tter narratives are valuable, as he himself had been an
eye-witness of many of the events described; had acted as secretary to
Czerny George, who could neither write nor read; and was afterwards
also employed by Prince Milosh.[16]

Two interesting collections of the popular poetry extant among the
inhabitants of Montenegro and Herzegovina were published in the course
of a few years by Tshubar Tshoikovitch; one of them edited by J.
Milowuk, himself a modern Servian writer of praiseworthy activity; the
other by the collector himself.[17]

Last, although not least, the present Vladika or bishop of Montenegro,
must be named among the modern Servian poets. The constitution of this
little mountain state, half warlike, half patriarchal, is an anomaly
in the system of European state governments in general. They form a
community of about 20,000 families, pressed into the valleys and
scattered along the slopes of the dark mountain ranges between
Cattaro, Herzegovina, Bosnia, and Albania; covering a surface of 80 or
90 geographical square leagues. Hitherto they have been permitted to
enjoy a perfect independence in respect to both their great
neighbours, Austria and Turkey. They look up only to the emperor of
Russia as a kind of liege lord; but more in his quality of Head of the
Slavic-Greek Church, than in that of a powerful sovereign. They stand
under the rule of a Vladika or bishop; who, besides being their
spiritual guide, is their chief judge and their leader in war; as
also, since 1832, exclusively their executive magistrate. Up to that
time they were accustomed to elect a _governor_; but he assumed too
much power; and the post had become hereditary in the family of
Radonich. They therefore dismissed him; and his functions were
likewise intrusted to the bishop.

Although the office of the Vladika had been formerly purely elective;
yet towards the close of the seventeenth century, through the
influence of Vladika Daniel Petrovitch of Niegosh, it became
hereditary in his own family; a member of which since that time has
always been appointed by the Russian emperor. As the Greek bishops
belong to the monastic clergy, who of course are not permitted to
marry,--while the secular clergy are _required_ to do so,--the
succession goes in a collateral line. The present Vladika, Peter
Petrovitch Niegosh, a man of uncommon size, handsome features,
considerable talent, and a highly respected character, was partly
educated in Russia.