MONASTERY has been described under the lie?id of Alonachism (q 7.) as the generic name of the residence of any body of men, or even, though more rarely, of women, bound by monastic vows. It may be useful, however, to detail the various classes of monastic establishments of the western church, and to point out the leading characteris tics of each. The name, in its most strict acceptation, is confined to the residences a monks, properly so called, or of nuns of the cognate orders (as the Benedictine), and as such, it comprises two great classes, the abbey and the priory. The former name was given only to establishments of the highest rank, governed by an abbot, who was com monly assisted by a prior, sub-prior, and other minor functionaries. An abbey always included a church, and the English word ranger, although, like the cognate German ,9minsfer, it has now lost its specific application, has its origin. in the Lade inonasterium. 'A priory supposed a-less extehilsve and less numerous cornmunity. It was governed by a prior, and was originally, although by no means uniformly, at least in later times, sub ject to the jurisdiction of an abbey. Many priories possessed extensive territorial domains, and of these, not a few became entirely independent. The distinction of abbey
and priory is found equally among the Benedictine nuns. In the military orders, the name of eotnnzandery and preceptory corresponded with those of abbey and priory in the monastic orders. The establishments of the mendicant, and, in general, of the modern orders, are sometimes, though less properly, called monasteries. Their more character istic appellation is friary or convent, and they are commonly distinguished into professed houses (called also residences), novitiates, and colleges, or scholastic houses. The names of the superiors of such houses differ in the different orders. The common name is rector, but in some orders the scperior is called guardian (as in the Franciscan), or master, major, father superior, etc. The houses of females—except in the Benedictine or Cistercian orders—are called indifferently convent and nunnery, the head of which is styled mother superior, or relTrelid mother. The name cloister properly means the inclosure; but it is popularly used to designate, sometimes the arcaded ambulatory which runs arouad the inner court of the building, sometimes, in the more general sense, of the entire building, when it may be considered as synonymous with convent.