of valour; who fought with everybody, and
frightened the Caliph at the gates of Bagdad, but did good to no one;
and at length became so disagreeable that his wife had him murdered in
969. Nicephorus Botoniates, by the help of Alexius Comnenus, caught and
put out the eyes of his rival Nicephorus Bryennius, whose son married
that celebrated blue-stocking Anna Comnena. However, Nicephorus
Botoniates having quarrelled with Alexius Comnenus, that great man
kicked him out and reigned in his stead, and Botoniates took refuge in
this monastery, which, as I make out, he had founded some time before.
He came here about the year 1081, and took the vows of a kaloyeri, or
Greek monk.

[Illustration: staff, [Greek: patreza]]

This word kaloyeri means a good old man. All the monks of Mount Athos
follow the rule of St. Basil: indeed, all Greek monks are of this order.
They are ascetics, and their discipline is most severe: they never eat
meat, fish they have on feast-days; but on fast-days, which are above a
hundred in the year, they are not allowed any animal substance or even
oil; their prayers occupy eight hours in the day, and about two during
the night, so that they never enjoy a real night's rest. They never sit
down during prayer, but as the services are of extreme length they are
allowed to rest their arms on the elbows of a sort of stalls without
seats, which are found in all Greek churches, and at other times they
lean on a crutch. A crutch of this kind, of silver, richly ornamented,
forms the patriarchal staff: it is called the patritza, and answers to
the crosier of the Roman bishops. Bells are not used to call the
fraternity to prayers, but a long piece of board, suspended by two
strings, is struck with a mallet. Sometimes, instead of the wooden
board, a piece of iron, like part of the tire of a wheel, is used for
this purpose. Bells are rung only on occasions of rejoicing, or to show
respect to some great personage, and on the great feasts of the church.

The accompanying sketches will explain the forms of the patriarchal
staff, the board, and the iron bar.

[Illustrations: [Greek: tokmak], a hammer, in Turkish.]

The latter are called in Romaic [Greek: semandros], a word
derived from [Greek: semasoktoumai], to gather together.

According to Johannes Comnenus, who visited Mount Athos in 1701, and
whose works are quoted in Montfaucon, 'Paleographia Graeca,' page 452,
St. Laura was founded by Nicephorus Phocas, and r