ATHEIST AT THYATIRA.

117

the air returns to air, the water to water, the earth to earth.” "And the spirit ?” Where,"

66

he replied with a sneer, " does the spirit of that dog go? Where that goes, there goes man's spirit." To the Bible he urged three foolish objections: First, that the world was created previously to the date assigned to it by Moses; Secondly, that Cain is said to have found a wife when Adam had but two children, himself and Abel; Thirdly, that Christ is stated to have spoken with Moses, which involves an anachronism. With the inconsistency habitual to such sophists, he maintained, first, that Christ was the most virtuous of men; then, that he was only a common philosopher; afterwards, that he was a bad man; and, lastly, that he was no better than a devil. The circumstances under which these sentiments were broached rendered them doubly painful. The individual bears the name of Christian among the followers of a false faith; we were in the house of the representative of a Christian archbishop,--the successor of that "angel of the church at Thyatira," to whom Christ himself addressed the words," I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel to teach and to seduce my servants: and I gave her space to repent; and she repented not.

Behold, I will kill her children with death!"* We begged him to pray to God that his eyes might be enlightened. "God!" said he, "What is God? I would as soon pray to that piece of wood." Notwithstanding our warm discussion we parted with amity; and when bidding me adieu, he requested my acceptance of an antique intaglio found on the spot, saying, “I have one favor to ask of you, which is, that you will not pray to God for me." Surely it may emphatically be said, that there are still, as in the days of St. John, those in Thyatira who have "known the depths of Satan!"*

Our conversation strikingly illustrated the assertion that the infidel is the most credulous of men. My opponent allowed three objections, which a babe in theology could refute, to destroy in his mind the force of the strongest direct and positive evidence; and was willing on such grounds to exchange the moral certainties of a true faith, with all its bright eternal prospects, for the uncertainties of conjecture and the hope of annihilation.

* Rev. ii. 20-24.

CHAPTER XX.

THE APOCALYPTIC CHURCHES. PERGAMUS.

Road to Pergamus.-Plague.-Romantic scenery. - Turcomans. Black tents.-Singular fruit.-Kenik.-Pergamus. -Its situation.-Early history.-Library.-Invention of parchment. Population. Mosques.-Oppressed state of Greeks. Anecdote.-Ruins of church of St. John.-Turkish superstition.-Subterranean water-courses.- Mosque of St. Sophia-Tomb of Antipas.-Bath.-Beautiful vase. -Ancient pillars.-Well.-Hill of acropolis. Genoese fort. Trajan's temple. Aqueduct. - Naumachia. — Theatre.-Temple of Esculapius.-View.-White stones. -Illustration of Scripture.-Name of modern town.-Interesting commutation of letters.-Bishop of Pergamus.Anecdote.-Greek school.-Children.-Leave Pergamus. -Road to Menimen.—Tumuli.—Cumæ.—River Caicus.— Elæa.-Accommodations at Kleesakooee.-Site of ancient Phocæa.-Eagles. Rapidity of their flight.-Leuce.Menimen. Temnus.-Adventure.-Return to Smyrna.

FROM Thyatira to Pergamus there are two roads. One passes by Bokhair, the ancient Na

120

ROAD TO PERGAMUS.

crasa, and Kirkaghatch,* a large town containing five thousand houses; the other is a more direct, but less beaten, track over the mountains, which meets the former at Kenik within three hours of Pergamus. As the plague was raging at Kirkaghatch, we preferred the higher road; and travelled over a most romantic country, in which all the charms of mountain scenery are brought together, forming a series of views such as the north of Anatolia can scarcely rival. Our course lay along a central ridge commanding a superb prospect on either side; while the sun, partially shaded from us by clouds, cast his rich beams on the distant hills, clothing them in the loveliest of the rainbow's hues. We met neither camels nor travellers; and so entirely is the road disused on account of the commerce of Kirkaghatch, which draws all the caravans in that direction, that our sooreejee confessed he had only traversed it once in his life, and that eleven years ago. In the wildest part of the mountains we lost our way twice, and might have wandered for hours, had we not come in contact with some roving Turcomans who were burning wood for charcoal: their appearance resembles that of gipsies, and their jet black tents scattered over the waste communi

* The name Kirkaghatch signifies "Forty trees."

SINGULAR FRUIT.

121

cated to it a singular effect. In the woods we picked a fruit answering in some respects to the description given of the apple of Sodom. It grows on short bushes and is enclosed in a green shell like that of a horse-chesnut, which it resembles in shape, size, and color; it has thorns on its surface; and, when cut open, the inside looks like mould.

From the village of Yaiekooee, three hours from Thyatira, the ascent is uninterrupted for an equal distance as far as Ainess, where the descent commences, which continues, with little interruption, for two hours; the traveller then crosses the Caicus, a very broad, but shallow, stream; and in half an hour reaches Kenik, where the two roads from Thyatira meet and pursue the same course to Pergamus. Kenik is a pretty little town situate at the foot of the mountain, containing nine hundred houses, of which two hundred are about equally divided between Greeks and Armenians, each of whom have a church. Thence to Pergamus the distance is three hours; the road lies in the plain and again crosses the Caicus, known indifferently by the names of Ak-sou and Bergamochaee, or White water and Pergamus-river.

The vicinity of Pergamus is first indicated by the tall cypresses of the cemeteries, several mi