The Annuaire Protestant gives five Moravian and four "Anabaptist" churches. It has no statistics of the Darbyites, Irvingites, Hinschists, and other small sects, of which it says there are sonic churches in Franco.
The Jews have 10 high ral)bis, with salaries of from 350.0 to 7000 francs ; GO rabbis, with incomes ranging from 800 to 1500 francs ; and 64 precentors, with allow- ances of from 500 to 2000 francs. The Jewish popula- tion in 1800 was estimated at 159,000 in France, and 35,700 in Algeria.
See, Herzog, Real-EncyMopadie, iv, 489 sq., 529 sq. ; Gallia Christiana in provincias ecdesiasticas distribu- ta opere et studio Dionysii Sammarthani [St. jNIarthe] (Paris, 1715-25, vol. i-iii ; Opere et studio monach. cong. 8. Mauri, 1728-70 ; vol. iv-xii ; 1785, vol. xiii) ; Fis- quet. La France Pontificale (Gallia Ckrisliami) Hist, chrowdogique et biographiqiie des archeveques et eveques de torn les dioc'cses, etc. (Paris, 1805, vol. i ; 1806, vol. ii) ; Jager, Histoire de VEglise Catholique en France de- puis son origine jitsq'au Concoirlat de Pie VII (Paris, 1863-66, vol. i-xiii); (Beza), Histoire ecclesicisfique des eglises reformles du rogainne de France ; De Felice, Hist, des Protestants de France (Paris, 1850) ; Vincent, Vues sur le Protest antisme en France (Nismes, 1829, 2 vols.) ; Bost, ilhnoires jwiir servir a I'Mstoire du reveil religieux des .eglises prot. de la Suisse et de la France (Paris, 1854, 2 vols.) ; ]\Iader, Die prolestant. Kirche Frankreichs von 1787 bis 1840 (ed. by Gieseler, Leipzig, 1848, 2 vols.) ; Reuchlin, Das Christenthnm in Franhreich (Hamburgh, 1837); Puaux, Hist, de la Re- formation Frangnise (Paris, 1803-04, 0 vols., of popu- lar caste and little scientific value) ; Soldan, Gesch. des fra^iz. Protestantismus his zum Tode Carl's IX (1853, 2 Vols.); Polenz, Gesch. des f ram. Calvinismus ((Jotha, 5 vols.). A periodical specially devoted to tlie history of French Protestantism is published by Ilaag {Bul- letin de la Societe de l Histoire du Protestantisme Fran- fais). A biographical dictionary of celel)rated French Protestants was also ]iublished by Haag (La France Proiestante, 8 vols.). For the statistics of France, see
FRANCFORT
648
FRANCIS OF ASSIST
Wiggers, Kirchl. Statistik, ii, GO-84; Neher, Kirchl. Geoyraphie wul ^lalislik; vol. i (Ratisbon, 1864) : La France EccUdastlque (annual, Paris) gives tiic statis- tics of the Konian Catliolic Churih; Do Prat, UAnnu- uire Protestanie, 18G8-70 (Paris, IfiGS) ; :M'Clintocl%;, in The Methodist, ISCl, February, March, and April. (A. J. S.)
Francfort. See Frankfurt.
Francis of Assisi, founder of the order of Fran- ciscans, was born in 1182 at Assisi, in Unibria, wliere his father, Peter Pernadone, was a rich merchant. The son was intended also for business ; but, having a tast'j for military life, he took part in a contest be- tween Assisi and Perugia, and was taken prisoner. After a year's captivity he was released. Soon after, an illness brought him near the gates of death. He determined to renounce the world. But, on recover- ing his health, he abandoned his religious life and pliniged into gayety. Suddenh' conscience-stricken, he vowed to live a life of poverty. The following in- cident illustrates the character of his religion at tliis time. '"Worshipping in a country church consecra- ted to St. Damian, he seemed to hear a voice saying, ' Francis, go and prepare my house, which thou scest falling into ruins.' What was the man pledged to poverty to do ? He quietly went home, stole a horse from his father's stiible, then went to his father's warehouse, and stole from tlience silks and embroider- ies, with which he laded the purloined horse, and sold both horse and goods at the neighboring town of Fo- lingo. Komish casuists sa}' that this action was justi- fiable by the simplicit}' of his heart. It is clear that bis religious training had not instructed him in the ten commandments. He ofl'ered the money to the of- ficiating priest at St. Damian, who cautiously refused to take it. Francis cast the money into the mire, but vowed that the building should be his home until the divine beliest had been fulfilled. His father found him out, and, though Francis was twenty-five years old, gave him a sound whipping, and put him into prison in his own house. Francis was set at liberty by his motiier during his father's al)sence from home. He returned to St. Damian's, and his father followed him thither, insisted that ho should cither return home, or renounce before the bishop all his share in his inlieritance, and all manner of expectations from his faniilV' The son accepted the latter condition with joy, gave his ftither whatever he had in his pock- ets, told hinr he was ready to undergo blows and chains for the love of Jesus Christ, and went with his father before the bishop of Assisi'to make a legal re- nunciation of his inheritance in form." By the world, and, it would seem, by his father himself, he was re- garded as a madman, but the bishop viewed the enthu- siasm of the youth with allowance, and treated him with kindness. He soon after renewed his vow of poverty, iniagininy; himself warned from heaven to do so. He begged for and labored at the restoration of several churches. At this time he pretended to the gifts of prophecy and miracles. He soon attracted followers, and, associating with himself Bernard of (>uintavallo and Peter of Catania, on the IGth of Au- gust, 120!t, laid the first foundation of the Franciscan urder. The number of liis adherents increased rap- idly, and he drew up, in twenty cha|iters, a rule for his order. He carried his rule to IJome, there to obtain for it the sanction of pope Innocent III, who regarded Francis as a madman, but saw how well fitted for liis purposes such a man and such an or- der might be. He ordained Francis a deacon in 1210, and gave his verbal approbation to the rule he had drawn up. Among liis triumplis we must record his conversion of Clara, or St. Clare. See Cl.\re, St. Born to rank and fortune, St.-Clare had repourse from her early years to ascetic practices. She heard of Francis, was captivated by the lustre of his piety, and.