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The Bcnedictines of Saint-
Nicholas-el-Veacmo.
HE Convent of Saint
Nicholas, the richest in
Cumin, the dome of
which exceeds in height
any tower in the (‘it
was llllilt townrllii the
nlilldlo of the last cen-
tury, from designs I)
Contini. Its church and
its garden were notice-
colmnnn of nerds Im-
tliuc, and for a very ex-
ccllcut organ, the work
of B. Calahrian i‘riar,who
demanded for sole pay.
, . .
.F 0 in, u l‘
l ..., l . it garden-on account of
the didlculty surm unted, for its loundation is
lava, and all the earth that covers it has been
brought by the hand nfmau.
The rule of the Convent of Saint Nicholas was
formerly very severe. The Monks were obliged to
live on Mount Etna, at the extreme limits of the
Entered iocorahig to am Act of Cen';rc>xs Ln the year 1355,
(O
my
NEVV YORK. OCTOBER-7, 1865.
llabitahlo country, and. to this M11-ct their hrzlt
monastery was built at the entrance to the sennllll
region, three qllM'tE‘l'E of a league ahnve Nicolesi,
the last village you come to in ascending to the
crater. But as everything grows weak in time,
the rule gl'a<lually lost its rigor, and they began
to neglect repairing the convent. By-and-bye, one
or two halls becoming crushed down under the
weight or the snow, the good fathershsd the mag-
nilicont chllyul of Catania built, which took tlle
name of Saint-Nichclasrel-Nuovo, and thereafter
they reuiainod during the summer only at Saint-
Nicllolas-ol-Ycrcllio. Later, Saint- Nicholas - cl-
Vecchio was ahalldoued both summer and winter.
For three or (our years they occasionally spoke of
mulling repairs that would render it Iiahitablo
once more, but they carefully avoided doing so.
At length a band of robbers, people requiring (hr
ass for their more than monks, having taken pos-
session and chosen it as their habitation, there
was thenceiorth no more question of returning to
siinanlobolio-ol.vocchio, and the good fathers,
who were not anxious to have discussions with
such lodgers, abandoned the tranquil enjoyment
of the convent to them.
gave rise to a curious misapprehension.
In 1506 the Count do Weder, a German of tho
old school, as his name would indicate, set out
from Vienna to , visit Sicilyry He embarked it
Trieste, landed at Anonna, visited Rmn
lnaincd there, as well as at Naples, to obtain let-
ters of rccnlnmendation, again took ship, and de-
barked at Catania.
The Count do Wodcr for a long: period hall heeu
aware of the existence of the Convent 01’ Saint
Nicholas, and the reputation which the good
fathers had of possessing among their , '- A
the host cooks in all Sicily. So the count, who
was a distinguished gastronomist, had not failed
to secure at Rome, from a cardinal with whom he
had dineil at the Austrian Ambassador's, a letter
recnmlllemllng him to the superior of the Convent
of Saint Nicholas. The letter was pressing.
rocomnlclulml the count as a pious and fervent
pilgrim, and claimed hospitality air him during all
the time he should be pleased to remain at the
monastery.
The count was learned after the fashion of Ger-
lnans ; that is to say, he had read a vast quantity
0! e tirely-forgotten old books, so that he was
able, in support 0! his assertions, however ridi-
culous aud erroneous they might he, to cite a. cer-
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by Fluux LESLIE. in the Clerk's Otllca of the District Court [or the Sonlilcrn District of New York.
[PRICE 10 CENTS. K,"t‘$l,“,:‘u,
surface of the globe, and‘he had seen and tenaci-
- ously retained the fact that the laws 0! the Ilene-
dictines of Saint Nicholas of Catania enjoined
them, as I have already stated,to live on the
thel-est limit of the regime cultivate and the
that of the regionenemorosa. Therefore, when he
Ml summoned a muleteerto conduct him tesaint
Nicholas, and the mulctecr hm! asked if it was to
e-iw-an in ,. sl'su'LI I
Vecallio, the count answered without hesitation,
a 8111: Nicole ou’ll Elna This was all the Italian
the count knew. .
The ectlnn was precise, and there was no
possibility of mistake, still the muleteer hazarded
1; some observations, but the count closed his
mouth by saying, “I will pay well."
Tho habitual force of such an argument is well
known. The lmlletecr bowed respectlully, and a.
hall-hour after returned with his mules.
“ Well, shall we go," said the oeunt.
“ When your excellency wishes."
And the two travelers began the journey. ,
They had not proceeded very far when night
came. There was no moon, and nothing was
visible 5 yard in advance. But as the muletaer
was perfectly familiar with the country, there was
no danger oi’ losing the way. He tool: a narrow,
seldom-troddell path that led away through the
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