268 



MONALDESCHI 



MONASTERY 



the Irish Miiinerhan, ' Monkstown,' a monastery 

 having stood here at a very early date. 



MoNAiiiiAN, the county town, is 70 miles NN\V. 

 of Dublin by rail. The town, which returned two 

 meml .ei - to the Irish parliament, is still the centre of 

 some trade in agricultural produce, and can boa-t 



several public buildings of isidenible ]iretensions, 



among which are the Catholic college and church, 

 the infirmary, and national model school. Pop. 

 ( 1861 ) 3910 ;"( 1891 ) 2938. See Evelyn P. Shirley's 

 History of t/ie County of Motiaghan ( 1877-80). 



Monahlcsclii. See CHRISTINA. 



Monarchy ((-r. monarchia, from mono.?, 'alone,' 

 and nrr/in. 'I govern;' literally, the government 

 of a single individual) is that form of government 

 in a community by which one person exercises 

 the sovereign authority; see GOVERNMENT. For 

 Monarchianism, see UNITARIANS. 



Monastery, a class of structures which arose 

 in the middle ages to meet the requirements of the 



firoved by documents that these buildings were at 

 lir-t constructed somewhat after the plan of a 

 it, .Linn IUIII^ P| or rather of ft R"""^u.nillaor country-^ 

 Jiouse.y Heeorcls of anlieys as early BH UlU /Hi 

 ceTttiWy show that the arrangements were similar 

 then to those of the 12th century. The cloister, 



Cistercian Abbey-Model Plan. 



which formed the inner court appropriated to the 

 monks, resembles the peristyle of the Kom;i7i 

 mansion. The latter was the part of the dwelling 

 e.niiiininicaiiMg with tlic> private apartments of the 

 family, just as the doi-tcr communicated with the 

 refectory, dormitorr, and other apartments u-ed 

 liy the 'monks and not entered by the public. 

 There was also in the monasteries, as in the Roman 

 villas, an outer courtyard, in which were situated 

 the various stores, granaries, workshops, arid other 

 places rc<|iiireil in connection with both these 

 edifice*. 



Then- was, however, one entirely new element in 

 the moiiatci\ vi/. the church. This was the 

 largest and most iiii|mrtant building, and regu- 

 ! the |Hi-iiion of all the rest. The conventual 

 buildings of every abbev in Britain, France, and 

 Germany are so much destroyed that a complete 



plan cannot lie obtained. Tin' annexed plan 

 is a model one made by Mr K. Sliar)>e. and con- 

 tains the results of hi.- careful Investigation of the 

 Cistercian monasteries throughout Kuiopc (m 

 Trims. Jioy, lust, of llritixh Aivliilri'tn. 1S71). In 

 northern climates the cloister was usually situated 

 on the south side of the church, for the sake of the 

 suiisliiueaMil warmth. It was composed of an open 

 courtyard, square or oblong in sha]>e, surrounded 

 by mi open arcade, or co\ ered way. The church 

 funned the north side, ami on the east side was 

 situated the chapt>i house, with the monks' dor- 

 mitory over it. The latter was thus in immediate 

 communication with the chinch, and conveniently 

 placed for the monks' attendance at tin- sen ices 

 during the night. The chapter-house in the 

 ci-tercian monasteries was usually divided into 

 three compartments by the pillars Ix-aring the 

 arches. The ablnit's seat was opposite the entrance 

 door, and a stone scat all round accommodated the, 

 monks. The doorway was not closed, and to- 

 gether with an open arch or window on each side 

 of it allowed those in the cloister to hear the dis- 

 ciis-ioiis in the interior. The sacristy is placed on 

 the north side of the chapter-house, with a door 

 from the church. A similar cell or 'parlour' 

 occupies the south side ; then comes a passage or 

 'slype' leading from the cloister to the gnu: 



&c. Beyond this is the 

 fratry or day -room of 

 the monks, a long 

 vaulted apartment run- 

 ning southwards, hav- 

 ing a row of column* 

 in the centre and open 

 windows. 



The south side of the 

 cloisters generally gave 

 access to the refec- 

 toiy, a large, rather 

 ornamental chamlicr, 

 usually with an open 

 wooden roof. It was 

 sometimes placed par- 

 allel and sometime- at 

 right angles to the 

 cloister. ()p)M>site the 

 door to the refectory 

 and in a vaulted recess 

 Mood a fountain or 

 ha-in where the monks 

 might wash. Adjoin- 

 ing the refectory were 

 the kitchen and otlices. 

 The former was fre- 

 quently a detached 

 building vith a large 

 number of hearths, 

 each having a sepatate 

 chimney in the roof. 



Along the west side of the cloister, and some- 

 time- extending much farther, lay the hospitium 

 or gue-t-housc. where all travellers were leceived, 

 and the lay-room above, where they were lodged. 

 A \eiy important room in the momu-teiy was the 

 sciiptoriuni or library, in which the MSS. were 

 written and illuminated ; this was situated on the 

 second floor of the' chapter-house. The ablmt's 

 lodge formed a separate edifice, as also did the 

 infirmary. The whole establishment was sur- 

 rounded by a wall, and provided with proper gales 

 and defences. The outer gate gave access to the 

 outer court, in which were situated the work- 

 shops of the various trade-Mien connected with the 

 abbey, and the buildings required in connection 

 with the agricultural employments of the lay 

 brethren. 

 Such were the arrangements of the Cistercian 



