hole building is very tasteless, and has not the least ornament;
the windows are in the ordinary form; and the high large walls
appear so naked, bare, and flat, that even the dazzling white of the
beautiful marble produces no effect; and it is only on a close
approach that it can be seen what a costly material has been
employed in the building.

I regretted having seen this palace, especially opposite to the
Acropolis, on a spot which has made its works of art as classic as
its heroes.

The palace is surrounded by a rather pretty though recently-formed
garden. In the front stand a few palms, which have been brought
from Syria, but they bear no fruit. The country is otherwise barren
and naked.

The marble of which this palace is built, as well as the temples and
other buildings on the Acropolis, is obtained from the quarries of
the neighbouring mountain, Pentelikon, where the quantity of this
beautiful stone is so great that whole towns might be built of it.

It was Sunday, and the weather was very fine, {335} to which I was
indebted for seeing all the fashionable world of Athens, and even
the Court, in the open promenade. This place is a plain avenue, at
the end of which a wooden pavilion is erected. It is not decorated
by either lawns or flower-beds. The military bands play every
Sunday from five to six. The King rides or drives with his Queen to
this place to show himself to the people. This time he came in an
open carriage with four horses, and stopped to hear several pieces
of music. He was in Greek costume; the Queen wore an ordinary
French dress.

The Greek or rather Albanian costume is one of the handsomest there
is. The men wear full frocks, made of white perkal, which reach
from the hips to the knees, buskins from the knee to the feet, and
shoes generally of red leather. A close-fitting vest of coloured
silk without arms, over a silk shirt, and over this another close-
fitting spencer of fine red, blue, or brown cloth, which is fastened
only at the waist by a few buttons or a narrow band, and lays open
at the top. The sleeves of the spencer are slit up, and are either
left loose or slightly held together by some cords round the wrists;
the collar of the shirt is a little turned over. The vest and
spencer are tastily ornamented with cords, tassels, spangles and
buttons of gold, silver or silk, according to the means of the
wearer. The material, colour and ornament of the Zaruchi correspond
w