26 
through the city during feveral days, the 
decorations are fold to the devotees. The 
purchafers refpeétfuily preferve thofe bau- 
bles, which they place at their ‘bed- 
heads. 
Each papa, efpecially in the rural parts 
of the ifland, is ambitious to celebrate the 
feftival of his church* with as great pomp 
as poflible. Some days before the time, 
he ornaments the doors, the windows, the 
infide of the church with flowers and foli- 
age, of which the devotion of his parifho- 
ners faves him not only the expenfe 
but even the trouble of colle€tion and ar- 
rangement. °In front of the church a 
f{quare inclofure is formed of very lofty 
poles planted at {mall intervals from each 
other. On thefe is laid a platform of 
boards covered with a carpet, and fur- 
mounted by a roof made of fhips’ fails. 
At the four angles ftand four poles much 
more elevated than the reft, and each 
bearing a flag. The entire palifade is 
decked with foliage, and ornamented on 
the inner fide with different pictures lent 
for the occafion by various individuals. 
Nothing can be conceived more whimfical 
than the colleétion here exhibited, in which 
facred and profane fubjeéts are promifcu- 
oufly confounded. Befide a_ weeping 
Magdalen or a Madona, a Lais is feen 
di ifplay) ing her charms: after having feaft- 
ed his eyes on the confolatory picture of 
peace, the fpectator fuddenly i aha the 
buitie and carnage of a battle icene; or, 
after quitting the portrait of a king or 
queen, he next beholds the reprefentation 
of a group of topers in atippling-houfe. 
In this booth, the young folk affemble and 
dance to the found of the haut-bois and 
tabor. A game much in vogue on thofe 
feftive occafions is the pente me mia, or 
five and one. It is played at a table on 
one fide of which rifes a hollow pillar hav- 
ing at the bottom a hole communicating 
with the table. Into the top of the pillar 
is thrown a ball, which, on coming out 
below, mutt Bon at a card bearing the 
number five, to entitle the gamefter to 
win. 
At thefe feftivals the butchers expofe 
their meat to fale, and at the fame time act 
as traijeurs. The repaft is prepared in 
the open ftreet or road: it is a fheep 
roafted whole, almoft as foon as killed 
The entrails are rolled round the body; 
and, before it has hardly had time to be 
fufficiently cooked, the guéfts feat them- 
* The feftival of the faint to whom it is 
dedicated, - 5 ‘ 
- 
| Fiew of Religion, Manners, &c. in the Ifland of Corfu. [ Aug. 1, 
felves on the ground, and receive each his 
portion of the ec Barrels of wine 
ftand ready broached at a fhort diftance 5 
and the fame butcher atts moreover as 
vintner. At thefe feafts a ftrong patrol | 
find it difficult. to maintain the public 
peace: it is frequently difturbed by quar- 
rels, which are he more dangerous as the 
Greeks of thofe ifles are in the conftant 
habit of wearing arms. During the whole 
time of the feftival, the papa is bufily 
employed in repeating prayers at the re- 
queft of one or another of his flock; 
which prayers being paid for, he is feldom 
heard to complain of belts overbur thened. 
with employment. 
In the ifle of Corfu are feveral Greek, 
convents of men and women, which are, — 
in general, a dead weight on the fhoulders 
of fociety. Some few indeed of the: fe- 
minine convents receive boarders, who re 
main there until their friends think -of 
eftablifhing them in the world. The 
whole of their education confifts in learn 
ing to fpin and knit: it rarely happens 
that any of them is taught to few, and 
ftill more rare that any one learns to-read 
and write her native language, however 
imperfectly. Girls who return home en=. 
dowed with fuch accompldhments are ac- 
counted prodigies. 
Thie ignorance of the Gireck clergy it in 
general is fo great, efpecially in the rurak. 
parts, as to have become proverbial; the 
moft learned among them being barely cas 
pable of reading and writing their ewn 
language. Some of them, deftitate even 
of thofe humble qualifications, know but 
one mafs and a few prayers which they 
have learned by heart, and which they in= 
differently ufe on-every occafion. For ex- 
ample, if there is queftion of praying for 
rain, and: the apa happens not to be ac- 
quainted with the proper form of prayer 
for that purpofe, he boldly fupplies its 
place by a prayer for fair weather. This 
trifling miftake does not prevent him from 
receiving payment; and the ignorant papa 
fucceeds as well as the moft learned of his 
brethren. 
The generality of the Greek stele) 
efpecially in the towns, practile-a kind of | 
painting which affords them an-additional 
Opportunity of levying contributions on 
the devotion of the faithful. The paint- 
ing is executed on wooden tablets primed 
with a thick coat of white paint: the co- 
lors are prepared with white of egg. 
The fudjeéts are all of a religious nature, 
the Madonna; Saint Spiridion, SaintGeorge, 
&c. but not even a trace can:be ditco- 
eines in them of = principles of defign ; i 
an 
