ENVIRONS OF PATMOS.

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twelve months' separation. We gossiped now so agreeably that I willingly suppressed, for a while, my thoughts of the library. We scarcely understood each other in our very different Greek tongues; the ladies especially had their own peculiar dialect, yet all went happily off through the intervention of the interpreter.

Signor Kaligas accompanied us to the monastery. As he has great claims upon it, we could not have had a better recommendation. The prior, who, in spite of his grey hairs, was still energetic and active, honoured our visit first of all with sweetmeats, together with coffee and a pipe. He then led us to the flat roof of the monastery, which, as it lies upon the most elevated point of the island, afforded us a complete view of Patmos. Almost on all sides around I could see the confines of the island, as well as its neighbours in the sea. Round about the strong monastery the whole city has encamped itself as around its protector. The soil has but little cultivation; a few gardens and vineyards, occasional corn-fields, and olive-trees dispersed about, are all that interrupt the wild waste of this island of volcanic origin. To the north of it lies Samos and Nicaria, on the south Kalimnos and Kos, on the west Naxos, on the south-east Leros. Immediately before us lay a couple of bare blackish rocks, like bold ideas cast into the midst of the dark blue flood, and animated by the Patignotes with significant fictions. One is said to be an undutiful daughter, whom a mother's curse had turned into stone; the other a false prophet, whom the convicting eye of St. John not merely rendered dumb, but transformed into rock. Patmos itself was remarkably still; it was the repose of the Sabbath visible to the eye. An inexpressible charm lay in the whole picture that surrounded me. I thought of the words of the Revela-tions (i. 9, 10), "I was in the isle that is called Patmos... I was in the spirit on the Lord's day." Criticism has attacked these words; at this instant, methought, Revelation clung inseparably to Patmos. Were even this not its native home, yet it was delightful that the enraptured prophet had conceived the idea of celebrating upon Patmos the Sabbath of his inspiration.

From the roof we descended to the library of the monastery. I entertained great expectations, for at Cairo and at Smyrna eyewitnesses who were not unconversant with the subject, had told me of the great treasures to be found here. It is true the foundation of the monastery is not of a very early date: it owes its origin to Christodulos Thaumaturgus, in the 11th century, under Alexius Comnenus. But in an original document upon the foundation it expressly says, that the monks whom Christodulos brought to Patmos, conveyed with them books from their native monastery. My expectations were at least not wholly disappointed; this library

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is indisputably one of the richest in the East. I long occupied myself with the inspection of each individual manuscript: the number altogether amounts to two hundred. Many are written upon parchment, and date from the 11th to the 14th centuries; they are of great importance with reference to the literature of the Fathers: I saw forty of Johannes Chrysostomus; seventeen of Basilius the Great; and about twenty refer to the New Testament. Lastly, two manuscripts bear the characters of the 9th century, and consequently may be classed with the most ancient extant. The most important portion of their contents refers to the Book of Job, to Gregory the theologian, and to the biography of St. Peter and St. Paul. A manuscript which the good monks take pleasure in deducing from St. John himself, is probably of the 10th century, and consists of extracts from the Gospels, but is destitute of any critical value. To my astonishment there was not a single document referring to the text of the book of The Revelation. Of the classics I saw Aristotle, Porphyry, Diodorus Siculus, Sophocles, Hippocrates, Libanius, Aristides. But I refer to my more particular labours for an account of my studies in the library * ; and will merely mention that, during this inspection, the oldest monk of the monastery was introduced to me, who was on the eve of completing his hundredth year.

Another monastery we saw standing in solitude upon a distant hill. The prior and my companion assured me that no manuscripts were there, and that only a single monk occupied the building. But in the vicinity of the St. John's monastery of Christodulos I visited a convent of nuns, where there are about forty inhabitants. I confess that the manuscripts pleased me better than these sisters. I had hardly entered when the abbess and her friends commenced absolutely begging. That they did not live in a very splendid condition was manifest from the places which they occupied.

4

We then paid two other visits to ladies in a state of temporary widowhood, and then returned to Signor Kaligas. Among the many peculiarities of habits and customs at Patmos I will mention one of the chief the reason, namely, why there are so many insulated women. These women are more deeply attached to their native island than the Swiss are to their mountains; they frequently marry without going to their husband's home. This is the more easy, as the daughters regularly inherit the patrimony, instead of the sons. My host himself has his establishment in Syra, and visits Patmos only once or twice yearly, and this is the case with many other families also. In spite of this, the strictest morality prevails,

* See Wiener Jahrbücher, 1845. Anzeigeblatt für Wissenschaft und Kunst xx., "Die Bibliothek zu Patmos."

FAREWELL TO PATMOS.

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and with it a very fervent affection. After the death of the husband, to marry a second is an unheard-of circumstance; the widow mourns for her departed spouse to her death. Mourning for parents also extends to three years, and only the intervention of some family festival, as for instance a marriage, can abridge this period. The costume of the females, independent of the short waists which are to be seen in Germany in old pictures, has its greatest peculiarity in the hood. Schubert called it a grenadier's cap, and it is certainly high enough for one; it has almost the shape of a horn, and is partly interwoven with hair. What I have remarked upon the "power" of woman (of which St. Paul speaks, 1 Cor. xi. 10) at the Bazaar at Beyrout (see above, p. 250), I may thoroughly apply to the hoods of the Patignotes. That the number of the fair sex preponderates at Patmos I did not hear, but I think it very probable.

A political advantage possessed by the island over all the neighbouring ones is, that it has no Turkish governor, and its population is exclusively Greek. My first step upon the island announced as much by my meeting with a herd of swine.

As

But I must relate my farewell from the house of my host. my visit happened during the Greek fasts, our mid-day repast consisted consequently of appropriate dishes; but, before I again stepped on board ship, a roasted chicken was sent after me by the careful hostess. During the afternoon, I had exchanged many friendly words with both the black-eyed sisters, and had certainly entertained more kind thoughts than I could express in words. Upon taking leave, the lady herself hastened suddenly to a flowering shrub close to the house, broke two blossoms off, and brought them to me. The blossoms were very beautiful, but the eyes of the giver shone still more beautifully. Her sister ran to an odoriferous plant, and brought me a nosegay from it. It was therefore with tender emotion that I parted from the two sweet daughters of the island of St. John. I thought of the favourite exhortation of St. John with which he was accustomed to address the community, "Beloved, let us love one another." (1 John, iv. 7.) Who would not suppose

that these ladies of Patmos bore the farewell of their instructor faithfully in their hearts?

On the way back to the kayik, I visited the school, and within its walls the cavern of St. John, which, like Elijah's cavern upon Mount Carmel, is built into a church. It is here that the evangelist is said to have dwelt during his exile at Patmos, and here he indited the book of The Revelation. The upper part of the cavern has been torn asunder from the tower. My companion informed me, and his faith in his narrative was self-evident, that the rock had split the instant St.

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John had received the divine Revelation. The island possesses and venerates, besides, many other localities, all consecrated to reminiscences of St. John. St John is the whole thought of the island. It belongs to him, it is his sanctuary; its stones discourse of him, and all hearts contain him.

The same evening I returned to Scala Nuova. The following day about two in the afternoon, I arrived at the harbour; there the kind consul received me with the honours of a hoisted flag. On the afternoon of the 16th, we reached Smyrna, having returned by a different road, without visiting Ephesus a second time.

How agreeably do I still think, and how pleasantly shall I ever think, of Patmos !

VOYAGE TO CONSTANTINOPLE.

I could easily imitate the manners of the Orientals, who readily promise to set out as soon as the wish is expressed, but yet are indefatigable in proving to the patient Franks that they do not regulate their time by the hands of the clock. But, as I have not yet acquired the Oriental practice, I shall give no account of Lazzarism and its importance to the policy of France in the East; nor of the admirable institution of the pious sisters in the convent of Lazzarists; nor of the antiquities which are constantly being excavated at Smyrna ; nor of the large bridge of the caravan, and the endless train of camels: but I hasten at once to the harbour, and steer without delay over the foaming waves, on board the Austrian steamer. The deck presented a singular spectacle; I know not whether I shall call it warlike, or war's buffoonery. There lay around four hundred Turkish soldiers with their wives and children. I was constrained to force my way through their thronged harems, to the small space allotted to passengers of the first class. This was more interesting than agreeable. The four sisters from North America, whom I met within the cabin, complained aloud of the popular communication from the Turkish party to our quarters. We thus, therefore, conveyed along

with us the fullest consciousness of existence in the East.

It was about four in the afternoon of the 17th of August when I left Smyrna. The archbishop of Smyrna travelled with us; he was going to Mitylene, to consecrate a new church. Mitylene is the ancient Lesbos, which the name of Sappho has made so celebrated. Unfortunately it was about midnight when we stood off and landed the archbishop. I cast but a superficial glance at the mountainous

island beneath the glimmer of the stars; but the moment was delightful to think of Arion, and of Alcæus, and of Sappho, who often from the summits of these mountains chanted forth their inspired lays, beneath this splendid sky!

The following morning aroused me to a noble festival.

The land I was about to see- how often had I dreamt of it in the happy years of the dawning intellect! I could not recal those delightful hours without cordially thinking of the free-spirited teachers who had introduced me to the propylæum of classical antiquity. To him who has experienced this, does not the name of Homer recal hours never to be forgotten; for they opened a world to him richer and more splendid than all that encompassed him, and yet a world which so speedily attached his heart, possessing as it did a heart to reciprocate his feelings? That spot where the godlike Achilles chafed in wrath and wept like a brother — where the helmed Hector fell while protecting his domestic altars - each instant brought me nearer to it. The sacred Lemnos rose out of the blue waves in the west; Tenedos, close upon our left, presented strong ramparts upon its sandy dunes. High in the north west lay the rugged brows of Imbros; behind it arose, high in the air and garlanded with clouds, the rocky peaks of Samothrace, as though even now familiar with the mysteries of Orpheus, or as though Poseidon still dwelt there, his eye glaring over, the conflict and the decision of the battle. We now approached the Cape of Troy with the tomb of Peneleus, having previously seen the Scamander, that beautifully flowing stream, pouring its waters into the sea. In a few minutes more we had in view the flowery fields on its banks, where the heroes fought so energetically. We next arrived at the Sigeian promontory, where stood the temple of Minerva; immediately afterwards we greeted, close to the shore, two tumuli Iwe were close to the strand where Achilles selected for Patroclus and himself a prominent tomb. The poet's prophetical word is fulfilled; for it still stands boldly forth to the view of contemporaries as well as of posterity. The tomb of Achilles recalled Alexander to my mind, who here sprang ashore from his ship, and ran three times round it naked, with his friends, and anointed and crowned it. Give me the lyre of Achilles! he exclaimed, when the lyre of Paris was brought him. The tomb of the great-hearted Hector is not visible from here; but the mound of Patroclus is still to be seen, round which Achilles thrice dragged the corpse.

Looking away from these tumuli, we saw to the right and to the left, upon the two projecting points of Europe and of Asia, two modern creations, the two fortresses with their dark terrors. Thus from those celebrated heroic arms the power of the demon has