FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  
ood. I once did him a service; and I have the produce of this farm for the trouble of taking care of it, except twenty zechines which I pay to an aged Armenian who resides in a small cottage in the wood, and whom the lord brought here from Adrianople; I don't know for what reason." The appearance of the house externally was pleasing. The portico in front was fifty paces long and fourteen broad, and the fluted marble pillars with black plinths and fret-work cornices, (as it is now customary in Grecian architecture,) were considerably higher than the roof. The roof, surrounded by a light stone balustrade, was covered by a fine Turkey carpet, beneath an awning of strong coarse linen. Most of the house-tops are thus furnished, as upon them the Greeks pass their evenings in smoking, drinking light wines, such as "lachryma christi," eating fruit, and enjoying the evening breeze. On the left hand as we entered the house, a small streamlet glided away, grapes, oranges and limes were clustering together on its borders, and under the shade of two large myrtle bushes, a marble scat with an ornamental wooden back was placed, on which we were told, the lord passed many of his evenings and nights till twelve o'clock, reading, writing, and talking to himself. "I suppose," said the old man, "praying" for he was very devout, "and always attended our church twice a week, besides Sundays." The view from this seat was what may be termed "a bird's-eye view." A line of rich vineyards led the eye to Mount Calcla, covered with olive and myrtle trees in bloom, and on the summit of which an ancient Greek temple appeared in majestic decay. A small stream issuing from the ruins descended in broken cascades, until it was lost in the woods near the mountain's base. The sea smooth as glass, and an horizon unshadowed by a single cloud, terminates the view in front; and a little on the left, through a vista of lofty chesnut and palm-trees, several small islands were distinctly observed, studding the light blue wave with spots of emerald green. I seldom enjoyed a view more than I did this; but our enquiries were fruitless as to the name of the person who had resided in this romantic solitude: none knew his name but Dominick, his banker, who had gone to Candia. "The Armenian," said our conductor, "could tell, but I am sure he will not,"--"And cannot you tell, old friend?" said I--"If I can," said he, "I dare not." We had not time to visit the Armen
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   >>  



Top keywords:

evenings

 

covered

 
marble
 

myrtle

 

Armenian

 
appeared
 

church

 

devout

 

attended

 

majestic


temple
 

stream

 
cascades
 

broken

 

descended

 

ancient

 

issuing

 
praying
 

Sundays

 

suppose


Calcla

 
termed
 

vineyards

 

summit

 

chesnut

 
banker
 

Dominick

 
Candia
 
conductor
 

person


fruitless
 

resided

 

romantic

 

solitude

 

friend

 

enquiries

 
terminates
 

single

 

unshadowed

 

smooth


horizon

 

talking

 

emerald

 
seldom
 
enjoyed
 

islands

 

distinctly

 

observed

 

studding

 

mountain