having asked him to choose one of the Rules already approved by the Church, he had returned to his friars at Notre Dame de Prouille, and after conferring with them had adopted that of St.
Augustine; Honorius therefore was not sparing of privileges for him.

It is hardly possible that Ugolini did not try to use the influence of his example with St.Francis.
The curia saw clearly that Dominic, whose Order barely comprised a few dozen members, was not one of the moral powers of the time, but its sentiments toward him were by no means so mixed as those it experienced with regard to Francis.
To unite the two Orders, to throw over the shoulders of the Dominicans the brown cassock of the Poor Men of Assisi, and thus make a little of the popularity of the Brothers Minor to be reflected upon them, to leave to the latter their name, their habit, and even a semblance of their Rule, only completing it with that of St.Augustine, such a project would have been singularly pleasing to Ugolini, and with Francis's humility would seem to have some chance of success.
One day Dominic by dint of pious insistance induced Francis to give him his cord, and immediately girded himself with it.

"Brother," said he, "I earnestly long that your Order 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.