rapidly spreading th how urgent was the Preachers in all the oppose themselves as In many of the plac of his various journ prepared the way for umber of the breth of new subjects gai Bologna now permit and several bands of of this and the ensu the foundations mad Milan, Bergamo, Ast and Placentia. Thos accepted their assigna well knowing that, as the disciples whom he the power of God was Such was the fervour the brethren, that w subjects for undertaki ships or suffering, th offered themselves exc who remained at Bolog Perceiving how great Reginald among the resolved to send him to of the scholastic life of to make Bologna his has occupy the most Command the two grea Blessed Jordan does not Nas a sorrowful one, an saint seemed to be de begun. "Having come Dominic sent Master R grief of those children dly spreading their pestilential errors, the saint had seen - urgent was the necessity for planting communities of achers in all the cities of Northern Italy, that they might ose themselves as a phalanx against the attacks of heresy. many of the places which he had visited in the course his various journeys between France and Italy, he had pared the way for foundations to be made as soon as the ber of the brethren would allow. The large accession new subjects gained since the coming of Reginald to ogna now permitted him to undertake some of these, several bands of religious were sent out in the course his and the ensuing year. Echard enumerates among foundations made or decided on at this time, those of an, Bergamo, Asti, Verona, Florence, Brescia, Faenza, Placentia. Those chosen for these important missions pted their assignations not only with obedience, but joy, knowing that, as Jordan writes, the holy Father followed disciples whom he sent forth with his prayers, and that power of God was with them to bless their work. And was the fervour which at that time was found among brethren, that when there was question of choosing ects for undertakings which involved any special hards or suffering, the number of those who voluntarily ed themselves exceeded what was required. For those remained at Bologna a far harder sacrifice was reserved. eiving how great a work had been accomplished by nald among the students of the university, Dominic ved to send him to Paris, then the very heart and centre e scholastic life of Christendom. As he himself purposed ake Bologna his own place of residence, they would occupy the most important posts in the Order, and nand the two great universities of Continental Europe. ed Jordan does not conceal the fact that the separation sorrowful one, and that in the judgment of some the seemed to be destroying the work so prosperously 1. "Having come to Bologna," he says, "the blessed inic sent Master Reginald thence to Paris, to the great of those children whom the latter had but recently X begotten by the Word of the Gospel, and who wept to see themselves so soon torn from their mother's breast. But all these things happened by the Divine will. It was something wonderful to see how the servant of God, in sending his brethren hither and thither in the world, acted as boldly and unhesitatingly as if he had been already certain of the future, or had received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. And who shall dare to say that it was not so? He had with him at first but few brethren, and those for the most part simple and unlettered men, and he separated them, scattering them through the Church, so that to the children of this world, who judged according to their own prudence, he seemed to be pulling down what had been begun, rather than to be building up." But the supernatural wisdom of the holy founder was justified by the result. Reginald departed to Paris to communicate to the population of that great capital the same burning flame he had kindled at Bologna; and Dominic himself remained at St. Nicholas, as the centre whence he could direct and govern the foundations of Italy. If this demanded a sacrifice, by none could it have been more sensibly felt than by himself, for he was parting from his child of predilection, and in this life the Father and his beloved disciple were never to meet again. But before Reginald took his departure he had committed one of his penitents to the direction of St. Dominic. Diana D'Andalo had already made the acquaintance of the saint on the occasion of his first visit to Bologna; she now became his spiritual daughter, "and loved him with her whole heart, committing to him the care of her salvation." He recognized in her one of those rare souls that are sometimes to be found, as richly adorned with the gifts of nature as with those of grace. She confided to him her desire of consecrating herself to God, and approving of her resolution, he consented to receive her vows, permitting her for a time to remain in her father's house and make no change in her exterior life. It was, therefore, in the convent church and before the altar of St. Nicholas that Diana took her irre CHAPTER XXVI. REGINALD IN PARIS. 1219, 1220. THEY were no new scenes which met the eye of Reginald of Orleans when, at the end of his long foot journey, he found himself at the gate of St. James's convent, in the September of the year 1219. There had been a time when every street in the great capital had been like a home to him, who first won honour and renown among the schools on Mont St. Geneviève. And though eight years at least had passed since he closed his university career, he soon found that he was not forgotten in Paris. Many days had not elapsed before it was rumoured abroad that the white-robed friar who now appeared in the pulpit of Notre Dame was the same Master Reginald whose reputation as a professor of canon law was still held in honourable memory; and at once masters and scholars gathered together to hear him. “With unwearied fervour," says Blessed Jordan, "he preached Jesus Christ, and Him crucified," and never had his eloquence been felt more captivating or more irresistible. Not a few of those who crowded round his pulpit sought him out in his convent and placed the direction of their consciences in his hands, and among these was Jordan of Saxony. The work in his soul which had been begun by Dominic was completed by Reginald, and he at length resolved to enter the Order, believing (as he says) that he should find therein that way of salvation concerning which he had so often deliberated. But before taking the final step he desired to win over to a similar resolution one bound to him in ties of holy and tender friendship, who was then studying theology at the university of of Holy Writ. The ence, we noticed a rote to me, saying, |