Ixvi. PROLEGOMENA. 



5. MENDICANT ORDERS. About the middle of 

 the 12tb century, the Beuedictine and other monasteries 

 havinjT grown very rich in lands, in learned libraries, and 

 in properly in general ; and riches always tending to 

 weaken the energies of the Christian character; it pleased 

 God to raise up a new Order of Religious, for the greater 

 glory of the church and the preservation of the true spirit 

 of Christian poverty' : and in the persons of St. Francis 

 of Assisium and of St. Dominie of Calaruega, w ho were 

 almost cotemporaries, were found characters fitted for the 

 work of instituting Orders more completely in this spirit, 

 and who, possessing no actual property, were called 

 Mendicant. The Carmelites were soon after formed into 

 an Order of the same kind, as were the Hermits of St. 

 Augustine, and so great did the influence of these four 

 Orders become in latter ages, that it often occurred that 

 the four quarters of cities became named after them; thus 

 in London, we have still the names Black Friars, Grey 

 Friars, White Friars, and Austin Friars. These Orders 

 followed more or less the rule of St. Au.stin, with their 

 own peculiarities, observed the most severe mortifications, 

 and underwent several reformations of unparalleled aus- 

 terity. They may be thus divided — 



I. Franciscan Friars, or Grey Friars, called also 

 Friars Minors, observing the Order of St. Francis of 

 Assisium, their founder, in 120.5, and approved by 

 ♦Pope Innocent III. in 1210, together with the 

 Order of St. Dominic. The Rule of St. Francis 

 was revived by himself, and submitted to the fourth 

 Council of Lateran, approved by a bull of Ho- 

 norius III. in 1223, and confirmed by Innocent 

 IV. This, the First Order, continued to increase, 



* This Pope is believed to be the author of the hymn 

 r t-Td Sancfe Spiriiiis. 



