After a stirrup cup of hot coffee, perfumed with the incense of the church, the monks bid me a joyous adieu; I responded as joyously: in short every one was charmed, except the mule, who evidently was more surprised than pleased at the increased weight which he had to carry.
The Monastery of Russico--Its Courteous Abbot--The Monastery of Xeropotamo--Its History--High Character of its Abbot--Excursion to the Monasteries of St. Nicholas and St. Dionisius--Interesting Relics--Magnificent Shrine--The Library--The Monastery of St. Paul--Respect shown by the Monks--Beautiful MS.--Extraordinary Liberality and Kindness of the Abbot and Monks--A valuable Acquisition at little Cost--The Monastery of Simopetra--Purchase of MS.--The Monk of Xeropotamo--His Ideas about Women--Excursion to Cariez--The Monastery of Coutloumoussi--The Russian Book-Stealer--History of the Monastery--Its reputed Destruction by the Pope of Rome--The Aga of Cariez--Interview in a Kiosk--The She Cat of Mount Athos.
where also they were repairing the injuries which different parts of the edifice had sustained during the late Greek war. The agoumenos of this monastery was a remarkably gentlemanlike and accomplished man; he spoke several languages and ruled over a hundred and thirty monks. They had, however, amongst them all only nine MSS., and those were of no interest. The agoumenos told me that the monastery formerly possessed a MS. of Homer on vellum, which he sold to two English gentlemen some years ago, who were immediately afterwards plundered by pirates, and the MS. thrown into the sea. As I never heard of any Englishman having been at Mount Athos since the days of Dr. Clarke and Dr. Carlysle, I could not make out who these gentlemen were: probably they were Frenchmen, or Europeans of some other nation. However, the idea of the pirates gave me a horrid qualm; and I thought how dreadful it would be if they threw my Alexius Comnenus into the sea; it made me feel quite uncomfortable. This monastery was built by the Empress Catherine the First, of Russia--or, to speak more correctly, repaired by her--for it was originally founded by Saint Lazarus Knezes, of Servia, and the church dedicated to St. Panteleemon the Martyr. A ride of an hour brought me to