Military Memoirs of Capt. George CarletonDefoe, Daniel
History
Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
So soon as she enter'd the Chapel belonging to the Nunnery, she kneel'd
down, and with an appearance of much Devotion, saluted the Ground; then
rising up, she advanced a Step or two farther, when on her Knees she
repeated the Salutes: This done she approached to the Altar, where she
remained till Mass was over: After which, a Sermon was preach'd by one
of the Priests in Praise, or rather in an exalted Preference of a single
Life. The Sermon being over, the Nun elect fell down on her Knees before
the Altar; and after some short mental Oraisons, rising again, she
withdrew into an inner Room, where stripping off all her rich Attire,
she put on her Nun's Weeds: In which making her Appearance, she, again
kneeling, offer'd up some private Devotions; which being over, she was
led to the Door of the Nunnery, where the Lady and the rest of the Nuns
stood ready to receive her with open Arms. Thus enter'd, the Nuns
conducted her into the Quire, where after they had entertained her with
Singing, and playing upon the Organ, the Ceremony concluded, and every
one departed to their proper Habitations.
The very same Day of the Year ensuing the Relations and Friends of the
fair Novitiate meet again in the Chapel of the Nunnery, where the Lady
Abbess brings her out, and delivers her to them. Then again is there a
Sermon preach'd on the same Subject as at first; which being over, she
is brought up to the Altar, in a decent, but plain Dress, the fine
Apparel, which she put off on her Initiation, being deposited on one
side of the Altar, and her Nun's Weeds on the other. Here the Priest in
Latin cries, _Utrum horum mavis, accipe_: to which she answers, as her
Inclination, or as her Instruction directs her. If she, after this her
Year of Probation, show any Dislike, she is at Liberty to come again
into the World: But if aw'd by Fear (as too often is the Case) or won by
Expectation, or present real Inclination, she makes choice of the Nun's
Weeds, she is immediately invested, and must never expect to appear
again in the World out of the Walls of the Nunnery. The young Lady I
thus saw invested was very beautiful, and sang the best of any in the
Nunnery.
There are in the Town three Nunneries, and a Convent to every one of
them; _viz_. one of _Jesuits_, one of _Carmelites_, and the other of
_Franciscans_. Let me not be so far mistaken to have this taken by way
of Reflection. No! Whatever some of our Rakes of the Town may assert, I
freely declare, that I never saw in any of the Nunneries (of which I
have seen many both in _Spain_ and other Parts of the World) any thing
like indecent Behaviour, that might give occasion for Satyr or
Disesteem. It is true, there may be Accidents, that may lead to a
Misinterpretation, of which I remember a very untoward Instance in
_Alicant_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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