a hundred soldiers under his command, who are all Christians. About two o’clock we mounted, and, after three hours riding we came to a mighty deep descent, winding in and out, which is the patriarch of the Maronites house, called Aaunibene: is a very good convent and lies under a rock: they have a bell in the church, as in Europe, and go to their devotions morning and evening. After we had kissed the patriarch’s hand we demanded what was to seen, and the druggerman carried us to see Marrice’s Cross, of whom they recount this story.
‘That a Venetian, in the time that the Franks had the country, came with his wife and one daughter to live there and after some years his wife dying, he was resolved to go into the convent and live a religious life, and would therefore have his daughter to leave him, but his persuasions could not prevail with her; but rather than leave her father, she should put on man’s apparel, and live a devoted life with him also which at last (though unwillingly) he assented to she being young and handsome: there then lived very strictly for several years: afterward her father died. The lay-brother and fathers going out, as usually, to till the ground. She seldom went with them, the chief of the convent keeping her at home (being much taken with such a handsome young man as he thought) whereupon then began to grumble, the St. Marenna did not go with them; so that as the ⟨Fratre⟩ he was sent out to work among them near the village Tur(illegible text) presently after, one of the young virgins of that place proving with child, she came to the convent, and laid it to the Charge of S. Marrenna who was thereupon presently excommunicated, and lived a religious life in the grot near the convent for the space of seven years; and being then again admitted into the convent, and still continuing to live a very strick life, he at length died, and the fratres coming, according to their custom, to anoint the body found that ⟨it⟩ was a woman whereupon then began to cross themselves and to beg pardon for excommunicating her, and have built an altar in the grot, and called by the name of St. Marrena they have also in several grots thereabouts, in remembrance of the religions relics of those that dwell therein; and when they carry any body to see them they presently fall down (illegible text)praners.’
About a league from the convent, are two Frenchmen ⟨that⟩ live a hermit’s life, having bread and wine allowed them in the patriarch: Night coming on, we went to supper with the patriarch, the bishop of Aleppo and two other bishops ⟨with⟩ what the place afforded. At supper then brought out a (illegible text) glass which held near two English quarts with which the man soon made himself merry, being their custom to ⟨drink⟩ freely; he telling us, that that glass had belonged to the convent above a hundred years; and that the Turks coming (illegible text)
