o 
EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 43 
are provided them by the voluntary contributions of the 
Chriftians, pf their own perfuafion ; and as the bufmefs of 
artificers and n^e.niar^ is all performed by the . monaftics them- 
felves, their expenfes are not very extended. The entrance to 
each is by a fmall trap-door, againft which two great mill-ftones 
are rolled within. The buildings appear to have lafted feveral 
centuries, and the walls are flill firm and fubftantial. No 
praife is to be given to the religious for cleanlinefs ; but as the 
lift of their furniture and apparel is very fmall, they cannot be 
frequently renewed ; human beings more ignorant of mankind 
and their tranfadions than fome of thofe whom I converfed 
with, are fcarcely any where to be feen. But the fuperiors in 
both were in a certain degree intelligent. One of them, when 
I was admitted, was mending his fhoes, and feemed to think 
little of theological controverfies. The other attempted to 
prove to me the Eutychian tenet of monothelifm, and on my 
exprefling myfelf perfuaded by his arguments, he feemed 
highly gratified. Indeed I met with on their part every mark 
of hofpitality. 
I inquired for MSS. and faw in one of the convents feveral 
books in the Coptic, Syriac, and Arabic languages. Among 
thefe were an Arabo-Coptic Lexicon. The works of St. Gre- 
gory, and the Old and New Teftament in Arabic. The 
fuperior told me they had near eight hundred volumes ; but 
pofitively refufed to part with any of them, nor could I fee 
any more. The monks are ftrangers to all idioms but the vul- 
gar Arabic. 
G 2 Having 
