nciently denoted, "a person who retired from..." from the world to give himself up wholly to God, and to live in solitude and abstinence." The word is de- rived from the Latin *monachus*, and that from the Greek *μοναχός*, "solitary;" of *μονος* *σολος*, "alone."

The original of monks seems to have been this: The persecution which attended the first ages of the Gospel forced some Christians to retire from the world, and live in deserts and places most private and unfre- quented, in hopes of finding that peace and comfort among beasts which were denied them among men. And this being the case of some very extraordinary persons, their example gave so much reputation to re- tirement, that the practice was continued when the reason of its commencement ceased. After the empire became Christian, instances of this kind were nume- rous; and those whose security had obliged them to live separately and apart, became afterwards united in societies. We may also add, that the mystic theol- ogy, which gained ground towards the close of the third century, contributed to produce the same effect, and to drive men into solitude for the purposes of en- thusiastic devotion.

The monks, at least the ancient ones, were distin- guished into *solitaries*, *cenobites*, and *sarabaites*.

The *solitary* are those who live alone, in places re- mote from all towns and habitations of men, as do still some of the hermits.—The *cenobites* are those who live in community with several others in the same house, and under the same superior.—The *sarabaites* were wandering monks, having no fixed rule or residence.

The houses of monks again were of two kinds, viz. *monasteries* and *laure*. See Monastery and Laura.

Those we call monks nowadays are cenobites, who live together in a convent or monastery, who make vows of living according to a certain rule esta- blished by the founder, and wear a habit which dis- tinguishes their order.

Those that are endowed, or have a fixed revenue, are most properly called monks, *monachi*; as the Char- treux, Benedictines, Bernardines, &c. The Mendic- ants, or those that beg, as the Capuchins and Fran- ciscans, are more properly called religious and friars; though the names are frequently confounded.

The first monks were those of St Antony; who, to- wards the close of the fourth century, formed them into a regular body, engaged them to live in society with each other, and prescribed to them fixed rules for the direction of their conduct. These regulations, which Antony had made in Egypt, were soon intro- duced into Palestine and Syria by his disciple Hilarius. Almost about the same time, Aones or Eugenius, with their companions Gaddanas and Azyzas, insti- tuted the monastic order in Mesopotamia and the ad- jacent countries; and their example was followed with such rapid success, that in a short time the whole east was filled with a lazy set of mortals, who, abandon- ing all human connections, advantages, pleasures, and concerns, wore out a languishing and miserable life amidst the hardships of want, and various kinds of suf- fering, in order to arrive at a more close and rapturous communication with God and angels.

From the east this gloomy institution passed into the west, and first into Italy and its neighbouring islands; though it is uncertain who transplanted it thither.

St Martin, the celebrated bishop of Tours, erected the first monasteries in Gaul, and recommended this reli- gious solitude with such power and efficacy, both by his instructions and his example, that his funeral is said to have been attended by no less than 2000 monks. From hence the monastic discipline extended gradually its progress through the other provinces and countries of Europe. There were besides the monks of St Ba- sil (called in the east *Calogeri*, from *καλός* *γέρων* "good old man") and those of St Jerome, the hermits of St Augustine, and afterwards those of St Benedict and St Bernard; at length came those of St Francis and St Dominic, with a legion of others; all which see under their proper heads, Benedictines, &c.

Towards the close of the 5th century, the monks, who had formerly lived only for themselves in solitary retreats, and had never thought of assuming any rank among the clerical order, were now gradually dis- tinguished from the populace, and endowed with such opulence and honourable privileges, that they found themselves in a condition to claim an eminent station among the supports and pillars of the Christian com- munity. The fame of their piety and sanctity was so great, that bishops and presbyters were often chosen out of their order; and the passion of erecting edifi- ces and convents, in which the monks and holy vir- gins might serve God in the most commodious man- ner, was at this time carried beyond all bounds. How- ever, their licentiousness, even in this century, was be- come a proverb; and they are said to have excited the most dreadful tumults and seditions in various places. The monastic orders were at first under the immediate jurisdiction of the bishops, from which they were exempted by the Roman pontiff about the end of the 7th century; and the monks, in return, devot- ed themselves wholly to advance the interests and to maintain the dignity of the bishop of Rome. This immunity which they obtained was a fruitful source of licentiousness and disorder, and occasioned the great- est part of the vices with which they were afterwards justly charged. In the 8th century the monastic discipline was extremely relaxed both in the eastern and western provinces, and all efforts to restore it were ineffectual. Nevertheless, this kind of institution was in the highest esteem, and nothing could equal the ve- neration that was paid about the close of the 9th cen- tury to such as devoted themselves to the sacred gloom and indolence of a convent. This veneration induced several kings and emperors to call them to their courts, and to employ them in civil affairs of the greatest mo- ment. Their reformation was attempted by Louis the Meek, but the effect was of short duration. In the 11th century they were exempted by the popes from the authority of their sovereigns, and new orders of monks were continually established; insomuch that in the council of Lateran that was held in the year 1215, a decree was passed, by the advice of Inno- cent III., to prevent any new monastic institutions; and several were entirely suppressed. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it appears, from the testimonies of the best writers, that the monks were generally lazy, illiterate, profligate, and licentious Epicureans, whose views in life were confined to opulence, idleness, and pleasure. However, the Reformation had a manifest influence. influence in restraining their excesses, and rendering them more circumspect and cautious in their external conduct.