Parc I. Travels into the Lev ant. 20 i 
Foot from this Glory, there is naturally upon a Marble Stone, a figure in red The figiu-^ of 
Colour of a Virgin on her Knees, and a little Child lying before her, which t'l^ yjrgin 
is taken for the Bleffed Virgin, and her Son Jefm -, on whofe Heads they have "^'Jl^r j'^'^ 
put two little Crowns of Silver-Plate, Nine and twenty Lamps are kept burn- printed on 
ing before thatChappel. Then you go down by thrfee Marble-fteps, into a warbie. 
little Chappel, where was the Wooden Manger into which the Virgin laid our The place of 
Lord, fofoonasShe had brought Him into the World; this Manger is nowJ^'j^JJ^^SJ^ 
at Rome, in Santa Maria Majora. And in the fame place St. Helen caufed 
another of white Marble Tables to be put, on one of which fetagainfl the 
Wall, is the natural Figure of an Old Man with a Monks Hood, and long 
Beard, lying on his Back -, and they'll have this to be the Figure of St. Jerome, 
which^God was pleafed fliould be marked upon that Stone, becaufe of the great 
love he had for that place. Ten Lamps are kept burning before that Chappel ; 
two fteps from which, and juft over againft it, is the Altar of Adoration of the 
Three Kings, where there is a little Stone for a mark of the place, on which The place of 
fat the holy Virgin with Her dear Son in Her Arms, when She favvthe "^^^^^^ ^jo^ation 
Wife Mén come in, who having laid down their Prefents upon a little Bench ' 
of Stone at the foot of the Altar, on the fide of the Epiftle, adored Jefus, 
and then offered him their Prefents. The Vault in this place is very low, and 
fupported by three Pillars of Porphyrian Marble ; before this Altar, three 
Lamps burn. At the other end of this place, there was heretofore a Door, 
by which one came dov^n from St. C^^W/«e's Chappel into this Grdtt, before 
the Latin Monks loft it, but at prefent it is Walled up \ and clofe by that Door 
there is a hole, into which the Oriental Chriftians fay, the Star funk after 
it had guided the Magi into this holy place. This Grott is all faced with Mar- 
ble, both the Walls and Floor, and the Seeling or Vault, is adorned with Mo- 
faick W^ork, blackened by the fmoak of the Lamps. It receives no light but 
by the two Doors that are upon the Stairs, which affords but very little. 
Now this place is held in very great Veneration, even by the Turks, who 
come often and fay their prayers there : But it is a very incommodious and un- ^j^^^^j^ 
feemly thing, that all the Turks who pafs through Bethlehem, fhould Lodge in of Bethkhm 
the great Church, with their whole Families, there being no convenient Lodg- ferves fora 
ing in Bethlehem^ which is a great Eye-fore to the Chriftians, who fee their lodging to 
Church made an Inn for the Infidels : But it is above all, troublefome to our Turks 
Latin Monks, whom they oblige to furnifh them with all things neceffary, both If^^ 
for Diet and Lodging. 
CHAR XLVL 
Of the Way of malting what Marh^s Men 
fleafe upon their Arms, 
WE fpent all Tue [day, the Nine and twentieth of Jpril, in getting Marks xhePflgrims 
put upon our Arms, as commonly all Pilgrims do; the Chriftians ofo^jemfakn 
Bethlehem (who are of the Latin Church) do that. They have feveral Wooden marked in 
Moulds, of which you may chufe that which pleafes you beft, then they fill it Artn. 
with Coal-duft, and apply it to your Arm, fo that they leave upon the fame, 
the Mark of what Is cut in the Mould ; after that, with the left hand they 
take hold of your Arm and ftretch the skin of it, and in the right hand they 
have a little Cane with two Needles fattened in it, which from time to time 
they dip into Ink, mingled with OxesGall, and prick your Arm all along the 
lines that are marked by the Wooden Mould : This without doubt is painful, 
and commonly caufes a flight Fever, which is foon over ; the Arm in the mean 
time for two or three days, continues fwelled three times as big as it ordina- 
Dd rily 
