paved the way for the Greek revolution of 1821. Since the beginning of the century the Greeks had been preparing for the struggle; in fact, for more than fifty years there had been a general movement in the direction of independence through the spirit of nationality, which was taught by the ablest writers and spread among the people as widely as possible. There had been many insurrections against the Turkish authority, but they were generally suppressed without difficulty, though with the shedding of much Greek blood. Nearly every village in Greece suffered from pillage by the Turks, and the families were comparatively few that did not mourn a father, son, or brother, killed by the Turks or carried into slavery, or a daughter or sister transported to a Turkish harem. In spite of four centuries of captivity, the Greeks had preserved their language, dress, religion, and other distinctive features of nationality. In this they were greatly assisted by the severity of the Turks and the difference in manners, laws, religion, and customs between oppressor and oppressed.
But notwithstanding their subjugation, many of the Greeks were commercially prosperous, and a large part of the trafific of the East was in their hands. They conducted nearly all the coasting trade of the Levant, and a few years before the revolution they had six hundred vessels mounting six thousand guns (for defence against pirates) and manned by eighteen thousand seamen. The trade had grown enormously during the continental wars which ended at Waterloo, as nearly all the nations of Europe were so engrossed in military matters that there was no chance for commerce. The large fleet of the Greeks was dreaded by the Turks, and the islands where most of the commerce was centred were not treated with the severity which the Turks exercised towards those dwelling on the mainland. The islands were shunned by the pashas, who contented themselves with exacting an
