recisely how many were then inhabiting it, but I
should imagine there were above a hundred. As, however, many of the
members of all the religious communities on Mount Athos are employed in
cultivating the numerous farms which they possess, it is probable that
not more than one-half of the monks are in residence at any one time.

This monastery was founded by Theophania (Theodora?), wife of the
Emperor Romanus, the son of Leo Sophos,[17] or the Philosopher, between
the years 919 and 922. It was restored by a Prince of Georgia or
Iberia, and enlarged by his son, a caloyer. The church is dedicated to
the "repose of the Virgin." It has four or five domes, and is of
considerable size, standing by itself, as usual, in the centre of the
great court, and is ornamented with columns and other decorations of
rich marbles, together with the usual fresco paintings on the walls.

The library is a remarkably fine one, perhaps altogether the most
precious of all those which now remain on the holy mountain. It is
situated over the porch of the church, which appears to be the usual
place where the books are kept in these establishments. The room is of
good size, well fitted up with bookcases with glass doors, of not very
old workmanship. I should imagine that about a hundred years ago, some
agoumenos, or prior, or librarian, must have been a reading man; and the
pious care which he took to arrange the ancient volumes of the monastery
has been rewarded by the excellent state of preservation in which they
still remain. Since his time, they have probably remained undisturbed.
Every one could see through the greenish uneven panes of old glass that
there was nothing but books inside, and therefore nobody meddled with
them. I was allowed to rummage at my leisure in this mine of
archaeological treasure. Having taken up my abode for the time being in a
cheerful room, the windows of which commanded a glorious prospect, I
soon made friends with the literary portion of the community, which
consisted of one thin old monk, a cleverish man, who united to many
other offices that of librarian. He was also secretary to my lord the
agoumenos, a kind-hearted old gentleman, who seemed to wish everybody
well, and who evidently liked much better to sit still on his divan than
to regulate the affairs of his convent. The rents, the long lists of
tuns of wine and oil, the strings of mules laden with corn, which came
in daily from the farms, and all the other com