anguloso duodecim millia passuum circumplectitur. Hanc primo Constantinus in Cilicia juxta mare, quod Asiam Europamque disterminat, ædificare disposuit, sed quadam nocte ferramenta omnia ablata, missis qui requirerent, in parte Europæ, ubi nunc est ipsa civitas, inventa sunt: ibi enim fieri Dei voluntate intellecta est. In hac urbe basilica miri operis, quæ Sancta Sophia. cognominatur, rotundo schemate a fundamentis constructa et concamerata, tribus cincta parietibus, et magnis sustentata columnis arcubusque sublimata est : cujus interior domus in aquilonali sui parte grande et valde pulchrum armarium habet, in quo capsa lignea ligneoque operculo tectas crucis Dominicæ tres particulas continet, longum videlicet lignum in duas partes incisum, et transversum ejusdem sanctæ crucis lignum. Hæc tribus tantum per annum diebus, hoc est, in cœna Domini, in parasceue, et in sabbato sancto, populis adoranda profertur: quarum prima capsa illa super altare aureum, duos cubitos altitudinis et unum latitudinis habens, cum cruce sancta patefacta componitur: accedensque primus Imperator, deinde cunctus per ordinem laicorum gradus sanctam crucem adorat et osculatur: sequenti die Imperatrix, et omnes matronæ vel virgines idem faciunt: tertia nihilominus die episcopi et cuncti clericorum gradus idem faciunt, et sic capsa reclusa ad supradictum armarium reportatur. Quamdiu autem super altare manet aperta, totam ecclesiam mirus odor perfundit. De nodis enim ligni sancti liquor odorifer oleo similis profluit, cujus etiam si aliquis infirmus modicam particulam contingat, omnem ægritudinem

sanat.

Descripsi breviter finesque situsque locorum,
Pagina sacra magis quæ memoranda refert,
Beda, sequens veterum monumenta simulque novorum
Charta magistrorum quæ sonet inspiciens.

ing to the line of sea, is about twelve thousand paces.
Constantine was at first disposed to build it in Cilicia,
near the sea which separates Europe and Asia; but on
a certain night all the iron tools were carried away, and,
when men were sent to fetch them, they were found on
the European side; for there it was the will of God
that it should be built. In this city is a church of
wonderful workmanship, called the church of Saint
Sophia, built up from its foundation of a circular shape,
domed in, and surrounded by three walls. It is sup-
ported to a great height on columns and arches, and
has in its inmost part, on the north side, a large and
beautiful closet, wherein is a wooden chest with a
wooden lid, containing three pieces of our Lord's cross,
that is to say, the long timber cut in two, and the
transverse part of the same holy cross. These pieces
are exhibited for the adoration of the people three times
only in the year, namely, on the day of our Lord's
supper, the day of the preparation, and on the Holy
Sabbath. On the first of these, the chest, which is two
cubits long and one broad, is set out on a golden altar
with the holy cross exposed to view: the Emperor first
approaches, and after him all the different ranks of lay-
men, in order, kiss and worship it: on the following
day the Empress and all the married women and virgins
do the same; but on the third day the bishops and
different orders of the clergy do it; and then the chest
is shut, and carried back to the closet before mentioned.
As long as it remains open on the altar, a wonderful
odour spreads through the whole church. For an odori-
ferous liquor like oil flows from the knots of the holy
wood, the least drop of which cures every complaint
which a man may be afflicted with.

Thus have I sought in these few words to trace
The form and site of every holy place.
For this memorials of past times have brought,
And from each writer new instruction sought.

F f

Da, Jesu, patriam semper tendamus ad illam,
Quam beat æternum visio summa Tui.

CAP. XX.-CONCLUSIO.

EC de locis sanctis prout potui fidem historiæ secutus exposui, et maxime Arculphi dictatus Galliarum episcopi, quos eruditissimus in scripturis presbyter Adamnanus lacinioso sermone describens, tribus libellis comprehendit. Siquidem memoratus antistes, desiderio locorum sanctorum patriam deferens, terram repromissionis adiit, aliquot mensibus Hierosolymis demoratus, veteranoque monacho nomine Petro duce pariter atque interprete usus, cuncta in circuitu quæ desideraverat, vivida intentione lustravit: necnon Alexandriam, Damascum, Constantinopolim, Siciliamque percurrit. Sed cum

patriam revisere vellet, navis qua vehebatur post multos anfractus vento contrario in nostram, id est, Britannorum insulam perlata est: tandemque ipse post nonnulla pericula ad præfatum virum venerabilem Adamnanum veniens, iter pariter suum et ea quæ viderat explicando, pulcherrimæ illum historiæ docuit esse scriptorem. Ex qua nos aliqua decerpentes veterumque libris comparantes, tibi legenda transmittimus, obsecrantes per omnia, ut præsentis seculi laborem, non otio lascivi corporis, sed lectionis orationisque studio tibi temperare satagas.

Grant, Jesus, that in Heaven we all may rest,
And be for ever with Thy presence blest!

CHAP. XX.-RECAPITULATION.

THUS much have I written concerning the holy places, following, to the best of my knowledge, the truth of history, and in particular the dictation of Arculph, bishop of Gaul, which Adamnan, that priest so learned in Holy Scripture, hath set down in his jagged style, and comprised in three books. For the above-named bishop, from a desire to see the holy places, left his native country, and went to the Land of Promise, where he stopped two months at Jerusalem, having an old monk, named Peter, for his guide and interpreter. He then with great zeal visited every thing all round, which he had longed to see, and travelled to Alexandria, Damascus, Constantinople, and Sicily. On his way home, the vessel in which he sailed, after much beating about, was carried by contrary winds to our island, that is, to Britain; and Arculph, after certain hazards, came to the above-named venerable man, Adamnan, and explained to him his voyage, and what he had seen. Adamnan was thus enabled to compose a most beautiful history thereof. From this book we have gleaned a little, and having compared it with the books of the ancients, have sent it for your perusal, beseeching you, by all means, to relieve your worldly labours, not by indolence or licentiousness, but by holy reading and earnest prayer.

10 franguntur . . . lubricant-fragantur. . . lubricent?

176

178

facit fecit, B. Sed hic tractatus omnis adeo mendis scatet, ut quæstio sit utrum sive in textu sive in versione Anglica sensus auctoris vere sit expressus.

II. AD VITAM SANCTI FELICIS.

B. ed. Basil. Sm. ed. Smith. H. MS. Harlciens, designat.

15 Nec minor, &c.-Nec minor gradu, mente et operis, B.
30 quod-quo, Sm.

2 eumque primum, &c.-eumque quasi primum et quasi maxi-
mum, H.

3 arcem, Sm.-arcent, H. B.

5

10

22

hoc-om. B. quod, Sm.
manus-ubi manus, Sm.

unam-una, B.

Nec difficile-Nec notandum solum videtur quod, H. 24 laborans-diu laborans, Sm.

23

180

182

184

186

14 conquestus-conquestus est, Sm.

31

26

humeris-humeris tuis, Sm.

sibique solito-sibi solito, B. et more sibi solito, Sm. 27 adversarii-adversus eum, H.

19 miro-miro eum, H.

33 Sic delusa sol quærentium-Sic delusi, H.

188 4 persequentibus-a persequentibus, Sm.

190

196

198

17 fruitus-fretus, B.

23 totius qui est totius, Sm.

26 mentis-om. B. H.

29 posuisse-habere, H.

4 Erat-Hærebat, B.

21 simul-gravia simul, H.

15 nequiverat-extinguere nequiverat, Sm.

19 sopita-est sopita, Sm. erat sopita, H.