being a Thousand Paces in length from East to Weft, the Wall low without Towers, built along the Edges of the Plain Top. In the East Angle thereof is as it were a natural half Cave, the outward Part whereof is faid to have been the Place where our Lord was born; the inner is call'd our Lord's Manger. This Cave within is all cover'd with rich Marble, over the Place where our Lord is faid particularly to have been born, and over it is the great Church. of St. Mary. He likewife writ of the Place of his Paffion and Refurrection in this manner. Entering the City of Jerufalem on the Northfide, the first Place to be reforted to, according to the Difpofition of the Streets is the Church of Conftantin, call'd the Martyrdom. It was. built by the Emperor Conftantin, in a royal and magnificent manner, on Account of the Crofs of our Lord, having been found there by his Mother Helen. From hence to the Weftward appears the Church of Golgotha,in which is also to be feen the Rock, which once bore a great Silver Crofs with our Saviour's Body on it, fix'd on the fame, and now bears a very large Crofs, a great Wheel hanging over it befet with Lamps. Underneath the Place of our Lord's Crofs, a Vault is hew'd out in the Rock, in which the Sacrifice is wont to be offer'd on an Altar for honourable Perfons deceas'd, their Bodies being, during that Time in the Street. To the Weftward again of this is the Anaftafis, that is, the round Church of our Saviour's Refurrection, encompass'd with three Walls, and fupported by twelve Columns. Between each of the Walls is a broad Space, containing three Altars in three Parts of the middle Wall; to the North,

the South, and the Weft, it has eight Doors, or Entrances through the three oppofite Walls; four whereof front to the North East, and four to the South Eaft. In the midft of it is the round Tomb of our Lord cut out of the Rock, the Top whereof a Man ftanding within, can' touch; the Entrance being on the East, against which is laid that great Stone, which to this Day bears the Marks of the Iron Tools; for on the outfide it is all cover'd with Marble to the very Top of the Roof, which is adorn'd with Gold, and bears a large gold Crofs. In the North Part of the Monument the Tomb of our Lord is hew'd out of the fame Rock, feven Foot in length, and three handfuls above the Floor; the Entrance being on the South fide, where twelve Lamps burn Day and Night, four within the Sepulchre, and eight above on the right Hand Ledge. The Stone that was laid at the Entrance into the Monument, is now cleft; the leffer Part whereof ftands as a fquare Altar before the Door of the faid Monument; the greater Part make another square Altar in the Eaft Part of the fame Church, cover'd with Linnen Cloths. The Colour of the faid Monument and Sepulchre seems to be White and Red.

CHAP.

CHA P. XVIII.

Of the Place of our Lord's Afcenfion, and the Tombs of the Patriarchs.

thus.

ONCERNING the Place of our Lord's
Afcenfion, the aforefaid Author writes

Mount Olivet is equal in Height to Mount Sion, but exceeds it in Breadth and Length; bearing few Trees befides Vines and Olive Trees, fruitful in Wheat and Barley; for the Nature of that Soil is not for bearing Things of large or heavy Growth, but Grass and Flowers. On the very Top of it, where our Lord afcended into Heaven, is a large round Church, having about it three vaulted cover'd Porches. For the inner Houfe could not be vaulted and cover'd, because of the Paffage of our Lord's Body; but has an Altar on the Eaft fide cover'd with a narrow Roof. In the midst of it are to be feen the faft Prints of our Lord's Feet, the Sky appearing open above; and tho' the Earth is daily carry'd away by Believers, yet ftill it remains as before, and retains the fame Impreffion of the Feet. About this Place lies an Iron Wheel, as high as a Man's Neck, having an Entrance towards the Weft, with a great Lamp hanging above it on a Pulley, and burning Night and Day. In the Weft Part of the fame Church are eight Windows, and as many Lamps hanging opposite to them by Cords, which may be seen through

the

the Glafs in Jerufalem; the Light whereof is faid to ftrike the Hearts of the Beholders with a fort of Joy and Compunction. Every Year, on the Day of the Afcenfion, when Mafs is ended, a fierce Blaft of Wind is wont to come down, and to caft down to the Ground all that are in the Church. Concerning the Situation of Hebron, and the Tombs of the Fathers he writes thus. Hebron once the City and Metropolis of David's Kingdom, now only showing what it was by its Ruins, has one Fur long to the Eaft of it a double Cave in the Valley, where the Tombs of the Patriarchs are enclos'd with a fquare Wall, their Heads lying to the North. Each of them is cover'd with a fingle Stone, white, hollow'd like a Dome for three Patriarchs. Adam's lies not far from them at the fartheft North Part of the Wall in a Tomb of meaner Workmanship. There are alfo three poorer and smaller Monuments of Women. The Hill Mambre very full of Grafs and Flowers having a flat Plain on the Top, is a Thousand Paces from the Monuments. In the North Part of it, Abraham's Oak, being a Stump about twice as high as a Man, is enclos'd in a Church. Thus much collected from the Works of the aforefaid Writer, keeping to the Sense of his Words, but more briefly deliver'd, we have thought fit to infert in our Hiftory. Whofoever defires to fee more of that Book, may, fee it either in the fame, or in that which we lately briefly epitomiz'd from it.

CHAP

CHA P. XIX.

How the South-Saxons receiv'd Eadberc and Eolla; and the Weft-Saxons, Daniel and Aldhelm, for their Bishops, and of the Writings of the fame Aldhelm.

I'

N the Year of the Incarnation of our Lord Ann. 705. 705, Aldfrid, King of the Northumbrians, dy'd before the End of the 20th Year of his Reign. His Son Ofred, a Boy of about eight Years of Age, fucceeding him in the Throne, reign'd eleven Years. In the beginning of his Reign, Haeddi, Bishop of the Weft-Saxons, departed to the Heavenly Life; for he was a good and juft Man, and exercis'd the Episcopal Life and Function rather by his innate Love of Virtue, than by what he had learnt by Reading. The most Reverend Prelate Pethelm, of whom we shall speak in the proper Place, and who was a long Time either Deacon or Monk with his Succeffor Aldhelm, is wont to relate, that many miraculous Cures have been wrought in the Place where he dy'd, through the Merit of his Sanctity; and that the Men of that Province did use to carry the Duft from thence for the Sick, which they put into Water, the Sprinkling or Drinking whereof had reftor'd Health to many fick Men and Beafts; so that the holy Earth being frequently carry'd away, there was a confiderable Hole left. Upon his

-Death