history, the Albigenses being slaughtered by
thousands and their property confiscated wholesale.

During this time, it is the judgment of the most recent Protestant
writer on St Dominic that, though keeping on good terms with Simon de
Montfort, the leader, and praying for the success of the crusaders' arms
during the battle of Muret, "yet, so far as can be seen from the
sources, Dominic took no part in the crusade, but endeavoured to carry
his spiritual activity on the same lines as before. The oldest
trustworthy sources know nothing of his having exercised the office of
Inquisitor during the Albigensian war" (Grutzmacher). This verdict of a
fair-minded and highly competent Protestant church historian on the most
controverted point of Dominic's career is of great value. His method was
to travel over the country on foot and barefooted, in extreme poverty,
simplicity and austerity, preaching and instructing in highways and
villages and towns, and in the castles of the nobility, controverting
and discussing with the heretics. He used often to organize formal
disputations with Albigensian leaders, lasting a number of days. Many
times plots were laid against his life. Though in his ten years of
preaching a large number of converts were made, it has to be said that
the results were not such as had been hoped for, and after it all, and
after the crusade, the population still remained at heart Albigensian. A
sense of failure appears in Dominic's last sermon in Languedoc: "For
many years I have exhorted you in vain, with gentleness, preaching,
praying and weeping. But according to the proverb of my country, 'where
blessing can accomplish nothing, blows may avail.' We shall rouse
against you princes and prelates, who, alas, will arm nations and
kingdoms against this land ... and thus blows will avail where blessings
and gentleness have been powerless." The threat that seems to be
conveyed in these words, of trying to promote a new crusade, was never
carried out; the remaining years of Dominic's life were wholly given up
to the founding of his order.

The Order of Dominicans grew out of the little band of volunteers that
had joined Dominic in his mission among the Albigenses. He had become
possessed with the idea of addressing wider circles and of forming an
order whose vocation should be to preach and missionize throughout the
whole world. By 1214 the nucleus of such an institute was formed round
Dominic and was known as the "H