be inacceffible. The Houfe is encompass'd by a pretty ftrong Wall, but is itself a very mean Structure, and has nothing in it remarkable, except the excellent Wine that is made by its Inhabitants. It is faid to have been founded and endowed by the Emperor Ju ftinian, and is at prefent poffefs'd by about twenty Greek Monks and thirty or forty Nuns who feem to live promiscuously together as in one Family, without any Order or Separation *.

THIS Rock, one may reasonably prefume, was anciently esteem'd a very facred Place, for within a little Compafs round about it, we find no lefs than fixteen Churches or Oratories, dedicated to fome Saint or other; but most of them are now in a ruinous Condition. On the East Side of the Rock is an ancient. Sepulchre, being a Cavity about eight Yards fquare,' hollow'd out of the folid Stone, and having ten or twelve Coffins or Graves cut in its Sides, wherein dead Bodies have been depofited. Over the Entrance are three Niches, each containing two Statues as big as the Life, with fome mangled and obfcure Greek Inscriptions upon the Pedestals.

IT is related by the Monks of this Convent, that having formerly in their Chapel a little Picture of the Bleffed Virgin, much reforted to by her Votaries, and famous for the many miraculous Cures and Bleffings obtain❜d in answer to their Prayers, it happen'd that a facrilegious Rogue took an Opportunity to fteal it away; but he had not kept it long, before he obferv'd it was metamorphofed into real Flesh and Bones, at which he was in fuch a Confternation, that he carried it back in hafte to the right Owners, confeffing his Crime, and emploring their Forgiveness. The good

Such a Retirement, as one obferves, with good Wine, a greeable Company, and fine Women, can be no great Mor

tification; and poffibly few People would think it a Hardship to be thus banish'd from the reit of the World.

Fathers

Fathers having recover'd this precious Treasure, now become still more valuable on account of the last Miracle, in order to prevent its ever being stolen again, depofited the Body, as they tell us, in a Cheft of Stone, and placed it in a Cavity in the Wall behind the Altar, fixing an Iron Grate before it for its greater Security. Upon this Grate are hung abundance of little Trinkets, the Offerings of People who have paid their Devotions at this Shrine, and afcribe the Success. of their Prayers to the Interceffion of the Bleffed Virgin. The Monks alfo place a fmall Silver Bafon under the Cheft that contains this facred Depofit, from; whence they pretend there diftils an holy Oil, of great Efficacy in curing all diforders incident to the Eyes, and many other Diftempers.--- Unhappy State of Chriftianity in thefe Parts! What must the Turks and other Infidels think of a Religion, where the Frauds and Follies of its Votaries are fo glaring and notorious?

THE Soil about Damafcus, as in most Parts of Syria, is fruitful, producing Plenty of Wheat; and their Vineyards yield abundance of Grapes, which grow in very large Clusters: but their Wines in general are not well flavour'd, though they are ftrong and intoxicating. The Country abounds with Variety of Game, and Provifions of all Kinds are tolerably cheap, confidering that the Place is extremely populous, the Suburbs being much larger than the City itself. The Sheep hereabouts are large, and their Tails of a prodigious Sieze, furpaffing thofe I took notice of near Smyrna; but, in my Opinion, their Flefh is not half fo fweet as our English Mutton.

THE greatest Part of the Inhabitants of Damafeus are Turks, who generally keep a Garrifon in it of three or four thoufand Janizaries. The City has eight Gates, and is encompafs'd with a good Wall, double in fome Places, and flank'd with round or fquare, Towers at convenient Distances. The Patriarch of Antioch ufually refides here, and about fifteen hun

dred

dred Perfons of the Greek Communion: The rest of the Inhabitants are Maronites, Armenians, Jews, and fome Latins, who have their respective Churches, or Places of Divine Worship; except the Latins, who say Mass in a Church of the Maronites.

As to the Trade of Damafcus, it is very confiderable, as I before obferv'd, and its Artificers are exceeding numerous, many thousands being employ'd in making Sword-blades*, Knives, and all Manner of fine Utenfils of Iron and Steel, the Water here being efteem'd excellent for tempering their Metal. The Branching of the filken Stuffs, from hence call'd Da mafks, is another Manufacture in which thefe People excel; and they make great Quantities of Soap. Raw and wrought Silks, fome Cotton, Wine and Rofe Water, made of the Damask Rofes which grow here

* The Artificers of Damafcus are alfo thoroughly fkill'd in the Art of adorning Iron, Steel, &c. by making Incifions therein, and filling them up with Gold or Silver Wire, chiefly ufed in enriching Sword-blades, Guards and Gripes, Locks of Piftols, and the like. Hence

this Art is call'd Damafkeening, having had its Rife at Damafcus, or at least been practised there in its greatest Perfection. Damafkeening is partly Mofaic Work, partly Engraving, and partly Carving: As Mofaic Work, it confifts of Pieces inlaid; as Engraving, the Metal is indented, or cut en creux; and as Carving, Gold and Silver are wrought therein in Relievo. There are two Ways of damafkeening: In the first, which is the most beautiful, the Artift Cuts into the Metal with a Gra

ver or other proper Tool, and afterwards fills up the Incifions with a pretty thick Silver or Gold Wire; the Incisions being made in the Dovetail Form that the Wire, which is thrust forcibly into them, may adhere the more ftrongly. The fecond Method, which is only fuperficial, but is the more ufual, is thus: Having heated the Steel till it changes to a violet or blue Colour, they make Hatches or Strokes across it with a Knife, fuch as is used in the making of fmall Files; and then draw the Defign, or Ornament intended, on this Hatching, with a fine brafs Point or Bodkin; after which, they take fine Gold Wire, and conducting or chaf ing it according to the Figures already defign'd, they fink it carefully with a Copper Tool into the Hatches of the Metal.

plenti

plentifully, are the principal Merchandifes brought from Damafcus. It is alfo famous for the finest Alabafter, and for a red foft Earth found in the Ager Damafcenus, faid to be a fovereign Remedy for a fractur'd Bone, or the Bite of a venomous Animal; but whether these Virtues are more to be depended upon than the Tradition of Adam's Formation in that Field, I fhall not take upon me to determine.

THE Mention of the Formation of Adam brings to my Remembrance a Difpute we had one Evening with the Superior of the Convent where we lodged, concerning the Situation of the terreftrial Paradife, or Garden of Eden; which the good Man, contrary to the Sentiments of all the reft of the Company, would needs place in the Neighbourhood of Damafcus. From hence I took occafion, at my leifure Hours, to digeft as well as poffible what was advanced by every Perfon who had a Share in the Difcourfe; and fince that Time I have likewife diligently examin'd the feveral Opinions of the most learned Writers on this Subject fo that I hope to be able to give the Reader a clear View of the whole Controverfy, and to point out to him the delightful Place of Abode allotted to our first Parents in their State of Happiness and Innocence.

IT is well known what a Variety of extravagant Notions have been entertain'd concerning a local Pa radife, the Subject of our prefent Enquiry. Several of the primitive Fathers believed there never was any fuch thing, interpreting in an allegorical Sense whatever is fpoken of it in Scripture. Others, who allow'd the Reality of a Paradife, have rambled fo far from the facred Text, as to exclude it from any Part of the terrestrial Globe. They have placed it in the third Heaven, within the Orb of the Moon, in the Moon itfelt, in the middle Region of the Air, &c. And of those who allow it a Situation in this fublunary World, fome have carried it into a far diftant Country, quite remov'd from the Knowledge of Men; others have