" As a general thing, however, the convent (so far as Rome is' concerned) is neithei', on the one hand, a terres- trial paradise inhabited by angels, nor, on the other hand, is it generally a place of open and shameless vice."
In regard to health. Dr. De Sanctis divides the con- vents of Rome into two classes : 1. Those in which the inmates have no other occupation besides prayer; 2. Those in which they are employed in instructing the young. Of nuns in the former class of convents Dr. De Sanctis writes :
"They go without necessary food; they wear hair-cloth when nature demands restoratives; they refuse them- selves remedies which would arrest disease, and this from a false modesty which forbids the communicating of their ailments to the physician. Many have 1 known to die of such procedure. You will call these nuns poor victims of delusion ; the world will call them mad ; but in the dic- tionary of the convent they are termed 'holy martyrs of sacred modesty.' "
In this class of convents are some where the rigor of discipline treads under foot the most sacred la\vs of nat- ure; as the convent of the Vive Svpolte (=buried alive), of which Dr. De Sanctis thus speaks :
"When a youth I resided in the neighborhood of this convent, and I remember that one day the pope, Leo XII, made an unexpected visit to the institution. It excited much curiosity in the quarter to know the occasion of this visit, which was as follows : A woman had an only daugh- ter who had taken the veil in that convent. Left a widow, she came often to the institution, and with a mother's tears besought that she might be allowed, if not to see, at least to hear the voice of her daughter. What request more just and more sacred from a mother? But what is there of sacredness and justice that fanaticism does not corrupt ? The daughter sent word by the confessor to her mother that, if she did not cease to importune her, she would refuse to speak to her even on the day (once a year) when she would l)e allowed to do so. That day at lengtfi arrived; the widowed mother was the first to present tier- self at the door of the convent, and she was told tliat she could not see her daughter. In despair she asked, Why ? No answer. Was she sick ? No reply. Was she dead ? Not a word. The miserable mother conjectured that her daughter was dead. Slic ran to the superiors to obtain at least the privilege of seeing her corpse ; but their hearts were of iron. She went to the pope; a mother's tears touched the breast of Leo XII, and he promised her that on the following morning he would be at the convent and ascertain the fact. He did so, unexpectedly to all. Those doors, which were accustomed to open only for the admit- tance of a fresh victim, opened that day tothe head of the Church of Rome. Seeing the wretched mother who was the occasion of the visit, he called her to him, and ordered her to follow him into the nunnery. The daughter, who,
NUNC DIMITTIS
239
NUNES
by aj excess of barbarous fauaticism, thought to please Heaven by a violation of the holiest laws of nature, con- cealed herself upon hearing that her mother had entered the convent. The pope called together in a hall the entire sisterhood, and commanded them to lift the veils from their faces. The mother's heart throbbed with vehe- mence ; she looked anxiously from face to face once and again, but her daughter was not there. She believed now that she was dead, and, with a piercing cry, fell down in a swoon. While she was reviving the pope peremptorily aslced the mother superior whether the daughter was dead or alive. She replied, at length, that she was yet living, bnt having vowed to God that she would eradicate every carnal affection from her breast, she was unwilling even to see her mother again. It was not until the i)Oi)e ordered her appearance, in virtue of the obedience due to him, and upon pain of mortal sin, that the nun came forth. This outiage upon human nature (see Rom. i, 31 and Mark vii, 11-l.S), which might have resulted in parricide, is denom- inated in the vocabulary of monasticism 'virtue in heroic degree !' "
See Deaconesses ; Monacuisji ; Monasteries ;
SiSTEKllOODS.
Nunc Dimittis are the first words of the Latin song of Simeon, " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace," appointed as one of the hymns to be used in the rubric of the Church of England and in the Protestant Episcopal service after the second lesson at even-song. It was used in this place in the most an- cient times. It is found in the apostolical constitutions. Even at the present day this hymn is repeated at even- ing prayer in the patriarchate of Constantinople. After the second evening lesson out of the epistles of the holy apostles this hymn is most commonly used. The author of it is supposed to be that holy doctor whom the Jews call Simeon the Just, son of the famous rabbi Hillel, a man of eminent integrity, and one who opposed the then common opinion of the Messiah's temporal king- dom. The occasion of composing it was his meeting Christ in the Temple when he came to be offered there, wherein God fulfilled his promise to him that he should not die till he had seen the INIessiah ; taking Jesus therefore in his arms, inspired with joy and the Holy Ghost, he sang this "Nunc dimittis." This hymn comes very properly after the second lesson, which is always taken out of the New Testament, wherein is contained and delivered that Gospel, the enjoyment and participa- tion of which is the ground and foundation of the whole hymn. It shoidd be added that this hymn is addressed to God ; and, since it may be used as the personal ad- dress of every devout Christian, no one should repeat it in a careless manner.