and mine might unite to form one sole and
same institute[37] in the Church." But the Brother Minor wished to
remain as he was, and declined the proposition. So truly was he inspired
with the needs of his time and of the Church that less than three years
after this Dominic was drawn by an irresistible influence to transform
his Order of Canons of St. Augustine into an order of mendicant monks,
whose constitutions were outlined upon those of the Franciscans.[38]

A few years later the Dominicans took, so to speak, their revenge, and
obliged the Brothers Minor to give learning a large place in their work.
Thus, while hardly come to youth's estate, the two religious families
rivalled one another, impressed, influenced one another, yet never so
much so as to lose all traces of their origin--summed up for the one in
poverty and lay preaching, for the other in learning and the preaching
of the clergy.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The commencement of the great missions and the institution
of provincial ministers is usually fixed either at 1217 or 1219,
but both these dates present great difficulties. I confess that
I do not understand the vehemence with which partisans of either
side defend their opinions. The most important text is a passage
in the 3 Soc., 62: _Expletis itaque undecim annis ab inceptione
religionis, et multiplicatis numero et merito fratribus, electi
fuerant ministri, et missi cum aliquot fratribus quasi per
universas mundi provincias in quibus fides catholica colitur et
servatur._ What does this expression, _inceptio religionis_,
mean? At a first reading one unhesitatingly takes it to refer to
the foundation of the Order, which occurred in April, 1209, by
the reception of the first Brothers; but on adding eleven full
years to this date we reach the summer of 1220. This is
manifestly too late, for the 3 Soc. say that the brethren who
went out were persecuted in most of the countries beyond the
mountains, as being accredited by no pontifical letter; but the
bull _Cum dilecti_, bears the date of June 11, 1219. We are thus
led to think that the eleven years are not to be counted from
the reception of the first Brothers, but from Francis's
conversion, which the authors might well speak of as _inceptio
religionis_, and 1206 + 11 = 1217. The use of this expression to