602 
ABDALS. 
BTU1>GETIT?8. 
A Recluse. 
A RECLUSE, among the Papists, is a person shut up in a small cell 
of an hermitage or monastery, and cut otF, not only from all conver- 
sation with the world, but even with the house. This' is a kind of 
voluntary imprisonment, from a motive either of devotion or penance. 
The word is also applied to incontinent wives, whom their husbands 
procure to be thus kept in perpetual imprisonment in some religious 
house. Recluses were anciently very numerous. They took an oath 
never to stir out of their retreat, and, having entered it, the bishop 
set his se.d upon the door ; and the recluse had every thing necessary 
for the suj)port of life conveyed through a window. If he v^as a 
priest, he was allowed a small oratory, with a window which looked 
into the church, through which he might make his offerings at the 
mass, hear the singing, and answer those who spoke to him ; but 
this window had curtains before it, so that he could not be seen. He 
was allow'ed a little garden, adjoining to his cell, in which he might 
plant a few herbs, and breathe a little fresh air. If he had disciples, 
their cells were contiguous to his, with only a window of communica- 
tion, through which they conveyed necessaries to him, and received 
his instructions. If a recluse fell sick, his door might be opened for 
persons to come in and assist him, but he himself was not to stir out. 
Abdals. 
The Abdals are a kind of saints, in the Eastern countries, supposed 
to be inspired to a degree of madness. This word comes, perhaps, 
from the Arabic Abdallah^ the servant of God. The Persians call 
them, devaneh khodes^ similar to the Latins’ way of speaking of their 
prophets and sibyls, q. d. furentes deo, raging with the god. They 
are often carried by excess of zeal, especially in the Indies, to run 
about the streets, and kill all they meet of a different religion, of which 
travellers furnish many instances. The English call this “ running 
a muck,” from the name of the instrument, a sort of poniard, which 
they employ on these desperate occasions. If they are killed before 
they have done much mischief, they reckon it highly meritorious, and 
are esteemed by the vulgar, martyrs for their faith. 
Bridgetins. 
These were a religious order, denominated from their founder 
St. Bridget. The Bridgetins are sometimes also called, the Order of our 
Saviour; it being pretended that Christ himself dictated their rules 
and constitutions to St. Bridget. In the main, the rule is that of 
St. Augustine; only with additions pretended to have been revealed 
by Christ. The first monastery of the Bridgetins’ order was erected by 
the foundress A. D. 1344 in the diocese of Lincopen, on the model of 
which all the rest were formed. The constitution of these houses 
was very singular : though the order was principally intended for 
nuns, who were to pay a special homage to the holy Virgin, there 
were also many friars of it, to minister to them spiritual assistance 
