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THe yeare of grace 1215. when the first generall Councell was held att Lateran, during the raigne of Pope Innocen∣tius the third, the holy Father S. Dominick was att Rome with the Bishop of Tolous called Falcon, to procure the Popes confirmatiō of
the Order of Preachers which he then intended to institute and estabish: wherof the Pope being by diuine reuelation aduertised, and enformed of the great fruit that this Order should produce vniuersally to the holy Church, att his first vew of S. Dominick, without farther notice of him, incontinently commanded him to retourne vnto Tolouse, and to conferre with his Religious touching the penning of a rule that might be approued by the Church, vnder which his Religion might be con∣firmed. S. Dominick then retourning to Tolouse, and hauing with his Religious implored the diuine assistance, they made election of the rule of S. Augustine, with the name and title of Preachers. The yeare following being 1216. (Honorius the third succeeding Pope In∣nocent the third) retourning to Rome, he demaunded of the Pope that then succeeded, the said confirmation with the Bull and aposto∣licall authority, in vertue wherof to make profession, and with all* 1.1 to adde other constitutions that seemed necessary. All which hauing obtayned, the night ensuying he saw in prayer our Lord IESVS CHRIST att the right hand of God against sinners in an hideous and terrible manner: brandishing three launces in the aire against the world: the first to suppresse the hautines of the proud: the second to disgorge the ouer-stuffed entrailes of the auaricious: and the third to massacre the carnall. There was none that could resist this wrath, but the virgin Mary his most sacred mother, whome he saw most affectiona∣tely to embrace the feet of her sonne, beseeching him to pardon those whome he had redeemed with his precious bloud, and with the mix∣ture of his infinite mercy to delay that his rigorous iustice. Then he heard our Lord thus answeare her: See you not mother how manie iniuryes they doe me? how is it possible that my holy iustice per∣mitt so many enormityes to be vnpunished? His most gracious mo∣ther thus replyed: Thou knowest my deere Sonne, what is the way to conuert sinners vnto thee: but behold here a faithfull seruant of thi∣ne, whome thou mayst presently send into the world to preach thy word to men: that being conu••rted vnto thee their Sauiour they pe∣rish not, and behold there also an other of thy seruantes ready to assist him. Presenting vnto him S. Dominick and S. Francis, with whome he saw God to be satisfied. Now S. Dominick awaking ve∣ry well retayned the markes wherby he might know this his com∣panion, whome he neuer knew before. But the day following, by diuine prouidence he mett S. Francis, who was then in the Church of saint Peter att Rome, whome he incontinently knew by the mar∣kes which he had obserued in the said vision. Then he ran and verie affectionatelie embraced him and said: we shalbe companions and shall labour together in our holie purpose, and neither any man
nor wicked spiritt, shall haue power to preuaile against vs. At length he recounted vnro him the said vision. And after long discourse together, they remayned vnited in God with one hart, will, and spiritt. They commanded the like vnto their brethren: This vi∣sion was imparted vnto the Religious of saint Dominick by saint Francis his meanes, to whome onlie the said saint had recounted the same.
A vision of S. Do∣minick.