t. Francis, and she was received
by him into the monastic life in 1212; she died in 1253. The order
soon spread into France and Spain; and a written rule was given
to these nuns by St. Francis in 1224, which was approved by the
pope in 1246. Some modifications of this rule--which was exceedingly
austere--crept into various convents; and a rule, approved by Urban IV,
was drawn up in 1264, similar to that of St. Francis, but somewhat
mitigated. It was adopted by most of the convents in the order,
this branch being known as Urbanists; the minority, who followed the
stricter rule, were called Clarisses. The government and direction of
the order were at first divided between a cardinal protector and the
superiors of the Franciscans; but, early in the sixteenth century,
Julius II placed the Poor Clares entirely under the jurisdiction of
the general and provincials of the Friars Minors. (Addis and Arnold's
_Catholic Dictionary_.)

[23] Geronima de la Asuncion, daughter of Pedro Garcia Yanez, was
born in Toledo in 1555, and entered the Order of St. Clare in August,
1570. With seven nuns of her order, she embarked from Cadiz on July
5, 1620, and arrived at Manila August 5, 1621, where she founded the
convent of La Concepcion. Within two months, she received twenty girls
into the novitiate, notwithstanding the rigorous and austere rules of
this order. The provincial of the Franciscans strove to modify this
strictness, for the sake of the nuns' health in so trying a climate,
but Mother Geronima refused to yield, and finally triumphed, in the
appeal made to the head of the order--although after this victory
she permitted some relaxations of the rule. Opposition arose to the
seclusion of so many young women of Manila in the monastic life; and
even the diocesan authorities endeavored to restrain their zeal--even
excommunicating Mother Geronima for a time--but with little result. She
died on October 22, 1630. See La Concepcion's account of her and the
entrance of this order, in _Hist. de Philipinas_, v, pp. 1-17.

[24] This man undertook, as a work of charity, to rear and educate
orphaned or poor Spanish boys, for which purpose he collected aims;
and later he secured from the crown the aid for which these letters
ask. Having spent his life in this work, Guerrero at his death (being
then a Dominican friar) placed this school in charge of the Dominicans,
who accepted it--on June 18, 1640, organizing it as the college of
San Juan de Le