Printed at The Brandt Press, Trenton, iV. U. '“JpHE AIM of this volume is to sketch the history of the monastic institution from its
origin to its overthrow in the Reformation period,
for although the institution is by no means now
extinct, its power was practically broken in the
sixteenth century, and no new orders of importance
or new types have arisen since that time.
A little reflection will enable one to understand
the great difficulties in the execution of so broad
purpose. It was impracticable in the majority of
instances to consult original sources, although intermediate authorities have been studied as widely as
possible and the greatest caution has been exercised
to avoid those errors which naturally arise from the
use of such avenues of information. It was also
deemed unadvisable to burden the work with
numerous notes and citations. Such notes as were
necessary to a true unfolding of the subject will be
found in the appendix.
A presentation of the salient features of the
5 6
PREFACE
whole history was essential to a proper conception
of the orderly development of the ascetic ideal.
To understand the monastic institution one must
not only study the isolated anchorite ...