sion of his
body and give it a triumphant funeral.

By a pious inspiration, instead of going straight to the city they went
around by St. Damian, and thus was realized the promise made by Francis
to the Sisters a few weeks before, to come once more to see them.

Their grief was heart-rending.

These women's hearts revolted against the absurdity of death;[28] but
there were tears on that day at St. Damian only. The Brothers forgot
their sadness on seeing the stigmata, and the inhabitants of Assisi
manifested an indescribable joy on having their relic at last. They
deposited it in the Church St. George.[29]

Less than two years after, Sunday, July 26, 1228, Gregory IX. came to
Assisi to preside in person over the ceremonies of canonization, and to
lay, on the morrow, the first stone of the new church dedicated to the
Stigmatized.

Built under the inspiration of Gregory IX. and the direction of Brother
Elias, this marvellous basilica is also one of the documents of this
history, and perhaps I have been wrong in neglecting it.

Go and look upon it, proud, rich, powerful, then go down to Portiuncula,
pass over to St. Damian, hasten to the Carceri, and you will understand
the abyss that separates the ideal of Francis from that of the pontiff
who canonized him.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Mortem cantando suscepit._ 2 Cel., 3, 139.

[2] The text here taken as a basis is that of the Assisi MS.,
338 (f^o 16a-18a). It is also to be found in _Firmamentum_, f^o
19, col. 4; _Speculum_, Morin, _tract._ iii., 8a; Wadding, _ann.
1226_, 35; A. SS., p. 663; Amoni, _Legenda Trium Sociorum_;
Appendix, p. 110. Everything in this document proclaims its
authenticity, but we are not reduced to internal proof. It is
expressly cited in 1 Cel., 17 (before 1230); by the Three
Companions (1246), 3 Soc., 11; 26; 29; by 2 Cel., 3, 99 (1247).
These proofs would be more than sufficient, but there is another
of even greater value: the bull _Quo elongati_ of September 28,
1230, where Gregory IX. cites it textually and declares that the
friars are not bound to observe it.

[3] _Promittet Franciscus obedientiam ... papae ... et
successoribus ... qui non possunt nec debent eis praecipere
aliquid quod sit contra animam et regulam._ _Archiv._, _i_, p.
563.

[4] _Quod si quando a quocumque ... pontifice aliquid ...
mandaretur quod esset co