J830.] Fair Play for Greece. 57 



death of Goura, though publicly given out as occurring by a Turkish 

 ball, has been privately said (with whatever truth) to be the result of 

 Greek perfidy. 



The Capitani, then, habituated to plunder, and to the indulgence of 

 debasing passions, withal, most deplorably ignorant of all that concerns 

 their stations, are required to lead the Greeks against their common foe. 

 But these Capitani have become rich ; loaded with " barbaric pearl and 

 gold ;" and will they, who may lose in battle what they possess, and can 

 gain nothing by the exposure of their persons, will they, such as we have 

 described them, run much risk ? 



t I wonder, noble captain, whence the thought 

 Let him take castles who has ne'er a groat." 



Thus it really is. Therefore, with a government unable to protect them ; 

 with laws only in name ; with leaders who shrink from the contest 

 for let who will fight they share in the spoil ; with leaders, we repeat, 

 who, if they do not desert the cause, do not uphold it ; who employ 

 themselves in low cabals to obtain they know not what ; who support a 

 party, merely because they imagine that one party they must support, 

 and abandon it the moment that whim, or some worthless advantage 

 offers the temptation with such men, how can this people, any people, 

 firmly and cordially unite ? Is it possible that they can yield their con- 

 fidence to a system of things so constituted ? That they can stand reso- 

 lutely beside the tottering wall of faith at which they look ? 



Take a common Greek from his fold and his mountains, and place 

 him before the enemy. He has exchanged his crook for a sabre, and his 

 staff for a musket. What is he the better ? He has quitted property 

 and security: for what can injure "a stoic" of the mountains, a "man 

 without a tear," because existing almost without an occasion that can 

 draw one ? He has his bread and his onion his cave, and the stream 

 beside it his dog and his goats. His chief offers him liberty in exchange 

 for these things death, or a glorious freedom. But does this chief 

 exemplify his own belief of its value ? Does he shew him practically 

 how it may be obtained ? No ; he bids him fight ; but he does not 

 design him to gather the fruits. This disinterested leader occupies the 

 back-ground in the action ; but, afterwards, is the foremost in seizing 

 upon the prey. Then do you censure the Greek, who has quitted all he 

 ever knew of happiness, if he reject such conditions ? and having, at the 

 game time, learnt from his superior, that self-interest is paramount, can 

 you wonder, ignorant as he is, if he seek the means of gratifying it ? 

 The Turks are objects of dread and detestation this feeling, we believe, 

 to be powerful in the mind of every Greek. He who does not under- 

 stand liberty, understands oppression, recognizes hatred, and though he 

 may not love public freedom, he can hate the political tyrant ; and the 

 mountaineer, deserted by his captain, and left at the mercy of the Otto- 

 mans, ^ill fight to the very last. Any of them, when " at bay," will 

 sell his life at a rate that surprises and perplexes his antagonist. And 

 we demand, if men capable of exhibiting such energies when pressed to 

 the uttermost, would not, if gradually inured to danger ; if led to battle 

 by a soldier on whom they could rely of whose qualities, in head and 

 heart, they were secure ; we demand of the most inveterate oppressor, of 

 the Greeks, after he has had time for reflection, whether he disbelieves 



M.M. New Series.VoL. IX. No. 49. I 



