VIII- BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. 117 vice, or even by a mere written grant of protection ; chap. and the streets of Pera and Galata were filled with Orientals of various races who had contrived to he turned into 'Russians,' or 'Frenchmen,' or ' Englishmen.' Thus it resulted that not only the great communities forming Churches or ' nations,' but also a great number of individuals, often clever, stirring, and unscrupulous men, were always la- bouring to attract the interference of some great Power, furnishing it with ready grounds of dis- pute, and stimulating its desire for preponderance. But there was a broad difference between the pro- tectorate of Russia and that of the other States of Europe ; for whilst the Roman Catholic States could only reckon a few hundred thousand of clients, and whilst the Protestant subjects of the Porte were too few to form a body in the State, the number of Greek Christians who looked to Russia for protection amounted to from ten to fourteen millions. This fact gave great strength and substance to the pretensions of Russia, but, on the other hand, it made her interference in a high degree dangerous ; for it was clear that if the guardianship of so vast a number of the Ra- yahs or Turkish subjects were to be suffered to lapse into the hands of a foreign Sovereign, the empire of the Sultans would pass away. All the great Powers of Europe were accustomed to press upon the Sultan the duty of conferring upon his people, and especially upon his Christian subjects, the blessing of good and equal government ; but Russia urged these demands with the not unnat-
