Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/443

 CARTHUSIAN

389

CARTHUSIAN

"Statuta Antiqua", the "Statuta Nova", and the "Tertia Compilatio". The "Nova Collectio Statu- torum" was published in 15S1. This work, which had cost eleven years of preparatory labour, includes in one well-ordered series all the various legislation scat- tered throughout the cumbersome volume of 1510. A century later a second edition was printed at the Correrie or "lower house" of the Grande Chartreuse by order of Dom Innocent LeMasson, and this, after receiving certain corrections of slight importance, was finally confirmed by Innocent XI by the Bull "In- junctum nobis" of 1.588. The fifth edition of the statutes is a verbal reprint of the second. The first part, or "Ordinarium", which is printed separately, is concerned with church ceremonial, the second treats of the government of the order and the observances and occupation of the religious, the third is concerned with the lay brothers and nuns. Guigo's "Consue- tudines" contain in substance the customs introduced by .St. Bruno with certain additions and modifica- tions. The many formal changes and accretions which the original "Consuetudines" have undergone, have affected neither their substance nor their spirit, but. as Le Masson says, "have been like a change of clothing, which adds nothing and takes nothing from the substance of the body" (Discip. Ord. Cart., I, vii. 9). We must remember that the pictures given by Guibert and Peter the Venerable depict the Carthu- sian life at a stage of semi-development. The only mitigation of importance introduced since Guigo's day is the decrease of the fasts on bread and water from thrice to once weekly. Additional duties have been laid upon the monks in the shape of extra pray- ers, the singing of a daily conventual Mass, the length- ening of the night Office and of the Office for the Dead, ami the withdrawal of the permission to take a mid- day siesta, while, instead of having, as formerly, seven or eight hours uninterrupted sleep, their restisnow broken by the long night vigils (P. L., CLIII, 699A). II. Life of the Monks. — A Carthusian monastery covers a great deal of ground owing to the system of life. It usually consists of the great cloister, round which arc tin- separate houses, or "cells" of the monks, the lesser cloister with cells of various officials, the "obediences", or workshops of the lay brothers and their living rooms, church, chapter-house, refectory, and other conventual offices. The church is usually small and without aisles, divided by a solid screen with a door and two altars into the choir proper and lay brothers' choir. No organ is allowed. There is usually a tribune for visitors. No woman, save the sovereign, may enter a charterhouse. At the side of each cell door is the guichet or hatch, through which the monk's food is introduced by a lay brother; within, a covered ambulacrum, with a small garden beside it, leads to the house. This consists of five rooms; on the ground floor, a store room for timber and fuel, and a workshop with a lathe and other tools; above, an antechamber, a small library with just suffi- ce nt room for bookcase, chair, table, and the cell C roper, whose furniture consists of a wooden box- ad with woollen blankets, and mattress of straw, a table for meals, a few chairs, a stove, and a stall with a prie-Dieu, known as the oralorium.

The Carthusian life is essentially solitary and con- templative with a certain admixture of the cenobitic element (see 1 1. A very large part of the day is de- voted to saying the three ( •ffices (i. e. that of the .lay, the lh>e of ur Lady, which is called dc Beatd, and the Office of the Dead), while much time is given to mental prayer. The rest is divided between manual labour, study, and a little recreation. The whole horarium depends on whether the Office of the day be that of the /. r,,i or of a Sunday or feast. The follow- ing is the ferial arrangement, which is by far the com- moner. The Carthusian's day begins at half-past five, when a junior monk, going the round of the cloister,

rings a bell hanging near the sleeper's ear. The church bell rings at six, when Prime of the day is said in the oratorium, followed by Terce de Beatd. All offices said in the oratorium are accompanied by full choir ceremonial, as bowing, covering, and uncover- ing. At half-past six the Angelus sounds, and the monk remains at prayer till a quarter to seven, when he goes to the church. The conventual Mass. which is always sung, is preceded by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the litanies of the saints. The Car- thusian liturgy differs considerably from the Roman Rite, being substantially that of Grenoble in the twelfth century with some admixture from other sources. There are no servers at the high Mass, and the priest is attended by the deacon, who wears neither alb nor dalmatic, but the cuculla ecclcsiastica (see be- low) and, for the Gospel only, a stole. The subdeacon merely reads the Epistle at the lectern in the middle of the choir. There are many other points of differ- ence. Copes and monstrances are unknown in the charterhouse. After the conventual Mass the priests say their private Masses, reciting Terce with the server before vesting and Sext de Beatd after their thanksgiving.

At about half-past eight the monk returns to his cell and is occupied with manual work and meditation till ten, when, after saying Sext of the day, he fetches his dinner from the guichet. The meal is copious and excellently cooked, consisting of vegetable soup, fish or eggs, vegetables, cheese, butter and fruit, and a small bottle of wine or, in England, of rather thin beer. After dinner there is an hour and a half of soli- tary recreation, which may be spent in garden, am- bulacrum, or cell at will, and is followed by None, spiritual reading, study, and manual labour till half- past two, when Vespers de Beatd are said. At a quar- ter to three the monk leaves his cell for the second time, going to the church to sing Vespers, and, except on feasts and their vigils. Vespers and Matins of the Dead. He returns to his cell about four, and, after half an hour's study, takes his supper, consisting gen- erally of eggs and a little salad. This is followed by spiritual reading and examination of conscience, known in the order as the "recollection". At a quar- ter to six, but earlier on the eve of a feast, the bell sounds for Complin of the day and de Beatd. At about half-past six the monk retires to bed, still wearing the greater part, of his habit. Five hours after the Complin bell. In- rises and says Matins and Lauds de Beatd with the Psalm "Deus venerunt gentes" and certain prayers for the recovery of the Holy Land. These last were ordered to lie said dur- ing Mass by the Latcran Council in 1215, and were retained voluntarily by the Carthusians after the law ceased to bind, but transferred to this hour. At a quarter to twelve the monk leaves his cell for the third and last time to sing Matins and Lauds with bauds of the Dead. This takes two and a half to three hours. To a visitor it is very impressive. A large portion of the Office is sung in complete dark- ness save for the sanctuary lamps, the rest by the light, of small oil lamps carefully shaded to throw their light only on the choir books, one of which is provided for every three religious. The Carthusian

chant, a specie ofGi rial ha pecial character

of its own, slow and plaintive. "As the duty of a good

monk is rather to lament than to sing", say the rubrics, "we must so sing that lamentation, not the joy of singing, be in our hearts. " At about a quarter past two in the morning the Carthusian returns to his cell, where he says Prime ,/ ( /;.,//.'/. I lis total of sleep, thus broken into two parts, is seldom less than seven hours. On Sundays and fi asi days this horarium is considerably modified. The community assemble for till the Hours of the Great I tffice iii church, and in the refectory for both meals. These latter are always eaten in silence, while the Scripture or some homily of