BENEDICTINES. The general name of the monks following the rule of Saint Benedict. The first Benedictine monastery was founded at Monte Cassino, in the Apennines about midway between Rome and Naples, by Saint Benedict himself, about 529. It was partly modeled on what he bad learned of the earlier Eastern mo nasticism, but differed from that in giving greater prominence to the community idea, while the monks of the East had tended more to live a solitary life. In Benedict's idea, the monastery was to be to the monk what the family was to persons living in the world—an ordered home, with reciprocal duties and claims. Each mon astery formed a separate community, with its own internal organization; the founder did not legislate for a organization, like the mendicant orders or the Jesuits. In fact, strictly speaking, lie did not found an order, but laid down a rule by which to govern a state of life. Each of the modern orders, moreover, has in view some special work to which its activities are directed; the Benedictine has no external work peculiar to his order. The earlier monas ticism differed from the later in having no rela tion to the clerical state; most of the monks and even sonic abbots were laymen at the first. The vows taken by those who joined a Ben edictine monastery were originally three—of star bility, i.e. to remain attached to the monastery, not to wander at will of conversion of life, i.e. to labor until death to attain the perfection of the state to which they were called; and of obedi ence to their superiors.
The Order increased so rapidly that after the Sixth Century the-Benedictines must be regarded as the main agents in the spread of Christianity, civilization, and learning in the West. The pro vision of the rule for incessant industry resulted, among other things, iu the promotion of sys tematic agriculture and the reclaiming of large tracts of land which would otherwise have lain waste. Without them, the continuity of Chris tian art, like that of Christian literature, would doubtless have been broken in the West. In the Dark Ages between the Seventh and Eleventh centuries, when confusion and barbarism pre vailed in the political and social spheres, the artistic tradition which had been carried on by the bishops was taken up by the great monas teries of this Order; and they also afforded the only common meeting-ground for sharply distinct social classes, thus exerting a unifying influence upon the new nationalities then springing into life.
Each of these establishments was a world in itself. It included not only fully professed monks, but lay brothers, or conversi, who had greater freedom of movement and occupation. The high wall of the monastery inclosed a great variety of structures centring around the church, to which were attached, generally on the right side, the principal group of monastic buildings —the dormitories above (one for choir broth ers and one for conversi) and the refectory, chapter-house, and general hall, library, kitchen, store-rooms, etc., all grouped about a main clois ter. Then there were other groups; one in par ticular with a hospital, a chapel and cloister for convalescents, doctor's quarters, and the like; another group for the schools and for teaching of arts and trades; sometimes another devoted to the external laity with a hospice, refectory, chapel, stable, and barns. A drawing of about the year S20 shows the plan of the projected buildings at Saint Gall (q.v.), altogether the most elaborate known, where everything is la beled with a detailed description, even to the garden devoted to growing herbs and simples for the doctor's pharmacopoeia, and the workshops assigned to the different arts and trades. The weaving and dyeing of cloth, the curing and tanning of skins, were followed by the work of the tailor, the shoemaker, and the embroiderer. The preparation of vellum led up to writing, illuminating, and binding of manuscripts. Glass blowing was practiced from its commonest to its most artistic developments. Carpentry and joinery, masonry in brick and stone, were taught practically in construction. Then came the more purely artistic occupations of bronze casting and hammering, work in gold, silver, and silver-gilt, ivory, wood and gem carving, enameling and inlaying, layer - seulpture, fresco - painting, and sometimes mosaic-work. No known branch of art or industry was neglected. One monk was usual ly at the head of this entire department, with others in charge of the subdivisions; but often lay brothers were at the head—all were admitted equally in these branches.