THESEarethememoirsoftheBeatoGiuliano,brotheroftheOrderofStFrancisofAssisi,knowninhisworldlylifeasFilippoBrandoliniofwhichfamilyI,GiuloBrandolini,amthelastdescendant.OnthedeathofFraGiulianothemanuscriptwasgiventohisnephewLeonello,onwhomtheestatesdevolvedandhassincebeenhandeddownfromfathertoson,astherelicofamemberofthefamilywhosepietyandgoodworksstillshedlustreonthenameofBrandolini.
Itisperhapsnecessarytoexplainhowtheresolutiontogivethesememoirstotheworldhaseventuallybeenarrivedat.Formypart,Ishouldhaveallowedthemtoremainamongtheotherpapersofthefamilybutmywifewishedotherwise.WhenshedesertedherhomeintheNewWorldtobecometheCountessBrandolini,shewasverynaturallyinterestedatfindingamongmyancestorsamanwhohaddistinguishedhimselfingoodworks,soastobegrantedbythePopethetitleofBeatus,whichwasacquiredforhimbytheinfluenceofhisgreat-nephewnotverylongafterhisdeathand,indeed,hadourhouseretainedtheprosperitywhichitenjoyedduringthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies,hewouldundoubtedlyhavebeencanonised,foritwasawellcertifiedfactthatthenecessarymiracleshadbeenperformedbyhisremainsandthatprayershadbeenregularlyofferedathistomb,butourestateshaddwindled,sothatwecouldnotaffordthenecessaryexpenditureandnow,whenmywifehasrestoreditsancientmagnificencetoourhouse,times,alas!havechanged.Thegoodoldcustomsofourfathershavefallenintodisuse,anditisimpossibletocreateasaintforreadymoney.However,mywifedesiredtopublishanaccountofherpiousancestor.ButadifficultyaroseinthefactthattherewerenomaterialswhateverforanyrelationofthelifewhichFraGiulianoledwhenhehadenteredtheFranciscanmonasteryofCampomassa,anditwasobviousthat,eveniftherehadbeengoodworks,prayerandfastingcouldnothaveaffordedaveryinterestingstoryandsowehavebeenconstrainedtoleaveuntoldhispietiesandrecountinsteadhissins,forwhichtherewaseveryfa