Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-09-01
NO. 50.
The Carthusian Monks.

There is a growing probability that the
Csrthuslan monks will come to America il
they are driven from France. The order
has been settled at the Grand Chsrtreuse
for eight centuries and emigration will be
hard process The seat of the monastery
is among the foot hills of the Alps in the
southeastern part Of France, near Grenoble.
The scenery is said to be grand enough TO
rival the Yosemite The order was found
ed in 1854 by St. Bruno, who was born in
Cologne of noble family, named Horton
faust. He displayed a rare precocity, and
in early youth was sent to France to COM
plete his studies After brilliant career
as q student he returned to Cologne and
entered sacred orders. While employed
in preaching, the archbishop of Rht inns
called him 10 the head OF one of his dio iocess
schools. He early resolved to quit the
world and consecrate himself entirely to
God. He was obliged to defer this project
several years, and it was only when he was
offered the archiepiseopal chair of Rheims
that he accomplished it. He fed, and
joining six companions in Paris, departed
for Grenoble. where he hoped to find a re-
treat, and also protector and friend in
Hughes, the bishop of Grenoble. The
bishop pointed out to him "a fr1ghtful de-
sert, the lair of wild beasts, surrounded by
immense forests and mountains covered
with snow Thus he described the lOcali-
ty to which, after divine guidance IN q
dream, he conducted St. Bruno and his
companions on the eve of the feast of st.
John, and where the chapel of st. Bruno
now stands. Bishop Hughes obtained the
gift of the desert to Bruno, and assisted in
building the first monastery on the spot
where is now the chapel of Our Lady OF
the Cloister." The forest by which the
monastery is surrounded was seized by the
republic and the monks now pay rent for
it. The value of the timber cut annually
in it is set at $4,000. 1t is curious rule
Of the order that the members shall 90 to
bed a, 8 O'Clock in the evening, rise az IL,
go 10 bed again at , and rise again at
O'Clock in the morning. Each monk spends
the greater part Of his time in his cell, and
has only one hour each day for recreation
Once a week all walk out together, and
during portion Of the year all eat together,
but IN silence. On fast days they have one
meal of bread and water; ordinarily they
live on vegetable diet, their meals being
thrust into their cells through hole in the
wall. Between the village and the mon
astery is the PouUoirie. the working
place of the monks, whence is sent all over
the world the delicious Chartreuse liqueur,
the secret of whose preparation ST. Bruno
is said to have discovered, and which has
been kept inviOlste by his successors, who
regard 1t as they do the episcopal trusts
they assume. The herbs of which the
liqueur is largely composed are collected
by the monks in the fields on the left bank
of the river Guers- The delicate perfume
from the liqueur betrays the neighbOrhoOd
of the laboratory before the visitor reaches
the structure-s vast building that gains
prisoalike appearance from the tiny
grated windows that pierce Its walls. The
lower windows illuminate the vast cellars
in which the hqueur is aging in enor-
nous casks. As these monks are Industri-
Gus and rich, and so charitable and self
sacrificing that they have even won the
praise OF Victor Hugo, 1t is possible that
France will think twice before getting rid
of them.