II. PART henceforth for a better work; infomuch that he being miraculously converted by a voice from heaven, as he was on the road, and now not far from the city, inftead of continuing a perfecutor, became a preacher of the Gospel, when he arrived at Damafcus. 2. A defcrip malcus. This city is one of the most venerable for antiquity in the tion of Da. whole world, being the birth-place of Eliezer, the fteward of Abraham. Nor has it been lefs confiderable on account of its ftrength and greatnefs, being for a long time the capital of Syria, and refidence of the Syrian kings, mentioned in the Old Teftament. To pafs by other titles, it is ftyled by Julian the Eye of the whole Eaft; and, to pafs by other accounts of it, I fhall content myself with that given us by the Reverend and ingenious Mr. Maundrel, as being the latest, and given by one that has himself seen the place, and was in all respects qualified to give a most just description thereof. My author then acquaints us, that certainly no place in the world can promise the beholder at a distance greater voluptuoufnefs. Infomuch that the Turks have a tradition among them, that their prophet coming near Damafcus, took his ftation upon a certain precipice for fome time, in order to view the city; and confidering the ravishing beauty and delightfulness of it, he would not tempt his frailty by entering into it, but instantly departed, with this reflection upon it, that there was but one paradife defigned for man, and for his part he was refolved not to take his in this world. But to proceed to a more particular description of this city. It is fituated in an even plain of fo great extent, that you can but just difcern the mountains that compass it on the farther fide. It stands on the weft fide of the plain, at not above two miles diftance from the place where the river Barrady breaks out from between the mountains, its gardens extending almost to the very place. The city itself is of a long ftraight is very I. figure, its ends pointing near north-eaft and fouth-weft. It CHAP. flender in the middle, but fwells bigger at each end, especially at that to the north-eaft; in its length, as far as I could guess by my eye, it may extend near two miles. It is thick fet with mosques and fteeples, the ufual ornaments of the Turkish cities; and is encompassed with gardens extending no less, according to common eftimation, than thirty miles round; which makes it look like a noble city in a vast wood. The gardens are thick fet with fruit-trees of all kinds, kept fresh and verdant by the waters of Barrady. You difcover in them many turrets and fteeples and fummer-houses, frequently peeping out from amongst the green boughs, which may be conceived to add no small advantage and beauty to the profpect. On the north fide of this vaft wood is a place called Solkees, where are the most beautiful fummerhoufes and gardens. The greatest part of this pleasantness and fertility proceeds from the waters of Barrady, which supply both the gardens and city in great abundance. This river, as foon as it issues out from between the cleft of the mountain into the plain, is immediately divided into three streams, of which the middlemoft and biggest runs directly to Damascus, through a large open field, called Ager Damafcenus, and is distributed to all the cifterns and fountains of the city. The other two (which seem to be the work of art) are drawn round, one to the right hand, the other to the left, on the borders of the gardens, into which they are let (as they pafs along) by little currents, and so difperfed all over the vaft wood. Infomuch that there is not a garden, but has a fine quick ftream running through it, which ferves not only for watering the place, but is also improved into fountains and other water-works, very delightful, though not contrived with that variety of exquifite art, which is used in Chriftendom. Barrady being thus divided, is almost wholly drunk up by the city and gardens. What fmall part of it escapes is united, as Mr. Maundrel was informed, in one channel again, on the fouth-eaft fide of the city, and, after about three or four hours course, PART course, finally loses itself in a bog, without ever arriving at The Greeks, and from them the Romans, call this river Chryforroas (i. e. Golden Stream). But as for Abana and Pharphar, rivers of Damafcus, mentioned 2 Kings v. 12. I could find, faith my author, no memory of so much as the names remaining. They muft doubtless have been only two branches of the river Barrady, and one of them was probably the same stream that now runs through the Ager Damafcenus, directly to the city, which seems, by its ferpentine or winding course, to be a natural channel. The other I know not well where to find; but it is no wonder, feeing they may and do turn and alter the courses of this river, according to their own convenience and pleasure. The garden walls are of a very fingular ftructure. They are built of great pieces of earth, made in the fashion of brick, and hardened in the fun. In their dimenfions they are two yards long each, and somewhat more than one broad, and half a yard thick. Two rows of these placed edge-ways one upon another make a cheap, expeditious, and in this dry country a durable wall. In paffing between the gardens, we obferved their method of scowering the channels. They put a great bough of a tree in the water, and faften it to a yoke of oxen. Upon the bough there fits a good weighty fellow, to prefs it down to the bottom, and to drive the oxen. In this equipage the bough is dragged all along the channel, and ferves at once both to cleanse the bottom, and alfo to mud and fatten the water for the greater benefit of the gardens. The streets of this city are narrow, as is ufual in hot countries; and the houses are all built on the outfide of no better a material, than either fun-burnt brick, or Flemish wall, daubed over in as coarse a manner as can be feen in the pooreft cottages. From this dirty way of building they have this among other inconveniencies, that, upon any violent rain, the whole city becomes, by the washing of the houses, as it were a quagmire. I. It may be wondered what should induce the people to build c H A P. in this base manner, when they have in the adjacent mountains fuch plenty of good ftone 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 fituation, were in hafte to come to the enjoyment of it, and therefore nimbly fet up these extemporary habitations, being unwilling to defer their pleasures so long, as whilft they might erect more magnificent ftructures: which primitive example their fucceffors have followed ever fince. 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 furprising, to see mud and marble, ftate and fordidnefs fo mingled ⚫ together. On the infide the houses difcover a very different face from what you fee without. Here you find generally a large square court, beautified with fragrant trees and marble fountains, and compaffed round with fplendid apartments and duans %. The duans are flowered and adorned on the fides with variety of marble, mixed in Mofaic knots and mazes. The ceilings and traves are after the Turkish manner, richly painted and gilded. They have generally artificial fountains fpringing up before them in marble bafons; and as for carpets and cushions, are furnished out to the height of luxury. Of these duans they have generally several on all fides of the court, being placed at fuch different points, that at one or other of them you may always have either the fhade or the fun, which you please. Such as I have defcribed, faith Mr. Maundrel, was the houfe of an eminent Turk we went to fee; and I was told the rest resemble the fame description. * Duans are a fort of low stages, feated in the pleasantest part of the room, elevated about fixteen or eighteen inches or more above the floor. They are fpread with carpets, and furnished all round with bolfters for leaning upon. It is on these the VOL. II. Turks eat, fleep, fmoak, receive vi- In PART 11. In the next place we went to see the church of St. John Baptift, now converted into a mofque, and held too facred for Chriftians to enter, or almoft to look into. However we had three short views of it, looking in at three feveral gates. Its gates are vastly large, and covered with brass, stamped all over with Arab characters, and in feveral places with the figure of a chalice, supposed to be the ancient enfign or arms of the Mamalukes. On the north fide 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 fouth fide by the church, on the other three fides by a double cloifter, supported by two rows of granate pillars of the Corinthian order, exceeding lofty and beautiful. On the fouth fide, the church joins to the Bazars, or exchange, and there we had an opportunity just to peep into it. It is within, fpacious and lofty; built with three ailes, between which are rows of polished pillars, of a surprising, if not furpaffing beauty; unless perhaps we were tempted to overvalue what was fo fparingly permitted to our fur vey. In this church are kept the head of St. John, and some other relicks, esteemed fo 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 fafhion, that Christ was to defcend into this mofque at the day of judgment, as Mahomet was to do in that of Jerufalem. But the ground and reafon of this tradition I could not learn. From the church we went to the caftle, which stands about two furlongs diftant towards the weft. It is a good building of a rustic manner; in length it is three hundred and forty paces, and in breadth fomewhat lefs. We were ad. mitted but just within the gate, where we saw store of ancient arms and armour, the spoils of the Chriftians in former times. Among the artillery was an old Roman balista; but *his was a place not long to be gazed upon by fuch as we. At the east end of the caftle there hangs down in the middle of |