ever been their most brilliant virtues.

The famous traveller Kohl has likened the Montenegrins to the ancient
Greeks of Homeric times, and the comparison holds good to this day.

"Love of freedom and pride of weapons, simplicity of life--remember
the love of mutton and wine, as described by Homer--hospitality, the
superiority of man over woman, all these features, together with the
fact that the heroes are themselves the singers of their deeds," says
Kohl, "are to be found in the Montenegrins, as well as in the Greeks
of Homer."

Woman takes a very inferior position in Montenegro. She is respected
in a sense, and her position has improved greatly in recent times,
chiefly owing to the example set by the Prince himself. At the
official reception held on New Year's Day, when the humblest peasant
can go to Cetinje and kiss the Prince's hand, Prince Nicolas places
his wife to his right, and every man must first kiss her hand. Thus in
the highest classes woman takes very nearly the same place as in
civilised lands, but as the social scale descends, so does the
position of woman.

In the lowest classes she is still not much more than a beast of
burden, given to man to ease his lot. She carries heavy burdens to
market, while her lord rides; she may not walk at his side, but a few
paces to the rear; neither may she sit at table in the presence of
strange men. The kiss with which men salute each other is not allowed
to her, and she must kiss the hand only of the man. Likewise, she must
rise to her feet when men pass by, and in some districts, should she
meet a man on the way, she must stop and remain standing meekly at the