y an Italian translation.

[2] "_Die Briefe, die unter seinem Namen gehen, moegen theilweise
aecht sein. Aber sie tragen kaum etwas zur naeheren Kenntniss bei
und koennen daher fast ganz ausser Acht bleiben_." Mueller, _Die
Anfaenge des Minoritenordens_, Freiburg, 1 vol., 8vo, 1885, p. 3.

[3] Pieces have been often attributed to St. Francis which do
not belong to him; but those are unintentional errors and made
without purpose. The desire for literary exactness is relatively
of recent date, and it was easier for those who were ignorant of
the author of certain Franciscan writings to attribute them to
St. Francis than to admit their ignorance or to make deep
researches.

[4] For example, the first Rule; probably also a few canticles;
a letter to the Brothers in France, Eccl., 6; another to the
Brothers in Bologna: "_Praedixerat per litteram in qua fuit
plurimum latinum_," Eccl., ib.; a letter to Antony of Padua,
other than the one we have, since on the witness of Celano it
was addressed: _Fratri Antonio episcopo meo_ (2 Cel., 3, 99);
certain letters to St. Clara: "_Scripsit Clarae et sororibus ad
consolationem litteram in qua dabat benedictionem suam et
absolvebat_," etc. _Conform._, f^o. 185a, 1; cf. _Test. B.
Clarae_. A. SS., Augusti, t. ii., p. 767: "_Plura scripta
tradidit nobis, ne post mortem suam declinaremus a paupertate_;"
certain letters to Cardinal Ugolini, 3 Soc., 67.

It is not to negligence alone that we must attribute the loss of
many of the epistles: "_Quod nephas est cogitare, in provincia
Marchie et in pluribus aliis locis testamentum beati Francisci
mandaverunt (prelati ordinis) districte per obedientiam ab
omnibus auferi et comburi. Et uni fratri devoto et sancto, cujus
nomen est N. de Rocanato combuxerunt dicum testamentum super
caput suum. Et toto conatu fuerunt solliciti, annulare scripta
beati patris nostri Francisci, in quibus sua intentio de
observantia regule declaratur._" Ubertino di Casali, _apud
Archiv._, iii., pp. 168-169.

[5] Italy is too obliging to artists, archaeologists, and
scholars not to do them the favor of disposing in a more
practical manner this trust, the most precious of all Umbria.
Even with the indefatigable kindness of the curat