shelves. There was only one Greek
manuscript, a duodecimo copy of the Gospels of the twelfth or thirteenth
century. The Servian and Bulgarian manuscripts amounted to about two
hundred and fifty: of these three were remarkable; the first was a
manuscript of the four Gospels, a thick quarto, and the uncial letters
in which it was written were three fourths of an inch in height: it was
imperfect at the end. The second was also a copy of the Gospels, a
folio, in uncial letters, with fine illuminations at the beginning of
each Gospel, and a large and curious portrait of a patriarch at the end;
all the stops in this volume were dots of gold; several words also were
written in gold. It was a noble manuscript. The third was likewise a
folio of the Gospels in the ancient Bulgarian language, and, like the
other two, in uncial letters. This manuscript was quite full of
illuminations from beginning to end. I had seen no book like it anywhere
in the Levant. I almost tumbled off the steps on which I was perched on
the discovery of so extraordinary a volume. I saw that these books were
taken care of, so I did not much like to ask whether they would part
with them; more especially as the community was evidently a prosperous
one, and had no need to sell any of their goods.

After walking about the monastery with the monks, as I was going away
the agoumenos said he wished he had anything which he could present to
me as a memorial of my visit to the convent of St Paul. On this a brisk
fire of reciprocal compliments ensued, and I observed that I should like
to take a book. "Oh! by all means!" he said; "we make no use of the old
books, and should be glad if you would accept one." We returned to the
library; and the agoumenos took out one at a hazard, as you might take a
brick or a stone out of a pile, and presented it to me. Quoth I, "If
you don't care what book it is that you are so good as to give me, let
me take one which pleases me;" and, so saying, I took down the
illuminated folio of the Bulgarian Gospels, and I could hardly believe I
was awake when the agoumenos gave it into my hands. Perhaps the greatest
piece of impertinence of which I was ever guilty, was when I asked to
buy another; but that they insisted upon giving me also; so I took the
other two copies of the Gospels mentioned above, all three as free-will
gifts. I felt almost ashamed at accepting these two last books; but who
could resist it, knowing that they were utterly v