The monasteries have really been a great help and advantage to the Russian nation, as all its bishops, artists, and scholars were educated in them. No schools or educational institutions were to be found outside of tliem until verj' recently. Tlieir mission in Russian history was peculiar. Not only wore they the nurseries of Christianitj', transjibinting with great struggles and dangers the benevolent doctrines of Christ among the heathen of the steppes and mountains, but, like tlie convent of Sinai and the convents of Greece, they are tlie refuges of national life, or "the monumonts of victories won for an oppressed popula- tion against invaders and conquerors."
3. Jiuasian nunneries existed in a verj' early period of
that Church. The nuns arc either virgins or widows. They adopt the rules of St. Basil. They mostl}' live together in a convent under the control of a hcgumena, or prioress, elected by them. Their hal>it is a long black woollen dress, made after the Oriental fashion, a long black tunic or mantle, and a black veil. Former- ly monks and nuns sometimes lived together in the same monastery ; but as this gave rise to great immo- rality and disorder, it was strictly prohibited by the council in 1503.
4. Monastery of Troitza. — There is no more celebrat- ed monastery in Russia than this monasters' of Troitza (i. e. the Holy Trinity). It was founded* A.D. 1338, when during the Tartar dominion tlie clergy showed themselves the deliverers of their country. About sixty miles from Moscow, in the midst of a wild forest, rises the immense pile of the ancient convent. Like the Kremlin, it combines the various institutions of monastery, nniversit}', palace, cathedral, and churches, planted within a circuit of walls. Hither from all parts of the empire stream innumerable pilgrims. No emperor comes to Moscow without ])aying his devo- tions there. The office of archimandrite, or abbot, of it is so high that for many years it has never been given to any one but a metropolitan of Moscow; and the actual chief, the hegumen, is one of the highest digni- taries of Russia.
The founder of it was St. Sergius (A.D. 1315-1392), whose career is encircled with a halo of legend. 'When the heart of the grand-duke Demetrius failed in his advance against the Tartars, it was the remonstrance, the blessing, and the praj^ers of Sergius that supported him to the field of battle on the Don (1380). No his- torical picture or sculpture in Russia is more frequent than that which represents the youthful warrior receiv- ing the benediction of the aged hermit.
See Herzog, Real-Encyhlop. ix, G75 sq. ; Aschbach, Kirchen-Lexi/con, iv, 251 ; Stanley, Eastern Church, p. 440 sq. ; King, Greek Church in Iius,^ia, p. 24 sq. ; Mou- ravieff. History of the liusHan Church, trans, by Black- more (Oxford, 1842) ; Fletcher, Iiii.<sian Commonwealth ; Curzon, Ancient Monasteries of the East; Eckhart, ^fod- ern Russia (Lond. 1870, 8vo), p. 210 sq. ; Dixon, Free Russia (N. Y. 1870, 12mo), p. 29 et al. ; Montalembcrt, 3Ionk-s of the West, i, 38-133.
Moulezun, Jean-Jistin, a Swiss ecclesiastic and historian, was born at Saramon, near Auch, in 1800. He studied at the College of Aire, consecrated his first labors to the instruction of youth destined for the ser- vice of the altar, and was subsequently appointed to the parish of Castelnau d'Arbieu, near Lictoure, and in \Xoi to that of Barran (canton of Auch). Tlie archbisliop of Auch appointed him in 1847 titular canon of his met- ropolitan see. He died in 1859. Besides numerous articles published in different journals and historical collections, Monlezun wrote, Jlistoire de la Gascoi/ne, di'puis les temps les plus reculesjusqu''a nos Jours (Auch, 1840-50, 7 vols. 8vo) ; this begins with the 3d century before the Christian a;ra, and closes at the end of the last century -.—EEglise anyelique, ou Ilistoire de I'Eylise de Notre-Dame du Puy, et des etablUsements rtliyieux qui Ventourent (Clermont, 1854, 18mo) -.—Notice hisio- rique sur la ville de Mirande (185G, 8vo) : — Vie dea saints Eccqiirs dc la metropole dWuch (1857, 8vo). — Ilocfcr, Xoiir. Jiiog. Genhale, s. v.
Monmorel, Cifarlks i.ic Boiro dk, a French preacher, was born at Pont-.'Vudcniar about the middle of the 17th century. In l<i97 lie became almoner to the duchess of Botirgogne. and was provided with the abbey of Laimoy. in Flanders, by the influence of !Ma- dame dc ^laintonon. He dicil in 1719, and loft a high- ly esteemed collection oi llomiliis sur les eranr/ilis des (limaiwhfs, sur la passion, sur hs mt/steres, et sur tons les jours du carcme (Paris, ]('>98. 10 vols. 12mo). The method ho follows is very similar to that of the fathers of the Church, who familiarly explain the Holy Script-
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ures : he paraphrases all the verses, one after the other, draws from each some moral, and employs a simple and precise style. — Did. imrtaiif des Predicateurs, s. v. ; Hoefer, Nom. Biog. Generale, s. v.