The Red Cloud chief., 1913-04-10

the privileges Of the monks. who submitted after
the capture Of salonica and agreed to pay
tribute The republic has, up to this time been
directed by council elected by the monasteries
Inc common seal OF this council. which 10 divided
into quarters for that purpose, is in the Gus.
tody OF the four senior members Mount Athos
the second most holy place In eastern Christen.
dom. Is at the extremity OF the peninsula OF
Athos. the easternmost peninsula OF Chalcidice
In Macedonia which projects into the Aegean
sea and Is connected with the mainland by n mar.
row lsthmus. which was pierced by a canal dur
Ing the invasion OF Xerxes. The monasteres are
scattered over the entire peninsula.
most interesting account Of a visit to Mount
Athos is contained In a book written in 1887 by
an Englishman Robert Curzon. who went book
hunting to the mountain. Speaking Of a visit to
one monkish library, he wrote:
The library ! found to be In a dark closet
near the entrance Of the church. It had been
locked up for many years, but the agoumenos
mead OF the monastery made dficulty In
breaking the old.fashioned paddock by which the
door was fastened. found upon the ground and
upon some OF the broken.down shelves about 400
to 900 volumes, chiefly printed books, but among
them now and then stumbled upon a manu-
script. OF these there were about thirty on vel.
lum and fifty or sixty on paper. I picked up a
single loose leaf OF very ancient uncial Greek
characters. part Of the Gospel of st. Matthew.
made bold to ask for this single leaf az a thing
Of small value.
'"'Certainly' said the agoumenos what do
you want It for?
MY servant suggested that perhaps 1t might
De useful to cover some jam pots or vases Of
preserves which had at home.
'Oh! said the agoumenos, take some more
and without more ado he seized upon an unfortu.
nate thick quarto manuscript OF the Acts and
Epistles and. drawing out a knife, cut an inch
thickness OF leaves at the end before could stop
him. II proved to be the Apocalypse, which con.
ciuded the volume, but which Is rarely found In
early Greek manuscripts of the Acts. It was OF
the eleventh century. l asked him II he would
soil mo any Of the other books. and he said Ger.
tainly: they were Of use to him"
One monk whom CurEon talked with In the
course OF his Journey round the mountain could
never remember having seen a woman He
asked the Englishman whether they all looked
like the pictures of the Virgin Mary. Curzon
had an amusing experience with the agoumenos
OF another monastery. He tells It thus:
The agoumenos declared his willingness to
show mo everything the monastery contained.
- But 1rst,' said he. wish to present you
with something excellent for your breakfast
so l expressed my thanks for the kind hos.
pitality OF my Lord Abbot and he, sitting down
opposite me on the divan. proceeded to prepare
his dish.
This said he producing shallow basin
half full Of a white paste, is the principal and
most savory part Of this famous dish. It is com.
posed OF cloves Of garlic pounded down with
certain quantity OF sugar. With It will now mix
the oil In Just proportions. some shreds OF fne
cheese and sundry other nice little condiments.
and now II is completed
Now, said the agoumenos, crumbling some
bread into It with his large and somewhat dirty
hands. this 10 a dish for an emperor Eat my
friend. my much respected guest; do not bs shy