seemed to assume a more than common awful ness; from the effect of a thick haze which was just gathering upon the air. Winding on the right hand round the base of Mount Gerizim, we gradually ascended for some distance; having the abovementioned valley of Joseph just beneath us on the left. We arrived only by sunset at the ruined khan, called Khan Leban; and had now to ascend a steep and rocky road, leading to the village of Sangyl, when the sky burst upon us with torrents of rain and furious blasts of wind, for half an hour. On arriving at our poor village, we went to the house of the only Christian family in the place; who kindly made us a blazing fire, at which we were glad to dry ourselves and take supper. BETHEL. Friday, Nov. 21, 1823.-We started a little after sunrise, and began to descend into the valley; somewhere in the neighborhood of which was Bethel the spot where Jacob beheld the vision of angels; and received those encouraging assurances of the presence and protection of God, which were his support all his life long. Here, more than five and thirty centuries ago, this patriarch dedicated himself to the Lord, in terms, which are still well suited to express, what should be the moderate desire of every missionary-"If God will be with me and keep me in this way, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on ... then shall the Lord be my God." The road through which we passed was, in many parts, very picturesque; but a more particular allusion to it will appear in a subsequent page. APPROACH TO JERUSALEM. On reaching the rocky heights of Beer, the country began to assume a more wild appearance. Uncultivated hilly tracts, in every direction, seemed to announce, that, not only Jerusalem, but its vicinity for some miles round, was destined to sadden the heart of every visiter. Even the stranger that shall come from a far land, it was predicted (Deut. xxix. 22,) should be amazed at the plagues laid upon this country and this became, more than ever, literally fulfilled, in my feelings, as I drew near to the metropolis of this chosen nation. Expectation was, indeed, wrought up to a high pitch, as we ascended hill after hill, and beheld others yet more distant rising after each other. At length, while the sun was yet two hours. high, my long and intensely interesting suspense was relieved. The view of the city burst upon me as in a moment; and the truly graphic language of the Psalmist was verified, in a degree of which I could have formed no previous conception. Continually, the expressions were bursting from my lips-"Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion!-They, that trust in the Lord, shall be as Mount Zion; which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever!—As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever!" Among the vast assemblage of domes which adorn the roofs of the convents, churches, and houses, and give to this forlorn city an air even of magnificence, none seemed more splendid than that which has usurped the place of Solomon's Temple. Not having my companion with me, I surveyed all in silence and rapture; and the elegant proportions, the glittering gilded cresent, and the beautiful green blue color of the mosque of Omar were peculiarly attractive. A more soothing part of the scenery was the lovely slope of the Mount of Olives on the left. As we drew nearer and nearer to the city of the great King, more and more manifest were the proofs of the displeasure of that great King resting upon his city. JERUSALEM. Like many other cities of the east, the distant view of Jerusalem is inexpressibly beautiful: but the distant view is all. On entering at the Damascus gate, meanness, and filth, and misery, not exceeded, if equalled, by any thing which I had before seen, soon told the tale of degradation. How is the fine gold become dim! Thus I went onward. pitying every thing and every body that I saw-till, turning off to the right, and having passed up what is called the "Via Dolorosa," from its being the supposed path of our Lord when he bore his cross on the way to his crucifixion, we, at length, alighted at the Greek convent of Mar Michael. FIRST FEELINGS AND REFLECTIONS IN JERUSALEM. During the first few hours after our arrival in the holy city, there was little to stir up the heart to a lively feeling, that this is really that venerable and beloved place, renowned above all others in Being apprehensive lest I should not reach the Scripture. Hunger, fatigue, and the cheerlesscity gate before sunset, Mr. Fisk having gone on ness of an eight hours' ride over a peculiarly desome way before me in order to prepare our rooms, solate tract of country, with no other refreshment I repeatedly desired the guides to ask the Arabs than a small jar of boiled rice and some bread, whom we met, how far, or according to the lan- would have been agreeably relieved by the welguage of this country, "how many hours," it was come of pleasant countenances, sufficient food, to Jerusalem. The answer which we received and a warm room: but our apartments, which had from all was, "We have been at the prayers at not been occupied for six months, were floored and the mosque of Omar, and we left at noon"- vaulted with stone-fire-places are unknown in to-day being the Mohammedan Sabbath. We this land-our provisions were all to seek: and, were thus left to calculate our distance. The at this late hour of the day, scarcely to be found reply sounded very foreign to the ears of one, who-Hadjee Demetrius, the servant of the convent, knew that, formerly, there were scenes of purer in a sort of broken Turco-Grecian dialect, profferworship on this spot. "Thither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord." ed his tedious and awkward services-the baggage was to be looked after-the mercenary and clamorous guides were to be (not satisfied: that was an impossibility; but) settled with and dismissed -and, lastly, as if to diffuse a perfect sadness over our arrival, the storm, which had threatened and slightly touched us during the latter part of our stage, now began to fall in torrents, similar to those which had buffeted us on the preceding evening near Sangyl. Every thing combined to inspire a feeling of melancholy-congenial enough to those emotions with which the actual civil and religious condition of Jerusalem deserves now to be contemplated; but, in no degree harmonizing with those sublimer and more glorious thoughts, which the very name of this city generally awakens in the bosom of the Christian. When the evening had closed, however, and the hour for retirement, devotion, and repose arrived, all that I had ever anticipated as likely to be felt on reaching this place, gradually came into my mind, and filled me with the most lively consciousness of delight, at being in Jerusalem. "This"-I thought "is no other than the city of David. Hither, the queen of the south came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Isaiah here poured forth strains of evangelic rapture, which will glow with unspent warmth till the end of time. Here, the building of the second temple drew from the beholders mingled shouts and tears; and, here, was that very temple, made more glorious than the first, by the entrance of the desire of all nations, the Messenger of the covenant! Here, after He had rebuilt the temple of his own body, he began the wondrous work of raising a spiritual temple to his Father-shedding abundantly upon his disciples the gift of the Holy Ghost, for which they waited in this very city; and then sending them forth as his witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth." Such were the principal thoughts, with which I had for some months associated this visit; and, now, all were gradually presented to my mind. lattice, at which the smoke of the incense soon began to enter the striking of the wood was instead of the ringing of a bell; and, in a few moments, I heard the voices of two or three ecclesiastics, commencing the drowsy monotonous chant of the Greek Liturgy. This service was observed by them every morning. On rising, it was pleasant to view from my chamber window the mild scenery of the Mount of Olives. This mountain gradually increases in beauty, till about the second hour after sunrise; when the swells and slopes upon its side present a very soft variation of light and shade, at this season of the year. In the course of the day, one of the monks of the principal Greek convent called to bring the salutations of the Epitropi, or superintendents. Many others, also, who knew Mr. Fisk and his brethren in their former visits, came with presents in their hands, and inquired what Bibles and Testaments we had brought. GREEK MONKS. Sunday, Nov. 23.-In the morning we had divine service in our room; together with an English gentleman, now in Jerusalem. After dinner several monks from the principal Greek convent called upon us; and conversed, as they may naturally be expected to do, concerning the calamities of their church. One of them stated the case thus: "Why do not the European Christian powers unite in putting down our enemies? We are your brethren: when Abraham heard that Lot was taken by the five kings, he immediately set off with his company, and overtook them, and rescued his nephew." I need not repeat, that, upon this topic, which we inevitably hear frequently discussed, we find it best to be silent-our office being rather to draw religious uses from the melancholy state of things; and to apply the remedy to the heart, out of which proceed wars and fightings. ABYSSINIAN PRIEST. I felt, I confess, no particular anxiety to see what are called the "holy places." Many have hastened to offer their first devotions at the sepulchre of our Lord: so far from having this desire, I feel somewhat of repugnance at the idea: it is enough for me to know, that I am not far from that scene that Gethsemane, and Calvary, and the Shortly after this party had left us, another perplace where the Lord lay, are all so near to me, that son entered. The moment he opened the door, I I can truly say, I am dwelling in the midst of them. exclaimed, "You need not tell me of what counAll this, too, my heart can better conceive in the try that man is. This is an Abyssinian." His stillness of the night-season, than by the light of resemblance to the few Abyssinians whom I have day. And He, who suffered here, still lives-seen, and to the living picture given by Ludolf of Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever! Spiritually he is as near to me, as he would have been had I seen him, this very day, at the ninth hour expiring upon the cross: the blood then shed is still fresh in its efficacy, and cleanseth us from all sin. If to have come hither should prove the means of raising me one degree higher in love to this adorable Redeemer, I would be thankful: but let me remember, that he desires us chiefly to view him with the eye of faith; and that, although "we see Him not in the flesh, yet, believing, we may rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Saturday, Nov. 22, 1823.-I was early awakened in the morning, by some person in the convent chapel striking a piece of wood. My room communicates with the upper part of the chapel, by a Abba Gregorius, in complexion, form, and expression of countenance, his dress, his manner, all bespoke his nation. He bowed, or rather crouched and fawned, toward us; repeating the word "Salamat"-I will not say a thousand, or even a hundred times-but certainly so often, and with such profuse servility, that we knew not whether to be more amused or wearied: and as this was his uniform custom at all future interviews, we as uniformly used to sum up our reply to him, in plain English, “Salamat a thousand times!”—“A thousand healths or compliments to you!" Not that this brevity on our part caused him to intermit his reiterated Salamats: for whatever powerful effects western nations may attribute to a direct, brief, and blunt method of accosting both friends and foes. the men of the east are well acquainted -or words with the maxim, that a soft tongue breaketh the they make a speedy, unceremonious approach to bone. Oppression has taught them to carry gen- the purses of the different communities: and then tleness to an excess. They are born and bred to give place to a new, and equally hungry succesthe practice of refined insinuation or gross flattery, sor. As I was mentioned as Secretary of the and it seems impossible to beat them off from that Bible Society in Malta, the bishop expressed his ground, since they expect to succeed on no other. interest in the welfare of the Society-saying, Both the Abyssinian priest and myself speak" Your heart is set upon a good work"Arabic too imperfectly, to make ourselves well to that effect. His colleague is, at present, ill of understood by each other. I learn from him, a fever. however, that he has been in this city seven The librarian accompanied us to the library. years; that there are about twenty Abyssinians There are some books in Latin, French, and Itain his convent, and that he is the chief among lian; but not many-none in Ethiopic: the chief them. Last year he says that seven pilgrims set part are Greek. In the small inner rooms, seveout from Abyssinia; of whom three were priests ral Greek manuscripts, principally Scriptural, and four deacons. By the term deacon may be were shown us: they did not appear to be of great meant merely persons who have taken the first antiquity. The Patriarch of Jerusalem, he tells degree in the church, and read the lessons in di-us, is settled by the will of his predecessor, not by vine service: it is usual, in the east, for young men to do this, while they remain laymen; and this corresponds with the prima tonsura of the church of Rome. One of these pilgrims did not live to reach Jerusalem, but died at Damietta. The priest informs me, likewise, that the daughter of the king of Abyssinia, mentioned by Mr. Connor, is dead. The political news which they hear from Abyssinia is, that Subyadis is increasing in It is one of the canons of the Greek convents strength, and likely to fix himself in the situation of of Jerusalem, that NO NATIVES CAN BELONG TO the late Ras Welled Selasse as governor of Tigré: THEM. The Christians of this communion are if he should finally succeed, it may be of consider- numerous in Palestine and Syria; but they rise to able advantage; as he is under personal obliga-none of the dignities of this patriarchate, nor are tion to Mr. Salt, and consequently a friend to the English. GREEK CONVENT. election-the Patriarch of Constantinople, by election of the Holy Synod; and the Patriarch of Antioch, also, by the same Synod of Constantinople. The Patriarch of Antioch takes up his residence at Damascus. The Patriarch of Alexandria he represented also as chosen at Constantinople. These are all of the Oriental Greek church. they admitted members of the monasteries. Most generally they are married priests. Their language is Arabic. In the convents here, Greek chiefly is spoken, and also Turkish; the monks being all from Greece, Asia Minor, or the Archi Daniel takes his episcopal title from Nazareth: his colleague is styled Ayios Herpas, "the saint of Petra," or "the holy [bishop] of Petra." Petra (the metropolis of which is Karrac, three or four days' distant from Jerusalem, on the east of the Dead Sea, in which region are yet many Christians) is his diocese. The title "holy" is very commonly given, in this manner, to the bishops; although, strictly, they do not allow the title "saint" to any except those who work miracles. This bishop is the one who, annually at Easter, performs the reputed miracle of the Holy Fire: concerning which it is difficult to reflect without mingled emotions of horror and indignation. Tuesday, Nov. 25, 1823.-We visited the princi-pelago. pal Greek convent, and had an interview with Daniel, the bishop of Nazareth; a man of acuteness and learning; very placid, but apparently much worn with anxiety on account of the oppressions suffered by the Greek convents-And on the side of the oppressors there is power. To him, conjointly with the bishop of Petra, is committed the charge of the affairs of this patriarchate. The Patriarch himself, Polycarp, never visits Jerusalem. For more than a century this has been the custom; and indeed those of whom I inquired scarcely knew from how far back the Patriarch had been in the habit of taking up his residence at Constantinople. This he does, because a very large sum of money would be required by the Turks, on such an occasion as the entrance of a Patriarch within the walls of Jerusalem. The head dragoman of the convent was present, as also the librarian. The dragoman cried out, repeatedly, and with an earnestness which seemed almost like an appeal to our purses, "We want help! We need some assistance!" The bishop himself speaks with much more pathos: when we condoled with him on their present afflictions he briefly replied, "It is for our sins the measure of the chastisement of our sins is not yet filled up!" And these are the expressions which he often uses with us. In allusion to the new governor, who arrived only two days before us, I was saying that probably they had not yet had much acquaintance with him: they answered, with a sad smile, "Our governors soon make themselves known." Coming, in fact, as often as once a year, and sometimes oftener, We visited some of the monks; and went over the whole of the convent, which is a very extensive but irregular building. The number of monks whom it would well accommodate was stated at seventy: and here nearly all the resident monks of Jerusalem abide. The other Greek convents, in number about ten, are of far smaller dimensions; designed only for the reception of the pilgrims, and merely occupied by a Superior and one or two monks during the absence of pilgrims.— They are, at present, nearly a solitude; no Greek pilgrims having arrived for two years: formerly, this communion could boast a much larger number of pilgrims than any other. The number of ecclesiastics, in the whole of the Greek patriarchate of Jerusalem, was stated to me at 200: but I have no means of verifying the statement. From the terrace of the principal convent, the court of the Abyssinians is overlooked. At the hour we were there (about mid-day) we saw the poor Abyssinians receiving their daily bread: it is given them as charity by the Armenians. ABYSSINIAN CONVENT. Thursday, Nov. 27, 1823.-Went to the Abyssinian convent. The road by which the priest led us, which was not the direct way, was through the place where they slaughter animals. Hovels and streets so offensively abounding with noisome sights and pestilential smells, I never before witnessed. In the court-yard, and in a small adjacent garden belonging to the convent of this people, we saw twelve Abyssinians; of whom five were females and seven were men. One of them was pointed out to us as a priest; but he could speak no other than his native language. In the garden was a wretched hovel, which was the abode of part of this company. Some of them appeared very old; one or two rather young. They all seemed very idle, and indeed their whole object appears to be, to spend their last days in Jerusalem, doing almost nothing. Nor do we see, indeed, any thing in the society by which they are surrounded, which would stimulate them to a higher purpose. We were not able to converse with them, and our accompanying priest was but an imperfect, and somewhat unwilling, interpreter. He took us into his own room; and here we sat, for a long time, occupied with his manuscripts. Among other books, we found copies of the Psalter published by the British and Foreign Bible Society. of the Ethiopic New Testament, in two manuscript volumes. There was, among the manuscripts, one great folio, written in large characters. The priest had told others, and he wished to persuade me, that it was the whole of the Old Testament. From the simplest calculation it evidently could not be above the fifth part of it; but when I turned the leaves over, and showed him that it was only a Lectionary containing extracts from Isaiah, Daniel, Hosea, and other books of the Old Testament, he began to be half angry. He said that they read this book through in the offices of the passion week. I will here add the remainder of that scanty information, which I subsequently obtained in this quarter concerning the Abyssinians. Three or four of them have joined the Greek communion : so far as I could learn, this conversion has arisen from the hope of improving their condition a little, and eating more bread. They are, at present, residing at the Greek monastery of Mar Saba, three hours to the east of Jerusalem, on the way to the Dead Sea. There are, likewise, two at the Armenian convent: I did not see them: but the Abyssinian priest, who is on friendly terms with the Armenians, said that one was elderly, the other a youth. Of those whom I have to-day seen, one was quite young; not more, probably, than twenty years of age. The person pointed out as a priest seemed to me not more than thirty-five. The chief priest appears upward of forty years of age. YSA PETROS, A GREEK PRIEST. This city may be an excellent station for learning the Abyssinian language; as here is a com- The breaking up of the weather here, in the pany of twenty, who, although ignorant, indolent, close of this week, interrupted our excursions. I and utterly inapt to the art of teaching, would, have just made the acquaintance, however, of one nevertheless, to a man who could teach himself of the most interesting characters in this placefrom books, furnish pronunciation and practice. Pappas Ysa Petros. He is a priest of the Greek As a station for distributing the Abyssinian Scrip- communion: being a native, Arabic is his lantures, I imagine it would not answer; for they, guage. He is married, and has several children. who come hither, generally never return to their He has already been employed as a translator into native country. The motive which brought them Arabic by Mr. Fisk; through whose kindness, two hither-blind devotion-and the difficulties which or three tracts have been put into my possession they met with on their way, added to their ex- for printing. During a residence of many years treme poverty, operate to fix them in Jerusalem, at Damietta, he translated, for an opulent Arab when once fairly arrived. Yet, possibly, an Eng- merchant at Damietta, the whole of Rollin's Anlishman, intending to visit Abyssinia, might here cient History into Arabic, which it is to be hoped find an individual among them willing, for a suita- may one day see the light of this work, he has a ble pecuniary consideration, to accompany him; small part in his possession, which he showed us : and he would serve, though on many accounts it is the first rough translation, containing the hisimperfectly, as a guide and interpreter. My con- tory of Egypt and Carthage: the whole work viction is here confirmed, that whoever visits Abys-occupied him six years. He understands, besides sinia must go relying, under Providence, on his own resources, and not on any companion. Were it my destination, however, I should certainly, after acquiring a competent knowledge of Arabic, aim at giving twelve or eighteen months to the study and practice of the ancient and modern Abyssinian languages in Jerusalem, rather than any other spot which I have yet seen. There are these additional advantages: the mind would thus become inured to the misery of the circumstances of that people; and, further, a traveller, passing from Jerusalem to Abyssinia, would carry with him, as a visiter from that holy city, a peculiar recommendation. I examined several of the manuscripts in this convent; and subsequently purchased the whole his native language, Greek, Italian, and French, and he has studied Syriac, Ethiopic, and Armenian from his natural love of languages. I have seen no one in Syria, who unites so much simplicity and goodness of disposition, with such a compass of literary acquirements. It is a curious circumstance with regard to names, that not only is the influence of Mohammedanism manifested in the adoption, by Christians, of names not common among their brethren in other countries; but, further, in the name Ysa they have adopted the orthography of the Koran: it is the Mohammedan reading for Jesus. Sunday, Nov. 30, 1823.—We again united with our countryman, in performing divine service in English. CHRISTIAN RESEARCHES. Monday, Dec. 1, 1823.-As I was this morning on my way to wait on the Armenian patriarch, met a courier just come in with letters from Malta. They announce the arrival in Beirout of two more American missionaries, the Rev. Messrs. Bird and Goodell, with their families. We were already apprized of their intention to proceed either to Smyrna or Alexandria: but this decisive step has rejoiced our hearts more abundantly than we had anticipated. To Mr. Fisk and myself, they appear to have done exactly the right thing; and the kindness with which they have been received on their landing, by our consul and his family, has not a little gratified us. REFLECTIONS ON HOLY PLACES. In the afternoon I went out of the city, and walked round a considerable part of the walls, so as to obtain a general view of the principal objects. Educated in an early love of Scripture, I cannot describe the emotions excited by beholding the very scene of the most important events recorded in the Old and New Testaments. I have, designedly, kept myself from attending to the traditionary minute which are imposed upon the thousands of annual pilgrims. I envy not those, who, from ignorance and superstitious subjection, are obliged to receive from the lips of hackneyed guides the trifles of tradition; who can fall down prostrate, and embrace with rapture, the very spot measured to an inch, or the very stone wall of a house preserved for ten or twenty or thirty centuries, at which some event of Scripture history is said to have taken place. Good taste and the love of truth alike revolt from the details, which may be collected from many books of travels. This system tends to bring down the mind to trifles: it more often perplexes than throws open the fair path of antiquarian research: and (which is the most painful) it confounds the belief built on sound historical evidence, with that credulity which clings to uncertain tradition; and draws aside the hearts of the multitude of superstitious devotees, from great, essential, and affecting doctrines, to dubious and insignificant localities. I feel it enough to know, that, here, is the hill of Zion-beneath, and all around, are the valley of Jehoshaphat, and the brook Cedron-yonder, the Mount of Olives, and the road to Bethany. The rest must be supplied by a spiritual sense of an ever present Saviour. CONVERSATIONS WITH YSA PETROS. In the evening, we had our friend Pappas Ysa to tea; and conversed concerning his translations into Arabic. He was long employed in this capacity, by Seignior Basil Fakr of Damietta; who, to his extensive commercial engagements, added a very laudable ambition to furnish his library with useful books, translated from European languages into his own. Rollin has been translated into modern Greek; and, from this version, the Arabic translation was made. Another work which Ysa Petros translated was an answer to various infidel objections by Voltaire: I have not heard that any part of the works of Voltaire was ever translated into Arabic; so that a refutation of his opinions, 58-8 in that language, might seem premature: it may, 66 I was particularly struck with one remark of Ysa Petros on the style of some short sermons which we put into his hands to translate into They are," he observed, "too much Arabic. in the second person. Thus You are a sinner -You must repent or perish!' Now the reader," "will naturally ask, Who is this, that he said, tells me I am a sinner? Is he not a sinner himself?" This criticism, intended as a censure, appears to me to be, in some sense, a commendation of the sermons: it shows that they are pointed and awakening; and it amounts, at the same time, to a tacit acknowledgment, that pointed and awakening addresses to the conscience are not in the style of the east. Sermons, in fact, are very rarely preached here; and those are little more than moral treatises, or panegyrics of some saint, or stories of miracles. Ysa Petros, himself, does not preach. He would be astonished to witness the earnestness of multitudes of our English preachers, stirring up sinners to flee from the wrath to come, and urging them to come to Christ for salvation. Perhaps he would say to himself— "They preach as if they thought they were speaking to men who are not Christians!" There are, in Jerusalem, about ten native Greek priests who are married and have families. No one of them comes up to Ysa Petros in acquirements, or in intelligent and philanthropic views. They are far behind. He is much respected by the Superiors of the Greek convent; and is appointed by them to accompany us to-morrow to examine the library of the monastery of the Holy Cross. MONASTERY OF THE HOLY CROSS. Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1823.-We proceeded, this morning, with our friend, to the monastery of the Holy Cross, which is romantically situated in a valley on the west of the city, between the two roads-that, on the one side, to Jaffa; and that, We had on the other, to Bethlehem. By leisurely walking, we arrived there in forty minutes. to knock loud and long, before we gained attention. The Superior having scanned our appearance from the lattice of an upper window, at length put forth his head, and inquired our errand; after which an order was given for our admission, and we entered, door after door closing with bars and locks behind us. It is in a solitary situation; and is exposed, particularly during the present disturbances in Bethlehem, to the rude demands of the Arabs, who, could they force an entrance, would prove not very courteous guests. It is a wearisome ceremony, especially when any business presses, to have to receive pipes, sweet-meats, and coffee. Such, however, is the usage; and he would be thought a barbarian, who should decline, in certain circumstances, to receive Such discourtesy would have the compliment. been particularly felt by the Superior of this convent, to whom we were introduced by a letter from the bishop of Nazareth, and who in this solitude scems to have nearly nothing to do. |