forts to do well,
and possibly he imagined that he had discovered the way in this
manner of work and in this wondrous variety. The same artist carved a
rather large God the Father, with certain angels in half-relief in
the arch over the door of that church in a rude style, together with
the twelve months of the year, adding underneath his name, cut in
round letters, as was customary, and the date, 1216. It is said that
Marchionne also erected for Pope Innocent the old building and church
of the hospital of S. Spirito in Sassia, in the Borgo Vecchio at
Rome, where some part of the old work may still be seen. Indeed the
old church remained standing to our own day, when It was restored in
the modern style, with more ornament and design, by Pope Paul III.
of the house of the Farnese. In S. Maria Maggiore, also in Rome, he
made the marble chapel, which contains the manger of Jesus Christ, in
which he placed a portrait of Pope Honorius III., drawn from life. He
also made that Pope's tomb, decorating it with ornaments which were
somewhat better than, and very different from, the style then
prevalent throughout Italy. At the same time also Marchionne made the
lateral door of S. Pietro at Bologna, which truly was a very great
work for those times, because of the number of sculptures which are
seen in it, such as lions in relief, which sustain columns, with men
and other animals, also bearing burdens. In the arch above he made
the twelve months in relief, with varied fancies, each month with its
zodiacal sign, a work which must have been considered marvellous in
those times.

About the same time the order of the friars minors of St Francis was
established, which, after it had been confirmed by Pope Innocent
III., increased the general devoutness and the number of friars, not
only in Italy, but in every part of the world, to such an extent,
that there was scarcely a city of note which did not build churches
and convents for them at very great cost, each one according to its
ability. Thus brother Elias, who was superior of that order at
Assisi, founded a church, dedicated to Our Lady in that place, two
years before the death of St Francis, while the saint, as general of
the order, was away preaching. After the death of St Francis all
Christendom crowded to visit the body of a man, who, both in life and
in death, was known to have been so much beloved of God. As every man
did alms to the saint according to his ability, it was dete