DOMINIC
107
DOMINIC
offered, they accepted the gage of battle. The thor-
ough training that the saint had received at Palencia
now proved of inestimable value to him in his en-
counters with the heretics. Unable to refute his ar-
guments or counteract the influence of his preaching,
they visited their hatred upon him by means of re-
peated insults and threats of physical \nolence. With
Prouille for his head-quarters, he laboured by turns in
Fanjeaux, Montpellier, Servian, Beziers, and Carcas-
sonne. Early in his apostolate around Prouille the
saint realized the necessity of an institution that
would protect the women of that countiy from the
influence of the heretics. Many of them had already
embraced Albigensianism and were its most active
propagandists. These women erected convents, to
which the children of the Catholic nobility were often
sent — for want of something better — to receive an
education, and, in effect, if not on purpose, to be
tainted with the spirit of heresy. It was needful, too,
that women converted from heresy should be safe-
guarded against the evil influence of their own homes.
To supply these deficiencies, Saint Dominic, with the
permission of Foulques, Bishop of Toulouse, estab-
lished a convent at Prouille in 1206. To this conmiu-
nity, and afterwards to that of Saint Sixtus, at Rome,
he gave the rule and constitutions which have ever
since guided the nuns of the Second Order of Saint
Dominic.
The year 1208 opens a new epoch in the eventful life of the founder. On 15 January of that year Pierre de Castelnau, one of the Cistercian legates, wa; .issas- sinated. This abominable crime precipitated the crusade under Simon de Montfort. which led to the temporary subjugation of the heretics. Saint Dom- inic participated in the stirring scenes that fol- lowed, but always on the side of mercy, wielding the arms of the spirit while others wrought death and desolation with the sword. .Some historians assert that during the sack of Beziers, Dominic appeared in the streets of that city, cross in hand, interceding for the lives of the women and children, the aged and the infirm. This testimony, however, is based upon docu- ments which Touron regards as certainly apocryphal. The testimony of the most reliable histori.ins tends to prove that the saint was neither in the city nor in its vicinity when Bdziers was sacked by the cru.saders. We find him generally during this period following the Catholic army, reviving religion and reconciling here- tics in the cities that had capitulated to, or had been taken by, the victorious de Montfort. It was proba- bly 1 September, 1209, that Saint Dominic first came in contact with Simon de Montfort and fomied with him that intimate friendship which wa.s to last till the death of the brave crusader under the walls of Tou- lou.se (25 June, 1218). We find him by the side of de Montfort at the siege of Lavaur in 1211, and again in 1212, at the capture of La Penne d'Ajen. In the lat- ter part of 1212 he was at Pamiers labouring, at the in\'itation of de Montfort, for the restoration of reli- gion and moralitv. Lastly, just before the battle of Muret. 12 Septem'ber, 1213, the saint is again found in the council that preceded the battle. During the progress of the conflict, he knelt before the altar in the church of Saint-Jacques, praying for the triumph of the Catholic arms. So remarkable was the victory of the crusaders at Muret that Simon de Montfort re- garded it as altogether miraculous, and piously attrib- uted it to the prayers of Saint Dominic. In grati- tude to God for this decisive victorj', the crusader erected a chapel in the church of Saint-Jacques, which he dedicated, it is said, to Our Lady of the Rosarj'. It would appear, therefore, that the devotion of the Rosary (q. v.), which tradition says was revealed to Saint Dominie, had come into general use about this time. To this period, too, has been ascribed the foundation of the Inquisition by Saint Dominic, and his appointment as the first Inquisitor. As both these
much controverted questions will receive special treat-
ment elsewhere in this work, it will suffice for our
present purpose to note that the Inquisition was in
full operation in 1 198, or seven years before the saint
took part in the apostolate in Languedoc, and while
he was still an obscure canon regular at Osma. If
he was for a certain time identified with the operations
of the Inquisition, it was only in the capacity of a
theologian passing upon the orthodoxy of the accused
(see Inqulsition, Sp.\nish). Whatever influence he
may have had with the judges of that ranch maligned
institution was always employed on the side of mercy
and forbearance, as witness the classic case of Ponce
Roger.
In the meantime, the saint's increasing reputation for heroic sanctity, apostolic zeal, and profound learn- ing caused him to be much sought after as a candidate for various bishoprics. Three distinct efforts were made to raise him to the episcopate. In July, 1212, the chapter of Beziers chose him for their bishop. Again, the canons of Saint-Lizier wished him to suc- ceed Garcias de I'Orte as Bishop of Comminges. Lastly, m 1215 an effort was made by Garcias de I'Orte himself, who had been transferred from Com- minges to Auch, to make him Bishop of Navarre. But Saint Dominic absolutely refused all episcopal honours, sajang that he would rather take flight in the night, with nothing but his staff, than accept the epis- copate. From Muret Dominie returned to Carcas- sonne, where he resumed his preaching with unquali- fied success. It was not till 1214 that he returned to Toulouse. In the meantime the influence of his preaching and the eminent holiness of his life had drawn around him a little band of devoted disciples eager to follow w'herever he might lead. Saint Dom- inic had never for a moment forgotten his purpose, formed eleven years before, of founding a religious order to combat heresy and propagate religious truth. The time now seemed opportune for the realization of his plan. With the approval of Bishop Foulques of Toulouse, he began the organization of his little band of followers. That Dominic and his companions might possess a fixed source of revenue Foulques made him chaplain of Fanjeaux and in July, 1215, canon- ically established the community as a religious congre- gation of his diocese, whose mission was the propagation of true doctrine and good morals, and the extirpa- tion of heresy. During this same year Pierre Sella, a wealthy citizen of Toulouse, who had placed himself under the direction of Saint Dominic, put at their dis- posal his own commodious dwelling. In this way the first convent of the Order of Preachers was founded on 25 April, 1215. But they dwelt here only a year when Foulques established them in the church of Saint Romanus. Though the little community had provec' amply the need of its mission and the efficiency of its service to the Church, it was far from satisfying the full purpose of its founder. It was at best but a dio- cesan congregation, and Saint Dominic had dreamed of a world-order that would carry its apostolate tj the ends of the earth. But, unknown to the saint, events were shaping themselves for the realization of. his hopes. In November, 1215, an oecumenical coun- cil was to meet at Rome " to deliberate on the improve- ment of morals, the extinction of heresy, and the strengthening of the faith". This was identically the mission Saint Dominic had determined on for his order. With the Bishop of Toulouse, he was present at the deliberations of this council. From the very first session it seemed that events conspired to brin': his plans to a successful issue. The council bitterly arraigned the bishops for their neglect of preaching. In canon x they were directed to delegate capable men to preach the word of God to the people. Under these circumstances it would reasonably appear that Dom- inic's request for the confirmation of .an order designed to carry out the mandates of the council would be joy-
