Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-03-09

mas uellHillcu llTluCclN SstiOOuS NiiS
previous night, perhaps. The sun
falls i'm soft radiance over the quiet
scene, lighting up the flowers, and
creepers, aud ferns on the gray walls,
till they look like floating tapestry of
some kingly hall. The hymn echoes
through the arches, far away into the
tangled grove beyond. 1t Is sunsetere
the procession Tetires chanting its
"Aiiserere," and as it glides out of the
ruin, through which the rising moon
begins TO shine, the moving figures
seem to be the very shades of martyrs
and confessors of days of yore; and
the echo of their awful chant dies in
the black arches like groan.
The regular orders, such as the
Jesuits, the Benedictines, the DOmin-
leans, and the Franciscans, require
particular description, and only a
very inadequate sketch can be given
i'm the compass of this paper. The
first in precedence is the order of St.
Benedict, the father of monks. 1t is
most ancient, and devoted to the best
uses-thoSe of literature and educa-
ton. AS Mr.. Lecky justly shows i'll
his "History of Morals" they were
the preservers of art, science, and let
tiers in an age of barbarism. A some
what good idea may be formed OF the
order at work if l describe visit TO
their headquarters, Su1iaco. For, al
though Monte Casino is regarded rs
the mother house, it is not the work
ing house. Aged monks, like the
venerable savant Padre Tosta, retire
there to end their days. 1t has won
DIR US library of manuscripts, and pos
sesses great architectural Attractions
Santa Scholastica is interesting as the
| headquarters of the Reformed Bene-
dictines. Here the energetic Casaret-
I to, separating himself from the apa-
/ thetic monks at st. Paurs outside the
I Wall, who d0ze away their lives with
( in their magnificent hasilica, gathered
{ around him a few men of like spirit
and restored the order to its ancient
/ ideal. He was vehemently opposed,
of course, but he had the cOuntenanee
and aid of the Cardinal d d'Andrea, the
I Cardinal Prince AlIieri. and Others
/ He recommended the missionary
school, the translations. etc, for which
/ the Benedictines. had been famous.
[ The abbey is situated on the summit
/ of a very high hill, and up this we
/ began to climb, and a very fatiguing
climb we found it. On our right lay
! steep ravines and rocky precipices. at
/ the bottom of which a turbid stream
rushed wildly over the white boulders.
Perched In q rocky nook is a plctur-
esuue ruin of the summer house of
| Nero. from which two antique pOrphy-
nv pillars were carried to adorn the
monks church. Once it overlooked
] m NV n
! heaving of the mountains in an earth
| quake. 1t must have been scene OF
! great licentiousness once, but to-day
| it is so secluded and beautified hy the
! wild vines that cluster around its fall
| en- stones, that it might be the home
| of an anchorite. Now we have gained
/ the great gates and are in the clolster
! It is arched, and has an open lattice
supported by eXquisitely carved pillars
| of alabaster and precious marbles,
overlooking q courtyard where IS the
well. The prior, a most courteous
| gentleman, comes to welcome us, Tor
/ the abbot does not reside here. As we
are ecclesiastics, he embraces us and
! conducts us to two elegantly furnished
I rooms, Here we refresh ourselves
with a bath and go to vespers. The
| church is plain, but sumptuous. Inc
choir is behind the altar, and the alb
| bots throne, covered with violet vel
vet richly embroidered in silver,
stands at the gospel side. The monks
are in their cOwlS; and here we may
/ remark that the vestment ordinarily
/ worn by the Lutherans and lndepend-
| ents is nothing but n Benedictine coWl
cut down the centre. It is doubtless
e in ION
| cowl of Luther. The professed sit in
raised stalls, with the abbOt's stall in
the centre, the nOvicrs being grade
lower. A large lectern stands in the
| middle, and the lector reads the anti
phons from a huge volume of black
\ letter. Conspicuous among the fra
ternity are the boys, some fair-faced
| English and Americans, others lndi-
an, several negroes and Australians.
/ These are in the missionary school
/ training for priests. The history OF
the little HindoOs is touching. They
were one and all rescued by the $50
ciety of the Holy Child,' formed to
buy those who are exposed by their
i unnatural parents to be eaten by wild
hogs. One little fellow; whose antics
were as eccentric as a monkeys, had
/ been saved from a terrible death, his
thighs and part of his back having
been eaten away by the savage swine.
| The veSpeTs were monotone till the
"Magnifcat,n and then the organ
burst out, and we were greeted with
some grand old Gregorian music. AT
! supper time we were conducted to the
refectory, a magnificent hall over q
hundred feet in length and forty in
width. 1t is frescOed, and the tables
/ are arranged as in the colleges at OK
| ford, the dons sitting at the cross
! table, the abbot's chair in the centre.
There is a long chanted grace, and
/ then q reader ascendS the pulpit and
reads a verse from Holy Scripture, to
[ which we listen reverently standing.
/ This concluded, the abbot rings his
! bell, and supper begins. The reader
| continues from the lives of the saints,
followed by selections from the "Rule
of st. Benedict in English. We
have a capital supper, well cooked
and clean, for the good monks are
| true TO their antecedent traditions of
| delicate fare; and then the bell rings
again, and we adjourn for night pray
ers. There is something very solemn
in the rear approach to the family
which one sees at the last and crown
| ing act of the day, when the abbot
| blesses the kneeling monks. There is
no speaking allowed after cOmpline.
and we retire to our rooms, rejOiced to
! find that guests are excepted from
| this rule, for we get Pheasant hours
chat with the Reverend Father Will
fred Hayes, an English monk of good
family and rare conversational pow
ers, who is the guest-master. Then
we are left to our repose. The narrow
windows look out on the rugged hills,
about which, being winter, wolves
are prOwling, and the moonlight re-
veals dark caves where probably they
are hiding; but our quarters are snug,
and We turn in. AT midnight we
4 wake at the call of the matin BELL
Nothing can exceed the awfulness of
this peal. 1t reverberates through
the long, dim cloisters, out over the
hills, through the the chasms and
gorges, striking ON the ear of the be-
lated traveller like a death knell, OH
the wakeful sick with a soothing muir
mur, telling of those who wake to
pray. 1t is the vigil of st. Scholasti-
ca the sister of st. Benedict and pat
ron of the house. We hear a lay
brother enter and light our lamp, ex-
| claiming, "BeledicdnlUs Domino" !" to
which we answer, "Deo grdtias. -
Then, wrapping ourselves i'm a cloak,
we repair To the church. We are late.
for the organ is pealing forth delicious
music like triumphal march, filling