labours he had undergone and the habitual weakness of his constitution1 hastened the end4 ,illustration3 ,st4 ,bonaventure4 ,from ,raphael's ,disputa1 in the ,vatican4 #ajg ,on #f ,july1 the fourth general session of the ,council was held4 ,the reunion of the ,greek and ,latin ,churches was solemnly ratified4 ,bonaventure preached on the occasion4 ,he took for his text the words of the prophet ,baruch 7v4 #e74 ,arise1 ,o ,jerusalem1 and stand on high2 and look about towards the ,east1 and behold thy children gathered together from the rising to the setting sun1 by the word of the ,holy ,one rejoicing in the remembrance of ,god4 ,the body of the discourse has not come down to us1 but we can well imagine that it was well worthy of the great occasion and of the genius and sanctity of the preacher4 ,it was his last public utterance--the ,nunc dimittis of the ,church's zealous champion as he witnessed the accomplishment of the object for which he had long so earnestly striven4 ,he was even then standing on the brink of the grave4 ,the echoes of eternity were already beginning to sound in his ears and the everlasting years to unfold themselves before his gaze4 ,as he heard the solemn strains of the grand ,te ,deum that marked the close of the great event he must have felt that his work for ,god and for the ,church was accomplished4 ,weakened by disease and worn out by the constant strain and pressure of business1 his strength was rapidly failing4 ,the ceaseless activity of his great mind1 his restless energy and burning zeal1 had hitherto rendered him insensible to the body's decline1 but at last the limits of endurance were reached and the end was at hand4 ,bonaventure returned home from the ,council1 and nine days later he was dead4 ,the exact cause of his death is not known4 ,one #ajh writer ,footnote #dd refers to an extraordinary mortality prevailing amongst the members of the ,council4 ,it is just possible that some species of epidemic1 so frequent in those days1 may have broken out in the city1 and that our ,saint in his infirm state of health fell an easy victim to it4 ,incidentally1 we learn that one of the symptoms of his last illness was a complete inability to retain even the least particle of food4 ,this is recorded ,footnote #de in connection with the following truly marvellous occurrence4 ,on his death-bed our ,saint longed with all the ardour of his seraphic soul for the sweet intercourse of ,sacramental ,communion4 ,but the cause just mentioned made this impossible4 ,still1 as far as possible to appease his pious longing1 the ,consecrated ,host was brought into his room and placed beside him1 so that his eyes might rest upon it4 ,this only intensified his desire1 until it would appear that the ,lord could no longer withstand the ardour of his pleadings4 ,a wonderful thing was then seen to happen4 ,without any visible agency the ,sacred ,host left the ciborium and1 moving through the air towards the dying ,saint1 vanished within his breast6 ,footnote #dd3 ,cf4 ,opera ,omnia1 ,tom4 ,x1 p4 #fg4 ,no4#d4 ,footnote #de3 ,wadding1 ,annals1 ,tom4 ,,iv1 ,anno #abgd4 ,no4 #ah4 ,at an earlier period in his life a somewhat similar occurrence is recorded4 ,bartholomew of ,pisa and the author ,footnote #df of the ,chronicles of the ,twenty-four ,generals relate that1 on a certain occasion1 the pious #aji ,general1 thinking himself unworthy1 abstained for a long time from saying ,holy ,mass4 ,but the ,lord was touched by his humility1 and one day as he was devoutly hearing ,mass1 a particle of the ,consecrated ,host1 solely at the command of the ,saviour1 left the altar and entered his mouth1 filling his soul with divine sweetness4 ,it may be that both records are but different versions of the same fact1 and we may doubt which of them is authentic4 ,but if ,bonaventure's malady were such as described1 we should like to think that the ,lord1 pitying the loneliness and extremity of ,his dying servant1 afforded him1 even by a miracle1 the supreme consolation which his passing spirit sighed for4 ,footnote #df3 ,cf4 ,analecta ,franciscana1 ,tom4 ,,iii1 p4 #ccd4 ,another incident which touchingly illustrates the absolute poverty in which the ,saint died is recorded by ,wadding4 ,although ,bishop and ,cardinal1 his sole possession on his death-bed was his breviary4 ,everything else he had distributed to the poor1 and even the breviary he regarded not as his own but as belonging to his ,order1 and he directed that it should be restored to the ,brethren after his death4 ,we would fain linger by the deathbed of the ,saint but the almost complete absence of details gives us no encouragement to do so4 ,we are not told even where he died4 ,was it in the convent of his ,order and surrounded by his ,brethren1 or elsewhere8 ,how did he bear himself in that final struggle8 ,what were his sentiments8 ,what were #aaj his last words8 ,none of these things are recorded4 ,apart from general observations concerning his virtues and his holiness we only know with certainty that during the night of #d ,july1 #abgd1 ,bonaventure passed to his reward4 ,we may well imagine that death has no terror for the ,saints2 at the same time1 we cannot say that it has any special attraction for them4 ,even our ,holy ,father1 ,st4 ,francis1 whilst unawed at the approach of ,sister ,death1 seemed yet submissively to cling to life4 ,it is a natural and a legitimate instinct4 ,life is the sum total of our temporal gifts1 and its preservation is a duty we owe to the giver4 ,it is true1 granted the immortality of the soul1 and future reward1 that there is a greater good than the body's life and that to secure it we may1 and in some cases ought1 to forfeit the latter4 ,but these circumstances are abnormal and rarely occur4 ,in the ordinary course of events the soul's welfare does not demand the body's death4 ,the interests of body and soul run on parallel lines1 and so long as right order is maintained they cannot collide4 ,we read indeed that the ,saints1 vividly realizing the happiness of ,heaven and aspiring to it with steadfast confidence1 longed for death4 ,st4 ,paul exclaiming3 ,i wish to be dissolved and to be with ,christ1 is quoted as an example of this4 ,but the attitude thus expressed by the ,apostle is not incompatible with a natural repugnance to1 and shrinking from death4 ,we believe this to be in #aaa some degree the characteristic of all men1 saints as well as sinners4 ,bonaventure's death was regarded somewhat in the light of a public calamity4 ,the effect it produced upon the ,council of ,lyons is narrated as follows4 ,footnote #dg ,at this time1 whilst the ,council was still sitting1 the most reverend ,father in ,christ1 the ,lord ,cardinal ,bonaventure of most venerable memory was laid with the holy ,fathers1 filling1 as we may believe1 the ,church ,triumphant with joy at his advent1 but affecting the ,church ,militant with incredible grief at his departure4 ,for ,greeks and ,latins1 clergy and laity1 followed his bier with bitter tears1 lamenting the grievous loss of so great a personage4 ,footnote #dg3 ,author of the ,chronicles of ,twenty-four ,generals1 ,cf4 ,analecta ,franciscana1 ,tom4 ,,iii1 p4 #cef4 ,in accordance with the custom of the time and country1 ,bonaventure was buried on the day of his death4 ,his funeral was attended by the ,pope and all the ,prelates of the ,council4 ,peter1 ,cardinal ,bishop of ,ostia1 celebrated ,holy ,mass and preached the funeral oration4 ,he took for his text the pathetic words in which ,david laments the death of ,jonathan 7#b ,kings #a4 #bf73 ,i grieve for thee1 my brother ,jonathan--exceedingly beautiful and amiable above the love of women4 ,the text was suggested no doubt by that striking characteristic of the ,saint upon which all his biographers so strongly insist--his wonderful amiability4 ,as one #aab writer ,footnote #dh expresses it3 ,this grace the ,lord had granted him that whosoever looked on him was forthwith irresistibly drawn to love him4 ,footnote #dh3 ,the historian of the ,council of ,lyons4 ,cf4 ,opera1 ,tom4 ,x1 p #fg4 ,at the next session of the ,general ,council the ,pope referred to the grievous loss sustained by the entire ,church in the death of ,bonaventure4 ,and to mark his sense of gratitude for the immense labours he had undergone on its behalf he ordered all the priests and prelates of the ,catholic world to offer up ,holy ,mass for the repose of his soul4 ,the ,saint was buried in the church of the ,friars ,minor at ,lyons4 ,in the year #adcd1 a new church dedicated to ,st4 ,francis was erected in the city1 and thither1 as to a more suitable resting-place1 the body was translated4 ,this took place one hundred and sixty years after the ,saint's death4 ,marvellous to relate1 the head was then found to be entirely incorrupt4 ,the hair1 lips1 teeth1 and tongue were perfectly preserved and retained their natural colour4 ,the people of ,lyons were profoundly affected by this miracle1 and they chose ,bonaventure for the patron of their city4 ,the movement1 already on foot1 to obtain his canonization received thereby a new and powerful impetus4 ,on the occasion of this translation the body of ,st4 ,bonaventure was placed in a costly reliquary at the command of the ,minister-,general1 and kept at the ,franciscan ,church at ,lyons4 ,later in the #aac same century1 the ,minister-,general1 ,father ,francis ,samson1 removed the arms of our ,saint from ,lyons1 and entrusted them to the keeping of the ,religious at ,bagnorea4 ,in the ,cathedral ,church of this town these relics are still piously venerated4 ,around the reliquary which encloses them runs the inscription1 ,father ,francis ,samson1 ,general1 bequeathed this reliquary to the ,convent of ,st4 ,francis in ,bagnorea1 #a ,may1 #adia 4 ,in #adid ,king ,charles ,,viii4 of ,france erected a magnificent side-chapel for the remains at ,lyons1 and in return requested some relic of ,st4 ,bonaventure4 ,his desire was granted1 and the relic he obtained he finally presented to the chapel of ,fontainebleau4 ,thence it was taken to the ,franciscan ,church at ,paris1 where it remained till the ,french ,revolution4 ,other relics of ,st4 ,bonaventure were removed to ,venice in #adid where they are still exposed to the veneration of the ,faithful4 ,the shrine at ,lyons was enriched with many valuable offerings--tributes of gratitude to the efficacy of our ,saint's intercession4 ,there1 in one urn plated with silver1 his body was preserved2 the head being reserved in another equally costly4 ,there1 too1 the remains rested in veneration till the second half of the sixteenth century4 ,in #aefb1 ,lyons fell into the hands of the ,huguenots who made an assault on the ,franciscan ,church there and rifled ,st4 ,bonaventure's shrine of its treasures4 ,owing1 however1 to the foresight and #aad heroism of ,father ,james ,gayete1 the ,superior1 their sacrilegious purpose was1 in part1 thwarted4 ,this holy man had betimes taken the precaution of enclosing our ,saint's relics in two urns and burying them in a secret place4 ,the two ,religious who shared his secret were sent to another convent lest what they knew be wrung from them by torture4 ,father ,james was subjected to much harsh treatment1 but all to no avail4 ,a search was then instituted through the friary and its grounds1 and finally the ,huguenots succeeded in discovering the body4 ,this was borne to the public square and burned with many images1 pictures1 and objects of devotion4 ,when peace again prevailed1 the ,religious who knew of the secret returned to ,lyons and produced the urn which contained the head of our ,saint as also the crucifix and chalice he was wont to use4 ,the former cultus was once more revived2 the friary and church rose from their ruins and the shrine of ,st4 ,bonaventure regained its old-time splendour4 ,during the ,french ,revolution1 however1 the profanation was more complete4 ,the friary and church were razed to the ground1 and once again the urn containing the head of our ,saint was buried for safety in a secret place4 ,this time1 however1 the holy ,religious died without divulging his secret1 and all subsequent searches to find the relics have proved unavailing4 ,illustration3 ,photo4 ,alinari4 ,,st4 ,,bonaventure4 ,church of ,st4 ,maria degli ,angeli1 ,dintorni 7,tiberio d ,assisi7 #aae ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,canonization4 ,from all that has hitherto been said it is evident that ,bonaventure was eminent amongst his contemporaries4 ,he excelled in holiness and learning4 ,his greatness was religious4 ,the service of ,god1 the sanctification of his soul and the welfare of the ,church were the sole ends to which his life was devoted4 ,he achieved them with remarkable success4 ,his contemporaries perceived it and they regarded him as a saint4 ,a saint is a man whose life is virtuous in a heroic degree--whose spiritual excellence is indisputable4 ,such excellence is worthy of recognition1 and the ,catholic ,church1 with its true appreciation of what is right1 has adopted suitable means of expressing it4 ,these are embodied in the process of canonization4 ,in the early ages of the ,church there was no special form of canonization4 ,it appears to have consisted in the unanimous belief of the ,faithful--at first merely tolerated1 but in time positively approved of by ecclesiastical authority4 ,in the eighth century we come across the liturgical ceremony of solemnly enrolling the ,saint amongst the number of the ,blessed in ,heaven4 ,this is not the place to discuss the dogmatic significance of such procedure4 ,suffice it to say1 #aaf it would be rash to imagine that the ,church could err in so important and truly religious a matter4 ,although the holiness of the ,saints was recognized by their contemporaries1 and continued to be the object of devout veneration by succeeding generations1 still the ,church's authentic recognition of it has sometimes been postponed for long centuries4 ,the ,church moves slowly in such matters4 ,she is guided by the attitude of the ,faithful4 ,if these1 through successive generations1 maintain a traditional cultus of the ,servant of ,god and eventually demand his canonization1 the process is usually entered upon4 ,the utmost caution is observed in the procedure4 ,a most careful study is made of the life of the individual4 ,the heroic nature of his virtues1 the constant devotion of the ,faithful towards him1 the miracles attributed to him must be judicially proven4 ,all evidence is carefully sifted by expert canonists4 ,every fact calculated to benefit or to prejudice the cause of the ,saint is skilfully adduced4 ,all human means likely to ensure the truth of the ,church's judgment are employed4 ,in the ,middle ,ages1 even as at the present day1 it was the custom to demand from the ,supreme ,pontiff the favour of canonization4 ,the cause had to be put forward1 and the ,church's definitive sentence formally solicited4 ,in the case of our ,saint the petition was presented by the ,minister-,general of the ,franciscan ,order1 ,fr4 ,francis ,samson4 ,it was #aag supported by the following powerful monarchs and nobles3 the ,emperor ,frederick ,,iii1 ,king ,louis of ,france1 ,ferdinand ,king of ,sicily1 ,matthias ,king of ,hungary2 the ,dukes of ,calabria1 ,venice1 ,milan1 and ,bourbon2 also the ,municipalities of ,florence1 ,siena1 ,lyons1 ,perugia and ,balneumregis4 ,it is somewhat strange to observe that this petition was not presented earlier4 ,it was now some one hundred and eighty years since ,bonaventure's death4 ,but1 as the ,pontiff declared1 the delay only added to the glory of the event4 ,it is a prerogative of the greatness of the ,saints that it appeals so powerfully to the minds of men long after their death4 ,herein it contrasts strikingly with worldly greatness which vanishes so quickly as scarcely to survive the death of those who possessed it4 ,when our ,saint's canonization was mooted ,sixtus ,,iv4 occupied the ,papal ,chair4 ,he had been a ,franciscan1 and this circumstance operated in favour of the undertaking4 ,to the ,pontiff the enrolment of a brother ,friar in the ,calendar of the ,saints was peculiarly agreeable4 ,he refers to the fact in the ,bull of canonization1 and he is careful at the same time to guard against the impression that his judgment might be influenced by undue partiality4 ,we have read most diligently1 he writes1 the divine writings of the aforesaid holy man1 and from the time we were capable of understanding them they have been our chief delight4 ,from the older and more trustworthy ,brethren of the ,order1 who in #aah their youth had learnt it from their elders1 we have heard of the fame of his sanctity and miracles1 and we felt that whilst he triumphed in ,heaven he ought to be venerated on earth4 ,moreover1 we remembered that1 by choice1 we had embraced the same ,order and therein by the ,divine assistance made some progress in learning and in the spiritual life--that we had fulfilled the same ministerial office and had been raised to the dignity of the ,cardinalate and finally to the summit of the ,pontificate4 ,so that we feel we have been raised to those eminences in the ,church ,militant through which ,bonaventure attained to the glory of the ,church ,triumphant4 ,but lest we should appear to be influenced by any personal motive in this process we have been careful to employ all the diligence and caution which the importance of the matter demands4 ,he points out the measures taken to accomplish this4 ,a ,commission of ,cardinals was appointed to examine the life and miracles of the ,saint4 ,their report in the first instance did not satisfy the ,pope4 ,it was not drawn up with sufficient solemnity and it had to be repeated4 ,a fuller investigation was made1 additional witnesses were examined and new miracles investigated4 ,the result this time was satisfactory1 and the ,pontiff felt himself bound to proceed with the canonization4 ,lest1 he says1 we should appear to resist the ,holy ,ghost1 who through the mouth of ,his ,prophet commands us to praise ,god in ,his ,saints1 we have taken counsel #aai with our venerable ,brethren the ,cardinals concerning this canonization and they have approved of it unanimously4 ,a public ,consistory was then held and the ,pope enjoined upon the clergy and ,faithful of ,rome the observance of three days prayer and fasting--so that ,god might enlighten us as to the correct course to pursue1 and preserve ,his ,church from falling into error4 ,after this the opinion of the ,cardinals was sought once more--it was entirely favourable4 ,thus assured1 the ,pope proceeded to the canonization4 ,the solemn act took place in the ,basilica of the ,holy ,apostles on #ad ,april1 #adhb4 ,in the course of the ceremony a very remarkable oration on the ,saint was delivered by the great ecclesiastical orator1 ,octavianus de ,martinis4 ,footnote #di ,he insisted particularly on the miracles attributed to the ,saint1 of which he enumerated something like twenty-one different species4 ,in the following singularly eloquent passage he summarizes the ,saint's claims to canonization3-- ,footnote #di3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,annals1 ,tom4 ,,xiv1 ,anno #adhb4 ,no #c4 ,if1 therefore1 it appear that the ,blessed ,bonaventure was miraculous in his works2 if his ,divine ,commentaries show that he possessed the gift of infused knowledge2 if the assiduous fulfilment of the humblest offices prove that he despised worldly honours1 and shook off all earthly affections2 if it appear that he was patient in trials1 steadfast in persecution1 that he was profitable to the ,order of #abj ,st4 ,francis and that1 like ,st4 ,paul1 he was miraculously called to the service of religion2 if it appear that his future sanctity was foretold by ,st4 ,francis and affirmed by ,alexander of ,hales1 the ,irrefragable ,doctor2 if it appear that the ,sons of ,st4 ,francis1 themselves remarkable for holiness but considering him holier still1 made him their chief ,superior1 and that the ,holy ,see on account of his renowned merits called him to the administration of the ,universal ,church2 if1 finally1 it appear that by the common consent of the ,faithful he is regarded1 invoked and worshipped as a ,saint and that he daily succours those who have recourse to him1 then your ,holiness without further request might decree him those public honours which alone he lacks4 ,how much more readily ought you not to do this at the earnest prayer of so many powerful princes4 ,at the conclusion of this discourse ,peter ,rodulph1 the ,procurator-,general of the ,franciscan ,order1 arose1 and addressing the ,sovereign ,pontiff1 formally besought ,footnote #ej him in the name of the ,most ,holy ,trinity to enrol ,bonaventure in the ,calendar of the ,saints4 ,the ,pope's reply is embodied in the ,bull already mentioned1 from which we quote the following important passage3-- ,footnote #ej3 ,cf4 ,wadding1 ,annals1 ,tom4 ,,xiv1 ,anno #adhb4 ,no4#d4 ,confident that ,god will not allow us to fall into error in the canonization of this ,saint1 by ,his ,divine ,authority and that of ,his ,holy ,apostles ,peter and ,paul1 we decree that ,bonaventure of #aba ,balneumregis1 of blessed memory1 ,professor of ,theology1 of the ,order of ,friars ,minor1 who was raised from the office of ,minister-,general to that of ,bishop and ,cardinal1 is a ,saint1 and is to be inscribed in the ,catalogue of the ,saints and joined and associated with them4 ,by these letters present we insert him amongst the number of those who are to be venerated by the ,church4 ,thus was ,bonaventure glorified4 ,but further honours were in store for him4 ,a hundred years later #ad ,march1 #aehb1 he was declared a ,doctor of the ,universal ,church by ,sixtus ,v4 ,this was an authoritative pronouncement that our ,saint was to be regarded as one of the foremost expounders of the ,catholic ,faith4 ,he was placed on a level with ,ambrose1 ,jerome1 ,augustine1 and ,gregory4 ,these are the words of the ,pontiff3 ,footnote #ea ,after mature deliberation with our venerable ,brothers the ,cardinals1 with their counsel and unanimous consent1 and by our own certain knowledge 4 4 4 we inscribe by right the aforesaid ,st4 ,bonaventure amongst the number of ,holy ,doctors1 and we declare and decree that he is to be regarded and venerated as amongst the chief and foremost of those who have excelled in the ,sacred ,science of ,theology4 ,footnote #ea3 ,bull ,triumphantis ,jerusalem4 ,after more than seven hundred years ,bonaventure's greatness is undiminished and his glory is undimmed4 ,his memory is fragrant in the ,church of ,god1 and those ,divine ,commentaries #abb and other treasures of ,christian thought which he left behind him are still with us4 ,in the depth and clearness of his dogmatic teaching1 but especially in the ardent outpourings of his seraphic soul in his devotional works1 we are brought into intimate contact with his marvellous life4 ,from these1 rather than from the records of biographers1 we learn its true beauty and holiness4 ,the latter offer us a portrait of the exterior man1 but the former reveal to us the secret workings of the soul4 ,from his writings we gather what ,bonaventure really was--what he thought1 what he aspired to1 what he sought to accomplish4 ,it is in them we may hope to discover the real man1 and to obtain a clearer grasp of that particular development of the ,franciscan spirit with which he is so intimately associated4 ,,aberdeen3 ,,the ,,university ,,press4