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MAIÎTOXI. 25 which was once a great city built by the Emperor Const anting, father of the blessed Catherine, but now is utterly destroyed, and went to the place where one can see the castle of the city stood, which seems to have been of great size, and there directly is that room, now destroyed, where the blessed Catherine was born : near it now stands a seemly chapel, to which the people of Famagosta go with great devontness and frequency. Of the great tank. In the middle where the castle stood is a certain ancient cistern, no bigger one 1 think is found iu the world, with a vault raised on thirty-six columns and with apertures above whence the water was drawn. Into this tank water flowed continuously from a certain mountain, along a conduit built with pillars and arches, just as at Scolo, an appnrtenance of the castle of Traj etto or Garigliano. Of the place where the hlessed Catherine was betrothed hy an angel as the spouse of Christ. Concerning the blessed Catherine I was told in that city of Famagosta a story (I cannot just now remember if it is contained in her Legend) how, when she was grown up and the fairest and wisest of women, her father and mother sought to give her in marriage, and the Saint who was rapt in divine love said thus: "I will not accept a husband unless I find one as fair and wise and rich as I am." At last the Empress, S. Catherine's mother, seeing this to be her daughter's will, said, " Thon seekest, my child, one of whom I cannot tell you, a man as fair and wise and rich as thou art.. In an island in the sea not far hence is a hermit who serves (rod, go to him and ask him about a husband dowered with rank, beauty and wealth even as thou art." S. Catherine replied, " I am ready," and went to that hermit, and asked him abont taking such a husband. He said to her, "1 cannot tell you about taking a husband, except One who is wise and learned, fair and rich as you desire." S. Catherine said, "Who is he of whom you speak?" The hermit said, "It is our Lord Jesus Christ." Then said S. Catherine, " And 1 desire Him for my spouse and lord, and to serve only Him." And as she stood there an angel of the liord came down by night from heaven, and on behalf of onr Lord Jesus Christ betrothed her with a ring, aud received her for the bride of Christ. And so it was on the sixth of that month of December I went myself to the said island where S. Catherine was betrothed to Christ by the angel, which island is about two bowshots distant from Famagosta, and near the harbour. The island is about one modins (1066g yards) large, and therein is a church dedicated to S. Catherine, very seemly. When I left Famagosta to go to the city of Nicosia. Being desirons of visiting the spot where is the blessed cross of Cyprus whereon hung the body of the good thief, on Wednesday, the ninth day of December, I went first to the city of Nicosia, where resides the king of Cyprus. I hired at a certain sum a cart to take me to Nicosia. The owner of the cart, who was a Greek, made me drive the cart with the oxen which carried me, and often quarrelled with me because 1 did not drive them properly, and because I beat the oxen too much. I did not know what to do, because I had never practised this art. With which quarrelling I travelled all day to «α village where I slept that night on a rug on the ground, for in those parts beds are not to be found for money, and nearly everyone sleeps on the ground; and throughout the island there aro so many fleas that a man

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