A study of the life of Saint Clare of Assisi and her role in the early Franciscan movement, this book offers insight into the development of the monastic orders in medieval Europe. Ernest Gilliatsmith describes Clare's early life, her decision to join the Franciscans, and her leadership of the Poor Clares. The book also discusses the rules and regulations established by Clare for her order, and their impact on the wider Church. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.