Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-05-30
CONVENT OF BUSACO.
Ancient Portuguese Edifice In Woods
Surrounded BY Hotels.

~
Set in the midst of the guardian for
est is the Convent of Busaco. Half
hidden by the yerdure as 1t has III
ways been. it is true that the building
is less noticeable now than at any
time since the period of its erection
Overshadowed by the cleaning white
walls and towers OF great hotel, the
lowly convent has become dwarreu
and INTELLECTUALLY insignificant For
tunately this curious Juxtapositlon
savors of no vandalism. One has to
thank the Portuguese for the fact
that the stateliness and the richly
carved arches and colonades or the
newer building, with its pinnicles
and turrets, suggest significance
far more sentimental than the place
actually bears. And the convent is
still there, it's sober tints blinking In
the face of the pure white stone OF
its neighbors. The pebble mosaic
upon its ancient walls. its cork doors'
the rows of monastic cells, and the
great stone cross in the courtyard
all is as it was to and fro about the
spot.
All about pressing in from every
point upon the buildings, is the FOR
est. The rolling waves or verdure
have chung to the slopes from time
immemorial, but with the later cen
turtles their composition has become
more and more heterogeneous ana
excite. When the brethren went
across the seas to labor in the tracks
of the early navigators, they, remem-
bering Busaco, sent back 20 the con-
vent the growths of the newer lands
So il is that the pine. chestnut and
oak of the original wood stand cheek
by iowl with timber from Southern
lands and rare cedars, and that the
palms and tree ferns spread the
broad fans of their leaves about the
lower slopes. And now, last OF az
the tall eucalyptus mas come TO
mingle with the rest and to send us
blne LEAKAGE high above tpe tops Oh
the older trees. The entire forest,
moreover. is still walled in, and thus
held aloof from the outer world The
SPOT Laws claim to a peculiar sancti-
ty and carved upon the stone OF the
main entrance. are the words OF the
papal bull that forbids -le entrance
of woman CT the damaging Of a plant
within the walls on pain OF ex-com-
niunication. The latter edict sun
holds good: but the former does not
Indeed. the monastic pOmp OF Bus
AGO has departed. The sacred paths
are there wrought beautiful IN
cobbIes. that wind in and out OF the
Icafy haunts: but they know none
nf those solemn professions that
trunks over the ground dappied with
shadow ane brilliant light As for the
chapels and shrineS that formed the
stations by the way. they are silent
too and the broken figures within
them lie in fragraments behind the
bars as they have lain for three
quarters Of a century. But the 70 n
upon the roofs. the stonccroD upon
the waIls.-snd the c-ssHbiing sson-
i;scif have lent 10 them new Lease
81 another kind Of beatty. that h.s
IN well with the stumble Gus peace ot
~. spot. There are rural guards
a,,1sd with nuzzieiOat * rifles. A.
gardeners. and visitors mere AMI
there. II Is true. but the spot ~
mains as tranquil a. "a has ever been
fer mere 50. indeed. than has be-a
It's lot upcn occasion. Tn the early
ascs tre armed sentinel monks
~ould peer out from Cruz Alta. the
highest ioinf near by 10 scan the
spreading country be.ow sor a glimpse
~ hostile steel for when maTauding
No1rS were cut upon the lowiands o.
vas FOR the hrcthcrn % defend the
lofty convent and forest BY means ~
the secular arm but these sfrcnuous
Gays had been forgotten Tor centuries
when Hux7co cchocd once again N
The clash ~ steel. and 20 The roaring
- Tho more modern Weapons. aad The
inmates n the convent IN fSio. long