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Ceremony of the Reception of a Nun, communicated to us by a Gentleman now at Dunkirk.

WHEN a young lady comes to a convent in

order to be admitted to receive the white veil, the rings the bell at the turn, and defires admittance as a virgin among the religious of the community; fhe is then ordered to the great door, where the whole body of nuns attends with the fuperior: fhe a fecond time défires to be received, which is granted. She then kneels down and kiffes the ground before the fuperior, and, after she has submitted to this humiliation, fhe is ordered to, rife, and is faluted by the fuperior and all the nuns in general, and complimented with a welcome to the convent. She is then configned over to the miftrefs of the novices, and conducted to the novice-house, as it is called, which is a part of the convent allotted to that miftrefs. Next morning they acquaint the prieft, that there is a young lady entered the community, who requefts an eftablishment amongst them as a religious. Before he begins the mafs, he fings the hymn of Veni Creator, in which he is joined by all the nuns in the choir, the young lady lying proftrate on her face all the time that it is finging. At this ceremony the novice appears in her former drefs, without any alteration or difference, except a black hood, which fhe wears over her cap. Mafs being over, fhe is a fecond time fent to the novice-houfe, where the remains three months before fhe is admitted to receive her white veil; during this time, she is inftructed in the religious inftitutions of this order, a book of which is given her for her perufal. She is, moreover, obliged to learn to read Latin with propriety, and to write it if. requifite.

In fact, he is under an indifpenfable obligation to underftand every thing relative to the ceremonies of the order the is going to profefs. When he is within a few days of receiving the white veil, fhe is put to do the meanest and moft fervile drudgery of the convent, as cleaning the houfe, wafhing the dishes, and ringing the bells. This is done in order to try her patience, and difcover her temper and character; for it is not properly the business of any nun, but that of the lay-fifters, nor is fhe ever obliged to do it but upon this occafion, and by way of trial.

The nuns have among themfelves three private meetings called chapters; at these they confult whether the young novice is a proper perfon to be received into the community with regard to temper, morals, and behaviour. If no juft caufe of complaint oc

curs, the laft chapter is fixed as a time to admit or banish her out of the fociety. The ceremony of this laft chapter is well worthy of the readers notice; it is as follows:

All the nuns repair to the choir, in the midst of which is placed a large table, and on it a fmall wooden box, having on the top a little hole juft large enough to receive a small bean, or pea.

The nuns are feated at their proper feats, but not near the table, where they remain about a quarter of an hour in profound filence, in order to deliberate maturely whether they have any partiality for, or diflike to, the young lady, more than the deferves.

When the time abovementioned is expired, the fuperior rifes from her feat, and, going to the box, puts in a pea or bean: the nuns in their turns follow her example, having provided themselves with black or white peas or beans for this purpose. When all the nuns have done, the fuperior opens the box; if she finds the number of black peas or beans exceed the white ones, by one only, the novice is not received; but if the number of white ones exceeds, fhe is admitted. This method of electing by ballot prevents the poffibility of a difcovery who are the young novice's friends or enemies, as none of the nuns know whether one of their number puts in a white or a black bean.

When the fuperior has carefully examined the box, fhe returns to her feat, and orders the mistress of the novices to acquaint the young lady of her being received or rejected. The novice is in waiting in a room hard by the choir for this purpofe. If he is approved of as a member of the community, and to be received as one of the religious, the mistress fays, "Come in, my dear child, and return thanks to the fifters of this holy and religious order, for being received by the whole body:" but before the enters, they take care to remove the table, and every thing on it. foon as he enters the choir, the kneels down before the fuperior, and kiffes the ground; then rifes, and falutes her and all the community, and returns both the fuperior and the nuns thanks for the favour conferred on her. Orders are given hereupon to have her religious habit made, and all the neceffary prepa-rations for the ceremony of taking the white veil, the day for which is fixed at the fame time.

As

The ceremony is generally performed upon fome holiday. If the novice is rejected at this meeting, or chapter, he is not allowed

This word is made ufe of among the nuns on account of the Virgin Mary's being a virgin VOL. I.

T

to enter the choir, but is obliged to quit the convent directly, and whatever belongs to her is fent to her friends, or place of abode. At this ceremony no fifters, or other perfons belonging to the convent, are permitted to be prefent, except the fuperior and nuns, all of whom are obliged to attend, except prevented by fickness.

I fhall now defcribe the ceremony of taking the white veil, without omitting any of the circumstances attending it. It is performed in the manner following:

The Ceremony of taking the white Veil.

As foon as the curtain which covers the grate is drawn, the young lady or novice is difcovered fitting at a table, which is placed in the middle of the choir; the nuns are ranged at their particular feats according to feniority, each having a wax-candle in her hand. On each fide of the table is placed a basket of flowers, and in the middle a crucifix; on each fide of which is placed a flower-pot with artificial flowers, a plate, and a pair of fciffars. On each fide of the young lady, or novice, ftand two young girls of equal ftature, each with a wax-candle in her hand. These two young girls reprefent angels; they are generally coufins or nieces to the young lady *; but it is not fo much relationship as beauty that is taken into confideration. Their age must seldom exceed eight or ten years; they are generally ome of the boarders.

On her left hand, or more frequently behind her, ftands an old nun, whose business it is to inftruct her in the particulars of the cere

mony.

Particular care is taken to dress the novice to the greatest advantage, and in the richeft clothes. If the has none herself, they borrow for her, and fpare no expence to render her appearance magnificent. When the populace, who flock in crouds to the cere mony, have fufficiently admired her dreis and beauty, the nun that attends the novice prefents her with a large wax-candle, three or four feet high, and, taking hold of the skirts of her gown, brings her forward to the grate, where three priests are feated, and ask her the following queftions:

Le Prêtre. Ma fille, que demandez-vous, & quel eft vôtre deffein ?

Prief. Daughter, what do you defire, and what is your intention?

La Novice. Mon révérend père, je demande à être reçûë dans la fociété de cette fainte & religieufe compagnie, pour me confacrer toute à Dieu, & à l'habit de la fainte réligion.

Novice. Reverend father, my defire is to be received into the fociety of this holy and religious company, in order to confecrate my

felf entirely to God, and the habit of holy religion.

Le Prêtre. Ma fille, nous devons croire que c'eft le mouvement de la grace de Dieu, quivous fait prendre cette férieuse réfolution; mais pour en être plus perfuadez & affurez, nous fommes obligez de vous exhorter, & de vous demander vôtre déclaration devant cette fainte affemblée, fi c'eft de vôtre propre mouvement & volonté que vous defirez fi ardemment de prendre l'habit de cette fainte religion, ou fi c'eft par quelque perfuafion ou contrainte que vous me faites cette demande ?

Pricft. Daughter, we are willing to believe that it is the meer motion of the grace of God that impels you to form this serious refolution; but to be more thoroughly affured of this, we are obliged to exhort you, and require your declaration before this holy affembly, whether it be through your own inclination and will, that you fo ardently defire to take the habit of this. holy religion, or whether it is through fome perfuafion or constraint that you make me this requeft?

La Novice. Non, mon révérend père, c'eft de mon propre mouvement, & fans aucune contrainte de perfonne que je vous prie de me faire cette miféricorde.

Novice. No, reverend father, it is of my own accord, and without any compulfion of. any body, that I intreat you to thew me this mercy.

Le Prêtre. Avez-vous bien confidéré, ma fille, que vous ferez obligée de garder la régle de St. Dominique, les ordonnances, & faintes coûtumes de la réligion; qui font la pauvreté, la chafteté & l'obeiflance jufqu' au dernier moment de vôtre vie?

Prieft. Have you maturely confidered, my daughter, that you will be obliged to obferve the rule of St. Dominic, the ordinances and holy cuftoms of religion, which are poverty,. chastity, and obedience to the laft moment of your life?

La Novice. Ouï, mon révérend père, j'ai fait toute l'attention & la réflexion que demande cette fainte action.

Novice. Yes, reverend father, I have given this holy action all the attention and reflection it deferves.

Le Prêtre. Aurez-vous affez de courage, ma fille, pour embraffer dès-à-préfent, & pendant vôtre noviciat, & tout le cours de vôtre vie, les travaux & les auftérités de cet ordre, pour vivre & mourir dans une parfaite imitation de. Jefus-Chrift?

Prieft, Will you have fufficient courage, my daughter, to embrace at prefent, and during your whole noviciate, and the whole courfe of your life, the labours and aufterities of this

*The young lady I faw take the veil, had her two nieces; but we must fuppofe there are umbers that have none to act on this occafion.

J

order,

The Ceremony of taking the white Veil.

order, to live and die in a perfect mitation of Jefus Chrift?

La Novice. Oui, mon révérend père, fortifiée de la grace de Dieu, & du fécours des priéres de cette fainte communauté, j'efpére que celui qui a commencé on moi l'ouvrage de fa miféricorde l'achévera jusqu'à la fin.

Novice. Yes, reverend father, fortified by the grace of God, and the affiftance of the prayers of this holy community, I hope that he who has begun in me this work of mercy, will compleat it entirely,

La derniére Réponse du Prêtre, Plaife à ce père de miféricorde, qui vous a donné ce faint defir, de vous en donner l'accompliffement; allez, donc, ma fille, ôtez vos parures des vanitez du monde pour vous rêvetir de ceux de la fainte réligion, comme vous me le demandez. C'est ce que je vous accorde de la part de Monfeigneurl 'illuftre & révérendiffime Evêque de Boulogne.

Laft Anfwer of the Prief. May it pleafe the Father of Mercy, who has given you this holy defire, to put it in your power to accomplish it! Go then, my daughter, ftrip off your apparel of worldly vanities, in order to put on thofe of holy religion, as you require of me. This favour I grant you, in the name of my lord the illuftrious and moft reverend Bishop of Boulogne,

Whilft the priest afks the novice these queftions, the is kneeling on a form close to the grate, and one of the children standing on each fide, with a nun at a little distance behind her; he holds a large wax-candle in her hands all the time; a nun brings to the grate the plate and fciflars, and lays them down before the prieft, who takes hold of the fciffars, and at the words, "Lord-Bishop of Boulogne," he cuts off a lock of her hair. This is done to fhew that the muft now renounce the vanities of the world, and never more fhew her hair, but conform her conduct to that holy and decent habit which he is to wear for the future. She then makes a courtesy to the altar, the clergy, and the fpectators, which is the laft time he is to falute in that manner, it being customary with nuns to bow their heads, After this the nuns fing a hymn fuited to the occafion, and quit the choir. The fuperior goes first; the rest follow according to their age, or the places they hold in the convent; but the novice remains to the laft, and holds a wax-candle in her hand all the time. They then conduct her to their refectory, or hall, where they dine; then they undrefs her, and fhe puts on the habit of the order, which is in every refpect the fame which the other nuns wear, excepting only the veil, or étamine, which is of white lawn or cambrick. When the novice is retired, they remove the table, and the chair which the fat on, and spread a large carpet in the middle of the choir. As foon

143

as the novice has affumed her new habit, the nuns return in the fame order in which they went out; the fuperior enters firft, and the novice comes laft, with the two children on each fide of her, and the nun that is to con→ duct her through the ceremony. The nuns enter finging the fame hymn which they had begun when they left the choir: during the ceremony, the ecclefiaftics wait at the grate for the young novice. As foon as the nuns have taken their places, fhe is conducted by her attendant to the lower end of the choir; oppofite to her ftand the ecclefiaftics, and a croud of fpectators, to whom he bows, inftead of curtefying, which fe is to do no more, as the reader has been informed above, She then kneels down on the carpet, fpreads her fcapular out before her, and then proftrates herself upon it on her face; the two young children, who attended her during the former part of the ceremony, are prefented with the baskets of flowers which stood upon the table. Upon receiving them, they make a courtesy to the altar and the fpectators, and then turn and courtefy to each other. After this they cross over and change fides, and, walking down by the fide of the new-made nun, whilft fhe lies proftrate, ftrew her body with the flowers. They continue to do this till they reach the lower part of the carpet; then they courtefy to the altar, next to each other, and crofs over as before, which they continue to do till they have ftrewed all their flowers upon the new-made nun, or till the nuns in the choir have done finging, which they continue about eight or nine mi¬ nutes. When the finging is over, the nun that attends the young novice gives her a fignal to rife by pulling her gown, and conducts her to the grate. Whilft the advances towards the grate, he holds the long wax-candle in her hand, and has the children on each side of her, When arrived at the grate fhe bows, and then kneels down. Then the nun takes her candle from her, and prefents her with a crucifix. This is done to intimate to her, that she is for the future to dedicate herself wholly to the Almighty God, and a true imitation of Jefus Christ, according to the purport of the quef tions afked her by the priest,

When the receives the crucifix, the fir kiffes the hands, then the feet, and then the wound made in the fide by the fpear; this the does by way of acknowledgment for what Chrift fuffered for her, and the world in general. She then rifes up, and, bowing, is conducted to the fuperior, to whom the makes a profound bow, and, kneeling down, kiffes the ground before her. She then rifes and embraces the fuperior, then kneels down a fecond time, and kifles the ground. The fir time is to thew her humility, and the obedience the purposes to pay for the future to all T 24

tke

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