It would be too long to give even a simple enumeration of them. Those which mark important facts have been carefully indicated in the course of this work. It will suffice to say that by bringing together these two series of documents, and interposing the dates of the papal bulls countersigned by Ugolini, we are able to follow almost day by day this man, who was, perhaps without even excepting St. Francis, the one whose will most profoundly fashioned the Franciscan institute. We see also the pre-eminent part which the Order had from the beginning in the interest of the future pontiff, and we arrive at perfect accuracy as to the dates of his meetings with St. Francis.
III. Bulls
The pontifical bulls concerning the Franciscans were collected and published in the last century by the monk Sbaralea.[3] But from these we gain little help for the history of the origins of the Order.[4]
The following is a compendious list; the details have been given in the course of the work:
No. 1. August 18, 1218.—Bull Literæ tuæ addressed to Ugolini. The pope permits him to accept donations of landed property in behalf of women fleeing the world (Clarisses) and to declare that these monasteries are holden by the Apostolic See.
No. 2. June 11, 1219.—Cum delecti filii. This bull, addressed in a general way to all prelates, is a sort of safe conduct for the Brothers Minor.
No. 3. December 19, 1219.—Sacrosancta romana. Privileges conceded to the Sisters (Clarisses) of Monticelli, near Florence.
No. 4. May 29, 1220.—Pro dilectis. The pope prays the prelates of France to give a kindly reception to the Brothers Minor.
No. 5. September 22, 1220.—Cum secundum. Honorius III. prescribes a year of noviciate before the entry into the Order.
No. 6. December 9, 1220.—Constitutus in præsentia. This bull concerns a priest of Constantinople who had made a vow to enter the Order. As there is question here of frater Lucas Magister fratrum Minorem de partibus Romaniæ we have here indirect testimony, all the more precious for that reason, as to the period of the establishment of the Order in the Orient.