Henry Skene, Esq., on the Albanians. 317 



only through a conformity of faith with their military supe- 

 riors ; while religion sat so lightly on this class of the popu- 

 lation, that it was of little consequence to themselves which 

 rite they followed, as they were never strict in the obser- 

 vance of any form of worship. This was not the case with 

 the Greeks of Albania ; for not only Christianity seems to 

 have taken a much deeper root in them, but also their pros- 

 pects in life did not depend so immediately on a recantation 

 of religion. The adoption of Mahometanism was certainly 

 advantageous, in a worldly point of view, to the whole Chris- 

 tian population of European Turkey ; but the pursuits of 

 most of the Greeks did not render them exclusively depend- 

 ent on it for their welfare, as occurred with the Albanians. 

 More addicted to commerce, the Greeks cherished rather any 

 connections which they could form with Western Europeans ; 

 or, when induced by vocation or persecution to become 

 soldiers, they preferred the life of the free Klepht to that of 

 the organised Armatoli bands. Their religion was then 

 optional, and they rarely became renegades. This tendency 

 evidenced the natural breach which existed between the 

 Albanians and the Greeks ; and the Turks were wily enough 

 to foresee the advantage which they might derive from it by 

 making use of the former against the latter. Indeed, it is 

 an undoubted fact, that the Turkish government succeeded 

 in keeping Greece in subjection, up to the time of the revo- 

 lution, solely by means of the Mussulman Albanians. Grati- 

 tude has not been the recompence of the latter, for the 

 Osmauli despises the Mussulman Skipetar, even more than 

 he does the Christian Greek. They have earned the just re- 

 ward of all traitors and renegades, having betrayed their 

 country and renounced the true faith. A curse seems to have 

 settled on this unhappy people ; and they deserved it for the 

 rejection of that Gospel which was given to them by St Paul 

 himself, before their descent into Epirus. For the great 

 Apostle of the Gentiles preached " round about unto Illyri- 

 cum."* Their present state proves that they have inherited 



* Komnns xv. 19. 



