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BENEDICTINES. Saint Vincent's Priory, Latrobe, Westmoreland Connty, Pa., made an abbey in 1855, being the first foundation. In the older days the most important monasteries for wealth, possessions, and patronage of art and literature were in Italy, Monte Cassino, Cava de' Tirreni, Farfa, Bobijio, Nonantuhi, and Subiaco; in Germany, Fulda, Corvei, Saint Gall. Hirsau, and Eeiche- nau; in France, Saint-Denis, Saint-Martin of Tours, Corbie, Fontanelle, Saint - Benigne of Dijon ; in England, Jarrow and Wearmoutli. Be- fore the Reformation many of the mitred abbots in the last-named country sat in the House oJ Lords with the bishops." The abbot of Saint Augustine's, Canterbury, was the first to obtain these rights of pontificalia from Pope Alexander II., in 10G3. See Abbot.

For the history of the Order, consult the Art' nales Ordinis 8. Benedicti and Acta Sanctorum Ordinis S. Beyicdicti already referred to ; Reyner, Apostolatas Bcncdictinorum in Anfllia (Douai, 1626) ; the BuUarium Cassinense (2 vols., fol., Venice, 1650) ; Tassin, Bistoirc de la Congrega- tion de Haint-ilanr (Paris, 1770) ; Cronica del nrdrn de Han Benito (7 vols., fol., Salamanca, 1609-15) : Montalembert, Monies of the yVest (Eng. trans, by Gasquet. London, 1895, 6 vols.) ; Taunton, The Ennlish Black Monks of the Order of Saint Benedict (London, 1897); Dantier, Etudes stir les BenMictins (Paris, 1864) ; Les monastcres benedict ins de I'ltalic (Paris, 1866). For the artistic side, see more particularly Schlosser, Die ahendldndisehe Klosteranlape des friiheren' Mittelalters (Vienna, 1889) ; Lenoir, L'architecture monastique (Paris, 1852) ; Sprin- ger, Klostcrlchen und Klosterkunst (Bonn, 1886). The methods of the monastic schools for all branches of art except architecture are best recorded in the interesting technical manual of the Eleventh Centuiy called Divcrsariim Artium Schcdula, by a monk named Theophilus. Jlany contemporary annals of the monasteries are pub- lished in the' Monnmenta Gennaniw Hi.itorica of Pertz, and in Muratori's Scriptores Rertim Itali- carum. For a vivid picture of life in an English monastery, see Garlyle, Past and Present.

BENEDICTION (Lat. benedictio, a praising, blessing, from bene, well + dicere, to speak). A solemn invocation of the divine blessing upon men or things. The ceremony in its simplest form may be considered almost coeval with the earliest expressions of religious feeling. We know from Holy Writ that the .Jewish patriarchs before they died invoked the blessing of God upon their children, and at a later period the priests were commanded to implore the Divine blessing upon the people. Christ sanctioned the custom, which was consequently carried forward into the primitive Church, where it gradually developed itself in difterent forms. In the East- ern as well as the Western Church it is con- sidered an essential preliminary to almost all important acts. One of the most superb spec- tacles that a stranger in Rome can witness oc- curs on Easter Siuiday, when tlie Pope, attended bv his cardinals, jironounccs after mass a solemn benediction vrhi et orbi (on the city and the world). The benediction, however, is not con- fined to a form of prayer, but is accompanied with sprinkling of holy water, the use of in- cense, the sign of the Cross, etc. The chief cases in which a benediction is bestowed are: The coronation of kings and queens, the con- firmation of all Church dignitaries, and the con- secration of church vessels, bells, and sacred robes ; the nuptial ceremony, the absolution, and the last sacrament. The most solemn form of benediction in the Roman Church is that "with the most holy sacrament,' which is administered by the bishop or priest with the monstrance or ostensory containing the consecrated elements. Besides these, lands, houses, cattle, etc., often receive a benediction from the priest. In the English Church service there are two benedic- tions; in the Scotch, only one. In the Greek Church, when the benediction is being pro- nounced, the priest disposes his fingers in such a manner as to convey symbolically to the faithful who are close enough to observe the arrangement the doctrine of the Trinity and the twofold nature of Christ.

BEN'EDICTS'SON, Victoria Makia. See Ahlgrex, Ernst.

BEN'EDIC'TUS (Lat., blessed, praised). A portion of the service of the mass of the Roman Church; also the so-called 'canticle of Zachary' (Luke i. 68-79) used in the Roman breviary at lauds, and thence adopted into the Anglican morning service.

BENEDIX, ba'ne-diks, Roderick (1811-73). A German playwright. He was born in Leipzig, and had a wandering career — by turns actor, opera singer, dramatic author, theatrical man- ager, and editor of a literary journal. His dramatic works fill 27 small volumes (Leipzig, 1846-74). Of his one-act comedies and mono- logues, 46 are collected in his Haustheater (2 vols.). The best of the longer plays are: Das bemooste Haupt (1841); Der Liebesbrief ; and Dr. IT'espe. Of the shorter comedies, Der Prozess, Der Weiberfeind, Giinstige Vorzeichen, and Die Sonntagsjiiger are favorites in Germany and America. Benedix's plays are healthy in tone, simijle in structure, lively in wit, and robust in humor, usually farcical and frequently burlesque, showing alwaj-s an intimate knowl- edge of stage teehnic that contributed greatly to their lasting success.

BEN'EFICE (Med. Lat. beneficium, a fief, Lat. beneficium, favor, from bene, well -f facere, to do). In the feudal system of land tenure (see Feudalism) a grant of land by the lord to a vassal to be held by the latter on certain terms of service ; in its 'later history the term was identical in meaning with fief (q.v.). or feud (q.v. ). In this sense it has become obsolete, however, and it is now in England used al- most exclusively to denote an ecclesiastical preferment or living. It has no reference to the dignity or office of the incumbent, but describes the beneficial projjerty right enjoyed by him by virtue of his office. The right to appoint a curate or vicar to a benefice is in itself a species of property, and is enumerated by Blackstone among incorporeal hereditaments. See Advow- SON and Patronage; also consult Phillimore, Ecclesiastical Law of the Church of England (2d ed.. London, 1805).

BEN'EFI'CIARY (Lat. beneficiarius, pertaining to a favor. See Benefice). A legal term applied to the holder of a benefice or fief (q.v.). The word is employed to a large extent in American and later English law as a substitute for cestui que trust, a technical term of the common