,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,italic text has been marked with underscores4 ,sidenotes1 which are used extensively for ,scripture references1 have been placed inside curly brackets4 ,footnotes have been moved to the end of the text4 ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty 8,sacrum ,commercium ,beati ,francisci cum ,domina ,paupertate0 ,illustration3 ,giotto4 ,the ,espousals of ,st4 ,francis to the ,lady ,poverty4 ,the frontispiece of this volume is reproduced by permission from a photograph by ,messrs ,,alinari of ,florence4 ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,a ,,xiii4 ,,century ,,allegory ,,translated ,,edited ,,by ,,montgomery ,,carmichael ,,with ,a ,,chapter ,,on ,,the ,,spiritual ,,significance ,,of ,,evangelical ,,poverty ,,by ,,father ,,cuthbert ,o4 ,s4 ,f4 ,g4 ,london ,john ,murray1 ,albemarle ,street #aija ,,contents ,,introduction-- ,,page 7a7 ,editions xvii 7b7 ,authorship and ,date xxviii 7c7 ,translation and ,scripture ,references xlii ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty4 ,i4 ,in ,praise of ,poverty #c ,,ii4 ,how the ,blessed ,francis made diligent search for the ,lady ,poverty #h ,,iii4 ,how two old men showed the ,blessed ,francis where he might find the ,lady ,poverty #ad ,,iv4 ,of the ,first ,companions of the ,blessed ,francis #bj ,v4 ,how the ,blessed ,francis and his ,companions found the ,lady ,poverty on the ,mountain #bd ,,vi4 ,the ,blessed ,francis and his ,companions1 exalting her virtues in divers ways1 beseech the ,lady ,poverty to abide with them forever #bh ,,vii4 ,the ,answer of ,my ,lady ,poverty #da ,,viii4 ,of the ,apostles #ef ,,ix4 ,of the ,successors of the ,apostles #ei ,x4 ,that ,times of ,peace are unpropitious to ,poverty #fb ,,xi4 ,of ,persecution #fe ,,xii4 ,of the followers of a spurious ,poverty #gj ,,xiii4 ,of ,avarice #gc ,,xiv4 ,how the ,lady ,poverty spoke of good ,religious #gg ,,xv4 ,how ,avarice took the ,name of ,discretion #hj ,,xvi4 ,how ,avarice took the ,name of ,prudence #hd ,,xvii4 ,how ,avarice called in the aid of ,sloth #hi ,,xviii4 ,of the ,religious who were conquered by ,sloth #ib ,,xix4 ,how the ,lady ,poverty sorrowed over certain ,religious who were poor in the ,world1 and yet more prone than others to ,self-indulgence in ,religion #ii ,,xx4 ,how the ,lady ,poverty showed the ,blessed ,francis the ,perfect ,walk in the ,religious ,life #ajg ,,xxi4 ,how the ,blessed ,francis made answer to the ,lady ,poverty #aad ,,xxii4 ,how the ,lady ,poverty gave her consent #aah ,,xxiii4 ,how the ,blessed ,francis thanked ,god for the consent of the ,lady ,poverty #aai ,,xxiv4 ,of the ,sojourn of ,my ,lady ,poverty with the ,brothers #aba ,,xxv4 ,how ,my ,lady ,poverty blessed the ,brothers1 exhorting them to persevere in the ,grace which they had received #acj ,on the ,spiritual ,significance of ,evangelical ,poverty1 by ,father ,cuthbert1 ,o4,s4,f4,c #ada ,,appendices-- ,i4 ,a ,prayer of the ,blessed ,francis to obtain ,holy ,poverty #ahc ,,ii4 ,paradiso4 ,canto ,,xi4 7lines #bh-abc7 #bjj ,,introduction ,,editions ,the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 is an ,allegory1 simple in form and charming in conception1 telling how ,st ,francis wooed and won that most difficult of all ,brides1 my ,lady ,poverty4 ,it was written some time in the thirteenth century 7most probably in the year #abbg7 by an unknown ,franciscan1 and has been six times printed1 thrice in ,latin1 and thrice in ,italian4 ,the ,latin ,editions4 ,the first ,latin edition was printed at ,milan in #aeci4 ,it is of exceeding rarity1 and has escaped the vigilance of ,brunet and ,grsse4 ,pre ,franois ,van ,ortroy1 the noted ,bollandist 7whom few things escape71 was the first to call attention to a copy in the ,ambrosian ,library1 and it is the only copy known to exist4 7,see 8,analecta ,bollandiana10 xix4 #dfj47 ,the second ,latin edition was published nearly #djj years later1 in #ahid1 under the editorship of ,professor ,edoardo ,alvisi1 in the 8,collezione di ,opuscoli ,danteschi inediti o rari diretta da ,g4 ,l4 ,passerini40#a ,professor ,alvisi's edition has no pretensions to being critical3 his sole object in publishing it was to supply an illustration to part of ,canto ,,xi4 of the 8,paradiso40 ,this edition has1 perhaps justly1 been decried for its entire want of critical apparatus1 but it at least served to call attention to a gem that had hitherto slumbered uncared-for in parchment ,codexes4 ,the third ,latin edition is exceptional from every point of view4 ,it was published only last year by ,pre ,edouard d',alenon1 the learned ,archivist ,general of the ,friars ,minor ,capuchins4 ,pre ,edouard has taken his version from a ,codex 7,no4 #cefj7 in the ,casanatese ,library in ,rome1 which he has carefully collated with three other ,codexes 7of ,milan1 ,vincenza and ,ravenna71 noting all the variants at foot4 ,there is but one fault to find with this scholarly edition3 it does not attempt to give the numerous ,scripture references4#b ,the ,italian ,editions4 ,the first ,italian edition#c appeared in #ahdg under the title 8,meditazione sulla ,povert di ,santo ,francesco40#d ,it is taken from a ,fourteenth-,century ,codex in the ,franciscan ,convent of ,giaccherino1 near ,pistoia4 ,its editors were the ,lexicographer1 ,pietro ,fanfani1 and a ,canon of ,pistoia1 ,enrico ,bindi4 ,it has been quoted in the great 8,vocabolario0 of the ,academicians of the ,crusca1 and has therefore become a 8,testo di ,lingua0 or ,italian classic4#e ,the 8,meditazione0 is a very free translation indeed from the original ,latin4 ,the translator adds beauties and leaves out obscurities at will4 ,it is curious to us in these days1 when ,franciscan studies are being pursued with such avidity all the world over 7if ,i except ,england71 to reflect that the editors1 ,fanfani and ,bindi1 did not know whether the 8,meditazione0 was a translation or an original work4 ,the ,fourteenth-,century translator is unknown4 ,the next ,italian edition 7#aijj7 is the one given in parallel columns with the ,latin version of ,pre ,edouard d',alenon's work above quoted4 ,it is taken from ,codex ,b4 #aca in the ,vallicellian ,library1 and is probably a ,fourteenth-,century work1 but1 if interesting1 it has little or no merit as an example of fine ,tuscan4 ,the third ,italian edition is a much-needed and very welcome work4#f ,it is a reprint of the 8,meditazione10 which has for long been so scarce as to be almost unprocurable4 ,the editor1 ,don ,salvatore ,minocchi1 a ,florentine priest1 and one of the foremost authorities on matters ,franciscan1 than whom there could be no one more fitted for the task1 has carefully collated the original edition of the 8,meditazione0 with the ,codex from which it was taken1 and has removed quite a host of erroneous readings4 ,we may therefore now be said to have1 for the first time1 a correct version of this little ,italian classic4 ,it was only printed in the last days of ,may1 and ,i have to thank the learned editor for courteously permitting me to see his proof sheets4 ,,authorship ,,and ,,date ,the authorship of the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 has been freely ascribed to the ,blessed ,giovanni da ,parma1 seventh ,minister ,general of the ,friars ,minor in succession to ,saint ,francis4 ,i would with all my heart that he were the author1 for ,giovanni is one of the brightest lights of the ,order1 and both by his love and practice of ,poverty1 and by his great endowments1 is the ideal author for so exquisite an allegory4 ,the 8,chronica xxiv4 ,generalium10 which was completed in #acgi1 and begun perhaps twenty years earlier1 distinctly states that ,giovanni is the author 78quendam libellum devotum composuit quem intitulavit ,commercium ,paupertatis071#g and this opinion was followed by all succeeding old writers 7except ,fra ,bartolommeo da ,pisa1 who makes no attempt to assign authorship71 and most moderns1 including ,professor ,alvisi1 ,m4 ,sabatier1#h ,professor ,umberto ,cosmo1#i and the latest biographer of the ,blessed1 ,fra ,luigi da ,parma4#aj ,but all the ,codexes which ,pre ,edouard d',alenon cites1 as also a ,codex in the ,bodleian and another in the ,communal library at ,siena1 give the date of composition as the month of ,july after the death of ,saint ,francis1 that is to say ,july1 #abbg4 7,actum est hoc opus mense ,julii post obitum ,beatissimi ,francisci1 anno ,millesimo ducentesimo vigesimo septimo ab ,incarnatione ,domini ,salvatoris ,nostri ,jesu ,christi47 ,if this date be correct1 then the ,blessed ,giovanni could not have been its author1 for he was only born in #abjh1 and did not enter the ,order until after #abcj4 ,there is the point that ,medival scribes were given 7like other mortals7 to making errors in dates1 more especially when they were in ,roman figures1 and these errors would have been propagated from ,codex to ,codex4 ,we have the well-known instance of the ,mazarin ,codex ,no4 #agdc1 where the erroneous date of #abbh led a distinguished ,french critic to look upon the 8,speculum ,perfectionis0 as the oldest biography of ,st ,francis4 ,the date was probably #acah1 and it will be seen how easily a slip might be made between ,,mccxxviii and ,,mcccxviii4#aa ,but in favour of the date of #abbg for the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 we have not only the fact that the date is written in words and not in figures1 but that the 8explicit0 distinctly states that it was finished in the ,july after the death of ,st ,francis4 ,such extreme precision does not leave much room for error4 ,moreover1 there is practically no serious internal evidence against the date #abbg4 ,it is true that the ,casanatese ,codex1 at the beginning of ,chap4 iv4 speaks of 8,sanctum ,franciscum10 whereas ,st ,francis was not canonized until #abbh4 ,but this1 even if some refuse to translate it simply 8the holy ,francis10 and insist upon 8,st ,francis10 ,i think it is fair to regard as the slip of a scribe1 more especially as the ,vincenzian ,codex gives 8beatum0 in the same place1 and both ,italian versions have 8beato40 ,there is1 therefore1 no substantial reason why we may not regard the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 as written in #abbg1 and it is interesting to note that this little allegory is thus the first book ever written on ,st ,francis1 for ,thomas of ,celano's 8,legenda ,prima10 was not completed until the following year4#ab ,there are1 to my mind1 two conclusive arguments1 both adduced by ,pre ,edouard1#ac against attributing the authorship to ,giovanni da ,parma4 ,fra ,ubertino da ,casale in a famous work#ad 78too famous10 it might justly be called71 finished in #acje1 is the first writer who expressly mentions the 8,sacrum ,commercium10 and he ascribes it merely to 8a certain holy doctor10 giving no name4 ,now ,ubertino well knew ,giovanni 7ob4 #abhi71 and it seems impossible that he should not also have known and celebrated the ,blessed as the author of the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 had he really been so4 ,again ,fra ,salimbene da ,parma 7ob4 #abhg or #abij7 knew the ,blessed ,giovanni intimately1 and alludes to him frequently in his ,chronicle4#ae ,he even refers to writings of ,giovanni's1 but there is never a hint of the 8,sacrum ,commercium40 ,the only theory on which it is possible to ascribe the authorship to ,fra ,giovanni is so wild as scarcely to be worthy of mention4 ,we should have to suppose1 seeing the unpopularity of the extremes of ,poverty in a certain section of the ,order1 that he was afraid to acknowledge his work1 and that he deliberately1 and with much circumstance1 falsified the date to secure his anonymity4 ,but the ,blessed ,giovanni was not made of such poor stuff6 ,he who endured hatred1 persecution and imprisonment1 to some extent by reason of his zeal for the ,lady ,poverty1 was not the man to resort to so trivial a ruse4 ,his deeds were far more unpopular 7with some7 than ever this little allegory could have made him4 ,pre ,edouard d',alenon1 with much ingenuity1 seeks to credit ,giovanni ,parenti1 ,st ,francis' immediate successor as ,minister ,general 7#abbg-abcc71 with the authorship4 ,he gives an instance tending to show that there was a tradition that a ,minister ,general had written the work1 and then he points to the similarity between 8,joannes ,parenti0 and 8,joannes ,parmensis40 ,all this proves his acumen and ingenuity1 but he is too severely scientific a scholar to advance a clever theory as proof positive4 ,for the present it is safest to admit frankly that the author of the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 is unknown1 and to conclude with ,fra ,ubertino da ,casale that he was 8quidam sanctus doctor hujus ,sanct ,paupertatis professor et zelator strenuus40 ,,translation ,,and ,,scripture ,,references ,i have translated from ,pre ,edouard d',alenon's version of the ,codex ,casanatensis4#af ,but ,i have not slavishly adhered to this1 using1 when they seemed more apt1 the variants which he has so diligently noted at foot4 ,i have also1 now and again1 used the ,italian version of the ,codex ,vallicellianus1 and1 though very rarely1 even the classic 8,meditazione40 ,in my translation ,i have been no bondsman1 but have rendered freely1 while seeking to convey accurately the spirit and meaning of the work1 and to preserve1 as far as that might be1 the elemental simplicity of its language4 ,the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 is a tissue of the words and phrases of ,st ,jerome's beautiful ,latin version of ,holy ,scripture4 ,where so much is ,biblical1 ,i have had to a certain extent to adopt ,biblical language1 but ,i have striven earnestly to avoid those excesses of ,archaism which irritate even the most equable nerves4 ,with the help of ,cardinal ,hugo's 8,concordanti ,sacrorum ,bibliorum0 7may his name live for ever67 ,i have endeavoured to give references to the principal quotations from ,holy ,writ4 ,some will assuredly have escaped me1 and ,i shall be grateful to him who points out to me any omissions4 ,the reader must not forget that it was the ,latin ,vulgate which was used by the author of the 8,sacrum ,commercium40 ,to be faithful1 therefore1 ,i could not take my quotations straight from the 8,authorised ,version40 ,i have translated sometimes after my own fashion1 sometimes with the help of the 8,douay0 version1 but when the sense has allowed of it1 ,i have gladly adopted the noble ,english of ,king ,james' ,bible4#ag 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now1 lector humanissime1 ,i am glad to have done with all these dry details1 necessary perchance to a right understanding of the subject1 and to leave thee free to hasten onward to the green ,pastures and still ,waters of one of the fairest of ,medival ,idylls4 ,feed in those fresh ,pastures1 dip in the restoring ,waters3 thou canst not but gather therefrom health and strength1 life1 and the ,life to come2 together with a right knowledge of the ,past1 a loving pity for the ,present1 and a valorous good resolution for the ,future4 ,,vale6 ,m4 ,c4 ,,livorno1 #acth ,june #aija4 ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty 8,o amor di ,povertade ,la tua gran nobilitade ,chi potra gia mai narrare80 --,jacopone da ,todi4 ,,here ,,beginneth ,,the ,,holy ,,commerce ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,with ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty3 ,i ,,in ,,praise ,,of ,,poverty#ah ,among the cardinal excelling virtues which prepare a place and mansion for ,god in the ,soul of ,man1 and show a more excellent and #a ,cor4 xii4 #ca4 a speedier way of approaching and attaining unto ,him1 ,holy ,poverty shines resplendent in her authority1 and excels all others by her peculiar ,grace4 ,for she is the ,foundation and ,guardian of all the ,virtues1 and holds the ,primacy among the ,evangelical ,counsels4 ,wherefore let not the other ,matt4 vii4 #be4 ,virtues fear should the rain descend1 and the floods come1 and the winds blow1 threatening destruction1 if only they have been founded upon the ,rock of ,poverty4 ,and justly2 for the ,son of ,god1 the ,lord of ,hosts and ,king of ,glory1 loved this ,virtue with a special love1 sought this ,virtue1 found her1 and by her wrought ,salvation ,ps4 lxxiii4 #ab4 in the midst of the ,earth4 ,her1 in the beginning of ,his preaching1 ,he placed as a ,beacon to lighten those entering the ,haven of the ,faith1 and as chief corner-stone of ,his ,house4 ,the ,kingdom of ,heaven which ,he promised hereafter to all the ,virtues1 ,he openeth to ,poverty even in this life4 ,for 8,blessed10 ,he ,matt4 v4 #c4 has said1 8are the ,poor in ,spirit1 for theirs is the ,kingdom of ,heaven40#ai ,they are worthy of the ,kingdom of ,heaven who have freely renounced all ,earthly ,things out of ,love and ,desire for ,heavenly ,things4 ,he must needs live by ,heavenly ,things who takes no thought of ,earthly ,things1 and counts ,phil4 iii4 #h4 them but as dung3 even in this our ,exile shall he feed on the honied crumbs which fall from the table of the ,holy ,angels1 that he may taste and ,ps4 xxxiii4 #h4 see how sweet the ,lord is4 ,this is truly to find the ,kingdom of ,heaven2 'tis the ,pledge of an ,eternal ,mansion therein1 and1 as it were1 a foretaste of the ,blessedness to come4 ,,ii ,,how ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,made ,,diligent ,,search ,,for ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,wherefore the ,blessed ,francis1 as a true ,follower and ,disciple of the ,saviour1 gave himself up from the beginning of his ,conversion with all his ,heart1 with all his ,strength1 and with all his ,mind1 to seek and to find1 to have and to hold the ,lady ,poverty1 dreading no ,adversity1 fearing no ,evil1 sparing no labour1 shunning no suffering of the body1 so only that he might come unto her to whom the ,lord had given the ,keys of the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,like an eager explorer he began to go about the highways and by-ways of the ,city1 diligently seeking ,cant4 iii4 #b4 her whom his ,soul did love4 ,he asked of those who stood about1 he questioned those who met him1 saying3 ,saw ye her ,cant4 iii4 #c4 whom my ,soul loveth8 ,but his speech was dark to them as an alien tongue1 and1 not understanding him1 they answered3 ,we know not what thou sayest3 speak to us in our own tongue1 and we will answer thee4 ,for there was not at that time any word or sign in the language1 by which the ,children of ,adam could discourse together of ,poverty4 ,they hated her then as they hate her now1 nor could they speak with patience to one who sought her4 ,so they answered him that this thing was unknown to them1 and that they had no knowledge of what he sought4 ,then1 said the ,blessed ,francis1 ,i will go unto the ,great and the ,wise1 and ask them1 for they know the ,ways of the ,lord ,jer4 v4 #e4 and the ,judgments of ,god4 ,but these only answered him yet more roughly1 saying3 ,what is this new doctrine which thou bringest to our ,acts xvii4 #bj4 ears8 ,may that ,poverty which thou seekest always abide with thee1 and with thy children1 and with thy seed after thee4 ,as for us1 we had rather enjoy the delights of life and abound in riches1 for the span of our ,wisdom ii4 #a4 ,life is short and tedious1 and in the end of a man there is no remedy4 ,therefore we know nothing better than to eat and ,luke xii4 #ai4 drink and be merry while there is still time4 ,but the ,blessed ,francis1 hearing these things1 marvelled in his ,heart and gave ,thanks to ,god1 saying3 ,blessed art ,matt4 xi4 #be4 ,thou1 ,o ,lord ,god1 ,who hast hid these things from the ,wise and ,prudent1 and revealed them unto ,babes4 ,even so1 ,father1 for so it hath seemed good in ,thy ,sight4 ,o ,god1 the ,author and ,ruler ,eccli4 xxiii4 #a4 of my being1 deliver me not over to their ,counsels1 nor suffer me to fall into their iniquity1 but give me ,thy ,grace1 so that ,i may find what ,i seek1 for ,i am ,thy servant1 ,ps4 cxv4 #af4 and the ,son of ,thy ,handmaid4 ,,iii ,,how ,,two ,,old ,,men ,,showed ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,where ,,the ,,might ,,find ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,and the ,blessed ,francis1 being come out of the ,city1 made haste to reach a certain field1 in which1 from afar off1 he saw two old men sitting1 full of a heavy sorrow1 the one of whom was saying3 ,to whom shall ,i look save to ,isa4 lxvi4 #b4 some ,poor ,little ,man1 contrite of ,heart1 and who fears my ,words8 ,and the other3 ,for we brought nothing into #a ,tim4 vi4 #g1 #h4 this ,world1 and it is certain we can carry nothing out of it4 ,but having food and a covering to our ,bodies1 let us be therewith content4 ,and when the ,blessed ,francis had come up with them1 he said unto them3 ,tell me1 ,i beseech you1 where the ,lady ,poverty dwells1 where she ,cant4 i4 #f4 feeds her flock1 where she takes her rest at noon1 for ,i languish for the ,love of her4 ,but they answered him1 saying3 ,o good ,brother1 we have sat here for a ,time1 and ,times1 ,dan4 xii4 #g4 and half a ,time1 and have often seen her pass this way1 ,apoc4 xii4 #ad4 and many were they who sought her4 ,many were they1 once upon a time1 who walked in her train1 but oft she would return alone and desolate1 unadorned by jewels or fine raiment1 unescorted by any following4 ,and she would weep bitterly1 saying3 ,the ,cant4 i4 #e4 ,sons of my ,mother have fought against me4 ,but we did answer and say3 ,have ,cant4 i4 #c4 patience1 for the ,righteous love thee4 ,and now1 ,o ,brother1 ascend the great and high ,mountain whereon the ,lord hath placed her4 ,for she dwelleth in the ,holy ,ps4 lxxxvi4 #a1 #b4 ,mountains1 because ,god hath loved her more than all the tents of ,jacob4 ,giants have failed to follow her footsteps1 and the ,eagle to fly to the summit of her ,hill4 ,poverty is the one thing despised of all men1 for it is not found in the ,job xxviii4 #ac4 land of them that live in delights4 ,wherefore she is hid ,job xxviii4 #ba1 #bc4 from the eyes of the ,living1 and the fowls of the air know her not4 ,but ,god understandeth her way2 ,he knoweth her ,dwelling-place4 ,if therefore1 ,o ,brother1 thou wouldst ascend unto her1 put off the ,garments of thy ,pleasures1 ,heb4 xii4 #a4 and lay aside every weight and the ,sin which besets thee1 for unless thou art free from these trammels1 thou canst not attain unto her who is placed at so great a height4 ,but because ,my ,lady is gracious1 she is easily seen by those who love her1 and found by those who seek her4 ,to meditate upon her1 ,brother1 is ,wisdom vi4 #af4 perfect ,understanding1 and whoso watcheth for her shall speedily be secure4 ,take with thee trusty ,companions that thou may'st profit by their ,counsel1 and be sustained by their ,help in the way1 for woe ,eccl4 iv4 #aj4 to him that is alone2 when he falleth he shall have none to raise him up4 ,but do you uphold one another4 ,,iv ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,companions ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,and when he had heard these ,counsels1 the ,blessed ,francis chose unto himself a few faithful ,companions1 with whom he set out for the ,mountain4 ,and he said unto his brothers3 ,come ,isa4 ii4 #c4 ye1 let us go up to the ,mountain of the ,lord1 to the ,house of the ,lady ,poverty1 that she may teach us her ,ways1 and we will walk in her ,paths4 ,and when they beheld the ,ascent from every side1 and saw how exceeding high and steep it was1 they began to say one to another3 ,who shall ascend this ,mountain1 and who shall reach unto the ,mountain's top8 ,the which1 when ,blessed ,francis heard1 he said unto them3 ,strait is the ,way1 and ,matt4 vii4 #ad4 narrow the ,gate1 which leadeth unto ,life1 and few there be that find it4 ,be strong in the ,eph4 vi4 #aj4 ,lord1 and in the power of ,his ,might1 and all things difficult will become easy unto us4 ,lay down the ,burden of your own ,will1 cast away the heavy ,weight of your ,sins1 and gird yourselves like ,strong ,men4 ,forget those things ,phil4 iii4 #ac4 which are behind1 and reach forth to those which are before4 ,i say unto you that every ,deut4 xi4 #bd4 place that your foot shall tread upon shall be yours4 ,for as a ,spirit before our face is ,christ the ,lord1 drawing us to the ,mountain's summit by the ,bonds of ,charity4 ,wonderful1 ,o ,brethren1 are the ,espousals of ,poverty1 but we may hope to enjoy her embraces1 ,lament4 i4 #a4 for the ,mistress of ,nations is become as a ,widow1 the ,queen of all ,virtues is become contemptible4 ,there is none in all the ,land who dares call upon her1 none who will stand over against us1 none who by right can forbid this ,blessed ,union4 ,all her ,lament4 i4 #b4 ,friends have despised her1 and are become her ,enemies4 ,v ,,how ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,and ,,his ,,companions ,,found ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,on ,,the ,,mountain ,and when he had thus spoken1 they followed after the ,blessed ,francis4 ,and as with light feet they hastened to the summit of the ,mountain1 they beheld my ,lady ,poverty on the topmost ,pinnacle gazing down the ,mountain4 ,and when she saw them climbing thus valiantly1 nay1 as it were1 rather flying towards her1 she marvelled exceedingly1 and said to herself3 ,who are these that ,isa4 lx4 #h4 fly like the ,clouds and as ,doves to their windows8 ,it is long since ,i saw such as these1 or looked upon men so free from trammels4 ,therefore will ,i speak to them of the things which ,i ponder in my ,heart1 lest1 like the rest1 they should repent them of their hardy ascent when they behold the dizzying abyss below4 ,i know they cannot possess me without my consent1 but ,i shall find ,favour before my ,heavenly ,father if ,i give them the ,counsels of ,salvation4 ,and behold a ,voice spoke unto her1 saying3 ,fear not1 ,daughter of ,sion1 ,john xii4 #ae4 for these are of the ,seed which the ,lord hath blessed4 ,he hath elected them in ,charity #b ,cor4 vi4 #f4 unfeigned4 ,so from the ,throne of her ,neediness1 the ,lady ,poverty presented them with ,ps4 xx4 #d4 ,blessings of ,sweetness1 and said unto them3 ,tell me the cause of your ,advent1 my ,brothers1 and why you hasten thus speedily from the ,valley of ,tears to the ,mountain of ,light4 ,can it indeed be that you seek me who am poor and needy1 tossed by the tempest1 ,isa4 liv4 #aa4 and bereft of all consolation8 ,,vi ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,and ,,his ,,companions1 ,,exalting ,,her ,,virtues ,,in ,,divers ,,ways1 ,,beseech ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,to ,,abide ,,with ,,them ,,forever ,and the ,blessed ,francis and his ,companions answered her1 saying3 ,yea1 we have indeed come out to seek thee1 ,lady1 and we beseech thee to receive us in ,peace4 ,we desire to become the ,servants of the ,lord of the ,virtues1#bj for ,he is the ,ps4 xxiii4 #aj4 ,king of ,glory4 ,we have heard that thou art the ,queen of the ,virtues1 and we have proved it by experience4 ,wherefore1 prostrate at thy ,feet1 we humbly beseech thee to abide with us1 and to light our ,way to the ,king of ,glory1 as thou wast unto ,him the ,way1 when1 a ,day-,spring ,luke i4 #gh1 #gi4 from on ,high1 ,he humbled ,himself to visit them that sat in ,darkness and the ,shadow of ,death4 ,for we know that thine is the ,power1 thine the ,kingdom1 that thou art constituted ,mistress and ,queen of the ,virtues by the ,king of ,kings ,himself4 ,therefore1 we entreat thee1 make ,peace with us and we shall be saved1 and ,he will receive us through thee1 ,who through thee did redeem us4 ,do but elect to save us1 and we shall be made free4 ,for the ,king of ,kings and ,lord of ,lords ,himself1 the ,creator of ,heaven and ,earth1 desired thy ,comeliness ,ps4 xliv4 #aa4 and thy ,beauty4 ,when the ,cant4 i4 #aa4 ,king was at ,his ,rest1 rich and glorious in ,his ,kingdom1 ,he left ,his ,house1 and forsook ,his inheritance1 the ,glory ,jer4 xii4 #g4 and ,riches of ,his ,house1 and ,his ,royal ,seat1 and sought ,ps4 cxi4 #c4 thee with gracious words4 ,great therefore is thy ,dignity1 and there is none so exalted as thee1 since ,he could leave all ,angelic ,delights and the great ,abundance of ,celestial ,virtues1 to seek thee in the nethermost parts of the ,earth1 in the miry ,ps4 xxxix4 #c4 ,clay1 in the ,darkness and the ,shadow of ,death4 ,thou ,ps4 lxxxvii4 #g4 wast hated by all the ,children of ,men1 and all fled at thy ,coming1 or strove1 as they could1 to drive thee from them4 ,and though some could not fly thee altogether1 yet not for that reason wert thou less hated and loathed by them4 ,but then came the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god1 and took thee for ,himself1 and lifted up thy ,head among the ,tribes of the people1 crowning thee ,his ,bride1 and exalting thee above the ,highest ,heavens4 ,and although1 of a surety1 many still hate thee1 not knowing thy ,virtue and thy ,glory1 yet hast thou nothing lost thereby1 for thou dwellest in ,freedom in thy holy ,mountains1 in the most firm habitation of the ,exod4 xv4 #ag4 ,glory of ,christ4 ,thus the ,son of the ,most ,high1 having become a ,lover of thy ,beauty1 ,wisdom viii4 #b4 dwelt only with thee in the ,world1 and found thee most faithful in all ,things4 ,even before ,he left ,his bright ,realms for the ,earth1 thou hadst prepared ,him a fitting place1 a ,throne on which to sit1 a ,couch in which to rest1 a most poor ,virgin from whom ,he sprung1 and shone upon the ,world4 ,at ,his ,nativity thou didst run to meet ,him1 so that ,he might find comfort in thee1 and not in soft places4 ,thou didst lay ,him in a ,luke ii4 #g4 ,manger1 as saith the ,evangelist1 for there was no room in the ,inn4 ,and thus didst thou always inseparably accompany ,him1 so that during ,his whole ,life1 while ,he dwelt among ,men1 though the ,foxes had ,matt4 viii4 #bj4 ,caves1 and the ,birds of the ,air ,nests1 ,he had no place to lay ,his ,head4 ,and when ,he ,who in the ,past had opened the lips of the ,prophets opened ,his own ,lips to preach1 among the many things which ,he spake1 ,he first praised1 first exalted thee1 saying3 ,blessed are the ,poor in ,spirit1 ,matt4 v4 #c4 for theirs is the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,and when ,he chose ,witnesses to ,his ,holy ,preaching and to ,his glorious ,work for the ,salvation of ,man1 ,he did not take rich ,merchants1 but poor ,fisherfolk1 that by this choice ,he might show forth that thou wert to be loved by ,all4 ,and finally that thy ,goodness1 thy ,greatness1 thy ,power1 might be made manifest to ,all1 and how thou art above all the ,virtues1 and how without thee there is no ,virtue1 and how thy ,kingdom ,john xviii4 #cf4 is not of this ,world but from ,heaven1 thou alone didst remain with the ,king of ,glory when all ,his ,elect and ,beloved had fled from ,him in ,affright4 ,like unto a most dear ,mistress and faithful ,spouse1 thou didst not leave ,him for an instant4 ,the more ,he was despised by ,all1 the more didst thou cleave to ,him4 ,for if thou hadst not been with ,him1 ,he could never have been so despised by ,all4 ,thou wast with ,him when the ,jews reviled1 the ,pharisees scoffed1 and the ,high ,priests reproached ,him4 ,thou wast with ,him when ,he was struck1 when ,he was spat upon1 when ,he was scourged4 ,he ,who should have been reverenced by ,all1 was derided by all1 and thou alone didst minister unto ,him4 ,thou wast with ,him unto ,death1 ,phil4 ii4 #h4 even the ,death of the ,cross4 ,and on the ,cross itself1 ,his ,body being stripped1 ,his ,arms extended1 ,his ,hands and ,feet pierced1 thou didst suffer with ,him1 so that nothing did seem more glorious in ,him than thou4 ,when ,he ascended into ,heaven1 ,he left to thee the ,seal of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 that thou might'st seal the ,elect1 that whosoever should aspire to ,eternal ,life might come to thee1 pray to thee1 and enter by thee1 for if he be not sealed with thy ,seal1 no man may enter the ,kingdom of ,heaven4 ,therefore1 ,o ,lady1 have compassion upon us1 and seal us with the ,seal of thy ,grace4 ,for who is there so craven-spirited and foolish as not to love thee with all his ,heart1 thee who hast been chosen by the ,most ,high1 and prepared from all ,eternity8 ,who is there that does not reverence and honour thee1 when ,he ,whom all the ,heavenly ,host adore hath clothed thee with such ,honour8 ,who would not readily adore thy ,footsteps1 to whom the ,lord of ,majesty so humbly inclined1 whom ,he so intimately embraced1 to whom he was joined in so great a ,love8 ,we therefore beseech thee1 ,o ,lady1 by ,him and through ,him1 despise not our petitions ,antiphon at ,compline in the ,office of the ,b4,v4,m4 in our ,necessities1 but deliver us at all ,times from all ,dangers1 ,o ,glorious and ever blessed ,lady6 ,,vii ,,the ,,answer ,,of ,,my ,,lady ,,poverty ,to these ,words my ,lady ,poverty1 with joyful ,heart1 and cheerful ,mien1 and most sweet ,voice1 made answer1 saying3 ,i confess to you1 my ,brothers and most dear ,friends1 that from the moment you began to speak1 ,i was filled with ,gladness and exceeding great ,joy1 for ,i acknowledge your ,fervour1 and already know your ,holy ,intent2 your words are dearer to me than ,gold and ,precious ,ps4 xviii4 #aa4 ,stones1 and sweeter far than ,honey and the ,honeycomb4 ,for it is not you that speak1 ,mark xiii4 #aa4 but the ,holy ,ghost that speaketh in you1 and it is ,his #a ,john ii4 #bg4 ,unction that inspires you in all the things which you have spoken concerning the ,most ,high ,king1 ,who by ,his ,grace alone chose me as ,his ,beloved1 taking away my ,reproach ,luke i4 #be4 among ,men1 and glorifying me among the ,highest in ,heaven4 ,therefore ,i desire1 if it will not weary you1 to tell you the story of my ,estate4 ,it is a long ,story1 but not less useful1 and will teach you how to walk with ,god and please ,gen4 v4 #bb4 ,him1 giving heed that you who wish to put your hands ,luke ix4 #fb4 to the plough in no wise look back4 ,i am not new1#ba as many think1 but old and full of years1 knowing the nature of ,things1 the ,varieties of ,creatures1 the mutability of ,time4 ,i know the vacillations of the ,heart of ,man1 in part by the experience of ,ages1 in part by subtlety of ,nature1 in part by the ,merit of ,grace4 ,in the beginning ,i dwelt in the ,paradise of ,god1 where ,man was naked4 ,or rather1 ,i was in ,man1 and of his ,essence when he was naked1 walking with him in that spacious ,paradise1 fearing nothing1 doubting nothing1 thinking no ,evil4 ,i thought to have stayed with him forever1 for he had been created by the ,most ,high1 just1 good1 and wise1 and placed in a most beautiful and delectable ,place4 ,i was joyful exceeding1 entertaining him at all ,times1 for possessing ,nothing1 he belonged wholly to ,god4 ,but1 woe is me1 he succumbed to ,evil1 which had been unknown from the beginning of the ,creation1 and the unhappy ,spirit of ,evil1 who1 through ,vainglory1 had lost ,wisdom1 entered the body of a ,serpent because he could not inhabit ,heaven1 and treacherously assailed ,man1 that like himself he might become a transgressor of the ,divine ,law4 ,unhappy ,man1 giving ear unto his evil ,counsellor1 acquiesced and consented1 and having forgotten ,god1 his ,creator1 followed the ,example of the first ,transgressor4 ,in the beginning1 says ,holy ,writ1 ,man was naked but not ,gen4 ii4 #be4 ashamed1 for he was perfect in innocence4 ,but having sinned1 he knew that he was naked1 and being ashamed1 he hastily made himself an apron of the leaves of the fig-tree4#bb ,when1 therefore1 ,i saw that my ,companion had sinned1 and was dressed in leaves 7for he had nothing else71 ,i left him4 ,and standing afar off1 ,i beheld him through my ,tears1 and waited for ,him ,who should save me from ,faintness of ,spirit in so great ,ps4 liv4 #i4 a ,storm4 ,and suddenly there came a ,sound from ,heaven ,acts ii4 #b4 that shook the whole of ,paradise1 and a most bright ,light shone from ,heaven4 ,and ,i looked and beheld the ,lord of ,gen4 iii4 #h4 ,majesty walking in ,paradise in the cool of the day1 resplendent in ineffable ,glory4 ,a mighty ,host of ,angels was in ,his ,train1 crying with a loud ,voice3 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,isa4 vi4 #c4 ,lord ,god of ,sabaoth1 the ,earth is full of the ,majesty of ,thy ,glory4 ,thousands of ,dan4 vii4 #aj4 ,thousands ministered unto ,him1 and ten thousand times a hundred thousand#bc stood before ,him4 ,then in ,fear and ,trembling1 overcome with ,dread and ,amazement1 my ,body chill1 my ,heart fast beating1 ,i cried out of the ,depths3 ,ps4 cxxix4 #a4 ,mercy1 ,lord--have ,mercy6 ,enter not into ,judgment with ,ps4 cxlii4 #b4 ,thy ,servant1 for in ,thy ,sight shall no ,man living be justified4 ,but ,he said unto me3 ,go1 hide thyself for a while1 until ,mine ,anger be overpast4 ,and ,isa4 xxvi4 #bj4 straightway ,he called my ,companion1 saying3 ,adam1 where art thou8 ,who answered3 ,i heard ,thy ,voice1 ,gen4 iii4 #i1 #aj4 and was afraid1 because ,i was naked1 and ,i hid myself4 ,naked indeed6 ,the man who ,luke x4 #cj4 went down from ,jerusalem to ,jericho and fell among ,thieves was stripped of this ,world's ,goods1 but ,adam had been robbed of the ,likeness of ,god4 ,but that ,king ,who is ,most ,high and yet most ,gracious1 awaited his ,repentance1 and gave him the ,opportunity of returning to ,him4 ,yet in his wretchedness he inclined his ,ps4 cxl4 #d4 ,heart to evil ,words1 and to making excuses for ,sin4 ,and thus he increased his guilt1 and heaped up punishment1 treasuring ,rom4 ii4 #e4 up unto himself ,wrath against the day of ,wrath and ,revelation of the just ,judgment of ,god4 ,for he spared not himself nor his seed after him1 delivering up ,all to the terrible ,curse of ,death4 ,and all the ,angels that were present condemned him1 and the ,lord cast him forth ,gen4 iii4 #bc4 from ,paradise by a just but not less merciful ,judgment1 and bade him return to the ,earth from whence he was taken1 greatly tempering the ,curse ,he had laid upon him4 ,and being stripped of his robe of ,innocence1 ,god made him garments of skins1 therein signifying that ,death had come into the ,world4 ,and when ,i saw my ,companion clothed with the skins of dead beasts1 ,i left him altogether1 for he had been cast forth to multiply his labours1 whereby he might become rich4 ,i went forth a ,gen4 iv4 #ab4 fugitive and wanderer upon the ,earth1 weeping and mourning exceedingly1 and ,i found not ,gen4 viii4 #i4 where to rest the sole of my ,foot4 ,when ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1 and the other ,patriarchs1 received in promise ,riches and a ,land flowing with ,milk and ,honey1 ,i sought ,rest among ,eccli4 xxiv4 #aa4 them1 but found none4 ,a ,cherub with a ,flaming ,sword ,gen4 iii4 #bd4 stood before the ,gates of ,paradise until the ,most ,high came down from the ,bosom of the ,father1 ,who sought me out most graciously4 ,and when ,he had fulfilled all those ,things of which you have spoken1 and desired to return to the ,father ,who had sent ,him1 ,he made me a ,testament to ,his ,elect1 and confirmed it by irrefragable ,decrees3 ,lay not up ,gold nor ,matt4 x4 #i4 ,silver1 nor ,money4 ,carry neither ,purse1 nor ,scrip1 nor ,matt4 x4 #aj and ,luke x4 #d4 ,bread1 nor a ,staff1 nor ,shoes1 nor two ,coats4 ,and if any ,matt4 v4 #dj4 ,man will contend with thee and take away thy ,coat1 let go thy ,cloak also4 ,and whoever ,matt4 v4 #da4 shall compel thee to go a ,mile1 go with him other twain4 ,matt4 vi4 #ai4 ,lay not up unto yourselves ,treasures upon ,earth1 where ,rust and ,moth doth corrupt1 and where ,thieves break through and steal4 ,take no ,matt4 vi4 #ca4 thought1 saying3 ,what shall we eat1 or what shall we drink1 or wherewithal shall we be clothed8 ,and take no ,thought of the ,morrow1 for the ,morrow will take ,thought ,matt4 vi4 #cd4 for itself4 ,sufficient unto the ,day is the ,evil thereof4 ,whosoever doth not renounce ,luke xiv4 #cc4 all that he hath1 cannot be my disciple4444 ,and many the like sayings1 which are all to be found in the ,gospels4 ,,viii ,,of ,,the ,,apostles ,all which ,things the ,apostles and all the ,disciples most diligently observed1 nor did they ever fail to fulfil the ,things they had heard from the ,master4 ,they bore themselves as most valiant ,knights and ,judges of the ,earth1 carrying the ,message of ,salvation everywhere1 the ,lord working with them1 and ,mark xvi4 #bj4 confirming the ,word with ,signs that followed4 ,they glowed in ,charity1 abounded in ,piety1 and endured every ,want1 taking care that it should not be said of them3 ,these men preach but do not practise4 ,hence one of them speaketh boldly1 saying3 ,for ,rom4 xv4 #ah1 #ai4 ,i will not dare to speak of any of those ,things which ,christ hath not wrought by me by ,word and ,deed1 and by the ,power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,and yet another speaketh thus3 ,silver and ,gold have ,i ,acts iii4 #f4 none4 ,thus did they1 one and all1 in ,life and in ,death1 exalt me by the highest ,praises4 ,and those who heard these ,masters1 gave heed to their ,preaching1 selling all their ,acts ii4 #de4 goods and substance1 and dividing them according as every man had need4 ,and they were all together and had ,acts ii4 #dd4 all things in common1 praising ,god and having favour with all the ,people4 ,acts ii4 #dg4 ,,ix ,,of ,,the ,,successors ,,of ,,the ,,apostles ,acts ii4 #dg4 ,wherefore the ,lord increased daily such as should be saved4 ,indeed for long the ,truth of their ,words remained among many1 more especially while the ,blood of the ,crucified ,poor ,one1 ,jesus ,christ1 was warm in their memory1 and the ,noble ,chalice of ,his ,passion inebriated their ,hearts4 ,for if any of them sought to leave me at any time because of my too great ,rigours1 they would remember the ,wounds of the ,lord by which ,he made manifest ,his loving ,compassion1 and bitterly repent of the ,temptation1 clinging to me more closely1 and embracing me more eagerly than ever4 ,and ,i abode in them all1 ever striving to impress upon their ,memory the ,dolours of the ,passion of the ,eternal ,king4 ,so strengthened by my ,words1 they cheerfully encountered the cruel ,sword which shed their holy ,blood4 ,and this ,triumph continued and endured a long while1 so that daily a thousand thousand were sealed with the ,seal of the ,most ,high ,king4 ,x ,,that ,,times ,,of ,,peace ,,are ,,unpropitious ,,to ,,poverty ,but alas6 after a while ,peace was made1 a ,peace more hurtful than any ,war4 ,in the beginning of that long ,peace but few were sealed1 in the middle of it yet fewer1 at the end fewer still4 ,and behold6 of a surety in ,isa4 xxxviii4 #ag4 this ,peace is my ,bitterness most bitter2 for ,all fly from me or drive me from them2 by none am ,i sought1 by ,all forsaken4 ,this ,peace was the work of ,enemies1 not of ,friends2 of ,strangers1 not of my ,sons4 ,i indeed nourished ,isa4 i4 #b4 and raised up ,sons1 but they contemned me4 ,in that ,time when the ,lamp of the ,lord ,job xxix4 #c4 shone upon my ,head1 and ,i walked by ,his ,light through the ,darkness1 ,satan was raging in many who were with me1 the ,world was enticing them1 and the ,concupiscence of the ,flesh1 so that many of #a ,john ii4 #ae4 them ended by loving the ,world and the ,things of the ,world4 ,,xi ,,of ,,persecution ,but the ,crown of all the ,virtues1 and that is the ,lady ,persecution1 to whom the ,lord1 equally with me1 delivered the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 was by my side1 and in all things a faithful ,helper1 a strong ,champion1 and a prudent ,counsellor4 ,she1 when she saw any grow lukewarm in ,heavenly ,charity1 or forgetting it a while1 or fixing their ,hearts on ,earthly ,things1 she straightway sounded the ,trump and moved her ,armies1 and made their faces to be ashamed1 that they might seek ,ps4 lxxxii4 #ag4 the ,name of the ,lord4 ,but now my ,sister has left me1 the ,light of my ,eyes is not with me1 for while my ,sons are at rest from the ,persecutors1 they are most cruelly torn by civil and intestine ,war1 envying each other1 and struggling for the acquisition of ,wealth and an abundance of luxuries4 ,after a while some began to breathe again1 and wished of their own accord to walk in the right ,road1 which once they had walked in of necessity4 ,all these came to me with prayers and tears1 and entreated me to make a perpetual ,league of ,peace with them1 and to abide with them as ,i formerly did in the days ,job xxix4 #d4 of my ,youth1 when the ,lord was with me1 and my ,children were round about me4 ,these were men of virtue1 peaceful men1 without ,rebuke before the ,lord1 constant in brotherly ,love1 so long as they remained in the ,flesh1 poor in ,spirit1 poor in this ,world's ,goods1 rich in ,holiness1 abounding in the ,gifts of ,heavenly ,grace1 fervent in ,spirit1 rejoicing in ,hope1 patient in ,tribulation1 meek and humble of ,heart1 and keeping ,peace in their ,souls1 ,harmony in their ,ways1 ,steadfastness in their ,hearts1 and a joyful ,unity in their ,walk through ,life4 ,these men were indeed devoted to ,god1 pleasing to the ,angels1 beloved of ,men1 unsparing to themselves1 merciful to ,others1 devout in ,deed1 modest in ,demeanour1 cheerful of ,countenance1 earnest of ,heart1 humble in ,prosperity1 high-minded in ,adversity1 temperate of ,life1 sober in ,dress1 sparing of ,sleep1 modest and devout1 shining before all ,men in the ,light of their ,good ,works4 ,my ,soul was joined unto these my ,sons1 and there was one ,faith and one ,spirit within us4#bd ,,xii ,,of ,,the ,,followers ,,of ,a ,,spurious ,,poverty #a ,john ii4 #ai4 ,finally there rose up among us ,men who were not of us1 certain ,sons of ,belial speaking ,vain ,things1 working ,iniquity1 calling themselves ,poor ,men when they were not ,poor1 despising and dishonouring me who had been loved with ,whole-heartedness by those glorious ,men of whom ,i have spoken1 following the ,way of ,balaam1 the ,son #b ,pet4 ii4 #ae4 of ,bosor1 who loved the ,wages of ,sin1 ,men of a corrupt #a ,tim4 vi4 #e4 ,mind1 devoid of ,truth1 supposing ,gain to be ,godliness1 ,men who in assuming the ,habit of ,holy ,religion1 did not put on the ,new ,man1 but sought to hide the ,old4 ,they derided their ,elders1 and in secret scoffed at the ,life and ,character of those who had begun the ,way of ,holy ,conversation1 saying that they were imprudent1 merciless1 and cruel1 and that ,i1 whom these holy ones had taken into their ,company1 was idle1 empty1 base1 rude1 lifeless1 and feeble4 ',twas my great ,rival who zealously worked all this1 hiding under a ,sheep's ,clothing the ,cunning of a ,fox and the ,fierceness of a ,wolf4 ,,xiii ,,of ,,avarice ,avarice was this ,rival's name1 and she is the ,immoderate ,desire of acquiring and holding ,riches4 ,but they called her by a holier ,name1 so that it might not seem that they had abandoned me1 by whose ,gift they had been raised from the ,dust and lifted up out of the ,mire4 ,so they spake gently of her to me1 but there was ,craft and ,anger in their ,hearts4 ,and though the ,desolation of a ,city which is set upon a ,hill ,matt4 v4 #ad4 cannot be hid1 yet they gave her the ,name of ,discretion or ,foresight1 though such ,discretion were better named ,confusion1 and such ,foresight a pernicious ,forgetfulness of all ,good ,works4 ,and they said unto me3 ,thine is the ,power2 thine the ,kingdom3 fear not4 ,it is good to use ,charity and labour for ,good ,ends1 to succour the ,needy and give to the ,poor4 ,but ,i answered3 ,what you say is just1 ,brothers1 but ,i beseech you1 consider #a ,cor4 i4 #bf4 your ,calling4 ,do not look back4 ,do not come down ,matt4 xxiv4 #ag4 from the house-top to take anything out of your ,houses1 neither return back from the fields to take your ,clothes4 ,do not be busied about this ,world's ,affairs1 nor be entangled again in its ,pollution1 #b ,pet4 ii4 #bj1 #ba4 which you have escaped through the ,knowledge of the ,saviour4 ,for those who are entangled therein a second time must needs be overcome1 and the latter ,end is worse with them than the ,beginning1 if by a ,pretence of ,piety they turn from the ,holy ,commandment which has been delivered unto them4 ,and after ,i had thus spoken1 there arose a ,dissension among them1 for some said that ,i was good and spoke the ,truth1 but others that ,i desired to seduce them into following me1 in that ,i was wretched1 and wished to make them wretched with me4 ,,xiv ,,how ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,spoke ,,of ,,good ,,religious ,my ,rival could not yet drive me out of their ,land1 for there were still many ,men among them in all the great ,zeal and ,charity of their ,first ,fervour1 who assailed ,heaven by their ,cries1 and penetrated to the ,throne of ,god by their ,perseverance in ,prayer1 rapt in ,contemplation and despising all ,things which were of the ,earth4 ,then the ,eccli4 xxiv4 #ab4 ,creator of ,all ,things commanded me1 and ,he ,who created me said3 ,let thy ,dwelling be in ,jacob1 and thine inheritance in ,israel1 and take thou ,root in ,my ,elect4 ,all which ,things ,i most diligently obeyed4 ,and while ,i abode with them1 and we walked together on the ,royal ,road1 they became1 on my ,wisdom viii4 #aj1 #aa4 account1 of good ,repute among the ,people1 and admirable in the ,sight of the ,mighty4 ,they were honoured by all ,men1 and reputed as ,saints1 though they could not endure to be thus called1 remembering what the ,son of ,god had said3 ,i seek no ,john viii4 #ej4 ,glory from ,man2 therefore they refused all ,honour offered them by ,men4 ,,xv ,,how ,,avarice ,,took ,,the ,,name ,,of ,,discretion ,but whilst my ,disciples were thus walking in so great ,fervour of the ,love of ,christ1 ,avarice1 taking to herself the ,name of ,discretion1 spake and said unto them3 ,do not show yourselves so severe to ,mankind1 nor thus contemn their ,honours1 but have a kindly ,countenance for them1 and do not outwardly reject the ,honours offered to you3 be content to do so inwardly4 ,it is a good thing to have the ,friendship of ,kings1 the ,acquaintance of ,princes1 the ,intimacy of the ,great1 for if they honour and venerate you1 if they rise up to meet you1 many seeing this shall follow their ,example1 and be the more easily turned to ,god4 ,and my ,friends1 acknowledging these advantages1 but not guarding themselves from the ,snare which ,ps4 cxlii4 #d4 had been set in the ,way1 in the ,end embraced ,honours and ,glory with all their ,heart4 ,they thought themselves to be inwardly such as they seemed outwardly1 but they gloried in the ,praises they received1 and were like the ,foolish ,virgins without ,oil1 profitless servants upon the ,earth4 ,and ,men who believed them to be interiorly that which they seemed exteriorly1 freely offered them their ,goods in ,remission of their ,sins4 ,in the beginning they had counted all these ,phil4 iii4 #h4 ,things as dung1 saying3 ,we are ,poor ,men and always desire to be ,poor2 we do not desire your goods but you4 ,we have ,food and wherewithal #a ,tim4 vi4 #h4 to cover ourselves and desire no more1 for ,vanity of ,eccl4 i4 #b4 ,vanities and ,all is ,vanity4 ,wherefore the devotion of ,men towards them increased still more1 so that many held in small ,regard the ,goods which they saw thus despised of the ,saints4 ,,xvi ,,how ,,avarice ,,took ,,the ,,name ,,of ,,prudence ,that cruel ,enemy of mine1 ,avarice1 seeing this1 began to grow exceeding angry1 and to gnash her teeth1 and in vexation of ,spirit said to herself3 ,what shall ,i do8 ,for all the ,world is going ,john xii4 #ai4 after her6 ,i will take1 said she1 the ,name of ,prudence1 and will speak in their ,hearts1 and perchance they shall hear and consent4 ,and she did as she had said1 speaking unto them humble words1 and saying3 ,what do you here all ,matt1 xx4 #f4 the ,day idle and making no ,provision for the ,morrow8 ,in what could it hurt you to have the necessaries of ,life1 so long as you lack all ,superfluities8 ,for in ,peace and ,quietness could you work out your ,salvation and the ,salvation of ,mankind1 if you were supplied with all ,things ,needful to you4 ,therefore1 while you have ,time1 provide for yourselves and those who shall come after you1 for ,men may not always be so generous to you1 nor give you the customary ,gifts4 ,it would be good for you to be always as you are1 but that is impossible1 for ,god causes you daily to increase and multiply4 ,would ,god reject you because you had ,wherewith to give to the ,needy1 and could remember the ,poor1 when ,he ,himself has said3 ,it is more blessed to ,acts xx4 #ce4 give than to receive8 ,why1 therefore1 do you not receive the ,goods which are offered you1 and not defraud the ,givers of their ,eternal ,reward8 ,you need fear no harm from the possession of ,riches1 so long as you account them as ,nought4 ,there is no ,evil in ,things themselves1 but only in the ,soul of ,man1 for ,god ,gen4 i4 #ca4 saw ,all ,things and they were good4 ,to the ,good1 all ,things are good1 all ,things serviceable1 for them ,all ,things were made4 ,o how many having possessions use them evilly1 which had they been yours1 would have been put to a good use1 for holy is your ,purpose1 holy your ,desire4 ,you do not wish to enrich your ,relations who are already rich enough1 but simply to have ,all ,things necessary1 so that your ,conversation may be the more honest and orderly4 ,these1 and similar things1 she said unto them1 and some having already a corrupt ,conscience1 gave a ready ,assent4 ,but others turned a deaf ear to her ,sayings1 and by shrewd ,answers refuted her ,reasoning1 alleging1 as did also their opponents1 ,arguments from ,holy ,writ4 ,,xvii ,,how ,,avarice ,,called ,,in ,,the ,,aid ,,of ,,sloth ,but ,avarice1 seeing that she could not1 unaided1 attain her ends upon my ,disciples1 changed her plan1 that she might better fulfil her ,purpose4 ,so she called in ,sloth1 who neglects to begin good ,works1 or to finish those begun4 ,and ,avarice made a ,treaty with ,sloth1 and entered into a ,compact with her against the ,religious4 ,they were not intimate1 these two1 nor closely affined1 but they readily made ,common ,cause in ,evil-doing1 as formerly did ,pilate with ,herod against the ,messiah4 ,and when their ,plan was laid1 ,sloth began her ,ravages1 and having given ,assault with her ,satellites1 she entered the ,domain of the ,religious1 and by sheer ,force carried off their ,arms and extinguished their ,charity1 reducing them to ,tepidity and ,sluggishness4 ,and so1 a little also by ,pusillanimity of ,spirit1 they became altogether dead of ,heart4 ,,xviii ,,of ,,the ,,religious ,,who ,,were ,,conquered ,,by ,,sloth#be ,after a ,while some of the ,religious began to sigh most lamentably for the ,flesh-pots of ,egypt which they had left behind1 and ignobly to seek what with noble ,heart they had abandoned4 ,they fretted at having to walk in the ,ways of ,god's ,commandments1 and followed ,his ,injunctions with a barren ,heart4 ,they grew faint under their ,burden1 and for ,want of the ,spirit could scarcely breathe4 ,compunction they rarely felt1 and never ,contrition2 at ,obedience they murmured2 their ,thoughts were ,earthy1 their ,joy carnal1 paltry their ,sorrow and their ,speech imprudent1 their ,laughter easily provoked4 ,mirthful of ,visage1 their ,carriage full of ,vanity1 their ,garments soft and delicate1 carefully cut1 and still more carefully fashioned1 they slept inordinately1 ate overmuch1 and drank intemperately4 ,their talk was full of ,jests1 and ,railleries1 and ,idle ,words4 ,they engaged in ,story-telling1 changed the ,rule1 disposed of ,patronage1 and were busily occupied about the ,affairs of the ,world4 ,of ,spiritual ,exercises there was no ,care or ,thought2 but rarely ,exhortations to save the ,soul2 they had become lukewarm in ,celestial ,things4 ,in the ,hardness of their ,hearts they began to envy one another1 to provoke one another1 to domineer over one another1 one ,brother eagerly bringing the vilest ,accusations against another4 ,they shunned ,gravity1 and sought false ,sources of ,joy1 seeing that they could not have the true4 ,nevertheless they kept up some show of ,sanctity1 so that they might not be utterly despised1 and by holy ,talk they sought to hide their wretched way of ,life from the ,simple4 ,but so great was the ,ruin of the ,interior ,man1 that1 unable to contain themselves1 their evil ,life burst forth in exterior ,manifestations4 ,in short they began to fawn upon the ,world1 striking bargains with ,worldlings that they might empty their ,purses1 and they enlarged their ,buildings and multiplied those ,things which they had forever renounced4 ,they bartered their ,words to the ,rich1 and their ,courtesies to ,noble ,ladies4 ,they eagerly frequented the ,courts of ,kings and ,princes1 that they might join ,house to ,house ,isa4 v4 #h4 and lay field to field4 ,and now they have become great ,jer4 v4 #bg4 and rich1 and have waxed strong1 because they have ,jer4 ix4 #c4 proceeded from ,evil to ,evil and have not known ,god4 ,they were cast down when ,ps4 lxxii4 #ah4 they were lifted up2 they fell to the ,earth before their ,birth1 and yet they say unto me3 ,we are thy ,friends4 ,,xix ,,how ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,sorrowed ,,over ,,certain ,,religious ,,who ,,were ,,poor ,,in ,,the ,,world1 ,,and ,,yet ,,more ,,prone ,,than ,,others ,,to ,,self-,,indulgence ,,in ,,religion ,in my ,sorrow ,i sorrowed all the more over certain ,religious who had been poor and contemptible in the ,world1 and yet grew rich after they had come to me4 ,and when they had waxed fat and gross ,deut4 xxxii4 #ae4 beyond the rest1 they spurned and derided me4 ,they in the ,world were thought unworthy of ,life1 being destitute through ,need and ,hunger4 ,once they ate ,grass and the ,bark ,job xxx4 #d4 of trees1 they were disfigured ,job xxx4 #ca4 by their ,calamity and ,misery1 and now they are not content with the ,community ,life1 but separate themselves without shame1 eating of special ,meats4 ,their ,example in this is hurtful to the rest1 and1 moreover1 they aspire to ,honour among the ,disciples of ,christ1 who in this ,world were held most worthy of ,contempt4 ,they who often wanted for ,barley-bread and ,water1 and were glad to lie under the ,hedges1 were the ,sons of the ,ignorant and ,mean and ,unknown1 on a level with my own ,wretchedness4 ,now they hate me and fly far from me1 and are not ashamed to spit in my face4 ,i have suffered ,contumely and ,terrors at their ,hands1 ,jer4 xx4 #aj4 and those who were my ,friends and stood by my side have insulted me4 ,they grew ashamed of me1 and cast me off all the more that they knew they had been enriched by my ,favours1 so much so that they even scorned to hear my ,name4 ,jer4 iii4 #bb4 ,in my ,sorrow ,i sorrowed and said unto them3 ,return1 ye rebellious ,children1 and ,i will heal your ,backslidings4 ,take heed and beware of ,luke xii4 #ae1 and ,ephes4 v4 #e4 ,avarice1 which is the ,service of ,idols1 for the ,avaricious ,man shall not be satisfied with ,eccl4 v4 #i4 ,silver4 ,call to ,mind your former ,days in which1 being ,heb4 x4 #cb4 illuminated1 you endured a great ,fight of ,afflictions4 ,do not be of them who draw ,heb4 x4 #ci4 back unto ,perdition1 but of them that believe to the ,saving of the ,soul4 ,he who made void the ,law of ,moses died ,heb4 x4 #bh4 without ,mercy under two or three ,witnesses4 ,how much ,heb4 x4 #bi4 more1 think you1 doth he deserve sorer ,punishment1 who hath trodden under ,foot the ,son of ,god1 and hath accounted the ,blood of the ,covenant1 by which he was sanctified1 an unclean thing1 and hath done despite to the ,spirit of ,grace8 ,return1 then1 ye ,transgressors1 ,isa4 xlvi4 #h4 search your ,hearts1 for a ,man's life consisteth not in the abundance of ,things which he possesseth4 ,job xix4 #ba1 #bb4 ,but they were angered1 and said3 ,go to1 depart from us1 thou miserable thing4 ,we desire not the knowledge of thy ,ways4 ,and ,i answered and said unto them3 ,have ,luke xii4 #ae4 pity upon me1 have pity upon me1 at least1 ,o ye1 my ,friends4 ,why do you persecute me without a ,cause8 ,did ,i not tell you that your ,ways and mine would not agree8 ,it repenteth me that ,i have ever seen you4 ,cant4 vi4 #ab4 ,and the ,word of the ,lord came to me1 saying3 ,return1 return1 ,o ,shulamite1 return1 return1 that we may look upon thee4 ,these are the ,children of ,wrath2 they will not hear thee1 because they will not hear ,me4 ,their ,hearts have become stubborn and unbelieving2 they have departed and gone away1 but they have not rejected thee without rejecting ,me4 ,for thou hast ,jer4 xiii4 #ba4 taught them against thee1 and instructed them against thine own ,head1 for if they had never received thee1 they would never have been made rich4 ,they pretended to love thee1 so that having received thy ,benefits1 they might depart from thee4 ,wherefore under adverse ,temptation they have turned away1 and having laid ,jer4 viii4 #e4 hold on ,lying1 they would not return4 ,do not again believe those that speak thee fair1 for they despise thee and seek thy ,life4 ,do not offer ,prayers or ,hymns for them1 for ,i will not hear thee3 ,i have cast them off because they have despised ,me4 ,,xx ,,how ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,showed ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,the ,,perfect ,,walk ,,in ,,the ,,religious ,,life4 ,prov4 iv4 #be4 ,lo6 then1 dear ,brothers1 ,i have told you a long story1 so that your eyes may behold where you go1 and that you may see what you should do4 ,it is perilous to look back and attempt to deceive ,god4 ,remember ,lot's wife1 and do not believe every ,spirit4 ,but ,i have ,luke xvii4 #cb1 and #a ,john iv4 #a4 confidence in you1 dearest ,brothers1 for ,i see better ,things in you than in any others1 and you are nearer to ,salvation4 ,you seem to have abandoned ,everything1 and to have freed yourselves from all ,burdens4 ,and the best proof is this1 that you have ascended this ,mountain1 which it is given to so few to do4 ,but ,i tell you1 dear ,friends1 that the ,wickedness of many others hath made me suspicious of the ,virtues of the ,good1 for ,i have too oft had experience of ravening ,wolves in ,sheeps' ,clothing4 ,i desire that each one of you should become a ,follower ,heb4 vi4 #ab4 of the ,saints1 who by ,faith and ,patience have come into my ,inheritance4 ,but because ,i dread lest the ,fate of others should overtake you1 ,i give you this salutary ,counsel3 that you should not in the ,beginning aim at the ,higher and more ,hidden ,things1 but that1 setting ,christ before you1 you should little by little come to the ,highest4 ,take heed lest1 when the dung of ,poverty has been laid about your ,roots1 you should after all be found barren1 for then there will remain nothing but the ,axe4 ,do not trust entirely to the ,love which you now have1 for ,man is more prone to ,evil than to ,good1 and the ,soul easily returns to former ,habits1 even though it may long have been separated from them4 ,i know that with your great ,fervour all ,things seem easy to you4 ,but remember what is written3 ,behold they that serve ,him ,job iv4 #ah4 are not steadfast1 and in ,his ,angels ,he found ,wickedness4 ,at first it will seem sweet to you to bear ,anything1 but after awhile1 lulled in ,security1 you will become careless of the ,blessings you have received4 ,you will imagine that you can return to ,him whenever you wish1 and find the old consolation4 ,but the ,spirit of ,negligence1 once admitted1 is not so easily got rid of4 ,your ,heart will turn after other ,things1 but ,reason will call you to return to the ,former ,things4 ,lapsed into ,sloth and ,idleness1 ,words of ,excuse will rise easily to your ,lips3 ,we cannot be strong as we were in the ,beginning1 and now the ,times are changed2 not knowing that it is written3 ,when a ,man hath come to ,eccli4 xvii4 #f4 his ,end then would he make a ,beginning4 ,for a voice will always dwell in your ,hearts1 saying3 ,to-morrow1 and ,to-morrow1 we will return to the former ,man1 for it was better with us then than it is now4 ,behold1 ,i have foretold you many ,things1 my ,brothers1 and many other things have ,i ,john xvi4 #ab4 to say unto you1 which ye cannot bear now4 ,but the ,hour cometh when ,i shall ,john xvi4 #be4 speak to you plainly of ,all ,things4 ,,xxi ,,how ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,made ,,answer ,,to ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,and when my ,lady had made an end of speaking1 the ,blessed ,francis1 with his ,companions1 fell upon his ,face1 giving ,thanks to ,god1 and said3 ,thy ,sayings1 ,o ,lady1 are well-pleasing unto us1 nor in ought that thou hast said can we find any ,fault4 ,all that we have #c ,kings x4 #f4 heard in our ,land concerning thy ,words and thy ,wisdom1 is most true2 nay1 far greater is thy ,wisdom than the ,fame thereof4 ,blessed are thy ,servants and ,disciples1 who dwell forever with thee and hear thy ,words of ,wisdom4 ,may the ,lord thy ,god1 to ,whom thou wast pleasing from all ,eternity1 be forever blessed1 ,who loved thee and made thee ,queen1 that thou mightest execute ,judgment and ,mercy on thy ,servants4 ,o how good and how sweet is ,wisdom xii4 #a4 thy ,spirit1 chastising the ,erring1 and admonishing ,sinners4 ,behold1 ,o ,lady1 by the ,love wherewith the ,eternal ,king did love thee1 by the ,love wherewith thou didst love ,him1 we beseech thee do not despise our petition1 but deal with us according to thy ,mercy ,wisdom xvii4 #a4 and ,loving-kindness4 ,great are thy ,works1 and beyond the ,tongue of man to tell1 wherefore undisciplined ,souls fly from thee1 for thou walkest alone in rocky ,places1 terrible ,cant4 vi4 #c4 as an ,army set in ,array1#bf and ,fools cannot dwell with thee4 ,but we are thy servants and ,ps4 xcix4 #b4 the ,sheep of thy ,pasture ,forever1 and ,forever and ,ever1 have we sworn and ,ps4 cxviii4 #ajf4 determined to keep the ,judgments of thy ,justice4 ,,xxii ,,how ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,gave ,,her ,,consent ,at these ,words my ,lady ,poverty was deeply moved1 and as her ,property is ,collect from the ,litany of the ,saints4 to have ,mercy and spare1 she could restrain herself no longer1 but having speedily embraced them1 and given to each the ,kiss of ,peace1 she said3 ,behold1 my ,brothers and my ,sons1 ,i will come with you1 because ,i know that through you ,i shall win many more4 ,,xxiii ,,how ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,thanked ,,god ,,for ,,the ,,consent ,,of ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,but the ,blessed ,francis1 beside himself for joy1 began to praise ,almighty ,god with a loud ,voice1 for that ,he had not abandoned those who trusted in ,him1 saying3 ,bless the ,lord1 all ye ,tob4 xiii4 #aj4 ,his ,elect1 keep ,days of ,rejoicing1 and give ,glory ,ps4 cv4 #a4 unto ,him1 for ,he is ,good and ,his ,mercy endureth ,forever4 ,and coming down from the ,mountain they brought my ,lady ,poverty to the ,place where they dwelt4 ,and it was about the ,sixth ,hour4 ,,xxiv ,,of ,,the ,,sojourn ,,of ,,my ,,lady ,,poverty ,,with ,,the ,,brothers ,and when the ,brothers had made all ,things ready1 they urged the ,lady ,poverty to eat with them4 ,but she said unto them3 ,show me first your ,oratory1 the ,cloister and ,chapter ,house1 the ,refectory1 ,kitchen1 ,dormitory1 and ,stables1 your fine ,seats and polished ,tables and noble ,houses4 ,for ,i see none of these ,things1 and yet ,i do see that you are blithe and cheerful1 abounding in ,joy1 filled with ,consolation1 as if you expected all these ,things to be supplied to you at will4 ,but they made answer and said3 ,o ,lady and ,queen1 we thy ,servants are weary with the long ,journey1 and thou in coming with us hast endured not a little4 ,therefore1 if it please thee1 let us eat first1 and thus refreshed1 we will do thy ,bidding4 ,and my ,lady answered3 ,it pleaseth me well4 ,but first bring ,water that we may wash our ,hands1 and a ,cloth wherewith to dry them4 ,and they brought forth a broken earthenware ,vessel--for they had no sound one--full of ,water4 ,and having poured the ,water on her hands they searched on all sides for a ,cloth4 ,but when none could be found1 one of the ,brethren offered the ,habit he wore1 that therewith my ,lady might wipe her ,hands4 ,and giving ,thanks she took it1 magnifying ,god with all her ,heart ,who had given her such ,men as ,companions4 ,and after this they led her to the ,place where the ,table was made ready4 ,but she looked round about1 and seeing ,nothing save three or four ,crusts of ,barley-bread laid upon the ,grass1 she marvelled exceedingly within herself1 saying3 ,who ever saw the ,wisdom xii4 #ac1 #ah1 #ai4 ,like in the ,generations of ,old8 ,blessed art ,thou1 ,o ,lord ,god1 ,who hast care of ,all1 for ,thy ,power is at hand when ,thou wilt1 and ,thou hast taught ,thy ,people1 that by such ,works they may please ,thee4 ,and thus they sat a while giving ,thanks to ,god for all ,his ,gifts4 ,then my ,lady ,poverty commanded them to bring in ,dishes the ,food which they had cooked4 ,but they fetched a ,basin full of cold ,water1 that all might dip their ,bread therein1 for here was there no abundance of ,dishes or superfluity of ,cooks4 ,my ,lady ,poverty then begged that she might at least have some uncooked savoury ,herbs1 but having neither ,garden nor ,gardener1 the ,brethren gathered some wild ,herbs in the ,wood1 and placed them before her4 ,who said3 ,bring me a little ,salt1 that ,i may savour these ,herbs1 for they are bitter4 ,but they answered her3 ,then must thou tarry a while1 ,lady1 until we go into the ,city to obtain it1 if haply there should be any one who would give us some4 ,then she asked them1 saying3 ,fetch hither a ,knife that ,i may trim these ,herbs1 and cut the ,bread1 which verily is hard and dry4 ,who answered3 ,o ,lady1 we have no ,smith to make us knives4 ,for the present1 use thy ,teeth in the place of a ,knife1 and afterwards we will provide4 ,whereupon she said3 ,have you a little ,wine8 ,to which they answered3 ,no1 ,lady1 we have no ,wine1 for the necessaries of ,eccli4 xxix4 #bh4 ,man's ,life are ,bread and ,water1 and it is not good for thee to drink ,wine1 for the ,spouse of ,christ should shun ,wine as ,poison4 ,and when they were satisfied1 rejoicing more in the ,nobility of ,want than if they had had an ,abundance of ,all ,things1 they blessed the ,lord1 in ,whose ,sight they had found such ,favour1 and led my ,lady ,poverty to a ,place where she might sleep1 for she was weary4 ,and she lay down upon the bare ground4 ,and when she asked for a ,pillow1 they straightway brought her a ,stone1 and laid it under her ,head4 ,so after she had slept for a brief space in ,peace1 she arose and asked the ,brothers to show her their ,cloister4 ,and they1 leading her to the ,summit of a ,hill1 showed her the wide ,world1 saying3 ,this is our ,cloister1 ,o ,lady ,poverty4 ,thereupon she bade them all sit down together1 and opening her ,mouth she began to speak unto them ,words of ,life1 saying3 ,,xxv ,,how ,,my ,,lady ,,poverty ,,blessed ,,the ,,brothers1 ,,exhorting ,,them ,,to ,,persevere ,,in ,,the ,,grace ,,which ,,they ,,had ,,received ,blessed are you1 my ,sons1 of the ,lord who made ,heaven and ,earth1 who have received me into your ,house with such ,fulness of ,charity that it seems to me as if1 being with you1 ,i had to-day been in ,paradise4 ,wherefore ,i am full of ,joy and abound in ,consolation1 and ,i ask pardon of you for having so long delayed my ,coming4 ,verily the ,lord is with you1 ,gen4 xxviii4 #af4 and ,i knew it not4 ,behold1 what ,i longed for ,i see1 what ,antiphon at the ,benedictus in the ,feast of ,st ,agnes4 ,i desired ,i hold1 for ,i am joined to them that are a type upon ,earth of ,him to ,whom ,i am espoused in ,heaven4 ,the ,lord bless your ,fortitude1 ,deut4 xxxiii4 #aa4 and receive the ,work of your ,hands4 ,i pray and most earnestly beseech you1 as most dear ,sons1 to persevere in those ,things which you have begun by the ,inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost1 not abandoning your ,perfection as is the ,custom with some1 but avoiding all the ,snares of ,darkness1 strive ever after ,things more ,perfect4 ,most high is your ,perfection1 above ,man and the ,strength of ,man1 and it excels in its ,brightness the ,perfection of your ,forefathers4 ,have no ,doubt or ,fear concerning the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 for you already hold the ,earnest of ,future ,eph4 i4 #ad4 ,inheritance and a ,pledge of #b ,cor4 v4 #e4 the ,spirit1 being sealed with the ,seal of the ,glory of ,christ1 and are like in all things1 by ,his ,grace1 to that first ,company of ,disciples which ,he gathered about ,him when ,he came into the ,world4 ,for that which they did when ,he was with them1 you have done not seeing ,him1 and you need not fear to say3 ,behold we ,matt4 xix4 #bg4 have left all ,things and have followed ,thee4 ,let not the ,greatness of the ,fight1 nor the ,magnitude of the ,labour hinder you1 for ,great shall be your ,reward4 ,heb4 x4 #ce4 ,looking unto the ,author and ,heb4 xii4 #b4 ,finisher of ,all ,good ,things1 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,who having ,joy set before ,him1 endured the ,cross1 despising the ,shame1 hold fast to the ,heb4 x4 #bc4 ,confession of your ,hope1 without wavering4 ,run with ,charity to the ,fight that is before you2 run1 too1 with ,patience which is most necessary to you1 that by so doing the ,will of ,god you may receive the ,promise4 ,for ,god is able by ,his ,holy ,grace to bring to a happy ,consummation1 the ,work which is above your ,strength1 because ,he is faithful to ,his ,promises4 ,let nothing be found in you pleasing to the ,eph4 ii4 #b4 ,spirit of the ,children of ,unbelief1 let there be no ,doubt or ,hesitation1 lest in working their ,wickedness against you1 they convict you of ,consent4 ,for it is a proud ,spirit1 but ,isa4 xvi4 #f4 its ,pride and ,arrogancy are greater than its ,strength4 ,this ,spirit is exceeding wrath with you1 and it will turn against you all the ,arms of its ,cunning4 ,it will seek to pour out the ,venom of its ,malice upon you1 like one who in fighting had thought all his ,enemies vanquished1 and now rages to see you looking down upon him4 ,all the ,inhabitants of ,heaven1 ,o dearest ,brothers1 rejoice exceedingly in your ,conversion1 and have sung a new ,song before the ,face of the ,eternal ,king4 ,the ,angels rejoice because of you1 for through you many shall continue ,virgins1 they shall be resplendent in ,chastity1 and shall fill the empty places in the ,city on ,high1 where ,virgins are established in especial ,glory1 for those that neither marry ,matt4 xxii4 #cj4 nor are given in ,marriage are like the ,angels in ,heaven4 ,the ,apostles exult at seeing their ,life renewed1 and their ,doctrine preached1 and because you show an ,example of the ,highest ,sanctity4 ,and the ,martyrs exult1 waiting to see their ,constancy in the ,shedding of ,blood made manifest in you also4 ,the ,confessors dance before the ,lord1 knowing that their ,victory in the ,face of the ,enemy is often to be repeated in you4 ,the ,virgins who follow the ,lamb ,rev4 xiv4 #d4 whithersoever ,he goeth1 likewise rejoice1 knowing that by you many will be daily added to their ,number4 ,the ,whole ,court of ,heaven is filled with ,joy1 for daily shall they keep the ,festival of some new ,inhabitant1 and because they shall be continually incensed with the ,odour of ,holy ,prayers ascending from this ,valley of ,tears4 ,rom4 xii4 #a4 ,therefore1 ,i beseech you1 dear ,brothers1 by the ,mercy of ,god1 for which you have made yourselves thus ,poor1 carry out that which you have come to do1 for which you left the ,rivers of ,babylon4 ,receive in all ,humility the ,grace which has been given you1 use it worthily in ,all ,things1 and always for the ,praise1 ,honour1 and ,glory of ,him ,who died for you1 ,our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 ,who with the ,father and the ,holy ,ghost1 liveth and reigneth1 ,victorious and ,glorious1 ,eternal ,god1 ,world without ,end1 ,,amen ,,here ,,endeth ,,the ,,treatise ,,concerning ,,the ,,lady ,,poverty ,,and ,,our ,,seraphic ,,father1 ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis4 ,this ,work was done in the ,month of ,july1 after the ,death of the ,blessed ,francis1 in the ,year ,one thousand two hundred and twenty-seven after the ,incarnation of ,,our ,,lord and ,,saviour1 ,,jesus ,,christ4 ,,on ,,the ,,spiritual ,,significance ,,of ,,evangelical ,,poverty ,,by ,,father ,,cuthbert1 ,o4,s4,f4,c4 ,,the ,,spiritual ,,significance ,,of ,,evangelical ,,poverty 8,this is the sublimity of most high ,poverty which has made you1 beloved brethren1 heirs and kings of the ,kingdom of ,heaven40#bg ,thus wrote ,st ,francis of ,assisi when he gave his disciples the ,rule which obliged them to 8serve the ,lord in poverty and humility40 ,it is easy to recognise in these words the note of exultation and achievement which made ,st ,francis the most inspiring personality in ,medival ,christendom1 and which gives to his name1 even to-day1 a singular power over the imagination of the ,christian ,world4 ,clad in his peasant's dress1 and with no possessions of his own in the world save his soul and body1#bh he is nevertheless the man rich in all things that are of vital interest1 the clear spiritual vision1 the perfect joy1 the encompassing sympathy1 which gathers all palpitating life into its own4 ,francis lived1 if ever a man lived4 ,his was the liberty of soul which finds the joy of life in all ,creation4 ,artificial stimulus and transient excitement could add nought to the ,joy that was his4 ,to him the sky and the earth1 the sun and the flowers1 the fields and all living things1 spoke with articulate speech of the life that is in them4 ,as for his fellow-men1 their life was his life4 ,he had come to pass beyond the bounds of his own personality1 and to enter into that spiritual communion with all living things1 whereby man escapes from his own limitations1 and the world lives in him as he in the world4 ,and above all1 and yet in all1 he beheld the ever blessed ,god1 the ,author of all life that is4 ,to ,francis1 ,god was ever present in the ,creation1 the ,life behind all life4 8,the ,heavens show forth the ,glory of ,god1 and the ,firmament declareth the ,work of ,his ,hands40 ,the intimate relationship binding creation to its ,creator was to him an abiding perception2 he could not think of ,earth apart from ,heaven1 nor of finite man apart from the ,infinite ,god4 ,whatever was good and beautiful was to him an indication of the ,divine ,goodness and ,beauty1 a portal of the ,eternal ,kingdom2 and with keen spiritual intuition he discovered the good and the beautiful1 where men of lesser sensibility would only find the commonplace and the material4 8,to them that love ,god1 all things work together unto ,good20#bi the truly spiritual man discovers the imprint of the ,divine ,life along all the highways and byways of ,creation3 just as the poet's eye discovers beauty in the woodland through which the ordinary wayfarer passes unheeding4 ,thus the whole creation poured into the ,soul of ,francis an unceasing stream of spiritual life1 and with the inflowing life came joy--joy unutterable2 and sorrow too4 ,for life as it is1 has no joy altogether separate from pain4 ,there is tragedy in the purest romance1 death even where there is life4 ,and so the 8joyous troubadour of ,god0 sorrowed much because of the shadow that lay across the sunshine4 ,to him personally life was joy1 such was his liberty of spirit2 but it was not so to all men4 ,many are they to whom life is sorrow2 they walk as in a dark valley with but the twilight around them2 nay1 at times with no light at all1 but only darkness1 and their souls are starved for lack of light and warmth2 even when in their ignorance or despair they seek pleasure in the immediate objects of sense around them4 ,for these he sorrowed with the sorrow of ,christ weeping over ,jerusalem4 ,it was a sorrow which kept him at long vigils when the world lay asleep1 praying for mercy for the souls of men4 ,yet this sorrow could not destroy the essential joy of life which was his in a super-eminent degree4 ,he sorrowed as many a man and woman sorrows over a friend who is deprived of the happiness which is their own4 ,truly was ,francis a 8,king and heir of the ,kingdom10 if ,kingship means sovereign possession2 for he found what is best in life and had it as his own1 nought else than the very joy of life4 ,francis himself has told us how this joy of life came to him with the absolute renunciation of what the world at large holds most dear--wealth1 place1 and power4 ,in renunciation he found spiritual freedom1 and with it joy4 ,no man is truly joyous whose joy does not spring from his own soul1 or from that inalienable possession of the world which comes of spiritual communion with what is good and true in it1 and therefore ,eternal4 ,the joy which is dependent upon the possession of the merely visible and material can never reach the inmost spirit of man1 even were such possession not1 at best1 uncertain and of its nature transitory4 ,nay1 the joy of life1 which springs from man's own spirit1 is impossible to him whose heart is set upon the merely external world4 ,for the spiritual and the material are in the immediate aspect a simple antithesis2 so that where the one is1 the other cannot be4 8,you cannot serve ,god and mammon40 ,you cannot satisfy your nature with the transitory1 and yet retain an appetite for the ,eternal4 ,consequently1 he who would be free and retain a relish for the life of the ,spirit1 must beware of the lust of the earth1 and keep a detached heart towards what is of its nature unspiritual4 ,to ,st ,francis1 a man amongst men1 the lust of the earth was radically allied with pride of class1 an inordinate ambitiousness of glory1 and a love of luxury4 ,poverty1 as ,francis understood it1 meant the antithesis of all this4 ,the ,lady ,poverty 7to borrow the ,saint's own imagery7 was an outcast2 she was the despised of men2 and she walked amid the rough ways of the earth with threadbare garments and bruised feet4 ,the story how ,francis found his ideal bride and came to love her with chivalric devotion1 is too well known to need repetition4 ,the final act in the drama came when one day1 riding in the plain before ,assisi1 he was met by a leper who besought an alms1 and1 filled with disgust1 he at first thought to pass on1 but1 moved by a nobler impulse1 cast himself from his horse1 and not only gave the alms1 but folded the leper to his breast and embraced him4 ,from that moment he himself has told us that 8what had seemed bitter was changed into sweetness of soul and body1 and not long afterwards ,i left the world40#cj ,the embrace of the leper marked the final abandonment in ,francis' soul of the sense of separation between himself1 the son of the wealthy ,bernardone1 and the outcasts of society4 ,henceforth to ,francis1 the poor and the outcast were human brethren1 worthy of a brother's intimate love and care4 ,in the same moment he cast aside1 once for all1 his youthful dream of entering the ranks of chivalry1 and seeking renown in battle and tournament4 ,henceforth he would be the servant of his brothers the poor1 and 8serve the ,lord in ,poverty and ,humility40 ,the path of renunciation was further determined for him when his new ideal of life clashed with the commercial interests of his family4 ,in the newly-awakened consciousness of his kinship with the poor1 he considered his share in the family business as their share1 and freely parted with what he had a right to consider his own4 ,pietro ,bernardone1 his father1 foresaw commercial ruin from such a course1 and when he found that ,francis was indissolubly wedded to his ideal1 promptly disinherited him4 ,henceforth ,francis was without house or property of his own4 ,with the keenness of a soul set free1 he at once recognised in his father's act of disinheritance the charter of his spiritual freedom4 8,now in truth can ,i say3 ,our ,father ,who art in ,heaven60 ,heaven and earth became his when in the moment of abandonment he called ,god his ,father4 ,thus he cast from himself forever the three dominant tyrannies which in his own age and since1 have oppressed the souls of men--wealth1 place1 and power4 ,he had become in very truth the ,poor ,man of ,assisi1 and yet who was richer than he8 ,never did ,francis regret his renunciation1 but ever did the thought of it fill him with gratitude and joy4 ,one day1 some years after his disinheritance1 the ,saint and one of his disciples1 ,brother ,masseo1 were eating a scanty meal of broken bread1 begged by the way2 they ate near a fountain1 and a large stone was their table4 8,o ,brother ,masseo10 said ,francis1 his soul bubbling with joy1 8we are not worthy of so great a treasure20 and he repeated these words several times4 ,brother ,masseo answered3 8,father1 how canst thou talk of a treasure where there is so much poverty and indeed a lack of all things8 for we have neither cloth1 nor knife nor dish1 nor table1 nor house2 neither have we servant nor maid to wait upon us40 ,then said the ,saint3 8,and this is the very reason why ,i look upon it as a great treasure1 because man has no hand in it1 but all has been given us by ,divine ,providence1 as we clearly see in this bread of charity1 in this beautiful table of stone1 and in this clear fountain40#ca ,surely here we find the very apotheosis of poverty2 of the poverty which1 discarding the artificial1 is happy in the simple realities and in the bounties of nature1 and feels no barrier between itself and the spiritual possession of the very earth itself4 ,here it may be as well to take note how alien is the poverty of ,francis from the vulgarity and squalor1 the idleness and discontent1 which mark too frequently the life of the poor4 ,no greater misconception of ,franciscan poverty could there be than to conceive it as sanctioning or condoning any condition that detracts from the proper native dignity of man4 ,the 8,lady ,poverty0 of ,francis went with bare and bruised feet1 her garment was coarse1 and she ate but the bread of the peasant2 but she retained her native dignity of soul1 and bore herself as a ,queen wherever she went4 ,she delighted in the pure air1 and the flowers1 and the running stream1 was honest and self-revering1 simple and joyous4 ,the poverty of our city slums where hearts break in discontent1 and souls are starved for lack of spiritual intelligence--such was not the poverty of ,francis' dream4 ,to use again his own manner of speech1 this is poverty in slavery1 degraded and dishonoured by the vice and selfishness of man4 ,with a full heart would he have set himself to rescue his ,ideal from her modern degradation and restore her to her place of honour upon the earth4 ,knight-errant as he was1 he would not have rested until poverty was made honourable amongst men4 ,to rescue the poor from the conditions which have so effectually demoralised them during the past two or three centuries of unheeding individualism1 would undoubtedly have been to ,francis a first and urgent duty were he with us to-day4 ,even in his own time he regarded with anxiety the conditions which debased the poor2 even then he considered himself the knight-errant sent to rescue the comely maiden ,poverty from the neglect and heartless scorn of the world4#cb ,but was ever ,italian peasant so utterly degraded as are many of the victims of modern industrialism8 ,poverty with ,francis was the mother of spiritual freedom2 poverty in the ,london slum is synonymous with hard materialism and irreligion4 ,was ever contrast greater8 ,and yet ,francis has made evident to us that beneath the squalor and degradation of the modern city1 there is a spiritual possibility1 if only it can be recovered4 ,but will it ever be that poverty shall again regain amongst the hungry multitude the honourable estate with which the ,saint of ,assisi had endowed it8 ,will it ever be rescued from its present inhuman conditions8 ,the future only can tell2 and they who strive that it shall be so can only work in the strength of their faith2 but faith verily can accomplish the apparently impossible1 if faith itself be strong4 ,meanwhile the ideal of ,francis has assuredly a prophetic message for the multitude which is not hungry4 ,poverty1 as ,francis preached it1 is an integral element in the ,christian life4 ,christianity imperatively demands of all its followers an acceptance of the truth which ,francis embodied so wonderfully in himself4 ,no one can enter the ,kingdom of ,heaven unless he be as ,francis was1 a lover of ,poverty4 ,such is the ,gospel4 8,blessed are the poor in spirit1 for theirs is the ,kingdom of ,heaven40#cc ,there are those who so interpret this beatitude as to empty it of all significance concerning material possessions4 ,the meaning of ,christ1 however1 is made clear1 by ,his own earthly life and by the lives of ,his early disciples4 8,poverty of ,spirit0 means nothing less than detachment of heart from the possession or achievement of material gain1 and from its attendant pleasures4 ,no man can be a disciple of ,christ who is not free from the moral slavery which wealth and temporal possessions so easily set upon the soul4 ,to no man is given the spiritual insight and vision which alone can bring rest eternal to man's spirit1 unless he have first put from him the lust of the earth4 ,and according to the measure of his detachment is spiritual achievement possible4 ,is then every man to imitate ,st ,francis of ,assisi1 and cast off all wealth and become dependent upon the labour of his hands or the charity of his neighbour8 ,no such claim is made by ,francis1 for it was not made by ,christ4 ,if ,christ demanded of the young man that he should 8go and sell what he had and give it to the poor0 in order to follow ,him1 ,he also acquiesced in the rich ,zacchus keeping his wealth so long as he did not neglect his duty to those in need4 ,francis1 too1 following the ,divine ,model1 gave no injunction to the ,lord of ,chiusi or to the ,lady ,giacoma to renounce their property1 and he expressly forbade his friars1 who like himself gave up all right of possession1 to judge those who have possessions4 ,no1 it is not the holding of property1 but the selfish misuse of it and the inordinate desire of material gain and its pleasures1 which is opposed to the virtue of evangelical poverty4 ,in few words may the ,christian precept of poverty be set forth3 ,let no man set his heart on any material possession for its own sake1 or for the mere holding of it2 if a man is lacking in this world's goods1 let him not fret nor complain1 but seek rather the life of the spirit4 ,if1 on the other hand1 he is endowed with this world's goods1 either by inheritance or as the result of honest labour1 let him bear in mind that such goods are not absolutely his own2 they belong1 in the first instance1 to ,god1 the ,master of all1 and may rightfully be used and distributed only subject to the ,divine laws of justice and charity4 ,no man has an absolute ownership before ,god1 so that he may satisfy his own whim or pleasure without consideration for what is due by ,divine ,law to his fellow-men4 ,possession in the sphere of conscience is stewardship4 ,the rich are ,god's stewards1 appointed to 8give to every man his just measure in due season40 ,such briefly is the precept of ,evangelical ,poverty--a precept which has no direct connection with any theory of social economics1 but is based upon the fundamental law of religion1 that only the poor in spirit are spiritually free and capable of citizenship in the realm of eternal life4 ,assuredly to us who live our lives upon the pulse of a great industrial empire1 this message of the ,poverello comes with a distinctness not to be passed unheeded4 ,as a race we are a prosperous people1 and money-making is our first preoccupation4 ,luxuries are easily within our grasp2 cheap luxuries1 perhaps1 which is all the worse1 for that very cheapness is a snare blinding us to the fact that what we indulge in is a luxury4 ,in money-making and luxury lie the elemental dangers to our spiritual life4 8,money10 says ,cardinal ,newman1 8is a sort of creation1 and gives the acquirer1 even more than the possessor1 an imagination of his own power1 and tends to make him idolise himself4 ,again1 what we have hardly won we are unwilling to part with2 so that a man who has himself made his wealth will commonly be penurious1 or1 at least1 will not part with it except in exchange for what will reflect credit on himself or increase his importance4 ,even when his conduct is most disinterested and amiable 7as in spending for the comfort of those who depend on him71 still this indulgence of self1 of pride1 and worldliness insinuates itself40 ,and he adds3 8,if such be the effect of the pursuit of gain on an individual1 doubtless it will be the same on a nation2 and if the peril be so great in the one case1 why should it be less in the other80#cd ,the enduring strength of a nation1 as of an individual1 depends upon moral fibre and spiritual vision4 ,if these be destroyed no nation can long remain save as a warning to the nations that shall come4 ,undoubtedly there are strong tendencies amongst us towards the worship of wealth and its attendant luxuries and towards a selfish accumulation of wealth beyond all possible needs1 tendencies which acquire strength with the growth of empire and trade4 ,well for us is it that at this time ,francis of ,assisi is becoming widely known4 ,to all who revolt against the vulgar materialism which dominates so much of our present life1 ,francis of ,assisi is as a prophet sent by ,god4 ,standing against the dark background of ,avarice and ,luxury which had already infested the growing commercial centres of the medival world1 he throws the light of his own clear personality into the dark corners of our own life4 ,we yearn1 many of us1 for a deeper spiritual life2 we sorrow because the joy of life seems flitting ever further and further away from this complex social organism of ours4 ,we seek direction1 and the ,poverello is here to lead us2 and the way he leads is that of detachment and renunciation4 ,but his own personality and life are an assurance to us that the renunciation he preaches1 leads to richer gain2 he leads us through death1 only that we may find life even here1 in some measure1 upon the earth1 and in the fulness of the spirit hereafter4 ,thus and not otherwise does he interpret to us the ,poverty of ,christ4 ,,father ,,cuthbert1 ,o4,s4,f4,c4 ,crawley1 ,feast of ,st ,anthony of ,padua1 #aija4 ,,appendices ,,appendix ,i ,a ,,prayer ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,francis ,,to ,,obtain ,,holy ,,poverty4 ,o ,lord ,jesus6 ,show me the ways of ,thy dearly-loved ,poverty4 ,i know that the ,old ,testament was but a ,figure of the ,new4 ,in the ,old1 ,thou hast promised that 8every place that your foot shall tread upon1 shall be ,deut4 xi4 #bd4 yours40 ,to tread under foot is to despise2 ,poverty treads all ,things under foot1 therefore she is the ,queen of all ,things4 ,but1 ,o my dear ,lord ,jesus1 have pity upon me and upon my ,lady ,poverty1 for ,i am consumed with ,love for her1 and can know no rest without her4 ,thou knowest all this1 my ,lord1 ,thou who didst fill me with the ,love of her4 ,but she sitteth in sadness1 rejected of all2 she1 the ,mistress of ,nations1 is become as a ,widow2 the ,queen of all ,virtues is become contemptible2 ,lament4 i4 #a4 and sitting upon a dunghill she lamenteth that all her friends have despised her and have become her enemies2 for long now she knows them to be wantons and no ,spouses of hers4 ,remember1 ,o ,lord ,jesus1 that ,poverty is so much the ,queen of the ,virtues1 that ,thou1 forsaking the dwelling-place of the ,angels1 didst descend upon ,earth in order to espouse her in ,love ,everlasting1 and so as to bring forth in her1 and by her1 and through her1 all the ,children of ,perfection4 ,and she clung to ,thee with such ,fidelity1 that even within ,thy ,mother's womb she paid ,thee homage1 for ,thy ,infant ,body was1 it is thought1 the smallest of all4 ,and at ,thy ,birth she received ,thee in a ,holy ,manger and ,stable2 and in ,thy ,life upon ,earth she so deprived ,thee of all things1 that ,thou hadst no place where to lay ,thy ,head4 ,and as a faithful ,helpmeet she followed ,thee loyally when ,thou didst go forth to do battle for our ,redemption1 and in the ,agony of the ,passion she was ,thy only ,armour-bearer4 ,when ,thy ,disciples denied ,thee and fled1 she alone did not leave ,thee1 but was ,thy faithful ,companion with all the host of her ,princes4 ,even ,thy own ,mother 7who alone did faithfully honour ,thee1 and with grievous ,sorrow share ,thy ,passion71 even she1 ,i say1 could not by reason of the height of the ,cross1 reach up unto ,thee1 but the ,lady ,poverty in all her ,penury1 like a most dear ,servitor1 did there hold ,thee in an ever closer embrace1 and join herself more and more nearly to ,thy ,sufferings4 ,for the which reason she did not wait to smooth ,thy ,cross1 nor to give ,it even the rudest preparation2 nor1 it is thought1 did she even make sufficient ,nails for ,thy ,wounds1 nor sharpen or polish them1 but furnished three only1 all rough and jagged and blunted1 to support ,thee in ,thy ,martyrdom4 ,and when ,thou wast dying of a burning ,thirst1 ,thy faithful ,spouse was careful lest ,thou shouldst have one drop of ,water even1 and by the hands of the impious ,soldiery1 prepared ,thee a ,cup of such bitterness1 that ,thou couldst only taste1 but not drink of it4 ,and in the close ,embrace of this ,thy ,spouse1 ,thou didst yield up the ,ghost4 ,but so faithful a ,spouse was not absent at ,thy ,burial and would not suffer ,thee to have anything of ,thy own1 either ,sepulchre or ,ointments or ,linen1 for these were all borrowed from others4 ,nor did she fail to be present at ,thy ,resurrection2 for rising gloriously in her ,embrace1 ,thou didst leave behind in the ,sepulchre all those things which had been borrowed4 ,and then ,thou didst take her up into ,heaven with ,thee1 abandoning all earthly things to those that are of the ,earth1 and bequeathing unto the ,lady ,poverty the ,seal of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 wherewith she might seal the ,elect who desire to walk in the ,way of ,perfection4 ,o who would not love the ,lady ,poverty above all things6 ,of ,thee1 ,o ,jesus1 ,i ask to be signed with this ,privilege2 ,i long to be enriched with this ,treasure2 ,i beseech ,thee1 ,o most poor ,jesus1 that1 for ,thy sake1 it may be the ,mark of me and mine to all ,eternity1 to possess no thing of our own under the ,sun1 but to live in penury upon the goods of others1 so long as this vile body lasts4 ,,amen4 ,,note ,this remarkable prayer figures as the composition of ,st ,francis in all the editions of his works from ,wadding 7,antwerp1 #afbc7 to ,fra ,bernardo da ,fivizzano 7,florence1 #ahhj74 ,but we have 7unfortunately7 no satisfactory or scientific proof that the prayer was really the composition of the ,seraphic ,patriarch4 ,wadding took it from ,ubertino da ,casale 8,arbor ,vit ,crucifixi ,jesu0 7,venice1 #adhe74 ,ubertino wrote his redoubtable book in #acje1 and though he puts this prayer into the mouth of ,st ,francis1 the context points to the fact that he is rather attempting to reproduce the sentiments of the ,saint1 than giving a prayer literally written by him4 ,and his indebtedness to the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 is obvious4 ,but whether written by ,st ,francis or not1 there can be no doubt that when he prayed1 he often prayed after this fashion4 ,it most faithfully reflects his spirit and ideas1 and is admirably illustrative of the 8,sacrum ,commercium40 ,for this reason we have given it a place in the ,appendix4 ,it is also interesting as being the probable source whence ,dante drew his beautiful idea that the ,lady ,poverty was more privileged than the ,blessed ,virgin1 insomuch as she followed the ,lord up on to the very ,cross itself3 8,si che1 dove ,maria rimase giuso1 ,ella con ,cristo salse#ce in su la croce40 ,the nave sublimity of the concluding petition of the prayer 8et alienis rebus semper cum usus penuria1 dum vivit caro misera1 sustentari10 is most characteristic of the ,saint1 not only in its sentiment but in its ,franciscan directness4 ,it strikes strangely upon modern ears to hear a ,divine petition that certain men may ever be known as men who lived upon others4 ,but it is logical1 as ,francis always was4 ,there can be no evangelical poverty with possessions1 and yet man must keep body and soul together2 hence mendicancy is the only resource of the real lovers of my ,lady ,poverty4 ,this sentiment recalls the famous saying of ,st ,francis in the ,fifth of his 8,collationes ,monastic03 8,there is a compact between the ,world and my ,brothers4 ,they owe it a good example1 and the ,world in return must provide them with all necessities4 ,but if the ,brothers1 breaking faith1 cease to give their good example1 the ,world will1 with justice1 withdraw its helping hand40 ,very interesting1 and of considerable importance1 is the fact that this ,prayer speaks of ,christ being crucified with three nails only4 ,whether ,st ,francis wrote the prayer or not1 we may take this to have been his opinion1 for it seems to have been the common opinion of the thirteenth century4 ,and bearing in mind this opinion of his1 it becomes impossible to attribute the phenomena of his ,stigmata to subjective causes1 or to that which is loosely called hysteria4 ,the ,stigmata of ,st ,francis were not merely open wounds1 but showed nails of a black fleshy substance1 one in each hand and one in each foot4 ,if these ,stigmata had been the result of intense meditation on the ,passion1 then1 seeing what his opinion was1 the singular phenomena which were developed in him1 would have shown one nail only for the feet1 and not a nail in either foot4 ,the point is of capital importance to investigators of a remarkable occurrence which1 while proved beyond a doubt as a matter of fact1 has hitherto found no scientific explanation4 ,,appendix ,,ii4 ,,paradise--,,canto ,,xi4 ,,lines #bh-abc ,dean ,plumptre's ,translation ,it is probable that ,dante knew the 8,sacrum ,commercium02 it is certain that he knew the ,prayer to obtain ,poverty4 ,therefore it may be convenient to give in extenso that part of the ,divine ,canto which sings of the ,mystic loves of ,francis and the ,lady ,poverty4 ,the ,providence1--which all things doth dispose #bh ,with such deep counsels that all mortal gaze ,is baffled ere to that great depth it goes-- ,that unto ,him she loves might bend her ways1 #ca ,the ,bride of ,him ,who1 with a bitter cry1 ,espoused her with the blood we bless and praise1 ,in fuller peace1 more steadfast loyalty1 #cd ,her1 for her good1 with two high chiefs endowed1 ,that they on either side her guides might be4 ,the soul of one with love seraphic glowed2 #cg ,the other by his wisdom on our earth ,a splendour of cherubic glory showed4 ,of one ,i'll speak2 for1 if we tell the worth #dj ,of one1 'tis true of both1 whiche'er we take1 ,for to one end each laboured from his birth4 ,between ,tupino and the streams that break #dc ,from the hill chosen by ,ubaldo blest1 ,a lofty mount a fertile slope doth make2 ,perugia's ,sun-gate from that lofty crest #df ,feels heat and cold2 ,nocer' and ,gualdo pine ,behind it1 by their heavy yoke opprest4 ,on this slope1 where less steeply doth incline #di ,the hill1 was born into this world a sun1 ,bright as this orb doth oft o'er ,ganges shine4 ,whence1 naming this spot1 let not any one #eb ,call it ,ascesi--that were tame in sense-- ,as ,orient doth its proper title run4 ,such was his rise1 nor was he far from thence1 #ee ,when he began to make the wide earth share ,some comfort from his glorious excellence2 ,for he1 a youth1 his father's wrath did dare #eh ,for maid1 for whom not one of all the crowd1 ,as she were death1 would pleasure's gates unbar4 ,and then before court spiritual he vowed #fa ,et coram patre--marriage-pledge to her1 ,and day by day more fervent love he showed4 ,of her first spouse bereaved1 a thousand were1 #fd ,and more1 the years she lived1 despised1 obscure1 ,and1 till he came1 none did his suit prefer4 ,nought it availed that she was found secure #fg ,with that ,amyclas when the voice was heard ,which made the world great terror-pangs endure2 ,nought it availed that she nor shrank nor feared1 #gj ,so that1 when ,mary tarried yet below1 ,she on the ,cross above with ,christ appeared4 ,but lest ,i tell it too obscurely so1 #gc ,by these two lovers1 in my speech diffuse1 ,thou ,poverty and ,francis now mayst know4 ,their concord and their looks of joy profuse1 #gf ,the love1 the wonder1 and the aspect sweet1 ,made men in holy meditation muse1 ,so that the holy ,bernard bared his feet1 #gi ,the first to start1 and for such peace so tried1 ,that slow he thought his pace1 though it was fleet4 ,o wealth unknown1 true good that doth abide6 #hb gidius bared his feet1 ,sylvester too1 ,following the ,bridegroom1 so they loved the ,bride4 ,then went that ,father and that ,master true #he ,with that his ,bride and that his family1 ,who round their loins the lowly girdle drew2 ,nor was faint heart betrayed in downcast eye1 #hh ,as being ,pietro ,bernardone's son1 ,nor yet as one despised wondrously2 ,but like a king his stern intention #ia ,to ,innocent he opened1 who did give ,the first seal to that new religion4 ,then1 when the race content as poor to live #id ,grew behind him1 whose life1 so high renowned1 ,would1 in ,heaven's glory1 higher songs receive1 ,with a new diadem once more was crowned #ig ,by ,pope ,honorius1 from on high inspired1 ,this ,archimandrite's purpose1 holy found4 ,and after that1 with martyr zeal untired1 #ajj ,he1 in the presence of the ,soldan proud ,preached ,christ1 and those whom ,his example fired2 ,and finding that that race no ripeness showed #ajc ,for their conversion1 not to toil in vain1 ,he to ,italia's fields his labours vowed4 ,on the rough rock 'twixt ,tiber's1 ,arno's1 plain1 #ajf ,from ,christ received he the last seal's impress1 ,which he two years did in his limbs sustain4 ,when it pleased ,him1 ,who chose him thus to bless1 #aji ,to lead him up the high reward to share ,which he had merited by lowliness1 ,then to his brothers1 each as rightful heir1 #aab ,he gave in charge his lady-love most dear1 ,and bade them love her with a steadfast care2 ,and from her breast that soul so high and clear #aae ,would fain depart and to its kingdom turn1 ,nor for his body sought another bier4 ,think now what he was who the fame did earn #aah ,to be his comrade1 and for ,peter's barque ,on the high seas the true path to discern4 ,and such was he1 our honoured ,patriarch2 #aba ,wherefore1 who follows him as he commands1 ,him laden with rich treasures thou mayest mark4 ,by ,m4 ,,carmichael4 ,,in ,,tuscany4 ,,tuscan ,,towns--,,tuscan ,,types--,,the ,,tuscan ,,tongue1 ,,etc4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,,second ,,edition4 ,crown #hvo4 #is4 nett4 ,printed at ,the ,edinburgh ,press1 #i #aa ,young ,street4 ,,footnotes3 #a 8,nota al ,canto ,,xi4 7versi #dc-ge7 del #8,paradiso' di ,dante ,alighieri10 ,citt di ,castello1 ,lapi1 #ahid1 pp4 #ed4 #b 8,sacrum ,commercium ,beati ,francisci cum ,domina ,paupertate1 ,opus ,anno ,domini #abbg conscriptum ad fidem ,variorum ,codicum ,,ms4 ,adjuncta versione ,italica inedita1 curante ,p4 ,eduardo ,alinconiensi1 ,ord4 ,min4 ,capuccinorum ,archivo ,generali ,prposito40 ,rome1 ,kleinbub1 #aijj1 #dto1 pp4 xviii-#eb4 #c ,the ,italian edition of the ,chronicle of ,mark of ,lisbon 7,venice1 #aeij1 voi4 ii4 pp4 #hb-ib7 contains a compendium of the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 which1 however1 does not merit the name of an edition4 #d 8,meditazione sulla ,povert di ,santo ,francesco0 ,scrittura inedita del ,secolo ,,xiv4 ,pistoia1 ,tip4 ,cino41 #ahdg1 #ahmo4 pp4 #gb4 #e ,see 8,bibliografia dei ,testi di ,lingua a ,stampa citati dagli ,accademici della ,crusca1 opera di ,luigi ,razzolini ed ,alberto ,bacchi della ,lega10 #dth ,edition4 ,bologna1 #ahij4 #f 8,le ,mistiche ,nozze di ,san ,francesco e ,madonna ,povert4 ,allegoria ,francescana del ,secolo1 xiii40 ,florence1 #aija1 #abmo4 pp4 xxiv-#gj4 ,i cannot help regretting that ,don ,minocchi has given the work a title of his own choosing1 though ,i recognise the superiority of his title as title4 ,as the 8,meditazione0 it was christened by the original translator1 as the 8,meditazione0 first published by ,fanfani and ,bindi1 and as the 8,meditazione0 it has become a ,tuscan classic under the gis of the ,crusca4 #g 8,analecta ,francescana10 vol4 iii4 p4 #bhc4 ,ad ,claras ,aquas 7,quaracchi7 #ahig1 #dto4 #h 8,speculum ,perfectionis10 p4 vi41 ,paris1 #ahih4 ,but then he is only following ,alvisi4 #i 8,le ,mistiche ,nozze di ,frate ,francesco con ,madonna ,povert10 ,florence1 ,olschki1 #ahih1 pp4 #eh4 ,i have since seen his ,noterelle ,francescane1 in the 8,giornale ,dantesco0 7,an4 ix41 ,quad1 iii47 in which he modifies his opinion4 #aj 8,vita del ,beato ,giovanni da ,parma10 #bnd ,edition4 ,quaracchi1 #aijj1 pp4 #ahf4 #aa ,cf4 the 8,miscellanea ,francescana10 vol4 vii4 p4 #ahb4 #ab ,add to all this that the 8,sacrum ,commercium0 contains not a single citation from the ,office of ,st ,francis--which it is natural to suppose that the imaginative writer would have here and there availed himself of--and it seems to me that the date of #abbg is proved with something like certainty1 and the date of #abdg excluded beyond a doubt4 #ac ,op4 cit4 p4 xii4 and p4 #da et ss4 #ad ,the 8,arbor ,vit ,crucifixi ,jesu10 ,venice1 #adhe1 fol4 #ae 8,chronica ,fratris ,salimbene ,parmensis40 ,parma1 #aheg1 #dto1 pp4 xiv4-#dbd4 #af ,let me here render him public thanks for his courteous permission to do so1 and make due public acknowledgment of my indebtedness to his critical preface4 ,had it not been for this scholarly work ,i must needs have spent months in puzzling out for myself the crabbed hands and crooked abbreviations of three or four fourteenth-century scribes4 #ag ,my references to the ,psalms are according to the notation of the ,vulgate4 ,perhaps it may be necessary to state for the benefit of readers not well acquainted with the ,vulgate1 that 8,eccli40 is a reference to ,ecclesiasticus or the ,wisdom of ,jesus the ,son of ,sirach1 and not to ,ecclesiastes 7,eccl47 or the ,wisdom of the ,preacher4 #ah ,this chapter is wanting a title in all the ,codexes4 ,i have taken the liberty of styling it 8,in ,praise of ,poverty40 #ai ,in contradistinction1 e4g4 to the ,meek who shall possess the ,land 7,matt4 v4 #d74 ,only the persecuted for ,justice's sake have the same immediate privilege as the ,poor in ,spirit 7,matt4 v4 #aj74 ,we shall see later on that ,persecution is the noblest and most helpful of all the ,lady ,poverty's sisters4 #bj ,though the ,author here quotes ,psalm xxiii4 #aj1 8,dominus ,virtutum10 he is1 from the context which follows1 obviously not referring to the ,lord of ,hosts or ,sabaoth1 nor to the ,virtues as one of the ,orders of ,angels1 but to ,god as the ,lord of the ,moral ,perfections4 #ba 8,non sum rudis10 ,i am not raw or new1 says the ,writer1 quoting ,matt4 ix4 #af3 8,nemo autem immittit commissuram panni rudis in vestimentum vetus03 ,no man putteth a piece of new or raw cloth into an old garment4 #bb ,so that ,man's first transgression after his original ,sin1 was1 by this1 his first acquisition of property1 a ,sin against the ,high ,doctrine of the ,lady ,poverty4 #bc ,king ,james' ,bible has 8ten thousand times ten thousand40 #bd ,there is in a part of this ,chapter so intricate an interweaving of ,pauline phrases1 that ,i make no attempt to indicate them by references4 #be ,in this terrible picture of ,religious life at its lowest ebb1 some allowance must be made for the fervid imagination and righteous wrath of the holy writer 78quidam sanctus doctor hujus sanctae ,paupertatis professor et zelator strenuus074 ,but even with sloth1 gluttony1 intemperance1 greed of gain1 hypocrisy1 and ungodliness running riot in a whole ,community1 it is profitable to the historian to note that there is not a hint of unchastity1 the truth being that a ,community wholly unchaste is one of those rarities of history sought in the past1 and desired1 ,i fear1 by certain historians1 but scarcely existing outside the cruel inventions of interested despoilers4 ,and lest any be amazed that the ,religious life should ever have fallen even half as low as is here portrayed1 let them remember that the higher the ideal1 the further the fall when it comes1 and that the ,lady ,poverty has ever punished her betrayers by the completest degradation4 #bf 8,terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata40 ,this occurs in the ,chapter at ,prime in the ,office of ,our ,lady1 and hence it is here used in connection with that other ,lady1 ,madonna ,povert4 ,the translator of the 8,meditazione10 finding it would have no associations in ,italian 7as of course it has none in ,english71 quietly drops it1 but ,i cannot take so great a liberty1 nor allow myself to hide the vivid and touching imagination which the pious author thus betrays4 ,throughout the whole allegory the influence of the ,liturgy is conspicuous4 #bg ,regula ,s4 ,francisci1 ,cap4 vi4 #bh 8,non habebat aliud ,christi pauper nisi duo minuta1 corpus scilicet1 et animam1 quod posset liberali charitate largiri40 ,leg4 ,maj4 ,s4 ,bonav41 ,cap4 ix4 #bi ,romans viii4 #bh4 #cj ,testament of ,st ,francis4 #ca 8,fioretti10 chap4 xiii4 #cb ,vide 8,the ,parable of ,poverty10 ,legenda ,,iii4 ,soc4 ,cap4 xii41 ,bollandist ,edition4 #cc ,matthew v4 #c4 #cd 8,parochial ,sermons03 ,the ,danger of ,riches4 #ce ,scartazzini rejects the reading 8salse0 78lezione priva di autorit071 and adopts 8pianse40 ,i hope1 for the sake of ,dante's great imagination1 that he may be in the wrong4 ,so competent an authority as ,mr ,wicksteed adheres to 8salse10 basing his reason on this very prayer4 ,see the 8,paradise0 of ,dante ,alighieri1 translated by ,philip ,h4 ,wicksteed1 ,dent1 #ahii4