with the Italians. Wine and ftrong liquors, o f which the nation
is beginning to make daily abufe, after our example, will,
o f courfe, produce the fame had effeits as among us.
But as the friendihips o f the Morlacchi are iirong and facred,
fo their quarrels are commonly unextinguifliable. They pafs
from father to fon, and the mothers fail not to put their children
in mind o f their duty, to revenge their father, i f he has
had the misfortune to be killed, and to fliew them often the
bloody ihirt and arms o f the dead. And fo deeply is revenge
rooted in the minds of this nation, that all the miffionaries in.
the world would not be able to eradicate it. A Morlack is naturally
inclined to do good to his fellow creatures, and is full o f
gratitude for the fmalleil benefit; but implacable i f injured or,
infulted. With him, revenge and juftice have exa&ly the fame
meaning, and truly it is the primitive idea;, and Lhave been
told, that in Albonia, the effeits of revenge are if ill more atrocious
and more lading. There, a man of the mildeft character,,
is capable o f the moll barbarous revenge,, believing it His pofi-
tive duty, and preferring the mad chimera o f falfe honour, to
the violation of the moll facred laws, and to the punilhment tos
which he expofes himfelf,. with premeditated refolution.
A Morlack, who has killed another o f a powerful family, is-
commonly obliged to fave himfelf by flight, and to keep out
o f the way for feveral yearsi If, during that time, he has been
fortunate enough to efcape the fearch o f his purfuers, and has
got a fmall fiim o f money, he endeavours to obtain pardon and
peace; and, that he may treat about the conditions in perfon,
he alks, and obtains a fafe conduit, which is faithfully maintained
though only verbally granted. Then, he finds mediators,
and,
and, on an appointed day, the relations o f the two hoilile families
are aflembled, and the criminal is introduced, dragging him
felf along on his hands and feet, the mufket, piftol or cutlafs;
with which he committed the murder, hung about his neck ; and
while he continues in that htimble poilure, one or more of the
relations recites a panegyrick on the dead, which Fometimes rekindles
the flames of revenge, and puts the poor proftrate in no
fmall danger. It is the cullom in fome places for -the pfFended
party to threaten the criminal, holding all kind o f arms to his
throat, and, after much intreaty, to confent at leail to accept
■of his ranfom. Thefe pacifications coft dear in Albonia, but
the Morlacchi make up matters Fometimes at a fmall expence ;
and every where the bufmefs is concluded with a feafl at the offender’s
charge.
O f the 1aients and A rts cfthe M o r l a c c h i ,
The natural vivacity and enterprizing fpi'rit o f the Morlacchi,
■qualify them to fucteed in any kind o f employment. In particular,
they tnake excellent fiddlers, and, towards the end o f the
lait age, they performed very ufefuf fervice, under the brave general
Delfno, who conquered an important trail of country belonging
to the Porte, chiefly by their means. They alfo become
very expert in the direction o f mercantile bufinefs ; and
eafi-ly learn to read and write, even after they are grôwn up.
It is faid, that the Morlack ffièpherds, about the beginning o f
this age, were very fond of reading a'large book o f the chriftiaii
doilrine, moral and biftofical,. compiled b y father Diveovicb,
and reprinted feveral times at Venice, in the Ceryllian Bofnian
•chacaSer; which is fomewhat different from thé Ruffian. It happened
often', that the prieiï of the pafii'ffi, more pious than learned,