The Irish republic. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1867-18??, 1867-05-18
A Benedictine Monastery.

description of one abode of the Benedictne Monks
Away up in the heart of Italy, the interior road from
Naples Rome, among hills and valleys beautiful
their Glad plendor, rises strange sugaroaf hill eight
hundred feet high known to fame Monte Casino Its
summit is covered with vast of buildings presenting
the from below the appearance of small fortified city
The approach to it is by road which winds zgzag line
the almost perpendicular side of the HILL making dozen
twenty sharp angles back and forth before it ends in the low
achway through the massive walls which One who has
accomplished the difficult ascent into the great Convent
Benedicnes For this the of that wealthy and
powerful order of monks and this day the
splendid of the religious houses of Europe.
The day half gone when drove into the little viii
age the foot of the hill The soish
host himself and could make what mdding place
to ordinary travellers Massassot Profile House his
special employer for the time While he made the ladies
Portable at the nn assembled the hill foot although
at hand and the wind blowing almost hurricane
along the sides of the steep ascent.
have great many fine buildings, grand ruins
but know of no place where impressed with the
grandeur of everything than this old pile Perhaps it
of my respect for the order whose wealth had
structed it. For among the oos my library shelves there
is series of volumes that have given employment
and than the grand old A the Deeds of the Order
of ST. Benedict.
Let remind you, if you have perchance forgotten it,
the majesty of that great order Founded in times by the
distinguished priest whose it BEARS it enrolled in its
ranks the most lustrious of thousand years. They
the instructors of all the youth for centuries They
served for all the treasures of ancient classics by their dill
gent aborous copying From them sprang Csercan
the Carthusans the Monks of ST. Bernard the Tappis aid
dozen other ORDERS all branches Of the order of St. Benedict
More than twenty popes, bishops and nearly fifty
thousand of the canonzed saints of the Roman Church. ncud
ing the great St Bernard and many others like him.
the BenedictineS
From this brief summary of their history you may believe
when say that they have former years. swayed the des
MES of the world the who began life in these quiet cells
walking this ancient Some have the of
mail under the monks gown and swinging swords with
right have done services for the and church
hard fought fields Some have gone long travel into dis
lands unamed without shoes scrip vaantly bearing
the sacred symbol into heather countries with protection
but its own mission OF peace and love- They succored the
poor they supported the anng they shrved the dying They
received princes their birth and baptized them for
the struggles of life they leaned above the dying old monarch
and anonted them for the slumber of universal equality
They Popes Cardinals Bishops Priests Monks and
There land into which they did not penetrate
language which they speak palace magnificent
to receive them hut owy that they shank from enter
ing it with the mission of Christ
am Roman Catholic, but do honor the history of
devoted in church. and he than heather
who refuses recognize that which Chrske in humanity
whether under Dominican cow the gown of Lutheran,
the plaid of COvenanter.
The convent is in extent but peOped with only
thirty forty monks fortunate in meeting of
ceedng pleasant and evnced the kndest desire
to show all that to be in the buildings He
accomplished gentleman and seemed to take pleasure in
escortng through the place. 1t the church that
fingered longest for it without exception the
interior in Europe or the world am astonshed that it has
escaped the eyes of many travellers The surface of all
the walls columns and in short the entire interior except the
pavement of unboken Florentine mosaic The
Scan aspers comedian and agaes distributed with spen-
did effect The columns supporting the archiave Il think
that's the world of white MARBLE but there white
marble visible excepta wreath of roses ascending pray which
is carved relief All the rest of the column covered with
jasper and splendid in exquisite mosaic around which
the white wreath be entwined.
q will send for Fra Bartoomeo, and will have some
music" said my kind guide
have since referred the authorities and find that the
organ in this convent church ranked the second in the
world in Sicily alone being superior equal to it, sat
down upon pedestal Of of the coumnsthere
other seaand Fra Bartoomeo mot he of ancient fame with
the pencil but certainly rival in producing the effects of
beauty from sound that his great for the sight
from side door, bowed slightly with a sad kind of
smile his pale face and disappeared behud the high
where stood the All silent except the Of
mighty wind that was sweeping over the mountain top
and listened, and solemn stole | began
the knees that had pressed this pavement the
forms that had moved here gown and cow all away
the winds of century after century Thn stole the
air low, sad thrilling note which struggled at first if it
unearhy voice endeavorng TO catch the keynote
suffering 1t sobbed and broke and walled
fully little while and then and sweed until it caught
voice of the wind that laundering the mountain
and like catact let loose into unison with the