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liberty-blue is the emblem of constancy, without which every enterprise fails. The Neapolitan armies raised the flag of the Carbonari. It was also raised in Piedmont during the revolution. The object of the institution was to clear the Apennines of the ravening wolves which infest them. The Apennines signify all Italy; the ravening wolves are the foreign rulers, the oppressors of the people, and all the agents of power who gave into arbitrary proceedings against them. The efforts of the Carbonari consisted in spreading their principles, in enlightening the people, and in creating an Italian League, to recover the independence of the Italian states from foreign powers, and establish internal liberty. The Abruzzas, and even Calabrias, have witnessed the most astonishing conversions. The banditti, who infested the mountains, have changed the musket for the hoe-so much have they been affected by pure and enthusiastic admonition.

The Carbonari is composed of all classes of the people. The noble and the peasant, the soldier and the priest, the sailor and the citizen, the judge and the lazaroni, are united in it.

MORLACCHI.

THESE are the inhabitants of Morlachia, in Dalmatia. They chiefly inhabit the pleasant valleys of Koter, along the rivers Kerha, Cettina, Narenta, and among the inland mountains of Dalmatia. They are by some said to be of Walachian extraction, as is indicated by their name: Morlachia being a contraction of MauroWalachia, that is, Black Walachia; and the Walachians are said to be descendants of the ancient Roman colonies planted in these countries, This, however, is denied by the Abbé Fortis, who published a volume of travels in that country. He informs us, that the origin of the Morlacchi is involved in the darkness of barbarous ages, together with that of many other nations, resembling them so much in customs and language; that they may be taken for one people, dispersed in the vast tracts from the Adriatic Sea to the Frozen ocean.

The emigrations of the various tribes of the Slavi, who, under the names of Scythians, Geti, Goths, Hunns, Slavini, Croats, Avari, and Vandals, invaded the Roman empire, and particularly the Illyrian provinces, during he decline of the empire, must have strangely perplexed the genealogies of the nations which inhabited it, and which perhaps removed thither in the same manner as at more remote periods of time. The remainder of the Ardici, Autariati, and the other Illyrian people anciently settled in Dalmatia, who would not reconcile themselves to a dependence on the Romans, might nevertheless form a union with foreign invaders, resembling themselves in dialect and customs; and, according to our author, many families, driven out of Hungary by the Mogul Jenghiz Khan and his successors, might people the deserted valleys among the mountains of Dalmatia.

This conjecture is also somewhat confirmed by the traces of the Calmuk Tartars, still to be found in a part of that country called Zara. With regard to the etymology of the name, the Abbé observes,

that the Morlacchi generally call themselves, in their own language, Vlassi; a national term, of which no vestige is found in the records of Dalmatia until the thirteenth century. It signifies powerful men, or men of authority: and the denomination of Moro Vlassi, now corrupted to Morlacchi, may perhaps point out the origin of the nation. This word may possibly signify the conquerors that came from the sea; Moor, in all the dialects of the Sclavonian language, signifying the sea.

The Morlacchi are so different from the inhabitants of the seacoast in dialect, dress, dispositions, and customs, that they seem clearly to be of a different origin, or at least the colonies must have settled at such distant periods from each other, that they have had time to alter in a great measure their national character. There is also a remarkable diversity among the Morlacchi themselves in different districts, probably on account of the different countries from whence they came. With regard to their character, they are much misrepresented by their maritime neighbours. The inhabitants of the sea coast of Dalmatia tell many frightful stories of their avarice and cruelty; but these, in our author's opinion, are all either of an ancient date, or, if any have happened in later times, they ought rather to be ascribed to the corruption of a few individuals, than to the bad disposition of the nation in general; and though thievish tricks are frequent among them, he informs us that a stranger may travel securely through this country, where he is faithfully escorted and hospitably treated.

The greatest danger is from the Haiducks, or banditti, of whom there are great numbers among the woods and caves of these dreadful mountains on the confines. There, says our author, a man ought to get himself escorted by a couple of these honest fellows: for they are not capable of betraying him, although a banditti; and their situation is commonly more apt to create compassion than diffidence. They live among the wolves, wandering from one precipice to another, exposed to the severity of the seasons, and often languish in want of the necessaries of life, in the most hideous and solitary caverns. Yet they very seldom disturb the tranquillity of others, and prove always faithful guides to travellers; the chief objects of their rapine being sheep and oxen, to supply them with food and shoes. Sometimes it happens, that, in their extreme necessity, the Haiducks go in parties to the shepherds' cottages, and rudely demand something to eat; which they immediately take by force, if any hesitation is made. It is seldom, indeed, that they meet with a refusal, or with resistance, as their resolution and fury is well known to be equal to the savage life they lead.

The Haiducks look upon it as a meritorious action to kill the Turks, being led to this, not only by their natural ferocity, but inflamed by a mistaken zeal for religion, and the discourses of their fanatic priests. But the Morlacchi are open and sincere to such a degree, that they would be taken for simpletons in any other country; and accordingly they have been so often duped by the Italians that the faith of an Italian, and the faith of a dog, are synonymous among them. They are very hospitable to strangers; and their hos

pitality is equally conspicuous among the rich and poor. The rich prepares a roasted lamb or sheep, and the poor with equal cordiality offers whatever he has; nor is this generosity confined to strangers, but generally extends itself to all who are in want.

When a Morlach is on a journey, and comes to lodge at a friend's house, the eldest daughter, or the new-married bride, if there happens to be one, receives and kisses him when he alights from his horse, or at the door of the house, but a foreigner is rarely favoured with these female civilities; on the contrary, the young women hide themselves, and keep out of the way.

The Morlacchi have little notion of domestic economy, and often consume in a week as much as would be sufficient for several months, whenever any occasion of merriment occurs. A marriage, the holyday of a saint, the arrival of relations or friends, or any other joyful incident, consumes all the provisions in the house. Yet they are great economists of their wearing apparel. Nothing but an absolute impossibility binders a Morlach from being punctual, and if he cannot repay the money he borrowed at the appointed time, he carries a small present to his creditor, and requests a longer term. Thus, from term to term, and present to present, he often pays double what he owed.

Friendship is lasting among the Morlacchi. They have even made it a kind of religious point, and tie the sacred bond at the foot of the altar. The Sclavonian ritual contains a particular benediction for the solemn union of two males or two females in presence of the congregation. The male friends thus united are called Pobratimi, and the female Posestreme, which means, half-brothers and half-sisters. Their duties are, to assist each other in every case of need or danger, to revenge mutual wrongs, and such like. The enthusiasm is often carried so far as to risk and lose lives for each other, although these savage friends are not celebrated like Pylades and Orestes. If discord happens to arise between two friends, it is talked of all over the country as a scandalous novelty; and there have been some recent examples of it, which the old Morlacchi attribute to their intercourse with the Italians. But as the friendships of the Morlacchi are strong, so their quarrels are unextinguishable. They pass from father to son; and the mothers put their children in mind of their duty to revenge their father, if he has had the misfortune to be killed, and to shew them often the bloody shirt and arms of the dead.

A Morlach is naturally inclined to do good to his fellow-creatures, and is full of gratitude for the smallest benefit, but implacable if insulted or injured. A Morlach who has killed another of a powerful family, commonly saves himself by flight, and keeps out of the way for several years. If during that time he has been fortunate enough to escape the search of his pursuers, and has got a small sum of money, he endeavours to obtain pardon and peace; and that he may treat about the conditions in person, he asks and obtains a safeconduct, which is faithfully maintained, though only verbally granted. Then he finds mediators, and on the appointed day the relations of the hostile families meet, and the criminal is introduced, dragging himself along on his hands and feet, the musket, pistol, or cutlass, with

which he committed the murder, hung about his neck; and while he continues in that humble posture, one or more of his relations recites a panegyric on the dead, which sometimes rekindles the flame of revenge, and puts the poor prostrate in no small danger. It is the custom in some places for the offended party to threaten the criminal, holding all kinds of arms to his throat, and, after much entreaty, to consent at last to accept of his ransom. These pacifications cost dear in Albania, but the Morlacchi make up matters sometimes at a small expense; and every where the business is concluded with a feast at the offender's charge.

The Morlachs, whether they be of the Roman or Greek church, have very singular ideas about religion; and the ignorance of their teachers daily augment this evil. They are as firmly persuaded of the reality of witches, fairies, enchantments, nocturnal apparitions, and sortileges, as if they had seen a thousand examples of them. Nor do they make the least doubt about the existence of vampyres; and attribute to them, as in Transylvania, the sucking the blood of infants. Therefore, when a man dies suspected of becoming a vampyre, or vukodlak, as they call it, they cut his hams, and prick his whole body with pins, pretending, that after this operation he cannot walk about. There are even instances of Morlacchi, who, imagining that they may possibly thirst for children's blood after death, intreat their heirs, and sometimes oblige them to promise to treat them as vampyres when they die. The boldest Haiduck would fly trembling from the apprehension of a spectre, ghost, or phantom, or such like goblins, as the heated imaginations of credulous and superstitious people lead them to think they see. The women are still more timorous, and some of them, by often hearing themselves called witches, actually believe they are so.

Great discord reigns in Morlachia between the Latin and Greek communions, which their respective priests fail not to foment, by telling a thousand little scandalous stories of each other. The churches of the Latins are poor, but clean; those of the Greeks are poor, but shamefully ill kept. Our author has seen the curate of a Morlach village sitting on the ground in the churchyard to hear the confession of women on their knees by his side: a strange posture indeed! but a proof of the innocent manners of those good people, who have the most profound veneration for their spiritual pastors; who, on their part, frequently make use of a discipline rather military, and correct the bodies of their offending flock with the cudgel.

They also impose on the credulity of these poor mountaneers, by selling certain superstitious scrolls, called zapiz, on which they write sacred names, and sometimes add others very improperly joined. The virtues attributed to these zapiz are of the same nature as those which the Basilidians attributed to their monstrously cut stones. The Morlacchi carry them sewed in their caps, to cure or prevent diseases, and tie them to the horns of their oxen. The composers of the trumpery take every method to maintain the credit of their profitable trade, in spite of its absurdity, and the frequent proofs of its inutility. And so great has their success been, that not only the Morlacchi, but even the Turks near the borders, provide themselves plentifully with

zapiz from the Christian priests, which not a little increases their income, as well as the reputation of the commodity.

The Morlacchi having also much devotion, and many of the ignorant people in Italy having little less, to certain copper and silver coins of the low empire, or to Venetian contemporary pieces, which pass among them for medals of St. Helen, they think they cure the epilepsy and such like. They are equally fond of an Hungarian coin called fretizza, which has the Virgin and Child on the reverse; and one of those is a most acceptable present to a Morlach.

The bordering Turks not only keep with devotion the superstitious zapiz, but frequently bring presents, and cause masses to be celebrated to the image of the Virgin, which is doubtless in contradiction to the Koran; yet when saluted in the usual manner in that country, by the name of Jesus, they do not answer. Hence, when the Morlacchi, or other travellers, meet them on the confines, they do not say, Huaglian Issus, "Jesus be praised," but Huaglian Bog, "God be praised." Innocence, and the natural liberty of pastoral ages, are still preserved among the Morlacchi. Pure cordiality of sentiment is not there restrained by circumstances. A young handsome Morlach girl, who meets a man of her district on the road, kisses him affectionately, without the least immodest thought; and our author has seen all the women and girls, all the young men and old, kissing one another as they came into the church yard, on a holiday on the road, and at the fairs in the maritime towns. In times of feasting and merriment, however, amours often take their beginning, and frequently end in marriage when the lovers are agreed. For it very rarely happens in places distant from the coast, that a Morlach often carries off a girl against her will, or dishonours her; and were such attempts made, the young woman would be able to defend herself, the women in that country being little less robust than the men. But the custom is for the woman herself to appoint the time and place of being carried off, in order to extricate herself from other suitors from whom she may have received some token of love, as a brass ring, a little knife, or such like. The dress of the unmarried women is the most complex and whimsical, in respect to the ornaments of the head; for when they are married, they are not allowed to wear any thing but a handkerchief tied about it. The girls use a scarlet cap, to which they commonly fasten a veil hanging down upon the shoulders, as a mark of virginity. The better sort adorn their caps with different sorts of silver coins, among which are frequently seen very ancient and valuable ones; they have also ear-rings of very curious workmanship, and have small silver chains with the figures of half-moons fastened to the end of them. But the poor content themselves with plain caps, or, if they have any ornaments, they consist only of small exotic shells, small glass-beads, or bits of tin. The principal merit of these caps is to attract attention by the noise they make on the least motion of their heads. Hence half-moons of silver or of tin, little chains and hearts, false stones and shells, together with all kind of splendid trumpery, are readily admitted into their hair-dress.

In some districts, they fix tufts of various colours, resembling two horns, on their caps; in others, set artificial flowers; and in the

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