Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/188

 11G ORIGIN OF THE WAU OF 1853 chap, before, but was to have no rit>lit to obstruct other - nations in their right to enter the building. The question of precedence at the Tomb of the Blessed Virgin was ingeniously eluded by the device be- fore spoken of; for the priority given to the Greeks was treated as though it resulted from a conveni- ent arrangement of hours rather than from any intent to grant precedence ; and it was according- ly arranged that the Greeks should worship in the Church every morning immediately after sunrise, and then the Armenians, and then the Latins, each nation having an hour and a half for the purpose. Perhaps it was in order to hinder the out-going worshippers from coming into conflict with those who were about to begin their devo- tions that the gentle Armenians were thus inter- posed between the two angry Churches. The gardens of the Convent of Bethlehem were to re- main as before, under the joint care of the Greeks and Latins. With regard to the Cupola of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, it was arranged that it should be repaired by the Sultan in such a way as not to alter its form ; and if, in the course of the building, any deviation from this engage- ment should appear to be threatened, the Greek Patriarch of Jerusalem was to be authorised to remonstrate, with a view to ffuard against innova- tion. The buildings overlooking the terraces of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre were to have their windows walled up, but were not to be de- molished, and therefore no effect could be given to the Russian plan of setting apart a neutral ground