fcended from fome scatter'd Remains of the Chriftians that engaged in the Crufades for the Recovery of the Holy Land, who fettled themselves in the adjacent Mountains, where they have ever fince maintain'd a kind of fovereign Jurifdiction. But Faccardine, not caring to be confin'd to his hilly Dominions, had the Power and Artifice to extend them into the Plains along the Sea-Coaft from Beroot to Acra; till at laft the Grand Signior, grown jealous of his rifing Authority, drove him back again to the Mountains, where his Pofterity to this Day retain their Principality.

THIS Prince's Palace, which we went to take a View of, ftands in the North-Eaft Part of the City, and has a beautiful Marble Fountain at its Entrance. The inner Parts of the Building, which confifts of feveral Courts, are now running to Decay, or else were never finish'd by their first Mafter. The Defign of the whole, however, though not carried to Perfection, is visibly grand, and not unworthy the Quality of a Prince in Europe; but its greatest Beauty, and what beft deferves our Attention, is the OrangeGarden. It is a large quadrangular Piece of Ground, divided into fixteen Squares, with Walks between them, which are fhaded with spreading Orange-Trees, that were gilded, when we were there, with the finest Fruit, and made as charming a Sight as can poffibly be imagin'd. Each of thefe fixteen Squares had à a Stone Border, wherein Channels were fo contriv'd as to convey the Water to every Tree in the Garden, little Outlets being cut for Part of the Stream to vent itself as it pafs'd along. Had an European Gardener the Cultivation of this Spot of Ground, nothing could be made more delightful; but the Turks, who in general are People of grofs Apprehenfions, and have not a Tafte for refin'd Pleasures, have turn'd this beautiful Place into a Sheepfold. On the Eaft-fide of the Garden were two Terrace-Walks, rifing one above another, each of which had an Afcent of ten or twelve

Steps, were planted with feveral fine Orange-Trees, to make Shades in proper Places, and led into Summer-houses and other delightful Apartments. All this Elegance and Regularity may well be wonder'd at in thefe Parts of the World, the Turkish Gardens being ufually nothing else but a Number of Trees planted together in a confufed Manner, without Walks, Arbours, Knots, or any Appearance of Art or Defign: But Faccardine had been in Italy, where he had seen Gardens of another Nature, which his excellent Genius (for fuch his Works fpeak him to have had) knew very well how to imitate in his own Country.

Ar one Corner of another Garden, in which are feveral Pedestals for Statues, is built a very strong Tower about twenty Yards in height, from whence we had a distinct View of the whole City. The principal Object that ftrikes our Sight, is a large Turkish Mofque, originally a Christian Church, and dedicated to St. John the Evangelift; into which we could not gain Admittance, and therefore contented ourselves with feeing it at this Diftance. The Greeks are still poffefs'd of a Church in this City, an ancient and decay'd Fabrick, the Infide whereof we had an Opportunity of viewing, and found it adorn'd with abundance of old Pictures; amongst which there is one with a Greek Infcription, fignifying it to be that of Couartas, the firft Archbishop of Berytus. Not far from this is the Figure of Neftorius, who is frequently painted in the Greek Churches, though they dif claim his Herefy, and acknowledge the Council of Ephefus by which it was condemn'd. But the most remarkable Picture of all is one of St. Nicephorus, drawn almost as big as the Life, with a Beard reaching down to his Feet; of which Saint the Legends give us the following Account: That he was a Perfon of eminent Virtue and exemplary Behaviour, but being almost deftitute of a Beard, his Countenance did not appear with fufficient Gravity, and command the Respect

Refpect which that venerable Ornament generally engages. This gave the good Man very great Uneafinefs, infomuch that he fell into a deep Melancholy; of which the Devil taking the Advantage, promifed Nicephorus to fupply the Defect of Nature, if he would hearken to his Suggeftions. The Saint, tho' extremely defirous of the propofed Addition to his Face, was determin'd not to purchase it at fo dear a Rate as by the leaft Tranfgreffion of his Duty; and therefore, rejecting the Tempter's Offer with Indig nation, and at the fame Time taking hold of the little Tuft he had upon his Chin, in token of the Firmnefs of his Refolution, his Conftancy was miraculously rewarded; for it is faid he found the Hair ftretch upon the firft Pluck he gave it, and repeating what he had done with the fame Succefs, he never defifted from pulling his Beard, till he had drawn it down to his very Feet. But enough of this ridiculous Story.

THE Walls of Beroot, on the South Side, are ftill entire, but built out of the Ruins of the ancient City, as appears from their being party compofed of Pieces of old Pillars and Fragments of Marble, on fome of which we find Scraps of Latin Infcriptions. At a little Distance without the Wall are fome Remains of Mofaic Pavements, feveral Pillars of granite Pieces of polish'd Marble, and other Tokens of the former Magnificence of the City.

HAVING ftaid one Day at Beroot, we purfued our Journey on the 17th in the Morning, and in lefs than half an Hour we came into a fine Plain, extending from the Sea to the Mountains, at the Entrance whereof is a beautiful Grove of Pine-Trees, planted by the aforemention'd Faccardine*; and on our Left

* Mr. Maundrell tells us of an odd Custom of the Princes of this Family, which feems to deferve our Notice. "Their prefent Prince (fays he, fpeaking

"of the Drufes in the Year "1697.) is Achmet, Grandfon

66

to Faccardine, an old Man, " and one who keeps up "the Cuftom of his Ance

we

we faw a Village at a little Diftance, inhabited by the Drufes, who poffefs a long Tract of Mountains upon this Coaft. After travelling two Hours from this Grove, we were obliged to pay another Caphar; from which Place we foon arrived at the River Damer, the ancient Tamyras, a Stream that fwells to a great Height upon fudden Rains, and, running with great Rapidity, is very dangerous to Paffengers *; however, its Waters being pretty low when we were there, we forded it without much Difficulty.

BEING got over this River, we travell'd along a narrow rugged Way between the Sea and the Mountains, which hereabouts are but a small Distance from each other, till we came to another confiderable Stream, with a good Stone-Bridge over it, confifting of feveral Arches. From hence, in one Hour's Time, we arrived at Sidon, and were conducted by our FellowTraveller M. du Marais to the Refidence of the French Conful, to whom he brought Letters from Smyrna, and who receiv'd us with all imaginable Civility, as did alfo the reft of the Gentlemen of that Nation, whofe Factory here I have already had Occafion to mention. As we came to Sidon feveral Days before the Conful was ready to fet out for Jerufalem, we had

an Opportunity of being more particular in our Obfervations and Enquiries concerning this ancient City, whereof I now proceed to give an Account.

SIDO N, now call'd Sayde or Seyde, may properly enough be term'd the Metropolis of Phenice, as it feems to be the oldest City in this Part of the Country, borrowing its Name, according to Jofephus from its Founder Sidon, the eldeft Son of Canaant; though other Writers do not admit of this Derivation t. The Town is ftill populous, but has loft much of its former Splendor, as well as Extent; which is fufficiently manifeft from the many beautiful Pillarš, and other Veftiges of its ancient Grandeur, that lie scatter'd up and down the Gardens, without the Walls of the prefent City. Thefe Walls, are of a confiderable Thickness, but ruinous in many Places; and on the South Side of the Town ftands an old Castle on a Hill, faid to have been built by Lewis the Ninth of France, furnamed the Saint; and another, in a better Condition, on a Rock in the Sea, having a Communication with the Land by a Bridge of ten or twelve Arches.

THE French Merchants are all quarter'd together in a large Kan clofe by the Sea, fronting which is an old Mole that formerly fecur'd the Port, but has been demolish'd and render'd useless by the Emir Faccar

* Antiquities, Book I. c. 7. + Gen. x. 15:

Trogus derives the Name from a Word fignifying a Fish; and Bochart is of the fame Opinion, for Seid, the present Name of the City, may be render'd a Fishing-place. The last-mention'd learned Man feems to doubt whether or no Canaan's eldeft Son was call'd Sidon, as we tead in the Place of Scripture juft referr'd to, where he