Life of St. Francis of Assisi

1. All this took place with prodigious rapidity. The dimensions of the Basilica of Assisi, the plans of which were made in 1228, no more permits it to be considered as a conventual chapel than Santa-Croce in Florence, San Francesco in Sienna, or the Basilica San Antonio at Padua, monuments commenced between 1230 and 1240. Already before 1245 one party of the episcopate utters a cry of alarm, in which he speaks of nothing less than of closing the door of the secular churches, which have become useless. He complains with incredible bitterness that the Minor and Preaching Friars have absolutely supplanted the parochial clergy. This letter may be found in Pierre de la Vigne, addressed at once to Frederick II. and the Council of Lyons: Epistolæ, Basle, 1740, 2 vols., vol. i., pp. 220-222. It is much to be desired that a critical text should be given. See also the satire against the two new Orders, done in rhyme about 1242 by Pierre de la Vigne, and of which, allowing for possible exaggerations, the greater number of the incidents cannot have been invented: E. du Méril, Poésies pop. lat., pp. 153-177, Paris, 8vo, 1847.

2. And not of the 29th, as Sbaralea will have it. Bull. fr., vol. i., n. 10. Horoy, vol. iv., col. 129; the original, still in the archives of Assisi, bears the title: Datum Anagnie 11 Kalendas Aprilis pontificatus nostri anno sexto.

3. Potthast, 6809; Horoy, iv., col. 129. See also the bull Ecce Venit Deus of July 14, 1227; L. Auvray: Registres de Grégoire IX., no. 129; cf. 153; Potthast, 8027 and 8028, 8189.

4. He had finished his mission as legate in Lombardy toward the close of September, 1221 (see his register; cf. Böhmer, Acta imp. sel. doc., 951). In the spring of 1222 we find him continually near the pope at Anagni, Veroli, Alatri (Potthast, 6807, 6812, 6849). The Holy See had still at that time a marked predilection for the Preachers; the very trite privilege of power to celebrate the offices in times of interdict had been accorded them March 7, 1222, but instead of the formula usual in such cases, a revised form had been made expressly for them, with a handsome eulogy. Ripolli, Bull. Præd., t. i., p. 15.

5. 2 Cel., 3, 93: Subtrahebat se a consortio fratrum.

6. It is needless to say that local traditions, in this case, though as to detail they must be accepted only with great reserve, yet on the whole are surely true. The geography of St. Francis's life is yet to be made.

7. 2 Cel., 3, 59; Bon., 60; Conform., 122b, 2.

8. 2 Cel., 3, 5; Spec., 12a; Conform., 169b, 2.

9. Eccl., 6. Vide Liebermann's text, Mon. Germ. hist. Script., t. 28, p. 663.

10. 2 Cel., 3, 93; Bon., 104 and 105; Conform., 101a, 2.

11. 2 Cel., 3, 93; Spec., 49b; 182a; Conform., 182a, 1; Tribul., fo 5a; 2 Cel., 3, 98; 113; 115; 1 Cel., 28, 50; 96; 103; 104; 108; 111; 118.

12. 2 Cel., 3, 27; Spec., 38b; Conform., 181b, 1; Tribul., 7b. Cf. Spec., 220b; Conform., 103b.

13. Francis's successors were nearly all without exception students of Bologna. Pietro di Catana was doctor of laws, as also Giovanni Parenti (Giord., 51).—Elias had been scriptor at Bologna.—Alberto of Pisa had been minister there (Eccl., 6).—Aymon had been reader there (Eccl., 6).—Crescentius wrote works on jurisprudence (Conform., 121b, 1, etc., etc.).

14. This name cannot be warranted; he is called Giovanni di Laschaccia in a passage of the Conformities (104a, 1); Pietro Schiaccia in the Italian MS. of the Tribulations (fo 75a); Petrus Stacia in the Laurentinian MS. (13b; cf. Archiv., ii., p. 258). Tribul., 13b; Spec., 184b. This story has been much amplified in other places. Spec., 126a; Conform., 104b, 1.

15. Vide Eccl., 3: History of the entrance of Adam of Oxford into the Order. Cf., Chartularium Univ. Par., t. i., nos. 47 and 49.

16. Eccleston's entire chronicle is a living witness to this.

17.Admonitio, v.; cf. Conform., 141a.

Compare the Constitutiones antiquæ (Speculum, Morin, iii., fo 195b-206) with the Rule. From the opening chapters the contradiction is apparent: Ordinamus quod nullus recipiatur in ordine nostro nisi sit talis clericus qui sit competenter instructus in grammatica vel logica; aut nisi sit talis laicus de cujus ingressu esset valde celebris et edificatio in populo et in clero. This is surely far from the spirit of him who said: Et quicumque venerit amicus vel adversarius fur vel latro benigne recipiatur. Rule of 1221, cap. vii. See also the Exposition of the Rule of Bonaventura. Speculum, Morin, iii., fo 21-40.

18. Upon Francis's attitude toward learning see Tribul., Laur., 14b; Spec., 184a; 2 Cel., 3, 8; 48; 100; 116; 119; 120-124. Bon., chap. 152, naturally expresses only Bonaventura's views. See especially Rule of 1221, cap. xvii.; of 1223, cap. x.

19.Spec., 7b: Fecit Franciscus regulam quam papa Honorius confirmavit cum bulla, de qua regula multa fuerunt extracta per ministros contra voluntatem b. Francisci. Cf. 2 Cel., 3, 136.

20. Bull Quo elongati of September 28, 1230; Sbaralea, i., p. 56.

21. Bon., 55 and 56 [3 Soc., 62]; Spec., 76; 124a; Tribul., Laur., 17b-19b; Ubertini, Arbor. V., 5; Conform., 88a, 2.

22.Tribul., Laur., 19a; Archiv., t. iii., p. 601. Cf. A. SS., p. 638e.

23. Potthast, 7108.—The work of this bull was completed by that of December 18, 1223. (The original of the Sacro Convento bears Datum Laterani XV. Kal. jan.) Fratrem Minorum: Potthast, 7123.

24. 2 Cel., 3, 19; Bon., 95; Spec., 18b; Conform., 171a, 1.

25. 2 Cel., 3, 61 and 62. Cf. Eccl., 6, the account of Rod. de Rosa.

26.Spec., 47b ff.; 2 Cel., 3, 61; Bon., 84 and 85.

27. 1 Cel., 84-87; Bon., 149.

28. This little poem was published entire by M. Ozanam in vol. v. of his works, p. 184.