The population of the two Calabrias, besides the Ita lian inhabitants, consists of several colonies of Albanese, who differ from the original inhabitants of the country, both in religion, language, and in appearance. Large black eyes, a sallow complexion, short curled hair, and strong and muscular limbs, sufficiently distinguish them from the Italian Calabrese. Their language is peculiar to themselves, and its roots are unconnected with all other European tongues. Though it has been known in Europe upwards of 1000 years, it still remains without an alphabet ; and many of its sounds cannot be accurately expressed either by Latin or Greek letters. It abounds, however, with many words borrowed from the old and modern Greek, Latin, Sclavonian, Italian, French, Ger man, and, w hat is very extraordinary, with many English terms employed in their native signification. The men can speak the Calabrese ; but the women, who neither buy nor sell, understand no language but their own, which they pronounce with great sweetness of accent. The Albanese are dispersed over the province, occupy ing whole villages and towns ; but many of their settle ments are wretchedly poor and much decayed. " Their habitations," says Father Maraliotti, " are not regular houses, but merely shepherds' huts, or wooden barracks ; and they have commonly deep caverns, where they keep their cattle, hogs, and sheep. They arc. chiefly employ ed in agriculture, and carry their corn, cheese, and cat tle, to the neighbouring towns and villages.
This people were first introduced into Italy about the middle of the 12th century. After the death of Scan derbeg, prince of Epirus, or Albania, the only support of the Christians against the growing power of the Otto mans in Europe, the Albanians abandoned themselves to despair. Unable to withstand the forces of Mahomet over whom they had obtained so many glorious victories before they were deprived of their leader, and seeing themselves exposed to the fury of the Turks, they re solved to leave their country, and sack an asylum in the kingdom of Naples. The miseries to which they were reduced before they adopted this resolution, are most accurately described by Pope Paul Il., in his letter to Philip Duke of Burgundy. t‘ Albanenses parthn rani .gladio sent, partim in miscraruni servitutem abduct', oppida gum antea pro nohis Turcornm substinuerunt impetus, in ditioncm eorum venerunt. \rid= panes, quit Adriaticum mare attingunt, propinquo motu extar ritx, trennint. Ubique pavor, ubique luctus, ubique mars et captivitas ante oculos stint. Audire miscrum est, quanta omnium reruns sit conturbatio. Lacryma bile, inspicere navigia fugientium, ad Italos portus ap petit:re, familias quoque egentes pulsas sedibus suis pas sim sedere per !Mora, inanusque in alum tendentes lamentationibus suis cuncta implere." Ferdinand I. king of Naples, being touched with their misfortunes, invited them to settle in his dominions ; and, being grate ful the assistance which he had formerly received from their Prince Scanderbeg, who had established him upon the throne, not only assigned them lands, but granted them exemption from taxes, with many other privileges.
They fixed their habitations chiefly in Calabria, as being under the protection of the Prince of Bisignano, who had married an Albanese princess ; and their numbers con tinued to increase, by the addition of new colonies, until the reign of Charles V. This prince, to whom they had delivered up the city of Corona in 1532, liberally re warded its inhabitants who had settled in the province of Calabria, with lands, and an exemption from all imposts, both ordinary and extraordinary, for their fidelity and devotion. Bred to arms, and inured to hardships, the Albanese formed some of the finest troops in the armies of Naples ; and, as long as a sound policy directed the affairs of the government, they enjoyed every protection, and were exempted from every impost. But under the viceroys of Spain they Were neglected and oppressed. The lands which they possessed were impoverished and exhausted, and could scarcely yield them a scanty sub sistence ; and the taxes with which they were now loaded reduced them to the lowest state of abjection and mise ry. A duty of twelve carlini a year was imposed upon every house,—a measure the most partial and unjust, as the poorest Albanese, who had scarcely wherewith to sa tisfy the cravings of nature, was equally burdened with the richest citizen of the kingdom. From this impost, however, the ancient inhabitants of Corona were exempt ed ; but other circumstances, such as the despotism of the barons, and the persecutions of the Romish clergy, contributed to confound them in the same abject condi tion. As members of the Greek church, they observed the Greek ritual, and had priests of their own ; but a want of colleges, and other seminaries of education for two hun dred years, had plunged them into such a state of ignorance and barbarism, that there could scarcely be found a priest among them that knew Greek enough to perform divine service in that language. In this state they would have remained, had it not been for the exertions of M. Rodota, librarian of the Vatican, who being also of the Creek persuasion, prevailed upon Clement XII. to found it college at St Benedetto Ullano, for the education of such young Albanese as wished to dedicate themselves to the service of the church. This establishment was endowed by Charles III. with the wealth of the royal abbey of St Benedetto Ullano, which was also declared to be exempted from every duty whatever. Rodota himself was consecrated archbishop in partibus, and acted as president of the college, but in ris episcopal powers was subordinate to the Latin prelate of Bisignano, with -.