IN THE MOREA. 



43 



Habits like these, it may well be supposed, had a correspondent 

 effect on the national character. Their freedom, though turbulent 

 and ill regulated, produced the effects of freedom ; they were active, 

 industrious, and intelligent. Among their chiefs, I found men toler- 

 ably versed in the modern Romaic literature, and some who had suffi- 

 cient knowledge of their ancient language to read Herodotus and 

 Xenophon, and who were well acquainted with the revolutions of 

 their country. Their independence and their victories had given 

 them confidence, and they possessed the lofty mind and attachment 

 to their country which has every where distinguished the inhabitants 

 of mountainous and free districts, whether in Britain, Switzerland, 

 or Greece. The robbery and piracy they exercised indiscriminately 

 in their roving expeditions they dignified by the name of war ; but 

 though their hostility was treacherous and cruel, their friendship was 

 inviolable. The stranger that was within their gates was a sacred 

 title, and not even the Arabs were more attentive to the claims of 

 hospitality. When we delivered our letters of recommendation to a 

 chief, he received us with every mark of friendship, escorted us every 

 where while we staid, and conducted us safely to the house of his 

 nearest neighbour, where he left us under the protection of his friend ; 

 there we again staid a short time, and were forwarded in the same 

 manner to a third. To pass by such a chief's dwelling without stop- 

 ping to visit it, would have been deemed an insult, as the reception of 

 strangers was a privilege highly valued. While a stranger was under 

 their protection, his safety was their first object ; an insult to such a 

 person would have aroused in their breasts the strongest incitements 

 to revenge ; his danger would have induced them to sacrifice even 

 their lives to his preservation, as his suffering any injury would have 

 been an indelible disgrace to the family where it happened. 



The religion of the Mainiots is that of the Greek Christian church, 

 with its usual accompaniments of saints, holy places, and holy pic- 

 tures. Their churches were numerous, clean, and well attended ; 

 their superstition was great, as may be supposed from the adventu- 

 rous and precarious life I have described. Hence their fondness for 



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