When we had taken a full Survey of all; we, not without some Regret, return’d to our very indifferent Inn; Where the better to pass away the Time, Father White gave me an ample Detail of the Original of that Order.  I had before-hand heard somewhat of it; nevertheless, I did not care to interrupt him, because I had a Mind to hear how his Account would agree with what I had already heard.

“Bruno,” said the Father, “the Author or Founder of this Order, was not originally of this, but of another.  He had a holy Brother of the same Order, that was his Cell-mate, or Chamber-fellow, who was reputed by all that ever saw or knew him, for a Person of exalted Piety, and of a most exact holy Life.  This man, Bruno had intimately known for many years; and agreed in his Character, that general Consent did him no more than Justice, having never observed any Thing in any of his Actions, that, in his Opinion, could be offensive to God or Man.  He was perpetually at his Devotions; and distinguishably remarkable, for never permitting any Thing but pious Ejaculations to proceed out of his Mouth.  In short, he was reputed a Saint upon Earth.

“This Man at last dies, and, according to Custom, is removed into the Chapel of the Convent, and there plac’d with a Cross fix’d in his Hands:  Soon after which, saying the proper Masses for his Soul, in the Middle of their Devotion, the dead Man lifts up his Head, and with an audible Voice, cry’d out, Vocatus sum.  The pious Brethren, as any one will easily imagine, were most prodigiously surprised at such an Accident, and therefore they earnestly redoubled their Prayers; when hfting up his Head a second Time, the dead Man cried aloud, Judicatus sum.  Knowing his former Piety, the pious Fraternity could not then entertain the least doubt of his Felicity; when, to their great Consternation and Confusion, he lifted up his Head a third Time, crying out in a terrible Tone, Damnatus sum; upon which they incontinently removed the Corps out of the Chapel, and threw it upon the Dunghill.

“Good Bruno, pondering upon these Passages, could not fail of drawing this Conclusion; That if a Person to all Appearance so holy and devout, should miss of Salvation, it behov’d a wise Man to contrive some Way more certain to make his Calling and Election sure.  To that Purpose he instituted this strict and severe Order, with an Injunction to them sacred as any Part, that every Professor should always wear Hair Cloth next his Skin, never eat any Flesh; nor speak to one another, only as passing by, to say, Memento mori.”

This Account I found to agree pretty well with what I had before heard; but at the same Time, I found the Redouble of it made but just the same Impression, it had at first made upon my Heart.  However having made it my Observation, that a Spirit the least contradictory, best carries a Man through Spain; I kept Father White Company, and in Humour, ’till we arrived at Victoria.  Where he added one Thing, by Way of Appendix, in Relation to the Carthusians, That every Person of the Society, is oblig’d every Day to go into their Place of Burial, and take up as much Earth, as he can hold at a Grasp with one Hand, in order to prepare his Grave.