-~ 
488 = Frew of Religion, Manners, &c. in the Ifland of Corfu. [July I, 
when he feats himfelf in a chair provided 
for that purpofe by the governor: but he 
does not fit-in it gratuitoufly ; for that 
honor cofts him acertain fum*, which bya 
very ancient cuftom he is obliged to pay. 
Four fturdy fautes now joyouily raife on 
their fhouwlders the head of the church, 
who fits tottering in his chair, and expofed 
to a thoufand olcillations. - He is foon en- 
vironed by a crowd of people whole eager 
zeal to approach him frequently interrupts 
the benediétionswhich he liberaliybeltowson 
ail around. The noife of firing refounds on 
every fide, the bells ring inal!l the churches; 
and in the midft of this din he is conduct- 
ed to the Greek cathedral, where a long 
and clamorous litany is fung. Thence he 
is carried home to receive the more peace- 
ful compliments of his relatives and 
friends, but not without having been ex- 
poled to many rifks on his eleyated feat, 
from the ardent zeal difplayed by the mul- 
titude in doing honor to: their fpiritual 
chief. 
<‘ Having followed the new protopapa 
to his houte,”’ fays the traveler already 
quoted, who witnefled one of thefe elec- 
ticns, ‘* I obferved a table copioufly fur- 
. nifhed with refrefhments, which muft ne- 
ceflarily have been provided fome days 
antecedent to the election, and which ex- 
cited in my mind a fufpicion that the ex- 
peafe had not been incurred without a pre- 
vious certainty of fuccefs. A by-ftander 
confirmed>my doubts reipeéting the purity 
of the voters’ condu&, by informing me 
that it was ufual to purchafe thew fuf- 
frages. | . 
«© The clergy and the nobles, having 
promifcuoufly crowded into the hail, lof 
no time in preparing ta do honor to. the 
repaft. After a fhort compliment paid to 
the taffe and munificence of their‘enter- 
tainer, they rufhcd to ftorm the-table, 
‘which foon became the fcene of a down- 
right battle where fuperior ftrength gained, 
all the advantage. The church confound- 
ed at_this moment with the nobility ren- 
deréd the fpectacle the more curious, even* 
from a‘diftance.. The clerical robe, it is 
true, was not convenient for ferambling io 
athrong: but how advantageous was it 
found im affording a vat refervoir in which 
_ the wearer might abundanily depofit the, 
fruits of his dexterity and vigorous exer- 
tions! I faw perfons, whom [ had at firft 
fuppefed to be men of fome education, 
greedily {wallowing bifcuits, {weetmeats, 
&c. &c. cramming their ‘pockets with 
them, and even filling their hats. I was 
| #® About thirteen fhillings fterling. 
-canonicate is that of being at the head 
aftonifhed at their indecent gluttony ; and 
they were furprifed to fee my coldnefs ‘at 
fo interefling a moment. Indeed FE had 
felt no inclination tc hazard my perfon in 
the fkirmifh: but it is to be obfeived, that 
at all tables it 1s cuftomary for the 
guefts to fill their peckets when their tto-. 
machs can no longer fecond their greedi-~ 
nefs. The field of battle being at ‘length 
abandoned by the nobles and clergy, was 
left to be gleaned by a felect party of the, 
mob, whofe ardor in the bufinefs fully juf- 
tinted the precaution I had taken of keep- 
ing aloof from the afiray. After this, a 
number of loaves and. fome pieces of 
{mall coin were diftrisuted tote multitude 
who, during the whole time of the feaft, 
had continued fhouting under the win- 
dows.” ; 
A ceremony of this kind takes place at 
each eleCtion: but the degree of fump-~ 
tuoufnelfs which marks the entertainment, 
entirely.depends on the difpofition of the 
individual eleéted. He might. in faé con- 
fine his treat to a few cups of coffee and 
chocolate, which would no doubt be more 
economic: but this would, in the eyes of 
the people, appear a heinous violation of © 
decorum : and, although avarice be a 
firiking trait in the Grecian character, va= 
nity is no lefs a confpicuous feature. Both 
are reconciled in this affair: the public 
fhow and flath of the feftival-day is after- 
ward compenfated by rigid parfimony in 
private to re-eftablifh the equilibrium. 
~The protopapa of Corfu is diftinguifhed 
from thofe of the other Venetian ifles by 
the title of the .Great Protopapa: he 
is immediately dependent on the patri- 
arch of Conftaatinople, and poflefies all 
the epifcopal powers. He pertormsall the 
fun@ions of a bifhop, and enjoys, in com- 
mon with the biflops, the privilege of 
leaning on his paftoral Raff as he walks— 
a diftin€&tive privilege of the epifcopacy. 
He continues five years in office: after 
the expiration of that period, he returns to 
the clafs of ordinary papas, retaining no 
other advantage from ‘his late elevation 
than a formewhat greater portion of re+’ 
{pect, and the privilege of wearing a crim- 
fon girdle. : 
. His reverwe is confined to the cafual 
perquifites of his office; and his kill in 
augmenting their amount can alone indem- 
nify him for the expenfes by which he pur~ 
chafed his nomination, —— y 
There are canons attached to the ca- 
thedral, as to that of the Latin church: 
but they have no fixed prebend. The 
only advantage conferred on them by their 
of 
4 yt a ate the 
tte 
