MIRACLE-WORKING IMAGE. 115 



clergy, was one 'condemning the system of edii- 

 cating priests at all, and recommending that only 

 the least educated persons should be ordained to 

 the priesthood. 



The priests in the Ionian Islands are becoming 

 more enlightened every day, but those on the 

 Continent of Albania, where there is no master- 

 hand like British influence to urge them on to 

 improvement, the grossest ignorance is likely for 

 many years to continue. 



I remember well having on one occasion a long 

 conversation with the chief of a convent in the 

 Island of Corfu. He was describing to me the 

 number of miracles which had been performed in 

 the church of his convent by a miraculous pic- 

 ture of the Virgin Mary ; in attestation of which 

 miracles, each sick person who had been cured 

 by performing a pilgrimage to that convent had 

 suspended some token in commemoration of his 

 cure about the painting itself, which is a very 

 small and not well-painted bust. " But who do 

 you consider performs these miracles ?" I asked, 

 more from inadvertency, than from any intention 

 of provoking a religious dispute with the good- 

 natured old monk. "Who?" he replied, "why 



