The Socialist press., 1914-06-20

the privileges of the monks who submitted after the capture of Saonica and agreed to pay tribute. The republic has, up to this time, been directed by council elected by the monasteries The common seal of this council, which is divided into quarters for that purpose, is in the cus- 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 and is connected with the mainland by row isthmus, which pierced by canal dur ing the invasion of Xerxes. The monasteries are scattered over the entire peninsula.
 most interesting account of visit to Mount Athos is contained in book written in 1887 by an Englishman, Robert Curzon who went book hunting to the mountain. Speaking of visit to monkish library, he wrote
 "The library I found to be in dark closet the entrance of the church. It had been locked up for many years but the agoumenos (head of the monastery) made difficulty in breaking the oldfashioned paddock by which the door was fastened I found upon the ground and upon of the brokendown shelves about 400 to 800 volumes, chiefly printed books but among them and then I stumbled upon manu- script Of these there were about thirty on vel lum and fifty sixty paper. picked up single loose leaf of very ancient uncial Greek characters part of the Gospel of St. Matthew. I made bold to ask for this single leaf thing of small value.
 Certainly said the agoumenos, what do you want 1t for?'
 My servant suggested that perhaps it might be useful to some jam pots of preserves which had at home.
 "'Oh!' said the agoumenos, take some more, and without more ado he seized upon unfortu- nate thick quarto manuscript of the Acts and Epistles and, drawing out knife cut an inch thickness of leaves at the end before could stop him. It proved to be the Apocalypse which cuded the volume but which is rarely found in early Greek manuscripts of the Acts. It was of the eleventh century. I asked him if he would sell me any of the other books, and he said tainly; they were of to him.
 One monk whom Curzon talked with in the never remember having a He asked the Englshman 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 everything the monastery contained
 But first. said he I wish to present you with something excellent for your breakfast
 50 expressed my thanks for the kind hos pitality of my Lord Abbot, and he, sitting down opposite the divan, proceeded to prepare his dish
 "This, said he. producing shallow basin half full of white paste. Is the principal and most savory part of this famous dish; it is com posed of cloves of garlic, pounded down with a certain quantity of sugar With it will now mix the oil in just proportions, some shreds of fine cheese and sundry other nice little condiments, and now it is completed.
 "Now' said the agoumenos crumbling some bread into 1t with his large and somewhat dirty hands, this is dish for an emperor. Eat, my friend. my much respected guest: do not be shy