For months the great pleasure excursion to Europe and the Holy Land was chatted about in the newspapers everywhere in America and discussed at countless firesides.
From Smyrna towards the Holy Land the course will lay through the Grecian Archipelago, close by the Isle of Patmos, along the coast of Asia, ancient Pamphylia, and the Isle of Cyprus.
"That shall I have without delay, as well as this upstart knight's estates; for King Richard is lately returned, I hear, from the Holy Land."
For Sir Richard, also, had been with the King to the Holy Land, and they had gone on many adventurous quests together.
And among the long pilgrimages the one to the
Holy Land was the most common.
"Beyond that is Jerusalem and the
Holy Land, and the great river which hath its source in the Garden of Eden."
Popes, kings, and knights incited the peoples to free the
Holy Land; but the people did not go, for the unknown cause which had previously impelled them to go no longer existed.
I am beset here with neighbours that match your infidels, Sir Knight, in
Holy Land. But your homely fare is before you; feed, and let welcome make amends for hard fare.''
I have met with but one or two persons in the course of my life who understood the art of Walking, that is, of taking walks--who had a genius, so to speak, for SAUNTERING, which word is beautifully derived "from idle people who roved about the country, in the Middle Ages, and asked charity, under pretense of going a la Sainte Terre," to the Holy Land, till the children exclaimed, "There goes a Sainte-Terrer," a Saunterer, a Holy-Lander.
There seemed to come up from its waters and its vine-clad hills and valleys a hushed music as of Crusaders departing for the Holy Land. I floated along under the spell of enchantment, as if I had been transported to an heroic age, and breathed an atmosphere of chivalry.
There are some of the
Holy Land. There couldn't be anything wrong in that."
Besides his voyage to San Francisco, he had, in 1849 and 1856, visited England, the Continent, and the
Holy Land, partly to superintend the publication of English editions of his works, and partly for recreation.