Life of St. Francis of Assisi Part 54

[69] _Il piu antico poema della vita di S. Francisco d'a.s.sisi scritto inanzi all' anno 1230 ora per la prima volta pubblicato et tradotto da Antonio Cristofani_, Prato, 1882, 1 vol., 8vo.

288 pp.

[70] Note, however, two articles of the Miscellanea, one on the ma.n.u.script of this biography which is found in the library at Versailles, t. iv. (1889), p. 34 ff.; the other on the author of the poem, t. v. (1890), pp. 2-4 and 74 ff.

[71] See below, p. 410.

[72] Vide Gla.s.sberger, ann. 1244; _a.n.a.lecta_, t. ii., p. 68. Cf.

A. SS., p. 545 ff.

[73] Ma.n.u.script in the Library of Turin, J. vi., 33, f^o 95a.

[74] _Plenam virtutibus S. Francisci vitam scripsit in Italia ... frater Thomas ... in Francia vero frater Julia.n.u.s scientia et sanct.i.tate conspicuus qui etiam nocturnali sancti officium in littera et cantu possuit praeter hymnos et aliquas antiphonas quae summus ipse Pontifex et aliqui de Cardinalibus in sancti praeconium ediderunt._ Opening of the _De laudibus_ of Bernard of Besse. See below, p. 413. Laur. MS., f^o 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., f^o 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 sanct.i.tas fratris Bonaventurae 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 const.i.tutions 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 const.i.tutions should be destroyed. The text was published in the _Firmamentum trium ordinum_, f^o 7b, and restored lately by Father Ehrle: _Archiv._, t. vi. (1891), in his beautiful work _Die altesten Redactionen der General-const.i.tutionen 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 praecipit Generale capitulum per obedientiam quod omnes legenae de B. Francisco olim factae deleantur et ubi inveniri poterant extra ordinem ipsas fratres studeant amovere, c.u.m illa legenda quae facta est per Generalem sit compilata prout ipse habuit ab ore illorum qui c.u.m B. Francisco quasi semper fuerunt et cuncta cert.i.tudinaliter 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 vitae duae_, 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 c.u.m gratiarum actione_, SUPRESSIS ALIIS QUIBUSQUE LEGENDIS, ADMISERUNT." Ad ann., 1260, no. 18. Cf.

Ehrle, _Zeitschrift fur 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 a.s.sisi_, p. 535).

[87] Ma.n.u.script 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 f^o 95 the _De laudibus_. The text will soon be published in the _a.n.a.lecta 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 pa.s.sages prove at least that he accompanied Bonaventura in his travels: "_Hoc enim_ (the special aid of Brother Egidio) _in iis quae ad bonum animae pertinent devotus Generalis et Cardinalis predictus ... nos docuit_." F^o 96a. _Jamdudum ego per Theutoniae partes et Flandriae c.u.m Ministro transiens Generali._ Ibid., f^o 106a.

[90] Bernard de Besse is the author of many other writings, notably an important _Calalogus Ministrorum generalium_ published after the Turin ma.n.u.script by Father Ehrle (_Zeitschrift fur kath. Theol._, t. vii., pp. 338-352), with a very remarkable critical introduction (ib., pp. 323-337). Cf.

_Archiv fur Litt. u. Kirchg._, i., p. 145.--Bartolommeo di Pisa, when writing his _Conformities_, had before him a part of his works, f^o 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 Haureau, _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 c.u.m Christo vel in discipulis similitudo deficeret_," f^o 96a.

III

DIPLOMATIC DOc.u.mENTS

In this category we place all the acts having a character of public authenticity, particularly those which were drawn up by the pontifical cabinet.

This source of information, where each doc.u.ment has its date, is precisely the one which has been most neglected up to this time.

I. DONATION OF THE VERNA

The _Instrumentum donationis Montis Alvernae_, a notarial doc.u.ment preserved in the archives of Borgo San Sepolcro,[1] not only gives the name of the generous friend of Francis, and many picturesque details, but it fixes with precision a date all the more important because it occurs in the most obscure period of the Saint's life. It was on May 8, 1213, that _Orlando dei Catani_, Count of Chiusi in Casentino, gave the Verna to Brother Francis.

II. REGISTERS OF CARDINAL UGOLINI

The doc.u.ments of the pontifical chancellery addressed to Cardinal Ugolini, the future Gregory IX., and those which emanate from the hand of the latter during his long journeys as apostolic legate,[2] are of first rate importance.

It would be too long to give even a simple enumeration of them. Those which mark important facts have been carefully indicated in the course of this work. It will suffice to say that by bringing together these two series of doc.u.ments, and interposing the dates of the papal bulls countersigned by Ugolini, we are able to follow almost day by day this man, who was, perhaps without even excepting St. Francis, the one whose will most profoundly fashioned the Franciscan inst.i.tute. We see also the pre-eminent part which the Order had from the beginning in the interest of the future pontiff, and we arrive at perfect accuracy as to the dates of his meetings with St. Francis.

III. BULLS

The pontifical bulls concerning the Franciscans were collected and published in the last century by the monk Sbaralea.[3] But from these we gain little help for the history of the origins of the Order.[4]

The following is a compendious list; the details have been given in the course of the work:

No. 1. August 18, 1218.--Bull _Literae tuae_ addressed to Ugolini. The pope permits him to accept donations of landed property in behalf of women fleeing the world (Clarisses) and to declare that these monasteries are holden by the Apostolic See.

No. 2. June 11, 1219.--_c.u.m delecti filii._ This bull, addressed in a general way to all prelates, is a sort of safe conduct for the Brothers Minor.

No. 3. December 19, 1219.--_Sacrosancta romana._ Privileges conceded to the Sisters (Clarisses) of Monticelli, near Florence.

No. 4. May 29, 1220.--_Pro dilectis._ The pope prays the prelates of France to give a kindly reception to the Brothers Minor.

No. 5. September 22, 1220.--_c.u.m secundum._ Honorius III. prescribes a year of noviciate before the entry into the Order.

No. 6. December 9, 1220.--_Const.i.tutus in praesentia._ This bull concerns a priest of Constantinople who had made a vow to enter the Order. As there is question here of _frater Lucas Magister fratrum Minorem de partibus Romaniae_ we have here indirect testimony, all the more precious for that reason, as to the period of the establishment of the Order in the Orient.