of the wall a fhort chain cut in stone, of what use I know not, CHAP. unless to boast the skill of the artificer. Leaving this place, we went to view the Bazars, which we found crowded with people, but deftitute of any thing else worth observing. As to the Ager Damafcenus before mentioned, it is a long beautiful meadow, just without the city on the weft fide. 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 Damafcenus is a long hospital. It has within it a pleasant square court, inclosed on the fouth fide by a stately mofque, and on its other fides with cloisters and lodgings of no contemptible structure. Returning from hence homeward, we were fhewn by the way a very beautiful bagnio; and not far from it a coffeehouse capable of entertaining four or five hundred people. It had two quarters for the reception of guests, one proper for the fummer, the other for the winter. That defigned 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 fo 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 vifit the house, which they say was fometime the house of Ananias, the reftorer of fight to St. Paul, Acts ix. 17. The place fhewn for it is (according to the old rule) a fmall grotto, or cellar, which affords nothing remarkable, but only that there are in it a Chriftian 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 eaft-gate, in order to fee the place, they fay, of St. Paul's vifion, and what else is obfervable I. II. PART on that fide. The place of the vifion is about half a mile dif3 tant from the city eastward. It is clofe by the way-fide, and has no building to diftinguifh 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, refembling the cage of a country borough. Within it is an altar erected: there, you are told, the holy Apoftle rested for fome time in his way to the city, after the vifion, Acts ix. 8. Being returned to the city, we were fhewn the gate, at. which St. Paul was let down in a basket, Acts ix. 25. This gate is about two furlongs diftant from the eaft-gate, and is at present walled up, by reafon of fuch its vicinity to the eastgate, which renders it of little ufe. Entering again into the city, we went to fee the great Patriarch residing in this city. He was a perfon of about forty years of age; and the place of his refidence was mean. He told me there were more than one thousand two hundred fouls of the Greek communion in that city. As for the gardens, the first we went to vifit was about a mile out of town. It afforded us a very pleasant summerhouse, having a plentiful stream of water running through it. The garden was thick fet with fruit-trees, but without any art or order. Such as this are all the gardens hereabouts, only with this odds, that fome of them have their fummerhouses more fplendid than others, and their waters improved into greater variety of fountains. In visiting these gardens, Franks are obliged to walk either on foot, or else to ride on affes; the infolence of the Turks not allowing them to mount on horfeback. To ferve them upon these occafions, here are hackney affes always ftanding ready equipped for hire. When you are mounted, the mafter of the afs follows his beaft to the place whither you are difposed to go, goading him up behind with a sharp-pointed ftick, which makes him difpatch his ftage with great expedition. It is apt fometimes to give a little difgust to the generous traveller, to be forced to fubmit to such marks of fcorn; I. fcorn; but there is no remedy: and if the traveller will take C H A P. my advice, his best way will be to mount his ass contentedly, and to turn the affront into a motive of recreation. II. The laft thing Mr. Maundrel tells us, that he and his companions went to fee, was, the ftreet called Straight, Acts ix. It is about half a mile in length, running from east to weft through the city. It being narrow, and the houses jutting out in feveral places on both fides, you cannot have a clear prospect of its length and straightness. In this street is fhewn the house of Judas, with whom St. Paul lodged; and in the fame house is an old tomb, faid to be Ananias's; but how he should come to be buried here, they could not tell us, nor could we guess, his houfe being fhewn 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. Maundrel; 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 diftant, the road lying over the mountains Libanus and Antilibanus; out of the laft of which pours down the river Barrady with great rapidity, and with so vaft a body of water, that it abundantly fupplies all the thirfty gardens and the city of Damafcus, as has been before obferved. It may not be altogether immaterial to adjoin here, that from these gardens were originally transplanted the fruit-tree thence called the Damafcen, and the rose thence. called the Damask rofe; and that the branchings of filks and linen, &c. being one of the inventions of the inhabitants of this city, at least thefe fort of ftuffs being firft brought into these parts of the world from this city, hence we call them by the name of Damasks. But after all Damafcus is not more famous either on account of its great trade or fine gardens, than it is on account of the converfion of St. Paul, the history of whose travels or voyages I fhall now proceed with. 3. St. Paul St. Paul being reftored to his fight by Ananias, ftaid not long in Damafcus, but retired forthwith into Arabia, which is withdraws a large country, extending from the river Euphrates to Egypt, into Arabia, nai. II. Land of PART and fo lying to the east and fouth of the Holy Land. This country took its name from its inhabitants being a mingled people; compofed of the Ifhmaelites, Madianites, and Amalekites; the word Arab denoting in the Hebrew language to mix or mingle: and the derivative Ereb, or Arabim, a mixed、 multitude. The country has been from early times diftinguished into three parts, Arabia Felix, or the Happy, to the fouth, fo ftyled from its rich products, and famous for the Queen of Sheba, who came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and whofe kingdom was fituated in this fertile country; Arabia Petræa, so called either from its capital Petra built on a rock, or from the rockiness of the whole divifion, being full of Mount Si- mountains, among which is mount Sinai, or Horeb, fo famous in facred Scripture. Not far from which, fouth or fouth-weft, within the bounds of Arabia Petræa, was fituated the i land of Madian, whither Mofes fled out of Egypt, and which was doubtless fo called from Madian, a fon of Abraham by Keturah. As Arabia Petræa lies to the north of Arabia Felix, fo ftill more north, or rather north-eaft, lies the third divifion, called, from its natural barrennefs, Arabia Deferta. This reaches up to the very neighbourhood of Damafcus; and there. fore it is not to be questioned, but that this was the peculiar part of Arabia, into which St. Paul retired after his converfion. And as Chrift after his baptifm withdrew into the wilderness of Judea, before he actually began to preach; fo it is no improbable conjecture, that St. Paul after his conver fion withdrew into the Deferts of Arabia, there to receive the knowledge of the Gofpel by immediate revelation from Chrift; and that, this being done, he returned to Damafcus, and after this his return, straightway preached Chrift in the fynagogues. It will not be improper to obferve here, that as Damafcus lies in the neighbourhood of Arabia; fo at the time of St. Paul's being there, it was under the dominion of Aretas, king of Arabia Petræa, and a prince tributary to the Roman empire. Jer. xxv. 20. 24. i Acts vii. 29, 30. Gal, iv. 24, 25. I. This Aretas placed a Governor under him in this city, who C H A P. had likewise jurisdiction over the whole Syria Damascena, and kept his conftant refidence in this city, as a place of great importance. To this fame Governor it was that the Jews, when they would have killed St. Paul, made their address, perfuading the Governor to apprehend the Apostle, poffibly under the notion of a spy, there being war at this time between the Romans and king Aretas. Hereupon the Governor kept the city with a garrison, being defirous to apprehend St. Paul: but this being known to the Apostle, the dif ciples took him by night, and through a window let him down in a basket by the wall, (the place being still fhewn to travellers, as Mr. Maundrel has above informed us,) and fo he efcaped, and came to Jerufalem. m 1 Acts ix. 23. 2 Cor. xi. 32, 33. m Gal. i. 18. Acts ix. 26. A. D. 37. St. Paul returns to Je rufalem. |
