eral body of the houses had
again to be abandoned, and only local projects of reform could be
carried out. In 1598 had arisen the reformed congregation of the
Feuillants, which spread widely in France and Italy, in the latter
country under the name of "Improved Bernardines." The French
congregation of Sept-Fontaines (1654) also deserves mention. In 1663 de
Rance reformed La Trappe (see TRAPPISTS).

The Reformation, the ecclesiastical policy of Joseph II., the French
Revolution, and the revolutions of the 19th century, almost wholly
destroyed the Cistercians; but some survived, and since the beginning of
the last half of the 19th century there has been a considerable
recovery. They are at present divided into three bodies: (1) the Common
Observance, with about 30 monasteries and 800 choir monks, the large
majority being in Austria-Hungary; they represent the main body of the
order and follow a mitigated rule of life; they do not carry on
field-work, but have large secondary schools, and are in manner of life
little different from fairly observant Benedictine Black monks; of late
years, however, signs are not wanting of a tendency towards a return to
older ideas; (2) the Middle Observance, embracing some dozen monasteries
and about 150 choir monks; (3) the Strict Observance, or Trappists
(q.v.), with nearly 60 monasteries, about 1600 choir monks and 2000 lay
brothers.

In all there are about 100 Cistercian monasteries and about 4700 monks,
including lay brothers. There have always been a large number of
Cistercian nuns; the first nunnery was founded at Tart in the diocese of
Langres, 1125; at the period of their widest extension there are said to
have been 900 nunneries, and the communities were very large. The nuns
were devoted to contemplation and also did field-work. In Spain and
France certain Cistercian abbesses had extraordinary privileges.
Numerous reforms took place among the nuns. The best known of all
Cistercian convents was probably Port-Royal (q.v.), reformed by
Angelique Arnaud, and associated with the story of the Jansenist
controversy. After all the troubles of the 19th century there still
exist 100 Cistercian nunneries with 3000 nuns, choir and lay; of these,
15 nunneries with 900 nuns are Trappist.

Accounts of the beginnings of the Cistercians and of the primitive
life and spirit will be found in the lives of St Bernard, the best
whereof is that of Abbe E. Vacandard (1895); also in the Life of S