BEZOMMAR. 
186 
to teach philosophy. The boys have particular hours assigned 
to the different branches of their studies. I found them sitting or 
lying about in the court-yard, each reading a book, and the 
master, in a common peasant's dress, in the midst of them. 
Besides the Arabic language they are taught to speak, write, and 
read the Syriac. The principal Syriac authors, whose books are 
in the library, are Ihn el Ebre (), or as the Latins call him, 
Berebreo, Obeyd Yeshoua ( ), and Ibn el Aassal (), 
their works are chiefly on divinity. The bishop is building a 
dormitory for the boys, in which each of them is to have his 
separate room; he has also begun to take in pupils from all parts 
of Syria, whose parents pay for their board and education. The 
convent has considerable landed property, and its income is in 
creased by alms from the Catholic Syrians. The boys, on leaving 
the convent, are obliged to take orders. 
From Ayn Warka I ascended to the convent of Bezommar 
), one hour and a quarter distant. It belongs to the Armenian 
Catholics, and is the seat of the Armenian patriarch, or spiritual 
head of all the Armenians in the East who have embraced the 
Catholic faith. Bezommar is built upon the highest summit 
of the mountain of Kesrouan, which is a lower branch of the 
southern Libanus. It is the finest and the richest convent in Kes 
rouan, and is at present inhabited by the old patriarch Youssef, 
four bishops, twelve monks, and seventeen priests. The patriarch 
himself built the convent, at an expense of upwards of fifteen thou 
sand pounds sterling. Its income is considerable, and is derived 
partly from its great landed possessions, and partly from the 
benefactions of persons at Constantinople, in Asia Minor, and 
in Syria. The venerable patriarch received me in his bed, from 
which, I fear, he will never rise again. The Armenian priests