Page:Christian Greece and Living Greek.djvu/165

 THE GREEKS UNDER TURKISH BONDAGE. I43 of Canea. This prohibition was rigorously en- forced, and every evening these wretched slaves might be seen slinking out of the gates of Rettimo, and retiring for the night into the fields. This state lasted for two months, but money is here the cure for all evils. The Cre- tans collected their resources together, and by a very heavy bribe, obtained the revocation of the verdict. The pride of their bishop cost them dear. Eton relates: "The insulting distinction of Christian and Mohammedan is carried to so great a length that even the minutiae of dress are ren- dered subjects of restriction. A Christian must wear clothes and head-dresses of dark colors only, and such as Turks never wear, with slip- pers of black leather, and must paint his house black or dark brown. The least violation of these frivolous and disgusting regulations is punished with death." A Christian on horseback had to dismount as soon as he came in sight of a Turk. The gov- ernment of the Sublime Porte invented with great ingenuity infinite humiliations and vexa- tions for the Greeks, for objects of taxation. Churches could not be built nor repaired without conditional payment of large sums to a mosque