other nations in the south o f Europe,, especially fin countries
wherethe-^imateis varied by differences of situationandjOfJëÿiel.
It seems that la this respect, as well as in the beauty of form, for
which the old Greeks were noted) the modern Greeks, their pos^
terity, still resemble them. M. Pouqueville assures us that the
models which inspired Apelles and Phidias are still &^be%&und
among the inhabitants of the Morea. .They are, generally tall,
and finely formed : their ,ey.es* are fol^of fire, and they havé a-
beautiful mouth, ornamented with the finest teeth.* t There^arg)"
however, degrees in their beauty, though all may be generally
termed handsome: The Spaman woman is . fair) o f ^ ’*sI§4der
maker but with a noble air. The women of Taygetes have the.
carriage of Pallas, when she wielded her formidable rægis *fn the
midst of a battle. The.Messenian woman is low of staturei*apd
distinguished for her embonpoint : she h a s :.^ u la r<r^atures,
large blue,eyes, and long black hair. The Arcadian,dn her
eoarserwoollen garments, scâreely suffers the regtflarijjy'of her
form to appear, but her-countenance is* expressive of innocence
and purity of mind. Chaste Us daughters, the w om en ^ -tb e ’
Morea assume as wives even a character ofi austerity: i-Thd
Greek women in the time of. Pouqueville wereextrémelyfigi*
norant and uneducated.., Music, and dancingiS^^§dït^|ha#é
been taught them by nature. The favourablevtraitkqfcha«
racter among the'Greeks in general are in part attributable ;to
their early education. We are assured-that, the children, are
left to grow in full liberty, like the robust plants-which adorn
their native soil. They are not subjected tp; the harsh, treatment
which the children of the dower classes experience in
more civilised countries, nor are their eountenances.expressive,
of any kind of .painful sentiment.
The same writer has described the inhabitants of Sparta.
He sRys, “ The Laconians differ in manners and address from
their neighbours the Arcadians : the Jatter carry the scrip and
crook,and lead a perfectly pastoral life; the inhabitants of
Sparta, on the contrary, fond of combats, are qf a lively and
restless character, and are easily irritated.” M. Pouqueville
speaks of the long flaxen hair of the women of Sparta, their
majestic air and carriage, their elegant forms, the ...regularity
of their features, animated by large blue eyes bordered with
long eyelashes'^“ “ The men,” he says, “ among whom some
are | blonds,’ ’or fair, have -noble features, are of tall stature,
masculine and régulai; features.” They have preserved something
of the Dorians of Sparta even in their defects. They
have an innate propensity to rapine.
The-same writer has. described in another part of , his work
the c u ria s race of Mainotes as differing considerably from
thé otàer inhabitants of the Morea. They are a mixed people,
and are not ,t$ be- considered as of the genuine posterity of
the Hellenes. , . .
The Remains of Grecian sculpture are well known to display
the finest and most expanded ; form of the human skull.
I t has fieen, supposed indeed that “ th e Grecian profilé” has
been exaggerated <h|:drawnffr’om the imagination, but Blumen-
bach, in a memoir in -the Goettingen Transactions, and in the
notes, to his sixth Decade, la s refotedUhis opinion. He thus
describes^ Greek skull in His- c o lle c tio n :^ F o rm a calvarim
sfibglobosa,' maxillm^sHperioris Ossibus sub narium apertuns
fo^dad perpendiculum coadunatis, jugalibus sossibu^modice
eti conciiine declivibus, “ artificum laudatis proxima signis.
Thi&lGreek' skull, andjDne belonging to the ever barbarous
and unin|êllëctual race of .Georgians, are said to be the most
' beautiful in his whole collection, consisting of 17,0 crania of
different nations. <-
J’. Rickerby, Pimtei, Slierboum Lane.