The Grey Nunnery, which is situated in a distant part of the city, is
also a large edifice, containing departments for the care of insane
persons and foundlings. With this, however, I have less personal
acquaintance than with either of the others. I have often seen two of
the Grey nuns, and know that their rules, as well as those of the
Congregational Nunnery, do not confine them always within their walls,
like those of the Black Nunnery. These two Convents have their common
names (Black and Grey) from the colours of the dresses worn by their
inmates.
In all these three Convents, there are certain apartments into which
strangers can gain admittance, but others from which they are always
excluded. In all, large quantities of various ornaments are made by the
nuns, which are exposed for sale in the _Ornament_ Rooms, and afford
large pecuniary receipts every year, which contribute much to their
incomes. In these rooms visitors often purchase such things as please
them from some of the old [Footnote: The term "old nun," does not
always indicate superior age.] and confidential nuns who have the
charge of them.
From all that appears to the public eye, the nuns of these Convents are
devoted to the charitable objects appropriate to each, the labour of
making different articles, known to be manufactured by them, and the
religious observances, which occupy a large portion of their time. They
are regarded with much respect by the people at large; and now and then
when a novice takes the veil, she is supposed to retire from the
temptations and troubles of this world into a state of holy seclusion,
where, by prayer, self-mortification, and good deeds, she prepares
herself for heaven. Sometimes the Superior of a Convent obtains the
character of working miracles; and when such a one dies, it is
published through the country, and crowds throng the Convent, who think
indulgences are to be derived from bits of her clothes or other things
she has possessed; and many have sent articles to be touched to her bed
or chair, in which a degree of virtue is thought to remain. I used to
participate in such ideas and feelings, and began by degrees to look
upon a nun as the happiest of women, and a Convent as the most
peaceful, holy, and delightful place of abode. It is true, some pains
were taken to impress such views upon me. Some of the priests of the
Seminary often visited the Congregation Nunnery, and both catechised
and talked with us on religion. The Superior of the Black Nunnery
adjoining, also, occasionally came into the School, enlarged on the
advantages we enjoyed in having such teachers, and dropped something
now and then relating to her own Convent, calculated to make us
entertain the highest ideas of it, and to make us sometimes think of
the possibility of getting into it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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