Introduction

Divisio (see above) 1) First part: definition of almsgiving: elemosina est opus, ex quo datur aliquid indigenti, ex compassione, propter Deum (reference to Thomas Aquinas); (pseudo)etymology of the word elemosina deriving from “Eli” (= God) and “mois” (= water), so elemosina = “water of God” because it is as necessary to the poor as water is to human life. 2) Second part: almsgiving has six “ornaments”, i.e. six necessary conditions: 1. "Gratiositas": one must give alms with a happy heart, in fact hilarem datorem diligit Deus (2 Cor 9, 7). If you give alms willingly and with a happy heart, you will be rewarded (exemplum: story of the generous poor man and his rich and miserly neighbour, from Vita dei santi Padri); 2. “Largitade”, i.e. generosity; 3. “Proprietade”: one must give alms from one's own hard-earned goods; 4. “Liberalitade”: one must give alms free from personal interests. Caracciolo addresses women and warns them against "false almsgiving", typical of women who "give alms" to obtain something in return. The fifth and sixth “ornaments” are not described: «Or bastano questi quattro ornamenti de elemosina per la seconda parte» (“Now, these four ornaments are enough for the second part”). 3) Third part: five rewards for giving alms: 1. Multiplication of temporal goods (exemplum: 1 King 17, 16 generosity of the widow with the prophet Elijah); 2. Victory over enemies; 3. Dei placatio, i.e. appeasement of God’s wrath (many exempla in Exodus); 4. Peccatorum purgatio, i.e. forgiveness of sins («just as water quenches a burning fire, so almsgiving quenches sin» [reference to Ecclesiastes 3, 33]; exemplum: Nebuchadnezzar obtains forgiveness of his sins by giving alms [cf. Daniel 4,24]); 5. Vite eterne condonatio, i.e. obtaining eternal life: «almsgiving, although men give it on earth and it seems thrown away, in reality germinates and bears fruit in heaven». Biblical reference: Elemosina enim liberat a morte, et ipsa est que purgat peccata et facit invenire vitam eternam [Toby 4, 11]).