90 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 92. 



writings of his companions anil the chronicles of the 

 order of the Brothers Minor;" and the "Prologhe" 

 (which succeeds the preface) mentions — 



" Die legede van zyn drie gesellen den Spiegel der 

 volcomeheyts der niinderbroeders. Breeder Thomas 

 oude legende eii de boeck der ghelycheden daer seer 

 schoon bescreue is. Hoe ghelyck dat dese heylighe 

 man Franciscus : Christo Jhesu." 



These lives, I suppose, are — that joint narrative 

 compiled by three intimate associates of the Saint, 

 "zyn drie gesellen;" that composed by Thomas of 

 Celano; and the Liber Confoj'mitatum. 



The 39th chap, of this Oude Legende, folio ciii,, 

 relates, as the preface says — 



" CE Hoe dat S. F. woude reysen in verre laden cm 

 dat vole te bekeren en te vermaenen eli va die grote 

 tribulacie die hi leet iiit soldaes laiit eii hoe hi gerne 

 martelaer hadde geworden eii hoe die broeders te 

 Antiochien syn oorde aenaemen." 



On which Turk-converting martyrdom- seeking 

 journey Dr. Geddes (in his curious little work 

 on the Romish Orders of Monks and Fria7-s, Lond. 

 1714) quaintly remarks: 



" A Quaker's having gone from England to Rome 

 to convert the pope to his religion, is a mighty jest 

 with some people, who are very much edified with this 

 story of Francis's going from Italy to Egypt to convert 

 the sultan; but these two adventures do to me appear 

 to be so much alike that I shall leave it to anatomists 

 to tell whether good wits that prompt others, have not 

 their brains either made of the same size, or much in 

 the same posture." 



The Otide Legende ends folio 44. Next follows : 

 " C Die historie van de aflaet van Sinte Maria van 

 de enghelen dienie portiukel lieet," 



as the preface hath it. Some of your readers 

 may have seen an advertisement respecting a series 

 of Franciscan works (to be published, I tliink, by 

 Richardson of Derby), entitled the Portioncide 

 Library; and seeing in the above table of contents 

 " Die aflaet van Portiunkel," or the Indulgence 

 of the Portiunkel, they may be at a loss to know 

 its meaning, so I shall quote a note from Mrs. 

 Jameson's highly interesting and valuable work on 

 the Monastic Orders, which is to the purpose: 



" The term Porzioncula means literally ' a small 

 portion, share, or allotment.' The name was given to 

 a slip of land, of a few acres in extent, at the foot of the 

 hill of Asslsi, and on which stood a little chapel ; both 

 belonged to a community of Benedictines, who after- 

 wards bestowed the land and the chapel on the brotlier- 

 hood of S. Francis. This chapel was then familiarly 

 known as the ' Capella della Porzioncula.' Whether 

 the title by which it has since become famous as the 

 S. Maria-degli-Angeli belonged to it originally, or 

 because the angels were heard singing around and 

 above it at the time of the birth of St. Francis, does 

 not seem clear. At all events this chapel became early 

 sanctified as the scene of the ecstasies and visions of the 

 saint; here also S, Clara made her profession. Par- 



ticular indulgences were granted to those who visited 

 it for confession and repentance on the fifth of August, 

 and it became a celebrated place of pilgrimage in the 

 fourteenth century. Mr. Ford tells us, that in Spain 

 the term Porzioncula is applied generally to distinguish 

 the chapel or sanctuary dedicated to St. Francis within 

 the Franciscan churches. The original chapel of the 

 Porzioncula now stands in the centre of the magnificent 

 church which has been erected over it." 



In the " Legende" of St. Anthony of Padua, 

 chap. vii. fol. ccx.x., we have that saint's "sermo 

 ad pisces" in the city of Rimini, die vol ketters tvas, 

 and the conversion, therefrom of the said ketters or 

 heretics. 



The " Prologhe " to the narrative " van die vyf 

 Martelaren," fol. clxxviii., commences, " Ego quasi 

 Vitis fructificavi suavitatem odoris (Ecclus. xxiv. 

 23.) als eenij wyngaert," &c. : here we learn why 

 the work is called Den Wijngaert, or The Vine. 



In the " tractat va S. F. ordeu en reghele," 

 at fol. cccxxix., we have an account of Brother 

 Agnellus of Pisa's mission to England in 1224. 



In the " Getal der broedere en prouintien," at 

 fol. cccci., we learn that at that time (1518) 

 England had 7 convents and 200 friars ; Ireland 

 15 convents and 400 friars; and Scotland 8 con- 

 vents and 120 friars. 



The "Kalendier" which follows this "Getal" is 

 printed in red and black. 



"Den aflaet va ronie" is the last tract in the 

 book. Here is the finis : 



" C; Hier eyndt by d' gratie gods dat derde boec va 

 desen wyngaert die mit groten arbeyt wt veel ducte- 

 telycke scrifte wten latyne vergadert en nu eerst trans- 

 latecrt is, ter eere des heylighe confessors Sinte Fran- 

 ciscus eii ten profyte va alien guedcn kenten menschen. 



"ff Hier na volcht di tafele." 



After the " tafel " or inde.x occur some verses 

 containing seventy-three lines, eulogistic of the 

 saint. 



I forgot to mention that in the Oxide Legende 

 some of St. Francis's poems are given, translated 

 from the Italian originals : at fol. cxxii. is given 

 the " Canticum solis," part of which Sir James 

 Stephen quotes in his sketch of the saint's life. 



I liave a Query to make, but must defer it to 

 another time, as I ha\ c already taken up enough 

 of your paper. Jaeltzberg. 



"JUSJUEANDUM PER CANEM " (Vol. iii., p. 192.). 



" SEDEM ANIMa; IN DIGITIS PONUNT " (Vol. ii., 

 p. 464.). " FIAT JUSTITIA, KUAT CCELUM " 



(Vol. ii., p. 494.). 



An extraordinary mode of swearing, akin to the 

 oaths already noticed, is recorded by Ysbrant Ides 

 in his Travels from Moscow to China (London, 

 1705, and reprinted in the second volume of 

 Harris's Collection) : — 



