The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-16
TIE MONASTERY OF BIO.
-na Gum Frescoes Which Adorn the
Halls of the Church
from the Saturday Reristr.

A tbousand years ago boy OF Il lett his
- xiIlsoe of Skino and set out in search
convenient place wherein to practice
- strict asceticism necessary for the saliva
-, of the elect. After wandering over
80 a mountain, forest and plain, he dis
lL1-.y.ad a hollow tree on the slopes of Mount
60 md later on hollow rock, where he
s+abIished himself like coney. Gradu-
liz the fame OF the hermit spread
abroad. and emulous disciples JoIneu nIlu'
an thew formed little colony ana began
;15jneS hints for themselves and rude
e-.1aI for their worship. The youth was
c.eIp;' Tovan Rilski, and the chapel was the
.9.eiacessor OF the great monastery OF Rllo,
P,,hicb occupies the same position IN Bull
r,ar,s as Mont. St. Michel in Normany or
Grande ChartTeuse IN Dauphlne.
IT, RiIa range rises almost in the center
e he Balkan peninsula, halfway between
q Ta,,rlb he and the Egean. It Is shaped
sn monster pyramid of nature, measur-
- IRON, east to west fifty kilometres and
.L.S-+y from north to south. The northern
fsce is abrupt and steep, and clothed with
I.Iorions virgin forests. where the sound Of
will never be beard, for transport is
ssu'o,aSsibIe. Eastward the Ria joins the Rho
- and TO the south the Perrin Planina.
IT, tonmost peak is ?. $50 metres above the
&c only few feet lower than Olympus.
Tbe fauna and fora and the geological
tormatlou remind one or the Carpathlans;
aj like them, the Ria is dotted with
~-'an lakes. which the peasants call "eyes
% the sea y The forests reach up 5000
60 and above them, bare crags are the
go of the chamois. The monastery lies
L;h on the mountain slope, and in the
-a5ga below foams the RilsRa Reka,
Soiicious CRYSTAL stream, whose trout
furnish the staple food OF the monks,
- whose icy water is sweeter than wine.
Il has the appearance from the outside of
baronial fortress, with crenellated walls
- Ioonholes and massive iron gates, which
aro closed half an hour after sunset. to open
nrIv at next dawn. The moment the
threshold IS crossed, however, one is face to
taca Ni1h the Church of our Lady, almost a
Counterpart of that of the monastery of
GThi1endar at Mount Athos, with a red aud
,,bita stone facade and six silvered cupolas.
| II stands in the center of an imme nse court,
| round which is built the monastery proper,
| three stories high. Seventy-slx massive
stone pillars support the balconies of the
guest chambers and also OF the monks,
SoO in number Some of these rooms are
very spacious and fairly well furnished
, with carpets, divans aud cushions. A
niche contains water and a basin and ever;
and wardrobes, a la Turque, are let into the
walls Each of the larger rooms could easily
accommodate half dozen persons, and it
yould not be difficult to billet whole regi
the church are entirely covered with fires
Goes. representing various Bible scenes-the
dav of Judgment, Lazarus and Dives, and
the punishments reserved for each partic1-
lar kind of sin These, as well as the inte-
rior painting, are solely the work of NJ ice
donian and Bulgarian artists, whose special
forteis the delineation of devils The vari-
ETY. of form and expression TO be found in
these mural decorations is delightful, and
the face of the principal fiend, in one of
these frescoes, when a soul escapes
him, is a 5perfect study in demonology.
This particular painting Is curious in the
extreme In the centre is huge pair of
scales, before which stands, with folded
hands the soul On one side is the heav-
enly host armed with long eel spears, and
on the other the devils. The sins resemble
rolls Of tobacco, and are piled on the bal
snce by an assiduOus horned demon. The
scale, however, refuses to turn, and the
soul is saved, several angels keeping off
devils laden with sins at the point of
the pitchfork. Inside there is not
square inch uncovered with decoration, and
the Icopostasis is blaze of gold, enamel
and precious stones. To the right lies the
body of st. Jovan, which is reverently un-
covered before visitors. It is enveloped in
rich broderes and silver plates, only
mummied hand showing for the kiss of the
faithful, and at the feet is placed dish to
southwest corner of the cloisters is the
library and chamber of relics. Neither
Of these, however, CO mes up
to expectations, the library being especially
poor The most interesting document by
far is the firnan given by the last king of
the Bugars, the faithful servant OF God
Jovan Shishman, king and autocrat of ali
the Bulgars and Greeks" 1t is nearly two
yards long, written on parchment in Bull
gaFan and signed with large gold seal the
size Of a crown piece. 1t is dated 1879, and
confirms all donations made by his
predecessors, with a minute descrip-
uon OF the properties and
rights OF the monastery. There
are one or two fine old manuscript Bibles in
Cyrlllan characters. massively bound in
h9aVy silver covers of excellent workman
snip, with the names of the artists and in
Scorpions Inserted in the general design.
One OF these states that it was completed
In the year 7O3O3 of the creation" and by
arapld calculation the abbot interprets this
70 make 1t 365 years old. The KEY to
chronology is in fixing the birth of Christ at
o'o Of the creation, and it appears to be
generally used in Slovene manuscripts An
other Bible bears on one cover the follow
ing; remember in your holy prayers
Dfotner Mathea, the goldsmith of Sofia
Nu2 aoored to carve this gospel together
~. Nun Ine monk Euthymia. and helped by
n. g..
mere are crucifixes of every imaginable
shape and material, and as a reiiouary
a emil, ssed silver casket with the
zones zones OF seven saints. In the alb
S poIS room is the crucifix presented
v Fflnce Alexander of Battenberg, beau
aLui specimen Of Russian handicraft, set
around with large amethysts; and a larger
me gwen last year, by Prince Ferdinand.
ane @ooot, or hegumen, is jovial gentle
mah Oh 10, who looks ten years Younger.
sug does the honors of coffee, cigarettes
1lu rakl with genial good humor.
sas appointed by ballot for three years,
S aaa rather Joseph is likely to have a
"oJAQ tenure of Office, so popular has he
--ale himself. There are two visitors books
~ Ule Tor simple inscription and the other
~, nonng the donations made by the part
Is guests. Owing to the stories spread of
sin ,ssaniuage, only one party has been to Rio
r. laSC summer, but, as matter of fact.
creaa very little to fear In August the
no 10 festival of st. Jovan is held, and
f faeiItL nock from every corner of the
IG ba tN to the monastery in thousands
lsets euiporary excitement, however, only
IT. lew days, and the Rio soon returns
~ normal state of isolated tranquility.
me.t monks .l are not supposed to touch
Va WIN the walls, nor outside them on