m Cardinal Weld and Cardinal Pedicini, which
we presumed would ensure us a warm and hospitable reception; and as
travellers are usually lodged in the monastic establishments, we went on
at once to the Latin convent of St. Salvador, where we expected to enjoy
all the comforts and luxuries of European civilization after our weary
journey over the desert from Egypt. We, however, quickly discovered our
mistake; for, on dismounting at the gate of the convent, we were
received in a very cool way by the monks, who appeared to make the
reception of travellers a mere matter of interest, and treated us as if
we were dust under their feet. They put us into a wretched hole in the
Casa Nuova, a house belonging to them near the convent, where there was
scarcely room for our baggage; and we went to bed not a little mortified
at our inhospitable reception by our Christian brethren, so different
from what we had always experienced from the Mahometans. The convent of
St. Salvador belongs to a community of Franciscan friars; they were most
of them Spaniards, and, being so far away from the superior officers of
their order, they were not kept in very perfect discipline. It was
probably owing to our being heretics that we were not better received.
Fortunately we had our own beds, tents, cooking-utensils, carpets, &c.;
so that we soon made ourselves comfortable in the bare vaulted rooms
which were allotted to us, and for which, by-the-bye, we had to pay
pretty handsomely.

The next morning early we went to the church of the Holy Sepulchre,
descending the hill from the convent, and then down a flight of narrow
steps into a small paved court, one side of which is occupied by the
Gothic front of the church. The court was full of people selling beads
and crucifixes and other holy ware. We had to wait some time, till the
Turkish doorkeepers came to unlock the door, as they keep the keys of
the church, which is only open on certain days, except to votaries of
distinction. There is a hole in the door, through which the pilgrims
gave quantities of things to the monks inside to be laid upon the
sepulchre. At last the door was opened, and we went into the church.

On entering these sacred walls the attention is first directed to a
large slab of marble on the floor opposite the door, with several lamps
suspended over it, and three enormous waxen tapers about twenty feet in
height standing at each end. The pilgrims approach it on their knees,
touch and