Palestine, or, the Holy Land Part 19

[88] Richardson, vol. ii. p. 333.

[89] Journey, p. 69.

[90] Travels, vol. iv. p. 315.

[91] Vol. ii. p. 21.

[92] Buckingham's Travels, vol i. p. 384.

[93] Travels in Greece, Palestine, Egypt, &c. vol. ii. p. 22.

[94] The invocation alluded to must be familiar to the youngest reader:

"Sing, heavenly muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb or of Sinai didst inspire That shepherd who first taught the chosen seed, In the beginning, how the heavens and earth Rose out of chaos; or, if Zion hill Delight thee more, and Siloa's brook that flowed Fast by the oracle of G.o.d; I thence Invoke thy aid to my advent'rous song."

_Paradise Lost_, book i.

[95] Travels by Rae Wilson, vol. i. p. 220.

[96] Travels in Palestine, vol. i. p. 297.

[97] 2 Samuel xviii. 18. Travels in Palestine, vol. i. p. 302.

[98] See Tour of the Holy Land, by the Rev. Robert Morehead, D.D.; in the Appendix to which are extracts from this anonymous ma.n.u.script.

[99] "Having so often mentioned Clarke, I must say, that although an animated and interesting writer, and not incorrect in his descriptions, he is more deficient in judgment than any traveller I am acquainted with; and I do not recollect an instance, either here or in Egypt, where he has attempted to speculate, without falling into some very decided error. I mention this the more, as his enthusiasm and conviction of the truth of his own theories led me formerly to place great faith in his authority."--_Anonymous Journal_.

[100] Buckingham, vol. i. p. 316.--The following words, put into the mouth of t.i.tus by the eloquent author of the "Fall of Jerusalem," will be read with interest in connexion with the view just given. The son of Vespasian stands on the Mount of Olives:--

"It must be-- And yet it moves me, Romans! it confounds The counsels of my firm philosophy, That Ruin's merciless ploughshare must pa.s.s o'er And barren salt be sown on yon proud city.

As on our olive-crowned hill we stand, Where Kedron at our feet its scanty waters Distils from stone to stone with gentle motion, As through a valley sacred to sweet Peace, How boldly doth it front us! how majestically!

Like a luxurious vineyard, the hill-side Is hung with marble fabrics, line on line, Terrace o'er terrace, nearer still, and nearer To the blue heavens. Here bright and sumptuous palaces, With cool and verdant gardens interspersed; Here towers of war that frown in ma.s.sy strength.

While over all hangs the rich purple eve, As conscious of its being her last farewell Of light and glory to that fated city.

And as our clouds of battle, dust, and smoke Are melted into air, behold the Temple, In undisturbed and lone serenity, Finding itself a solemn sanctuary In the profound of heaven! It stands before us A mount of snow fretted with golden pinnacles!

The very sun, as though he worshipped there, Lingers upon the gilded cedar roofs; And down the long and branching porticoes, On every flowery sculptured capital Glitters the homage of his parting beams.

By Hercules! the sight might almost win The offended majesty of Rome to mercy."

Old Sandys, a simple and amusing writer, describes Jerusalem as follows:--"This chic, once sacred and glorious, elected by G.o.d for his seate, and seated in the midst of nations,--like a diadem crowning the head of the mountaines,--the theatre of mysteries and miracles,--was founded by Melchisedek (who is said to be the son of Noah, and that not unprobably) about the year of the world 2023, and called Salem (by the Gentiles Solyma), which signifyeth Peace: who reigned here fifty years.--This citie is seated on a rockie mountaine; every way to be ascended (except a little on the north) with steep ascents and deep valleys naturally fortified; for the most part environed with other not far removed mountaines, as if placed in the midst of an amphitheatre."--Lib. iii. p. 154.

[101] "Bethlehem soon after came in sight,--a fine village, surrounded with gardens of fig-trees and olives. There is a deep valley below, and half-way down on the top of a hill is a green plain, the only one we have seen in Judea:--I could fancy Boaz's field forming part of it. The convent is a very remarkable building, and well worth seeing. Without, it is a perfect fortress, with heavy b.u.t.tresses and small grated windows, on entering, we immediately came to a magnificent church, with a double row of ten Corinthian pillars of marble on each side,--forty pillars to all.

On the arched roof are the remains of Mosaic, of the Empress Helena's time. One part was very distinct: it represented a city with temples, &c., and over it was written in Greek characters, _Laodicea_."--_Anonymous Journal_.

[102] Richardson, Buckingham, Maundrell.

[103] Bethleem nunc nostram, et augustissimum urbis loc.u.m de quo Psalmista canit (Ps. lx.x.xiv. 12). _Veritas de terra orta est_, lucus inumbrabat Thamus, id est, Adonidis; et in specu ubi quondam Christus parvulus vagiit, Veneris Amasius plangebatur.--_Epis. ad Paul_.

[104] Pour ce qui est des ornemens de ce saint Temple, il n'en reste que fort peu en comparaison de ce qui y estoit. Car tous les murs estoient autrefois magnifiquement reuestus et couvertes de belles tables de marbre gris onde, comme on en voit encore en quelques endroits que les infidelles n'ont poe avoir. Comme ils ont emporte tout le reste pour en orner leurs Mosquees, et est une chose pitoyable de voir que tous les murs sont remplis de gros clous et crampons de fer qui les tenoient attachez.

Au-dessus des colomnes de la nef est un mur tout couvert, et peint de la plus belle et fine Mosaique qu'il est possible de voir, n'estant composee que de pet.i.tes pierres fines et transparentes comme cristal de toutes les couleurs, qui representent grandes figures et histoires de la Vie, Miracles Mort, et Pa.s.sion de Nostre Seigneur, si narument faites des couleurs si vives et eclatantes, et le fonds d'un or si luysant, qu'il semble qu'elles sont faites depuis peu, encore qu'il y ait plus de treize cens ans. Entre ces figures sont treize fenestres de chacun coste, qui rendent un grand jour par toute l'eglise: derriere la troisieme et quatrieme colomne de la main droite est un tres-beau et riche base de marbre blanc de forme ronde a six pans de quelques trois pieds de diametre, qui sert de fonds baptismaux.--_Doubdan_, p. 133.

[105] Maundrell, p. 90.

[106] Relation of a Journey, p. 183.

[107] O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.--Jer. vi. 1.

[108] Modern Traveller, vol. i. p. 183. Joseph. Antiq. lib. xiv e. 13.

[109] Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, Pref, vi. Modern Traveller, vol. i.

p. 203. Doubdun, Voyage, p. 322, 326.

[110] Chateaubriand, tom. i. p. 408.

[111] "Haud procul inde campi, quos ferunt olim uberes, magnisque urbibus habitatos, fulminum jactu, arsisse; et manere vestigia, terramque ipsam, specie torridam, vim frugiferam perdidisse."--_Tacit. Hist._ lib. v.

cap. 7.

[112] The Abbe Mariti, who saw little himself, is not willing to allow to others the advantage of having been more fortunate. "Quelques voyageurs ont avance qu'on distinguoit encore les debris de ces villes infortunees, lorsque les eaux de la mer etoient ba.s.ses et lympides. Il en est meme que disent avoir appercu des restes de colonnes avec leurs chapitaux. Mais, il faut que l'imagination les ait trompes, ou que depuis leur retour, cette mer ait eprouve de nouvelles secousses, car je n'y peux rien voir de semblable, malgre toute ma bonne volonte. Un pere capucin crut aussi reconnoitre sur ces bords les effets frappans de la malediction celeste.

Ici, ce sont des traces de feu, la, une surface de cendres, partout des champs arides et maudits. Il croit meme respirer encore un odeur de soufre. Pour moi je suis affecte en sens contraire: rien dans ce lieu ne me rappelle la desolation dont parle la bible. L'air y est pure, le gazon d'un beau vert; en plus d'un endroit mon oeil se refraichit aux eaux argentines qui jaillissant en gerbes du sommet des monts; la sterilite dont une partie de ces campagnes fut frappee des la naissance du monde, rend plus douce par le contraste l'apparence de fertilite que je remarquai dans le sol d'Alvona. Mais d'ou vient donc que deux voyageurs peuvent etre si opposes? C'est que un capucin porte partout les cinq sens de la foi, et que moi je ne suis doue que de deux de la nature."--Tom. ii. p. 334.

[113] "On plutot doit on admettre l'opinion des physiciens Arabes, qui etablissent, non sans quelque fondement, qu'elles se dissipent en evaporation?".--Tom. ii. p. 334.

[114] Mr. Gordon, however, maintains, that persons who have never learned to swim will float on its surface.--Chateaubriand, tom. i. p. 412.

[115] "Le Cardinal de Vitry la nomme la Mer du Diable, et Marinas Sanutus dit qu'elle est tousjours couverte d'une fumee epaisse et de vapeurs noires, comme quelque soupirail ou cheminee d'Enfer. D'autres disent que son eau est noire, gluante, epaisse, gra.s.se, fanguese, et de tres mauvaise odeur; et toutefois j'ay parle a des Religieux qui m'ont a.s.seure y avoir ete, et que cette eau est claire; nette, et liquide: mais tres-amere et salee. Et comme j'ay dit, je n'y ay veu, ny fumee ny brouillards."--_Doubdan, Voyage de la Terre Sainte_, p. 317.

[116] "As for the apples of Sodom, so much talked of, I neither saw nor heard of any hereabouts; nor was there any tree to be seen near the lake from which one might expect such a fruit. Which induces me to believe that there may be a greater deceit in this fruit than that which is usually reported of it, and that its very being, as well as its beauty, is a fiction, only kept up, as my Lord Bacon observes other false notions are, because it serves for a good allusion and helps the poet to a similitude."

_Maundrell_, p. 85.

[117] The reading in Ha.s.selquist must be _eighteen_ instead of eight, or eight fathoms, instead of feet, for Mr. Maundrell remarks that the breadth of the river "might be about twenty yards over, and in depth it far exceeded my height."--_Journey_, p. 83.

[118] Deut. x.x.xiv. 1-7.

[119] 2 Kings ii. 19-23.

[120] Paradise Regained, Book I. v. 295, &c.

[121] Among these he found, with great delight, a very curious new cimex or _bug_, p. 129.

[122] Journey, p. 80.

[123] Paradise Regained, Book II. v. 281.

[124] A Visit to Egypt, &c. p. 285.

[125] Travels of Ali Bey, vol. ii. p. 251.

[126] The Mussulmans say prayers in all the holy places consecrated to the memory of Jesus Christ and the Virgin except the Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre, which they do not acknowledge. They believe that Jesus Christ did not die, but that he ascended alive into heaven, leaving the likeness of his face to Judas, who was condemned to die for him; and that, in consequence, Judas having been crucified, his body might have been contained in this sepulchre, but not that of Jesus Christ. It is for this reason that the Mussulmans do not perform any acts of devotion at this monument, and that they ridicule the Christians who go to revere it--_Ali Bey_, vol. ii. p. 237.

[127] Chateaubriand. Itineraire, tom. ii. p. 169.