I. On their admission the monks were obliged to change their dress. According to the original rule of Benedict, his disciples were at liberty to adopt the coarse and usual dress of the countries which they might chance to inhabit : and the ancient monks accor dingly clad themselves in linen in Egypt, where it was a cheap and domestic manufacture ; whereas the western monks used the habit common there, the pallium of the Greek philosophers, which many other Christians in those times did. The ancient tonsure, which was al ways practised on admission, consisted not in shaving the head, but in cutting the hair very short : their heads were w rapt in a cowl, in older that their attention might not be attracted and drawn aside by profane objects : their legs and feet were naked, except in very cold weather ; and they generally made use of a long staff to assist their steps. The anchorites, however, were not so respectable in their appearance; they never bathed their limbs, or anointed them with oil ; the bare ground, or at most a hard mat, was their bed ; and the bundle of palm leaves on which they sat, during the day, served as their pillow at night. In course of time, the dif ferent orders of monks and friars were distinguished by their dress : the habit of the regular canons of Au gustine was a long black cassock, with a white socket, and over that a black cloak and hood : they nourished their beards, amid wore caps on their head : the habit of the regular canonesses was of the same colour as the habit of the canons. The habit of the Primonstrabensians was a white cassock, a socket over it, a long white cloak, and a cap of the same colour. The Benedictine monks wore a black loose coat or gown, made of stuff, reaching to the heels, a cowl of the same, and a scapulary—and under that another habit, as large as the former, made of white flannel, with boots on their legs. The Benedic tine nuns had a black robe and scapulary, and under these a tunic of white or undyed Wool; but during their attendance at the choir they wore a black cowl, similar to that of the monks. The Cistertian or Bernardino monks had the appellation of White Monks, from wear a white cassock, with a narrow scapulary ; when abroad they wore a black gown, but when attending the church, a white one the nuns of the order wore habits of the same colour as those of the monks. The Dominicans, when abroA, wore a black losk and hood over their white vestments, and in their convents they wore a white cloak and hood. The Francisans were called Greyfriars from the colour of their gat meat ; their habit was a loose gown, reaching to the ancle, with a cowl and a cloak of the same ; when they went abroad, they were barefooted, and girt themselves with cords. Tin: dress of the Carmelite friars was a coat and scapulary of hair colour, with a white cloak and hood. The crossed or crutched friars anciently carried a cross fixed to a staff in their hand ; but afterwards they suostituted a cross of red cloth upon their back : their habit was of a blue co lour. The Augustine ft wore a white garment and scapular) ; but when in the choir or abroad, they wore a black cowl, with a large hood, and were girt with a black leather thong.
II. The rule of St. Benedict, founded on that of Pa chomius, prescribed the or iginal diet of the monks: ac cording to it, ihey were allowed twelve ounces of bread, to be taken at two meals, one in the afternoon and one in the evening : the small loaves of six ounces each were called Paxiniaica. In some cases Pachomiu. allowed his monks a larger portion of bread, but they were obliged to work a longer period. The Egyptian monks were permitted to eat the small dried fish of the Nile : in process of time, different kinds of sea and river fish were allowed. Meat was expressly forbidden to bo served to his disciples, except when illness absolutely required it : afterwards the flesh of birds, but not that of quadrupeds, was permitted : Cheese, Fruit, sallad, were permitted ; to abstain from boiled vegetables was deemed a merit. At the first institution of monachism,
water was the only beverage. Benedict, because he could not persuade the monks to abstain altogether from wine, allowed them half a pint daily : this, in nor thern climates, where wine could not be easily and cheaply obtained, his disciples exchanged for beer or cider.
III. As at the institution of monachism, the monas teries had regular or permanent revenues, the monks were obliged to labour, in order to maintain themselves : but the produce of their labour went to the common stock ; there was no private or exclusive property ; such expressions as my book, my cloak, my shoes, according to Cassia'', were not only forbidden, but severely punish ed. Their occupation consisted in cultivating thc gar dens and fields that belonged to the monasteries ; in mak ing their dress, utensils, and furniture ; and sometimes, particularly latterly—as was particularly the case with the Benedictines, in cultivating science and classical literature. The Egyptian monks made wooden sandals, mats, and baskets, sehing those which they did not need themselves. The monasteries, however, soon became rich, and then manual labour was neglected.
I V. The vows taken on becoming monks were those of poverty, obedience, and chastity ; but originally these vows were not perpetually bindin... Then the monastic life seems to have been a matter of free choice, not only at the monks' first entrance, hut in their progress and and they might quit it without any punish meat. The monks who married were not anciently obliged by law to dissolve their marriage : afterwards restraints were imposed in these respects. Whoever left his monastery was pursued and restored to it by the aid of the civil power. " The actions of a monk, his words, and even his thoughts, were determined by an in flexible rule, and a capricious superior: the slightest offences were corrected by disgrace or confinement, ex traordinary fasts, or bloody flagellations ; and disobedi ence, murmur, or delay, were ranked in the catalogue of the most heinous sins." The Egyptian monks, who seem to have been under the most rigid discipline, "were directed to remove an enormous rock ; assidu ously to water a barren staff that was planted in the ground, till, at the end of three years, it should vegetate and blossom like a tree ; to walk into a fiery furnace ; or to cast their infant into a deep pond." The spiritual ex ercises of the monks were perpetual repentance, extra ordinary fasting, and extraordinary devotions. We have already mentioned, that originally the laws of monachism did not permit the monks either to wander about as men dicants, or to interest themselves in civil or ecclesiastical affairs ; nor were they permitted to encroach on the duties or rights of the secular clergy, or to dwell in cities, but they were confined to the wilderness. " When ever they were permitted to step beyond the precincts of the monastery, two jealous companions were the mu tual guards and spies of each other's actions ; and after their return they were condemned to forget, or at least to suppress, whatever they had seen or heard in the world. Strangers, who professed the orthodox faith, were hospitably entertained in a separate apartment ; but their dangerous conversation was restricted to some chosen elders of approved discretion and fidelity. Ex cept in their presence, the monastic slave might not receive the visits of his friends or kindred ; and it was deemed highly meritorious, if he afflicted a tender sister or an aged parent by the obstinate refusal of a word or look."