BENEDICTINES, the general name of all the monks followizz the rule of St. Bene dict. The first Benedictine monastery was that founded at Monte Cassino. in the king dom of Naples, about 529. by St. Benedict himself. The order increased so rapidly, after the 6th c.. that the B. must be regarded as the main agents in the spread of Chris tianity, civilization, and learning in the west. They are said at one time to have had as many as 37,000 monasteries, and counted among their branches the great order of Clugny, founded about 910; the still greater order of the Cistercians, founded in the following .century; the c. ngregations of Monte Cassino in 1408, of St. Vanne in 1600, and of St. 3lanr on the Loire in 1627. To this last congregation all the Benedictine houses in France were affiliated. It had afterwards its chief scat at St. Maur, near Vincennes, and more lately at St. Germain-des-Pr&s. near Paris. Its fine conventual buildings at St. Maur on the Loire were destroyed during the revolutionary troubles. Numbering among its monks such scholars as Dlabillon, 31outfaticon. Sainte-Marthe. D'Achery, Marlene. Durand, Rivet Clemencet, Carpentier, Toustain, Constant, and Tassin. it has rendered services to literature which it would be difficult to overestimate Besides admirable editions of many of the fathers, the world of letters owes to the B. of St.• Maur the Arte deVerifier les Dates (1783-87, in 3 yak fol.); a much enlarged edition of Ducange's (71assarizon Medias et lefiatte Latinitatis (1733-36, in 6 vols.. fol.), with a sup plement (170. in 4 vols. fol.): the De Re Diplomatiea (1681 and 1709, fol.); the Noureau Traite D:plarnatique (1750-65. in 6 vols. 4to); Antiquite Expliquee(1719-24, in 15 vols., fol.); the Miatunteats de la Monarehie Franfaise 1729-33, in 5 vols. fol.); the Ada Sane forum S. Renellieti (16S8-1702, in 9 vols. fol.); the Annales Ordtnis S. Benediett (171349, in 0 cols. fol.); a new and much improved edition of the Gallia Christiana (1715-1856, in 14 vols. fol.); the SITiptorunt Spieilegiant (1653-77, in 13 vols. 4to): the De Antiq ids ifonochorunt Riaus (1690,in 2 vols. 4to); the De An tignis Eedeske Ritibus 1700-2,) in 3 vols. 4to): the Thesaurus in 5 vols. fol.); the Veteran Scrip torant ilenttatenhtrum Amplissima Co(1eetio (1724-32 in 9 vols. fol.); the Histaire Litteratre de la France (1733-49. in 9 vols. 41o). The R. were suppressed in France, along with the other monastic orders, at the revolution in 1792; and splendid conventual build ings at St. Maur on the Loire were destroyed. They have lately been revived: and the B. of Solesmes, established in 1837. have resumed. the direction of dom Gueran ger, dam (now cardinal) Pitra, and others, some of the works which the B. of St. Maur left unfinished, and entered on literary enterprises of their own, such as the Spieilegium Solesinease. in 10 vols. 410. of which four have already appeared. The chief B. houses in Germany were those of Prum. Ratisbon, Fulda, Elwang, and Saltzburg; in Spain, they had Valladolid. Burgos, and Montsernit; in Italy, Monte Cassino. Rome. Padua, and Capita. In England. most of the richest abbeys and all the cathedral priories (excepting Carlisle) belonged to this order. In Scotland time B. had the monasteries of Dunfermline,
Coldin7ham, Kelso. Arbroath. Paisley. Melrose, Newbottle. Dundrennan, and others. In Germany, several Benedictine monks distinguished themselves- promoters of cdu cation in the 10th c. ; while in the latter half of the 11th c.. the B. Lanfrauc and Anse1m, archbishops of Canterbury, laid the foundation of scholasticism. In Italy, also, the B. gained distinction as literati, jurists, and physicians; but almost everywhere corruption of mummers appears to have accompanied increasing wealth, until gradually it became the practice to receive, almost exclusively. the sons of noble and wealthy per sons as novices anion°. the "black monks." Several of the popes attempted a reforma tion of the order. and at the general council of Constance, 1416, a plan of reform was laid down, but failed in being carried into practice. In the 15th c., the B. bad 15,107 monasteries, of which only 5000 were left after the reformation, and now not more than about SOO can be counted. As early as 1354, this order could boast of having numbered • among its followers 24 popes, 200 cardinals. 7000 archbishops, 15.000 bishops, 1560 can onized saints, and 5000 holy persons judged worthy of canonization, and 37,000 monas teries, besides 20 emperors, 10 empresses, 47 kings, abbve 50 queens, 20 sons of emper ors, 48 sons of kings, 100 princesses, and an immense number of the nobility. Tanner Monast.) enumerates 113 abbeys and other institutions of B. in England, and 73 houses of Benedictine nuns. From their dress—a long black gown, with a cowl or hood of the same, and a seapulary—th m e B. were commonly styled "black monks." The institution of convents for nuns of this order cannot be traced back beyond the 7th century.
The rule of St. Benedict was less severe than that which the eastern ascetics followed. Besides implicit obedience to their superior, the B. were to shun laughter, to hold no private property, to live sparely, to exercise hospitality, and, above all, to be industrious. Compared with the ascetic orders, the B., both in dress and manners, may be styled the gentlemanly order of monks: and whatever may be said of their religion. they deserve high tribute of respect for their artistic diligence and literary undertakings. Speak ing of the great productions of the B. above noticed. Sir Waiter Scott characterizes them as "works of general and permanent advantage to the world to large; showing that the revenues of the B. were not always spent in self-indulgence, and that the mem bers of that order did not uniformly slumber in sloth and indolence." Among the chief works on the hiStory of the B. are the Annales Ordinis Benedieti, and the yeta Semen rum S. Benedieti, already' referred to; Reyner's ilpostolatus Benedietinorum in Anglia (Douai, 1626, fol.); the Balfarinin Cassinense (Venice, 1650, 2 vols. fol.); Tassin's torei de la Congregation de saint .Maur (Paris, 1770); Chroniea de la Order de 84(11 lienilo (Salamanca, 1609-15. 7 vols. fol.); Regaia S. Beiudieti et Constitutions Congregationis S. Maori (Paris,•1770, 8vo); Montalembert's Moines de Occident.