It may be a cause of surprise to many that the 'Life of Father Dominic of the Mother of God' has not been published sooner; but this surprise will be diminished when some of the reasons for the delay have been considered. When he died he was very little known in the three kingdoms; in fact, he was known only to those with whom a missionary career of about six years could bring him into contact. He was not in any way a public man further than this, and the public took no interest in his life or history.