Ρώσσος, Αγγλος, καὶ Γάλλος κάμνοντες τὴν περιήγησιν τῆς Ελλάδος, καὶ βλε ποντες τὴν ἀθλίαν τὴν κατάστασιν, ἐρώτησαν καταρχὰς ἕνα Γραικὸν φιλέλ ληνα διὰ νὰ μάθουν τὴν αἰτίαν, μετ ̓ αὐτὸν ἕνα μητροπολίτην, εἶτα ἕνα βλάχμπεην, ἔπειτα ἕνα πραγματευτὴν καὶ ἕνα προεστῶτα.

Εἰπέ μας,

φιλέλληνα, πῶς φέρεις τὴν σκλαβίαν
καὶ τὴν ἀπαρηγόρητον τῶν Τούρκων τυραννίαν,
πῶς ταῖς ξυλιαῖς καὶ ὑβρισμοὺς καὶ σιδηροδεσμίαν
παίδων, παρθένων, γυναικῶν ἀνήκουστον φθορείαν.
Δὲν εἶσθ ̓ ἐσεῖς ἀπόγονοι ἐκείνων τῶν Ελλήνων
τῶν ἐλευθέρων καὶ σοφῶν καὶ τῶν φιλοπατρίδων ;
καὶ πῶς ἐκεῖνοι απέθνησκον; διὰ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν.

* A translation of this song will be found in the second volume.

καὶ τώρα ἐσεῖς ὑπόκεισθε εἰς τέτοιαν τυραννίαν !
καὶ ποιον γένος ὡς ἐσεῖς ἐστάθη φωτισμένον
εἰς τὴν σοφίαν, δύναμιν, εἰς κ ̓ ὅλα ξακουσμένον ;
πῶς νῦν ἐκαταστήσατε τὴν φωτεινὴν Ελλάδα;
βαβαί! ὡς ἕνα σκέλεθρον, ως σκοτεινὴν λαμπάδα.
Ομίλει, φίλτατε Γραικέ, είπέ μας τὴν αἰτίαν,
μὴ κρύπτης τίποτες, ἡμῶν λύε τὴν ἀπορίαν.
Ο ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ.

Ρωσσαγγλογάλλοι, Ελλὰς, καὶ ὄχι ἄλλοι,
ἦτον, ὡς λέτε, τόσον μεγάλη.

νῦν δὲ αθλία, καὶ ἀναξία
ἀφ ̓ οὗ ἄρχισεν ἡ ἀμαθία,
ὅσ ̓ ἠμποροῦσαν νὰ τὴν ξυπνοῦσι
τοῦτ ̓ εἰς τὸ χεῖρον τὴν ὁδηγοῦσι.
αὐτὴ στενάζει, τὰ τέκνα κράζει,
στὸ νὰ προκόπτουν ὅλα προστάζει,
καὶ τότ ̓ ἐλπίζει ὅτι κερδίζει
εὑρεῖν ἐκεῖνο ποὺ τὴν φλογίζει.
Μὰ ὅστις τολμήσει νὰ τὴν ξυπνήσῃ

πάγει στὸν ἅδην χωρίς τινα κρίσιν.

The above is the commencement of a long dramatic satire on the Greek priesthood, princes, and gentry; it is contemptible as a composition, but perhaps curious as a specimen of their rhyme; I have the whole in MS. but this extract will be found sufficient. The Romaic in this composition is so easy as to render a version an insult to a scholar; but those who do not understand the original will excuse the following bad translation of what is in itself indifferent.

TRANSLATION.

A Russian, Englishman, and Frenchman, making the tour of Greece, and observing the miserable state of the country, interrogate, in turn, a Greek Patriot, to learn the cause; afterwards an Archbishop, then a Vlackbey,* a merchant, and Cogia Bachi or Primate.

Thou friend of thy country! to strangers record
Why bear ye the yoke of the Ottoman lord?
Why bear ye these fetters thus tamely display'd,

The wrongs of the matron, the stripling, and maid ?

The descendants of Hellas's race are not ye?

The patriot sons of the sage and the free,
Thus sprung from the blood of the noble and brave,
To vilely exist as the Mussulman's slave!

Not such were the fathers your annals can boast,

Who conquered and died for the freedom you lost :
Not such was your land in her earlier hour,
The day-star of nations in wisdom and power!
And still will you thus unresisting increase,
Oh shameful dishonour! the darkness of Greece?
Then tell us, beloved Achman ! reveal

The cause of the woes which you cannot conceal,

The reply of the Philhellenist I have not translated, as it is no better than the question of the travelling triumvirate; and the above will sufficiently show with what kind of composition the Greeks are now satisfied. I trust I have not much injured the original in the few lines given as faithfully, and as near the "Oh, Miss Bailey ! unfortunate Miss Bailey !” measure of the Romaic, as I could make them. Almost all their pieces, above a song, which aspire to the name of poetry, contain exactly the quantity of feet of

"A captain bold of Halifax who lived in country quarters," which is in fact the present heroic couplet of the Romaic.

* Vlackbey, Prince of Wallachia.

SCENE FROM Ο' ΚΑΦΕΝΕΣ.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN OF GOLDONI BY SPIRIDON VLANTI.
ΣΚΗΝΗ ΚΓ'.

ΠΛΑΤΖΙΔΑ εἰς τὴν πόρταν τοῦ χανιοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἄνωθεν.

ΠΛΑ. Ως Θεό! ἀπὸ τὸ παραθύρι μοῦ ἐφάνη νὰ ἀκούσω τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ ανδρός μου· ἂν αὐτὸς εἶναι ἐδῶ, ἔφθασα σὲ καιρὸν νὰ τὸν ξεντροπιάσω. [Εὐγαίνει ἕνας δοῦλος ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι.] Παλικάρι, πές μου, σε παρακαλῶ, ποιὸς εἶναι ἐκεῖ εἰς ἐκείνους τοὺς ὀντάδες ;

ΔΟΥΛ. Τρεις χρήσιμοι ἄνδρες. Ενας ὁ κύρ Εὐγένιος, ὁ ἄλλος ὁ κύρ Μάρτιος Νεαπολιτάνος, καὶ ὁ τρίτος ὁ Κῦρ Κόντε Λέανδρος Αρδέντης.

ΠΛΑ. Ανάμεσα εἰς αὐτοὺς δὲν εἶναι ὁ Φλαμίνιος, ἂν ὅμως δὲν ἄλλαξεν ὄνομα.

ΛΕΑ. Νὰ ζῆ ἡ καλὴ τύχη τοῦ κύρ Εὐγενίου. [Πίνωντας.]

ΟΛΟΙ. Νὰ ζῷ, νὰ ζῇ.

ΠΛΑ. Αὐτὸς εἶναι ὁ ἄνδρας μου χωρὶς ἄλλο. Καλὲ ἄνθρωπε, κάμε μου τὴν χαρὶν νὰ μὲ συντροφούσης ἀπάνω εἰς αὐτοὺς τοὺς ἀφεντάδες, ὁποῦ θέλω νὰ τοὺς παίξω μίαν. [Πρὸς τὸν δοῦλον.]

ΔΟΥ. Ορισμός σας (συνηθισμένον ὀφφίκιον τῶν δουλευτῶν.) [Τὴν ἐμε πάζει ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι τοῦ παιγνιδιού.]

ΡΙΔ. Καρδιά, καρδια, κάμετε καλὴν καρδιὰν, δὲν εἶναι τίποτες. [Πρὸς τὴν Βιττόριαν.]

ΒΙΤ. Εγὼ αἰσθάνομαι πῶς ἀπεθαίνω. [Συνέρχεται εἰς τὸν ἑαυτόν της.]

[Από τα παραθύρα τῶν ὀντάδων φαίνονται ὅλοι, ὁποῦ σηκόνωνται ἀπὸ τὸ τραπέζι συγχισμένοι, διὰ τόν ξαφνισμὸν τοῦ Λεάνδρου βλέπωντας τὴν Πλάτζιδα, καὶ διατὶ αὐτὸς δείχνει πῶς θέλει νὰ τὴν φονεύση.]

ΕΥΓ. Οχι, σταθῆτε.

ΜΑΡ. Μὴν κάμνετε...

ΛΕΑ. Σήκω, φύγε ἀπ' ἐδώ.

ΠΛΑ. Βοήθεια, βοήθεια. [Φεύγει ἀπὸ τὴν σκάλαν· ὁ Λέανδρος θέλει να τὴν ἀκολουθήσῃ μὲ τὸ σπαθὶ, καὶ ὁ Εὐγ. τὸν βαστᾷ.]

[ΤΡΑ. Μὲ ἕνα πιάτο μὲ φαγὶ εἰς μίαν πετζέτα πηδᾷ ἀπὸ τὸ παραθύρι, καὶ φεύγει εἰς τὸν καφενέ.]

[ΗΛΑ. Εὐγαίνει ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι τοῦ παιγνιδιοῦ τρέχωντας, καὶ φεύγει εἰς τὸ χάνι.

[ΕΥΓ. Μὲ ἅρματα εἰς τὸ χέρι πρὸς διαφέντευσιν τῆς Πλάτζιδας, ἐναντίον τοῦ Λεάνδρου, ὁποῦ τὴν κατατρέχει.]

[ΜΑΡ. Εὐγαίνει καὶ αὐτὸς σιγὰ σιγὰ ἀπὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι, καὶ φεύγει λέγωντας• Rumores fuge.] [Ρουμόρες φεύγε.] *

[Οἱ Δοῦλοι απὸ τὸ ἐργαστήρι ἀπερνοῦν εἰς τὸ χάνι, καὶ κλειοῦν τὴν πόρταν.] [BIT. Μένει εἰς τὸν καφενὲ βοηθημένη ἀπὸ τὸν Ριδόλφον.]

ΛΕΑ. Δόσετε τύπον· θέλω νὰ ἔμβὼ νὰ ἔμβω εἰς ἐκεῖνο το χάνι. [Μὲ τὸ σπαθὶ εἰς τὸ χέρι ἐναντίον τοῦ Εὐγενίου.]

ΕΥΓ. Οχι, μὴ γένοιτο ποτέ. εἶσαι ἕνας σκληροκάρδος ἐναντίον τῆς γυναικός σου, καὶ ἐγω θέλει τὴν διαφεντεύσω ὡς εἰς τὸ ὕστερον αἷμα.

ΛΕΑ. Σου κάμνω ὅρκον πῶς θέλει τὸ μετανοιώσης. [Κυνηγᾷ τὸν Εὐγένιον μὲ τὸ σπαθί.]

ΕΥ̓Γ. Δὲν σὲ φοβοῦμαι. [Κατατρέχει τον Λέανδρον, καὶ τὸν βιάζει νὰ συρθῇ ὀπίσω τότον, ὁποῦ εὑρίσκωντας ἀνοικτὸν τὸ σπῆτι τῆς χορεύτριας, ἀμ. βαίνει εἰς αὐτὸς καὶ σώνεται.]

* Λόγος λατινικός, ὁποῦ θέλει νὰ εἰπῇ φοῦγε ταῖς σύγχισες»

TRANSLATION.

Placida at the door of the Hotel, and the Others

Pla. Oh God! from the window it seemed that I heard my husband's voice. If he is here, I have arrived in time to make him ashamed. (A Servant enters from the Shop.) Boy, tell me, pray, who are in those chambers?

Serv. Three gentlemen: one Signor Eugenio; the other Signor Martio, the Neapolitan; and the third, my Lord, the Count Leander Ardenti.

Pla, Flaminio is not amongst these, unless he has changed his name. Leander (Within, drinking). Long live the good fortune of Signor Eugenio. (The whole Company). Long live, &c. (Literally, Na C, và 5, May he live.) Pla. Without doubt that is my husband. (To the Serv.) My good man, do me the favour to accompany me above to those gentlemen: I have some business. Serv. At your commands. (Aside.) The old office of us waiters. (He goes out of the Gaming-House.)

Ridolpho. (To Victoria on another part of the Stage.) Courage, courage, be of good cheer, it is nothing.

Victoria. I feel as if about to die. (Leaning on him as if fainting.)

(From the windows above, all within are seen rising from the table in confusion: Leander starts at the sight of Placida, and appears by his gestures to threaten her life.

Eugenio. No, stop——

Martio. Don't attempt

Leander. Away, fly from hence!

Pla. Help! help! (Flies down the stairs: Leander attempting to follow with his sword, Eugenio hinders him.)

(Trappola with a plate of meat leaps over the balcony from the window, and runs into the Coffee-house.)

(Placida runs out of the Gaming-house, and takes shelter in the Hotel.) (Martio steals softly out of the Gaming-house, and goes off exclaiming, “Rumores fuge." The Servants from the Gaming-House enter the Hotel, and shut the door.)

(Victoria remains in the Coffee-house, assisted by Ridolpho.)

(Leander, sword in hand, opposite Eugenio, exclaims, Give way-I will enter that hotel.)

Eugenio. No, that shall never be. You are a scoundrel to your wife, and I will defend her to the last drop of my blood.

Leander. I will give you cause to repent this. (Menacing with his sword.) Eugenio. I fear you not. (He attacks Leander and makes him give back so much, that, finding the door of the Dancing-girl's house open, Leander escapes through, and so finishes.)*

ΔΙΑΛΟΓΟΙ ΟΙΚΙΑΚΟΙ'.

Διὰ νὰ ζητήσης ἕνα πράγμα.

Σᾶς παρακαλῶ, δόσετέ με ἂν ὁρίζετε.
Φέρετέ με.
Δανείσετέ με.

FAMILIAR DIALOGUES.

To ask for any thing.
I pray you, give me if you please.
Bring me.

Lend me.

* Závera" finishes"-awkwardly enough, but it is the literal translation of the Romaic. The original of the comedy of Goldoni's I never read, but it does not appear one of his best. "Il Bugiardo" is one of the most lively; but I do not think it has been translated into Romaic: it is much more amusing than our own "Liar" by Foote. The character of Lelio is better drawn than Young Wilding. Goldoni's comedies amount to fifty; some perhaps the best in Europe, and others the worst. His life is also one of the best specimens of autobiography, and, as Gibbon has observed, "more dramatic than any of his plays." The above scene was selected as containing some of the most familiar Romaic idioms, not for any wit which it displays, since there is more done than said, the greater part consisting of stage directions. The original is one of the few comedies by Goldoni which is without the buffoonery of the speaking Harlequin.

Ως ἀκριβέ μου Κύριε, κάμετε με αυ- My dear Sir, do me this favour.

Σᾶς παρακαλῶ νὰ μὲ μεταχειρίζεσθε I beg you will treat me freely.