TO BETHLEHEM. 145 
f -he foie poffelTors of thefe holy places in Beth- 
j e hem; nor can the Greeks, though they have a 
little Convent here, or other fefts, vifit them, with- 
out their permiffion. In the afternoon, we went to 
£ e e fome remarkable places on the other fide of 
Bethlehem, where fome monuments were fhewn, 
'yliich, they faid, were erected at the time in which 
l e Jews were in their fplendour. We then fol- 
lowed the foot of a mountain, which lay on the 
r jght hand. Another hill extended itfelf towards 
left fide : between thefe was a vale, in which it 
' s fuppofed Solomon had one of his gardens (Hortus 
oolomonis) ; and according to the relation, this 
’^ould have been his private garden, of which he 
‘Peaks in chap. iv. 12. of his Canticles. The place 
Vi| H well admit that Solomon might have formed 
a garden here, though it is not by nature an agree- 
a ole fituation, being in a bottom; but perhaps this 
gfeat Prince might chufe to improve nature by art, 
as many other potentates have done. What feems 
to have contributed to adorn this place, is 
^! le aquaeduft from the well, of which I Avail fpee'd- 
make mention. It was carried by this place to 
Bethlehem, and therefore could well have ferved to 
‘ave watered a garden on the way. In one place 
tk e vale, fome ruins of ancient buildings are to 
e feen. After two hours travelling, we came to the 
Pnng of water which is fhewn under the name of 
om °n , s Sealed Well. This is a fountain, which 
ows up out of the earth in a cave, cut in a mountain, 
a 'f cave coni ~ ld:s °f feveral apartments, all cut out 
1 h Work . ed ^cording to the rules of art. A little 
^ °w this fountain, and nearer Bethlehem, are the 
. le e fquare refervoirs, one after the other; which, 
J !neaus °f a fubterraneons aqueeduft, receive the 
a tti from the fountain. Whence, in the days of 
L , Solomon, 
