three days, with his political dissertations and plans; but his remarks and conversation were characterized by the most disgusting vanity and pretension. Little inclined to relish the hardships of a Greek soldier's life, and finding the secondary situations, proposed to him by Mavrocordato, to be below his notice, he hastened to return to Mesolonghi, whence he proceeded to Anapli. The latter volunteered to act as Mavrocordato's secretary.

This gentleman was born at Zagori, a district not far from Ioanina, famous throughout the Levant for its breed of itinerant quacks. The male population consists solely of M.D.'s; Zagoriot and doctor being synonymes; and indeed, the medical profession becomes, in their hands, so lucrative, as entirely to supersede the necessity of any other. An idea of their wealth may be formed from their houses, which are well-built, spacious, and the best furnished in Turkey. When at home, they live like gentlemen at large.

It may not prove uninteresting to those, who wish to ascertain the state of medicine in Turkey, to hear some particulars relative to the education and qualifications, requisite to obtain a degree at this singular university. The first thing taught to the young men is the professional language; a dissonant jargon composed purposely to carry on their business, hold consultations, &c. without being understood by any being in existence but themselves. They are then taught reading sufficiently to decipher the pages of their corpoσot, or manuscript, containing a selection of deceptive formulæ, for all possible diseases, incident to human nature. When a candidate has given before the elders proofs of his proficiency in these attainments, they declare him to be, dignus entrare in docto nostro corpore; and he then prepares to leave

Zagori. The Zagoriots generally travel about Turkey in small bands, composed of six or eight different individuals, each of whom has a separate part to perform, like strolling players. One is the Signor Dottore. He never enters a town, but mounted on a gaudy-caparisoned horse, dressed in long robes, with a round hat and neckcloth; never opening his mouth but ex cathedrá, his movements are performed with due professional gravity, and he is at all times attended by his satellites. One is the apothecary; the second the dragoman; for it is the doctor's privilege not to comprehend a syllable of any other language but the Zagoriot; a third is the herald, who, endued with a surprising volubility of tongue, announces through the streets and in the public squares, the arrival of the incomparable doctor; enumerates the wonderful cures he has performed; and entreats the people to avail themselves of this providential opportunity: for not only does he possess secrets for the cure of actual diseases, but of insuring against their future attacks. He possesses the happy talent too of ingravidating the barren, and leaves it to their choice, to have male or female, &c. &c. He is skilled in the performance of operations for the stone, cataracts, hernia, dislocations, &c.

Two others, who pass under the denomination of servants, employ their time in going from house to house in quest of patients; and as, from their menial employment, they are thought to be disinterested, credit is the more easily given to their word. Thus they journey from town to town, hardly ever remaining more than a fortnight in any place. After a tour of five or six years, they return for a while to their families, and divide in equal shares the gains of their charlatanism. On a second journey, they all change parts, in order to escape detection. The dottore

yields his dignity to the servant, and does the same offices to him, as he was wont to receive; the dragoman becomes herald, the herald apothecary, &c.

The wealth of the Zagoriots attracted the cupidity of Ali Pasha. Some of the richest had time to escape over to Europe. The rest of the population had to pay the enormous impositions, this despot annually laid upon their province. For these motives, had Mr. Polychroniades fled from his country; but although during his prolonged stay in Europe he picked up some information, he did not yet become a great proficient in science, which indeed he only cultivated as a Zagoriot does medicine.

We were also honoured by the society of Mr. Prassino, eparch of Xeromero and Vonitza, who came to pay a visit to Mavrocordato, emissary of the Hetareia; he informed us of the apathy, testified by the Greek population to the calls of liberty, when before the bursting out of the revolution he travelled about the country, to ascertain the state of the public feeling. He never expected, he said, that, of their own accord, his countrymen would throw off the yoke, to which they seemed so well accustomed. Ali Pasha's death, and Sultan Mahmoud's cruel conduct towards the Greeks at Constantinople, and the clergy throughout Turkey, were the chief causes of the insurrection, according to his judgment.

There can be little doubt but the Albanian Pasha's long resistance and fall were the principal circumstances, which opened the eyes of the Greeks; by making them acquainted with the weakness of Turkey; and also by removing the only fear that could keep them under direct control. If Ali Pasha had continued to govern Albania, so universal was the dread of his power, that even the thought of a revolution would never have entered the minds of the Greeks;

or, most assuredly, if it had ever arisen, it would have been quelled in a moment, by the troops he could instantly have poured into the Morea, in the same manner as the insurrection of 1779.

Mr. Prassino had become civilized in Russia; not the best school certainly to learn liberal principles. He did not, at least, show himself better than the generality of Logiotati; hence, in the administration of his prefecture, he sacrificed every consideration to the shrine of self-interest. They did not act in so glaring a manner as the capitani; but, uniting more cunning to equal rapacity, they imitated those birds of prey, who profit by the obscurity and silence of night, to commit the greater havoc.

CHAPTER XXV.

Author, &c. arrive at Anatolico-Character of PorphyriusPhoca-Adventure of Giulbeyaz-Meeting of the assemblySubjects debated-Prefectures-Author determines on going to Athens.

HARDLY had a week elapsed after Mavrocordato's departure from Ligovitzi, when the principal capitani (orparnyoì) began, one after the other, to leave the camp; showing how little they cared about the late proclamation of the government, which threatened every capitano, who should, without permission, abandon his post, with loss of all his dignities, and the severest punishment. Macri, as usual, was among the first to show the bad example. Under pretence of revenging the death of a nephew of Dova, his protopalichari, who in a drunken party had been killed by some Mesolonghiots, he advanced with his men towards Mesolonghi; and during several days blockaded it by land. Hardly five hundred men remained at Ligovitzi.

Providentially for Acarnania and Ætolia, the same spirit of dissension and anarchy existed in the enemy's camp; the attention of every Albanian, therefore, was directed to the disturbances which agitated the interior of his country. Hassan Bey and many of the petty chiefs had united with Silictar Potha, who had entered into open hostilities with Omer Pasha. They were all impatient to return home. The rainy season, which, this year, set in earlier than usual, made them grow louder and louder in their demands; but as soon as information was brought to their camp,