SPECTATOR'S LIBRARY.

doing.. • The work' of Captain TRANT is not a complete book on Greece by-any means ; but it contains some valuable information respect- ingthe condition of that unhappy country, and more especially 'concerning the state 'of opinion, and the views of the different statesmen that interfere -in its affairs. It was an evil day for Greece when Prince TAIOPOLD declined its sovereignty: the im- pression at home undoubtedly was, that it had been caused by the intrigues of CAPO teIsraras,' the President of Greece, who would sooner or later .have been displaced; and 'Captain TRAefT is quite disposed to come to the same conclusion. He 'gives, in truth, a very unfavourable interpretation 'of the conduct of this chief, He accuses him_ of haVing a fleCided leaningtowards RUssia---of wishing .to ineriopolize place` and power in his own faMily—of establishing a systern'of esPionage disgusting patri, otic and useful individuals in public employinents, for the sake of filling their places With his own creatures. He is acquitted of all interested views as respects money 'v but in every other point his designs and motives are•coindemned. Greece is-a country of in- trigue,- inanceuvre, and -corruption; and slander is always rife. Prmee MAiROCORDATo, who-used formerly to be the grand intri-. guar' and conspirator, • we now perceive is considered an honest man—because, we presume, he is out of the chance of power, whereas, before he was trying to procure a portion. Character is not worth a farthing inaGreece : where every man is a liar, where is the use of doing that which, whether honest or roguish, is sure to be named according.te the intereStof the speaker? .Fór these reasons, we receive everything frarhGreece with distrust. Cap- tain Taairr may hive been imposedupon opinion may have been greatly influenced by the party hehappened to live amongst. We would,not defend CAPO D ISTRIAS: he may be an accorn- pliehed Scoundrel—aS, being a Greek, he most likely is : We only mean that Greek evidence does not weigh a grain with us. An Suggestion respecting the present state of Greece,' 'and its future prospects,. is made by, the author; and if Prince ',Wpm]) had persevered in his intentions, it would doubtless have been acted upon to a great extent. Whether, as things now are; emigrant capitalists may consider the investment sufficiently safe, admiti of a doubt. . .

"Nb measure could possibly be more conducive to the interests of Greecathan encouraging foreigners to become purchasers of government. property, on the condition of actual residence. The- population of the Greek kingdom being Only 750,000, is so inadequate to its extent of ter." ritory, that to do justice t6 the fertility of the soil, and natural adVantages of the country, it is absolutely necessary that colonization should be re sorted to ; but that this system may not tend to the prejudice of ,the actual. proprietorh of land, and to prevent the nation being hurthened with the support of strangers, it must be carried on lolelY at the expense ofindi- vidualS. Foreign purChasers. of government lands 'should pledge thente- selVes to supply a siifficitnt number of labourers for their cultivation; andthis arrangement would entail but little difficultrupon them,-sta the istatat of Matra could easily. supply several hundred industrious families;, and- after, the first year, the produce of the land. would be sufOcientto support them. An English -speculatbr, instead of seeking in America the means of. increasing his .capital, might here invest it in the purchase Of • protertyln one of the most'favpitred countriei In Earopo; and the dia.:, tame from gogland. is so alight, that a person might come out in four.... view the -different pada of the country, select spot calcu;, latett to-meet his views (wejgbitpll the possibility of irrigation, and the 'facilities offered for the din of his produCe) bating`pos‘' semed.himaelf of the necessary information, fettirn-14 Eughtnd'within' three mouths. It 'Would be-finnecissarr for • ientat into-any extra; ordinary expenses for agricultural implements, those usedin the country being sufficient until a year's experience had taught him what would be most useful. Tobacco, wheat, oil, cotton, wine, silk, are but a few of the articles produced in Greece, which in able hands might be turned to the CAPTAIN TRANT on Greece a candidate for admission to our shelves. He must' go among the 'very useful and agreeable gen- tlemen who happen to have information on a special subject just when that subject is on the tapis, but who, as soon as their tale is told, must consent to be neglected. We have a department for BOOBS of THE DAY, which, like a conservatory, is filled with plants in succession. The blooming exotic of to-day, is to-morrow the dusty and neglected occupant of an obscure:greenhouse. The Books of the. Day discuss, describe, report on the subject of the day':-the subject is dismissed, and the vehicles of the used infor- mation becoine dead letter, and are stowed away up stairs in the attics of occasional reference.

We have had but very 'imperfect accounts of Greece since the ravages of Its. state was never more deplorable than ()lithe introduction of the. French army into the Mores. The Greeks are scarcely aware of the debt they owe to France ; 'and it is •eratifying- to hear a British- Offieer liberal and enlightened enough properly to appreciate thee-deeds of our rivals—in well- greatestadvantage ; and the first cost of his establishment would be tri. fling, as the price of building is inconsiderable ; the houses are of fragile materiale,—but, for the first few years, this would be immaterial. A house calculated for a small family may be built for fifty or sixty pounds, and those for, his tenantry would not cost one-third of that sum.

The Russian fleet was found" by Captain TRA.NT in the harbOur of Peres:, it looked well and warlike; while still,- but is saidle be clumsy in bad weather. The improvement in the Russian. fleet since it has been in the Mediterranean is said to be immense. They have faithfully. imitated •our seamen and as the -Russian power of imitation • is always considered' infinite,- they have only need of an association with our Jack tars to be .made.perfeet All who have read the original writers _of- this country, know . how they talk of. the exe,Seedi. . It seems, however, by Captain TRANT'S report, and now more especially since Iewum's ravages, that the name has reverted to them. "Badnames, like chickens, come home to roost." The following certainly looks a little bar. barons.

" The villagers, finding that we did not intend to plunder them, brought us some wine ; we had provisions, and managed to .make ourselves very comfortable. Two young savages came in to stare at us. They bad never seen Franks before, and looked_ with astonishment at our proceed- ings. Here, Hellenes said Theodore, as he threw them the bones we had left ; and forthwith they seized and began to, gnaw them with the greatest delight ; they were quite wild. After turning, them out, we barred-the door, placed our pistols beside us, and did not fall asleep with- out some expectation of a fight before morning.. Day, however, broke without any intervening occurrence, and we pursued our way."

Captain TRANT complains grievously of the backwardness of the Greek women in civilization : he proposes; for their amendment, the establishment of a school like the one at St. Petersburg, for the instruction of young Greek ladies of rank, in European ac- complishments, manners, and doubtless .nadtals too. By way of confirmation of the low opinion h&entertaintief the state of their civilization, he details the following conversation ; • which-we think is not so decisive a proof as he esteems it. • • " So completely are the Greek ladies thrown in the shade, that even in such an important event of their lives as marriage, they are not con- sulted; and the bridegroom and parents of the bride settle every thing without her participation. I once called rather late in the evening upon a clever, well.educated Greek gentleman, who had passed a long time in Europe, and on entering the small room he occupied, I found a young lady, his sister, in bed, add the brother preparing to slumber in the same apartment. She, however, gave her handkerchief an extra tie, arranged her hair, and began to converse with us, whilst he threw aside the huge capote.in which he had been sitting, and entered into conversation. The young lady was rather accomplished;. she could speak French and Italian ; played the guitar, and thought that every custom imported. from Europe ought to he immediately f011owed. I therefore supposed.I blight venture to.Mund her opinion relative to a subject which hadmndoubtedly 'often occupied het thoughts, and .I asked her whetheeptt'apployeApf the cus-; tom-4( !1$1.rothing,' or whether she did-niaty think itmuch more natural.; that a person should select a husband for lierOff ',But; as she otni-Wise was, on this point barbarism still' predOminated; 1,11t is Much- better,' said she, 4. that Our pirente Slioulit-tebovisa for us ; not partiality forany oae person wonld induce us towrerlocik hisfaultsi.and then, when they became apparent, we should blame ourselves for our

. • ,

" But then you have no affection for .the, person to whom you are united for life ; and instead of confiding .in,Your husband, you find him a perfect stranger. " Not so,' interrupted the brother ; My sister are often betrothed to each other from our infancy ; and although it is true that the youth is never allowed:10 speak to his intended,aridthat he does not even see her.but by accident, yet she learns through _their mutual ac.- quainfinee What are the leading traits,of his Character, and on them mo- dels her efforts to please; whilst he, on the other hand, knowing himtelf . to be already engaged, never allows his fancy to stray in search of a mistress'" " 'Hut,' answered T, " if the yming lady deems it necessary, that she should study her husband's character, and try to please him,:wity should. she-not do so from her own experience ? why not nudge -for-herself, :in- stead of trusting to the reports of others Y - - . •

Such.is the established.custom ; and :wasee no reason Maher it'

44 ',Sometimes, however, she may chance to.loye soother person ?'

We never love,' said the sister,—' we know not what-love is' " There was no replying to. the last argumentovhich convinced me' that the Greek ladies were indeed very backward in the scale-of civili- zation."

The manner in which it appears the moral force of society may control the physical force, of nature, is herelremarkably exempli- fied, and may afford a lesson to moralists.-- And as regards the question of love and marriage, we are not sure that the Greek girl would learn any thing at a London boardipg.sehoot When young, ladies do choose for themselves, others seldom admire their choice; and we rather think they themselies•very often repent it: Passion is the worst matchmaker in the world. Perhaps the unhappiest .• people in Europ&in the marriage state,. namely, the English, con- sult its guidance most. Most certainly; if :viewer& Tombazi, or other Greek gentleman worth .piSstres; we Wouldihuch rather Europeanize our daughters in Pariathan in London. • . The Turkish ladies are said to enjoy much more liberty than theGreeks: at Constantinople theyeare closely immured;' while the Turkish Walk out withoutan.atitendant,:go topleasure parties in the Country. without a guardian:, and :can-exclude the' ;husband from their apartments:'.--Whey..:Captaiir :Tearer . was leaving Constantinople, the Capitan-Paohir wargointtcc gke: a "ball, where the ladies were to be present in the pReries: Mr. f CAtosto, the.-Italian ranter of the torse;•asstniii hint;•theat When he asked the Sultan-whether they-were to join 7firttle: dance, ref only laughedi• and"said,•"1 is-nat time veL" • ..; It is now said, in the latest accounts, that CAP° n'Isiaras has become unpopular, and that his life is in danger. His unpopula- rity may be founded on just as false a foundation as his former popularity. Among the ignorant Moriotes, every thing wax attri- buted to his efforts.

" Theinhabita-ntsasf theamall villages in this plain (of Tripolizza) are in the most abject state of ignorance, and can scarcely be considered otherwise than as savages ; but they possess, in common with all the Greek peasants, many good qualities, which only require cultivation: they are hospitable to the stranger, extremely obedient and submissive to the will of their superiors, and apparently not deficient in gratitude for benefits conferred upon them : but their extreme ignorance of what had taken place in their country is really pitiable. In the ,course of conver- sation, I asked the people here if they knew who fought the battle of Neocastro ? (Navarin.) " ' Capo d'Istrias,' was the reply.

" But who expelled Ibrahim from the Morea ?' " Capo d'Istrias, who wrote a letter to him, saying, " that if he did not embark for Alexandria in twelve days, he would make him do so." ' " And to whom do you attribute your present quiet ? '

" Capo d'Istrias I blessings on his name !" '

The fact is, that the people date the return of tranquillity from the Presidentship of CAPO DISTRIAS, and, like more enlightened folk, confound the propter with the post hoc. •