Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/445

 CARTHUSIAN

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CARTHUSIAN

cms charterhouses and the building of new ones, has been entirely devoted to various works of charity (Heimbucher, Die Orden und Kongregationen, Pader- born, 11)07, I, 489).

VI. Distinguished Carthusians. — Besides St. Bruno the best known saints ..I the order are: St. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln (d. 1200); St. Anthelm, sev- enth prior of the Grande Chartreuse, and first general, who died Bishop of Bellev in 1178; St. Arthold, Bishop of Belley (d. 1206); St. Stephen of Chatillon, Bishop of Die (d. 1213). Many members have been beatified, among them the English Carthusian mar- tyrs and Bl. Nicold Albergati, Cardinal and Bishop of Bologna. There have been about seventy Carthusian bishops and archbishops, including a few cardinals. There lias never been a Carthusian pope.

Guibert mentions the richness of the library of I lie chartreuse (see [),and in his "Consuetudines" Guigo writes, "We desire thai books be looked after most carefully as the continual food of our souls, and that they be written [fieri} with the utmost diligence, so that we may preach the Word of God by the work of our hands, since we cannot do so with our mouths", and again, "we teach writing to almost all whom we receive" (P. L., CLIII, 693). Throughout the Middle Ages the Carthusians were famous copyists. St. Bruno himself was the first Carthusian author, writing commentaries on the Psalms and on St. Paul's Epis- tles (v. Lobbel, op. cit. infra. 1 7'.)— 241 ). He was followed by Guigo. who, besides the "Consuetu- dines", wrote " .Meditations" anda"Life of St. Hugh of Grenoble". Writers of the order have mostly treated of ascetics and mystical theology. The fol- lowing arc among the more famous: Ludolf of Saxony (d. after 1340), the author of a well known "Vita Christi"; Henry of Kalkar (d. 140S), who converted Gerhard Groot; Denis the Carthusian (d. 1471). the Doctor Ecstaticus whose works are now being edited by the order in 1.") vols. ; Lanspergius (d. 1.539); Surius (d. 157s i, whose "Vitas" still form a useful supplement to I lie Bollam lists' unfinished ' Acta"; Nicholas Molin (d. 1(338); Pctreius (d. 1640): Innocent Le Masson (d. 1703); Le Couteulx (d. 1709); Tromby, who flour- ished e. 1783, all historians of the order. The first book printed at. a charterhouse was issued from the presses of the Schola Dei near Parma in li77. The modern printing works of the order were transferred in 1901 from the chartreuse of Montreuil to Tournai.

VII. En<;i.ish Province. — The first English char- terhouse was founded at Witham in Somerset by King Henry II in 1178, the tenth and last by Henry V in 1411 at Sheen. (For list see llendriks.) At the time of Henry VIII's breach with Rome the monks, especially those of the London charferlioU.se (founded 1370), off ere. 1 a stanch resistance. The fourth of May, 1535, is memorable for the deaths of the protomar- tyrs of the English Reformation, the Kridgettine Monk Richard Reynolds, and the three Carthusian Priors, John Houghton of London, Robert Lawrence of Beauvale, and Augustus Webster of Axholme. During the next five years fifteen of the London

Carthusians perished on the Bcaffold or were starve, 1 to death in Newgate Gaol. On Mary's accession nine- teen monks belonging to various bouses gathered at Sheen under Prior Maurice Chauncy, a monk of the London Charterhouse, who, to his lasting sorrow, bad

lost the crown of martyrdom by taking the Oath of Supremacy. I lie restoration was short-lived, for on Mary's death the monks were once more driven into exile. Prior Chauncy died in 1581, but the English community kept together in different parts ol the Low Countries with varying fortunes, until the char- terhouse of Sheen Anglorum at Nieuport, with a community of six choir monks and two dermis, was suppressed by Joseph II in 17s.;. The lael prior. Father Williams, died at Little Malvern Court, 2 June, 1797. His papers, the seal of Sheen Anglorum, and

various relics are now in the possession of the Carthu- sians of Parkminster. A charterhouse was founded at Perth in 142!) by King James I of Scotland, and a short-lived foundation was made at Kinalehin in South Connaught in 1280, being abandoned by the order in 1321.

VIII. Carthusian Nuns. — In the Priorship of St. Anthelm, about 124.5, the nuns of the ancient Abbey of Prebayon asked to be received into the order, and Blessed John of Spain, Prior of Montrieux, was or- dered to adapt the Carthusian Rule to their needs. The nuns have never been numerous. Two convents were founded in the twelfth century, nine in the thir- teenth, and four in the fourteenth, but of all these only nine were in existence in 1400. In 1690 when Innocent Le Masson published the "Statutsdes Moni- ales" there were only five, four of which were in France and one near Bruges; the last was sup- pressed by Joseph II in 1783, and the others disap- peared in the French Revolution. In 1820 the sur- viving nuns reassembled at Lozier (Isere), and finally settled in 1822 at Beauregard, some miles from the Grande Chartreuse. Thence foundations were made in 18.54 at Bastide-Saint-Pierre (Tarn-et-Garonne), and in 1870 at Notre- Dame du Gard near Amiens. The nuns are still at Beauregard, but the rest are in exile at Burdine in Belgium, and at San Francesco, and Motta Grossa near Turin. The total number of nuns is about 140, of whom '.HI are "consecrated".

The Carthusian nuns have always been famed for their regularity and fervour. Convents which had become lax were cut off from the order by the general chapter. The small number of convents is explained not only by the severity of the rule, but also by the" great reluctance to accept new houses always dis- played by the order. In 1368 the acceptance of new houses was forbidden by the general chapter, and this prohibition was frequently reiterated. The life of the nuns is very similar to that of the monks, with certain exceptions. They have single rooms instead of sep- arate dwellings, two recreations every day, eat to- gether daily, are not bound to wear the cUicium, and if ill are cared for in an infirmary. They are allowed eight hours sleep. Eleven hours daily are given to prayer and meditation, as well as work for the poor or for the church. The arrangement of their Office is practically that of the monks. Perpetual enclosure has been practised since the thirteenth century, and visitors are only received at a grille and in the pres- ence of another nun. Each convent is divided into two distinct parts: (I) the monastery proper with the cells and conventual offices; (2) the dwelling of the two monks, who are known as the vicar and the co- adjutor. These two direct the nuns and have two or three lay brothers to serve them. The two fathers live exactly as if in a chart erhouse, attending I Mtice in stalls placed in the sanctuary of the church, which is divided from the nuns' choir by a curtained grille. The nuns are subject to the general chapter which appoints the vicar. They elect their own prioress, though the vicar has the firs! voice in the election; the prioresses must consult the vicar in all important matters and. like the priors, are bound to tender their resignation to each general chapter.

The habit is the same as that of the monks, with the exception of the hood, for which a veil is substi- tuted, white for the young religious, and black for the "consecrated" nuns. According to the statutes the vows should be solemn, but since the Revolution they have been regarded as simp].' by the Church. No widow is received. The Carthusian nuns have n tained the privilege of the consecration of virgins, which they have inherited from the nuns of Prebayon. The consecration, which is given four years after the

vows are taken, can only be conferred by the d

The rite differs but slightly from that given in the "Pontifical". The nun is invested with a crown.