, 1873-12-13
WITH EkGL!SH TRAPplSTS.
A vtHit to tho monastery OF nl.sumt st.
1EcrnnrGt.


How new to nil ba! few will l'o my account OF i.
nrot III "Morrlo EnHnnde" " wl.ero mirtll III TN,
known, and where literally tho Inhabitants
tako their pleasure uadiy' A. blcak nnor. on
torcat, wAoHo ctgos asv Htono dykes, whose rare;
Fopulaco Ia clothet III n tlilcuutl gArb, sayuri',g
OF n cruBs be:woon an old wito and q tluaman,-l
long. white potticoats, surnpnnted by l. polntod
whole beiug tnly roliovod by broad blicl; bano.,
which hangs l,wn over thu shoulders htforo and
beliud. Hero nud thoro at ot!er. it, ga..nentn
liko-tashioned. but Of brown or hlaol; hue. Are
tl,oy convcts,, that their heads aro 30 cloacly
Clipped, and that they 60 to mud from their
labor In gangs, shounoring their spades
or Instruments Of husbandry, mud 'marcli-
ing. forth in aingle-tllo from that prison
Ike odifloe, eyes tlxcd on tho glouud, and li,n
In penal soivitudo tlioy arc. but OF ITO legal
sort, conilo,nnod-not by Justice, buc by MI tin
just conviction Of n fanclea auti.ority-to wear
out their simple hves IL solitary confinement To
which tho horrora Of 3llllhank mud rcn,onvilio
ato III nothing.
Tint gloomy-lookiug building, wLose harrow
windows md barred -gatos loon. up darklng
againpt tho Rky. and form. the oaly object OF
night for many m'lo around y tho
TrapplBt Monastery Of. Mount st. Nofnard.
Hituated OIL Oharnwood Forest, Lcicestcrsh|rc,
aud tlloro are the monks, sone Of them eentlo-
mon-ono, at least, m Oxford man, Of a good
cunnty family In the nrrtlt-Al in The white
habits; men Of q certain amount Of higher edu-
nrssboad rae tat ii IT'LL man, n nasg oyes
aud lrmly-compressed jaw, working IN tho 1iold
and roofing out aoma obstinate thisties, is tho
Lord Abbot himself, who, few hour. hence,
will bo roofing out tho thistes of sclf from the
Into int tho minds Of lis subjects. That
tall, gentlcmanly-lo figure, with hoo ind
Iesom, busily engaged wedding tho walls,, is
Of most ascotio habit Iurn to tie left, mid 1t
tho top OF pile OF roeha Stands lofty crucitix,
tho roal up to which is winding, and set anart
for those who would mnko the .'way Of the
Cross" to tho Calvary above, and descend : again
the unoxpecting visitor fnll-length figure Of
CHRIST lying in tic tomb. Look to the right a
train Of novices, Home nero boys, marches i'll
a,ngle file bacl1 to tho cloister. Az thoy
60 along gx,sta some Calves s.o,n,n ,fr,shng in a!l
forming some ungainly antics: A. youth
raisos lis nycB-sin tho first; laughs Mt tho sight
sin tho second and, most heinous crime OF
a1l makes Sign to Ills uoiglbor, WHO, however,
observes his ralo to the lotter, aud refuses even
to look up.
Ee arc joined by Brother Bartimous, tho
courteous guest-u1nstor, who, glancing at our
lctrer OF Introduction, conducts ls within tho
gucsls' hoi,se, which is separated from tho main
building but unitod to tho church BY cloistor.
days. on which tho Abbot Is summoned. He Ut
once grants uB the required permission, and We
agree 10 the few ''rules OF the house"
some OF which arc dispensed with IN cou.
bang, bangl goes great bell "Would NO like
to go to yespers ?" 10 yeapora we betako our
selveH, and arc placed iu gallery overlooking
tho choir, or rathor tho nave of what when fin
ishod, is to be- well--proportioned 'monastic
Church. GloomincBs is tho order OF the duy. or
rQf t,nr
till two youthful figures glide III, one Of, whom
lights the candles OIL the altar, the othor busy
ing himself with arranging tho books: Present.
ly another boil, aud aundry cowled ghosts steai
may, obacrye aro 80 arranged as to
ty. A lew ' moments OF private devo-
ton, then the Abbot himself begins tue Office III
novicea, aud then tho full choir bursta out with
the "Dixie Dominus," talon to q Gregorlan
time. Stay; why docs Brother Doniface blush
as l,c roads that card? The choir-naster has
taken this un-Eng!ish method OF informing him
oironder leaves Ills ntall aid proatrates himself
before the altur, whore the Abbot suffers him to
Lie for fully throo minutes, and thon knocks for
him to return, which he does in all humility.
Like all the Offices, except tile mass and the
lessons III the Droyiary, yespers are sung without
book in feet, tic strict rule of tho order
IL that none can DO admitted IN professed
monks till they know the paaiter by heart our
wouder, thsrofole, was that tho prost.ato was
We were Hospitality, but plaiuly, entertained by
drank With ~. ""Iss cur holy rule ho said,
though We musl Say that he looked "a il d little
tca aud bread And buttor would do him no harm.
"our Tea? NO have mono. We shall shortly
have our supper Of dry broad cut off fio.n our
mornings portion, aud Eosne milk; aud oven Tint
is concession to English stotnaclls. Properly
speaking, a Irappiat is like u religious bon
conatriclor he outa but once, aud that ut
how wo fare" Another bell. "Ihats for
Chaptor and as thel We ay talk. il itA only to
accuse ourselvos Of our faults, We do not kcruplo
| to avail ourselves Of tho permission, Just as wo
do III choir tho only other place, except the i'll
Urinary, where We arc allowed tho .!ne Of our IN
! rnly niolnber. Farewell till Complln." At thin
| service tho whole community, including tho lay
| brothers, came trooplllg III. nor could anything
tonloss hneoling figures, tho awful silence, as
each examined himself OIL hls own behavior dur
! ing the day. It was oppressive, and great
were our fcolingB OF relief when We head tho
knock which stgnalcd the conclusion Of the func-
Abbot as with d low bow Ao received holy water
! from Ills fntllor in God" by . o'clock deep
Or Rilonce reiencd around, both outside aud Ill
silo; We Detook ourselves to bed-yery clean
md worry hard-and were just asleep, whom an
inexorable boil awoko tho echoes. Our first
thought was fire; but tho b,othors voice crying
! out nH ho knocked at tho door, BencdicaMus
| Domino" reminded us where We wcio.
Starting up we dresAcd-lt. was ! o. NJ,
md bitter cold,,, hut temperate when
compared to the biting frigidlty
OF the church. Verify, II tho T4appists
ilave tho truth sllo lies in vol. Will it ho bo-
lieved. night after night. eyory night Of their
lives winter aud summer, tAie ordeal ia gouo
through, and for two u,ortal hours sometimes
| three, tllcse wyetclod men and boys aing tho
loug Office Of hlaytins mud l4auds, will nangn'
to warn, them saye tho Aro Of devotion. Right
glad wore NO to got back to bed; for tn,
Trappist thore waH no moro bed till tl1e
s''staraysr stn;9y' rs o. meditation must
Once again We turn ont poroly unwilllngly, with
ditto repeated. At 1880 comes another in-
noyation OIL the TrappBt rule, namely, q
"nuxt" or breakfast, consisting Of hunah
Every smalD Of bread aud some new milk /;
tI.on more " Cllaptor;" thon Iierco with n,ass !;
and then thu days work fully bogins.u Our
work is no tooIs' piay. aad tile abbot Look all
round OH these hundreds Of acrcs now fully TILED