雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第125部分

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orification　of　all　the　mysteries　relating　to　the　infancy；　the　life；　and　death　of　Jesus　Christ　and　the　Virgin；　between　the　two　orders；　which　were；　nevertheless；　widely　separated；　and　on　occasion　even　hostile。
　　The　Oratory　of　Italy；　established　at　Florence　by　Philip　de　Neri；　and　the　Oratory　of　France；　established　by　Pierre　de　Berulle。
　　The　Oratory　of　France　claimed　the　precedence；　since　Philip　de　Neri　was　only　a　saint；　while　Berulle　was　a　cardinal。
　　Let　us　return　to　the　harsh　Spanish　rule　of　Martin　Verga。
　　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　this　obedience　fast　all　the　year　round；　abstain　from　meat；　fast　in　Lent　and　on　many　other　days　which　are　peculiar　to　them；　rise　from　their　first　sleep；　from　one　to　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　to　read　their　breviary　and　chant　matins；　sleep　in　all　seasons　between　serge　sheets　and　on　straw；　make　no　use　of　the　bath；　never　light　a　fire；　scourge　themselves　every　Friday；　observe　the　rule　of　silence；　speak　to　each　other　only　during　the　recreation　hours；　which　are　very　brief；　and　wear　drugget　chemises　for　six　months　in　the　year；　from　September　14th；　which　is　the　Exaltation　of　the　Holy　Cross；　until　Easter。　These　six　months　are　a　modification：
　　the　rule　says　all　the　year；　but　this　drugget　chemise；　intolerable　in　the　heat　of　summer；　produced　fevers　and　nervous　spasms。
　　The　use　of　it　had　to　be　restricted。　Even　with　this　palliation；　when　the　nuns　put　on　this　chemise　on　the　14th　of　September；　they　suffer　from　fever　for　three　or　four　days。　Obedience；　poverty；　chastity；　perseverance　in　their　seclusion；　these　are　their　vows；　which　the　rule　greatly　aggravates。
　　The　prioress　is　elected　for　three　years　by　the　mothers；　who　are　called　meres　vocales　because　they　have　a　voice　in　the　chapter。　A　prioress　can　only　be　re…elected　twice；　which　fixes　the　longest　possible　reign　of　a　prioress　at　nine　years。
　　They　never　see　the　officiating　priest；　who　is　always　hidden　from　them　by　a　serge　curtain　nine　feet　in　height。
　　During　the　sermon；　when　the　preacher　is　in　the　chapel；　they　drop　their　veils　over　their　faces。　They　must　always　speak　low；　walk　with　their　eyes　on　the　ground　and　their　heads　bowed。
　　One　man　only　is　allowed　to　enter　the　convent；　the　archbishop　of　the　diocese。
　　There　is　really　one　other；the　gardener。
　　But　he　is　always　an　old　man；　and；　in　order　that　he　may　always　be　alone　in　the　garden；　and　that　the　nuns　may　be　warned　to　avoid　him；　a　bell　is　attached　to　his　knee。
　　Their　submission　to　the　prioress　is　absolute　and　passive。　It　is　the　canonical　subjection　in　the　full　force　of　its　abnegation。　As　at　the　voice　of　Christ；　ut　voci　Christi；　at　a　gesture；　at　the　first　sign；　ad　nutum；　ad　primum　signum；　immediately；　with　cheerfulness；　with　perseverance；　with　a　certain　blind　obedience；　prompte；　hilariter；　perseveranter　et　caeca　quadam　obedientia；　as　the　file　in　the　hand　of　the　workman；　quasi　limam　in　manibus　fabri；　without　power　to　read　or　to　write　without　express　permission；　legere　vel　scribere　non　addiscerit　sine　expressa　superioris　licentia。
　　Each　one　of　them　in　turn　makes　what　they　call　reparation。　The　reparation　is　the　prayer　for　all　the　sins；　for　all　the　faults；　for　all　the　dissensions；　for　all　the　violations；　for　all　the　iniquities；　for　all　the　crimes　mitted　on　earth。
　　For　the　space　of　twelve　consecutive　hours；　from　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　till　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　or　from　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　until　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the　sister　who　is　making　reparation　remains　on　her　knees　on　the　stone　before　the　Holy　Sacrament；　with　hands　clasped；　a　rope　around　her　neck。
　　When　her　fatigue　bees　unendurable；　she　prostrates　herself　flat　on　her　face　against　the　earth；　with　her　arms　outstretched　in　the　form　of　a　cross；　this　is　her　only　relief。　In　this　attitude　she　prays　for　all　the　guilty　in　the　universe。　This　is　great　to　sublimity。
　　As　this　act　is　performed　in　front　of　a　post　on　which　burns　a　candle；　it　is　called　without　distinction；　to　make　reparation　or　to　be　at　the　post。
　　The　nuns　even　prefer；　out　of　humility；　this　last　expression；　which　contains　an　idea　of　torture　and　abasement。
　　To　make　reparation　is　a　function　in　which　the　whole　soul　is　absorbed。　The　sister　at　the　post　would　not　turn　round　were　a　thunderbolt　to　fall　directly　behind　her。
　　Besides　this；　there　is　always　a　sister　kneeling　before　the　Holy　Sacrament。
　　This　station　lasts　an　hour。
　　They　relieve　each　other　like　soldiers　on　guard。
　　This　is　the　Perpetual　Adoration。
　　The　prioresses　and　the　mothers　almost　always　bear　names　stamped　with　peculiar　solemnity；　recalling；　not　the　saints　and　martyrs；　but　moments　in　the　life　of　Jesus　Christ：
　　as　Mother　Nativity；　Mother　Conception；　Mother　Presentation；　Mother　Passion。
　　But　the　names　of　saints　are　not　interdicted。
　　When　one　sees　them；　one　never　sees　anything　but　their　mouths。
　　All　their　teeth　are　yellow。
　　No　tooth…brush　ever　entered　that　convent。　Brushing　one's　teeth　is　at　the　top　of　a　ladder　at　whose　bottom　is　the　loss　of　one's　soul。
　　They　never　say　my。
　　They　possess　nothing　of　their　own；　and　they　must　not　attach　themselves　to　anything。
　　They　call　everything　our；　thus：
　　our　veil；　our　chaplet；　if　they　were　speaking　of　their　chemise；　they　would　say　our　chemise。
　　Sometimes　they　grow　attached　to　some　petty　object；　to　a　book　of　hours；　a　relic；　a　medal　that　has　been　blessed。
　　As　soon　as　they　bee　aware　that　they　are　growing　attached　to　this　object；　they　must　give　it　up。
　　They　recall　the　words　of　Saint　Therese；　to　whom　a　great　lady　said；　as　she　was　on　the　point　of　entering　her　order；　〃Permit　me；　mother；　to　send　for　a　Bible　to　which　I　am　greatly　attached。〃
　　〃Ah；　you　are　attached　to　something！　In　that　case；　do　not　enter　our　order！〃
　　Every　person　whatever　is　forbidden　to　shut　herself　up；　to　have　a　place　of　her　own；　a　chamber。
　　They　live　with　their　cells　open。　When　they　meet；　one　says；　〃Blessed　and　adored　be　the　most　Holy　Sacrament　of　the　altar！〃
　　The　other　responds；　〃Forever。〃
　　The　same　ceremony　when　one　taps　at　the　other's　door。
　　Hardly　has　she　touched　the　door　when　a　soft　voice　on　the　other　side　is　heard　to　say　hastily；　〃Forever！〃
　　Like　all　practices；　this　bees　mechanical　by　force　of　habit；　and　one　sometimes　says　forever　before　the　other　has　had　time　to　say　the　rather　long　sentence；　〃Praised　and　adored　be　the　most　Holy　Sacrament　of　the　altar。〃
　　Among　the　Visitandines　the　one　who　enters　says：
　　〃Ave　Maria；〃　and　the　one　whose　cell　is　entered　says；　〃Gratia　plena。〃
　　It　is　their　way　of　saying　good　day；　which　is　in　fact　full　of　grace。
　　At　each　hour　of　the　day　three　supplementary　strokes　sound　from　the　church　bell　of　the　convent。
　　At　this　signal　prioress；　vocal　mothers；　professed　nuns；　lay…sisters；　novices；　postulants；　interrupt　what　they　are　saying；　what　they　are　doing；　or　what　they　are　thinking；　and　all　say　in　unison　if　it　is　five　o'clock；　for　instance；　〃At　five　o'clock　and　at　all　hours　praised　and　adored　be　the　most　Holy　Sacrament　of　the　altar！〃
　　If　it　is　eight　o'clock；　〃At　eight　o'clock　and　at　all　hours！〃　and　so　on；　according　to　the　hour。
　　This　custom；　the　object　of　which　is　to　break　the　thread　of　thought　and　to　lead　it　back　constantly　to　God；　exists　in　many　munities；　the　formula　alone　varies。
　　Thus　at　The　Infant　Jesus　they　say；　〃At　this　hour　and　at　every　hour　may　the　love　of　Jesus　kindle　my　heart！〃　The　Bernardines…Benedictines　of　Martin　Verga；　cloistered　fifty　years　ago　at　Petit…Picpus；　chant　the　offices　to　a　solemn　psalmody；　a　pure　Gregorian　chant；　and　always　with　full　voice　during　the　whole　course　of　the　office。
　　Everywhere　in　the　missal　where　an　asterisk　occurs　they　pause；　and　say　in　a　low　voice；　〃Jesus…Marie…Joseph。〃　For　the　office　of　the　dead　they　adopt　a　tone　so　low　that　the　voices　of　women　can　hardly　descend　to　such　a　depth。
　　The　effect　produced　is　striking　and　tragic。
　　The　nuns　of　the　Petit…Picpus　had　made　a　vault　under　their　grand　altar　for　the　burial　of　their　munity。
　　The　Government；　as　they　say；　does　not　permit　this　vault　to　receive　coffins　so　they　leave　the　convent　when　they　die。
　　This　is　an　affliction　to　them；　and　causes　them　consternation　as　an　infraction　of　the　rules。
　　They　had　obtained　a　mediocre　consolation　at　best；permission　to　be　interred　at　a　special　hour　and　in　a　special　corner　in　the　ancient　Vaugirard　cemetery；　which　was　made　of　land　which　had　formerly　belonged　to　their　munity。
　　On　Fridays　the　nuns　hear　high　mass；　vespers；　and　all　the　offices；　as　on　Sunday。
　　They　scrupulously　observe　in　addition　all　the　little　festivals　unknown　to　people　of　the　world；　of　which　the　Church　of　France　was　so　prodigal　in　the　olden　days；　and　of　which　it　is　still　prodigal　in　Spain　and　Italy。
　　Their　stations　in　the　chapel　are　interminable。　As　for　the　number　and　duration　of　their　prayers　we　can　convey　no　better　idea　of　them　than　by　quoting　the　ingenuous　remark　of　one　of　them：　〃The　prayers　of　the　postulants　are　frightful；　the　prayers　of　the　novices　are　still　worse；　and　the　prayers　of　the　professed　nuns　are　still　worse。〃
　　Once　a　week　the　chapter　assembles：
　　the　prioress　presides；　the　vocal　mothers　assist。
　　Each　sister　kneels　in　turn　on　the　stones；　and　confesses　aloud；　in　the　presence　of　all；