TAIT'S

EDINBURGH

MAGAZINE,

JANUARY-DECEMBER,

1853.

EDINBURGH:

SUTHERLAND AND KNOX;

PARTRIDGE, OAKEY & Co., LONDON; AND JOHN ROBERTSON, DUBLIN.

MDCCCLIII.

TAIT'S

EDINBURGH MAGAZINE.

JANUARY, 1853.

THE GOVERNMENTS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE.

X. GREECE.

It is impossible, in our historical and classical | Greece by the Turks, the latter, after conquering associations, to separate from modern Greece our Constantinople, partitioned Greece into feudal lordideas of its ancient classic splendour. We cannot ships, which they distributed among the Normans, divest ourselves of the epics, lyrics, and dramas of Venetians, and French military leaders. Those her poets, the eloquence of her orators, the wisdom feudal lords oppressed the Greeks no less severely of her philosophers, and the bravery of her war-than did the Ottomans at a subsequent period. riors. We are, as it were, inspired by Homer. We can imagine Demosthenes rousing into enthusiasm, courage, and patriotism all the energies of the popular assemblies whom he addressed in the most forcible, logical, and eloquent harangues that were ever uttered by man. We can also in imagination enter into the spirit of the Olympic Games, in which the most athletic and dexterous of the Greeks contended more vigorously for honours than they would for their lives-and we, in idea at least, enter upon the triumphal battle-fields and sea-fights which impart splendour to Grecian history. And we should indeed be ungrateful did we not acknowledge the instruction which we have derived in learning, in science, and in art from the ancient Greeks. It was the civilisation of the Greeks which first enlightened and gave poetry, erudition, sculpture, architecture and painting to the Romans. It was to the Greeks that the Byzantine historians and writers owed their education and their knowledge. And it was immediately after the Eastern Empire was utterly subdued by the Turks that Central and Western Europe derived from the Greeks, who fled from Thrace, the benefits which revived learning among the Latins, and which afterwards extended erudition and civilisation to the Teutonic and Celtic nations of the west and north.

For 237 years-that is, from 1481 to 1718-the Greeks and Turks were almost incessantly at war, contesting every position of Greece. The treaty of Passarovitz ceded to the Porte the absolute sovereignty of all the Grecian States.

The spirit and practice of the Turkish Government-the insecurity of property during a long period, first of the rule of the Latins and afterwards of the Turks, disheartened the majority, rendered desperate, and generally demoralised the Hellenic race. This was not only the case in the Morea and Continental Greece, but especially in the Greek islands.

When the Greeks first attempted their independence, they met with the sympathies of all Christian Europe, and the sincere approbation of all who cherished the spirit of civil, political, and religious liberty. Had the Greeks been trained by education and practice to exercise and to appreciate the blessings of freedom, the hopes at that time of the benefactors of mankind would long ere this have been realised. But, unfortunately, the education and traditions for several centuries-the jealousies and animosities of chiefs, and the diversity of the races of inhabitants, have all been unfavourable to civilisation, and to religious and civil freedom.

The Greeks revolted against Turkish dominaBut, with the exception of such of those magnificent tion in 1821-asserted independence, and proruins as have survived the depredations and feroci- claimed a Republican Government. A destructive ties, not only of the barbarians of the middle ages, war ensued; the Governments of Russia, France, but of some modern Vandals, and the local asso- and Great Britain interfered, and the Sultan was ciations of scenery, with the configuration, un-induced to consent to the independence of Greece. changed since the days of Herodotus, of the con- In 1827, Count Capo d'Istrias was elected Pretinent and islands of Greece, the traveller amid sident of Greece for the term of seven years; in those classic lands will find little that is agreeable January, 1828, he entered upon the duties of his or hopeful, but he will daily encounter that dis-office, and he succeeded in establishing nearly an order and degradation which generate sorrow and efficient administration. which subdue hope.

About 270 years before the utter subjugation of

VOL. XX.-NO. CCXXIX.

Greece was then divided provisionally into thirteen administrative sections; viz., Eastern and

B