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Life of St. Francis of Assisi

Paul Sabatier

mistakes. Whole pages are wanting. [11] _Archiv._, t. iii., pp. 406-409. [12] Vide _Archiv._, i., p. 557 ... "_Et hoc totum ex rapacitate et malignitate luporum pastorum qui voluerunt esse pastores, sed operibus negaverunt deum_," et seq. Cf., p. 562: "_Avaritia et symoniaca heresis absque pallio regnat et fere totum invasit ecclesie corpus_." [13] "_Qui excommunicat et hereticat altissimam evangelii paupertatem, excommunicatus est a Deo et hereticus coram Christo, qui est eterna et in commutabilis veritas._" _Arch._, i., p. 509. "_Non est potestas contra christum Dominum et contra evangelium._" Ib. p. 560. He closes one of his letters with a sentence of a mysticism full of serenity, and which lets us see to the bottom of the hearts of the Spiritual Brothers. "_Totum igitur studium esse debet quod unum inseparabiliter simus per Franciscum in Christo._" Ib., p. 564. [14] For example in the list of the first six generals of the Order. [15] The first (1219-1226) extends from the departure of St. Francis for Egypt up to his death; the second includes the generalate of Brother Elias (1232-1239); the third that of Crescentius (1244-1248); the fourth, that of Bonaventura (1257-1274); the fifth commences with the epoch of the council of Lyon (1274) and extends up to the death of the inquisitor, Thomas d'Aversa (1204). And the sixth goes from 1308 to 1323. [16] "_Supererant adhuc multi de sociis b. Francisci ... et alii non pauci de quibus ego vidi et ab ipsis audivi quae narro._" Laur. Ms., cod. 7, pl. xx., f^o 24a: "_Qui passi sunt eam (tribulationem tertiam) socii fundatoris fratres Aegdius et Angelus, qui supererant me audiente referibant_." Laur. Ms., f^o 27b. Cf., Italian Ms., xxxvii., 28, Magliab., f^o 138b. [17] The date of his death is unknown; on August 11, 1253, he was present at the death-bed of St. Clara. [18] Died April 23, 1261. [19] "_Quem (fratrem Jacobum de Massa) dirigente me fratre Johanne socio fratris prefati Egidii videre laboravi. Hic enim frater Johannes ... dixit mihi_...." _Arch._, ii., p. 279. [20] " ... _Tribulationes preteritas memoravi, ut audivi ab illis qui sustinuerunt eas et aliqua commemoravi de hiis que didici in quatuor legendis quas vidi et legi._" _Arch._, ii., p. 135.--"_Vitam pauperis et humilis viri Dei Francisci trium ordinum fundatoris quatuor solemnes personae scripserunt, fratres videlicet scientia et sanctitate praeclari, Johannes et Thomas de Celano, frater Bonaventura unus post Beatum Franciscum Generalis Minister et vir mirae simplicitatis et sanctitatis frater Leo, ejusdem sancti Francisci socius. Has quatuor descriptiones seu historias qui legerit_...." Laurent. MS., pl. xx., c. 7, f^o 1a. Did the Italian translator think there was an error in this quotation? I do not know, but he suppressed it. At f^o 12a of manuscript xxxvii., 28, of the Magliabecchina, we read: "_Incominciano alcune croniche del ordine franciscano, come la vita del povero e humile servo di Dio Francesco fondatore del minorico ordine fu scripta da San Bonaventura e da quatro altri frati. Queste poche scripture ovveramente hystorie quello il quale diligentemente le leggiera, expeditamente potra cognoscere ... la vocatione la santita di San Francisco._" [21] Laur. MS., f^o 4b ff. On the other hand we read in a letter of Clareno: "_Ad hanc (paupertatem) perfecte servandam Christus Franciscum vocavit et elegit in hac hora novissima et precepit ei evangelicam assumere regulam, et a papa Innocentio fuit omnibus annuntiatum in concilio generali, quod de sua auctoritate et obedientia sanctus Franciscus evangelicam vitam et regulam assumpserat et Christo inspirante servare promiserat, sicut sanctus vir fr. Leo scribit et fr. Johannes de Celano._" _Archiv._, i., p. 559. [22] "_Audiens enim semel quorundam fratrum enormes excessus, ut fr. Thomas de Celano scribit, et malum exemplum per eos secularibus datum._" Laur. MS., f^o 13b. The passage which follows evidently refers to 2 Cel., 3, 93 and 112. [23] "_Et fecerunt de regula prima ministri removeri capitulum istud de prohibitionibus sancti evangelii, sicut frater Leo scribit._" Laur. Ms. f^o 12b. Cf. _Spec._, 9a, see p. 248. "_Nam cum rediisset de partibus ultramarinis, minister quidam loquebatur cum eo, ut frater Leo refert, de capitulo paupertatis_," f^o 13a, cf. _Spec._, 9a, "_S. Franciscus, teste fr. Leone, frequenter et cum multo studio recitabat fabulam ... quod oportebat finaliter ordinem humiliari et ad sue humilitatis principia confitenda et tenenda reduci_." _Archiv._, ii., p. 129. There is only one point of contact between the Legend of the Three Companions, such as it is to-day, and these passages; but we find on the contrary revised accounts in the _Speculum_ and in the other collections, where they are cited as coming from Brother Leo. [24] Clareno, for example, holds that the Cardinal Ugolini had sustained St. Francis without approving of the first Rule, in concert with Cardinal Giovanni di San Paolo. This is possible, since Ugolini was created cardinal in 1198 (Vide Cardella: _Memorie storiche de' Cardinali_, 9 vols., 8vo, Rome, 1792-1793, t. i., pt. 2, p. 190). Besides this would better explain the zeal with which he protected the divers Orders founded by St. Francis, from 1217. The chapter where Clareno tells how St. Francis wrote the Rule shows the working over of the legend, but it is very possible that he has borrowed it in its present form from Brother Leo. It is to be noted that we do not find in this document a single allusion to the Indulgences of Portiuncula. [25] The manuscripts and editions are well-nigh innumerable. M. Luigi Manzoni has studied them with a carefulness that makes it much to be desired that he continue this difficult work. _Studi sui Fioretti_: Miscelenea, 1888, pp. 116-119, 150-152, 162-168; 1889, 9-15, 78-84, 132-135. When shall we find some one who can and will undertake to make a scientific edition of them? Those which have appeared during our time in the various cities of Italy are insignificant from a critical point of view. See Mazzoni Guido, _Capitoli inediti dei Fioretti di S. Francesco_, in the _Propugnatore_, Bologna, 1888, vol. xxi., pp. 396-411. [26] Vide A. SS., p. 865: "_Floretum non legi, nec curandum putavi._" Cf. 553f: "_Floretum ad manum non habeo._" [27] Bartolommeo di Pisa compiled it in 1385; then certain manuscripts of the Fioretti are earlier. Besides, in the stories that the Conformities borrow from the Fioretti, we perceive Bartolommeo's work of abbreviation. [28] I am speaking here only of the fifty-three chapters which form the true collection of the Fioretti. [29] The province of the March of Ancona counted seven custodias: 1, Ascoli; 2, Camerino; 3, Ancona; 4, Jesi; 5, Fermo; 6, Fano; 7, Felestro. The Fioretti mention at least six of the monasteries of the custodia of Fermo: Moliano, 51, 53; Fallerone, 32, 51; Bruforte and Soffiano, 46, 47; Massa, 51; Penna, 45; Fermo, 41, 49, 51. [30] At each page we are reminded of those groves which were originally the indispensable appendage of the Franciscan monasteries: _La selva ch' era allora allato a S. M. degli Angeli_, 3, 10, 15, 16, etc. _La selva d' un luogo deserto del val di Spoleto_ (Carceri?), 4; _selva di Forano_, 42. _di Massa_, 51, etc. [31] The _Speculum_, 46b, 58b, 158a, gives us three states. Cf. _Fior._, 26 and 21; _Conform._, 119b, 2. [32] This desire was so natural that the manuscript of the Angelica Library includes many additional chapters, concerning the gift of Portiuncula, the indulgence of August 2d, the birth of St. Francis, etc. (Vide Amoni, Fioretti, Roma, 1889, pp. 266, 378-386.) It would be an interesting study to seek the origin of these documents and to establish their relationship with the Speculum and the Conformities. Vide _Conform._, 231a, 1; 121b; _Spec._, 92-96. [33] Ginepro was received into the Order by St. Francis. In 1253 he was present at St. Clara's death. A. SS., _Aug._, t. ii., p. 764d. The Conformities speak of him in detail, f^o 62b. [34] The first seven chapters form a whole. The three which follow are doubtless a first attempt at completing them. [35] Conformities, f^o 55b, 1-60a, 1. [36] See _Archiv._, t. i., p. 145, an article of Father Denifle: _Zur Quellenkunde der Franziskaner Geschichte_, where he mentions at least eight manuscripts of this work. Cf. Ehrle: _Zeitschrift_, 1883, p. 324, note 3. I have studied only the two manuscripts of Florence: Riccardi, 279, paper, 243 fos. of two cols. recently numbered. The Codex of the Laurentian Gaddian. rel., 53, is less careful. It is also on paper, 20 x 27, and counts 254 fos. of 1 column. F^o 1 was formerly numbered 88. The order of the chapters is not the same as in the preceding. [37] The citations are always made from the edition of Milan, 1510, 4to of 256 folios of two columns. The best known of the subsequent editions are those of Milan, 1513, and Bologna, 1590. [38] He began it in 1385 (f^o 1), and it was authorized by the chapter general August 2, 1399 (f^o 256a, 1). Besides, on f^o 150a, 1, he set down the date when he was writing. It was in 1390. [39] I am not here concerned with the foolish attacks of certain Protestant authors upon this life. That is a quarrel of the theologians which in no way concerns history. Nowhere does Bartolommeo of Pisa make St. Francis the equal of Jesus, and he was able even to forestall criticism in this respect. The Bollandists are equally severe: "_Cum Pisanus fuerit scriptor magis pius et credulus quam crisi severa usus_...." A. SS., p. 551e. [40] He has avoided the mistakes so unfortunately committed by Wadding in his list of ministers general. Vide 66a. 2, 104a, 1, 118b, 2. He was lecturer on theology at Bologna, Padua, Pisa, Sienna, and Florence. He preached for many years and with great success in the principal villages of the Peninsula and could thus take advantage of his travels by collecting useful notes. Mark of Lisbon has preserved for us a notice of his life. Vide _Croniche dei fratri Minori_, t. iii., p. 6 ff. of the Diola edition. He died December 10, 1401. For further details see Wadding, ann. 1399, vii., viii., and above all Sbaralea, _Supplementum_, p. 109. He is the author of an exposition of the Rule little known which can be found in the Speculum Morin, Rouen, 1509, f^o 66b-83a, of part three. [41] This opinion is expressed in a guarded manner. For example, f^o 207a, 1, Bartolommeo relates the miracle of the Chapter of the Mats, first following St. Bonaventura, then adding: "_Et quia non aliter tangit dicta pars (legendae majoris) hoc insigne