bserved the presence of three
daughters of the house. These young ladies showed unmistakeable signs of
approaching old-maidism, and the parental philosophy settled the
question of their future pretty conclusively. 'Why,' said he, in reply
to a question put by the Prince touching the solitary condition of the
damsels, 'should I allow them to marry, when each of them is worth more
than three fat pigs to me.' Manners must have changed very much for the
worse since the days of Ami Boue, or it is difficult to conceive upon
what he founds his assertion that labour is not imposed upon Servian
women. Indeed it would be surprising were it not so, when they are
subjected by the laws of the land to the indignity of the bastinado,
from which even men, save soldiers, are exempted in Mahometan Turkey.

The absence of that blind subjection to a bigoted priesthood which
distinguishes the other Christian populations, would seem to indicate a
certain independence of spirit, but unhappily the accompanying symptoms
are not so encouraging. With contempt for its ministers, has come
disregard for the ordinances of the Church, the services of which are
but scantily attended. Yet notwithstanding the irreligion which is
spreading fast throughout the land, little tolerance is shown for
adherents to other than the Greek Church. For example, Catholics are
compelled to close their shops on the Greek feasts, of which there are
not a few, under penalty of a fine. In the same liberal spirit the mob
are permitted to break the windows of such houses as are not illuminated
on these occasions.

An ignorant and narrow-minded man is generally also vain. The same law
is equally applicable to nations. A fancied superiority over the
Christians of the other Turkish provinces cannot escape the notice of
the most casual observer. That Servia has acquired some fame for
military exploits is true, and far be it from me to detract from the
praise due to her efforts to achieve and maintain her independence. The
successes of their fathers, however, over the small irregular Turkish
levies to which they were opposed, do not warrant the present population
in indulging in the vapid boastings too often heard, of their ability to
drive the Turks to Constantinople, were they permitted so to do. In a
word, they forget that they owe their present position, not to their own
prowess, but to foreign intervention; without which the province would
probably have shared the fate of Bo