cells, on the second story, are good enough. The monks in all are eight, and there are as many servants.

4. The Nunnery of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, called Saidanaia, at the distance of six hours towards the north from Damascus. This is the oldest convent in Syria. It was founded by the Emperor Justinian I. in the fifth century. Its site is very picturesque. The convent occupies, and one may say crowns, the summit of a high and bare hill standing isolated like Mount Tabor. In this monastery the church is not small, but dark and poor: it needs to have its upper part rebuilt: behind the principal sanctuary there is a small oratory, in which there is a miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin. The cells, with the guestchambers, are in all eighty, the nuns thirty-eight in number: they come hither from all the Syrian dioceses, and are admitted by the Patriarch, on the recommendation of the Bishops. After a probation from one to three years, they are tonsured. Their habit consists of a black gown (riasa), and their heads are covered with a long black handkerchief, so that nothing of the face is seen except the eyes. The nuns of the Saidanaia lead a strict and abstemious life: they eat no flesh meat; each one receives from the convent bread, tolokno (oats boiled, dried in the oven, and ground), olive oil, fuel, and materials for their clothes and shoes, which they have to make up for themselves. The old nuns communicate in the Holy Mysteries every Saturday: the younger ones once in the month. They go out from the convent only when they carry down from the mountain to the neighbouring cemetery any one of the sisters who may have died. They have no Superior, but the duty of overlooking them is committed by the Patriarch to some one of the nuns who is more devout and intelligent than the rest. As for the administration of the temporal affairs of the house, it is attended to by two trustees; one chosen from the Priests of the Convent, the other a Christian of consideration from Damascus or from the village below the monastery. It is their duty to provide the monastery with all that is necessary: they are changed every year, and render an account to the Patriarch of their income and expenses. The convent is maintained by the freewill offerings of pious visitors, especially of Christian women, who come there to pray before the miraculous image of the Blessed Virgin, and bring their sick in the hope of obtaining healing through her. Besides this in every diocese there are persons acting in behalf of this convent, who collect for it voluntary offerings; but of property in general, moveable or immoveable, it has very little.

The Saidanaia Convent is exceedingly venerated by all the orthodox Christians of Syria. In it maidens who are poor or left orphans, crippled or diseased, and old widows, find refuge from the temptations and afflictions of the world, and serve the Lord day and night in fasting and prayer: there the sick obtain healing. In this convent there are also

some educated nuns, who teach the young novices and some girls from the village, to read and write. It is satisfactory to know that there is in the world a well-ordered Syro-Arab nunnery. It is a flower-garden, consecrated to the Most Holy Virgin Mary; it is a hospital for sinful souls; a salutary well-spring of grace; the light of the younger Christian maidens.

5. The Monastery of Saint Thecla, at six hours' distance from the Saidanaia to the north, at the Uniat village of Malloolah. It is built under the brow of a high and naked rock, and it is literally an eagle's nest. Under the dark projection of the neighbouring rock, in a cave arranged as a chapel, hidden within the rock itself, are preserved the relics of Saint Thecla. But in the monastery there is a poor church, dedicated under the name of the Forerunner. The Christians, and even the Mussulmans, have the utmost faith in the relics of Saint Thecla, and often obtain, through them, miraculous healing. But, unhappily, the convent is ill kept: in it there lives only a Greek Hegumen with a Deacon and two novices, whom he sends out to collect alms. Ten years ago he made some guest-chambers for pilgrims: and now he is intending to rebuild and enlarge the church.

Besides the Patriarchal Monasteries, there are also some small diocesan houses.

The Archbishop of Arki has two small monasteries of Saint Dometius and of the Prophet Elias, with two monks, not far from the Patriarchal Monastery of Saint George. The first possesses a small piece of arable land, enough for one plough; the second has land enough for four ploughs. These lands have been purchased.

The Archbishop of Tripoli has five small monasteries, within a short distance from the town of Tripoli.

1. Of Saint James the Persian, on the first rise of the Lebanon, which was made out of a cemetery church, about the year 1600; in it there are three monks.

2. Of the Entrance of Our Lady into the Temple, called Natour, on the sea shore, with three monks.

3. Of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin, called Keftine, upon the stream Kadisha: in it there are five monks.

4. Of Saint Demetrius, on the bank of the same stream, but much higher up than Keftine, with two monks:

5. Of Saint George, called Kapher. In it there is one monk.

The Archbishop of Beirout has six small monasteries: (1) Of the Assumption, called Khamatour, on the stream Abou-Ali, near Tripoli; (2) Of the Assumption, called Kiaftoun, on the stream Asphour; (3) Of the Annunciation, called Nourie, on the sea; (4) Of Saint George, called Kharph, on the Lebanon; (5) Of the Archangels, at Boukaata, and (6) A new Monastery of Saint George at Souk-el-Garda, also on the Lebanon.

All the diocesan monasteries are supported by small portions of land, vineyards, oliveyards, by mulberry trees, feeding silkworms, offerings from pilgrims, and collections of alms. They are nothing else than so many Episcopal Lodges.

Taken collectively, the Syrian Orthodox Monasteries render a great moral service to the Church. Besides that they make bad people to become good, and some even to become holy;-besides that they serve as a refuge for innocence, for poverty, for orphans, for the aged, and for crippled sufferers;-besides the consolations of grace ;-besides charitable attendance and miraculous healings; they support, at least in some small degree, the poor Episcopal Sees, and the Schools for the people. One must not omit here to mention also this, that if, through the inscrutable dispositions of Divine Providence, Orthodoxy should extend itself over Syria, the Patriarchal Monastery of Saint George will diffuse the light of Christianity among the tribe of the Ansari, who cherish a profound veneration for this monastery; while the Monastery of Khamatour will serve to baptize the tribe of the Moutwali who bring their silk to that monastery, and ask the monks to baptize them. Actual baptism is not given to them, but they are only washed with water; for the Moutwali, when they get well, remain Mussulmans. These two monasteries must be considered as bright sparks, from which the light of Orthodoxy may be kindled over all Syria.

The tolerance of the Turkish government allows the monasteries to acquire property, to any extent that is desired, but exacts from them the taxes fixed by the laws, which is quite equitable. The monasteries paid no tributes only during the time of the Egyptian rule in Syria, till the year 1840.

THE PARISH CLERGY.

The mode of maintenance of the parish Clergy in Syria reminds one of the Apostolic times. There from the beginning it has been the custom that the priests should be chosen from amongst the people and by the people ;-citizens, or villagers of some instruction, men of repute, married, already advanced in years, who have bred up their children, and govern well their own households. The Syrian Priest is not burdensome to the people, because he has his own house, his own property, his own children, who provide for him in his old age, being either cultivators of the land, or artizans. He is the first servant of the Christian community, who willingly conforms himself to its will, and with self-sacrifice serves it according to the Lord's command for its salvation. He is a Pastor, who cannot be either proud, or cold towards his flock; else they change him for another.

The election of Priests is not always made with unanimity. It sometimes happens, that the families which elect are divided into parties

in the villages and in the towns which have any numerous population. In this case they have recourse to the decision of their Bishop, and then he has need to show his tact and discretion in reconciling or pacifying them.

Unhappily one excellent institution of the Eastern Church owing to circumstances is not carried out in Syria: there are not at present any preachers belonging to the different dioceses. At Constantinople, Smyrna, Jerusalem and other places there are such preachers; and their duty consists exclusively in this, that they preach everywhere, wherever they are sent, or wherever the Bishops take them. In this way in the East, according to a custom of ancient institution, those priests who teach are distinct from the parish priests: they do not perform the offices of the Church. The ground of this institution no doubt is the thought that it is not every one who is capable of teaching, since it is not every one that has the gift of eloquence, whereas every one can perform divine offices; since for this there is needed only faith, purity of life and use. In Syria there are no preachers, because there are there no spiritual schools.

To the honour of the parochial Clergy there, one must say that they are sober, disinterested, and humble, that they strictly adhere to the rites and discipline of the Church to the best of their understanding, and exert themselves to teach some of the village children how to read in the church, if, through the poverty of the parishes, there are no special teachers for them. These children, when they grow older, take the place of our sacristans and clerks.

Among the Syrian clergy at the present time there are some exemplary labourers in Christ's vineyard; viz.

1. The Vicar of the Patriarch, the Archimandrite Agathangelus, a Greek from Anatolia, a meek man, of practical experience, and knowing both the Turkish and Arabic languages.

2. Athanasius, late Hegumen of the Belemend Monastery, a man of dignity, of natural gifts, of an energetic character, a good preacher and a good manager.

3. The Hegumen of the Patriarchal monastery of Saint Elias, Macarius, a Greek. He enjoys the special favour of the present ruler of the Lebanon, the Emir Khaïdar, in consequence of his having concealed his wife and children from the Egyptians, when Ibrahim Pasha sent this Emir into banishment. The Hegumen intercedes with him for any orthodox Christians who have been wronged; he even screens those who have committed offences and saves them from revenge or punishment through the power of the Emir: and hence all the orthodox inhabitants of the Lebanon respect and love him.

4. The Hegumen of the monastery of Khamatour, Isaiah, a Greek, a man of eloquence, of sound judgment, well acquainted with the Arabic language and with the customs and affairs of Syria.

5. The parish priest at Damascus, Father Joseph, who has a numerous family, a native of the place, a devout man of great faith, humility, disinterestedness and patience he has been a priest now 25 years. It was he who effectually assisted the Patriarch Methodius in opening and establishing the school for the people at Damascus, going round to the houses of the Christians, and exhorting them to send their children to the school. He himself teaches the grammar of the Arabic language, the reading of the Holy Scripture, logic and rhetoric to some select youths employing himself in the school, he loses his parochial revenues. He is supported by his sons, who go out to work. Besides his school and parochial occupations, Father Joseph has translated our Catechism from the Greek into the Arabic language.

6. The parish priest at Tripoli, a married man, Father Spiridion, a native of the place, a disciple of Father Joseph, a man of gravity: he teaches the Arabic grammar in the people's school at Tripoli.

7. The confessor in the Archiepiscopal See of Beirout, a native, a devout old man he is unceasingly working in the printing office, preparing manuscripts for the press and collating them with the publicly. received church books.

SCHOOLS.

The sons of priests very seldom succeed to the calling of their fathers and for the most part remain seculars: hence in Syria there are no young clergy; nor ever have been, in consequence of the clergy being elective.

The Patriarch Methodius would have brought together twelve boys from different dioceses, and wished to prepare them for the service of the Church; but he abandoned this attempt for want of room, and of the means of educating them.

In Syria there might have been instituted popular schools in conformity with the orthodox constitutions of the Church in that region. There the clergy is elective; there are no sacristans and clerks : consequently all the people's schools must be catechetical; in them there must be taught to all the secular children reading and singing such as is used in the Church, the Catechism and Sacred History, in order that those who are chosen from them to be priests, may understand their Faith and may know how to behave themselves in the House of God.

In Syria the incapacity of village and town priests to preach the Word of God ought to be supplemented by the employment of diocesan preachers. This spiritual want calls for the institution of a special School of Preachers with a number of scholars proportioned to the number of the Episcopal Sees. This would not be one of our semi