of Central European Turkey 239 



as has happened in Bosnia and some parts of Bulgaria. In the 

 monasteries the people always find that hohness which they 

 consider a necessary attribute of the priestly character ; but it 

 is not to be supposed that the ordinary Greek clergymen should 

 exert any very salutary influence over their parishioners, from 

 whom they are in no way distinguished, as they are allowed to 

 'Tiarry, and are too often found keeping inns, or even working 

 ake common labourers. If they were properly remunerated, 

 like the Protestant clergymen, they would probably be much 

 more useful for the diffusion of knowledge, especially as many 

 of them are at present very ignorant. On the other hand, I 

 must say, in favour of the Greek clergy, that I nowhere found 

 them hostile to instruction, as is the case with some of the 

 Roman Catholic priests, particularly in the west of Europe. 

 On the contrary, whenever they have sufficient intelligence to 

 comprehend the advantage of diffusing knowledge among the 

 people, they zealously establish schools, &c., where they have 

 the means of doing so. We found no libraries anywhere : even 

 the celebrated old one in the Rilo Monastery had been de- 

 stroyed when the monastery was burned, the monks having 

 probably preferred saving other things than the books. 



The Wallachians also belong to the Greek church, but seem 

 in many cases to be inclined to Catholicism. The like has 

 happened in Hungary, where whole villages, and even a bishop 

 near Grosswardein, are said to have joined the Catholic religion, 

 on being allowed to retain some particular parts of the Greek 

 ritual. It remains to be seen how far such proselytism may be 

 carried on in Wallachia. The greatest anomaly in the Greek 

 church in Turkey is to be found in Montenegro, where both 

 the priests and the monks are soldiers or officers, and carry 

 arms. There is, however, a sufficient excuse for this, owing to 

 the cruel way in which the war is always carried on in that 

 country between the Turks and Christians ; as they are never 

 at peace with each other, and both parties are constantly rob- 

 bing and murdering their enemies whenever a favourable op- 

 portunity occurs. Besides, in Montenegro as in Albania, an 

 injury inflicted on one of a family is sure to be avenged by 

 the whole of his relations. It is therefore not surprising that 

 the Turks, who like to live quietly, should form a very bad 



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