accepted than strict necessity demands. ⁵⁵This land should not be cultivated or planted but remain always fallow and uncultivated.

⁵⁶I admonish and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ all my sisters, both those present and those to come, to strive always to imitate the way of holy simplicity, humility and poverty and also the in- tegrity of our holy way of living, ⁵⁷as we were taught from the be- ginning of our conversion by Christ and by our blessed father Francis. ⁵⁸From them, not by any merits of ours but solely out of the largesse of His mercy and grace, the Father of mercies has spread the fragrance of a good reputation, both among those who are far away as well as those who are near. ⁵⁹And loving one another with the love of Christ, may you demonstrate without in your deeds the love you have within ⁶⁰so that, compelled by such an example, the sisters may always grow in the love of God and in mutual charity.

⁶¹I also beg that [sister] who will be in an office of the sisters to strive to exceed the others more by her virtues and holy life than by her office, ⁶²so that, stimulated by her example, they obey her not so much because of her office as because of love. ⁶³Let her also be farsighted and discerning toward her sisters, as a good mother is toward her daughters, ⁶⁴and let her especially take care to pro- vide for them according to the needs of each one out of the alms that the Lord shall give. ⁶⁵Let her also be so kind and affable that they may securely reveal their needs ⁶⁶and confidently have recourse to her at any hour, as they see fit both for themselves as well as for their sisters.

⁶⁷Let the sisters who are subject, however, keep in mind that, for the sake of God, they have given up their own wills. ⁶⁸There- fore I want them to obey their mother of their own free will as they have promised the Lord, ⁶⁹so that, seeing the charity, humil- ity, and unity they have toward one another, she might bear all the burdens of her office more lightly, ⁷⁰and what is painful and bitter might be changed into sweetness through their way of life.

⁷¹And because straight is the way and the path, and narrow is the gate through which one passes and enters to life, there are both few who walk it and enter through it. ⁷²And if there are some who walk that way for a while, there are very few who persevere on it. ⁷³But how blessed are those to whom it has been given to walk that way and to persevere till the end.

⁷⁴Therefore, let us be very careful that, if we have set out on the path of the Lord, we do not at any time turn away from it through

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⁵⁴Si autem ab aliqua parte pro honestate et remotione monasterii extra saepta horti oportet plus haberi de terra, non permittant plus acquiri vel etiam recipiant, nisi quantum extrema necessitas poscit; ⁵⁵et illa terra penitus non laboretur nec seminetur, sed semper solida et inculta permaneat.

⁵⁶Moneo et exhortor in Domino lesu Christo omnes sorores meas, quae sunt et quae venturae sunt, ut semper studeant imitari viam sanctae simplicitatis, humilitatis, paupertatis ac etiam honestatem sanctae conversationis, ⁵⁷sicut ab initio nostrae conversionis a Christo edoctae sumus et a beatissimo patre nostro Francisco. ⁵⁸Ex quibus non nostris meritis, sed sola misericordia et gratia largitoris, ipse Pater misericordiarum tam his qui longe sunt quam his qui prope sunt, bonae famae sparsit odorem. ⁵⁹Et ex caritate Christi invicem diligentes amorem quem intus habetis foris per opera demonstretis, ⁶⁰ut ex hoc exemplo provocatae sorores semper crescant in amorem Dei et in mutuam caritatem.

⁶¹Rogo etiam illam quae erit in officio sororum, ut magis studeat praeesse aliis virtutibus et sanctis moribus quam officio; ⁶²quatenus eius exemplo provocatae sorores suae, non tantum ex officio obediant, sed potius ex amore. ⁶³Sit etiam provida et discreta circa sorores suas sicut bona mater erga filias suas, ⁶⁴et praecipue ut de eleemosynis quas Dominus dabit eis secundum necessitatem uniuscuiusque studeat providere. ⁶⁵Sit etiam tam benigna et communis, ut secure possint manifestare necessitates suas ⁶⁶et recurrere ad eam omni hora confidenter, sicut eis videbitur expedire, tam pro se quam pro sororibus suis.

⁶⁷Sorores vero quae sunt subditae recordentur quod propter Deum abnegaverunt proprias voluntates. ⁶⁸Unde volo quod obediant suae matri sicut promiserunt Domino sua spontanea voluntate, ⁶⁹ut mater earum videns carititem, humilitatem et unitatem, quam invicem habent, omne onus quod de officio tollerat levius portet; ⁷⁰et quod molestum est et amarum propter earum sanctam conversationem ei in dulcedinem convertatur.

⁷¹Et quoniam arcta est via et semita et angusta est porta per quam itur et intratur ad vitam et pauci sunt qui ambulant et intrant per eam; ⁷²et si aliqui sunt qui ad tempus ambulant per eam, paucissimi sunt qui perseverant in ea. ⁷³Beati vero quibus datum est ambulare per eam et perseverare usque in finem!

⁷⁴Caveamus ergo, quia si per viam Domini intravimus, quod culpa nostra et ignorantia aliquo tempore ab ipsa nullatenus declinemus,