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
When we had taken a full Survey of all; we, not without some Regret,
return'd to our very indifferent Inn; Where the better to pass away the
Time, Father _White_ gave me an ample Detail of the Original of that
Order. I had before-hand heard somewhat of it; nevertheless, I did not
care to interrupt him, because I had a Mind to hear how his Account
would agree with what I had already heard.
"_Bruno_," said the Father, "the Author or Founder of this
Order, was not originally of this, but of another. He had a
holy Brother of the same Order, that was his Cell-mate, or
Chamber-fellow, who was reputed by all that ever saw or knew
him, for a Person of exalted Piety, and of a most exact holy
Life. This man, _Bruno_ had intimately known for many years;
and agreed in his Character, that general Consent did him no
more than Justice, having never observed any Thing in any of
his Actions, that, in his Opinion, could be offensive to God
or Man. He was perpetually at his Devotions; and
distinguishably remarkable, for never permitting any Thing but
pious Ejaculations to proceed out of his Mouth. In short, he
was reputed a Saint upon Earth.
"This Man at last dies, and, according to Custom, is removed
into the Chapel of the Convent, and there plac'd with a Cross
fix'd in his Hands: Soon after which, saying the proper Masses
for his Soul, in the Middle of their Devotion, the dead Man
lifts up his Head, and with an audible Voice, cry'd out,
_Vocatus sum_. The pious Brethren, as any one will easily
imagine, were most prodigiously surprised at such an Accident,
and therefore they earnestly redoubled their Prayers; when
hfting up his Head a second Time, the dead Man cried aloud,
_Judicatus sum_. Knowing his former Piety, the pious
Fraternity could not then entertain the least doubt of his
Felicity; when, to their great Consternation and Confusion, he
lifted up his Head a third Time, crying out in a terrible
Tone, _Damnatus sum_; upon which they incontinently removed
the Corps out of the Chapel, and threw it upon the Dunghill.
"Good _Bruno_, pondering upon these Passages, could not fail
of drawing this Conclusion; That if a Person to all Appearance
so holy and devout, should miss of Salvation, it behov'd a
wise Man to contrive some Way more certain to make his Calling
and Election sure. To that Purpose he instituted this strict
and severe Order, with an Injunction to them sacred as any
Part, that every Professor should always wear Hair Cloth next
his Skin, never eat any Flesh; nor speak to one another, only
as passing by, to say, _Memento mori_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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