Life of St. Francis of Assisi

73. Manuscript in the Library of Turin, J. vi., 33, fo 95a.

74.Plenam virtutibus S. Francisci vitam scripsit in Italia ... frater Thomas ... in Francia vero frater Julianus scientia et sanctitate conspicuus qui etiam nocturnali sancti officium in littera et cantu possuit præter hymnos et aliquas antiphonas quae summus ipse Pontifex et aliqui de Cardinalibus in sancti præconium ediderunt. Opening of the De laudibus of Bernard of Besse. See below, p. 413. Laur. MS., fo 95a. Cf. Giord., 53; Conform., 75b.

75. In proof of this is the circular letter, Licet insufficentiam nostram, addressed by Bonaventura, April 23, 1257, immediately after his election, to the provincials and custodes upon the reformation of the Order. Text: Speculum, Morin, tract. iii., fo 213a.

76. Salimbeni, ann. 1248, p. 131. The Chronica tribulationum gives a long and dramatic account of these events: Archiv., t. ii., pp. 283 ff. "Tunc enim sapientia et sanctitas fratris Bonaventuræ eclipsata paluit et obscurata est et ejus manswetudo (sic) ab agitante spiritu in furorum et iram defecit." Ib., p. 283.

77. Bon., 3. 1. At the same chapter were collected the constitutions of the Order according to edicts of the preceding chapters; new ones were added to them and all were arranged. In the first of the twelve rubrics the chapter prescribed that, upon the publication of the account, all the old constitutions should be destroyed. The text was published in the Firmamentum trium ordinum, fo 7b, and restored lately by Father Ehrle: Archiv., t. vi. (1891), in his beautiful work Die ältesten Redactionen der General-constitutionen des Franziskanerordens. Cf. Speculum Morin, fo. 195b of tract. iii.

78. The Legenda Minor of Bonaventura was also approved at this time; it is simply an abridgment of the Legenda Major arranged for use of the choir on the festival of St. Francis and its octave.

79. "Item præcipit Generale capitulum per obedientiam quod omnes legenæ de B. Francisco olim factæ deleantur et ubi inveniri poterant extra ordinem ipsas fratres studeant amovere, cum illa legenda quæ facta est per Generalem sit compilata prout ipse habuit ab ore illorum qui cum B. Francisco quasi semper fuerunt et cuncta certitudinaliter sciverint et probata ibi sint posita diligenter." This precious text has been found and published by Father Rinaldi in his preface to the text of Celano: Seraphici viri Francisci vitæ duæ, p. xi. Wadding seems to have known of it, at least indirectly, for he says: "Utramque Historiam, longiorem et breviorem, obtulit (Bonaventura) triennio post in comitiis Pisanis patribus Ordinis, quas reverentur cum gratiarum actione, SUPRESSIS ALIIS QUIBUSQUE LEGENDIS, ADMISERUNT." Ad ann., 1260, no. 18. Cf. Ehrle, Zeitschrift für kath. Theol., t. vii. (1883), p. 386.—"Communicaverat sanctus Franciscus plurima sociis suis et fratribus antiquis, que oblivioni tradita sunt, tum quia que scripta erant in legenda prima, nova edita a fratre. Bonaventura deleta et destructa sunt, ipsojubente tum quia ..." Chronica tribul., Archiv., t. ii., p. 256.

80. Bon., 188-204.

81. Bon., 218.

82. Bernardo (Bon., 28), Egidio (Bon., 29), and Silvestro (Bon., 30).

83. Bon., 49.

84. Bon., 112.

85. Bon., 111.

86. Vide Bon., 115; 99, etc. M. Thode has enumerated the stories relating especially to Bonaventura: (Franz von Assisi, p. 535).

87. Manuscript I, iv., 33, of the library of the University of Turin. It is a 4to upon parchment of the close of the fourteenth century, 124 ff. It comprises first the biography of St. Francis by St. Bonaventura and a legend of St. Clara, afterwards at fo 95 the De laudibus. The text will soon be published in the Analecta franciscana of the Franciscans of Quaracchi, near Florence.

88. In reading it we quickly discover that he was specially well acquainted with the convents of the Province of Aquitania, and noted with care everything that concerned them.

89. Wadding, ann. 1230, no. 7. Many passages prove at least that he accompanied Bonaventura in his travels: "Hoc enim (the special aid of Brother Egidio) in iis quæ ad bonum animæ pertinent devotus Generalis et Cardinalis predictus ... nos docuit." Fo 96a. Jamdudum ego per Theutoniæ partes et Flandriæ cum Ministro transiens Generali. Ibid., fo 106a.

90. Bernard de Besse is the author of many other writings, notably an important Calalogus Ministrorum generalium published after the Turin manuscript by Father Ehrle (Zeitschrift für kath. Theol., t. vii., pp. 338-352), with a very remarkable critical introduction (ib., pp. 323-337). Cf. Archiv für Litt. u. Kirchg., i., p. 145.—Bartolommeo di Pisa, when writing his Conformities, had before him a part of his works, fo 148b, 2; 126a, 1; but he calls the author sometimes Bernardus de Blesa, then again Johannes de Blesa. See also Mark of Lisbon, t. ii., p. 212, and Hauréau, Notices et extraits, t. vi., p. 153.

91. "Denique primos Francisci xii. discipulos ... omnes sanctos fuisse audirimus preter unum qui Ordinem exiens leprosus factus laqueo vel alter Judas interiit, ne Francisco cum Christo vel in discipulis similitudo deficeret," fo 96a.