than half of all the property. The Benedictine
monks tilled the soil of the country surrounding their monasteries,
literally making the "desert blossom as the rose." They were untiring in
zeal for the Church and in deeds of mercy. They established cloister
schools in Italy, France, Spain, England, Ireland, Germany, and
Switzerland. Monte Cassino (529), Italy; Canterbury (586) and Oxford
(ninth century), England; St. Gall (613), Switzerland; Fulda (744),
Constance, Hamburg, and Cologne (tenth century), Germany; Lyons, Tours,
Paris, and Rouen (tenth century), France; Salzburg (696), Austria; and
many other schools were founded chiefly by the Benedictines. Among the
many great teachers that they produced were Alcuin of England, Boniface
of Germany, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and Abelard. It thus appears
that the Benedictine order took a deep interest in education, and their
work deserves a most honorable place among the educational agencies of
the period under discussion.

=The Seven Liberal Arts.=--We have seen that much attention was always
given to religious instruction in the Christian schools. The Bible, the
doctrines of the Church, and its rites and ceremonies were at first
exclusively taught. But later secular branches were introduced. These
secular branches were known as the seven liberal arts, which comprised
the following subjects:--

{Reading and
{1. Grammar. {Writing.
{I. Trivium[1] {2. Rhetoric.
The Seven { {3. Logic.
Liberal Arts. {
{ {1. Arithmetic.
{ {2. Music.
{ II. Quadrivium[31] {3. Geometry.
{ {4. Astronomy.

This course required seven years. Latin was the only language used, and
consequently the native tongues suffered. The _trivium_ was the most
popular course; such knowledge was considered an absolute necessity for
any one making claim to culture. After completing the _trivium_, those
who wished for higher culture studied the _quadrivium_.

Under the term _grammar_ were included reading and writing, as well as
the construction and use of language. In _rhetoric_ the works of
Quintilian and Cicero were studied, and sermons delivered in the
churches were made to serve for a practical application of the rules. In
_lo