as it were, within the walls; while other chapels, commemorative of events connected with our Saviour's Passion, in various parts of the building, occupy the remainder of the sacred enclosure, which is of considerable extent.

The only entrance is at the South transept from a paved court, through the westernmost of two handsome door-ways, with an architrave representing in bas-relief our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and other subjects. The first object that attracts attention within the building is the Stone of Unction, where the pilgrim may turn to the left into the round church which encircles the Holy Sepulchre, or to the right into the South aisle of the Greek church, which has been lately noticed. Proceeding a few paces up this aisle, he finds on the right a flight of eighteen steps leading up to the low vaulted chapel of the Holy Golgotha. Here, if he be an Oriental, he will put off his shoes from his feet, and approach with reverential awe the scene of our Lord's last Passion, and draw near on bended knees to the very spot of the Crucifixion. If he be an Englishman or American, the attendant priest will look for no such deportment; he will expect nothing more than a look of indifference, or at most of idle curiosity; he will be prepared for sceptical objections, and an apparent predetermination to disbelieve. It is sad to think that a person in Frank habit kneeling at Calvary and the Sepulchre of Christ, and offering up his devotions at these sacred spots, venerated by Christians of all nations for fifteen hundred years, should be as it were a monster to those who witness it: but such is the fact. And what then will the curious traveller see? He would observe that the stairs by which he ascended

to this platform are cut, for the most part, in the solid rock, and that the floor of the chapel is formed by levelling the same. At the East end, on the North side of this double chapel, he will see a platform raised about a foot and a half from the floor, covered with white marble; and under the altar of the orthodox he will observe a hole in the marble, communicating with a deep bore in the solid rock, in which he will be told that our Saviour's Cross was erected. Near this, on his right, he will see another incision in the marble, showing a fissure in the rock, said to have been occasioned by the earthquake which occurred at the time of the Crucifixion2. If he examine it minutely, he will

perceive that "the insides do testify that art had no hand therein, each side to other being answerably rugged, and there where inaccessible to the workmen3." The continuation of this cleft may be seen in the Chapel of the Forerunner, below Golgotha, where, previous to the fire of 1808, were shown the tombs of the first two Frank kings of Jerusalem-Godfrey and his brother Baldwin.

The tradition relating to the place of Crucifixion, would appear to be as old as that of the Holy Sepulchre; for although there is perhaps room to doubt whether we have distinct notice of it in Eusebius, yet St Cyril, only

a few years later, makes mention of it in many passages, and apparently delivered the greater part of his Catechetical Lectures in the church erected over the site1. He speaks, too, of the rent in the rock as ascertained in his day, at that particular spot2; not as if that were the only rent, but that its proximity to the Place of Crucifixion invested it with peculiar interest.

It has been objected, very unreasonably, that the Place of Crucifixion is too close to the Sepulchre to allow of its being the true site. Had it been further distant a stronger argument might have been adduced: for it is expressly said "in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre3." Not that it is necessary to suppose that the place of execution was in the garden: it was probably a public thoroughfare without the city-wall; and the traveller in Syria and Palestine will see nothing forced in the conception that the garden-fence might have passed between the two sites1.

"He was crucified for our sins truly shouldest thou be disposed to deny it, the very place which all can see refutes thee, even this blessed Golgotha, in which, on account of Him who was crucified on it, we are now assembled" (Cat. Iv. 10); "one never can weary of hearing concerning our crowned Lord, and least of all in this most Holy Golgotha. For while others only hear, we have sight and touch too:" and presently, "Thou seest this spot of Golgotha!" &c. Cat. XIII. 22, 23. The later lectures were delivered in the Church of the Resurrection. See Cat. XVIII. 33, (14); xx. 4.

211 This Holy Golgotha, rising on high, and showing itself to this day, and displaying even yet how because

of Christ the rocks were then riven." Cat. XIII. 39, (19).

3 John xix. 41.

4 I would mention Jaffa especially, as a case in point. Here the gardens come up very near the walls, having wide public thoroughfares passing through them. Damascus, Tripoli, and Beirout, will furnish other examples. Dr Robinson says that the place of Crucifixion "was probably upon a great road leading from one of the gates.

And such a spot would

only be found upon the western or northern sides of the city, on the roads leading towards Jaffa or Damascus." (Vol. 11. p. 80). And the place now shown must have been exactly in such a spot.