p. 75 _Canonesses, Begines, Quests, Swart-Sisters and Jesuitesses._
_Canonesses_ are very ancient in history. The most important
Congregations are the Sepulchrines or Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre,
and the Lateran Canonesses. There was an old community of French
Hospitaller Canonesses of Saint-Esprit. Thomassin tells us that the
Béguines were canonesses, and that their name is derived from S. Begghe
(_ob._ 689), who founded the Canonesses of Andenne. There are also
Chapters of secular canonesses, nearly all Benedictine in origin. Many
of these only admitted ladies of the highest rank. The French Revolution
swept away a great number of these institutions, and some were
suppressed by Joseph II of Austria. Premonstratensian (white) Canonesses
were common in Belgium.
_Begines._ Either founded by S. Begghe, or their name is derived from
Lambert de Bègue, a priest of Liège, in 1177. Some place their
foundation at the beginning of the eleventh century in the Netherlands
or Germany. After three years women who are enrolled are entitled to a
little house. No vows are taken, but they assist in choir thrice daily.
There are several hundreds at Ghent, and the Béguinage (ten Wijngaarde)
of Bruges is famous.
_Quests._ Quêteuses. Extern Sisters, Poor Clares and Colettines; Lay
Sisters, Dominicanesses, who go out and beg for the community. ‘To
quest’ is to go alms-begging. The Sisters of Charity are of later
foundation. cf. Translation, D’Emilliane’s _Frauds of Romish Monks_
(1691): ‘The Farmer [of Purgatory Money] sends some of his Emissaries
into the Fields to carry on the Quest there for the said Souls’; and
_Earthquake . . . Peru_, iii, 303 (1748): ‘If the Friars go into the
Country a questing for their Monastery.’
_Swart-Sisters._ Black Nuns. Dominicanesses, a feature of whose dresses
is the cappa, a large black cloak and hood, worn from All Saints’ Day
till the ‘Gloria’ on Easter Eve, and on all great solemnities.
_Jesuitesses._ A common misnomer for the original Congregation founded
by Mary Ward (_ob._ 1645), and named by her ‘The Institute of Mary’. It
was not until 1703 that they were fully approved by Clement XI.
p. 78 _Cordeliers._ Observant Franciscans, who follow the strict Rule of
Poverty and observe all the fasts and austerities of the Order. This
name was first given them in France, where later they were known as
Recollects.
* * * * *
* * * *
OROONOKO; OR THE ROYAL SLAVE.
INTRODUCTION.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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