g-suffering character; secondly, because thus he could imitate his
blessed Father Francis; thirdly, because it showed how loyally Mark
was devoted to him; fourthly, because it afforded him the means of
avoiding vainglory; lastly, because it incited him to more careful
preparation."

[Footnote 32: "Chronica," p. 138.]

For a mind so powerful, so enlightened, of such perfect equilibrium
and sound judgment, humility was the only possible attitude. Pride is
the accompaniment of a weak mind or an unsound judgment. It is based
upon a notion so palpably false and unworthy as to be inadmissible to
a powerful mind. The proud man attributes to himself what he does not
possess, or he fails to see that what he does possess is limited and
imperfect, and that it is attributable rather to the Author of his
being than to himself. Consequently, he does not perceive how
senseless it is to glory in it or to despise his neighbour because he
lacks it. The more a man knows, however, the humbler he is; because
the very greatness of his knowledge only widens the extent of his
outlook into the boundless sphere of truth that surrounds him, and
which he feels he cannot explore.

In keeping with his spirit of humility our Saint {72} shunned honours
of every kind. He steadfastly refused the Archbishopric of York to
which he was appointed by Clement IV., and when that Pope, to secure
more effectively his invaluable services for the Church, insisted on
making him Cardinal, the envoys who brought him the Cardinal's hat
found him washing the dishes of the monastery--nor would he receive it
before he had finished his menial task.

CHAPTER X.

LOVE OF GOD.

The Love of God is the perfection of the interior life. It is this
which unites the soul with God, and the more intense it is, the closer
is the union and the greater the consequent perfection. It is the
crown and, consummation of all the virtues. Where it exists we shall,
as a matter of consequence, find all the other virtues; and to
describe it is implicitly to portray them all. Hence, when we shall
have treated of St. Bonaventure's love for God, we shall consider
ourselves absolved from the necessity of discussing his other virtues,
especially as there is such a scarcity of data to lay under
contribution. And even concerning the virtue under consideration, we
must be content with reviewing the Saint's teaching upon it.

[Illustration:
The Papal Envoy presenting St. Bonaventure with