FIVE HOURS OF "KINGSHIP"

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 149, 19 March 1920, Page 7

FIVE HOURS OF "KINGSHIP"

BRITISH DOCTOR'S ORDEAL ON MOUNT ATHOS. A remarkable experience during the war has been related to the members of the Hull Literary and Philosophical Society bv Dr. Edward Turton, of Hull, who for three years was head of a British hospital on the shores of tho Aegean Sea in Macedonia. The district, which includes the "Holy Mount Athos," is famous for its monastrxes. in which are representatives of all the Eastern churches, the Greek Church, of course, predominating. For three years—3ol6. 1917. 1918—Dr. Turton. had charge of the hospital, and many of the Kick monks visited him for treatment. In this wav he Rained their confidence, and as a mark of .gratitude the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople gave him the special privilege of access to any of the monasteries, a privilege rarely, if oyer, previously givon to an Englishman. Dr. Turton paid many visits, and on one occasion was even detained in a i monastery for twenty-seven days by bad weather. On the day on which news was received of the fell of Jerusalem, & special messenser came to Dr. Turton with a special invitation to attend the principal monastery, where a united serviw of thanksgiving for the return of the Holy City to Christian linnds was to take place. 0;i his arrival Dr. Turton found that a royal reception had been nrenared for him. He wa6, in fact, told bv the principal of the monastery t.hnt he was regarded as the King's deputy and representative of the British people, and though the doctor did hisutmost to dispel the belief, the monks insisted. Ho was conducted with due solemnity to a royal chair, placed in the centre, of the gorgeous church and enthroned upon' it. "At first." says Dr. Turton, "I thoroughly enjoyed the royal dignity, and watched with the greatest interest the procedure of the quaint service. After two hours. I felt. I had had enough, but the ceremonial showed no signs of endiner. After four hours I 'was thoroughly exhausted, and began to wendor how I could get away. The servico went on with as much zeal as •ever, and nfc the end of the fifth, hour I beckoned to a monk and informed liijf that it was necessary T should return to the hospital to attend to fiomo critical eases. The service was then temporarily suspended, while I wa= escorted outsido and given a rovnl send-oIT. "T heard later that the service continued for another eight hours. The five hours' kingship made hip realiso as I had never done before the martyrdom which Royalty must vmlerro on occasions of orpat ceremonial, but tho memory of the strange se""e will never bo effaced from mv mind."