RUINS OF JERUSALEM. 523 



mount, into gilded chapels, and of disguising the face of nature 

 with painted domes and marble coverings, by way of com memo, 

 rating the scenes of our Saviour's life and death, is so evident and 

 so lamentable, that even Sandys, with all his credulity, could not 

 avoid a happy application of the reproof directed by the Roman sa- 

 tirist against a similar violation of the Egerian Fountain. 



We were conducted to the house of the governor, who re. 

 ceived us in very great state; offering his protection, and exhibit, 

 ing the ordinary pomp of Turkish hospitality, and in the number of 

 slaves richly dressed, who brought fuming incense, coffee, con. 

 served fruit, and pipes, to all the party, profusely sprinkling us, as 

 usual, with rose and orange-flower water. Being then informed 

 of all our projects, he ordered his interpreter to go with us to the 

 Franciscan Convent of St. Salvador, a large building like a fortress, 

 the gates of which were thrown open to receive our whole caval- 

 cade. Here, when we were admitted into a court, with all our 

 horses and camels, the vast portals were again closed, and a party 

 of the most corpulent friars we had ever seen from the warmest 

 cloisters of Spain and of Italy, waddled round us, and heartily 

 welcomed our arrival. 



From the court of the Convent we were next conducted, by a 

 stone staircase, to the refectory, where the monks who had received 

 us introduced us to the superior, not a wit less corpulent than any of 

 his companions. In all the convents I had ever visited (and these 

 are not few in number) 1 had never beheld such friars as the Fran, 

 ciscans of St. Salvador. The figures sometimes brought upon the 

 stage, to burlesque the monasterial character, may convey some 

 notion of their appearance. The influence which a peculiar mode 

 of life has upon the constitution, in this climate, might be rendered 

 evident by contrasting one of these jolly fellows with the Propa- 

 ganda Missionaries. The latter are as meagre and as pale, as the 

 former are corpulent and ruddy. The life of the missionaries is 

 necessarily a state of constant activity and of privation. The 

 guardians of the Holy Sepulchre, or, according to the name they 

 bear, the Terra-Santa friars, are confined to the walls of their com. 

 fortable convent, which, when compared with the usual accoramo. 

 dations of the Holy Land, is like a sumptuous and well. furnished 

 hotel, open to all comers whom curiosity or devotion may bring to 

 this mansion of rest and refreshment. 



After being regaled with coffee, and some delicious lemonade, 



