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Selected and rare materials, excerpts and observations from ancient, medieval and contemporary authors, travelers and researchers about Cyprus.
 
 
 
 
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CLAUDE DELAVAL COBHAM
Exerpta Cypria
page 308

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I have related one of his performances while in life, I will now communicate one of the feats he has acted since he went to the other world. Just above the place where he lay interred, a marble sarcophagus was placed, and on the wall is a picture representing him riding on the 1 you, with the lamb in one hand and shepherd's crook in the other : upon his right is Saint George, and on his left Saint Demetrius, both on horseback. The Turks, expecting to find a treasure in this sarcophagus, broke it up; and ever since, through two little holes, which were then made, water is continually conveyed into a hollow, being supplied from the sweat that issues from the face of the above picture, which is never diy, though those of his brethren saints, who are close to him, shew no signs of moisture. I know the Greeks, who are naturally credulona, gave faith to traditional miracles; but if I rightly remember, this is the first I have ever known them impose upon mankind So much for miracles, and indeed for this place, of which I shall take my leave with telling you tliat several marble capitals, &c. are here very injudiciously sited. Aliont six or eight miles hence, I was pleased to see the industry of the people, who make the most of the springs from above, by collecting them into reservoirs ; and distributing them to the fields below; yet almost all the grounds,'for a dozen if not twenty miles together, though rich and capable of improvement, lye quite uncultivated, except in the neighbourhood of these springs: a circumstance which 1 partly attribute to the lazy trifling disposition of the Greeks themselves, and partly to the tyranny of the government under which they live. In a former letter I said so much of the city of Nicosia, that it will be needless to add another word on the subject, becanse 1 did not find, in this last tour, the least change cither for better or worse, though I walked all around it, in order to refresh my memory ; I shall therefore piOceod to the northern mountains, where the first object that attracted my attention, was a hanging rock, by the side of a charming rivulet that runs murmuring through a long, narrow vale ; and this I chose for the place of my noon repose. I had not long solaced myself under this impendent rock, when, looking up, 1 was agreeably surprized tu see that all above me had been once a wood of noble trees, the roots of which, now petrified, formed a curious projecting canopy: of these I brought away some pieces: and, being much pleased with my acquisition, remounted, and soon reached the plains near the sea, from whence t liad a vei-y agreeable ride to La pi tho. This town is said to have been built by Relus, and stands agreeably situated on the rocks of the shore, whence the harbour seems to have rnn far to the westward ; bnt it has no river, and yet all the grounds of the slope from the mountains are fertile and pleasant, bearing groat numbers of natural and planted trees, with fine crops of grain: so that I do not wonder it should be formerly called Amai>ilis Lapithos. At present- there is not a tolerable house in the place; yet, by some remains, 1 could perceive there had been once good edifices, aud some grand buildings, particularly oue, the foundations of which I partly traced: the wall was two feet thick, and fifty-seven feet long ; the front thirty-six feet broad, and in the center of the west side was a space of six feet, where no foundation was to l>e seen ; I therefore suppose this to la.* the width of the gRte : the flooring is mosaic, very neat work. Perhaps another person would have found out a temple in this vestige; but I eh use to represent only what 1 saw, and leave yon to yonr own conjectures. In the church of Saint Acheropeto 1 found a monumental stone. The work is so extremely low, that it cannot even deserve the name of basso relievi». It is but about two hundred years old. [The inscription commemorates one Cassar Cariotes, son of Marcos, of Lapithos, who died September 12, lÖirt.] Next morning I set out, elevated with the hope of seeing some valuable things upon tho 2Wt EXCERPTA CYPRIA.

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