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with, nil. si rj H ( BUM BEB8 01 ASM III] 53
cred part, was built directly over the well, and from thence there i3 a descent by a flight
of stone steps. This terminate LUlted apartment, ornamented with niches sur
mounted by handsome pediments, which resemble the porches beside the pool of Bethesda;
and in the centre is a square enclosure, surrounded by a marble parapet, within which
the sacred Spring now bubbles up. Behind it, under an arcade supported by marble pillars, is the shrine of the pana\a, by whose bounty the waters were endued with their
inestimable virtue-, lighted by a perpetual lamp. On the occasion of the grand festival,
the vault is illuminated by the enormous chandelier which is seen on one side.
Our Illustration presents the characteristic features of this abiding superstition of the
modern Greeks. Down the steps are seen descending the devout to this pool of Bethesda
who expect to see the miraculous fishes, like the angel, " trouble the waters", and then to
partake of its healing qualities. Within the enclosure of the well are men eagerly imbibing
the precious fluid; and on each side are } their robes, strengthening the faith of the
pious, and receiving the price of the miraculous waters.
ASCENT OF THE HIGH BALKAN MOUNTAINS.
Among the many wild ious objects presented by the different p<v
through this magnificent chain, I . Tornova are, perhaps, the most striking. Tor-
nova is the seat of a bishop of the Greek church, rendered particularly interesting to the
people of England by the conduct and character of its present prelate, the learned
Ililarion. When the British and foreign Bible Society proposed to place the word of God
within the compass of every man's UB by translating it from the dead language
in which it was written, and presented it to him in his vernacular tongue, some of the prelates of the Greek church, like those of the Latin, were opposed to the measure ; but the
late excellent patriarch, Gregory, who fell a victim to Turkish cruelty at the commencement of the revolution, was too piOUS and too enlightened to sanction such a sinful exclusion. He therefore gave hi- free consent to have the Scriptures rendered into modern
Greek for the use of the laity of his Bock, and it was assigned for that purpose to Hilarion,
one of his clergy distinguished for his learning and piety. The circumstance caused no
small degree of excitement in the dreek church. It majority who favoured the
UTS were ardent in their wishes and /calms in their endeavours for its speedy accomplishment. The indefatigable Hilarion proceeded with his pious task, which was to effect
the same reformation in the Greek as it had in the Latin church. It was actually
put to press in the printing establishment of the patriarchate, and the first sheet of the precious work thrown off, when the Turks, excited, r ted, by the enemies of the measure, rushed in with axes and other implements, broke in pieces the cases, scattered the
types abroad, and cast the first impressions of the Gospd into the court-yard and tank of
water, where the\ were trampled on, torn, and sunk, till the whole of the printed si.
destroyed, with other literary matter found in the printing-office. This event suspended
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