y strict at
first--some of them so strict that they not only forbade all luxury in
the monks, but would not allow any fine buildings, or any handsome
furniture in their churches. But in general the monks soon got over this
by saying that, as their buildings and their services were not for
themselves, but for God, their duty was to honour Him by giving Him of
the best that they could.

These orders were known from each other by the difference of their
dress: thus the Benedictines were called Black Monks, the Cistercians
were called White Monks, and at a later time we find mention of Black
Friars, White Friars, Grey Friars, and so forth.

(2.) About the time of Gregory VII., several new orders were founded;
and of these the most famous were the Carthusians and the Cistercians.

As to the beginning of the Carthusian order, a strange story is told.
The founder, Bruno, is said to have been studying at Paris, when a
famous teacher, who had been greatly respected for his piety, died. As
his funeral was on its way to the grave, the corpse suddenly raised
itself from the bier, and uttered the words, "By God's righteous
judgment I am accused!" All who were around were struck with horror, and
the burial was put off until the next day. But then, as the mourners
were again moving towards the grave, the dead man rose up a second time,
and groaned out, "By God's righteous judgment I am judged!" Again the
service was put off; but on the third day, the general awe was raised to
a height by his lifting up his head and saying, "By God's righteous
judgment I am condemned!" And it is said that on this discovery as to
the real state of a man who had been so highly honoured for his supposed
goodness, Bruno was so struck by a feeling of the hollowness of all
earthly judgment that he resolved to hide himself in a desert.

I have given this story as a sample of the strange tales which have been
told and believed; but not a word of it is really true, and Bruno's
reasons for withdrawing from the world were of quite a different kind.
It is, however, true that he did withdraw into a wild and lonely place,
which is now known as the Great Chartreuse, among rough and awful rocks,
near Grenoble; and there an extremely severe rule was laid down for the
monks of his order (A.D. 1084). They were to wear goatskins next to the
flesh, and their dress was altogether to be of the coarsest and roughest
sort. On three days of each week their food was bread and