The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of IndependenceBenson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
History
The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of Independence
Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
Greece -- History -- War of Independence, 1821-1829 -- Fiction
Not as such entered Germanos into the camp. Before him went a body
of armed men, followed by six acolytes swinging censers, then the
cross-bearer, holding high his glittering silver symbol wrought
but lately, on which Germanos had lavished the greater part of the
booty which had been his at the taking of Kalavryta, and then borne
in a chair on the shoulders of four monks the archbishop himself.
His head was bare, for in his hands he carried the gold vessels of
the sacrament, those which the Emperor Palæologus had given to the
monastery at Megaspelaion, and over his shoulders flowed his thick,
black hair, just touched with gray. His cope, another priceless
treasure from his own sacristy, was fastened round in front of his
neck with a gold clasp, set with one huge, ancient emerald. It covered
him from shoulder almost to foot, all shimmering white of woven silk,
with a border wrought with crimson and gold pomegranates, and thinly
below showed the white line of the alb and the ends of his embroidered
stole. Of his other vestments, seven in all, the girdle was a rope of
gold thread, the knee-piece hanging below it was embroidered with the
three Levitical colors, the cuffs were of lace from Kalabaka, and the
chasuble was of cambric, close fitting and sleeved according to the use
of Metropolitans. Behind came another priest carrying the office of the
church, bound in crimson leather with gold clasps, and the remainder of
his armed guard followed--in all, three hundred men.
[Illustration: "BORNE IN A CHAIR ON THE SHOULDERS OF FOUR MONKS"]
It was an act of inconceivable folly, but a folly of a certain
magnificent sort, for in Germanos's mind the only thought had been the
glory of the church. He had travelled five days from Kalavryta, and so
far he had been received by the posts of the Greek army with reverence
and respect. But his reception here, he knew, was the touchstone of
the success of his party, for the scornful Mainats looked askance on
clergy, and left them to do their praying alone. But he had come, so he
believed, to demand the vassalage of the people to the King of kings,
and that duty, so he thought, admitted neither delay nor compromise.
Yanni, who was lounging on the wall with Mitsos in the afternoon sun,
preparatory to starting on a night raid down in the plains, saw him
coming and whistled ominously.
"There will be mischief," he said, softly, to Mitsos. "Germanos is a
good man and true, but these little primates are not all like him."
"I wish they would leave us alone," grumbled Mitsos; "that little
monkey-faced Charalambes is doing a peck of harm. He tells the men that
all the fighting is for the glory of God. I dare say it is, but there
are blows to be struck, and a paper man would strike as well as he. Oh,
Yanni, but Germanos has got all his fine clothes on. Would I had been
born an archbishop!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account