CONSTANTINOPLE. 69 
tliem were of little value ; and some others, of chap. 
1 Ml- iJ- 
more importance, the owners were unwillmg to • 
promote the cultivation of antient literature, and excite the Greeks 
to shake off that ignorance in which they are plunged, are the Greek 
Nobles of the Phaiiar. But, instead of using their influence with the 
Government, to enable them to encourage and patronize schools in 
parts of the Levant, they are only pacing in the trammels of political 
intrigue, and, actuated by the ' lust of lucre,' or of power, are 
doing what they can to obtain the offices of Interpreter to the Porte, 
or of Patriarch ; or to succeed as Princes of Walachia and Moldavia. 
Exce]>ting a Dictionary of modern Greek, which was published under 
the patronage of one of the Mavrocordato family ; and a (^poyrKrrr.oicv, 
or school, the expenses of wiiich were defrayed by one of the Aforoozi 
family; all that has been done, to increase a knowledge of their lan- 
guage among the Greeks, has been effected by the liberal and patriotic 
exertions of Greek merchants, living at Venice, Trieste, or Vienna. 
An undertaking, which would have been attended with great advantage, 
had it not been frustrated by political interference, was a Translation 
of the Travels of Anacharsis into modern Greek, accompanied «ith 
proper maps. This was only begun ; the Greek who was employed in 
it was put to death by the Porte : another Greek, of Yanina, called 
Sakellaris, has, I believe, translated the whole. Works of this kind 
would be productive of greater utility to the mass of the reading and 
. industrious Greeks, than such performances as a translation of Virgil's 
^neid into Greek Hexameters, which I saw at Constantinople, 
published bj' the Greek bishop, Bulgari, who resided in Russia. 
* The Greeks of the Phanitr are themselves very conversant with 
the authors of antient Greece, and well understand most of the 
modern languages of Europe. There is an affectation of using words 
and phrases of old Greek, instead of the modern, even among the 
servants and inferior people at the Phanar. The learned Coray is 
exciting his countrymen, by his writings and example, to a study of 
their antient language; and the Greek merchants, who are led to 
visit the different cities of the Continent, return to thtir country with 
information and useful knowledge, which is gradually diffused among 
the Greeks connected with tlicm. 
The following Advertisement, of an Exhibition of Wax-work at 
VOL. III. r Pera, 
