D66 G II E 
moderately ambiHous, and fond of honourable diftinc- 
tions ; but this very ambition, now a weaknefs, when 
they have nobler objedfs to piirfue will lead thent to 
greatnefs. 
From the account given by Tott, (vol, i. p. ii8,) of 
the difturbances excited by the patriarch Kirilo, it 
would appear that the Greeks have not yet entirely 
abandoned that fpiric of fuperllition and bigotry, which 
was, perhaps, the main caufe of their former downfall. 
It muft be obferved, however, that thefe difputes are 
not fo much foftered among themfeives, as they are 
owing to the efforts of the Latin chuich, which was the 
caie in the inftance alluded to, where the foundation of 
the conteft wns a bull of the pope, directed againit the 
Greek church. See th.e eccleliaiiical difcipline of thefe 
churches under their rel'pe( 5 five heads. The Greeks 
bear the Turkifli yoke with greater impatience than 
other Chriltians, and pollefs afpirit of enterprife which, 
liowever ridiculed by fome authors, often prompts them 
to noble atchievements. Their ancient empire is Hill 
frefb in their memory ; it is the fubjedf of their popu¬ 
lar longs, and they tpeak of it in common converlation 
as a recent event. And that they pollefs a firm and 
manly courage, notwithftanding the infinuations of their 
calumniators, has been too often teftlfied to be in the 
lead doubtful; the inftances which they not long fmee 
difplayed in the Ruflian fervice, liave been truly ftrik- 
ing. The molt oblervable difference in the Grecian 
charadfer, is between thofe of Conftantinpple and their 
-countrymen of tlie illands. Th.e merchants and lower 
orders of the Cdnffantinopolitan Greeks have indeed no 
very marked charatfer ; they are much the fame as the 
trading Cliriflians in all parts of the empire ; that is to 
fay, as crafty aud fraudulent as the Jews, but lefs fo 
than the Armenians, who are the molt fubtle of all 
ufurers.—See the article Armenia, vol. ii. p. 194. 
But in tlie fuburb of Conltantinople called the Fenar 
or Fenal, there lives a race of Greeks who call them- 
I'elves nobles, being the defeendauts of certain opulent 
Grecian families, and from among whom are generally 
appointed tlie drogomans of the porle, and tlte way- 
wodes of Wallachia and Moldavia. 'I'hey have long 
kept thefe places among them, as they are moftly allied 
together, and, for tliis purpole, keep up a conflant con- 
neCfion v.itii the officers of the porte. They are all 
people of good education, and are polite ; but hauglrty, 
vain, and ambitious, confidering tlie contempt they are 
treated with by the Turks. While tliey are drogomans 
of the porte, they are obliged to beliave with great 
catition and prudence, but when they become waywodes, 
they are in nothing different from Turkifli palhas in ty¬ 
ranny ; nor is it to be v/ondered at, wlien men are obliged 
to look up not only to tyrants, but to tlie very fervaiits 
of tyrants, for iionour and promotion ; to flatter their 
ignorance and llupidity, their foibles and their vices, 
and to tremble for their lives at their frowns, that cuii- 
jiing takes tlie place o-f wildoni, vice of virtue, and 
treaclicry of fortitude! In lucli a lituatioii tlie mind 
mud lole its vigour, the heart its generofity tlie abul'e- 
meiit of man by Inch caules was never more drongly 
exemplified than in the inliaiice of the Greeks of ihe 
Fenal ; they do not weep over the ruins v/hich tiiey 
cannot rcllore, nor glow with emulation to rear others 
of equal magnificence. For r"* fooner is a waywode 
appointed, than lie lets out in great date for his govern¬ 
ment, attended by a crov\ d of relations and dependents, 
for all of wlioni, as ivell as for his own fplendor, he 
muft provide, by oppreliing the unliappy fubjeCts of 
iris govermnent. Meaiivviiile his ■ countrymen at Con- 
ItaiitinopL* are engaged in continual plots for liis re¬ 
moval, and It becomes necclfary tor him to accumulate 
a large fum to bribe the ininifiers and others on liis re¬ 
turn, and to avert the perfecuvion which continues for 
^ears afterwards to hang over him. 
The-Greeks of MaecdoHia, Thrace, &c. are robnd, 
E C E. 
courageous, and fomewhat ferocious • tHofe of Athens 
and Attica are dill remarkably witty and ingenious; 
all the idanders are lively and gay, fond of finging and 
dancing to an cxcefs, affable, hofpitable, and good-na¬ 
tured ; in fiiort, they are the bed; thofe of the Morea 
are much given to piracy ; but it is not to be wondered 
at, confidering the cruel treatment they have met with, 
and the druggies tliey are continually making againd the 
Turks. Albania, Epirus, and in general the moun¬ 
taineers, are a very warlike, brave, people, but very fa- 
vage, and make little fcruple of killing and robbing 
travellers; a Turk cannot venture into tlieir country 
alone ; tliere is no one in it but would make a merit of 
fiiooting him, fo deeply is their hatred to tlieir oppref- 
fors rooted. The Greeks of Zaiite and Cephalonia, 
fubjebt to the Ruffians, are notorious for dabbing 
with knives. In fome of tlie idands, the people are not 
Itandfonie. In Mitylene, tlie women are remarkable 
for very large breads. In Tinos, tlie women are almoflr 
all beauties; and there the true antique Grecian con¬ 
tour is to be found. In general, the people of the 
illands have grand and noble features. From different 
faces you may put together, in walking through a mar¬ 
ket-place, the lieadsof Apollo and of the fined ancient 
fiatues. 
It is impodible for any perfon to form a judgment of 
the condinit of the porte towards thefe provinces, by 
any analogy from the political operations of other Eu¬ 
ropean nations. Amongd us, the unfuccefsful revolt 
of a whole province would indeed give birth to fome 
additional rigour, and to fome drikiiig example of pu- 
nilhment ; but the ferocious Turk propofes nothing 
Ihort of extermination, in order to free himfelf from 
the fear of future defebfion. It was thus that, when 
the inhabitants of the Morea, w-ho, inliigafed by the 
delire of liberty, had taken up arms in favour of Rtiffia, 
returned under their yoke, a deliberate propofil was 
made in the divan to daughter them all in cold blood, 
innocent and guilty, of whatever age or fex. Nor was 
this the fird time that tlie malfacre of the whole Greek 
nation had been ferioully debated ; it was, iiowever, in 
the prefent iiidaiice, fuccefsfully oppofed by Gazi-Haf. 
fan, both on motives of humanity and policy. The 
chief argument which he ufed, and wliich alone carried 
convidf ion to his hearers, was : if we kill all the Greeks, 
we friall lofe all the capitation they pay. Even witliout lucli 
a provocation, fultan Mudata, predecelior and brother 
of Abdulhamid, on hisaccellion to tire throne, propofed 
to cut off all the Chrijiians in the empire, and was with 
difficulty dilfuaded from it. Yet Inch is the people 
with whom fome certain Chridian nations, jealous and 
envious of each other, are emulous to form an alliance 
or brotherly amity and mutual good faith ! 
Alter the Greeks were conquered by the Turks, they 
were never admitted to the rights of citizens or I'ubjedts, 
unlefs they abjured their religion and their country ; 
they became fiaves, and as, according to their law, the 
Turks have a right at all times to put to death their 
prifoners, the conquered and their poderity for ever 
are obliged annually to redeem their heads', by paying the 
price let on tliem. It is death for a conquered Greek 
to marry a Turkilh woman, or even to cohabit with a 
common proditute of that nation. The tedimony of a 
Greek is not valid in a court of judicature, when con¬ 
fronted with that of a Turk. They are didinguidied 
by a different drefs ; it is death to wear the lame ap- 
paiel as a Turk; even their lioufes are painted of a 
different colour ; in fine, they are in the fame lituatioii 
they were the day they were conquered, totally diftinCll 
as a nation, and Itill groaning under the iron tyranny of 
the barbarous ufurpers of tlieir country.—See Eton’s 
Political State of Greece, p. 346-359. 
To thele remarks we lhail add tlie valuable informa¬ 
tion derived to us from Mr. Dallaway, in his recent 
Excurlions to the Illandsj^' the Archipelago. 
“Although 
