House and Garden 
THE CLOISTERS 
the water, and before were the walls 
of monastic buildings, where Venetian 
landing steps led to a small arched 
doorway. Here we alighted, and in 
answer to the gondolier’s call a porter 
appeared and led us in. Down a 
passageway we went, to the cortile and 
through cool, vaulted cloisters open to 
the luxuriance of a semi-tropical gar¬ 
den, green with cypress and deodar 
and brilliant with rare flowers—Ben¬ 
gal and Chinese roses, oleum fragrans, 
wistaria and magnolia. A fountain 
splashed, hidden somewhere among 
them. One of the friars met us—a 
grave, stately man, tall and dark- 
bearded, with the loose 
black robes and silver- 
buckled shoes of the order. 
This is the only monas¬ 
tery in Italy that escaped the 
general suppression, for it is 
under the suzerainty of the 
Sultan of Turkey and the 
Italian government dared 
not interfere. Strange the 
protection of an infidel was 
the sole influence that 
saved a Christian institu¬ 
tion from other Christians! 
It seems that nearly two 
hundred years ago, through 
the influence of Doge Se¬ 
bastian Mocenigo,theisland 
was sold to certain Arme¬ 
THE ARTESIAN WELL 
nian friars led by Mekhitar 
of Sebaste, to serve as the 
western headquarters of 
the Armenian Church. 
Here the friars built their 
cloisters and chapel and 
fenced the island with a 
sea-wall. The waste places 
were cultivated, vines and 
fruit-trees planted, and so 
the buildings surrounded by 
a great garden. This is the 
San Lazzaro of to-day, 
somewhat decayed, but by 
the luxuriance of its old 
grape-vines, oleanders and 
euonymus and the height of 
its cypress, more than mak¬ 
ing amends for the half 
neglect everywhere apparent. The 
friars are all-absorbed in their life- 
work, the improvement and educa¬ 
tion of the Armenian people and the 
preservation of their religion. They 
educate a certain number of young 
men and send them back to Asia 
as teachers. Books, both religious 
and secular, are printed in several 
Oriental languages for distribution 
in the East. Besides the twenty 
friars there are thirty younger stu¬ 
dents, all Armenians by birth and 
of proved ability and talent. They 
study twelve years and then become 
teaching members of the institution. 
THE CLOISTER GARDEN 
129 
