G R E 
‘^Although the renowned names of Comneni and 
Paleologi no longer exill, they are yet claiined by con- 
languinity ; and IVveral of thofe families, who are now 
the principal of tlie Greeks, can boaft, with a certain 
degree of precifion, a lineal defcent from, or agnation 
to, them. Tile fertile provinces of Moldavia and Wal- 
lachia are now, or Were lately, held by the chiefs of 
two powerful Grecian families of the Fenal, Callima- 
clii and Moroozi. The former was drogoman to the 
porte, that is, icrdji-man, which fignifies interpreter; 
and appointed in 1795 ; the latter, having officiated in 
that capacity at the peace of Seflovia, concluded in 
1792 between the Turks and Imperialifts, was rewarded 
for his fingular ability, in tlie following year. He dif- 
covered in his government more patriotifm than his 
predecelFors, many of uJiom have been facrificed to 
their treachery or avarice ; and his people, inured to 
tyranny, experience unufual clemency. As ufeful no¬ 
velties, he has eftablitlied a prefs, a manufadfory of 
cloth, and a regular poll through his territory. His 
father was hofpodar of Moldavia, and his education has 
been in courts, where he acquired that jinejfe and poli- 
tical acutenefs, to which he owed his advancement, 
and by which he has gained more popularity than almoll 
any other of the great families amongft the Greeks, 
who occafionally /hare thefe emoluments. Confidering 
that the whole charadter and importance of the fallen 
Greek nation is concentered in a few individuals, and 
their immediate relatives, the contefts of implacable 
jealoufy, condudfed by infinite intrigue, continually 
diflradl: them ; and the animofity between the houfes 
of Montagu and Capuler is renewed in the Fenal. 
“Of the Ipfilandi family, the prefent chief has been 
twice prince of Moldavia, and once of Wallachia. He 
was taken prifoner l)y the Auftrians, in the war with 
the Turks ; was libeiafed at tlie peace, and then ba- 
nilhed to the illand of Rhodes, from whence he has 
been fince recalled. His Ion is the moft acconspliflied 
and amiable of the modern Greek nobility. Verfed not 
only in oriental learning, he has acquired a critical 
knowledge of the daffies, and European languages. 
Should he enjoy future advancement, he will probably 
exhibit a rare character amongfi: his degenerate coun¬ 
trymen,—tiiat of a fcholar, and a promoter of fcience 
and literature. 
“ To feveral piintes of the hoiife of Mavro Kordato, 
that name is truly appropriate. When hofpodar of 
iV'Ioldavia, the prelent reprefentative patronifed feveral 
literati, by whom a didionary of Romd'ka, or modern 
Greek, French, and Italian, was compoied, in three vo¬ 
lumes, 4to. A grammar is prefixed, which is the bell 
attempt to reduce that language to fyitevn, and to ana¬ 
lyze its formation. Several of the moil approved of 
the Italian and -Frencli comedies and novels have been 
tranflatedTinder his aufpices, and printed either at Ve¬ 
nice or Vienna. Excepting fniall religious tracts, the 
modern Greeks poirdTed no books in their prel'ent ver¬ 
nacular language, till this plan was adopted a few years 
fince, witich has circulated literature, ct)nfined as the 
liibjects are, throughout the Turkilh empire, fo exten- 
lively as to form an article of commerce. As to much 
original compofition, it will be fought for in vain. 
Amongfi tlie higher rank of Greeks, fome of more li¬ 
beral education or elegant turn of mind apply them- 
felves to poetry ; thele pieces are in maiuifcript, and 
communicated only to a few; for as yet no collection 
of them has been publiflied. 
“ 1 o each of thele diflinguiflied houfes, many fubor- 
dinate families, who conflitute the Greek gentry, are 
attached by interetl or confanguinity. During the ze¬ 
nith of power, tile firlt obje6l, both of the prince and 
his dependants, is to amafs wealth, not alv/ays by the 
juoft julliriable mcafures. With that conl'olation, they 
remove from their ihadow of royalty to luxurious re¬ 
tirement, or more fplendid habits of domcllic life in 
E C 967 
the F'enal, or on the delightful fiiores of the Bofphorus. 
Permitted to enjoy no revenue from the cultivation of 
lands, they place out their money with religious or mer¬ 
cantile communities, at an annual interefl advancing from 
fix to twelve per cent. With fuch an income, accord¬ 
ing to the degree of acquired wealth, they maintain the 
dignity of their feveral ranks. When the original fund 
is exliaufled by gradual wafle, or fudden calamity, 
their fituation is embittered by many confiderations ; 
and perhaps by none is the ceafelefs conflift between 
poverty and pride more feverely felt. Should the fuc- 
ceffion to the principalities be removed, and probably 
for a long period, from their particular patron, they 
are induced to accept of employments under the Turk- 
iffi governaient, allured by the opportunity of growiirg 
ricli, with a moral certainty that in proportion as they 
indulge their avarice, their lives are hazarded. Tliele 
oblervations apply to the Greeks, whofe family preten- 
fions or ill-direttcd pride prevent their entering into 
commercial engagements. Tlie acutenefs and induflry 
which fome of tliat nation fiiew in cundudling the traffic 
ot the country (for trade on an ample or liberal fcale 
ncitiier tlieir own genius nor other circumflances will 
allow) are /requently fuccefsful. In competition with 
Armenians or Jews, they exhibit fuperior addrefs, but 
owing to many caufes, which do not necelfarily refiilt 
from each other, the Turks treat them with lefs confi¬ 
dence in mercantile tranfadlions. 
“ The capitation varies in three degrees, from four 
to thirteen piafires a-year, nor are the nobility liable to 
any other perlonal tax. From this ftatement it might 
be at firfl fuppofed, that no conquered fubjedls contri¬ 
bute I'o little to the exigencies of the flate as the Greeks ; 
but individuals frequently fufter greatly in their pro¬ 
perty, without redrefs. A Turk will fometimes prefer 
an unjiill demand as a debt, for tlie payment of which 
he lues the Greek before the cadi, adduces the tefli- 
mony of hired ivitnefTes, and obtains a decifion in his 
own favour, excepting that the defendant has fecured, 
tlic judge by a bribe, bearing a proportion to the fum 
in dil'pute. In cither cafe tlie extortion is great ; and 
they cali fuch a tranfaclion, which is perpetually hap¬ 
pening, an avania.- Yet degraded as the modern Greeks 
are in tlie political fcale of Europe, no people are more 
apparently anxious with reipect to pendingtranfatlions. 
Credulous in the extreme, or ingenious in inventing 
circumltances, the current news engrod'es every convet- 
fation, and the gazette, publiflied in Greek at Vienna, 
their grand oracle, is read or repeated with the grcatelt 
avidity.” 
Between the Rometka, or modern Greek language, 
and the ancient, a limiiar analogy may be found as be¬ 
tween the Latin and the pure Italian. Wiien Conllan- 
tine eftablilhed his new capital, fo many Roman citi¬ 
zens followed him, that the Greek language adopted 
many Latinifins ; and, once corrupted, the more rea¬ 
dily admitted the idiom and words of the French and 
Venetian invaders, at the commencement of the thir- 
teentli century. The eflabliihment of the Ottoman em¬ 
pire extended the change, by the adoption of fo many 
Turkilh phrafes and words; and the Romeika, or ver¬ 
nacular dialed, as it now prevails, thus became univer- 
fally ellabliflied. Not that one mode of exprellion only 
is in ule. The inhabitants-of the Morea and the coafls 
of the Adriatic, partake much of the Veneti.in; the 
iflanders of the Archipelago and the Smyrniotes mix 
Venetian with Turkilh. The Greeks of the Fenal 
fpeak almoll claflically, whilfl: thole of the oppolite 
town of Fer.i have the moll vulgar pronunciation. Tlie 
leading caufe of this deviation from tne ancient Greek, 
iias been the great ufe of contrattions, and the bkntl- 
ing by that means feveral words into one. 
At wliat era the modern Greek pronunciation was 
adopted, it would be difficult to delennine with any 
degree of precilioi). The more learned of the rnhabi- 
‘ tants 
