St. Francis’ Last Will written for St Clare

I, Friar Francis, the tiny one [parvulus], want to follow the life and poverty of Our Most High Lord Jesus Christ and of His Most Holy Mother and to persevere in this even to the end; and I beg you, my ladies, and I give you counsel, that you live in this most holy life and poverty always. And guard yourselves very much, lest by the doctrine or counsel of anyone you retreat from this in any manner forever.

On the Privilege of Poverty
For the Foundress and Sisters of the Poor Clares
Pope Gregory IX, Bishop

Gregory, Bishop, Servant of the servants of God, to Our beloved daughers in Christ, Clare and the other handmaidens of Christ gathered together in the Church of San Damiano, in the Diocese of Assisi, health and apostolic benediction.
As has been made manifest, desiring to be dedictated to the Lord alone, having abdicated the appetite for temporal things; on account of which, with all your things sold and payed out to the poor, you propose to have entirely no possessions, cleaving through all (circumstances) to the footprints of Him, who became poor for our sake, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Nor by a proposal of this kind does the want of things terrify you; for the left hand of the heavenly Spouse is beneath your head to sustain the infirm things of your body, which you have girt with a charity arrainged for a covenant of mind. Then, He who feeds the birds of the sky and clothes the lilies of the field shall not faith to feed and clothe you equally, while He Himself, passing by, ministers to you in eternity, when, that is, His right Hand shall embrace you more happily in the plenitude of His Vision. Therefore, just as you have supplicated Us, we strengthen by apostolic favor your proposal for Most High Poverty, indulging you by the authority of the present letters, so that you can be compelled by no one to receive possessions.Therefore to entirely no one of men let it be licit to infringe this page of Our concession and/or with temarious daring to contravene it. Moreover, if any has presumed to attempt this, let him know that he shall incure the indignation of the Omnipotent God, and of His blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul. Given at Perugia, on the fifteenth day before the Calens of October, in the second year of Our pontificate.

The English translation is from the Franciscan Archive http://www.franciscan-archive.org/bullarium/sicmanif.html