Page:Twelve Years in a Monastery (1897).djvu/46

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TWELVE YEARS IN A MONASTERY

logical language by declaring all further publications on the subject to be on the ‘Index Expurgatorius’ ipso facto.

The costume is still uncomfortable and insanitary: in summer the heavy robe and the rough woollen underclothing are intolerable; in winter the looseness and width of the tunic promotes an undesirable ventilation, and, with due respect to Edward Carpenter, sandalled feet are decidedly unhealthy. Their rule prescribes that the costume consist of ‘two tunics, a hood, girdle, and drawers,’ but the inner tunic is interpreted in England to be an ordinary woollen shirt; on the Continent it is a second tight-fitting tunic of the same brown material. A mantle of the same colour is usually worn out of doors, and is considered part of the costume during the winter.

The name of the novice is also changed when he enters the monastery, as a sign that he is henceforth dead to the world. The surname is entirely dropped, and the Christian name is changed into that of some saint of the Order who is adopted as patron; thus my own name was changed into Antony. We were now, therefore, fully fledged friars, and we entered at once upon the dull routine of the monastic life. The character of the life will be best understood by a detailed description of an ordinary monastic day.

At a quarter to five every morning one of the friars was awakened by his alarm clock, and proceeded at once to arouse the community. We novices, with