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lacchi, who imagining that they may poffibly thirft for children's
blood after death, intreat their heirs, and fometimes oblige
them to promife to treat them as vampires when they die.
The boldeft Haiduc would fly trembling from the apparition
o f a fpeilre, ghoft, phantom, or fuch like goblins as the heated
imaginations o f credulous arid prepoflefl'ed people never fail to
fee. Nor are they afhamed, when ridiculed for this terror^ but
anfwer, much in the words o f Pindar : “ fear that proceeds from
fpirirs, caufes even the fans o f the Gods to fly,” Thé Women, as
may be naturally fuppofed, are a hundred times more timorous and
vifiofiary than the men; and fome o f them, by frequently hearing
themfelves called witches, aitually believe they are fo. The old
witches are acquainted with many fpells; and one o f the moil
common is to transfer the milk o f other people’s cows to their
own. But they can perform more curious feats than this ; and
I know a young man, who had his heart taken out by two
witches, while he was faff a fleep, in order fo be roafled and
eat by them. The poor man did not perceive his lois, as. may
eaflly be imagined, till he awoke ; but then he begun to complain,
on feeling the place o f his heart void ; a begging, friar
who lay in the fame place, but was not afleep, beheld the whole
anatomical operation o f the witches, but could not hinder them
becaufe they had charmed him. The charm however, loft its
force, when the young man without the heart awoke ; and both
wanted to çhaftife the witches; but they, rubing themfelves with
a certain ointment, flew away. The friar went to the hearth
took the heart, th.en well broiled, and gave it to the young man
to eat; which he had no fooner done, than he was perfedlly
cured, as may reafonably be fuppofed. The good father told
this ftory, and will tell it often, fwearing to the truth o f itand
[ i® |
and the people dare not fufpedt that wine had made him fee
one thing for another, and that tire two women, one o f whom
was not old, had flown away for quite another reafon than for
bein°' witches. The enchantrefles are called Gejiize; and-that
the remedy may be at hand, there are others called Bahornize,-
equally well ikilled in undoing the fpells ; and to doubt of thefe
two oppofite powers, would be worfe than infidelity.
A moil perfedl difcord reigns in Morlaccbia, as it generally
does in other parts, between the Latin and Greek communion,
which their refpedtive prieils fail not tcrfoment, and tell a thou-
fand little fcandalous ftories o f each other. The churches o f
the Latins are poor, but not very dirty ; thofe o f the Greeks
are. equally poor,, and ihamefully ill kept. I have feen the curate
o f a Morlack village fitting on the ground in the churchyard,
to hear the confeflion o f women on their knees by his fide;
a ilrange poiture indeed! but a proof o f the innocent manners
o f thofe good people, who have the moil profound veneration
for their fpiritual pailors, and a total dependance upon them,,
who on their part, frequently make ufe o f a difcipline rather
military, arid correril the bodies o f their offending flock with the
cudgel. Perhaps this particular is carried to an abufe as well as
that of publick penance, which they pretend to inflidl after the
manner o f the ancient church. They moreover, through the
filly credulity o f thpfe poor mountaineers, draw illicit profits,
by felling certain fuperilitious fcrolls and other fcandalous merchandize
o f that kind. They write in a capricious manner, on
the fcrolls called Zapiz, facred names which ought not to be trif-
fled with, and fometimes adding others very improperly joined.
T he virtues attributed to thefe Zapiz are much o f the fame nature
as thofe which. the Bafilians attributed to their monftroufly
cut