LEBADEA. 151 
The recitative is sometimes extemporaneous, chap. 
IV. 
and consists of sayings suited to the occasion ; 
but in general it is a doleful love-ditty, com- 
posed of a string of short sentences expressing 
amorous lamentation, rising to a sort of climax, 
and then beginning over again ; being equally 
destitute of melodious cadence, or of any ani- 
mated expression. The "Pcc-^coyia. that we heard, 
when literally translated, consisted of the fol- 
lowing verses or sayings, thus tagged together: 
" For black eyes I faint ! 
For light eyes I die! 
For blue eyes I go to my grave, and am buried ! " 
But the tone of the vocal part resembled rather 
that of the howling of dogs in the nighty than 
any sound which might be called musical. And 
this was the impression always made upon us 
by the national music of the Modern Greeks; 
that if a scale were formed for comparing it with 
the state of music in other European countries, 
it would fall below all the rest, excepting that 
of the Laplanders, to which nevertheless it bears 
some resemblance. The ballads of the Greeks 
are generally love-ditties; those of the Alba- 
nians, war-songs, celebrating fierce and bloody 
encounters, deeds of plunder, and desperate 
achievements. But these general remarks are 
