528 LETTER XLII. MYCONI, May 29. BESIDES the monastery, in which I found an asylum on the night of my landing, there is a convent for females in this island, situated at no great distance from the other. Like the monastery, the convent is both a religious institution, and a retreat for the indigent. The number of the sisterhood is limited to forty. They live apart, wear no veils, but are uniformly dressed in black. They are under no other restraints than those of propriety in their conduct, celibacy, and obedience to the orders of the Abbess. They are chiefly dependant on private charity, and the sale of the stockings and gloves, which they knit. It is, indeed, as to the principle of its foundation, a most respectable society of the kind. The abbess having lately died, the election of a new one was fixed for Monday last; and the Bishop, having occasion to ordain a priest at the monastery, appointed the same day for that cere mony. Some of my friends here, being interested in the choice of the abbess, made a party to the monastery, and invited me to accompany them. On the evening of our arrival (Saturday) the Abbot prepared a good supper, and the friars served us with a most edifying degree of humility; but the ladies, being fatigued with their ride, the party did not sit long enough to afford me an opportunity of observing any thing worthy of notice. Next day the strangers in the monastery were increased from eleven to upwards of twenty, so that, at dinner, we formed a jovial party. Among others, there was a singular crea ture the brother of a Russian General's lady. - His family having been benefactors to the foundation, he is allowed great liberties. But I must attempt to give you some notion of this being. He is above fifty, exceedingly decrepid, wears yellow shoes, stockings that reach only half way up his legs, light blue silk breeches, a black velvet waistcoat embroidered with gold, a short pink silk pelisse, and a long black nightcap; and he rides on an ass. His manners are as eccentric as his dress is ludicrous, and at table he played innumerable pranks; such as sucking the bottles, as if glasses had never been invented; and when he saw any thing nice on his' neighbour's plate, snatching it away. At first, and indeed for some time, I set him down as really crazy; but a few vivid scintillations of wit and good sense, convinced me that there was more humour than folly in his conduct. When dinner was finished, a stupid grave fool, one of that class of beings who, in Scotland, make themselves busy about the election of Ministers and Kirk-session Officers, began to bray, accompanied by the monks, the Greek "Non Nobis." When they had put us all into the vapours, little Black-night-cap told them, seriously, that they had not sung it properly; and his pipe, which is as great an oddity as himself, being lighted, he resumed the strain in so ludicrously solemn a manner, with his eyes shut, taking every now and then a whiff, that young and old were convulsed with laughter. At the conclusion, he proposed the Virgin as a toast, and it was drank with great applause. The friars looked at one another, and said nothing. The little gentleman has a sister in the nun nery, who is scarcely less extraordinary than himself. After dinner, the ladies of our party went to pay her a visit, in order to arrange the proceedings for the election next morning, and I accompanied them. I must now let you into a secret. The Abbess is always chosen from the poorer sisterhood, that she may not have presumption enough to infringe the freedom of the superiors. Sister Theophila is, in figure, the reverse of her brother, being a tall manly-looking woman, a very Hecat' in appearance; and, as I have said, a great humourist. On our arrival at the convent, she informed us that there were strong symptoms of a schism in the conclave. The nun pitched upon by sister Theophila was declared, by one party, to be a simpleton; and they were resolved to call to the vacant dignity another who possessed more energy of mind, and who was better suited to the exigencies of the times. But the sister was resolute, and expressed her determination to carry the business through with a high hand. This assurance was highly satisfactory to the secular powers. To me it was delightful, and I became greatly interested in the result. On returning to the monastery, we found the Bishop arrived, all things restored to a proper state of decorum, and the ordination of the priest appointed to take place early in the morning. I rose before day-light; but, not to trouble you with small details, I hasten to the ceremony of the ordination. At sun-rise, the priests being prepared, the Bishop came to the church-door, with a long black crape dangling from his cap; two large friars put a magnificently-embroidered purple satin robe about his shoulders; and another carried his train, in the same manner that the train-bearers of the Chancellor and Judges allow bad smells to escape. I have never been able to satisfy my understanding with any other reason for the holding up of a great man's tail. In this state he was conducted to the throne; and two novices, each holding a silver branch of candles, mystically crossed, placed themselves at the foot of the steps, and said something in a loud voice. Whereupon another priest, arrayed in a scarlet robe, embroidered with spangles and hieroglyphics, and bearing a copy of the Gospels, came from the sanctuary, and the Bishop kissed the book. A chair was then placed in the |