jewelry, and gold coin taken from these sanctuaries " were not allowed to be yilundered by the rabble, but were removed by soldiersv" These are the words of the British consul, Mr. Brant. The consulates of France, Russia, Austria, Belgium, Holland, and the United States were all burned. Those of luigland and Prussia escaped, as they were not situated in the Christian quarter, and they became an asylum for as many as were able to reach them. Others were saved in great numbers in the house of Abd-el-Kader, and in the cita- del ; but the governor, Ahmed Pacha, was an unmoved witness of the devastation, or an accomplice in the law- less deeds of tlfe plundering rabble {Lond. liev. 1860, Oct., p. 160). As has already been stated in the article Druses (q. v.), the French and English governments were obliged to come to the rescue of the Syrian Chris- tians, and the Porte was forced to inflict punishment upon those Avhom the Turkish officers had made pliant tools for the destruction of the Maronites. On Aug. 3 a conference of the great powers — Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, Russia, and Turkey as well — met, but the meet- ing was closed without accomplishing any real good. AU that was secured was the promise that the Sublime Porte had endeavored and would continue to do its duty ; but what this dutj' consisted in, it has been hard to de- termine to this Aa.\. Only a few weeks previously the Christian emirs had been compelled by the Turkish pa- cha to testify that the conduct of the Turks was irre- proachable, when the emirs felt constrauied afterwards to acknowledge their extorted perjurj-. In October, finally, the international conference of the plenipoten- tiaries of European powers convened at Beirut, and crowned their labors successfully, June 9, 1861, by a spe- cial treaty concerning the administration of the Leba- non. See Druses, vol. ii, p. 900, col. 2.
II. Social Position. — The nation may be considered as divided into two classes, the common people and the sheiks, by whom must be understood the most eminent of the inhabitants, who, from the antiquity of their fam- ilies and the opulence of their fortunes, are superior to the ordinary class. Thej' all live dispersed in the mountains, in villages, hamlets, and even detached houses, which is never the case in the plains. The whole nation consists of cultivators. Every man im- proves the little domain he possesses, or farms, with his own hands. Even the sheiks live in the same manner, and are only distinguished from the rest by a bad pe- lisse, a horse, and a few slight advantages in food and lodging; they all live frugally, without many enjoy- ments, but also with few wants, as they are little ac- quainted with the inventions of luxury. In general, the nation is poor, but no one wants necessaries; and if beggars are sometimes seen, they come rather from the sea-coast than the country itself. Property is as sacred among them as in I^urope; nor do we hear of robberies and extortions so frequently committed by the Turks. Travellers may journey there, either by night or by day, with a security unknown in any otlier part of the empire, and the stranger is received with hospitality, as among the Arabs: it must be owned, however, that the Maronites are less generous, and rather inclined to the vice of parsimony. Conformably to the doctrines of Christianity, they have only one wife, whom they fre- quently espouse without having seen, and always with- out having been much in her companj'. Contrary to the precepts of that same religion, however, they have admitted, or retained, the Arab custom of retaliation, and the nearest relation of a murdered person is bound to avenge him. From a habit founded on distrust, and the political state of the country, cvcr^- one, whether sheik or peasant, walks continually armed with a mus- ket and poniards. This is, perhaps, an inconvenience; but this advantage results from it, that they have no novices in the use of arms among them when it is nec- essary to employ them against the Turks. As the coun- try maintains no regular troops, every man is obliged to join the army iii time of war; and if this militia were
MARONITES
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MARONITES
well conducted, it would be superior to many European armies. From accounts taken in late years, the number of men fit to bear arms amounts to 35,000,
Maionite bheik and hib W ife
III. Relirjious Status. — Although the Maronites are united with Rome, and though they are perhaps the most ultramontane people in the world, they neverthe- less retain their distinctive national rites and usages.
1. Clergy. — The most peculiar of all their institutions is undoubtedly the clerical. As we have seen above, it is supposed that the founder of the Maronites con- stituted himself a patriarch, and this position remains the highest dignity among them. It is true they admit the supremacy of Rome, but for the home government of the Church the patriarch is the highest authority, and in his election, as well as in the selection of all the clergy, the Maronite exercises his own private judg- ment, independent of the papal power at Kome. Here it may not be improper to state that the patriarch is at present expected to furnish every tenth year a report of the state of his patriarchate. Associated with the pa- triarch in the ecclesiastical government of the Maro- nites are twelve bishops, but of the latter four are titu- lar, or in partibus. The patriarch himself is chosen by the bishops in secret conclave, and by ballot. "The debates usually last for many days, and even weeks ; at last, when the choice is made, the bishops present kneel down and kiss the new patriarch's hands; the patriarch immediately writes letters to all the chief no- bles of the mountain informing them of his nomination. The latter lose no time in assembling to pay him their respects and make their obeisance. A pelisse of honor shortly afterwards arrives for the patriarch from the governor of Lebanon. Fires, and rejoicuig, and illu- mination extend throughout the whole range of the Maronito districts ; a petition is now drawn up to be sent to the pope, praying him to confirm the choice which has just been made, and signed by the principal chiefs. It is open, however, to the clergj', or any party, to protest against the nomination. . . . The pope, however, never fails at once to confirm a selection which has the support of the feudal aristocracy and principal clergy of Lebanon" (Churchill, iii,78). In true puerile affectation and presumptuous inference, the pa- triarch of the Maronites, who is styled the Patriarch of Antioch, usually takes the name of Peter, intended to denote an ofticial descent from the apostle I'eter. " His power," says Churchill, " is despotic, and from his deci- sion there is no appeal, either in temporal or spiritual affairs; even the pope's legate, who resides constant- ly in Lebanon, and is supposed to superintend all the ecclesiastical proceedings of the Maronite Church, has no influence over the patriarch beyond what may be v.— C c c