afraid o f fome queftion about the Virgin Mary,I got up, arid?,
palling to the other fide o f the room, I flood b y Tenfa C h r is tos,
laying to hint, Andnow. holy father, I have, one, laft favour,
to aik you, which is your forgivenefs, i f I have at anytime
offended you ; your bleffing, now that I am immedi-t
ately.to depart, i f I have n o t ; and your prayers while on my.
long and dangerous journey, through, countries o f Infidels,
and Pagans,
A 'h u m o f applaufe founded a ir throughout the room.’ .
The Iteghe faid fomething, but what, I did not hear. Ten-,
fa Chriftos was furprifed apparently at my humility, w h ich ’
he had not expedled, and - cried out, with tears in his eyes,1.
Is it poffible, Yagoube, that you believe my prayers can do-
you any good ? Ifhould not be a Ghriftian, as I profefe to b e , ,
Father, replied I, i f I had any doubt o f the effe£b of-good
men’s prayers.: So faying, I Hooped to kifs his hand, w h e n .
he laid a fm a ll iron crofs upon my head, and, to my great;
furprife, inftead o f a benediaion, repeated the Lord’s prayer.
I was afraid he would have kept me ftoopingtill he-
fhould add the ten commandments likewife, when he con- -
eluded, “ Gzier y ’ Baracuc,” May God blefs you. A f t e r -
which,’ I made my obeifance to the Iteghd, and immediately/
withdrewj it not being the euftom, at public audience, to fa—
lute any one. in the prefence o f .the fo ye re ign ..
T w e n ty greafy monks, however, had'ptaced themfelve#;
in my way as I went out, that they might have the credit o f
giv in g me the bleffmg likewife after Tenfa Chriftos. As 11
had very little faith in the prayers o f thefe-drones, fo-I had t
fome relu&ance to kifs their greafy hands andfleeves; how-
•ver, in running this difagreeable gauntlet, I gave them m y
bleffing;
tilefling in Englifh,— Lord fend you all a halter, as he did to i
Abba Salama, (meaning the Acab Saat.) But they, thinking
h was recommending, them to the patriarch Abba Salama;
pronounced at random* with great feeming devotion,., their*
Amen,— So be it.
TRAVELS