THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
many cities, as for instance, in Gubbio, Perugia,
and Fabriano, no fewer than three, in Padua six,
existed side by side at the same
5. Later time. The direction of a number of Italian these brotherhoods, though not of all,
Brother- was vested in the mendicant orders. hoods. A good many of them devoted themselves also to the care of the poor and the sick, and maintained hospitals. The Italian flagellants occupy an important position in the history of Italian literature as creators of the popular religious lyric and the spiritual drama. Even the early flagellants of 1260 had sung religious hymns in the popular speech (laude). Subsequently the vernacular spiritual song was zealously cultivated in the flagellant brotherhoods, more and more crowding out the Latin hymns, and soon becoming the most richly developed literary form in the Italian language. At an early period certain dramatic elements found their way into the spiritual popular song, the singers, for instance, turning with appeals and questions to Christ or Mary, and receiving answers from them. From this point it was but a slight step to complete dramatization of the laude, and the creation of the popular religious play. The stage presentation of these dramatic laude, whose theme, of course, purported to be first and foremost the history of the life and Passion of Christ, is to be rated henceforth among the principal services of the Italian flagellant brotherhoods. See Religious Dramas.
From the sixteenth century onward, the Society of Jesus wrought with impassioned zeal toward the diffusion of self-castigation, especially in the Marianite sodalities under Jesuit direction. In close touch with the Jesuits were also the French penitential and flagellant brotherhoods of the sixteenth century, which had much in-
6. Later fluence in the political life of France Manifesta- under King Henry III (1574-89). tions and In Germany, too, owing mainly to the
Develop- influence of the Jesuits and Capuchins, ments. the self-castigation of laymen was again widely espoused in the sixteenth century. The most notable German scholar of the Jesuit Order, Jacob Gretscher (q.v.), compiled (1606-13) a comprehensive history and vindication of self-castigation, with a view to promoting its diffusion as widely as possible. Thanks again to the Jesuits' propaganda, flagellation celebrated brilliant triumphs, after the sixteenth century, in parts beyond Europe; especially in India, Persia, Japan, the Philippines, and particularly in the American provinces of Spain. Indeed even to the present day flagellation has stoutly asserted itself in South America, Mexico, and in the southwestern portion of the United States; the brotherhoods (Hermanos penitentes) of New Mexico and Colorado recently numbered their members by thousands, and pushed their fanaticism to the point of crucifying their members, insomuch that Leo XIII. felt prompted to interpose against their processions. In South America flagellation of laymen is still in many places a customary and regular practise, in specified churches, and according to ritual forms. In like manner the practise of self-castigation in
public maintained itself to the nineteenth century and in some cases to quite recent date, in East India, the Azores and the Canary Islands, Italy, and the southern Tyrol. Flagellation of laymen in private at present is confined to somewhat narrow circles; thoroughgoing directions with regard to the most suitable kind of flagellation and the instruments to be applied are given by C. Capellmann in his Pastor almedicin (12th ed., Aachen, 1898, p. 175). In the Greek Church flagellation has appeared only here and there in certain monastic circles. Some Russian sects, however, are said to practise it in their so-called services after a fashion reminding of the dervishes. Herman Hatjpt.
Bibliography: I. E. G. Forstemann, Die christlichen Geisslergesellschaften, Halle, 1828 (antiquates most of the earlier literature); J. Morinus, Commentarius historicus de disciplina in administratione p&nitentioz . ob-
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FLATT, JOHANN FRIEDRICH. See Tubingen School, the Oldkr.
FLATTICH, JOHANN FRIEDRICH: Swabian preacher and pedagogue; b. at Beihingen near Ludwigsburg (8 m. n. of Stuttgart) Oct. 3, 1713;