The Capucin Treated, Chapter 7 – Chapter 11
CHAP. VII. Of the Whippings of the Capucins.
BY the Conſtitutions of the Order, the Capucins whip themſelves three time… a week, at two a Clock after midnight, (viz.) at two after Sunday night, after Tueſday night, and after Thurſday night. In the winter they whip themſelves at half an hour paſt five in the evening, for fear of too great a cold in the night. They whip themſelves on the back and buttocks.
Bonav. vitae Franciſci pag. 38. Antonin. 3 parte Chro. tit. 24. c. 2. ſect. 1. Quod vir Dei ſentiens veſte depo ſtia, chord â duriſſimâ ſe verberabat, dicens, Eja frater a ſine, &c.This they do in imitation of St. Francis, of whom St. Bonaventure, and St. Antonine write, that being one day tickled with carnal temptations, he laſht himſelf very ſeverely with his Cord, ſaying thus to himſelf: Eja frater aſine, decet te manere, & ſic ſubire flagellum; that is, Go to, brother aſſe, thou muſt ſtay, and be whipt thus. *Ibi. Sed cùm tentatio nequaquam diſcederet, foras exiens cùm hyems eſſet in magnam nivis congeriem ſe nudum immerſit, &c. Antonin. tit. 24. cap. 2, ſect. 1.But his temptations continued for all this, and therefore, to ſubdue them, he ſtript himſelf ſtark naked, and plunged himſelf over head and ears in the ſnow, and made ſeven ſnow-balls, ſaying, The biggeſt is thy wife, and theſe two are thy two daughters, &c. The ſame is recited by James de Voragine in his Legend of St. Francis. And St. Antonine ſaith, that he often plunged himſelf in a place full of ice and ſnow, uſque ad illiciti motus receſſum, that is, untill the immodeſt motion of his ſecret parts ceaſed.
Beſides this whiping,Antonin. c. 1. Suſtinuic multa flagella à daemonibus, &c. and the torments which St. Francis inflicted on his own body, the devils whipt him often, and very rudely: but the bleſſed Saint gave demonſtrations that he received all this with joy. Bonaventure ſaith, that one day the devils beat him ſo ſorely that they left him half dead.Bona. apud Surium p. 40 & 41. Daemones verberatum ſeminecem relinquunt.
But to returning to the whipping of the Capucins, before they begin this pleaſant exerciſe, each one prepares himſelf for it, and with his whip drives his fellow to a convenient diſtance from him, for fear of ſtriking him. Being all ready, the Superior knocks with his hand on a bench, and preſently all the candles are blown out, and he that wears the cope that week begins to ſing the Pſalm Miſerere, and they all follow, whipping themſemſelves while they ſing. Then they ſing De Profundis, then the ancient Salve Regina, and then the ancient Chriſtus factus eſt obediens pr… nobis. During all this ſinging (which laſts about half an hour) the whipping continues in ſuch ſort that the blood trickles down. And they make a terrible noiſe with their whips The ſinging being ended, the Superior knock… his ſeat with his foot, and ſo the whipping ceaſeth.
This diſcipline is very terrible; for many times you ſhall ſee the place all bloody and in great Convents where there are 60 or 80. Capucins, there is ſuch a noiſe o… Monks ſinging with open mouth, and making their whips clack, that you would thin… the houſe were falling. This whipping is … juſt action, for theſe fathers deſerve it well▪
In the holy week they uſe this diſciplin… every day, but they redouble it on Good-friday, for on that day inſtead of one Miſerer… they ſing three, and the whipping continue all the while.
On the Vigiles of the feaſts of our Lady and of the other ſolemn feaſts, and on ever… friday of the month of March they, whi… themſelves in the dining-room before dinner. But this whipping laſts no longer tha… while they are ſinging of one Miſerere, whic… is the 51. Pſalm, which ends in vitulos Hence comes the proverb to be whipt fro… Miſerere unto vitulos. This whipping, whic… is milder, and ſhorter than at other times, is exerciſed on the ſhoulders onelyonly, and not on the buttocks.
This being ended, they eat bread and pottage on their knees in honour of the Virgin Mary. Their night whippings are exerciſed on their buttocks; but the day whippings on the ſhoulders only.
In the morning theſe poor Capucins go abroad to beg, with carved buttocks and embroidered backs, carrying a Wallet on the ſhoulder. They beg from door to door; one gives them bread, another a ſhoulder of Mutton, another a Leg of a Capon, another puts ſome Wine into their bottle, which is very large, and of a great capacity.
CHAP. VIII. Of the Penances of the Capucins.
THe penances of the Capucins, for puniſhing of a fault, are impoſed in the dining-room, which place ſerves alſo for a Chapter-houſe.
In this place before dinner the Monks on their knees wait for the ſuperior, or Guardian; who being come, the moſt ancient of thoſe who are to receive penance, puts off his garment from his ſhoulders, claſps his hands, and holds down his head, as low as his knees, accuſing himſelf of ſins committed againſt the Conſtitutions. They do not accuſe themſelves for want of a firm affiance in the promiſes of the Goſpel: but ordinarily thoſe things which the penitent confeſſeth, are trifles; for, he confeſſeth either that he hath talked too loud, or walked too faſt, or gaz'd about too much, or hath ſcratcht himſelf while he was at prayers, or hath broken an earthen pot, or the like. This confeſſion they call the fault. Then come the reſt, and make ſuch another confeſſion.
As theſe confeſſions are abſurd, ſo are the penances impoſed by the Superior on the penitent as ridiculous. He that is accuſed in the Chapter-houſe to have broken ſilence, is condemned to take a ſhort ſtaff in his mouth, and to hold it betwixt his teeth until the Superior ſay to him, It is enough. In Italian he ſays Baſta. Somtimes they have a long pole, which five or ſix of them hold between their teeth, and ſo walk up and down with it while the others are at dinner, who muſt take heed that they do not laugh.
If any one hath whipt himſelf too gently, he is condemned to whip himſelf publickly upon the ſhoulders with a fox-tail in the preſence of thoſe that are at dinner.
If any one hath talked too much, he is condemned to draw a Croſs on the ground wi…h his tongue.
Sometimes for a penance they make a Monk eat with a Cat in the ſame diſh. And others are made to ſuck a flint dipt in vinegar.
Others riſe from their knees to drink, and as often as they drink they ſay to their brethren who are at dinner, before they drink, Brethren, pray to God for poor brother Linotte, or for brother Tribouleus, or for poor brother Griboville, &c. For they are obliged to take ridiculous names in humility, to render themſelves contemptible. After this they drink by permiſſion with very great modeſty.
If any one be accuſed of being too ſpruce and finical, a bucket of water is brought him to view himſelf in, or they preſent him with the backſide of a kettle for a looking-glaſs.
They who have ſlept at prayers, are made to lie down in the preſence of thoſe that are at table, and are made to ſnore, as if they were aſleep.
If any breaks a cup, or bottle, or a fryingpan, he is made to carry it about hanging at his neck for a pennance.
CHAP. IX. Some extravagant actions, in which the Capucins place holineſs.
DIvers Capucins who have left the Convent, have confeſſed to me, that although they were accounted the moſt zealous amongſt them, yet they had much adoe to forbear laughing at ſome extravagant actions, in which the Capucins place holineſs.
Theſe things following are practiſed amongſt them, (viz.) To view themſelves in a Fryingpan. To make a croſs with the tongue in the aſhes. To combe the beard with a rake. To chop off the beard on a block with a hatchet. To ſtand upon one legg in the midſt of the dining-room. To kiſs the feet of all thoſe who are at dinner. To make a Monk dance before them all. To make him fence. To blindfold him with a dirty clout. To go about upon all four like a beaſt. To carry about on the head a basket like a head-piece. To put upon the noſe a pair of ſpectacles made of felt. To ride about upon a ſtick like a child, &c. But the abſurdeſt penance of all is, when the Superior commands a Monk, who having filled his belly, leaves ſome part of his dinner behind him, to eat it up all, So that he muſt break his belly in humility, and mortification.
In the life of St. Felix de Cantalice, (an almes-begger at Rome, Canonized by the Pope, about 16 or 17 years ago) this is put amongſt his vertuous actions that being at Rome, in the ſtreet he met Philip de Neri, founder of the Prieſts of the Oratory, and made him drink off his bottle, and that Philip in requital put his hat on Felix his head: Whereupon the Children in the ſtreet cryed out Fra Felice a un capello. Thus did theſe Saints by a great ſelf denial mutually communicate their holineſs to each other.
In the Chronicles of St. Francis's Order, it is recorded, that Fryar Juniperus, (who is Canonized for a Saint) boiled a hen with her guts, feathers and all. And that being in a certain Caſtle, he left his dung in the bed where he lay. Another Fryar Minor, named Jacobo, in humility leapt into a houſe of office.
CHAP. X. Of the names, which the Capucincs tak… when they enter into this profeſſion.
WHen the Capucins enter into the Order, after the year of Probation they take another name then that which they had given them at their Baptiſme: For (as I have already ſaid) St. Francis's habit is accounted another Baptiſm. One is called Hilary, another Joſeph, another Baſil, &c. Some of them take Sublime and Caeleſtial names. One is called Father Angel, another Father Archangel, another Father Spirit, another Father Cherubin, another Father Seraphin, &c. which names are very unſuitable to the profeſſion of humility. To be a Fryar Minor, that is, to be the leaſt, and yet to be an Archangel, are things altogether inconſiſtent. Beſides the nature of their vow is to do works of Supererogation: but the Angels do no ſuch works, for they content themſelves with obeying the commands of God.
Thoſe who ſay the Capucins are called Angels becauſe they imitate the Angels, in that they marry not, nor receive mony, do great wrong to the Order of theſe Monks; for by the ſame reaſon they may be ſaid to imitate the Devils, becauſe they neither marry, nor poſſeſſe wealth any more than the Angels.
It is a mockery to ſay, that they are called Angels, and Seraphins, becauſe they take the Angels and Seraphins for their Patrons, and Protectors: For by the ſame reaſon a married woman, who hath taken the Virgin Mary for her Patroneſs, may be called the Virgin Mary; And he who takes God for his protector, may be called God. But ſith the Capucins have St. Francis for their Protector, who is (as they ſay) of the Order of the Seraphins, and exalted above the eight Orders of Angels, what need have they to take the Angels for their Patrons? Beſides, they who chooſe Angels, or Saints for their Patrons, chooſe one certain Angel, or Saint for their Patron; and not the Angels and Saints in general.
CHAP. XI. The form of making their Vow.
WHen a Capucin will enter into the Order, after the year of probation, he is admitted to make the vow, which is done in the preſence of the Superior, and his brethren, in theſe terms:
I A. B. do Vow, and promiſe to God the Father Almighty, and to th… Bleſſed Virgin Mary, to the Bleſſed Apoſtles Peter and Paul, to the Bleſſed St. Francis my Patron, and to you my Father, to obſerve the Rule of the Fryars Minors, living in Poverty, Obedience, and Chaſtity.
He that receives this Vow anſwers,
And I, if thou obſerve it, do promiſe thee, in the name of God, life eternal.