CONTENTS BOOK ONE Francis the Church Builder I. Francis' Sickness. 1204. Re-convalescence. The Vanity of All Things 3 II. Francis' Ancestry. Birth, 1182. Name. Early youth. La Gaya Scienza. Generosity to his friends and to the poor 8 III. Local History. War between Assisi and Perugia. Francis is taken prisoner at Ponte San Giovanni and is a prisoner 1202-1203 18 IV. State of the Times. War between Emperor and Pope. Francis wants to enlist under Walter of Brienne, 1205. The Vision in Foligno. Francis returns home. New festivities. Francis thinks of taking a Bride 21 V. Francis' frequent prayers in a cave outside the City. Goes to Rome and begs at the door of St. Peter's. Begins to take care of the Lepers 27 VI. Francis prays in San Damiano. "Go hence and build up My House, for it is falling down!" Francis retires to a cave near San Damiano, 1207 36 VII. Francis imprisoned by his Father is released by his Mother. He gives his clothes back to his Father and goes out into the world, April, 1207, as the Herald of God. He goes to Gubbio, takes care of the Lepers, returns to Assisi, begs from door to door. He rebuilds the churches of S. Damiano, S. Pietro, and Portiuncula. On February 24, 1209, he hears the priest in Portiuncula read Matth. x. 7-13, and decides to live by those Words. 43 BOOK TWO Francis the Evangelist I. Francis preaches in Assisi. The first Disciples. Bernard of Quintavalle, Pietro dei Cattani, Giles. The first Mission Journeys. Bernard and Giles in Florence, Francis in Rieti. He hears in Poggio Bustone that his sins are forgiven 61 II. The Shed at Rivo Torto. Francis writes a forma wiUe and goes, 1210, to Rome with eleven Brothers to have it ratified by Innocent III. He only obtains a verbal approval 76 III. Temptations to become a Hermit. The twelfth Disciple: the Priest, Silvester. New Missionary Activity. Preaching in the Cathedral of Assisi. Peace between the upper and lower classes in Assisi concluded, 1210. The Friars' life in Congregation. They leave Rivo Torto 96 IV. The Portiuncula Chapel. New disdples: Rufino, Masseo, Leo, Juniper. Brother Giles' Way of Life. Brother Masseo. Brother Rufino. Brother Juniper. Brother John the Simple. Brother Leo. Francis and Leo say the Breviary together. The Perfect Joy 105 V. St. Clara. Her family. Training. Hears Francis preach in Lent, 1212, in S. Giorgio's Church in Assisi. Leaves her home March 18, 1212, and takes convent vows in Portiuncula. Francis secures a shelter for her and the sisters, who have joined her in S. Damiano. She writes a forma vivendi for them. Clara's life. Her feast with Francis. She holds the Saracens back from S. Damiano. Her grief over Francis' death. Her contest for the right to be poor. She writes a Rule for her Sisters and dies, two days after getting it approved by Innocent IV, August 11, 1253 122 BOOK THREE God's Singer I. The Italian Mission of 1211-1212. Cortona, Arezzo, Florence. John Parenti. Francis tries to evade the homage of the people. Lent of 1211 on Lake Thrasimene, winter of same year in Hermitage of Sarteano. What is God's will? Francis asks the advice of Clara and Silvester, gets the answer that his call is to preach. He preaches to the birds. 145 II. Francis wants to preach to the Heathen. He goes to Rome, meets Jacopa de Settesoli. On the way to the Holy Land is wrecked on the coast of Slavonia and goes thence as a stowaway to Ancona. In S. Severino converts the "Verse King," Guglielmo Divino. Francis' relations to the learned, to thieves, and robbers. He preaches, May 8, 1213, in Monte Feltro, converts Count Orlando dei Cattani and receives Mount Alvema as a gift In the winter of 1213-1214 he visits Spain and is present at the Fourth Lateran Council. Jacques de Vitry's picture of the Order in 1216 151 III. The Portiuncula Indulgence 166 IV. Constitution of the Franciscan Order. The Chapter-Assemblies. Francis' Admonitions at them. The movement grows. Francis seeks help to direct it 175 V. Cardinal Hugolin. Pentecost Chapter of 1217. Missions are sent beyond the frontiers of Italy. Francis decides to go to France. On his way there visits Hugolin in Florence and is deterred from going. Hugolin organizes the Clares. The development of the Order of Clares up to 1253 181 VI. Missions in France, Germany, and Hungary not successful. Francis goes in the winter of 1217-1218 with Hugolin to Rome and has an audience with Honorius HI. He meets St Dominic. At the Pentecost Chapter of 1218 Hugolin is present for the first time as Protector of the Order. New missionaries sent out May 26, 1219. Honorius issues his Letters of Protection for the missionaries, June 11, 1219. Missions in Tunis and in Morocco. The first five martyrs 192 VII. Francis and Pietro dei Cattani start for the Holy Land, June 24, 1219, preach among the Crusaders in Egypt, and before the Sultan Malek el Kamel. Francis' two vicars, Gregory of Naples and Matthew of Nami, hold a Chapter, at which they try to change the Rule of the Order. Brother Stephen brings this news to Francis, and Francis returns. He goes at once to Rome and calls a Chapter for Pentecost, 1221. Honorius, in accordance with Francis, ordains a novitiate of the Order, September 22, 1220. Francis resigns his leadership and names Pietro dei Cattani as his vicar and after him Elias of Cortona. "The Chapter of Mats." The new German Mission. Anthony of Padua 202 VIII. Francis and Caesar of Speier work on a new Rule of the Order. Development of the Rule. Francis' Admoniliones. Rule for hermitages. Rule for Portiuncula. The original Rule and the "Rule of 1221" 213 IX. Disputes about the final Rule from May 30, 1221, to November 29, 1223. Opposition to Francis. Peter Stada. Francis' contest for evangelical simplicity and evangelical poverty. Francis and Anthony of Padua. Francis in Bologna August, 15, 1222 226 X. The new movement and the older Franciscans. Brother Giles. The English Franciscans. The "Third Order." Contest between the Brothers of Penance and the authorities 236 XI. Co-operation of Francis and Hugolin, and of Frauds and Elias of Cortona. Francis' letter to Elias. The Rule is perfected. Francis at Fonte Colombo. The final Rule 247 II. Honorius approves the Rule, 1223. Francis and "Brother Jacoba." The Lambs and Francis. Francis with Cardinal Leo. He leaves Rome, celebrates Christmas, 1223, in Grecdo. The first Christmas Crib 257 BOOK FOUR Francis the Hermit I. Francis' Sickness. His literary activity. His five Circulars. Letter to Brother Leo 265 II. Francis Preaches by his example. His truthfulness. Zeal for Poverty. His Alms. Easter in Grecdo. Francis and the Demons 273 III. Francis and his intimates. Brother Rufino's temptation. "The ideal Friar Minor." The Spanish Franciscans. Francis reads in the hearts of men. Francis and obedience. Francis and prayer. The Evangelic Joy. Francis' ecstasy 280 IV. Francis goes in the summer of 1224 to Mount Alvema. Francis and Brother Leo. The Stigmatization, September 14, 1224 291 V. Francis' Song of Praise in thanks for the Stigmatization. The Blessing for Brother Leo. He leaves Mount Alvema, passes through Borgo S. Sepolcro and Citte di Castello to Portiuncula. Begins again to take care of the Lepers 301 VI. Francis' Blindness. Francis at San Damiano in the Summer of 1225. His love of nature. He composes the Sun Song 308 VII. Francis goes to Rieti. The vineyard in S. Fabiano. An angel plays for him at night in Rieti. He is treated by physicians for his eyes, goes to Siena, writes his first Testament to the Brothers. Brother Elias takes him to Celle, thence to Assisi. He lies sick in the Bishop's residence, makes peace between the Bishop and the Podestit. He sends his farewell to St. Clara, dictates his Testament. He lets himself be taken down to Portiuncula, blessing Assisi on the way. In Portiuncula he receives a visit from Jacopa de Settesoli, breaks bread with the Brothers. He dies October 3, 1226 316 VIII. The Funeral Procession. Jacopa de Settesoli 334 APPENDIX Authorities for the Biography of St. Francis of Assisi I. His Writings 340 Religious Poems 341 Prose Writings 349 II. Biographers 351 1. Thomas of Ceiano Group 352 2. Brother Leo Group 356 a. Legenda trium sociorum 356 b. Anonymus Perusinus 367 c. Thomas of Celano's Vita secunda 368 3. St. Bonaventure Group 378 4. Speculum Group 382 a. Speculum perfectionis 384 b. Legenda antiqua 391 c. Actus (Fioretti) 393 III. Other Sources 395 a. Histories of the Order 395 b. Authorities outside of the Order 400 c. Modem Works 401 INDEX 411 ILLUSTRATIONS St. Francis of Assisi Frontispiece From the pointing by Spegnoletto in the Palosto Reale, Genoa. Contemporary Portrait of St. Francis of Assisi at the Sacro Speco, Subiaco Facing page 62 From a photograph kindly lent by Perrin et Cie, Paris) St. Clara of Assisi and Scenes from her Life " " 122 Attributed to Cimabue. Fresco in Church of Santa Chiara, Assisi. St. Francis of Assisi " " 298 From the fresco, attributed to Cimabue, at Assisi. The Blessing of Brother Leo " " 346 Autograph of St. Francis. Digitized by Google.

Reprinted, with revisions from the 1912 ed

Cover title: St. Francis of Assisi

Originally published by Gyldendalske Boghandel Nordisk Forlag, 1907

Includes bibliographical references and index

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Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002

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