Chapter X. Concerning the Manner of Choosing Places in Cities, and of Building in them, According to the Intention of Blessed Francis

ON a certain time when he was at Siena for the weakness of his eyes, Dom Bonaventura, who gave the land to the brethren on which the friary was built, said to him, "What thinkest thou of this place? "And blessed Francis said to him, "Wilt thou that I tell thee how the dwellings of friars should be built? "He answered, "I do wish it, Father." And the holy Father said, "When friars go to any city where they have no dwelling, and come upon any one willing to give them a place to build a house, and have a garden and all things necessary, they should firstly consider how much land is sufficient for them, having regard always to the poverty and the good example which in all things we are bound to show." (But this he said because he was in no wise willing that friars should possess any places by right of ownership, in the houses or churches or gardens or other things which they used, but should sojourn therein as travellers and pilgrims; and therefore he wished that friars should not be gathered together in great numbers in their dwellings, because it seemed to him difficult to observe poverty in a great multitude. And his intention from the beginning of his conversion even unto the end was that poverty should be altogether observed in all things.) "Having considered therefore the land necessary for a dwelling, the friars should go to the Bishop of the city and say unto him, ' Lord, such an one would give us so much land for the love of God, and for his soul's health, that we may build therein a dwelling. Wherefore we come to you, in the first place, because you are father and lord of souls of all the flock committed unto you, and of all our brethren who shall sojourn in that place; we would fain therefore, with God's blessing and yours, build there.' " (But this he said because the harvest of souls which the friars would fain reap they do better obtain when they are in harmony with the clergy, profiting them even as the lay folk, than by causing them scandal, even though the people should be won thereby.) And he said, "The Lord hath called us to the aid of His faith, and of the clergy and prelates of the Holy Roman Church. Aiid therefore we are bound, as much as we may, always to love and to honour and to reverence them." (For he called them Friars Minor that they should be humble like their name both in example and labour beyond other men of this age.) "And because from the beginning of my conversion He placed in the mouth of the Bishop of Assisi His words, that he should counsel me and well strengthen me in the service of Christ; on account of this and many other excellent things which I behold in prelates, I wish to love and venerate not only the bishops but also the poor priests, and to hold them for my lords."

Then, having received a blessing from the Bishop, let them go and make a great trench in the circuit of the land which they have received for building the dwelling, and let them set there a good hedge as their wall, as a sign of holy poverty and humility* Afterwards let them make poor little houses of wattle and dab, and some little cells in which from time to time the friars may pray and work, for greater seemliness, and to avoid sloth. Let them also build small churches, for they ought not to make 1 94 The Mirror of Perfection great churches, neither to preach to the people, nor for any other reason, since their humility is greater and their example better when they go to other churches to preach. And if at any time prelates and clergy, regular or secular, come to their dwell ings; the poor little houses, the little cells, and tiny churches will preach to them, and they will be more edified by these than by words." And he said, "Many times friars build great build ings, breaking our holy poverty, and cause an evil example and a murmuring and sometimes by occasion of a better and more holy dwelling, or of a greater congregation of the people, through their covetousness and avarice they leave their former dwellings or buildings and destroy them and make others great and excessive, whence those who have given their alms there, and others likewise seeing this be scandalised and troubled therefor. For which cause it is better for friars to make small and poor little buildings, observing their profession and giving a good example to their neighbours, than that they should act against their promise, giving to others an evil example. For if the friars should on a time leave a lowly place by occasion of one more fitting, the scandal would be less."