M O N A C H I S M. 



639 



uitt, 

 .D. liSt. 



did not use manual labour as a means of subsistence, 

 but resorted in the first instance to mendicity." Men- 

 dicity seems to have made no part of the original rules 

 of the Dominicans, Carmelites, or Hermits of Augus- 

 tine ; and in consequence of the evils attendant on it, 

 the Council of Trent confined mendicity to the Obser- 

 vantines and Capuchins, allowing the other Francis- 

 can establishments, and almost all the establishments 

 of the three other orders, to acquire permanent property. 

 In consequence of the progress of the Reformation, 

 and the loss of influence and authority which the Fran, 

 ciscans and Dominicans had sustained, partly from this 

 event, and partly from their own relaxation and mis. 

 conduct, the Pope was extremely desirous of establish, 

 ing a new order, which should fill their place, dis. 

 charge their duty, and zealously oppose the Protes- 

 tants. At this period, 1534, appeared Ignatius Loyola, 

 a Spanish knight, originally an illiterate soldier, and 

 then a fanatic of most wonderful zeal and talents. In 

 this year he, with ten of his Capuchins, bud the foun- 

 dation of the Society of Jesus, by the vow which they 

 took in the chapel of Montmartre, near Paris. In 154-0 

 and lots, his Institute was approved by Pope Paul 

 III. The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, as they are 

 generally called, hold a middle rank between monks 

 and the secular clerks, approaching nearer to the regular 

 canons than to any other order ; they lived separate 

 from the multitude, and were bound by religious vows ; 

 but they were exempt from stated hours of worship, 

 and other strict observances by which the monks were 

 bound. Their principal duty was to direct the educa- 

 tion of youth, and the consciences of the faithful, and to 

 uphold the cause of the church by their missions, and 

 their pious and learned labour*. They were divided in- 

 to three classes ; the first of which were the professed 

 members. These, besides the ordinary vows of poverty, 

 chastity, and obedience, bound themselves to go, with- 

 out murmur, inquiry, deliberation, or delay, wherever 

 the Pope should think fit to send them ; they were Men- 

 dicants without property. The second class compre- 

 hended the scholars ; these were possessed of large reve- 

 nues ; their duty was to teach in the colleges of the order. 

 The third class comprehended the novices who lived 

 in houses of probation. The secrets of the society were 

 revealed only to a few even of the professed members. 

 In the year 1776, Clement IV. suppressed the Je- 

 suits ; the society, however, was restored in 1814 by a 

 papal bull. 



As the Reformation begun by Luther, was mainly oc- 

 casioned by the grow abuse of monastic establishment* ; 

 so in its earliest stages it brought about their fall in all 

 countries whichembracedthe Protestant Religion. Henry 

 VIII. of England eagerly seised the opportunity of en- 

 riching himself and his favourites by the dissolution of 

 abbeys, monasteries, convents, and all other Catholic es- 

 tablishments ; the monasteries, of different ranks and 

 classes, suppressed; amounted to.3188. Their annual re ve- 

 nue was estimated at the enormous sum (for those days) 

 of L.140,784 ; and the person* they contained are sup- 

 posed to have amounted in number to about 50,000. 

 Monasteries continued in the Catholic countries till 

 the French Revolution swept them away in France 

 and the other countries in which the French gained an 

 absolute sway, and greatly reduced their splendour and 

 power in all the other countries into which the French 

 army penetrated. At present they are partially re- 

 stored ; but their discipline and power are compara- 

 tively very low, and more in conformity to the failings 

 of human nature, a* well a* to the spirit and real in- 



Mona- 



terests of religion. Having thus given a sketch of the 

 origin and history of the rise of monachism, .ind of the 

 different kinds of monks and friars, we shall now pro- 

 ceed to describe the laws and rules that relate to the 

 monastic life, as they respect their dress, diet, manual 

 labour, vows, superintendants, and different officers, &c. 



I. On their admission the monks were obliged to Dress of the 

 change their dress. According to the original rule of monks. 

 Benedict, his disciples were at liberty to adopt the 

 coarse and usual dress of the countries which they might 

 chance to inhabit : and the ancient monks accordingly 

 clad themselves in linen in Egypt, where it was a 

 cheap and domestic manufacture; whereas the western 

 monks used the habit common there, the pallium of 

 the Greek philosophers, which many other Christians 

 in those times did. The ancient tonsure, which was 

 always practised on admission, consisted not in shav. 

 ing the head, but in cutting the hair very short : their 

 heads were wrapt in a cowl, in order that their atten- 

 tion might not be attracted and drawn aside by pro- 

 fane objects : their legs and feet were naked, except in 

 very cold weather ; and they generally made use of a 

 long staff to assist their steps. The anchorites, how- 

 ever, were not so respectable in their appearance ; they 

 never bathed their* limbs, or anointed them with oil: 

 the bare ground, or at most a hard mat, was their bed; 

 and the bundle of palm leaves on which they sat dur- 

 ing the day, served as their pillow at night. In course 

 of time, the different orders of monks and friars were 

 distinguished by their dress : the habit of the regular 

 canons of Augustine was a long black cassoc, with a 

 white socket, and over that a black cloak and hood : 

 they nourished their beards, and wore caps on their 

 head : the habit of the regular canoncjses was of the 

 same colour as the habit of the canons. The habit of 

 the Primonstrabensians was a white cassock, a socket 

 over it, a long white cloak, and a cap of the same co- 

 lour. The Benedictine monks wore a black loose coat 

 or gown, made of stuff, reaching to the heels, a cowl 

 of the same, and a scapulary and under that, another 

 habit, as large as the former, made of white flannel, 

 with boots on their legs. The Benedictine nuns had 

 a black robe and scapulary, and under these a tunic of 

 white or undyed wool ; but during their attendance at 

 the choir they wore a bUck cowl, similar to that of 

 the monks. The Cistertian or Bernarcline monks had 

 the appellation of White Monks, from wearing a white 

 cassock, with a narrow scapulary ; when abroad they 

 wore a black gown, but when attending the church, a 

 white one : the nuns of the order wore habits of the 

 same colour as those of the monks. 1'he Dominicans, 

 when abroad, wore a black cloak and hood over their 

 white vestments, and in their convents they wore a 

 white cloak and hood. The Franciscans were called 

 Cireyfriars from the colour of their garment; their 

 habit was a loose gown, reaching to the ancle, with a 

 cowl and a cloak of the same ; when they went abroad, 

 they were barefooted, and girt themselves with cords. 

 The dress of the Carmelite friars was a coat and sea- 

 pulary of hair colour, with a white cloak and hood. 

 The crossed or crutched friars anciently carried a 

 cross fixed to a staff in their hand ; but afterwards they 

 substituted a cross of red cloth upon their back : their 

 habit was of a blue colour. The Augustine friars wore 

 a white garment and scapulary ; but when in the choir 

 or abroad, they wore a black cowl, with a huge hood, 

 and were girt with a black leather thong. 



II. The rule of St. Benedict, founded on that of Diet. 

 Pachomius, prescribed the original diet of the monks : 



