Life of St. Francis of Assisi Part 46

7. Second Life by Thomas of Celano. Second Part.

8. Doc.u.ments of Secondary Importance:

Biography for Use of the Choir.

Life in Verse.

Biography by Giovanni di Ceperano.

Life by Brother Julian.

9. Legend of St. Bonaventura.

10. De Laudibus of Bernard of Besse.

III. DIPLOMATIC DOc.u.mENTS.

1. Donation of the Verna.

2. Registers of Cardinal Ugolini.

3. Bulls.

IV. CHRONICLERS OF THE ORDER.

1. Chronicle of Brother Giordano di Giano.

2. Eccleston: Arrival of the Friars in England.

3. Chronicle of Fra Salimbeni.

4. Chronicle of the Tribulations.

5. The Fioretti and their Appendices.

6. Chronicle of the XXIV. Generals.

7. The Conformities of Bartolommeo di Pisa.

8. Gla.s.sberger's Chronicle.

9. Chronicle of Mark of Lisbon.

V. CHRONICLERS NOT OF THE ORDER.

1. Jacques de Vitry.

2. Thomas of Spalato.

3. Divers Chroniclers.

CRITICAL STUDY OF THE SOURCES

There are few lives in history so abundantly provided with doc.u.ments as that of St. Francis. This will perhaps surprise the reader, but to convince himself he has only to run over the preceding list, which, however, has been made as succinct as possible.

It is admitted in learned circles that the essential elements of this biography have disappeared or have been entirely altered. The exaggeration of certain religious writers, who accept everything, and among several accounts of the same fact always choose the longest and most marvellous, has led to a like exaggeration in the contrary sense.

If it were necessary to point out the results of these two excesses as they affect each event, this volume would need to be twice and even four times as large as it is. Those who are interested in these questions will find in the notes brief indications of the original doc.u.ments on which each narrative is based.[1]

To close the subject of the errors which are current in the Franciscan doc.u.ments, and to show in a few lines their extreme importance, I shall take two examples. Among our own contemporaries no one has so well spoken on the subject of St. Francis as M. Renan; he comes back to him with affecting piety, and he was in a better condition than any one to know the sources of this history. And yet he does not hesitate to say in his study of the Canticle of the Sun, Francis's best known work: "The authenticity of this piece appears certain, but we must observe that we have not the Italian original. The Italian text which we possess is a translation of a Portuguese version, which was itself translated from the Spanish."[2]

And yet the primitive Italian exists[3] not only in numerous ma.n.u.scripts in Italy and France, particularly in the Mazarine Library,[4] but also in the well-known book of the _Conformities_.[5]

An error, grave from quite another point of view, is made by the same author when he denies the authenticity of St. Francis's Will; this piece is not only the n.o.blest expression of its author's religious feeling, it const.i.tutes also a sort of autobiography, and contains the solemn and scarcely disguised revocation of all the concessions which had been wrung from him. We have already seen that its authenticity is not to be challenged.[6] This double example will, I hope, suffice to show the necessity of beginning this study by a conscientious examination of the sources.

If the eminent historian to whom I have alluded were still living, he would have for this page his large and benevolent smile, that simple, _Oui, oui_, which once made his pupils in the little hall of the College de France to tremble with emotion.

I do not know what he would think of this book, but I well know that he would love the spirit in which it was undertaken, and would easily pardon me for having chosen him for scape-goat of my wrath against the learned men and biographers.

The doc.u.ments to be examined have been divided into five categories.

The first includes _St. Francis's works_.

The second, _biographies properly so called_.

The third, _diplomatic doc.u.ments_.

The fourth, _chronicles of the Order_.

The fifth, _chronicles of authors not of the Order_.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] If any student finds himself embarra.s.sed by the extreme rarity of certain works cited, I shall make it my duty and pleasure to send them to him, as well as a copy of the Italian ma.n.u.scripts.

[2] E. Renan: _Nouvelles etudes d'histoire religieuse_, Paris, 1884, 8vo, p. 331.

[3] See above, pp. 304 ff.

[4] Mazarine Library, MS. 8531: _Speculum perfectionis S.

Francisci_; the Canticle is found at fo. 51. Cf. MS., 1350 (date of 1459). That text was published by Boehmer in the _Romanische Studien_, Halle, 1871. pp. 118-122. _Der Sonnengesang v. Fr.