worship than the gorgeous interiors were so hard that we had to break it and ceremonies of the later Greek with the heels of our boots and then Church. It was about twenty-one feet eat it beneath the bed-clothes, so lively long by thirteen wide, the size of an was the sound we made crunching it. ordinary small room; two square pillars, with a veil between them, divided the chancel from the altar, which was a column of stone with a square slab on it covered with a cloth; two small tables, formed by rectangular projections from the walls, the one on the north being higher than the other, held the sacramental bread and wine; on the altar were the priest's vestments covered with a cloth.

The chapel was entered from the side through a small door cut in the rock, as was also the only window, the altar, behind which was a semicircular apse, being on the right.

Up to this our route had lain through the most barren parts of the island, consisting of low, rocky hills. Now it changed imperceptibly to hills clothed with the pitch-pine, and beyond them a range of tall mountains, amid which Olympus, the loftiest mountain in the island, reared its head. We then passed through au alluvial plain, stretching far inland, in the midst of which was a tall ridge of rocks, showing where once the tide had washed, while to our right lay the blue waters of the Egean. At about three we reached Iasso, where the aga was a personal friend of Mr. Newton, reputed to be one of the most perfect specimens of a Turkish gentleman in the island.

We found him dispensing justice in a court held in his own house, which proved to be the general sitting-room belonging to it. He was seated Turkish fashion on a small brilliant carpet at the far end of the room, which was fitted up with the usual divan running all round it, covered with a bright red cloth. Opposite him were the doors closed by rolls of leather, giving us the idea that we were in a theatre, where the drama of real life which we were about to witness was almost immediately enacted.

We returned to the house in the evening tired and hungry, and were much amused at the feast provided for us by the owner, who was so much indebted to Mr. Newton, and contrasted it with the way we were treated by the aga whom he had had dismissed from his governorship. It was a veritable Barmecide feast, and we did not wonder at the owner of the place absenting himself when he thought of the shabby reception we were to get. We were three men strong and fasting, who had been out all day in the open air, and our dinner consisted of one small, skinny, consumptive chicken in the middle of a large dish of rice, where it looked like a lost ship in a large field of A guard of soldiers in the uniform of ice. It was flanked by a loaf of sour, Bashi-bazouks — brilliant crimson jackblack rye-bread and a bottle of very ets, loose Turkish trousers, belts stuck thin wine. Two of us got a small wing full of pistols which would shoot, and each, the other a tiny leg, and our en- daggers fit for use stood at each side tertainer took the other leg, although of him, and, coupled with the aga's he stated that he had already dined, by own dress and appearance, formed a way of being companionable; but this striking picture. He was exceedingly was the only way by which he showed handsome, his long, flowing, white it. We could have filled ourselves with beard lending a dignity to his appearthe rice, but unfortunately it was ance, which his dark-blue pelisse, dressed with very rancid butter, and trimmed with rich fur, and turban enthe wine, like most Greek wines, was hanced. He was smoking a large narlike vinegar flavored with resin. We guilly, mounted with silver and adorned went to bed literally starving, and had with jewels, which his attendants sito fill ourselves with a species of Mity-lently replenished. He received us lene biscuit which Mr. Newton had with the greatest warmth, and made us brought in case of accidents, but which all sit beside him, and after the inev

N

itable pipes and coffee, proceeded with | he was a little, weak, wizened, elderly the case which he had been trying. man, with a cringing manner and a It is scarcely possible in our theatres whining voice. He prostrated himself at home to realize that the strange before the aga and seemed to lick the dresses, the brilliant dialogue, the vio- very dust in his presence; tried to lent passion which we see enacted, arc, kiss the hem of his robe, which the or ever were, really true to nature; aga drew away in disgust. The old but this is not so when one has wit- fellow shed tears as he fawned and nessed the real passion, the terse, clear grovelled, bewailed his poverty and dialogue, the natural gesture, the tones inability to pay the money. He drivof anger, tenderness, or sorrow in an elled on for such a length of time, sayEastern court of justice. ing the same thing over and over again, without bringing any evidence to rebut the proofs of his wealth which the young lover had brought forward, that at length he had to be silenced by the aga, after having left a most unfavorable impression on us all, still whining, grovelling, and weeping.

The plot of this drama was very simple. An old Greek personage of the better class had promised a dowry to his only daughter on her marriage with the son of a neighbor. The father was a widower, but had soon after been captivated by the charms of a tall, finelooking, but rather masculine woman, whom he had married. She had soon gained unbounded influence over him, and persuaded him to break his promise to his daughter and her lover, who now came forward and opened the

case.

would defy malice to say that he had ever drunk anything stronger than cold water all his life. He gave a drunken leer at the aga, a dignified one at us, balanced himself with a lurch, and

The young man's father now came forward. He was the inevitable comic character in the piece-a genuine Trinculo, and three parts drunk. He was a small, fat-faced, pot-bellied fellow, with a bacchanalian nose and a wandering, watery eye. He apHe was a tall, handsome young fel-proached the aga with a countenance low, preserving in his straight classical of drunken gravity, trying to look features and flashing eyes some traces too intensely sober, and gazed round of the ancient grand Greek race. He the court with the air of one who proceeded up before the aga, made a profound but not in the least servile obeisance, raised his hands, and began to state his case with a natural eloquence and fervid oratory which seemed perfectly natural and unac- commenced with a hiccough. He gave quired. He detailed vividly all that had occurred, and as he pointed to the mean-looking father of the girl and his virago wife his voice seemed to hiss with sarcastic scorn. His tones then changed to deep and thrilling tenderness as he spoke of his intended bride, and all that she had suffered from her weak father and the woman who had so shamefully influenced him. As he warmed with his subject his eyes seemed to flash fire, and he poured forth a stream of impassioned eloquence, each word accompanied by a natural and graceful action, which recalled the days when the race, now so degraded, was the first in eloquence, literature, and art.

The girl's father now came forward;

a long description of his own feelings as a father, and expatiated on all the care and anxiety he had expended on the bringing up of his son, and as he proceeded he shed maudlin tears. His drunken leers, his hiccough, the way he rolled his head, his sidelong looks of drunken dignity at us, were irresistible. He then changed and grew jocular, and we could almost translate his broken Greek into drunken English.

"Twas a greashame ole foolyoung wife - better zink of 'is soul."

He became more familiar as he proceeded, was about to whisper into the aga's ear the proper way to settle the dispute, when he was ordered in a stern voice to stand at a distance. Suddenly, and without the slightest

notice, ne became highly exasperated, | seized the virago and bore her out, and burst into a torrent of abuse kicking, struggling, fighting, and

against the aga, the government, and screaming to the last. The girl was a the people generally. The aga never good deal hurt; but if her stepmother moved a muscle of his noble, dignified had specially wanted to destroy her countenance; he merely held up his hand, and two soldiers rushed forward, seized Trinculo by the arms, and bore him off, cursing, swearing, and vociferating, and we saw him no more.

The stepmother and the girl were now ordered to stand forward. The one was gentle, timid, and pretty; the other a handsome masculine woman with a hard voice and coarse manner. She spoke almost menacingly to the aga, and seemed ready to fly at the girl, who evidently held her in the greatest terror. She told her story volubly and loudly, speaking with extreme contempt of her husband, who looked on her with mingled admiration and dread. At length, when she seemed inclined to continue for the entire day, talking ou all subjects but the one at issue, the aga ordered her to have done, which she did with many expressions of indignation and threats against her stepdaughter, who was now ordered to speak.

own case and help that of the girl, she could not have acted better, and we were delighted to hear the verdict given against her and her husband, who was ordered to pay his daughter's dowry down, being handed over to one of the guards until it was done, while the girl was intrusted to her intended's family, to be married at once, and was borne off in the arms of her happy lover.

Almost immediately the room was cleared; we had fresh pipes and coffee; the guards retired, and the drama of the day was over. The aga informed us that, as this was a Church festival, none of the Greeks could receive us into their houses, and that we must take up our abode under his poor roof, where we would be better than in any of the khans, which were, as a rule, uncomfortable. We accepted his hospitality most gratefully, it being one of the greatest compliments that could be paid us, as, from the jealous nature of Moslem life, it is almost impossible for any one not an actual near

She immediately won upon us all by her modest, gentle manner, as she told in a low, clear voice the harsh treat-relation, such as a brother or father, to ment which she had sustained. As she proceeded to entreat the aga to have pity on her, she fell on her knees before him and kissed the hem of his robe, which he did not draw away from her. It was a perfect tableau for a play. The noble, dignified Moslem, seemingly as unmoved as a statue; at his feet the gentle, graceful girl; the furious looks of the stepmother, swelling with rage and hatred; the picturesque dresses of all, and the utter strangeness of the scene, formed a most striking tableau.

The last scene was too much for the stepmother. As the girl rose from her knees, she flew at her with fury in her eyes, caught her by her flowing hair, and struck her violently on the face. We all started up to take her part, but the aga never moved a muscle. He raised his hand, and again two soldiers

see, let alone sleep under the same roof with, the womenkind of the establishment. As far as we could judge, it was a large, rambling house, of which we were not permitted to see more than two rooms. At the end of a long passage we saw a door, outside which were some slippers; and here was probably the mystic harem, about which we know absolutely nothing except from lady travellers, etiquette preventing any but a near relation even asking after the health of a wife, or even hinting that such a being existed.

We made our ablutions in a room adjoining the one in which the court was held, and returned to find it swept, aired, and garnished, and our dinner laid out on a small exquisitely shaped octagon table, round which we took our seats - parts of the divan, which was movable, being placed round it.

There was one other guest besides the Our sleeping accommodation was as aga to whom we were introduced simple as our dinner. Small, narrow the head of the police, a handsome mattresses, with pillows and a counman dressed in a crimson jacket em- terpane, but no sheets or blankets, broidered richly with gold, short knick- were placed on the divan for each of erbocker trousers, and gaiters, the us. The chief of the police slept on

flowing robes of the aga being useless for all employed in active service. His belt was stuck full of the usual pistols and daggers, which he wore during the dinner; and I often thought since what a useful adjunct he would have been in an Irish country-house during the reign of peace and prosperity which succeeded the Land Act.

the floor in the centre of the room, to keep guard over us and protect us from all dangers. He took off his turban, placed his pistols and yatagan under his pillow, loosened his girdle, and was soon fast asleep.

It was exactly what we had often read of. The Turks are encamped, not settled, in Europe. Here was one who A servant brought in a large brass exactly followed the custom of his matray, which nearly filled up the small rauding ancestors five centuries ago, table, and we sat round it in English denoting a race of brave, haughty solfashion, the Moslems of course cross-diers who swept over the West, delegged. The aga apologized for the stroying all civilization, and encamping poorness of the fare, as it was a fast- in Constantinople. There they remain time, and no meat was allowed to be killed in the town. The principal dish was one of poached eggs swimming in oil, and one of a beet-root salad. Large round slices of bread served for plates, on which we placed our viands, and at the end ate up our plates also, which saved a great deal of the washing and Scouring of our more sophisticated arrangements. Knives and forks were laid for us, and the aga used them, but evidently was not in the habit of doing

So.

to this day, having in those five centuries added nothing to art, letters, science, or civilization, but amid all preserving the simple virtues of bravery and the high-bred manners of a race of conquerors and rulers.

We had gone to look for antiquities, but had found none of any consequence. We had seen instead a civilization of a very antique order, both Turkish and Greek, and we turned homewards, having breakfasted with As for the officer, he ate with his the aga on bread and coffee, and parted fingers, dipping them into the dishes, with many sincere wishes for his but in so perfectly a gentlemanlike health and prosperity, and thanks for well-bred manner that we felt no dis- his hospitality. We had seen the good gust at it. Our second course was a and evil sides of Turkish rule, which dish of fish and sausages, dressed to- depends entirely on the character of gether and not unpalatable, and a pillau the pasha or aga. Our first host was a of rice, followed by some very fine savage, ignorant brute, and was capagrapes. We drank pure water, and rose ble of inflicting the utmost cruelty and from our dinner more pleased than with injustice on the unfortunate Greeks any entertainment we had met with placed under him; the other was like except the one at the Greek mer- a father to his people, and the peace, chant's, which had been enlivened by prosperity, and happiness of his subour charming and beautiful hostesses.jects bore witness to his rule. We Here the perfectly well-bred manners passed now through a most fertile, of our host, the novelty and strange- beautiful, and well-cultivated country. ness of everything, would have recon- Large, well-built farmhouses could be ciled us to much worse fare, and we seen on every side; the sunny slopes sat round the divan and discussed En-bloomed with well-tilled gardens. glish and Moslem and Greek habits and Olive groves, orange-trees, arbutus, manners with our charming host until myrtle charmed the sight, while the it was time to retire for the night. air was full of the perfume of flowers,

and the ear was charmed with the divine honors to the Virgin, and named singing of the birds and the murmur- her "the mother of God."

ing of innumerable water - courses. It is in reality a sort of fossilized Lofty elm-trees, around whose massy Church, preserving its doctrines, ritual, trunks luxuriant vines were trained, and observances unchanged from the mingled their few late purple clusters with the autumnal tints. It was a veritable Garden of Eden, made grand by occasional views of the lofty heights of Mount Olympus and the deep blue waters of the Egean.