KYRIACOS PHAIDRO-GREEK RITES AND CEREMONIES. 233 intellect and information, possessing a thorough knowledge of his own, and of several foreign languages. He is, indeed, a complete contrast to many of his ignorant and self-sufficient countrymen in Smyrna; although born and bred there, and, I believe, never was a dozen miles from it in his life. With that genuine love of his country, which is inseparable from a really enlightened mind, he sees and acknowledges the defects the charlatanerie of its ecclesiastical constitutions; and laments the want of unanimity evident in its political career. Besides giving instruction in Greek, he acts as clerk to a Levant merchant here; and thus contrives to eke out a very narrow income by the most unremitting and well-directed industry. Unfortunately we did not arrive till the ceremony was half finished. The archbishop was in his chair of state, and in the act of consecrating a quantity of bread, surrounded by a croud of "worshippers." Six immense cakes were brought forward in a basket, in which was a seventh of moderate size, which was blessed and set apart for the primate's own supper; the rest were supposed to be distributed among the poor. But I am well in 234 SMYRNA-GREEK EPISCOPAL CROISIER. formed, that the priests themselves, unwilling that so gross an aliment should feed their flock, bestow on them benedictions en masse, but retain the cakes for their own private use. These facts prove how much every modification of the Catholic religion is capable of being perverted; and how little the honesty of a body of men so regulated and so maintained is to be depended on: but this is a question I have no design to pursue. I know it may give occasion to a hundred remarks; but I know also that it may be well and sufficiently upheld; here I shall leave it. The Greek episcopal croisier is unlike that of Rome. Each side is formed by the twisted head of a serpent, in a manner like the following: ро On departing, the archbishop took up a small cross, a few inches in length, and waved it, while he bestowed his blessing on the assembled people. I caught his eye several CEREMONIES OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. 235 times; and, as it afterwards appeared, was the cause of some questions and curiosity. He enquired of Kyriacos why he had not introduced me to him; and bade him remember, that his house was open to every Englishman, and to every friend of his. I was glad to find my Greek master stand so well with his "DESPOT." The archbishop is an old man, of rather a venerable appearance; and shews more of the gentleman than the majority of his cloth in this country. From hence we went to the church of the Armenians; but again we were too late. They were just dispersing. I observed, however, a custom which prevails here every Saturday, called, in Greek, μvnμóovvoc, or the day of memorial. The church-yard was absolutely covered with small chafing-dishes, into which was thrown a compound of rosin and myrrh, intended, as an Armenian priest, whom we questioned, said, "for the gain of the living, and remembrance of the dead." They suppose that the souls of the departed take pleasure in seeing the cloud rise upward from the grave, bearing with it the prayers and reminiscences of the friends whom they have 236 SMYRNA-CEREMONIES OF THE ARMENIAN CHURCH. loved; and in truth the observance is as harmless as any that I have noticed. It may serve to recal the heart from its wanderings, and convince it of its frailness and mortality. At least, if the frequency of the occurrence does not weaken the effect, it may soothe and soften the mind when it renews its intercourse with the world, by presenting images of the most grateful order, by flattering it with holding a sort of direct communication with the spirits "of just men made perfect," and by filling it with the hope of walking securely in the same path, and of preserving in turn the same connexions it has loved and left. They have ample faith for all this. When I asked the priest upon what ground they performed the ceremony, he said, "It was a tradition which they had received from their fathers, and it was his duty to perform it without seeking for a reason. The composition which they burn, is put up into small paper parcels, and provided by the priests, who charge a few paras for each portion. A sort of money-till stands beside the basket. On a stone, forming part of a fountain, opposite the gate of the Armenian church, is an ancient Greek inscription, دو FRANK MERCHANTS OF SMYRNA. 237 which I had not time to copy. This I regret the less, as in all probability it will be given hereafter by Mr. Arundell. Sunday, 13th Feb.-We hear that the viceconsul of this place, (a merchant,) and his family, are to have a passage with us to Malta! People have positively no consciences, though certain of them have abundant officiousness, self-conceit, and ridiculous pretensions. "Like to the bending shoulders of our anticks, The Franks in Smyrna are, to this day, the very same that they were in the days of Anastasius; and what they then were, the reader may perceive by the subjoined extract. "In that trucking, trafficking city, peoples' ideas run upon nothing but merchandize: their discourse only varies between the exchanges |