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him; and he is as strict, as before he was licentious." This description struck the hearers with amazement; nor did they seem to know how to account for it. Some secret principle in the religious theory of the Druses, was what their minds were evidently turning to, as the operative cause of such miraculous conversions. I endeavoured, therefore, to explain them, upon a principle, which every man, who examines his own heart, may easily descry. Admitting the fact, as stated, to be true, yet it may be nothing more than a change from the indulgence of the lusts of the flesh, to the more dominant tyranny of the lusts of the spirit-the Dæmon of Pride, expelling the Dæmon of Licentiousness. The unclear spirit, as our Lord describes, is gone out of the man: but, ere long, seven other spirits, still more wicked, enter in; and take up their abode in the restless, unhumbled heart; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. All assented to this view; but, with it, the conversation on this topic dropped.

There is, however, reason to doubt how far the fact stated may be a matter of mere appearances. The Druses are said by Burckhardt to be more observant of outward decorum than of genuine morality.

RETURN TO ANTOURA.

Saturday, Oct. 18, 1823-Having received Letters from Malta, I went to Antoura to make arrangements for quitting this part of the country, to go southward. On the road, I met Mr. King; who was, with a similar purpose, going to Beirout. After exchanging a few words, we each pursued his destination. I arrived, by a beautiful moonlight, at the

College; where I found Mr. Lewis and Mr. Fisk: as also Luigi Assemanni from Ain el Warka.

COURSE OF STUDIES AT AIN EL WARKA.

Sunday, Oct. 19, 1823-Yesterday evening and this morning, I have had much conversation with Luigi Assemanni. He gave me this account of the studies at Ain el Warka. The age of entering the College is various; from eleven to eighteen years of age. The term of complete study is four years. In the first year, they learn the Syriac Grammar: in the second, they read the Book of the Church-Offices, both in Syriac and Arabic: in the third, they study, as he expressed it, Prosody; but, on my asking his meaning, he said that he was not himself versed in this, and did not quite understand it*: in the fourth year, they are occupied with Moral Theology; not Dogmatical. All who are admitted must study with a view to the priesthood.

The present Maronite Patriarch, Joseph, was of this College. He has been elected but a few months: he adds Peter to his name, as being successor of St. Peter in the See of Antioch. He resides at Kanobiu, beyond Tripoli. The young men, when they have taken Orders, are at the command of the Patriarch, to be sent to Damascus, or elsewhere, as he may choose.

LUIGI ASSEMANNI.

I find this young man to be very feeble in health and spirits. I gave him much counsel: and, as he

* Query, if this may be what is referred to in the account of the Course of Education, from which I have, in a subsequent page, made Extracts; signifying what we should call Belles Lettres,

expects one day to go to Rome again, to fill some office as Interpreting Secretary, I reminded him, that one word from him might do great good or great harm; and especially cautioned him, never to sign his name to any thing which he knew to be unchristian or untrue. I gave him a sketch of the tribulations, which may be expected to fall on all those who uphold a system of deceit and error*; and, in the contemplation of his possibly living to witness troublous times, gave him for a motto these words"La fede vincitrice nelle tribolazioni""Faith triumphant in tribulations"-explaining that I did not, by "The Faith," mean any particular form of words, or constitution of a Church; but a personal, living faith, dwelling in a man's heart, working by love, and leading him to Christ for constant support.

He did not, poor youth, forget before his departure those two words, which might very properly be taken for the motto to the armorial bearings of Syria-" Give, give." We willingly administered to his necessities. Much could we wish that there were as ardent a desire for the Sacred Scriptures, as there is for the supply of the wants of the body! God alone can put this spiritual desire into their hearts-a hungering and thirsting after righteous

ness.

We prevailed on him to wait, and attend our Morning-Service, which we had somewhat earlier on his account. I preached in Italian. He then took his staff, as we could not persuade him to stay any longer; and walked away, very much with the air of a young pilgrim.

2 Thess. ii. 7-12.

DIFFICULTY OF TRAVERSING MOUNT LEBANON.

In the evening of this day, looking out at my window on the vast irregular cliffs of Mount Lebanon, with the Convents Deir el Shâfi and Ybzumâr upon different summits far above me, and thinking of the toil of the next day's visit to them, the animating words of Isaiah came into my mind with реснliar force. The distance of Ybzumâr may be less than five miles, in a direct line; but, to reach it, we shall have to wind round the base of mountains, to go through the length of valleys, so as to cross them at their extremities, and to ascend hills by difficult traverses on most rugged single-footed paths, during four hours, chiefly with the sun upon us; and the same on our return. Eight hours of toil and burning heat, in order to have the opportunity of selling the Sacred Scriptures, and converse upon Religion! It is well and it is delightful to think, that, while such mountains furnish an emblem of the spiritual difficulties and perplexities through which we have to wind our way, they have supplied to the Evangelical Prophet a fine image for describing the future success of this work-Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

SHAFI.

CONVENT OF DEIR EL SHAI

Monday, Oct. 20, 1823-We set forth, Mr. Fisk and myself, on sure-footed asses, skilled to climb the

mountains. The road is, for the first half of it, the same as that to Ain el Warka. We were overtaken on the way by a Maronite Bishop, who appeared to me more delicate than any native whom I had yet seen, having furnished himself with a small umbrella of white muslin: he just returned our salutations, and spurred forward, being well-mounted. 'We turned off to the right, to reach the Convent of Deir el Shâfi, situated on a fertile eminence, commanding a magnificent view of the sea, the town and harbour of Beirout, and all the intermediate country. Eightteen Monasteries may be seen from it. The air is pure; and, even on the hottest days, they here enjoy a breeze. It is pleasantly screened by groves of pine trees full of sap, which rise up the side of the mountain in the back ground.

The elevated site of many of these Monasteries, well chosen for air, retirement, and security, often brings to the mind that expression, O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars!

In the occupants, however, of Deir el Shâfi, there is a melancholy air of somnolency. The Patriarch, who visited England, Mar Gregorius Peter Giarve, resides here only two months in the summer, for coolness: the rest of the year he lives at Mar Ephraim, a spot more inland. We were received by a Bishop, who formerly was Patriarch for five years, and who was succeeded by Giarve. From his conversation the following particulars were obtained. The whole Patriarchate contains one Patriarch and seven Bishops. Of these Bishops, two are in Aleppo; one is in Mesopotamia, and another will be appointed there in lieu of one deceased; one is in Beirout; and there are two at this Conveent, one

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