第31章

Theinsideofthegreatmosqueisveryshowywithvariegatedmarblewallsandwithwindowsandinscriptionsofelaboratemosaic。TheTurkshavetheirsacredrelics，liketheCatholics。Theguideshowedustheveritablearmorwornbythegreatson­in­lawandsuccessorofMahomet，andalsothebucklerofMahomet\'suncle。Thegreatironrailingwhichsurroundstherockwasornamentedinoneplacewithathousandragstiedtoitsopenwork。ThesearetoremindMahometnottoforgettheworshiperswhoplacedthemthere。Itisconsideredthenextbestthingtotyingthreadsaroundhisfingerbywayofreminders。

Justoutsidethemosqueisaminiaturetemple，whichmarksthespotwhereDavidandGoliathusedtositandjudgethepeople。**ApilgriminformsmethatitwasnotDavidandGoliath，butDavidandSaul。Isticktomyownstatement­­theguidetoldme，andheoughttoknow。EverywhereabouttheMosqueofOmarareportionsofpillars，curiouslywroughtaltars，andfragmentsofelegantlycarvedmarble——preciousremainsofSolomon\'sTemple。ThesehavebeendugfromalldepthsinthesoilandrubbishofMountMoriah，andtheMoslemshavealwaysshownadispositiontopreservethemwiththeutmostcare。AtthatportionoftheancientwallofSolomon\'sTemplewhichiscalledtheJew\'sPlaceofWailing，andwheretheHebrewsassembleeveryFridaytokisstheveneratedstonesandweepoverthefallengreatnessofZion，anyonecanseeapartoftheunquestionedandundisputedTempleofSolomon，thesameconsistingofthreeorfourstoneslyingoneupontheother，eachofwhichisabouttwiceaslongasaseven­octavepiano，andaboutasthickassuchapianoishigh。But，asIhaveremarkedbefore，itisonlyayearortwoagothattheancientedictprohibitingChristianrubbishlikeourselvestoentertheMosqueofOmarandseethecostlymarblesthatonceadornedtheinnerTemplewasannulled。Thedesignswroughtuponthesefragmentsareallquaintandpeculiar，andsothecharmofnoveltyisaddedtothedeepinteresttheynaturallyinspire。Onemeetswiththesevenerablescrapsateveryturn，especiallyintheneighboringMosqueelAksa，intowhoseinnerwallsaverylargenumberofthemarecarefullybuiltforpreservation。Thesepiecesofstone，stainedanddustywithage，dimlyhintatagrandeurwehaveallbeentaughttoregardastheprinceliesteverseenonearth;andtheycalluppicturesofapageantthatisfamiliartoallimaginations——camelsladenwithspicesandtreasure——beautifulslaves，presentsforSolomon\'sharem——alongcavalcadeofrichlycaparisonedbeastsandwarriors——

andSheba\'sQueeninthevanofthisvisionof"Orientalmagnificence。"

TheseelegantfragmentsbeararicherinterestthanthesolemnvastnessofthestonestheJewskissinthePlaceofWailingcaneverhavefortheheedlesssinner。

Downinthehollowground，underneaththeolivesandtheorange­treesthatflourishinthecourtofthegreatMosque，isawildernessofpillars——remainsoftheancientTemple;theysupportedit。Thereareponderousarchwaysdownthere，also，overwhichthedestroying"plough"ofprophecypassedharmless。Itispleasanttoknowwearedisappointed，inthatweneverdreamedwemightseeportionsoftheactualTempleofSolomon，andyetexperiencenoshadowofsuspicionthattheywereamonkishhumbugandafraud。

Wearesurfeitedwithsights。Nothinghasanyfascinationforus，now，buttheChurchoftheHolySepulchre。Wehavebeenthereeveryday，andhavenotgrowntiredofit;butwearewearyofeverythingelse。Thesightsaretoomany。Theyswarmaboutyouateverystep;nosinglefootofgroundinallJerusalemorwithinitsneighborhoodseemstobewithoutastirringandimportanthistoryofitsown。Itisaveryrelieftostealawalkofahundredyardswithoutaguidealongtotalkunceasinglyabouteverystoneyoustepuponanddragyoubackagesandagestothedaywhenitachievedcelebrity。

ItseemshardlyrealwhenIfindmyselfleaningforamomentonaruinedwallandlookinglistlesslydownintothehistoricpoolofBethesda。

Ididnotthinksuchthingscouldbesocrowdedtogetherastodiminishtheirinterest。Butinserioustruth，wehavebeendriftingabout，forseveraldays，usingoureyesandourearsmorefromasenseofdutythananyhigherandworthierreason。Andtoooftenwehavebeengladwhenitwastimetogohomeandbedistressednomoreaboutillustriouslocalities。

Ourpilgrimscompresstoomuchintooneday。Onecangorgesightstorepletionaswellassweetmeats。Sincewebreakfasted，thismorning，wehaveseenenoughtohavefurnishedusfoodforayear\'sreflectionifwecouldhaveseenthevariousobjectsincomfortandlookeduponthemdeliberately。

WevisitedthepoolofHezekiah，whereDavidsawUriah\'swifecomingfromthebathandfellinlovewithher。

WewentoutofthecitybytheJaffagate，andofcourseweretoldmanythingsaboutitsTowerofHippicus。

WerodeacrosstheValleyofHinnom，betweentwoofthePoolsofGihon，andbyanaqueductbuiltbySolomon，whichstillconveyswatertothecity。

WeascendedtheHillofEvilCounsel，whereJudasreceivedhisthirtypiecesofsilver，andwealsolingeredamomentunderthetreeavenerabletraditionsayshehangedhimselfon。

Wedescendedtothecanonagain，andthentheguidebegantogivenameandhistorytoeverybankandboulderwecameto:"ThiswastheFieldofBlood;thesecuttingsintherockswereshrinesandtemplesofMoloch;

heretheysacrificedchildren;yonderistheZionGate;theTyropeanValley，theHillofOphel;hereisthejunctionoftheValleyofJehoshaphat——

onyourrightistheWellofJob。"WeturnedupJehoshaphat。Therecitalwenton。"ThisistheMountofOlives;thisistheHillofOffense;thenestofhutsistheVillageofSiloam;here，yonder，everywhere，istheKing\'sGarden;underthisgreattreeZacharias，thehighpriest，wasmurdered;

yonderisMountMoriahandtheTemplewall;thetombofAbsalom;thetombofSt。James;thetombofZacharias;beyond，aretheGardenofGethsemaneandthetomboftheVirginMary;hereisthePoolofSiloam，and——"

Wesaidwewoulddismount，andquenchourthirst，andrest。Wewereburningupwiththeheat。Wewerefailingundertheaccumulatedfatigueofdaysanddaysofceaselessmarching。Allwerewilling。

ThePoolisadeep，walledditch，throughwhichaclearstreamofwaterruns，thatcomesfromunderJerusalemsomewhere，andpassingthroughtheFountainoftheVirgin，orbeingsuppliedfromit，reachesthisplacebywayofatunnelofheavymasonry。ThefamouspoollookedexactlyasitlookedinSolomon\'stime，nodoubt，andthesamedusky，Orientalwomen，camedownintheiroldOrientalway，andcarriedoffjarsofthewaterontheirheads，justastheydidthreethousandyearsago，andjustastheywilldofiftythousandyearshenceifanyofthemarestillleftonearth。

WewentawayfromthereandstoppedattheFountainoftheVirgin。Butthewaterwasnotgood，andtherewasnocomfortorpeaceanywhere，onaccountoftheregimentofboysandgirlsandbeggarsthatpersecutedusallthetimeforbucksheesh。Theguidewantedustogivethemsomemoney，andwedidit;butwhenhewentontosaythattheywerestarvingtodeathwecouldnotbutfeelthatwehaddoneagreatsininthrowingobstaclesinthewayofsuchadesirableconsummation，andsowetriedtocollectitback，butitcouldnotbedone。

WeenteredtheGardenofGethsemane，andwevisitedtheTomboftheVirgin，bothofwhichwehadseenbefore。ItisnotmeetthatIshouldspeakofthemnow。Amorefittingtimewillcome。

IcannotspeaknowoftheMountofOlivesoritsviewofJerusalem，theDeadSeaandthemountainsofMoab;noroftheDamascusGateorthetreethatwasplantedbyKingGodfreyofJerusalem。Oneoughttofeelpleasantlywhenhetalksofthesethings。IcannotsayanythingaboutthestonecolumnthatprojectsoverJehoshaphatfromtheTemplewalllikeacannon，exceptthattheMoslemsbelieveMahometwillsitastrideofitwhenhecomestojudgetheworld。ItisapityhecouldnotjudgeitfromsomeroostofhisowninMecca，withouttrespassingonourholyground。ClosebyistheGoldenGate，intheTemplewall——agatethatwasanelegantpieceofsculptureinthetimeoftheTemple，andisevensoyet。Fromit，inancienttimes，theJewishHighPriestturnedloosethescapegoatandlethimfleetothewildernessandbearawayhistwelve­monthloadofthesinsofthepeople。Iftheyweretoturnoneloosenow，hewouldnotgetasfarastheGardenofGethsemane，tillthesemiserablevagabondsherewouldgobblehimup，*sinsandall。Theywouldn\'tcare。Mutton­chopsandsinisgoodenoughlivingforthem。TheMoslemswatchtheGoldenGatewithajealouseye，andananxiousone，fortheyhaveanhonoredtraditionthatwhenitfalls，IslamismwillfallandwithittheOttomanEmpire。

Itdidnotgrievemeanytonoticethattheoldgatewasgettingalittleshaky。*Favoritepilgrimexpression。

Weareathomeagain。Weareexhausted。Thesunhasroastedus，almost。

Wehavefullcomfortinonereflection，however。OurexperiencesinEuropehavetaughtusthatintimethisfatiguewillbeforgotten;theheatwillbeforgotten;thethirst，thetiresomevolubilityoftheguide，thepersecutionsofthebeggars——andthen，allthatwillbeleftwillbepleasantmemoriesofJerusalem，memoriesweshallcallupwithalwaysincreasinginterestastheyearsgoby，memorieswhichsomedaywillbecomeallbeautifulwhenthelastannoyancethatincumbersthemshallhavefadedoutofourmindsneveragaintoreturn。School­boydaysarenohappierthanthedaysofafterlife，butwelookbackuponthemregretfullybecausewehaveforgottenourpunishmentsatschool，andhowwegrievedwhenourmarbleswerelostandourkitesdestroyed——becausewehaveforgotten