The peripatetic
nature of their calling, and their duty of tending the sick,
compelled many friars to learn foreign languages, and to
acquire some medical knowledge. Books were, therefore,
useful to them, if not essential; as indeed St. Francis
ultimately recognized. However, they could not own books
themselves, but only in common with other members of the
convent. If a friar was promoted to a bishopric, he had to
renounce the use of the books he had had as a friar; and
Clement IV forbade the consecration of a bishop until he
had returned the books to his friary. When a book was
given to a friar--and this often happened--he was in duty
bound to hand it to his Superior. But if the friar was a
man of parts the gift was devoted to acquiring books for
his studies, or to giving him other necessary assistance;
the duty, it was held, which the Superior owed him.[2] But
these principles do not seem to have been strictly observed.
In little more than thirty years after St. Francis' death it
was found necessary to draw up rules forbidding the
brethren to own books except by leave from the chief officer
of the order, or to keep any books which were not regarded
as the property of the whole order, or to write books, or
have them written for sale.
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