New-York daily tribune., 1858-02-05
.,,~ ,,,,o, ~ continued without the danger Of
Mw ci'y csnno. vo -. and NV ssk have not force

teo Su' ~ w" - ND 90 alone 70 seek a pnce 9'
,s,,remsnt. and would afterwsi1 r.'u," naosoi ~ ~
~ - ~ icnnaAa aaseuted ~ TINS p'Vp''"'. ,...,
fearo oe the RE OF hermit, II was necessary
In ototi 70 .n.son Of the Pope. Accorciney, ran
Gge',nTp pP,sn1,s commenced HI ptgilhke " 'S,ae,
seus his way tbther, wh'Tn, CO. man sccnstpmsd 70
maIhs Nes , Ard 70 command service. ln hs way "
spsns ss caIne 20 the celebrated monastery VI on.
.s,a rear Barcelona, ana was nes,y ,S. vas not
eeneS bene Kecol ecting however that this was no'
life be had promi ed TO himself ana lhas,
~. sdorted H. be would not bs able TO return 70 hl'
80 NJ Salamanca lie proceeded on he way 70 hoiie'
where he soon procured the PernsS,on be heard Of
80, issnd not far from that city, N when ne "ouu Y
~ able TO find hermits retreat. Dehgh.eu az AZ WI,
news. he passed over to the island SO" s w o.G ~
th,.e otber h.rmits who there, and chose HY-
60 cen for himself This island was rue oarIen ht-
he crescent shaped rock called Ponza tune honan
poutial thirty-ve miles distant nom oaeta' wHehce
en- clear days, msy be seen ra1uup, rp,nr, os ,ur'tns
retreat of Julis the dssoute daughter oi rususie'
80 q Octov;e the doomed wife OF Nero Ihore he
tarzos took up his abode, deyonng me pnhcaI part
of his time 10 prayer and med,st'on
,ome hours each day in study. In orae5 10 support
I ho~sH he had TO cultivate little garden, labor
-hich mrst have been the Chief means OF securing
sAese poor bermits from insanity Hs cell was 'oi'-
s,abe suberranean cave, from the root OF which tho
water slightly oozed out during the greater part OF the
wear But, his biographer says the drops OF water
Soph not disgust bin with his CELL though tins per-
petusl dripping il OF those things WIN IA Solomon
sescunts sufficient TO make a man quit his house.
The devil who, in these lives of the saints, always
makes a considerable figure, endeavored to render
Francisco diseOntented with hs miserable abode, re-
nndng him Of his good lodgings at Salamanca, ana
IN the most subtle suggesting to HIM that peo-
pe would say he mad. Upon this, the biograPher
makes remark of shrewd common, sense. " Here,
he says "msy be seen how fsr the footracks oi tne
demon went in thus malcously suggesting to the SAM
what would be sad Of him. for TINS ls one OF the mos
active and dihgent agents which the Ev one mas III
all his realm OF sinful motives. Meanwhile the sum-
IN ad on n
fathers ard would not listen TO the suggestions o te
devil Poor youth though he was only hve-and-
twenty years old, he became perfectly gray whIe
6vipq in this wretched hole. At last some fishermen,
who were accustomed every year TO VISIT the hermS,
and 10 bring them little presents, paid VISIT TO the
new hermit and, horifed at the state IN which they
found him. persuaded him to occupy cell in another
part of the island, where he would be more sheltered
Meanwhile, Pedro de Aconada, who had waited ltn-
patiently for some idngs of his friend, and had re-
seved none, entered the DOMINICAN monastery Vi Sh
EsteyaD, in Salamanca.
Francisco de Betanzos at last bethOught him of re-
turning TO his companion Of whore change of life he
knew nothing. On his way TO Salamanca he passed
through his own city of Leon where his rich parents
were residng. There, as he was about TO knock at
the deor Of his fathers house, his father came ont on
horseback, accompanied by his servants. The son
recognized the father, but as might be expected the
father did not recognize his son. tor the love OF
Jesus Christ give charity TO this poor stranger
said Francisco de Betanzos but his father, seeing
ibat the man who asked him aims was gray, yet that
voice "t would be far better for you to seek an en-
ployer and to work than 10 90 about in the dlenes5
OF this vagabond life; and when the master had
passed on the servants were not slow to improve upon
his comments.
Pursuing the route 70 Salamanca, Betanzos was
,eized upon by the alcalde Of town through which
be passed as fit person, IRON ms miserable appear
10 be an execu.oner but he contIvedt to escape
before he had 10 perform any OF the duties OF the ofce
In the course OF the same journey ne came to town
where dwelt prosperous icentiate, whom he and hs
friend Aconada had often assisted when this man was
a poor fellow. student of theirs at college The law,
yer did not recognize his former patron lie declined
10 give Botanzos any aims, but pressed good auVlce
upon him with much vehemence. Inc saint, without
making himself known, proceeded on his way: Wneh
he arrived at Salamanca he found that his friend re-
dro de Aconada, had entered the monastery OF san
Eeteyan in that city. On learning TINS lntelngehce,
Betanzos felt strong inclination to return to M cave,
and finish his life there, without making himself KNOWN
in Salamanca. Still, lie wished to see his trend ono
more and 50, day, ne went to the convent AT IN
hour they wont 10 give out t1od TO the poor an
took his place among them. The brother whose uutl
II was TO administer this charity saw that there was
difference between Betanzos and the other poor meu
Studying his countenance attentveiy ne came 10 LeG
olect who he was having often seen ana WIkeu WIN
him when he was a student. The monk sald nothing,
but went back into the convcnt aud, when ne was
among his brethren exclaimed, " Betanzos Hetan-
zos is at the porters lodge with the poor Pedo dc
Acouada and the rest of the brothers rushed ont to
see; they embraced the stranger, and welcomed nm
with the utmost Joy; reclohed him and comorted
men to hear some lie told them OF his Journeys
and of his residence as hermit in the desert island
from whence he said he had returned only that he
might bring his friend to enjoy the same kind OF
Ife A cell was given him in the monastery for few
days. The two friends had frequent talk together.
Each magnifed the profession he had taken up
Pedro dc AcOnada contended that life spent III ihe
obedience which a community requires was more ser
yicesble to God than e.spent III eotude Betan-
zos replied by alleging the sanctty OF several "t the
great hcrns aud among others, OF his tavorlte SAINT
Mary Magdaen. TOthis Aconada welrepied Moth
ing is so valuable in the esteem OF man a. liberty.
Now the solitary does what he likes in the desert, but
he who is one of community lives by the Will oil an
other having resigned his own After other argu-
Dents, concluded by quotation from - tho Angenc
Doctor" who says that, although solitary lie is
perfect fer those who are already in the way OF
perfection, yet, for those who are but beginners the
life of obedience in q community s better The hil-
mihty Of BetanZos would not allow any other reply
than that Of owning that ne defeated in the
troversy, and that he willing 10 enter into the
monastery OF San Estevan if the brethren would re.
ceiye him. They did so with Joy, and the conventual
name OF Domingo was given to him.
In the year 1919, before Brother Domingo had be-
come a monk, Pedro de CGrdOva, Antonio MontesinO
and other Domincans from the monastery OF San Es-
tevaD, had gone to st. Domingo in Hispanioa. The
monks in the Indies kept up correspondence with
their brethren at Salamanca. Brother Domingos
active soul was soon inspired with wish TO partske
the abors of his brethren in foreign parts and gam
ing permission for this journey he set of for the In
dies, accompanied by lay brother
We close our extracts with description Of
CONvENTUAL LIFE IN MEXICO.
The extreme attention which these orders on their
hrst establishment in the Indies gave to the precept,
OF their founders, may be seen in the mode of life
ADOPTED IN the Dominican Convent Of which Betanzos
was the head; The dress Of the monks linen
tunic, over which came a coarse serge robe. Even
these miserable clothes were not 20 be washed unless
the preate gave pernns'on The furniture of the cell
Correspondcd with the poverty of the dress The bed.
ding consisted of a mat and two blankets. The pillow