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instituted the august sacrament of his love, the holy communion.

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, with desire have I desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.... And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you, this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table."

On reflecting that I was in the very place where Jesus had directed the celestial banquet to be prepared, where the beloved disciple had reposed upon his bosom, where the apostles had received the bread of life from him who was so soon to die for them and for us, where the wretch who purposed to betray him had imprudently asked if it were he who should be the traitor, where that miserable man had crowned his iniquity by the most heinous of sacrileges, I was touched, melted, thrilled; I adored, I wept with love, gratitude, indignation, and horror.

But the Hall of the Last Supper is not only worthy of our respect because the first Christian passover was held there how many other recollections not less glorious are connected with it! It was there that, after his resurrection, Jesus more than once, visited his disciples; there that, after his ascension, he sent to them his holy spirit, which settled upon them like tongues of fire; there that the first deacons were ordained; and, lastly, it was from this place that the apostles, in obedience to the injunc

VALLEY OF GEHINNON.

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tion of their divine Master, set out to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them;" well assured that he would be "with them alway, even unto the end of the world."

And I—I repeat it-I was on the same spot, upon my knees, meditating on all these things, and praying with all the fervour of my heart; and the Turks who were present looked at me, without interrupting me, though I remained there long enough to tire their patience.

On retiring, they permitted me to pick up some small stones, and even appeared pleased to see that I attached some value to them.

Two hundred paces from this place are seen the ruins of the house, in which, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary died.

Opposite to Mount Sion, towards the south, is the valley of Gehinnon. It is believed that it was the laystall of ancient Jerusalem; and that a continual fire was kept up there for burning the filth and rubbish which were carried thither from all parts of the city. Beyond this valley is the Aceldama, or field of blood; and, farther on, the country adjacent to Bethlehem.

Towards the north, the wall of the city, built upon Mount Sion itself, intercepts the view of Jerusalem. It runs along, down the hill, to the valley of Jehoshaphat.

Part of Mount Sion is now a burial-place for the Catholics, Greeks, and Armenians. They have separate cemeteries. A stone covers each grave.

Farewell, my dear friend. My next letter, if I can

L

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POPULATION OF JERUSALEM.

find time, shall make you acquainted with every thing else that appears worthy of remark in the interior of Jerusalem.

LETTER XXXII.

POPULATION-HOUSE OF DIVES SCENE OF THE MARTYRDOM OF ST. JAMES THE GREAT-GROTTO OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. PRISON OF ST. PETER- HOUSE OF MARY, MOTHER OF JOHN MARKANCIENT CHRISTIAN HOSPITAL, BUILT BY ST. HELENA POOL OF BETHSAIDA-INTERIOR OF JERUSALEM-QUARTER OF THE ARMENIANS STREETS SYNAGOGUES- -JEWISH SCHOOL

- JEWS.

Jerusalem, April 3rd, 1832.

I perceive, rather late perhaps, my dear friend, that I have as yet said nothing precise to you concerning the present population of Jerusalem; an omission for which I will make amends before I enter upon the details promised in my last letter.

Most geographers assign to Jerusalem only seventeen or eighteen thousand inhabitants. If I may depend on the information that I have collected on this head, and I have good reason to believe it to be correct, this city now numbers nearly twenty-one thousand inhabitants, composed of

In this number are not included the travellers, whom curiosity or business brings to Palestine; and, still less, that multitude of pilgrims of all nations, drawn thither by the pious wish to visit and honour the holy places.

Among the objects or places which I have not yet touched upon, those most worthy of engaging the attention or interesting the devotion of the Christian are the following:

1. The place where Lazarus, the beggar, lay; and the house of the rich man. This place and this house are at a very little distance from one another, in the Via Dolorosa.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried. And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art tormented." (Luke, xvii. 19 et seq.)

This history, I know, has been considered by many as a mere parable; but the Fathers of the church, whose

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authority is of much greater weight, Tertullian, Origen, St. Irenæus, St. John Chrysostom, St. Clement of Alexandria, St. Ambrose, and others, have no doubt of its being a true history; and tradition, which has even preserved the memory of the places, serves to confirm the correctness of this opinion.

I must confess to you, my dear friend, I frequently pass, especially during this holy season, along the Via Dolorosa; and I never can stop before the station of the poor beggar, before the house of the rich man, without feeling poignant regret, without recollecting that I too was once a rich man, and without lamenting the bad use which I so long made of the wealth which Providence had placed in my hands, as a resource for the poor and a means of salvation for myself. Then, in the bitterness of my soul, have I implored forgiveness of God, and prayed that he would be pleased to accept, as an atonement, the voluntary poverty which I have embraced ; and to which I hope, with his grace, to adhere to my

latest breath.

2. The place where St. James the Great suffered martyrdom.

On this spot now stands a convent, and one of the finest and largest churches in Jerusalem. The dome, supported by four pillars, is open at top, like that of the Holy Sepulchre. To the left is a small chapel, on the very spot, as it is believed, where the apostle was beheaded by command of Herod Agrippa. The catholics go thither to perform mass, once a year.

This church was built at the cost of the kings of Spain, for the numerous pilgrims of their nation. In the sequel