Page:Travels from Aleppo, to the city of Jerusalem, and through the most remarkable parts of the Holy Land, in 1776.pdf/16

 having first dried the left foot, the father kisses it, and puts on our slipper, then he dries the right foot, and wraps the towel about the sole of the foot, and setting it on his knee, covers the toes with his hand, and then come all the fratres and kiss it; he then gives us a little candle, in taking which, we kiss his hand and so rise and stand by, till all our company are washed in like manner. Then went we in procession round their chapel, they saying several prayers at three altars, and so we returned to our chambers. June 4. After dinner we went into the kitchen, where we found all the fathers, with napkins before them, washing the dishes every one taking his part, even to the father guardian himself; some were cleaning, some handing away; but all the while, with one consent, they say some prayer, it seeming to be their endeavour, that all that they do, may be to the glory of God. This being done, they go as to prayers, and you shall never see the chapel with-out some of them; yea, and two or three times in the night they rise to prayers. On Whitsunday the chapel was adorned something extraordinarily, a very rich canopy being set on the right-hand of the high altar, for the father guardian to sit under; when the prayers began, the father guardian came into the chapel, and sat under this canopy. There were three or four fathers drest in cloth of silver like heralds, two whereof attend on each side of the guardian, and two stood over against him. Then they begin to dress the father guardian in festival robes, and having read two or three lines, put a piece of linen laced about his neck, and then his surplice, reading still between every robe that was put on. Then they cover him with a garment of rich sattin, and cloth of silver; the two that stood over against him, bowing at some words. His body being thus drest, the two fathers put a mitre on his head with all the respect imaginable; and after a short prayer, they take the father guardian by the hand, and lead him to the altar, he standing in the middle of the four fathers, adorn’d as aforesaid. The other fathers have their surplices on, and the organs go: then making a short prayer at the altar, they lead the guardian to his place again; and after a little reading they take off his mitre, and he sits bare till the prayer be done; then they put on another mitre; the first was of cloth of silver, and the second was of cloth of gold, set full of rubies, diamonds, and other stones; they took off that also, and put on a third mitre of cloth of gold, differing in drape from the others. The guardian being led to and from the altar a great while, at length when they came to read where the Holy Ghost came down upon the apostles assembled together, a father upon the terrace was appointed to throw down a white pigeon, dress up with ribbons, in imitation of the Holy Ghost; but he met with some difficulty, for the window was so fast shut that he could not open it for a great while, so that we had like to