STANFIELD
245
STANISLAS
completed by the present abbess. As formerly at
Cambrai, so at Stanbrook, the solemn celebration of
the Divine Office, strictness of enclosure, and monastic
observance are leading features. Though essentially
devoted to the contemplative life, the nuns receive for
education within the cloister a small number of
alumna". Thej' are girls of the upper classes of life,
and are fitted for their future jx)sition in society by a
strong traditionarj- training on monastic lines according to the spirit of St. Benedict's Rule. Stanbrook
Abbey has some reputation for its contributions to
Catholic literature, as also to the popularization of
Gregorian Chant. Lady Cecilia A. Heywood, who
was blessed abbess in November, 1897, is the twen-
tieth in succession from the year 1629. [See More,
Helen (Dame Gertrude.)]
Wkldon, Chroniil.yical Xoles (Stnnhrook. 1881); Weld- Blu.ndell, Inner Life and Writings of D. Gertrude More, 2 vols. (London. 1910); Sweeney. Life and Spirit of Father Baker (London, 1861): Cody, Ampleforth Journal (April. 1897); Alston, Downside Review (Christmas. 1906-7); Waugh, Down- side Review (July. 1909); Gu^ranger, (Fie de), par un Beni- dietin de Solesme's (Paris. 1910); Billecocq, Bulletin Trimestriet de V Archieonfrh^e de N. D. de Compassion (September, 1907) ; De TeiL, Le Correspondant (Paris, 1906); Willson, Martyrs of Compline (London, 1907): De CotJRSON, Cinnelites of Com- pUgne.
E. B. Weld-Blundel.
Stanfield, William Clarkson, English painter, b. at Sunderland, 1793; d. at Hampstead, near Lon- don, 1S67. He became a sailor, anil on one of his journeys to Ne%v Guinea mai:le the acquaintance of Thomas Clarkson, who was strongly interested in the abolition of the slave trade; in proof of his warm friendship with whom, he added t he name of Clark- son to his own, and thereafter styled himself \\'illiam Clarkson Stanfield. He was disabled in l.SKi, and then started as a scene-painter in a theatre, much frequented by sail- ors, from which he obtained engage- ments to the va- rious other Lon- don theatres. Making the ac- quaintance of Douglas .Jerrold and Captain Marrj-at, the novelist, he was strongly recommended to take up the p.ainting of panel pictures, and to try his chance at an exhibition. He exhibited at the Society of Brit i.sli Arti.sts in 1824, and again in 1.S27, gaining considerable attention and encouragement. Two years later he sent a picture to the Academy, which was favourably received, and^ gaining a prize of fifty guineas from the British Institution, he relin- quished scene-painting and started on a Continental tour, painting various pictures. From that time he was a steady exhibitor at the Academy, sending in nearly one hundred and forty pictures to its exhibi- tions. His paintings jjartook of the character of scene-painting in their spectacular and stagey effect, but many of them were very ch:irming, and were greatly admired, and some of his best will hardly ever be excelled as fine representations of sea scenes. Per- haps his greatest is the one in the pos,session of Mrs. Bums; other works of importance are those painted for the Marquess of Lan.sdowne at Bowoo<l, and the four beautiful examples in the Victoria and .Mbert Museum. He was a man of tremendous energy, and
Stan:
From a Photograph
regarded by his friends as exceedingly charming and
pleasant. A devout Cathohc, he spent the latter
part of his life in .an old hou.se at Hampste.ad, still
standing, and used partly as a library and partly ;is a
residence. His funeral took place in the Catholic
cemetery at Kensal Green, and a couple of years after
his death there was a memorial exhibition of his works
in the Royal Academy.
There is no work dealing with this painter that has any claim for special recognition; consult the memoir.s in the local papers of Hampstead, and in the principal journals of the day.
George Charles Williamson.
Stanislas Kostka, Saint, b. at Rostkovo near Prasnysz, Poland, about 28 October, 1550; d. at Rome during the night of 14-15 August, 1568. He entered the Society of Jesus at Rome, 28 October, 1567, and is said to have foretold his death a few days before it oc- curred. His father, John Kostka, was a senator of the Kingdom of Poland and Lord of Zakroczym; his mother was Margaret de Drobniy Kryska, the sister and niece of the Dukes Palatine of Masovia and the aunt of the celebrated Chancellor of Poland, Felix Kryski. The marriage was blessed with seven chil- dren, of whom Stanislas was the second. His older brother Paul sur\'ived him long enough to be present at the celebration of the beatification of Stanislas in 1605. The two brothers were first taught at home, the main feature of this early education being the firmness, even severity, of their training; its results were the excellent habits of piety, modesty, temper- ance, and submission. After this they were sent to Vienna with their tutor to attend the Jesuit college that had been opened there four years before, reaching Vienna, 25 July, 1564. Among the students of the college Stanislas was soon conspicuous not only for his amiability and cheerfulness of expression, but also for his religious fervour and angelic piety. This spirit of devotion continued to grow during the three years he remained in Vienna. His brother Paul said of him during the process of beatification: "He de- voted himself so completely to spiritual things that he frecjuently became unconsci(His, especially in the church of the Jesuit Fathers at Vienna. It is true," added the witness, "that this had happened at home to my brother at Easter when he was seated at table with our parents and other persons." Among other practices of devotion he joined while at Vienna the Congregation of St. Barbara, to which many students of the Jesuit college belonged. If the confideni^es he then made to his tutor and later to a fellow-member of the Society at Rome are to be believed, it was Saint Barbara who brought two angels to him during the course of a serious illness, in order to give him the Eucharist. So much piety, however, did not please the older brother Paul; his exasperation led him to treat with violence the innocent Stanislas. The lat- ter finally lost patience, and one night after Stanislas had again suffered the harsh comments and blows of his brother he turned on Paul with the words: "Your rough treatment will end in my going away never to return, and you will have to explain my leaving to our father and mother." Paul's sole reply was to swear violentlv at him.
Meantime the thought of joining the Society of Jesus had already entered the mind of the saintly young man. It was six months, however, before he ventured to speak of this to the superiors of the Society. At Vienna they hesitated to receive him, fearing the tempest that would probably be raised by his father against the Society, which had just quieted a storm that had broken out on account of other ad- missions to the Company. Stanislas quickly grasped the situation and formed the plan of applying to the general of the Society at Rome. The distance wius five hundred leagues, which had to be made on foot, without equipment, or guide, or any other resources
