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The Minor Friars in China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Extract

In July, 1914, the Journal printed the Latin text, with English translation, of various documents relating to the Minor or Franciscan Friars in China. Of these the most important were three letters written from China and other extracts from a fourteenth century chronicle, which is preserved in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris (MS. Latin 5006). On p. 555 of the article referred to I wrote: “Monsieur H. Cordier tells me that he knows of no other copy of the Chronicles, but at the same time is inclined to doubt that the Paris MS. (Latin 5006) is the copy used by Wadding.” Wadding, readers may be glad to be reminded, was the author of a great work called Annales Minorum, in which the three letters from China were printed for the first time, and, indeed, for the only time until 1914 from a manuscript. All the other Latin texts with which I am acquainted and all the versions are obviously based on Wadding's text. In spite of M. Cordier's opinion I continued to think that it was at least possible that Wadding had copied rather carelessly the MS. which is now at Paris.

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Articles
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Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1921

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References

page 83 note 1 See Journal for 07, 1914, pp. 546–51Google Scholar; Annales Minorum, vol. iii, 1636, pp. 44, 5Google Scholar (or 2nd ed., vol. vi, pp. 69, 70). In the footnotes the Paris MS. Latin 5006 is called P., and Wadding W. Except in the second letter, not nearly all the various readings of P. and W. are noted; and when the two agree in word, the spelling of P. is given. I am immensely indebted to Mr. Rogers, who has moat kindly taken the trouble to read through and correct my transcript.

page 85 note 1 The initial of Kathay is in most cases almost identical with R, and the word ought perhaps to be printed Rathay.

page 86 note 1 P.: Item emj successiue .xl. pueros filios paganorum etatis infra .vij. et .xj. annorum qui nullam adhuc congnoscebant legem. & batticzauj eos & informauj eos litteris latinis & ritu nostro. & scripssi pro eis psalteria cum ymnarijs .xxx. & duo W.: Item enim successiue 150. pueros, filios paganorum ætatis infra 7. & 11. annorum, qui nullam adhuc cognoscebant legem, & baptizaui eos, informaui eos litteris Latinis, & Græcis ritu nostro, & scripsi pro eis psalteria, cum hymnariis 30. & duo

page 86 note 2 W. regiis

page 87 note 1 P. W. Apostasia

page 87 note 2 P. adduxit. Et ecolesiam pulcra[m] secundum Regiam magnificentiam construxit. ad honorem dej nostrj sancte trinitatis; & dominj pape. & nomen meum vocans eam ecclesiam Romanam. Qui Rex Georgius W. adduxit, & Ecclesiam pulchram secundum regiam magnificentiam construxit, ad honorem Dei nostri, sanctæ Trinitatis, & Domini Papse, vocans earn Ecclesiam Romanam. Qui Rex Georgius For nomen meum, words which are very obscure in P., Golubovich reads nominavit.

page 87 note 3 To the above 27 words P. adds 9 (uerus xpistianus, nouem, Georgij, Nestorij, ad scisma pristinum reducendo), all of which W. has copied exactly.

page 87 note 4 P. W. Et quia ego fuj solus nee potuj recedere ab Jmperatore Chaan ire non potuj ad illam ecclesiam que distat ad .xx. dietas. Tamen si uenerint aliquj boni coadiutores & cooperatores spero … Nam … Regis Georgij defunctj.

page 87 note 5 P. Cothay Jmperatoris aquilonarium tartarorum est via breuior & sesuriorum. W. Gothorum Imperatoris Aquilonarium Tartarorum est via breuior, & securior; The omission of Tartarorum … breuior from the text looks like an accident, and leaves the sentence imperfect.

page 88 note 1 P. Angliam.

page 88 note 2 P. W. de nostro ordine & statu occidentis non suscepi noua.

page 88 note 3 P. Cyrugicus lombardus W. chirurgious Lombardus, The word in the text is hard to read, and may be ciriuricus or ciriacus.

page 88 note 4 or perueniet

page 88 note 5 P. W. ad

page 88 note 6 P. W. sum

page 88 note 7 P. W. Tartaricham

page 88 note 8 P. teneo & lego & predioo in patenti & manifesto quasi in testimonium W. scribo, & lego, & prædico in patenti manifesto in testimonium

page 89 note 1 W. celebrabam missam

page 89 note 2 P. W. & spero in deo quod ipse imitabitur

page 89 note 3 P. W. Secundum uero audita & uisa credo quod nullus Rex nee princeps in mundo possid equari domino Chaan

page 89 note 4 P. W. Data, in ciuitate Cambaliech Regni Katay (W. Catan). anno dominj m°. ccc v°

page 89 note 5 For this paragraph of the Chronicle compare July, 1914, pp. 551, 2.

page 90 note 1 Compare Journal R.A.S., 07, 1914, pp. 552–7Google Scholar; Annales Min., tom, iii, pp. 45, 46, 60Google Scholar; 2nd ed., torn, vi, pp. 71, 72, 91.

page 90 note 2 P. Reuerendo in xpisto Patri ‥ ffratrj. ffratrj. vicario … Etvicario fratrum & magistri ordinis predicatorum. & fratribus ordinum utriusque. W. Reuerendo in Christo Patri Fratri N. N. Vicario generali Ministro Ordinis Fratrum Minorum, & Vicario fratrum & Magistro Ordinis Predicatorum, & Fratribus ordinis utriusque

page 90 note 3 P. W. fidej sacre xpistiane. legatus & nuntius sedis apostolice Romane … salus omnium.

page 90 note 4 W. Ordo eximiæ charitatis inuitat,

page 90 note 5 P. W. uidere non possunt

page 90 note 6 W. consistentes,

page 90 note 7 W. Sed & ego miratus sum,

page 90 note 8 P. litteram uel W. litteras, vel

page 90 note 9 P. W. recordatus fuerit mej.

page 90 note 10 P. W. quia (W. quando) audiui quod rumores ad uos peruenissent

page 91 note 1 P. W. nostrum

page 91 note 2 W. Kathan Chamis, qui venerat ad eundem Dominum Chamem,

page 91 note 3 W. mea, paucia verbis exaratas,

page 91 note 4 P. transmitterent [?].

page 91 note 5 P. iam mihi per bonas personas que W. iam intellexi per aliquas personas, que

page 91 note 6 P. omit chanis; read de Cathay. W. Domini de Kathan ad Dominum Chamem,

page 91 note 7 P. W. Sara ciuitate uenit (W. venerit)

page 91 note 8 W. omit litteris

page 91 note 9 P. W. non facere mentionem nee

page 91 note 10 P. W. vj (W. Sex) picturas feci fieri It seems to be quite possible that ubi is the true reading. Six is an inadequate number, and no number is named by the Pope (cf. JRAS., 07, 1914, p. 560Google Scholar, quod ecclesias con-struxerit. & picturas noui et ueteris testamenti in eis depingi fecerit; and below p. 98. In qua … ystorie noui, & ueteris testamenti ad dootrinam rudium depingi). This, of course, assumes the possibility that Chigi is independent of P.

page 91 note 11 P. W. testamenti. ad doctrinam rudium. & scripta (W. sculpta) sunt litteris latinus. Tursicis (W. & Tarsicis). & persicis

page 91 note 12 P. W. omit & … diuerse.

page 91 note 13 P. W. pueris quos emj & battizauj

page 91 note 14 W. omit in Kathay

page 91 note 15 P. plura milia W. vltra quinque millia

page 92 note 1 P. W. add domini

page 92 note 2 W. omit unum

page 92 note 3 P. W. nostrum

page 92 note 4 P. W. Dominus Petrus de lucalongo (W. Luoolongo) fidelis xpistianus & magnus mercator qui fuit sotius meus do thaurisio ipse emit

page 92 note 5 P. W. dixi

page 92 note 6 W. pro amore

page 92 note 7 P. W. quia (W. puto quod) utilior & cogmentior locus haberi non posset (W. possit) in toto imperio dominj Chanis pro ecclesia

page 92 note 8 P. W. add assistentibus benefactoribus & iuuantibus

page 92 note 9 P. & domibus officinis planis. & W. & domibus, officinis, plateis &

page 92 note 10 P. W. quod

page 92 note 11 P. W. perficiam

page 92 note 12 P. W. ciuitate

page 92 note 13 W. qui adhuc non audierunt quidpiam de hoc: videntes enim locum 14 W. vsum (quia notas adhuc non habemus) officium cantantes solemniter amplius admirati sunt. Quando cantamus:

page 92 note 15 P. W. omit vbi dormit

page 92 note 16 P. W. mirabile factum longe lateque diuulgatum est inter gentes.

page 92 note 17 P. W. add & adimplebit

page 93 note 1 P. W. omit uero

page 93 note 2 P. W. ecclesiam

page 93 note 3 P. W. add quam edificauj postea

page 93 note 4 P. add intra ciuitatem. que multum est magna. W. add intra ciuitatem, quse valde magna est,

page 93 note 5 P. W. diuisi & posuj partem

page 93 note 6 W. omit &

page 93 note 7 P. add quia puerj non sunt Sacerdotes. and rubric de magno imperio tartarorum. W. add quia inter hos pneros non sunt Sacerdotes.

page 93 note 8 P. orientalium

page 93 note 9 P. sit ej maior W. sit eo maius

page 93 note 10 P. W. add sua

page 93 note 11 P. W. intrandi & Sedendi

page 93 note 12 P. W. honorat me

page 93 note 13 P. W. Et licet ipse

page 93 note 14 P. W. istis partibus

page 93 note 15 P. septe and so in all cases

page 93 note 16 W. idololatrarum

page 93 note 17 P. W. et sunt

page 93 note 18 P. W. & sunt

page 93 note 19 W. omit multo

page 93 note 20 P. W. austeritatis. The text has & obseruantie, like a catch-word at the foot of the page.

page 93 note 21 W. abstinentiæ

page 93 note 22 P. W. omit sint

page 93 note 23 P. W. add fidem xpisti

page 93 note 24 P. W. omit Et fertiles.

page 93 note 25 P. W. fructibus nostris

page 94 note 1 P. W. propter magnam temperantiam & caliditatem aeris & regionis nudi uadunt. modico coopertorio (W. medio corpore) uerenda cooperientes. Et propterea artibus nostris sartorum & cordonum. & artifitijs non indigent. Jbj (W. quibus) est semper estas & nunquam hyemps Battizauj ibj circa centum personas. Wadding adds (after personas) &c. Deest finis. Alia dabimus huius argumenti anno 1307. quo creatus est Archiepiscopus.

page 94 note 2 P. In eadem epistola dicit ipse frater Johannes, quod sollempnes nuntij W. Vltra ea quæ scripsit anno superiori Fr. Joannes à Monte Coruino (inquit B. Odoricus) hoc anno narrat in alia à se scripta Epistola, quod solemnes Nuneij

page 94 note 3 P. W. venerunt ad eum de ethyopia (W. quadam parte Æthiopiæ), rogantes ut illuc pergeret ad predicandum uel mitteret predicatores bonos. Quia a tempore Beati Mathej euangeliste & discipulorum eius. predicatores non habuerunt qui eos instruerent in fide xpisti. & multum dessiderant ad ueram xpisti fidem peruenire. Et si fratres ibj (W. illuc) mitterentur omnes conuerterentur. ad xpistum. & fierent ueri xpistianj. Nam sunt plurimj in oriente (W. ciuitate) qui sollo nomine cristiani dicumtur. & in (W. omit in) xpistum credunt. Set de scripturis & sanctorum (W. sanctis) doctrinis aliud nesciunt (W. non sciunt) simpliciter uiuentes cum non habeant predicatores & doctores. Item dicit (W. dixit) ffrater Johannes quod post festum omnium sanctorum battizauit .cccc. (W. quadrigentas) personas. & quia (W. quod) ipse audiuit quod plures fratres utriusque ordinis ad persas & ad (W. omit ad) Gaczariam accesserunt ortatur (W. hortantes) eos ad predicandum feruenter fidem dominj nostri Jhsuxpisti. & ad faciendum fructum animarum. Data dicebat littera. ipsa. in Cambaliech ciuitate regnj Katay (W. Kathag). Anno dominj, m°. ccovic. (W. 1306) in dominica quinquagesime. mensis februarii.

page 95 note 1 The italic type, which makes these words look like an actual quotation from the Chronicle, is only found in the second edition of the Annales, and was not used by Wadding himself.

page 96 note 1 Fol. 99 r°. Compare Journal R.A.S., 07, 1914, pp. 557–9Google Scholar; Ann. Min., vol. iii, p. 60.Google Scholar

page 97 note 1 Compare Journal R.A.S., 07, 1914, pp. 559, 560, 564, 588, note.Google Scholar

page 98 note 1 P. ipsas Note that both MSS. read partium

page 98 note 2 Perhaps read honcrabilis sedes

page 101 note 1 These two Bulls are alluded to in what is, perhaps, the earliest printed reference to John. In a list of cases where the pall has been sent “to the ends of the earth”, John Magnus writes in his history of the Church of Upsal: Clemens V. anno 1305. fecit fratrem Ioannem de monte Caluino, ordinis Minorum, existentem in dominio Tartarorum, Archiepiscopum Cambalnensem, fecitque consecrari in curia IX. fratres eiusdem ordinis in Episcopos, quos misit ad partes illas Suffraganeos, & in auxilium ipsius Archiepiscopi, missum est sibi palleum de curia, ordinatúmque quod esset propter loci distantiam pro successoribus. Metropolis Ecdesiae Upsalen. 1557, p. 45.Google Scholar The date is 23 July, 1307. It must be left to experts to decide whether this text of these and the following Bulls, which have hitherto been thought to have been lost, is of any value. The style seems to be unusually weak in grammar; and the supposed author of the Chronicle was specially noted for his forgery of such documents. See p. 107, note 1 below, and Allacci, 's Animadversio there quoted, pp. 281, 238, 289.Google Scholar

page 102 note 1 Compare Journal R.A.S., 07, 1914, pp. 564–7Google Scholar; Ann. Min., tom, iii, pp. 335, 6.Google Scholar Another, perhaps the earliest, copy of this letter exists at Assisi (a 14th century MS., No. 341 in the library of the Convent of S. Francis, fol. 136), but I have not yet been able to consult it.— Golubovich, , op. cit., tome ii, pp. 103, 115.Google Scholar

page 102 note 2 P. W. conuentus

page 102 note 3 P. W. mariumque distantiam

page 102 note 4 W. 1308.

page 103 note 1 P. diuersorum

page 103 note 2 P. quod

page 103 note 3 P. Çayton

page 103 note 4 W. in Cathedralem erectam,

page 103 note 5 P. W. me non prebente assensum ipsam —W. omitting ego above.

page 103 note 6 P. W. add Episcopo memorato

page 103 note 7 P. m°. ccc. xxij°. W. 1322.

page 103 note 8 P. W. add octaue

page 103 note 9 P. Çayton. If. Caytonis

page 103 note 10 P. W. mensium (W. hebdomadarum) fere trium ut dixi sollicite procurauj.

page 104 note 1 P. mea

page 104 note 2 P. W. add locationia

page 104 note 3 P. W. omit memorata

page 104 note 4 P. W. facio iuxta mee libitum

page 104 note 5 P. W. sano

page 104 note 6 W. patitur, aliquibus adhuc annis in hac messe laborare potero, heet canitiem habeam ex P. agrees exactly with the text, excejtt that it has nichil quidem for nil que

page 104 note 7 W. multi ex baptizatis

page 104 note 8 P. W. add hec omnia—fratribus uniuersis.—58 words, in which W. has discesserunt for P. decesserunt, but otherwise agrees exactly with P.

page 105 note 1 P. W. omit olim … Francisci

page 105 note 2 P. W. Andrutius

page 105 note 3 P. Data in Çaito in Çayton W. Data in Cayton

page 106 note 1 Wadding's changes include iam ante duos annos for iam est annus duodecimus; magnus explorator for explorator magus; sine socio for sine confessione; cl pueros for xl. pueros; Latinis, & Grœcis ritu for latinis & ritu; regiis vestibus for sacris vestibus; Gothorum or Kathan for Cothay; scribo for teneo; eximiœ for exigit; 1308 for m°.ccc. xviij; iaculatoribus for ioculatoribus; hebdomadarum for mensium; 22.Google Scholar for .xx.; aliquibus adhuc annis &c. for vigorosus & agilis &c. (p. 104, note 6).Google Scholar On the other hand, the most important differences between Chigi and P., apart from large omissions, are perhaps XXX for XX; millesimo ijc. v. for v°. ccc. v°; vbi picture for vj picturas; nutritis & baptizatis for guos emj & battizauj; iij milia for plura milia; petrutius for Petrus—mostly occurring in the space of a few lines, p. 91 above.

page 106 note 2 adhibens Codicem Chisianum (Biblioteca Chigi), I, vii, 262, qui videtur autographum praedicti falsarii, nam hoc manuscriptum ante oculos habuisse diceres Leonem Allatium, quum aliud fictitium opus eiusdem describeret. ED. Alenconiensis, S. Francisci Assisiensis Vita, Rome, 1906, Proleg. p. lxxvi.Google Scholar I owe this reference and the following to Golubovich. Alfonso Ceccarelli (1532–83) seems to have been a prolific forger, who was ultimately executed for his pains.

page 107 note 1 Cum de hisce loannis Capistranii monumentis sermonem haberem cum doctissimo … Luca Waddingo, sola eorum auditione in risum effusus est; … Leoni Allatio … F. Lucas Waddingus. Hesternus tuus sermo, & hodierna pagella de speciosis Ioanni Capistranio adscriptis Operibus vehementer admirari faciunt, … Pancula, quœ intermiscet Theosophiœ argumenta, & quos e rostris dixit sermones, stylo, & methodo non tam Theologum sapiunt, quam Iurisconsultum. Autographa Capistrano, Aprutiorum oppido, in Vrbem aduecta penes me habui, & diligenter excussi ipsos comperi titulos, quos literulis istis subiungo, … spurii sunt, & degeneres, quos addit Ciccerellus, De Originibus Vrbium … Imperatoris. Nihil unquam in hoc genere a Capistranio scriptum, nihil usquam comperies de re historica meditatum: nullum prorsws in reliquis operibus occurrit vestigium. … 3. Non. Octob. 1641.Google ScholarAllatii, LeonisAnimaduersio in Libras Alphonsi Ciccarelli, Rome, 1642, pp. 318, 19, 321Google Scholar, 2. Cf. Wadding, , Scriptores Ord. Min., 1650 (ed. 1806), pp. 134, 5.Google Scholar The 45 works of loannes Capistranus (1385–1456) here enumerated contain nothing historical. At the end of the list Wadding notes that the five works named above were attributed to Capistrano by Ceccarelli. Sed haec spuria sunt, & conficta ab insigni meadaciorum architecto, qui sub Gregorio XIII. tot imposturas … pœna luit capitali.

page 108 note 1 The words ait in ea laudari Chronicam … Brunforte, afford an easy test of the identity of the two Chronicles for anyone who has access to the Chigi library.

page 108 note 2 Ann. Min., iii, p. 44.Google Scholar

page 110 note 1 Cf. this Journal, 01 1917, pp. 13, 31.Google Scholar