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Rh was attacked by the rebels, and many of its Greeks were killed. After a regular siege they fought their way out and sailed off by sea to Ajaccio in 1731. This was the first fulfilment of the Metropolitan's prophecy that they should never stay a century in one place. Only 900 came to Ajaccio. Here they formed themselves into a guard in the service of the Government. Here also they gave up their national Greek dress, and the process of losing their language began.

In 1768 Corsica was ceded to France. The Count de Marbeuf was made governor. He was, all his life, a good friend to the strangers; and he suggested that they should settle at the village of Cargese. Only a few remained at Ajaccio, where they became Latins and practically Corsicans. The rest, keeping their rite and their language (though this was already dying out) settled at Cargese. Here the quarrels with their neighbours began again. During the French Revolution the Corsicans seized the opportunity to burn down Cargese and kill a lot more of the Mainotai. Under the Directory they were able to return and build their village up again. In 1814 and again in 1830 they had trouble with the neighbours; but these were the last quarrels. Hard-working, temperate, and economical, the Greeks make excellent citizens; so that at last they conquered the respect of everyone. Here at Cargese they still are.

In the early nineteenth century some Latin Corsicans came to settle at the same place; so for their use a Roman church was built, besides the Byzantine one. Unfortunately a number of Greeks turned Latin and now frequent this church. It seems, too, that the bishops of Ajaccio were only too ready to welcome such change of rite, in spite of the formal decrees of the Holy See.

But the Greeks were forgetting their language. In 1865 the French Government had the happy idea of appointing a professor of Greek for them. Then the Bishop of Ajaccio did what seems to be an unjust thing. He deposed the old Byzantine parish priest and appointed a successor. The people resented this very much, rebelled against the bishop's orders, and sent to the Orthodox of Marseilles for a priest. This argues how little, even after their long residence in Corsica, they appreciated the situation. The Orthodox of Marseilles could do nothing for them; but the Holy Synod of Athens seized the