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REGULA ASCETICA, a collection of monastic rules and statutes, and papal bulls relating to Franciscan poverty, in Latin, DECORATED MANUSCRIPT ON PARCHMENT
[Italy, c.1320]
136 x 108mm. 136 leaves, 114, 24(?of 6, iii & iv cancelled blanks), 312, 410(of 12, lacking vii & viii), 510(lacking i & ii), 616 (v-viii and ix-xii two binions sewn between the conjoint bifolium iv/xiii), 7-812, 911(of 12, x cancelled blank), 10-1112, 1211(of 12, ix cancelled blank), original arabic foliation 1-144 in brown ink in upper outer corners, catchwords with penwork framing in middle of lower margin of final versos, 28 lines written in brown ink in a small round gothic bookhand between 2 verticals and 29 horizontals ruled in brown ink, justification: 104 x 62mm, rubrics in red, capitals touched red, paragraph marks alternately of red and blue, two- and three-line initials of red or blue with extensive flourishing of both colours (f.1 small tear and 'blistering' in margin, small hole affecting two words, some folios slightly wrinkled in places, occasional fading or loss of ink). 18th-century mottled calf, spine gilt in six compartments with citron lettering-piece (corners rubbed, joints split at head and foot, spine defective at head).
PROVENANCE:
L.C. Gaboureau: 19th-century ownwership inscription in upper margin f.1
CONTENT:
Tabula constitutionibus generalibus et provincialibus et statutis of Alexander of Alexandria and Michael of Cesena, Ministers General of the Order of the Friars Minor ff1-16v; Constitutiones Generales ff.21-47v; Constitutiones provinciales ff.47v-50; Michael of Cesena, Minister General, Bologna 1316 ff.50-57v; Constitutio of Pope Clement V, Avignon April 1310 ff.57v-58v; Statuta of Alexander of Alexandria, Minister General, Florence 1313 ff.58v-60v; Proclamation of Michael of Cesena, Minister General, Avignon 1317 ff.61-62; Rule of the Franciscan Order ff.65-68; Exiit qui seminat, bull of Nicholas III of 1279 ff.68v-80v; Exivi de paradiso, bull of Clement V of 1312 ff.81-88; Rule for the Order of St Clare ff.89-99v; Lettera protectoris of Michael of Cesena, Avignon 1317 ff.100-106v; Rule of St Benedict ff.109-133; Rule of St Augustine ff.133v-138; added text on rules governing the Clarissans ff.139v-140v
This intriguing manuscript is a potent relic of the most divisive dispute in the mendicant movement: the conflict that arose between those Franciscans - known as the Spirituals - who wanted strict adherence to St Francis's original rule of complete poverty, eschewing ownership of property and the acceptance of money, and the more pragmatic and flexible Conventuals, under whose influence the order had become widespread, settled and successful. Nicholas III attempted to reconcile the two factions with his 1279 decretal Exiit qui seminat (f.68v) where he propounded the view that all property left to the friars was owned by the church, and that the friars were entitled to use whatever was essential for their life and ministry. By 1312 - when there were more than 1400 Franciscan convents, mostly built according to a traditional monastic plan - Clement V responded to the Spirituals' complaint that abuse of the rule was increasing by issuing the bull Exivi in paradiso (f.81). In the hope of avoiding a split he enjoined the friars to adopt a stricter way of life. Exivii de paradiso and the Pope's other efforts for unity were well received by members of both factions, but Clement died in April 1314. Hope of conciliation within the order then depended upon the Minister General, Alexander of Alexandria (f.58v). Within six months he too was dead and neither Pope nor Minister General was replaced for two years during which time division deepened. Both Michael of Cesena, the newly elected Minister General and John XXII regarded restoring unity to the Friars Minor as a priority. Michael of Cesena supervised the revision of the Statutes (f.50) and issued a letter to the provincial ministers emphasising his wish for discipline in all parts of the Order. In October 1317 John XXII issued his bull Quorundam exigit, the first of a series of bulls intended to lead to a definitive settlement and emphasising above all the need for strict obedience. As a consequence of their refusal to obey papal decree five particularly obdurate Spirituals were condemned: one to perpetual imprisonment and four to death by burning. John's determination to crush the Spirituals was explicit in his bull Sancta Romana of December 1317 where he denounced the 'Fraticelli' as vipers who must be destroyed and their congregations dissolved. Michael of Cesena had travelled to Avignon to see the dissident friars and from there he wrote the Lettera protectoris stipulating the procedures for friars' visitations to the monasteries of the Poor Clares (f.100).
The whole question of the meaning of Fransciscan poverty became a contentious issue once again in 1321, because no later opinion or ruling on the subject is included here it is probable that this manuscript was compiled during the period of relative calm between the Marseille meeting of the Chapter General in 1319 and John XXII's commission to the prelates and theologians of the curia for their opinion of the poverty of Christ and the apostles. Such a date is consistent with the decoration and script.
[Italy, c.1320]
136 x 108mm. 136 leaves, 1
PROVENANCE:
L.C. Gaboureau: 19th-century ownwership inscription in upper margin f.1
CONTENT:
Tabula constitutionibus generalibus et provincialibus et statutis of Alexander of Alexandria and Michael of Cesena, Ministers General of the Order of the Friars Minor ff1-16v; Constitutiones Generales ff.21-47v; Constitutiones provinciales ff.47v-50; Michael of Cesena, Minister General, Bologna 1316 ff.50-57v; Constitutio of Pope Clement V, Avignon April 1310 ff.57v-58v; Statuta of Alexander of Alexandria, Minister General, Florence 1313 ff.58v-60v; Proclamation of Michael of Cesena, Minister General, Avignon 1317 ff.61-62; Rule of the Franciscan Order ff.65-68; Exiit qui seminat, bull of Nicholas III of 1279 ff.68v-80v; Exivi de paradiso, bull of Clement V of 1312 ff.81-88; Rule for the Order of St Clare ff.89-99v; Lettera protectoris of Michael of Cesena, Avignon 1317 ff.100-106v; Rule of St Benedict ff.109-133; Rule of St Augustine ff.133v-138; added text on rules governing the Clarissans ff.139v-140v
This intriguing manuscript is a potent relic of the most divisive dispute in the mendicant movement: the conflict that arose between those Franciscans - known as the Spirituals - who wanted strict adherence to St Francis's original rule of complete poverty, eschewing ownership of property and the acceptance of money, and the more pragmatic and flexible Conventuals, under whose influence the order had become widespread, settled and successful. Nicholas III attempted to reconcile the two factions with his 1279 decretal Exiit qui seminat (f.68v) where he propounded the view that all property left to the friars was owned by the church, and that the friars were entitled to use whatever was essential for their life and ministry. By 1312 - when there were more than 1400 Franciscan convents, mostly built according to a traditional monastic plan - Clement V responded to the Spirituals' complaint that abuse of the rule was increasing by issuing the bull Exivi in paradiso (f.81). In the hope of avoiding a split he enjoined the friars to adopt a stricter way of life. Exivii de paradiso and the Pope's other efforts for unity were well received by members of both factions, but Clement died in April 1314. Hope of conciliation within the order then depended upon the Minister General, Alexander of Alexandria (f.58v). Within six months he too was dead and neither Pope nor Minister General was replaced for two years during which time division deepened. Both Michael of Cesena, the newly elected Minister General and John XXII regarded restoring unity to the Friars Minor as a priority. Michael of Cesena supervised the revision of the Statutes (f.50) and issued a letter to the provincial ministers emphasising his wish for discipline in all parts of the Order. In October 1317 John XXII issued his bull Quorundam exigit, the first of a series of bulls intended to lead to a definitive settlement and emphasising above all the need for strict obedience. As a consequence of their refusal to obey papal decree five particularly obdurate Spirituals were condemned: one to perpetual imprisonment and four to death by burning. John's determination to crush the Spirituals was explicit in his bull Sancta Romana of December 1317 where he denounced the 'Fraticelli' as vipers who must be destroyed and their congregations dissolved. Michael of Cesena had travelled to Avignon to see the dissident friars and from there he wrote the Lettera protectoris stipulating the procedures for friars' visitations to the monasteries of the Poor Clares (f.100).
The whole question of the meaning of Fransciscan poverty became a contentious issue once again in 1321, because no later opinion or ruling on the subject is included here it is probable that this manuscript was compiled during the period of relative calm between the Marseille meeting of the Chapter General in 1319 and John XXII's commission to the prelates and theologians of the curia for their opinion of the poverty of Christ and the apostles. Such a date is consistent with the decoration and script.