FOOTNOTES
[1]: St. Francis's hymn (Sabatier, St. François d'Assise):—
| Laudato sie, mi signore, cum tucte le tue creature, |
| Spetialimento messer lo frate sole, |
| Lo quale jorna, et illumini per lui; |
| Et ello è bello e radiante cum grande splendore. |
| Laudato si, mè signore per frate Vento |
| Et per aere et nubilo et sereno et omne tempo |
| Laudato, si, mi signore, per sor acqua |
| La quale è multo utile et humele et pretiosa et casta; |
| Laudato si, mi signore, per frate focu |
| Per lo quale ennallumini la nocte |
| Et ello è bello et jocundo e robustioso e forte. |
In its rudeness, how magnificent is this last line!
[2]: St. Francis's sermon to the birds in the valley of Bevagna (Fioretti xvi.): "Ancora gli (a Dio) siete tenuti per lo elemento dell' aria che egli ha diputato a voi … e Iddio vi pasce, e davvi li fiumi e le fonti per vostro bere; davvi li monti e le valli per vostro rifugio e gli alberi alti per fare li vostri nidi … e però guardatevi, sirocchie mie, del peccato della ingratitudine, e sempre vi studiate di lodare Iddio … e allora tutti qugli uccilli si levarons in aria con maraviglios canti."
Fioretti xxviii. "… Questo dono, che era dato a frate Bernardo da Quintevalle, cioè, che volando si pascesse come la rondine." Fioretti xxii., Considerazioni i.
[3]: The Cathedral of Assisi, a very early mediæval building, affords a singular instance of the meeting of the last remnant of that serene symbolism of Roman and Byzantine-Roman churches with the usual Lombard horrors. A fine passion-flower or vine encircles the porch, peacocks strut and drink from an altar, while, on the other hand, lions mangle a man and a sheep, and horrible composite monsters, resembling the prehistoric plesiosaurus, bite each other's necks. A Madonna and Christ are enthroned on Byzantine seats, the weight resting on human beings, not so realistically crushed as those of Ferrara and Milan, but suffering. There is a similar meeting of symbols in the neighbouring Cathedral of Foligno; and, so far as I could see, the Umbrian valley is rich in very early churches of this type, sometimes lovely in ornamentation, like S. Pietro of Spoleto, sometimes very rude, like the tiny twin churches of Bevagna.
[4]: Here are a few dates, as given by Murray's Handbooks. Fiesole Cathedral begun 1028; S. Miniato a Monte, 1013; Pisa Cathedral consecrated 1118; baptistery (lower storey), 1153. Lucca façade (interior later), 1204; S. Frediano of Lucca begun by Perharit 671, altered in twelfth century; S. Michele façade, 1188. Pistoia: S. Giovanni Evangelista by Gruamons, 1166; S. Andrea, also by Gruamons; S. Bartolomeo by Rudolphinus, 1167. Pulpit of S. Ambrogio of Milan, 1201; church traditionally begun about 868, probably much more modern.
[5]: Mme. Darmesteter's charming essays "The End of the Middle Ages," contain some amusing instances of such repressed love of finery on the part of saints. Compare Fioretti xx., "And these garments of such fair cloth, which we wear (in Heaven) are given us by God in exchange for our rough frocks."
[6]: Probably executed from Botticelli's design, by Raffaellino del Garbo.