Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/91

 BETWEEN THE CZAtt AND THE SULTAN. 49 rowed down until it seemed almost too slender for chap. the apprehension of laymen. Stated in bare terms, the question was whether, The actual subject of for the purpose of passing through the building dispute. into their Grotto, the Latin monks should have the key of the chief door of the Church of Bethlehem, and also one of the keys of each of the two doors of the sacred Manger,* and whether they should be at liberty to place in the sanctuary of the Na- tivity a silver star adorned with the arms of France. The Latins also claimed a privilege of worshipping once a-year at the shrine of the blessed Mary in the Church of Gethsemane, and they went on to assert their right to have a cupboard and a lamp in the tomb ' of the Virgin ; ' but in this last pre- tension they were not well supported by France ; 1* and, virtually, it was their claim to have a key of the great door of the Church of Bethlehem, instead of being put off with a key of the lesser door, which long remained insoluble, and had to be decided by the advance of armies j and the threatening move- ment of fleets. Diplomacy, somewhat startled at the nature of the question committed to its charge, but repress- ing the coarse emotion of surprise, 'ventured,' as it said, ' to inquire whether in this case a key 'meant an instrument for opening a door, only ' not to be employed in closing that door against ' Christians of other sects, or whether it was sim- 1 See Count Nesselrode's Despatches, ibid. p. 61. VOL. I. D
 * 'Eastern Papers,' part, i. p. 84. + Ibid. p. 48.