Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 12.djvu/583

 PROVOST

517

PRUDENTIUS

The Slatutes of the Realm (1810), I, 150, 316, 323, 329, 385; II, 13, 14, 32, 60, 70, 84, 121; The Statutes at Large (Cambridge, 1762) ed PicKERixo, I, 326; Pulton, A Collection of Statutes, now i'n use (London, 1670); LiNQABD, op. cit., II, 416-419; III, 253-265, 343-349.

Charles W. Sloane.

Provost (Lat., prcepositus; Ft., prevdt; Ger., Probst). Anciently (St. Jerome, "Ep.", II, xiv: Ad Rusticum monach.) every chapter (q. v.) had an archpriest and an archdeacon. The former officiated in the absence of the bishop and had general super\'ision of the choir, while the latter was the head of the chapter and ad- ministered its temporal affairs. Later the archpriest was called decanus (dean) and the archdeacon prcrposi- tu^ (provost). At present the cliief dignity of a chapter is usually styled dean, though in some countries, as in England, the term provost is applied to him. The pro- vost, by whatever name he may be known, is ap- pointed by the Holy .See in accordance with the fourth rule of the Roman Chancery. It is his duty to see that all capitular statutes are observed. To be authentic, all acts of the chapter, in addition to the seal of the chapter, require his signature. Extraordinary meet- ings of the chapter are convened by him, generally, however, on written request of a majority of the chap- ter, and with the consent of the bishop. He presides in chapter at the election of a vicar capitular, who within eight days of the death of the bishop is to be chosen as the administrator of the vacant see. He conducts the ceremonies at the installation (q. v.) of canons-elect, investing them with the capitular insig- nia, assigning them places in choir, etc. In choir, the first place after the bishop belongs to him. In the ab- sence of the bishop, or in case the see is vacant, the provost conducts episcopal ceremonial functions, while he takes precedence of all, even of the vicar capitular. He must be present, however, personally, not being allowed a substitute. When the bishop pon- tificates, the provost is assistant priest. It is his office to administer Viaticum to the bishop, and to conduct the bishop's obsequies.

Taunton, The Law of the Church (London, 1906); Ferraris, Bibliotheca canonica (Roman ed., 1888-96), a. v.

Andrew B. Meehan.

Prudence (Lat., prudentia, contracted from provi- dentia, seeing ahead), one of the four cardinal virtues. Definitions of it are plentiful from Aristotle down. His "recta ratio agibilium" has the merits of brevity and inclusiveness. Father Rickaby aptly renders it as "right reason applied to practice". A fuller de- scription and one more serviceable is this: an intel- lectual habit enabling us to see in any given juncture of human affairs what is virtuous and what is not, and how to come at the one and avoid the other. It is to be observed that prudence, whilst possessing in some sort an empire over all the moral virtues, it- self aims to perfect not the will but the intellect in its practical decisions. Its function is to point out which course of action is to be taken in any round of con- crete circumstances. It indicates which, here and now, is the golden mean wherein the essence of all virtue lies. It has nothing to do with directly willing the good it discerns. That is done by the particular moral virtue within whose province it falls. Prudence, therefore, has a directive capacity with regard to the other virtues. It lights the way and measures the arena for their exorcise. The insight it confers makes one distinguish successfully between their mere sem- blance and their reality. It must preside over the eliciting of all acts proper to any one of them at least if they be taken in their formal sen.se. Thus, without prudence braverj' becomes foolhardiness; mercy sinks into weakness, and temperance into fanaticism. But it iinisl not be forgotten that prudence is a virtue adeuatcly distinct from the others, and not simply a condition attendant upon their operation. Its office

is to determine for each in practice those circumstanceB of time, place, manner, etc. which should be observed, and which the Scholastics comprise under the term medium ralionis. So it is that whilst it qualifies im- mediately the intellect and not the will, it is neverthe- less rightly stjded a moral virtue.

This is because the moral agent finds in it, if not the eliciting, at any rate the directive principle of virtuous actions. According to St. Thomas (II-II, Q. xlvii, a. 8) it is its function to do three things: to take counsel, i. e. to cast about for the means suited in the particular case under consideration to reach the end of any one moral virtue; to judge soundly of the fitness of the means suggested; and, finally, to command their employment. If these are to be done well they necessarily exclude remiss- ness and lack of concern ; they demand the use of such diligence and care that the resultant act can be described as prudent, in spite of whatever speculative error may have been at the bottom of the process. Readiness in finding out and ability in adapting means to an end does not always imply pru- dence. If the end happens to be a vicious one, a cer- tain adroitness or sagacity may be exhibited in its pursuit. This, however, according to St. Thomas, will only deserve to be called false prudence and is identical with that referred to in Rom., viii, 6, "the wisdom of the fiesh is death". Besides the prudence which is the fruit of training and experience, and is developed into a stable habit by repeated acts, there is another sort termed " infused ". This is directly be- stowed by God's bounty. It is inseparable from the condition of supernatural charity and so is to be found only in those who are in the state of grace. Its scope of course is to make provision of what is necessary for eternal salvation. Although acquired prudence considered as a principle of operation is quite compatible with sin in the agent, still it is well to note that vice obscures or at times utterly be- clouds its judgment. Thus it is true that prudence and the other moral virtues are mutually interde- pendent. Imprudence in so far as it implies a want of obligatory prudence and not a mere gap in practical mentality is a sin, not however always necessarily distinct from the special wicked indulgence which it happens to accompany. If it proceed to the length of formal scorn of the Divine utterances on the point, it will be a mortal sin.

Rickaby, The Moral Teaching of St. Thomas (London, 1896) ; Lehmkchl, Theologia Moralis (Freiburg, 1887) ; Rickaby. Ethics and Natural Law (London, 1908) ; St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (Turin, 1885).

Joseph F. Delant.

Prudentius, AtiEELros Clemens, Christian poet, b. in the Tarraconensis, Northern Spain, 348; d. probably in Spain, after 40.5. He must have been born a Christian, for he nowhere speaks of his con- version. The place of his birth is uncertain; it may have been Saragossa, Tarragona, or Calahorra. He practised law with some success, and in later life de- plored the zeal he had devoted to his profession. He was twice provincial governor, perhaps in his native country, before the emperor summoned him to court. Towards the end of his life Prudentius renounced the vanities of the world to practise a rigorous asceticism, fasting until evening (Cath., iii, 88) and abstaining entirely from animal food (ibid., .56). The Christian poems were written during this period; he later col- lected them and wrote a preface, which he himself dated 40,5. A little before (perhaps in 403) he had to go to Rome, doubtless to make some appeal to the emperor. A number of his poems (Pcristephanon, vii, ix, xi, xii, xiv) were written subsequently to this journey, of which he took advantage to visit the sanctuaries and tombs of the martyrs. "Contra Symmachum" must have been written at Rome; the second book belongs to the period between 29 March