even while mourning over the ruins of this
glorious temple. We are solaced by the
reflection that if change is Nature's law, rotation
is her remedy; and that thus the death
of the one individual is but the signal for the
development of new forms of being, for whose
existence it furnishes the material conditions.
The highest point of view from which we
can regard the architectural operations of the
cell is as the expression of the universality
and mutual limitation of the forces of nature.
Within this delicate organism are busied the
mighty powers which regulate the physical
life of the universe. The delicate vegetable
cell is the theatre wherein the Titanic powers
of Nature display their wonders. Light—
Heat—Attraction—Gravitation—Electricity
—these are the forces that work within the
narrow limits of the cell. Within its walls
are enslaved the forces which arch above us
the starry heavens, and prescribe to the sun
and its planets their undulating course. They
are the "potent ministers of its will," and
bow to its "strong bidding," compelled to
obedience by the resistless laws of their Great
Author, at whose decree the vegetable cell
appears as the artificer of the organic
creation.

THE ROVING ENGLISHMAN.

GREEK FIRE.

MY first excursion on this lovely island—
Mitylene, the Lesbos of the Greeks—was to one
of those convents for women which have been
called the reproach and scandal of the Greek
Church. I am not going to enter into this
question. All I can say is, that we drank
fourteen glasses of rakee there, with coffee
and sweetmeats to match, and that all were
of such excellent quality that we felt none
the worse for it. The sisters also seemed to
have a happy knack of lighting pipes. We
had some hesitation about smoking at first,
in spite of the custom of the country; but
our scruples were soon overcome. Indeed,
the pious ladies smoked themselves, and
produced a chibouque from a sly recess to offer
one of us. The sisters had even a clever way
of cutting tobacco, and kept a plentiful store
of it—an excellent thing in woman.

There were seventy inmates; but as those
in our room were rather elderly, we asked to
see some more of the sisterhood, and several
came. We bought some gloves and stockings
of them—the convent having a thriving trade
in those articles—and then went upon our way.

The scenery round the convent, like that
in the neighbourhood of most religious
establishments, was surpassingly beautiful; and
after all, I thought, as we rode through the
olive-trees, why should not ladies have the
power of entertaining their friends
handsomely as well as gentlemen? For the rest,
perhaps the best thing to say about it is
"Honi soit qui mal y pense."

From the convent we went to a monastery
lying within half an hour's ride, or say a
pleasant afternoon's walk. It was situated in
a delightfully secluded nook, at the foot of a
hill; and, as the view of it gradually broke
upon the eye, embowered in trees, it was
positively enchanting.

Alighting at the gate, we were received with
a degree of courtesy which carried us in
imagination at once two hundred years back.
Servitors in quaint religious habits came forward
to hold our stirrups as we dismounted, and
to marshal us into the presence of the
superior, a grave and reverend man of plump
but devout aspect. The convent church
was very fine—much handsomer than that
belonging to the gay sisterhood within hail.
There was a beautiful carved altar-piece, and
great profusion of gilding and silver lamps.
I was shocked, however, to see the Deity
represented with a triangular glory over his
head, which might easily be mistaken for a
cocked hat.

There was an air of repose about the
place, which had its effect upon the spirits;
and it was with muffled foot-fall that I
followed the superior up the spotless stairs
and along the noiseless galleries till we
reached his study—a handsome room,
richly carpeted. There was a broad ray of
sunshine, in which the motes were playing,
falling right across it. The human voice
sounded strange and unaccustomed. I might
have been in a dream; everything seemed so
quaint and unworldly. Through the open
window came a plaintive sound of falling
waters.

The servants brought us some sweetmeats
of delicate flavour and perfume, with rakee
having fragrant flowers in it, after the fashion
of our burridge cup. Then they brought us
a delicious melon. I noticed that the
reverend fathers were the only persons I had yet
seen in Turkey who appeared to know how
much powdered sugar improves the flavour of
this fruit. We had a plentiful supply of it
then cakes, coffee, and pipes filled with aromatic
tobacco.

The superior pressed us to take up our
quarters there, telling us that the convent
was open to all strangers, and that the monks
were obliged by its foundation to entertain
them. We refused; but promised to return.
After a time we rose, and the superior showed
us over the convent garden, famous for its
fruit far and wide. There was a small space
set apart to grow wheat for the consecrated
bread; and we noticed a well stocked reservoir
of fat fish. The holy man gave us so much
fruit and flowers that, when we came out, we
must have looked like so many market
gardeners.

We spent the afternoon shooting over a
famous country, and killed four brace of
partridges, with two wild pigeons. They
were welcome enough at a scrambling dinner
we got at a lonely house on the hills, wherein
I gave our host some hints about his trade of