WRITERS

He is deservedly counted among the foremost doctors of our Order; for he surpassed all others in time and excelled them in wisdom. How he entered the Religious life Joined the Franciscan Order, and in that state taught those two most brilliant lights of the Church, Bonaventure and Thomas Aquinas, we have related more extensively in its proper place (Volume 1 of the Annals, year 1245). Since he was easily the Prince of Theologians in that age, and his writings in the scholastic discipline clearly surpassed all those published up to that time in method, order, and even in subtlety and solidity by many degrees, he was the first—by order of Pope Innocent IV—to reduce the sum of all scholastic theology into nearly that form and method which exists now. He beautifully distributed it into four volumes with excellent arrangement and singular judgment. Furthermore, this work, having been commended by Innocent and examined and approved by seventy of the most diligent theologians, was proposed by Alexander IV to be taught in all Academies. To solidly grasp the doctrine of this most famous man, the Summary of Resolutions by the same author is very useful, which Prosper of Urbino, a man of sharp judgment, reduced into order and a compendium. Alexander wrote many things learnedly and clearly on almost every subject, from which I find listed by others:

A Postil A marginal note or short commentary on all the books of the Bible.
Commentaries on the Pentateuch of Moses.
On Joshua.
On the books of Judges.
On the books of Kings.
On Job.
On the Psalms, which appeared in the infancy of printing without a location or year of impression, and later in Venice in the year 1496 in folio at the shop of Johannes and Gregorius de Gregoriis, and later in the same place in the year 1546. Possevino reports it is falsely attributed to Hugh of St. Cher original: "Hugoni a S. Theodorico".
On Ecclesiastes. A manuscript is held in the Library of the Minors at Mirepoix.
On Isaiah.
On Jeremiah.
On Ezekiel.
On Daniel.
On the twelve minor Prophets. Manuscripts are held in the Ambrosian Library.
On the Gospels, in four books. Manuscripts are held in the Ambrosian Library in Milan.
On all the epistles of Saint Paul the Apostle. They exist partly in manuscript at Oxford in the public library. Possevino writes that he saw in Rome, in the possession of Cardinal Sarnano, four manuscript volumes by this author on Mark, Luke, and all the epistles of Paul, a copy of which is held in the aforementioned Ambrosian Library.
On the epistle to the Romans, separately. Beginning: I will announce to you what has been expressed.
On the Apocalypse. These commentaries appeared in Paris by the care and study of the Reverend Father John de la Haye at the shop of Antoine Bertier in the year 1647.
Concordance of both Testaments.
Lectures on the Bible.
On the mysteries of the Church. Beginning: To what end does England tend? original: "Anglia quo tandem tendit"
The Summa of Theology. Four books, reprinted many times. A manuscript exists at Cesena in the Library of the Minors.
A Short Summary of Resolutions; Which work Prosper of Urbino reduced into a Compendium.

Questions on the 4 books of the Sentences, Sentences: The "Four Books of Sentences" by Peter Lombard, the standard textbook for medieval theology students. in manuscript at Oxford in New College, at Cambridge in Peterhouse original: "Collegio sancti Petri", and twice at Cesena in the Library of the Minors. They were published at Lyon in the year 1515.
Summa on the Virtues. See our judgment on this elsewhere (Volume 1 of the Annals, year 1245, number 22). A manuscript is held at Toulouse in the Library of the College of Foix. It was published in Paris in 1509 and elsewhere.
A Compendium of Sacred Theology, in seven books. Containing the contents of the Old and New Law. I have in my possession a manuscript written in the year 1405.
Lectures on the Sentences, in four books.
An Interrogatory for the guidance of souls.
Sermons to the people.
The Great Mariale, in six books. Concerning Mary, the most excellent mother.
On the Sacrament of Penance.
On Negligence.
A Declaration on the Rule of the Minors. Beginning: To the Reverend Father in Christ.
Questions on the Soul. A manuscript exists at Cambridge in Peterhouse. A small manuscript work is held in the Vatican Library under this title:
A Question on the Theology of Alexander of Hales; and another titled:
A Question on the Character. Referring to the "sacramental character" or indelible mark left by certain sacraments.
On the Metaphysics of Aristotle. Published at Venice in the year 1572 by Simon Galignani in folio, but some attribute this work to Alexander of Alexandria.
On Exotic Words. In the beginning of this booklet are these words:
A Dictionary of Difficult Words. Beginning: Appus stumbles in Phalaris. original: "Cespitat in Phalaris Appus"
A Treatise in which he proves the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin.
The Life of Saint Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas Becket
The Life of King Richard, and many other things.
Antonius Possevino, under the entry Alexander the Englishman and the entry Alexander of Hales, seems to doubt whether that learned and profitable work called the Destroyer of Vices original: "Destructorium vitiorum" belongs to him. And indeed Pits, in his Appendix of English Writers, attributes it to Alexander the Englishman and says it appeared in Venice in the year 1582. My own codex, printed in Nuremberg in the year 1496 by Anton Koberger, says at the end that the work was composed by a certain son of a carpenter, who out of humility wished to keep his name secret. Thus it does not seem to be the offspring of Hales, nor can one know for certain to whom it should be ascribed.
Hales died in the year 1245. He was buried in Paris in the Great Convent of his Order, in the church opposite the Crucifix, with this epitaph attached:

Enclosed within this stone, having attained abundant fame,
The glory of Doctors, the ornament and flower of Philosophers,
Alexander, a man of various writings and their author.
The standard for moderns, the fount of truth, the light for others;
He was the renowned Archdeacon original: "Archilevita" of the English; but of these
Writers of the Clergy, he was made a brother and colleague of the Minors,
One of the poor; yet he was their first Doctor.

If any honor be given to merits, if any be worshiped for virtue,
Prefer this man in your soul; venerate this father.
Do not waste away in idleness, sluggish with filth and fault,
Through the study of Narcissus, the things which this Minor brings back.

ALEXANDER N. wrote in Italian:
A compendious practice of medicine.
ALEXANDER POMELLUS, an Italian from Bologna, wrote...