racteristic. "My children," he said, "would no longer Friars Minors if they became great; if you would have m bring forth fruit, leave them as they are." Edified by ir replies, Ugolino did not, however, abandon his own ws: when he was elevated to the Papacy, he promoted [reat number of both Orders to the Episcopate, as many Forty-two of whom were of the Order of Friars Preachers. The marked preference shown to St. Dominic and his ldren by Cardinal Ugolino was fully shared by Pope norius, as is proved by the renewed favours which he erally poured out at this period in the shape of Briefs and vileges, one of which constituted Dominic the Superior or ster General of the entire Order, an office he had hitherto y held by tacit consent, and which was doubtless formally en him at this time with a view to the assembling of the thren in the General Chapter which was now in conplation. In another decree, dated the 17th of December, s Holiness ratified in perpetuity the gift of the convent of Sixtus to the Order of St. Dominic, for hitherto, owing to : circumstances explained in a previous chapter, it had y been granted to the saint conditionally, pending the clusion of the negotiations with the Gilbertines and the al resignation of their claims. Moreover, in various letters dressed to bishops and other prelates, the Pope made. own his high esteem for the friars and his sense of the nense good they were effecting wherever they were nded. "In these latter days," he says, writing to the chbishop of Tarragona, "when the charity of many has wn cold, we verily believe that God has in His goodness sed up the Order of Friars Preachers not only for the irpation of heresy, but to combat in general whatever is posed to His glory and the salvation of souls."

Cardinal James de Vitry, who lived and wrote in the time St. Dominic, thus describes the Order, and his words are eresting and valuable as giving us the impression of a temporary. "There is in the city of Bologna," he says, new Congregation of Canons Regular, very agreeable to d and man, who serve God under one Superior whom they

obey with fervour, promptness, and humility. Delivered from all temporal cares and living solely on alms, and that only to such an amount as suffices each day for the necessities of a most frugal life, they imitate the poverty of Jesus Christ and despise all superfluities for His love. They sing the Canonical Office according to the Rule of St. Augustine. They follow the studies of the university, and one of their number each day delivers to his brethren a lecture on the Holy Scriptures. What they have learnt and meditated they then preach to others, for according to the will of the Pope, and by his authority, they join to the life of Canons the duty of preachers."2

Another very singular testimony to the esteem in which the founder of the Friars Preachers was held, is to be found in a Brief addressed by Honorius to various religious of the Order of Vallombrosa, those of St. Victor, and others, giving them leave to quit their solitude and employ themselves in active labours for the salvation of souls, provided always that without laying aside the habit of their respective Orders, they place themselves under the direction of Brother Dominic and obey him in all things connected with the ministration of God's Word.3

The exact time spent by St. Dominic at Rome is uncertain, but it is probable that it was from thence that he despatched letters convoking the assembly of the first Chapter General of the Order, which was appointed to meet at Bologna on the feast of Pentecost, 1220, not four years from the date of the confirmation of the Order. Having therefore taken every measure in his power for the good government of the Roman communities, the saint set out some time early in the new year on his return to Bologna, that he might prepare all things for the reception of the brethren who were coming to take part in this important assembly.

Flaminius tells us that on his road he stopped at a certain place in the diocese of Orvieto, called St. Christina,

2 Jac. Vit. Hist. Occid. c. 17, ap. Echard, t. i. p. 24.

Bull. Ord. FF. Præd. t. i. p. 10.

ST. D

where there lived a hospitality to any of accordingly entertai showed him every reward. For a ter country soon afterwa were completely lai entirely destroyed, th ng: a favour he did of heaven which had hospitality shown to

Thus passing or probable that the firs was that of the dea place in the Februa bereavement, deep as on the page of histo

ere there lived a gentleman whose custom it was to give pitality to any of the friars who passed that way. He ordingly entertained St. Dominic with much joy, and wed him every kindness, and his charity met with its -ard. For a terrible tempest visiting that part of the ntry soon afterwards, the fields and vineyards all around e completely laid waste by the hail, and their fruits. irely destroyed, the lands of this gentleman alone escap: a favour he did not hesitate to ascribe to the blessing heaven which had been bestowed on him in return for the pitality shown to the servant of God.

Thus passing on he arrived at Bologna, where it is bable that the first news which greeted him on his arrival s that of the death of Reginald of Orleans, which took ce in the February of 1220; but the sorrow of this eavement, deep as it must have been, has left no traces the page of history.

t Chapter it was decreed by common consent that a neral Chapter should be held every year, at Bologna and ris alternately, in such sort, however, as that the Chapter the ensuing year should be held at Bologna. It was also ained that henceforth our brethren should hold no possions or revenues, and that they should renounce those ich they held in the neighbourhood of Toulouse. Many er things were also there ordained which are observed to s day."

This extremely meagre account is supplemented by the rative of Theodoric of Apoldia, who writes as follows: n this Chapter, presided over by the venerable Father, ster Dominic, by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and h the consent of the illustrious men whom he had hered together, were laid the foundations of the laws of - Order. The chief foundation-stone thereof was the igation of Evangelical poverty. In fact, by a perpetual tute, they agreed to give up all possessions and temporal enues, renouncing even those granted to them at Toulouse, 1 preferring the poverty of Christ to the riches of the yptians. After this the humble servant of Christ, who sided over the Chapter, said to the assembled brethren : deserve only to be dismissed from my office, for I have wn cold and remiss, and am no longer of any use.' Thus who was above them all, both by his sanctity and his hority, humbled himself before all.

"But as the brethren absolutely refused to accept his gnation, he decided with their consent, that definitors. uld be appointed, who should have power both over him I over the whole Chapter, to define, decree, and ordain all gs so long as the Chapter should last, the authority of Master General continuing unchanged after its consion. Moreover, in order to extirpate those abuses which ht spring up as weeds, and to plant the germs of all ue, it was further decreed that the Chapter General uld be held every year."

It would have been of interest to have known more ticularly what were the "other things" of which Jordan