The Sun.
London, England, 1825-07-04 00:00:00

FOR

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CONVENT OF MOUNT BT. BERMI/1i52
Alit. Enrron—The monks of the Conve4;of
Alount St. Bernard have been loug since .-jumly
celebrated for their hospitality to the trair:4ler.
across the
,A ips, as' well as for the hulnanities
they display in (heir efforts to save all•thos0
•who may •be exposed to danger. Within the
walls of this convent strangers are ever ret4tl
received and fed, and many sire those whom its be-
nevolent inhabitants have saved from otherwiseln-
evitalde destruction. So active is their benevolence, Apr
and so large is the demand upon it, that the num-
ber of meals furnished to travellers in the year
1818, amounted to no' less than 31,0781.-
114 content is situated upon the Great Saint
Bernard, a mountain 11,006 feet above the lev.el
of the sea, situated between the Valais and the
Duchy of Aosia, in Piedmont. It has two Main
Summits, between which runs one of the Passages
into . Italy, and now celebrated : as the route
through which Buotiaparte penetrated into the
latter country pieviouSly, to the battle of Ala'-
rengo. On the most elevated point of this pas-
gage, and 8,038 feel above .the sea, stands the
hospice, or Convent, founded by Bernard (le
Monthon, in the tenth centnry. The monks en-
taiu, daring the space of three days, all strangers
gratis, without any diStinction of religion ; and
Send out, in foggy and tempestuous weather,
their servants to every part of the- mountain, fo
assist nll travellers that may Lave lost their
Way. How great is their hospitality, and how
active their benevolence, the following anecdote
will determine :

An English party, consisting of several per-
sons, both male and female, were forced to seek
shelter in the Convent by a severe fall of snow.
Both themselves and their beasts were fed by
the Monks, as long as the latter, had any thing to
bestow, who did not even hesitate to give the
bread from their own mouths as food for the
beasts when the stock of bread was exhausted.
‘Vben this was the case, the party were under
the necessity of departing, but this seemed
practicable, the snow being as yet not sufficiently
Bard to permit- the horses and mules to proceed.
but this obstacle was overcome by the active in-
genuity of the worthy monks ; the whole of them
issued forth along with their servants, and by
placing blankets in front of the animals, and re-
moving them successively forward as soon as the
beastS had passed over them; they succeeded,
though with considerable labour, to conduct the
whole paity safely through the defiles of their
mountains.

For the pUrpose of seeking for traVellers Who
chance to lose their say, the monks have trained
a breed of dogs, which perform their important
task with singular sagacity. This magnificent
breed has long been deservedly celebrated ; but
some years ago it was nearly upon the point of
finishing, the oldest and the most experienced
amongst them having been most unfortunately
buried, along with some unlucky travellers, under
an avalanche. Fortunately, three or four fine
and promising puppies, who had not taken, a.part
in the well-meant hut fatal •enterprize, .remained
to save the breed from final destruction. Among
the number of those n ho perished, the most
cele-
brated was. called Barry. This sagacious and
valuable animal had served the monks above 142
years, during which period he had saved the
lives of 40 individuals. II is zeal and his activity
were truly indefatigable. No soOner.did•heper-
ceio the mountain covered • with snOw,.• and- en.
veloped in mist, than he sallied 'out in-search - of
lost travellers. As long as his strength. per-
witted, he kept up a loud and incessant •bark-
ing, • and shrunk not from venturing upon
the most 'dangerous- "parts.of the mountain.-----
If he found a traveller, but discovered" that
his own strength was unequal to -extricating, him
out of the snow, he would hasten ''hack
t'o.Tthe
convent, and bring.out. some of the monks to assist
him in his humane endeavours.

It happened one day, that this truly benevo-
lent animal discovered a Child almost frozen to
death, bet Ween the bridge of Pronai and the
ice-house of Bahora. He began 'immediately to
lick him, and when he had succeeded in rotor.
ing hire to life, he caressed his littler protege,-who,
tyingbim-self upon the generous animal, was -by
him carried,.as it were, in triumph to the hos-
pital.

Old age having rendered this invaluable do;
unfit for service, the Prior of the convent
manely sent him as a pensioner to 13erney and
when he died some time after, his hide was stuff-
ed, and deposited in ihe IlfillSeum 'of that town.
Around his ne.Ck is still suspended the, small
phial in which' he carried a cordial to .revive the
strength of any drooping traveller he rOight
chance to meet among.the passes of.the mountains.

A. P.

A Fortune for a Trifle ! A Cellar of Fri nefor
Nothing ! !—'Those who aspire to. 1 ndepeudence
and gOod living, certainly cannot.acciitire them
'more easily than by taking a Chance iv. the pre-
se;nt Lottery, \Mich will-all be cleided
Day, St. Swithin, the 15th This -Month, when,
.in addition to the'splendid list of Capitals, con-
sisting of 4 -of 821,000, &c. &c: amounting' to
R. 204,442, the largest.Snm..ever distributed in
One Day, Bisn, the •Contractnr, gives away 64
Pipes of Wine, in 4 Prizes of 16 Pipes each, and
iti• proportion for Sharei. Bisn's Office, 4, Corn-
find 9, CharingCroSs,' are now in high :fa-
vour with Fortune, having sold in the last eight
Months Milne; '3'nf ±313;000:, 4 of X 20,000, be-
sides Eio,ooo, &c. &c.