i 4 4 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
the Bethlehemites had amongft themfelves. After 
a journey of two hours, we came to Bethlehem at 
nine o’clock : this is a large village, fituated on a 
high ground, the houfes ruined, and the inhabitants 
lawlefs; partly Chriftian Catholics, partly Maho- 
metans, and all Arabian peafants. I went to take 
my lodging in the Latin Convent, which is large, 
well built, furrounded with ftrong walls, fituated 
below the village on the left hand. In this Con- 
vent are conftantly ten or twelve Monks. I was 
here very well received, and entertained by the 
Superior, a Monk from Dunkirk, who had been 
chaplain in the French army when it took Bergen 
op Zoom; and by the organ! ft, a Monk from Tbu- 
ringia, eighty years old, found and healthy, who 
had known and fpoken to the prefent Archbifhop 
of Sweden, Doctor Henry Benzelius, when he was 
at Bethlehem. I employed the forenoon in behold- 
ing that which made this obfeure place famous 
throughout the whole Chriftian world; I mean the 
place which is here fhewn, and Laid to be that where 
Clirift was born and laid in the manger. We de- 
feended fome fteps under ground, to come into the 
cave where thefe two places are fhewn, viz. on the 
left hand the place where the infant was born, and 
on the right where he was laid in the manger. Over 
both are erected fmall altars, on which lamps are 
kept conftantly burning. Over the cave is ere&ed 
a very fine church, of a particular architecture * 
after which, they fay, St. Paul’s church in Rome 
built. The cave is under the choir. Without th |S 
church is another, through which one cm likewise, 
go into the Convent : this church is large* we] 1 
built, with two rows of fine marble columns. H eI " e 
they alfo fhew the room, where St. Jerom is faid to 
have kept his fchool and chapel. The Latins a re 
