ever since the time of the above mentioned emperor, it is proba ble that divine service is performed here most agreeably to the ancient customs of the Greek church; and indeed it is done with more decency than the Greeks observe in many other places. Their officers are very long, and take up great part of their time, though they say them as quick as possible; and no wonder they are ready in performing them, sinee it is the whole employment of their lives. In Lent they rise at midnight, and perform certain devotions, and celebrate the eucharist four times a week. They have always prayers at four in the afternoon, after which they eat a moderate supper, and go betimes to their repose. When pilgrims first arrive at the convent, they are conducted to their apartments, and a caloyer is appointed to attend them, and to prepare their provisions, which are usually served up in their own chambers, though on certain days they dine with the monks in the refectory. The ceremony of washing their feet is likewise performed, as it is at Jerusalem; which is done by a priest if the pilgrim be in orders, but if not, by a caloyer or laybrother; the whole society sitting in the hall, singing hymns suitable to the occasion. After the ceremony is over, one of the monks brings an urn and bason to wash their hands, and then sprinkles the pilgrims with rose water. All this is done in the refectory; where they are likewise entertained at dinner; during which time a monk reads certain portions of scripture. The archbishop has a table at the upper end, on which they set a covered plate with bread in it, and on each side two small silver cups of water. This plate is carried round the table by one of the priests, each person taking a piece of bread; and in like manner the cups, which are filled with wine when they have it to spare, are handed about to the company, out of which every one drinks a little. After this they go and seat themselves near the archbishop's chair, where they discourse together for some time, each person taking a plate of wheat or peas out of the baskets that stand there, and picking them clean; the meaning of which I do not understand, unless it be to intimate, that all our amusements, even that of conversation itself, should be accompanied with some Ggg useful actions. This done, the pilgrims are usually conducted to the archbishop's apartments, where they are shown the register of the several benefactors to the convent; it being customary to give something after the performance of this ceremony. The story of St. Catharine, who has given name to this convent and to a part of the neighboring mountain, is briefly this: That being fastened to a wheel at Alexandria, under the emperor Maxentius, in order to be put to death, the wheel miraculously broke into pieces; but being afterwards beheaded, her body was carried from thence by angels to the top of this mountain, the saint having prayed to God that it might not fall into the hands of the infidels. Here it lay concealed, say they, for above three hundred years, when it was brought down with great solemnity by the monks, and deposited in the convent, in consequence of a revelation granted to one of their fraternity. Some say that Sergius, who is reported to have been an accomplice with Mahomet, and to have assisted him in compiling the Koran, and framing the system of the Mahometan religion, was a monk of the convent of Mount Sinai. Others'affirm, that Mahomet himself was a servant belonging to the monastery, and used to drive their camels; and that one day falling asleep before the gate, an eagle came and hovered a long time over his head, which was looked upon as a presage of his future greatness. But all this seems to be mere fiction,, otherwise it would probably have been mentioned in a history of the convent which they showed us in their library. This history has it, that Mahomet was born in the deserts of Kinsi in Arabia Felix, and that when he came to the convent he was honorably entertained by the monks, upon which account he granted them, and to Christians in general, great privileges by a patent,* which remained in their hands * Dr. Pococke has obliged us with an English translation of this patent from the modern Greek, which I shall take the liberty of transcribing, as I think it cannot fail of being agreeable to the reader, who from hence will naturally be induced to reflect, how little regard the followers of Mahomet have had to the rules herein laid down with respect to their behaviour to Christians in general-"As God is great and governeth, from whom all the prophets are come, for their remain till the time of sultan Selim: who, thinking it too valuable a treasure to be in their possession, took it from them, and granted them another under his own hand in the same terms, but upon the hard condition of giving food to all the neighboring Arabs that should come to the convent. This they performed a great while, letting eth no record of injustice against God; through the gifts that are given unto men, Mahomet the son of Abdallah, the apostle of God, and careful guardian of the whole world has wrote the present instrument to all those that are his national people, and of his own religion, as a secure and positive promise to be accomplished to the Christian nation and relations of the Nazarene; whosoever they may be, whether they be the noble or the vulgar, the honorable or otherwise, saying thus: I. Whosoever of my nation shall presume to break my promise and oath, which is contained in this present agreement, acts contrary to the oath, and will be a resister of the faith, (which God forbid) for he becometh worthy of the curse, whether he be the king hi nself or a poor man, or what person soever he may be. II. That whenever any one of the monks in his travels shall happen to settle upon any mountain, hill, village, or other habitable place, on the sea, or in deserts, or in any convent, church, or house of prayer, I shall be in the midst of them, as the preserver and protector of them, their goods and effects, with my soul, aid and protection, jointly with all my national people; because they are a part of my own people, and an honor to me. III. Moreover, I command all officers not to require any poll tax of them, or any other tribute, because they shall not be forced or compelled to any thing of this kind. IV. None shall presume to change their judges or governors: but they shall remain in their office without being deposed. V. No one shall molest them when they are travelling on the road. VI. Whatever churches they are possessed of no one is to deprive them of them. VII. Whosoever shall annul one of these decrees, let him know positively, that he annuls the ordinance of God. VIII. Moreover, neither their judges, governors, monks, servants, disciples, or any others depending on them, shall pay any poll tax; or be molested on that account; because I am their protector, wheresoever they shall be, either by land or by sea, East or West, North or South: Because both they and al! that belong to them are included in this my promissory oath and patent. IX. And of those that live quietly and solitarily upon the mountains, they shall not exact neither poll tax nor tythes from their incomes, neither shall any Musselman partake of what they have; for they labor only to maintain themselves. X. Whenever the crop of the earth shall be plentiful in its due time, the inhabitants shall be obliged out of every bushel to give them a certain measure. XI. Neither in time of war shall they take them out of their habitations, nor compel them to go to the wars; nor even then down bread or corn by the same machine that is used to draw up the pilgrims; but the Arabs frequently robbing them of their corn before it arrived at the monastery, and coming in too great shall they require of them any poll tax. [What has been said relates to the monks of Mount Sinai; what follows relates to every Christian.] XII. Those Christians who are no inhabitants, and with their riches. and traffic are able to pay the poll tax, shall pay no more than twelve drachms. XIII. Excepting this, nothing more shall be required of them, according to the express order of God, that says, Do not molest those who have a veneration for the books that are sent from God,but rather in a kind manner, give of your good things to them, and converse with, and hinder every one from molesting them. XIV. If a Christian woman shall happen to marry a Musselman, the Musselman shal! not cross the inclination of his wife, to keep her from her church and prayers, and the practice of her religion. XV. That no person hinder them from repairing their churches. XVI. Whosoever acts contrary to this my grant, or gives credit to any thing contrary to it, becomes truly an apostate to God and to his divine apostle, because this protection I have granted to them, according to this promise. XVII. No one shall bear arms against them, but, on the contrary, the Mus. selmans shall wage war for them. XVIII. And by this I ordain, that none of my nation shall presume to do or act contrary to this my promise, until the end of the world. WITNESSES: Ali, the son of Abou-Thaleb. Muathem, the son of Kasvi. Amphachin, the son of Hassan. Azur, the son of Jaffin. Ambombaker, the son of Ambi Kaphe. Ottman, the son of Gafas. Amhtelack, the son of Messutt. Phazer, the son of Abbas. Talat the son of Amptoulak. Saat, the son of Abbatt. Kasmer, the son of Abid. Ambtullack, the son of Omar. This present was written by the leader, the successor of Ali the son of Abou Thaleb; the prophet marking it with his hand at the mosque of the prophet, (in whom be peace) in the second year of the Hegra, the third day of the month Machorem. numbers, the monks, unable to support them, were obliged to retire to Tor, in the last century; though matters were soon accommodated, and they returned to the peaceable possession of their convent at Mount Sinai. The mountain in general is called Jebel Mousa by the Arabs, that is, the mountain of Moses; and sometimes, by way of eminence, the Mountain only. It is in reality one hill with two summits, but the Greeks have divided it into four or five parts, which have obtained so many different names. However, the most common division of it is into Sinai, properly so called, and Horeb.. The names of the other parts are the mountain of St. Catharine, Mount Serich, Mount Episteme, and the Mount of Moses. The usual way up to Mount Sinai is by the stone steps that were formerly laid from the bottom to the top of it at the expense of the empress Helena, which begin at the convent, on the North side of Mount Horeb. The steps are narrow, of the rough red granite of the mountain, though that is not the only sort it produces, there being some of a greyish color, amongst a variety of others. At present, most of these steps are either washed out of their places by the rains, defaced by the weather, or quite carried away; so that the ascent is very fatiguing, and sometimes imposed as a penance. Ascending we pass by a fine spring on the right hand, and the chapel of St. Mary on the left; and advancing still higher we come to a narrow gate way, and beyond that a second. At the first of these, it is said, all Christians used formerly to deliver a certificate of their having confessed to the convent below, and there received another paper to carry to the second gate, in order to their being permitted to receive the sacrament on the top of Mount Sinai, which it seems was anciently the custom. A little beyond the second gate two roads strike off to the right, the one towards Mount Horeb, the other into the Vale of Jah, that is, the Vale of God, wherein stands the convent of the Forty Martyrs. From hence the ascent, grows very steep, which brings us first to two adjoining chapels dedicated to Elias and Elisha; in the former of which there is a |