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Upon leaving the grotto, the Greek conducted me 
to his church, which is situated over the grotto. It has 
nothing remarkable except a superb crystal lustre, with 
four branches. 
I complimented the Greek on the distinction enjoyed 
by those of his sect in being depositaries of so precious 
a treasure as the sacred birth-place of Jesus Christ, to 
the exclusion of the Roman Catholics and the Armeni- 
ans; he answered me, 14 You see that we are the most M 
ancient, and the others ". Here he stopped, and 
finished the expression of his thought by a gesture of 
contempt. It is thus that discord reigns even among 
those societies, which every physical and moral con- 
sideration ought most closely to unite. 
Having thanked this holy personage for his com- 
plaisance, and left him with proofs of my gratitude, I 
quitted the convent and resumed the way to Jerusalem, 
where I arrived at half past twelve the same day. 
The next day, Monday the 27th, I went to visit the 
sepulchre of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ. 
Almost at the bottom of the Torrent of Cedron there 
is a descent into a grotto by a handsome staircase; about 
half way down which, upon the right, are the sepul- 
chres of Joachim and Ann; and in another cavity upon 
the left, that of Joseph the husband of Mary. 
At the bottom of the staircase, upon the right, is a 
Greek church; in the Sanctum Sanctorum of which, is 
the sepulchre of the Virgin. There is an altar upon 
every sepulchre, but without the least ornament. I heard 
an harmonious choir of monks in the church, who sung 
whilst the officiating priest, habited in his sacred cos- 
tume, remained in the sanctuary. 
When I had left the Temple, I asked the Greek 
monk who accompanied me, if there were not some 
