The Lady Poverty: A XIII. Century Allegory

A thirteenth-century allegory recounts a saintly founder's quest to find and wed the personified Lady Poverty, narrated in episodic chapters that cover his search, guidance from elders, the discovery on a mountain, and the companions who join him. The work praises evangelical poverty, distinguishes authentic devotion from counterfeit forms, and examines obstacles such as avarice, prudence corrupted into greed, and spiritual sloth. It outlines the ideal conduct of religious life, records Poverty's consent and blessing upon the brethren, and is accompanied by a reflective essay on the spiritual significance of evangelical poverty together with devotional appendices.