_
This was Mark's addition to Thomas a Kempis, to Mother Juliana of
Norwich, to Jeremy Taylor and William Law; this was Mark's sprout of
holy wisdom among the Little Flowers of Saint Francis.
The Rule of Malford was not a very austere adaptation of the Rule of
Saint Benedict; and, with the Reverend Father departing after Mark had
been admitted as a probationer and leaving the administration of the
Abbey to the priority of Brother Dunstan, a good deal of what austerity
had been retained was now relaxed.
The Night Office was not said at Malford, where the liturgical worship
of the day began with Lauds and Prime at six. On Mark devolved the duty
of waking the brethren in the morning, which was done by striking the
door of each cell with a hammer and saying: _The Lord be with you_,
whereupon the sleeping brother must rise from his couch and open the
door of his cell to make the customary response. After Lauds and Prime,
which lasted about half an hour, the brethren retired to their cells to
put them in order for the day and to meditate until seven o'clock,
unless they had been given tasks out of doors. At seven o'clock, if
there was a priest in the monastery, Mass was said; otherwise meditation
and study was prolonged until eight o'clock, when breakfast was eaten.
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