The Irish standard., 1908-11-21
TRAPP|STS IN THE
EMERALD ISLE
Romance of Piety, Earnest
Endeavor, and Evidences
of Industry.
Most Famous Character in
Their Whole History is
Abbot. DEFIANCE.

s~eO
Melleray is concerned will doubtless
remind many people Of the rules and
history of the Monks of La Trappe, says
the Cork Examiner Their settlement
i'll this country, and the manner in
which they transformed an arid waste
and a craggy mountain side into a
smiling, verdant tract, we'll timbered in
parts, and glowing with, rich pasture
has something Of .omance in it, the
romance of piety, earnest endeavor and
indefatigable industry.
The traditions of that famous orde,
which is shut away from the world at
Mount Melleray, daand which practices
those austerities ,and that subjugation
and torture of the flesh. that have won
the reverence and admiration of all
Christian people. are, indeed. remark
able. Expelled from France during all
the troubled reign of Louis Philippe.
they fled to Ireland. and in 1888 wero
fortunate-many people at that time
said nfortunate-enough to get from
Sir Richard Keane large tract of
waste mountain side to which vegeta-
tion in any shape except hard purple
heath was a stranger This ungenerous
tract was portion of the Knockmeal-
down mountains: 1t was unreclaimed
and apparently irrcclamable and had
nc redeening feature except the view
1t commanded of the beautiful valley
Of the Blackwater.
The monks who settled at this place
were of the Irish Cistcrcians who made
profession at the Abbey of Melleray,
in France. So much We're they at
tached to their French religious home
and so deeply did they regard the ira
dl1tionss which clustered around it, that
they decided to call their Irish settle
nlent Mount Melleray. The good which
the monks of Melleray have done in
the cause of religion and reform is
known throughout the length and
breadth of the land and the manner
in which their undertaking has prosper
ed, doubled with that impress of their
pjous unselfishness and self-sacriflce
with a contemplation of their labors,
their notifications and prayerful vigils
is calculated to stamp most readily
convince one that these holy monks
are divinely favored. 1t would be diff
ficult-were there not convincing evil
dences at every sside-for the visitor
TO his home of peace and prayer to
believe. as he looks upon the vast pile
of buildings. and the well timbered
mountain side the smiling pastures
that seventy Or seventy-fve years ago
neither house nor tree was to be
seen there. The whole prospect was
then bleak and barren: with nothing
in it TO attract the vision: nothing but
a stony hillside punctuated by streaks
and patches OF purple heather.
The most remarkable character in
the whole history of the Trappist Monks
was Nj. de Rance. who was the regular
Abbot reformer. and first institutor
of the austerities Of La Trappe. His
uncle was Comptroller OF the French
finances, and a conf1dant of the King
of France. Cardinal Richelieu was his
godfather. Mary Of Mediacis honored
him as he grew up with her special
protection and even in: early youth he
was Knight of Malta. From his make
up. his prospects ana the conditions of
his life and his environment nothing
was absent that might crafty earthly
ambition. He united regular duty and
masculine strength to an expression of
vigorous intellect, delicacy Of taste,
acute sensibility and noble and gener-
cus passions.
But unfortunately he harkened to the
appeal of the careless society in which
he moved and of the licentious and SEN
suous reign in which he lived. His
head was certainly, enlightened. but his
heart was consumed by worldly desires
and by a continual seeking for sources
OF pleasure. He had vast revenues,
but he spent them in gaming and in
idle qualifications: and the outlook
for him from the spiritual viewpoint
looked black indeed. until great ca
lamity took place in his household. His
nearest ana dearest intimate and friend
was snatched away even "in the dead'st
Of feasting.' to quote the poet. This
appalling circumstance impressed him
with an acute sense Of his worldli-
ness For short time he seemed al
most frantic: he wrung his hands. and
even rolled on the floor, writhing with
agony: and the paroxysm of his des-
pair was followed by black and set
tied melancholy.
He at length dispensed of all his mag
nif1cent estates and his worldly pos
sessions and entered the Abbey of La
TraDOe-Of which ho 1co~ tho n,vnor-