[ 3^5 ] 



in other countries, for inftance, in Spain, than in Italy itfelf. 

 Certainly the Spanifh language has more obvious affinity to the 

 Latin than the Italian has. But the hiftory of Greece has been 

 - far diiferent. Twelve hundred years have elapfed fince the 

 Weftern or Latin empire was overturned, but we mufi; remcm-. 

 ber that the Eaftern or Greek empire exifted till about 300 years 

 fince, and down as late as the reign of Henry VII; and the Grecian 

 people has not been exterminated, but remained ever fince, ufing 

 its own religion and language, though in fubjedion to the 

 Turkifh yoke. It is the fame people, as much as the Welch are 

 fince they were conquered by Edward the Firft, and I do not fee 

 why their mode of pronunciation fhould be more altered. Twelve 

 hundred years have elapfed fince Latin was a living language, but 

 Greek is a living language to this day. I fpeak from my own 

 knowledge when I fay, that the prayer books ufed by the Greek 

 failors, the only defcription of men of that nation whom, we 

 can exped to fee here, are in ancient Greek, — they are able to 

 read the ancient Greek authors,, though from want of education not 

 able to tranflate them fluently, and their letters written in modern 

 Greek are eafily to be underftood by us, and differ from ancient 

 Greek, allowing for the ignorance and uncouth ftile of a mariner, 

 little more than one ancient dialed did from another. I fhall 

 produce one to the Academy, now in my poffeflion. 



Impressed with thefc fentiments I felt myfelf intcrefted, 

 when I heard that a Grecian fhip, whofe feizure has fince been 

 the occafion of a remarkable fuit in the Court of Admiralty, 

 and of the confequent detention of the feamen for a confi- 



derable 



