GARSTON'S GREECE REVISITED, AND SKETCHES IN EGYPT.

MR. GARSTON was one of the original Pbilhellenes who entered the service of Greece when there was little to be got in it beyond hard knocks and the privilege of "finding oneself." His warlike career, however, was cut short by a series of attacks and relapses of fever, which at last compelled him to leave the country. His present trip to Greece as a kingdom seems to have been prompted by a desire to revisit such of his old companions in arms as were left alive, and to observe the changes that had taken place in the ap- pearance of things since his campaigning days. Curiosity was the motive of his journey to Egypt ; which he also proposed to have gratified by a journey to Palestine, but the rheumatism and the plague together defeated his purposes, and limited his route to Athens, a few of the Islands, Alexandria, Cairo, and the Pyramids. This was not a very new field, even to persons much more in- formed in classical antiquities and Oriental lore than Mr. GAR8TON but his former experience gave him an advantage over a tourist who might be better qualified than himself in acquired knoivledge. He could compare the present with the past, in relation to a fifteen years that has perhaps caused more changes in Greece than the whole previous period between the Turkish conquest and this century ; so that many striking points suggested themselves to his mind that would have been lost by another person. Ho ac- qnaintance among the native population was both more consider- able and more intimate than any common tourist could possibly attain, especially at a time when foreigners are not looked upon by the Greeks with indiscriminate regard ; and this enables him to give many sketches of native characters, and to vary his pages with biographical reminiscences of the heroes of the war. Mr. GAa- srow s repute as an original Philhellene also procured him some civilities from the Court and Government, (as he does not appear to have asked place or money from them, though the King gave him a riband); and be had thus opportunities of seeing what was going on in the world of fashion. These circumstances give to Greece Rerisited a greater air of freshness than might have been looked for in the narrative of a route, which, traversed by so many, re- quires great knowledge or great abilities to invest with novelty. Mr. GAMMON, moreover, is rather an agreeable writer ; without native power indeed, or acquired skill, and displaying little of depth or acumen; but plain, unaffected, and lively ; and sometimes, by a literal description of what he sees before him, conveying a better idea of things as they actually are than a more artistical sketch.

It is not to be inferred from this that Greece Revisited will con- vey any new information to the general reader, or that it possesses such an intrinsic interest in its incidents and characters as to render its perusal absolutely desirable. It is a pleasant but some- what common account of a tour by a person to whom circum- stances gave favourable opportunities of observation and of elicit- ing points by contrast—of seeing from two points of view instead of one.

The "Thirty-six Hours of a Campaign in Greece" of the title- page forms a sort of addendum to the volumes, and describes a night-march to attack Tripolitza, then held by part of the army of Inamnst Pasha ; but, owing to a variety of " untoward" cir- cumstances, the tables were turned upon the Patriots, who were assailed instead of assailing. This scents to have been the most important "affair" in which his health allowed our author to be engaged during his patriotic campaign ; and besides the fighting, of an irregular and rather Homeric description, gave rise to a scene of another kind.

EXECUTION OF. A PRISONER OF WAR.

Besides the Arab prisoners, there was one of a fair complexion, dressed in the fashion of Asia Minor, who was more straitly bound than the rest. This man, I was informed on inquiry, was a Turk, born in Tripolitza, who had once before been made prisoner, and having friends among the Greeks, had been released and sent to Smyrna on board an English ship of-war, on parole not to serve again. Be was recognized by some of his captors, who were natives of a neighbouring village; and when Colocotroni came down into the court of the Pyrgos to inspect the captives and to commend the captors, the circumstances were briefly stated to him. The "old man," in the mean while, stood under the shade of a tree in the centre of the square, attended by three or four of the principal capitani. The Turk being asked what he bad to allege in his defence, did not attempt to deny the charge, but stated that he had been brought back to Greece against his will, and compelled to bear arms under threat of death; and pleaded earnestly and eloquently that his life might be spared. The allegation in reply was, that be, knowing well the ground, was acting as a guide to the party which bad been discomfited when it was attacked by his captors. A few questions were put by Colocotroni; the an- swers to which went to confirm this report ; and a shake of the head and a wave of the hand told the prisoner the fate which awaited him. He had com- menced a further prayer for mercy, when his guards touched him on the shoulder and pointed to the gateway. His whole demeanour changed in- stantly: uttering a curse which, if heard, would have lodged the chiefs, their fathers, and mothers, in a very disagreeable place, he drew himself up to his utmost height, cast a look of concentrated scorn and enmity on the group be- fore him, one glance at the bright sun overhead, and then, turning sharply round, strode proudly and firmly after his guards to the place of his doom. He was shot hard by, without betraying by sound or motion a dread of his fate. The trial and execution together did not occupy much more than five minutes, and would have occupied less time had I not, before it was stated that he had been acting as guide to the Arab marauders, interceded in his behalf.

THE PIILZEUS PAST AND PRESENT.

Although what I had seen at Patras bad in some measure prepared me for the change, the contrast which the present state of the Pincus presents with its appearance in 1826, did not fail to produce a lively impression upon me. When I was there at that time, a half-ruined monastery, and a few cottages and huts in an equally dilapidated state, were the only buildings which occu- pied the shores of the harbour, while in the harbour itself were anchored only a few caiques and mysticos. Now, besides a crowd of small craft and merchant- vessels of other nations, are anchored in the harbour ships of war of almost every European power, and on its shores are ranges of handsome houses and a town of no inconsiderable extent. Instead of the ruin and desolation and almost solitude which I left at that time, I have found a scene of activity and pros- perity, and a numerous and busy population mixed up with sailors of various nations. The lazaretto, the dogana, the caffg, the carriages drawn up at the land- leg-place, were all so inconsistent with my reminiscences of a spot where, as an invalid, 1 bad with difficulty found a roof which could protect me from the rain, that for a moment I felt as if under the influence of a dream. I should indeed have accused of dreaming, him who, fourteen years ego, would have told me that I should one day find myself at the Piraeus bargaining in my best Bomaic for a conveyance to Athens in a good britscha, or that I should be driven from the one place to the other by a coachman in full Albanian costume. Such was the case with me yester-evening; and I confess that it was no dis- agreeable contrast, to be conveyed at a round pace, and along an excellent road, over the same ground which it then required some caution to traverse on horse- back.

THE ITALIAN OPERA AT ATHENS.

To complete the chapter of contrasts of yesterday, I accompanied some of my fellow-passengers to the opera; where 1 heard " Lucia di Lammermoor" performed in a very respectable style. The King and Queen were present, the former in an Albanian dress, which appeared to sit as easily upon him as if he bad been bred a Pullekar ; the latter dressed with much simplicity, in the fashion of Europe. Among the maids of honour, a fair daughter of the justly- celebrated Marco Bozzaris was preeminent in beauty ; but even she must yield the palm to her fair:Sovereign.

1 he medley of costumes among the audience, the mixture of feria with bats, of capotes with palletets, of fustanellas with pantaloons, &c. produces an effect almost grotesque, and to an old Philhellene has in it something disagreeable and heterodox. The latter remark may apply to the theatre itself; for though

be may acktiowlellge the drama or the opera totes not despicable assistant to the " schoolmaiter" in his progress, he finds some difficulty in reconciling himself to the frivolity of the scene, on a spot, for him, associated with re- collections only of a grave and exalted character. Yet will he scarcely repress a smile when he sees-gum old Pallekars, perhaps the comrades of his younger days, applauding to the very echo the cavatina of a prima donna!

A PRACTICAL JOKE.

Glamkis is known as a devoted partisan of Russia; and for that reason, whilst in office, was distinguished in the Constitutional journals by the appellation of

Glarakoff "; in like manner as was Triconpi, In the Napist journals, quali- fied as " Lord Tricotrpington," in order to mark Lim as an English adherent. It may seem irrelevant to mention that he is known also as a devout worshiper of Bacchus : my excuse most be sought for in a practical witticism of his fellow-citizens, in which his downfal was celebrated, at once as minister, as a Russian partisan, and as a votary of the rosy god. When his dismissal from office was made public, some of the wits of the capital placed a wine-cask upon a tumbril, covered it with a pall, and surrounding the carriage with lighted torches, after the fashion of a bier, went in procession to the house of Glamkie, and recited over it the offices of the dead, mingling the name of " Glarakoff " with their lugubrious (and perhaps unholy) chants.

MR. HILL'S SCHOOL AT ATHENS.

In company with one or two other Englishmen, I have been admitted into the schools which are under the direction of the Reverend Mr. Rill and his

lady public establishment, in which children are educated without charge, is supported by funds supplied by the American Missionary Society, augmented by the voluntarycontributions of European Philhellenes. It affords the means i

of gratuitous instruction to about five hundred children of the poorer classes. The private establishment is devoted to the education of the children of per- sons in the higher walks of life who-can pay for their instruction, and to that of children who are brought up at the charge of the Government. Of these classes there are about one hundred and twenty ; nearly two-thirds of whom are resident in the house, under the immediate care of the amiable directress of the institution. The school-rooms of the private establishment exhibited a series of gratifying and beautiful pictures of infantine life. The pupils are, for the most part, very young girls, distinguished, with few exceptions, by an air of extreme intelligence and vivacity, and in many instances by countenances of singular delicacy and beauty. When we were admitted into the rooms, they were pursuing their studies in classes ; and it was evident that their occu- pations were regarded by them rather as an enjoyment than as a task,-1 pledge, I should think, of future proficiency on the part of the students. Having observed that several very young damsels had produced drawings of no incon- siderable merit, as also that the musical pupils were less numerous and appa- rently lees advanced in their studies, although under the guidance of an ac- complished musician, I was tempted to inquire whether this difference arose from a preference accorded to the former study by the parents, or from a pe- culiar taste for it on the part of the pupils; and was.informed in reply, that among the latter, a decided talent for design is of frequent occurrence, whiles taste or talent for music is comparatively rare. Mrs. -Hill numbers among her pupils the daughters of many of the first Greek families of Constantinople, as well as of the most distinguished of Greece Proper. The names of Kriezis, Mdvrocordato, Grivas, &c. fall oddly but pleasingly on the ear, in this scene of youthful loveliness and simplicity.

In the -trip to Egypt there is little that is striking in any way ; but it partakes of the general character of the book for unaffected and easy description. The disquisition on Egyptian politics, and the (now surrendered) Turkish fleet, might, however, have been well spared.