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The Medieval Church · 1260–1263
The Major Legend of Saint Francis
Bonaventure · 1221–1274
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What it is
A life of Francis written by the order's minister general to settle its internal quarrels, presenting him as a figure of contemplative ascent rather than of dispute.
Why it lasted
Declared the only official life in 1266, with all earlier versions ordered destroyed — an act of suppression that nearly worked.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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