Glastonbury Abbey [pp. 150-170]

Glastonbury Abbey, Past and Present.
exercise, and to the scandal of the
whole community used to walk coolly
out of the church as soon as the
psalmody was over. The superior
remonstrated, threatened, but to no
purpose; the unruly brother persisted
in his conduct. St. Benedict was
appealed to, and when he heard the
circumstances of the case, said he
would see the brother himself. Accordingly, he attended the church,
and at the conclusion of the divine
office, not only saw the brother walk
out, but saw also what was invisible
to every one else-a black boy leading him by the hand. The saint then
struck at the phantom with his staff,
and from that time the monk was no
longer troubled, but remained after
the service with the rest.
St. Gregory also relates an incident
to the effect that one day as a Gothic
monk was engaged on the border of
the lake cutting down thistles, he let
the iron part of his sickle, which was
loose, fall into the water. St. Maur,
one of Benedict's disciples-of whom
we shall presently speak-happened
to be standing by, and, taking the
wooden handle from the man, he held
it to the water, when the iron swam to
it in miraculous obedience.
As we have said, the monasteries
grew daily in number of members
and reputation; people came from
far and near, some belonging to the
highest classes, and left their children
at the monastery to be trained up
under St. Benedict's protection.
Amongst this' number, in the year
522, came two wealthy Roman senators, Equitius and Tertullus, bringing with them their sons, Maurus,
then twelve years of age, and Placidus, only five. They begged earnestly that St. Benedict would take
charge of them, which he did, treated
them as if they had been his own
sons,, and ultimately they became
monks under his rule, lived with him
all his life, and after his death became
the first missionaries of his order in
foreign countries, where Placidus won
the crown of martyrdom. Again, St.
Benedict nearly fell a victim to jealousy. A priest named Florentius,
envying his faime,'ndeavored to
poison him with a loaf of bread, but
failed. Benedict once more left his
charge in disgust; but Florentius,
being killed by the sudden fall of a
gallery, Maurus sent a messenger
after him to beg him to return, which
he did, sand not only wept over the
fate of his fallen enemy, but imposed
a severe penance upon Maurus for
testifying joy at the judgment which
had befallen him. The incident of
the poisoned loaf is the third artistic
badge by which St. Benedict is to be
known in art, being generally painted
as a loaf with a serpent coiled round
it. These artistic attributes form a
very important feature in monastic
painting, and in some instances become the only guide to the recognition of the subject. St. Benedict is
sometimes represented with all these
accompaniments-the broken goblet,
the loaf with the serpent, and in the
background the figure rolling in the
briers. St. Bernard, who wrote
much and powerfully against heresy,
is represented with the accompanying
incident in the background of demons
chained to a rock, or being led away
captive, to indicate his triumphs over
heretics for the faith. Demons
placed at the feet indicate Satan and
the world overcome. Great preachers generally carry the crucifix, or, if
a renowned missionary, the standard
and cross. Martyrs carry the palm.
A king who has resigned his dignity
and entered a monastery has a crown
lying at his feet. A book held in
the hand represents the gospel, unless
it be accompanied by pen and inkhorn, when it implies that the subject
was an author, as in the case of An selm, who is represented as holding in
his hands his work on the incarnation,
with the title inscribed, "Cur Deus
Homo," or it may relate to an inci dent in the life, as the blood-stained
book, which St. Boniface holds, en titled "De Bono Mortis," a work he
was devotedly fond of, always car
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