1801.] 
and the colouring is the fame in all: the 
fi#h is every where of a blackifh hue, and 
the ground is ufually gilded. The papas 
fell thefe facred pictures after having blef- 
fed them: and the fale is tolerably pro- 
ductive, fince there is not a Greek, efpe- 
cially a female, who is not anxious to pur- 
chafe them; every individual being defir- 
ous of ornamenting the head of his bed 
with a number of fuch pictures, before 
which a lamp is carefully kept burning, 
night and day. The papas would not 
eafily pardon a foreigner who fhould.at- 
tempt to rival them in that branch of the 
fine arts, as appears from the following 
anecdote which is given in the words of 
the traveler already quoted 
« *Thada Greek fervant, who had long 
teafed me for a Saint Spiridion, to be fub- 
ftituted in the place of a Saint Michael 
overthrowing the devil under the figure of 
a winged dragon. ‘The devil’s head had 
been defaced: and my Greek, who bore 
equal devotion to both of the  charaéters 
in the painting, no longer. repofed the fame 
confidence in its virtue after that accident, 
At length I was obliged to perform my 
promife of procuring him a Saint Spiri- 
dion, equally miraculous, at lealt, as his 
old Michael and his mutilated devil. I 
befpoke the interefting pi€ture from a papa, 
whom I requefted to paint it ig my own 
houfe, and afford me an opportunity of 
admiring his talents. He very obligingly 
complied with my requeft, came with all 
the neceflary apparatus, and immediately 
commenced his work. For his model, he 
had another Saint Spiridion, which he af- 
fured’me that he had already above a hun- 
dred times copied with the moft perfect 
accuracy of refemblance. The painter 
having, during an occafional abfence, left 
his pencils and unfinifhed performance un- 
der my care, 1 took a fancy to try my 
hand in that ftyle of painting : I fucceeded 
beyond my expectations ; and the papa, on 
his return, found his picture almoft com- 
pleted. Conceiving that I had performed 
a wonderful exploit, I was not a hittle 
aftonifhed to find that the painter becarme 
quite angry, and bitterly complained of 
my behaviour. My fervant, on the other 
hand, was deeply afflicted, as he could not 
fuppofe that a Saint Spiridion of my pro- 
duétion poffefied any efficacy. I appeafed 
the prieft by liberally paying for the pic- 
ture which I had prefumptuoufly dared to 
touch; and I confoled the fervant by fur- 
nifhing the expenfe of a new paintings. 
which now was not executed in my 
hcufe.” 
( To be continued, ) 
Queries concerning the Laws of Succeffion to Land. o7 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, / . 
Pcie the many difcuffions occafioned . 
by the late frequent returns of fcar- 
city, we have learned little more, than 
that our annual produce is far fhort. of 
our annual confumption, and that, with 
feven millions of uncultivated acres, and 
all the incitement to improvement afford- 
ed by high prices, the annual deficit con- 
tinues to increafe to an alarming degree. 
Having had thefe fa&ts eftablifhed, we 
mutt conclude that there exift fome very 
powerful obftacles, capable of thus coun- 
teracting the progrefs which might natu- 
rally be expeéted in fuch circumftances. 
To invettigate, arid if poffible to afcer- 
tain, what it is that can thus impede the 
natural progrefs of the country, would, 
I conceive, be an object highly worthy of 
the attention of the moft enlightened cor- 
refpondents of your excellent and ufeful 
mifcellany. I will therefcre, Sir, with 
your permiffion, invite them to the dif- 
cuffion, and venture to offer for their con 
fideration, in the form of queries, a few 
ideas which have occurred to me upon the 
fubje&. 
» Firfi. Whether the prefent laws of 
fucceifion do not accumulate large tracts 
of country in the hands of thofe who 
poflefs little floating capital, and whether 
the impoffibility of proprietors under fuch 
circumftances accomplifhing any plan of 
extenfive cultivation, be not a principal 
bar to the progrefs of improvement? 
Second. What effeé&t on the cultiva- 
tion of the foil might be expeéted from the 
abolifhing the right of primogeniture, fo 
that heritable property might be allowed 
to circulate in the fame fiee manner that 
perfonal property does at prefent? and 
whether it is probable, under fuch cir- 
cumftances, that individuals would ge- 
nerally continue to hold more land than 
they could profitably employ ? 
Third. Would not every part of the 
foil thrown thus into a natural courfe of 
circulation, foon have the portion of im- 
provement beftowed upon it of which it 
might be found capable? For does not 
daily experience fhew us the inpportant 
changes operated upon the face of any 
part of the ecuntry, witich paffes into the 
hands of new proprietors; changes moft 
probably to be attributed to that ardor 
with which every man profecutes new un- 
dertakings ? 
Fourth. If entails either virtual or 
politive are fuppofed to be .abfolutely 
neceflary to the prefent conftrustion of cur 
2 fociety, 
