build in this base manner, when they have in the adjacent CHAP. 1. mountains such plenty of good stone for nobler fabrics. I can give no reason for it, unless this may pass for such, that those who first planted here, finding so delicious a situation, were in haste to come to the enjoyment of it, and therefore nimbly set up these extemporary habitations, being unwilling to defer their pleasures so long, as whilst they might erect more magnificent structures: which primitive example their successors have followed ever since. But however in these mud walls you find the gates and doors adorned with marble portals, carved and inlaid with great beauty and variety. It is an object not a little surprising, to see mud and marble, state and sordidness so mingled together. On the inside the houses discover a very different face from what you see without. Here you find generally a large square court, beautified with fragrant trees and marble fountains, and compassed round with splendid apartments and duanss. The duans are flowered and adorned on the sides with variety of marble, mixed in Mosaic knots and mazes. The ceilings and traves are after the Turkish manner, richly painted and gilded. They have generally artificial fountains springing up before them in marble basons; and as for carpets and cushions, are furnished out to the height of luxury. Of these duans they have generally several on all sides of the court, being placed at such different points, that at one or other of them you may always have either the shade or the sun, which you please. Such as I have described, saith Mr. Maundrell, was the g Duans are a sort of low stages, seated in the pleasantest part of the room, elevated about sixteen or eighteen inches or more above the floor. They are spread with carpets, and furnished all round with bolsters for leaning upon. It is on these the Turks eat, sleep, PART II. house of an eminent Turk we went to see; and I was told the rest resemble the same description. In the next place we went to see the church of St. John Baptist, now converted into a mosque, and held too sacred for Christians to enter, or almost to look into. However we had three short views of it, looking in at three several gates. Its gates are vastly large, and covered with brass, stamped all over with Arab characters, and in several places with the figure of a chalice, supposed to be the ancient ensign or arms of the Mamalukes. On the north side of the church is a spacious court, which I could not conjecture to be less than one hundred and fifty yards long, and eighty or one hundred broad. The court is paved all over, and inclosed on the south side by the church, on the other three sides by a double cloister, supported by two rows of granate pillars of the Corinthian order, exceeding lofty and beautiful. On the south side, the church joins to the Bazars, or exchange, and there we had an opportunity just to peep into it. It is within spacious and lofty; built with three ailes, between which are rows of polished pillars, of a surprising, if not surpassing beauty; unless perhaps we were tempted to overvalue what was so sparingly permitted to our survey. In this church are kept the head of St. John, and some other relicks, esteemed so holy, that it is death even for a Turk to presume to go into the room, where they are kept. We were told here by a Turk of good fashion, that Christ was to descend into this mosque at the day of judgment, as Mahomet was to do in that of Jerusalem. But the ground and reason of this tradition I could not learn. From the church we went to the castle, which stands about two furlongs distant towards the west. It is a good building of a rustic manner; in length it is three hundred and forty paces, and in breadth somewhat less. We were admitted but just within the gate, where we saw store of ancient arms and armour, the spoils of the Christians in former times. Among the artillery was an old Roman CHAP. I. balista; but this was a place not long to be gazed upon by such as we. At the east end of the castle there hangs down in the middle of the wall a short chain cut in stone, of what use I know not, unless to boast the skill of the artificer. Leaving this place, we went to view the Bazars, which we found crowded with people, but destitute of any thing else worth observing. As to the Ager Dàmascenus before mentioned, it is a long beautiful meadow, just without the city on the west side. It is divided in the middle by that branch of the river Barrady, which supplies the city; and it is taken notice of, because of a tradition current here, that Adam was made of the earth of this field. Adjoining to the Ager Damascenus is a long hospital. It has within it a pleasant square court, inclosed on the south side by a stately mosque, and on its other sides with cloisters and lodgings of no contemptible structure. Returning from hence homeward, we were shewn by the way a very beautiful bagnio; and not far from it a coffee-house capable of entertaining four or five hundred people. It had two quarters for the reception of guests, one proper for the summer, the other for the winter. That designed for the summer was a small island, washed all round with a large swift stream, and shaded over head with trees, and with mats when the leaves fail. We found here a multitude of Turks upon the duans, regaling themselves in this pleasant place, there being nothing which they behold with so much delight as greens and water; to which if a beautiful face be added, they have a proverb, that all three together make a perfect antidote against melancholy. In the afternoon we went to visit the house, which they say was sometime the house of Ananias, the restorer of sight to St. Paul, Acts ix. 17. The place shewn for it is (according to the old rule) a small grotto, or cellar, which affords nothing remarkable, but only that there are in PART II. it a Christian altar, and a Turkish praying-place, seated nearer to each other than well agrees with the nature of such places. Our next walk was out of the east-gate, in order to see the place, they say, of St. Paul's vision, and what else is observable on that side. The place of the vision is about half a mile distant from the city eastward. It is close by the way-side, and has no building to distinguish it, nor do I believe it ever had. Only there is a small rock or heap of gravel, which serves to point out the place. About two furlongs nearer the city, is a small timber structure, resembling the cage of a country borough. Within it is an altar erected: there, you are told, the holy Apostle rested for some time in his way to the city, after the vision, Acts ix. 8. Being returned to the city, we were shewn the gate, at which St. Paul was let down in a basket, Acts ix. 25. This gate is about two furlongs distant from the east-gate, and is at present walled up, by reason of such its vicinity to the east-gate, which renders it of little use. Entering again into the city, we went to see the great Patriarch residing in this city. He was a person of about forty years of age; and the place of his residence was mean. He told me there were more than one thousand two hundred souls of the Greek communion in that city. As for the gardens, the first we went to visit was about a mile out of town. It afforded us a very pleasant summer-house, having a plentiful stream of water running through it. The garden was thick set with fruit-trees, but without any art or order. Such as this are all the gardens hereabouts, only with this odds, that some of them have their summer-houses more splendid than others, and their waters improved into greater variety of foun tains. In visiting these gardens, Franks are obliged to walk either on foot, or else to ride on asses; the insolence of the Turks not allowing them to mount on horseback. To serve them upon these occasions, here are hackney asses always standing ready equipped for hire. When you CHAP. I. are mounted, the master of the ass follows his beast to the place whither you are disposed to go, goading him up behind with a sharp-pointed stick, which makes him dispatch his stage with great expedition. It is apt sometimes to give a little disgust to the generous traveller, to be forced to submit to such marks of scorn; but there is no remedy: and if the traveller will take my advice, his best way will be to mount his ass contentedly, and to turn the affront into a motive of recreation. The last thing Mr. Maundrell tells us, that he and his companions went to see, was, the street called Straight, Acts ix. II. It is about half a mile in length, running from east to west through the city. It being narrow, and the houses jutting out in several places on both sides, you cannot have a clear prospect of its length and straightness. In this street is shewn the house of Judas, with whom St. Paul lodged; and in the same house is an old tomb, said to be Ananias's: but how he should come to be buried here, they could not tell us, nor could we guess, his house being shewn us in another place. However the Turks have a reverence for this tomb, and maintain a lamp always burning over it. This is the account given us of Damascus by Mr. Maundrell; who acquaints us withal, that there is in this city a Latin convent; and that Damascus lies near due east from Sidon, it being usually esteemed three days journey distant, the road lying over the mountains Libanus and Antilibanus; out of the last of which pours down the river Barrady with great rapidity, and with so vast a body of water, that it abundantly supplies all the thirsty gardens and the city of Damascus, as has been before observed. It may not be altogether immaterial to adjoin here, that from these gardens were originally transplanted the fruit-tree thence called the Damascen, and the rose thence called the Damask rose; and that the branchings of silks and linen, &c. being one of the inventions of the inhabitants of this city, at least these sort of stuffs |