A Classical Tour Through Italy, An. MDCCCII

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CLASSICAL TOUR

THROUGH

ITALY

An. MDCCCII/

Hac eft Italia dib tticm, ha gentet ejiu, hsc oppida popnloriim.

PMi.AM.J«i#.m.90L

BY TBB

REV. JOHN CHETWODE EUSTACE.

J'OURXH EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED:

ILLUSTRATED WITH

A MAP OF ITALY, PLANS OF CHURCHES, AN INDEX, fcf.

• - -•

VOL. ly.

• •^*

LONDON:

FBINTED FOR J. MAWMAN, 99. UTDGATX STREET.
1817.

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Loodon : Printed bj T. Hillir,
5, Noble Stfiet, OMapnde.

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A CLASSICAL TOUR

THR0U6H

ITALY.

CHAP. I,

Milan, its History, its Cathedral — Comparison
between Roman and Gothic Architecture — 1&.
Charles Borromeo, his Character — St. Ambrose
— Basilica and Bibliotheca Ambrosiana — Col-
l^es and Hospitals of Milan — Character of its
Inhabitants.

MiLAN^ Milano, anciently Mediolanum, may b«
ranked among the few cities of Italy which have^
I will not say escaped, but risen superior to th«
devai^tipn of ages, wars, and revolutions, and
brought down to modern times the greatest parf^
if not. the whole, of their ancient celebrity. Thi»
dty must be admowledged to have enjoyed^ during
certain periods of her history, greater independence,

TOI.. IV. B

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2 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

but it may be doubted whether for any length of
time she could bo^t qf so exuberant a population^
so wide a circumference^ or such durable peace
and prosperity^ as from the middle to the end of
the last century. Many^ we well know, are the
blessings which aocompany independence; but
independence, by which I ln6an exemption from
foreign influence, is only a partial advantage
if it be not perfected hy lUierty. This observation
is, I think, in a peculiar manner elucidated by the
history of Milan, whic^, from its situation, the
fertility of the surrounding country, and the mild-
ness of the climate, soon attained, and with a few
intervals of visitation and disaster generally pre-
served, but never exceeded, a certain tnediocrfty
•f fame and ma^ificen^^.

This city, like most of those Bituftted between
the Alps aiid Apennines, is of Oallic origin. The
Inmbriam were its founders, and at an early
period of Roman history, built it, or rather
efectied a few hovfels, T^hifch gradually rose from
i village to a town, £md dt length became a
city ; or so at least it Wks called during tbe re^
of 'Kirquiriius Priiicils, 6r Ws stwicfesbor Aticub
Martins. As the capital erf* k c^bsldentble teht-
tofy it lad acquired, in i:he yekr of Roh^ 5B1,
strength sufficient tb keiep a fbiihaii KHaj to
check for some time, and to I'fequire ttife *rtfiifted

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Oh. I. THROUaH ITALY.

dKirt» of two CoUsaU. Uadfer Ronnn control
k imjo]fed tranqtiillity undistarb^ for many
ages^ increased in extent and opulence^ iraproved
in Ibe polite arts^ and became due «eat of ah
academy honored, if vre may be allowed to con-
jecture from an inscription 9tiU extant, with the ,
appellation of NcwdS Athexue. One adrantage
indeed this dty possessed quite peculiar to itself^
as itM prosperity waa rather increased than dimi-
nished by the civil wars and the invasioots of the
third and fourth centuries; so that while the
other cities of Italy and of the whole empire
were gradually wasting iiway und^ the increas-
ing calamities ef the times; and eren Rome
hcndyp, with aH het lofty prerogatives of majesty
and of £uaie, saw her streets ^os^rted and he#
pomp withering under the influence of viraniug
Bowers; Miian flourished in population and
splendar^ and became, not indeed the nominal
bist oftentimes ibe real seat of empire. Such
WM Its state under same of the succ^essors of
Constantine; and particularly during the reign
of the Valentinians, and such its glory when
described by Au3onius^ and decorated with
temples and porticos, with baths and amphi-
theatres. But here its ancient prosperity closed,
and the era of its disasters commenced. Its
situatkm at the foot of the A^s^ exposed it to

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4 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. f.

the attacks, while its splendor and fame attracted
the attention, of every invading barbarian*
Attila visited it in his fbry, and first plondered,
then butchered its inhabitants. Next the Goths,
under Vvtigm in order to punish an eflbrt of
Roman spirit indignantly spuming at thdu- yoke,
delivered it up to flames and devastation. It
was afterwards taken and sacked by the Lan--
gqbardij under their king AUmn, and abandon-
ed during the existence of their kingdom, to
contempt and insignificance. Charlemagne re-
stored it, in part at least, to its former dignity ;
but one of his successors, the Emperor Barbon
rossuy irritated by the insolence of its inhabi
tants, or perhaps instigated by the neighboring
rival cities, razed it to the ground, and if we
may believe some historians, tore up its founda-
tions and passed the ploughshare over its ruins.
But Milan survived even this tremendous visi-
tation, and rose almost immediately, and even
with the assistance of the same prince, fix)m her
ashes.

This re-establishment, as well as her former
splendor, was in some measure owing to the
zeal and the authority of her pastors, who, like
the Roman pontiffs, after having long been the
benefactors and the fathers of their flocks, at
length became their sovereigns. One of them.

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Ch. I. THEOUGH ITALY. 5

of the name of Viscmti transmitted his temporal
aathority to his nephew^ whose descendants
reigned for sevaitd generations with considerable
inflaence and reputation. Of these dokes^ for
such was their title, John GoUm Visconti^ was
the most distinguished, and the first perhaps who
merited both by his military talents, and by his
useftd institutions, the sovereignty which his an-
cestors had .in part usurped. The cathedral of
Milan, the Carthusian abbey of Pami, several
bridges and aqueducts, and above all the various
canals that intersect, drain, and fertiUase this
country, are to this day monuments of the piety^
the patriotism, and the benevolence of this
prince.

Unfortunately for Milan, and indeed for all
Italy, the family of the Visconti formed matri-
monial connexions with the royal dynasty of
France, which on the extinction of the former,
laid daim to its territories, and made repeated
attempts with various success to take possession
of them. These attempts at length terminated
in the decisive battle of Pacia, which broke the
French power in Italy, and secur^ the possession
of Milan to Spain, and eventually to Austria,
who retained it, with a few intervals of incidental
and temporary incursions, till the French revo-
Inticmary invasion.

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S CLASSICAL TOUR ^h, L

I iMive dsewhere observed diat tbe Auifariaa
government is in general mild and benevolenti
and that the provinces under its control enjoy
a fair proportion of ease and pronperity. This
observation is peculiarly applicable to the Mi--
bmese, the natural f(»iility of which^ if the cul**
tivatorS'be not chedced by despotic regulationsi
aad partial taxation^ su{^lies in abundant all
the comforts of life, and all that can atimniate
and recompense industry. Hence, under tbe
Anstrian stray, it exhibited, like the Netherlandsj
a ftcene of population, riches, and felicity, seldom
eqtialled even in free countries, and alike de-
lightful to the eye, and to the mind of the humane
traveller. The Emperor Joseph, with good
intentions but bad policy, first disturbed the
tranquillity %f both these happy prQvinces, in at*
tempting to introduce innovations, most of which^
tdiether in their own nature useiul or not, were
imquestioxi^bly unpopular. Tbe fermentation
^asx^ited by these ill-advised measures, was scarcely
ap)^^ by the prudence of LeopM, JoMpU^
successor, Xvfaen &e Frendb f evolotiDii buiat fbrUi
like a volcano, and disgoi^ed its burning torrent
^ver all the neighboring territories. How kmg
the elfects of this infernal ebullition may ^
fell, <it hdw far its ravages may extend^ it it
difficult tb det^sftnine. Suffice it to aay^ dnut
both the Milanese and the Netherimds^ fdl within

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€k. J. TfJI^OUQH ITALY. 7

^ range^ and have eiperieiiced the ipll 4^M
of its hxj. The latter^ plundered of it^ riiBho^f
sod its constitvLtion^ and dqyrived of half ifs pop«^
lation^ shares with Frwce^ her name^ her misery,
ai^d her iniiuny. The former greeted into the
capital of a nominal r^uUic^ but in &^ of a
miserahle and oppressed ]N*aviiice^ sees its M-
siwces swallowed up iq contributioBs^ its chiffch^
slript^ its public establishments plundered^ itn
^uth corrupted and enrolled in the armies of ks
^pressors, and all its sosnes of optdence^ and aH
its prospects of security> turned into iraat and
uncertainty.

Milm is a great and aplendid dty^ near devep
miles in circumference^ containing about one
Itnndred and fifty thousand inhabitanft. Its ge-
neral appearance however, does not in my opinim^
serrespond with its reputation; the -streets are
^t alurays either wide or regular, or well builC,
aul it pmsents ^sm edifices o£ magnificence or
heanty sufBeient to attract attention. Of these, the
Cathedral without doubt is the principal. It is
situated almost in the centre of the dty, aad
occupies part of die great square. It is of OotUc
architecture, and its materials are white marble-
In magnitude this edifice yields to few* Inferior
oafy to the BasiUca Vaticana^ it espials in length,
and in breaddi surpasses Ae cathedral of Fkrenoe

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8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

and St PaidVi ; in the interior elevation it yieMs
to both; in exterior it exceeds both; in fret-
ivoric, carving, and statues, it goes beyond all
cfanrdies in the world, St. Peters itself not ex-
cited. Its double aisles, its clustered pillars,
its lofty arches ; the lustre of its walls ; its num-
b^less niches all filled with marble figures, give
it an appearance novel even in Italy, and sm-
gularly majestic. Such, at least, it must appear
to those who admire the Gothic manner called by
the Italians Tedesca, so uncommon in Italy in
its purity, as most of the edifices that bear that
appellation are, as I have before observed, a
mixed style formed of a degradation of Roman
architecture dressed up in moresco ornaments.
The admirer of English Gothic will observe one
peculiarity, which is, that in the cathedral of
Milan, there is no screen, and that the chancel
is entirely open, and separated irom the nave
only by its elevation. In the front of the chancd^
and almost immediately above the steps, rises
on four additional steps the altar, and behind il^
in a semicircular form, the choir. Thus the altar
stands as in the Roman BasUicte^ and indeed in
all ancient churches, between the clergy and the
.peq[)le.

Two circumstances are particularly observable
in this diurch; the one is, that there are no

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€^.L THROUGH ITALY. 9

diapels jnroperly so called^ becaase the Ambrosian
rite, which long retained the andent custom of
allowing one altar only, and one service in eadi
church, not haying conformed to the modem
mode when the cathedral was commenced, no
provision was made in the plan for private
masses and oratories. This omission contributes
much to the simplicity and the unity of the edi-
fice. Altars however there now are in abundanee,
but placed in such a manner as does not int^ifere
with the general design. The second is the
tUmness of the pillars or rather of 1;he clusters of
{Hilars, which, while they support the vault, and
are of course numerous amounting to fifty-*two,
yet conceal no part of the edifice, and allow the
eye to range ovar the whole at pleasure. How
much superior are pillars to buttresses, and
colonnades to arcades! the lightness, the sim«
pUdty, and the openness of the one, to the cum-
bersome weight of the other, which occupies so
much space, conceals so many parl^, and so ob-
structs the appearance of an edifice. In truth,
the traveller when he has seen and admired the
majestic simplicity of St. Peter ad Vinculay Sta.
Maria Maggiore^ and St. Paul^ fuori li mura^
views even the towering arcades of St. Peter^s
with regret, and laments that a colonnade is
wanting to the interior perfection of the Vatican.

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lO CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. T.

The pillars of the cathedral of Mikn ^re
more than ninety feet in height, and ahont ei^t
in diameter. The dimensions of the chureh at
large are as follows : In length fonr hundr^
and ninety feet, in breadth two hundred and
ninety-eight, in interior elevation xmdef the
dome two hundred and fifty-eight, and four
hundred in exterior, that is to the summit of the
tower. The pavement is formed of marble of
diflbrent colors, disposed in various patterns
and figures. The number of niches is grtot, 9XiA
every niche has its statue, which, with those
fiaced on ihe balustrade df the roof, are re^
ported to amount to more than four thcHssand.
Many among them are said to be of great
beauty.

Ova: the dome rises a tower or spire, or rather
ob€tisk,for its singular shape renders it iiSRmk
to ascertain its appeUb^tion, which^ whatever m»j
be its intrinsic mmU adds Jitde either to the
bewty pr to the magnific»ee of the stmetere
whieh it sunnonntK, Thif obelisk was enected
about the ipiddle p/ the Iwt «entu^», contrary
to the o^ipn ^ ^e be^t ardiiteets. Though

* ir«i»

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Oi. L THROUGH ITALY. 11

ouBpkcedi its ferta m not. m itself melegant,
while ite architectore md mechanism axe ex*
trenwly ingenioiis, and deserve minute examinar'
tion. In ascending the traveller will obsarve,
that the roof of the chnrch is covered with blocks
of marble, connected together by a cem^dt, that
has not only its hardness and durability, but it^
color, so that the eye scarcdy perceives the
juncture, and the whole roof appears one im^
mmse piece of white shining marble. The view
from the summit is eicteusive and even novd, as
it includes not only the city and the rich plain
of Milan, intersected with rivers and canals,
covered with gardens, orchards, vineyards, and
groves, and thickly studded with villages and
towns; bat it extends to the grand frame dP
this picture, and takes in the neighboring A^^
forming a magnificent semicircle and uniting
their bleak ridges with the milder and more dis-
tant Apennines.

The traveller will regret as he descends, that
instead of heaping this useless and cumbersome
quarry upon the dome, the trustees of the edifice
did not empk>y the money expended upon it, in
erecting a fimit (for lliat essential part is stQl
wauling) coirespcNodiug with the s^le and llie
stateliness of this superb tempk; A front has
indeed been he^un, but in a tiyite so disaimikr

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1« CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

to that of the main buildings and made up of
snch a medley of Roman orders and Gothic de-
corations^ that the total suspension of sndi a work
might be considered as an advantage^ if a more
appropriate portal were to be erected in its place.
But unfortunately the |unds destined for the com-
pletion and repair of this cathedral are now swal-
lowed up in the general confiscation; and an edi-
fice destined to be a monument of the piety of fifiy
generations^ will be abandoned by the presoit
atheistical govamment to negled: and decay.
Had it been fimshed^ and had the western fi^nt
been built in a style corresponding with the otber
parts^ the admirers of Gothic would have pos*
sessed one specimen perfect in its kind^ and ac-
compamed with all the advantages of the best
materials set off by a fine climate.

In materials indeed, the cathedral of Milan
surpasses all other churches, the noblest of which
are only lined and coated with marble, while this
is entirely built, paved, vaulted, and roofed with^
the same substance, and that of the whitest and
most resplendent kind. Here then there would
have been an object of comparison, and the lover
of sacred architecture, after a minute examina-
tion, I will not say of the Vatican, for the m^-
nitude, elevation, and accompaniments of that ^
vast fabric, admit of no comparison, but of

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€h. L THROUGH ITALY. 13

SoHta Mma Maggwrt^ S. Pa/obftkri 1% Mura^
Sta. Jmtina at Padm, St. JPaul in London,
might decide whiqh of the two styles is best
acbpted to . tlie solemmty of religioas c^ce9^ or
which delight9 the eye and the mind moat* The
dedsion woidd be difficult. Most men hfti^
habits to resist and pr^udices to conqoer oh tlie
rabject.. All the ancient, and with the exoeptiod
of St. Pouts only^ all the: great edifices dedicated
to religion m our own country are Gothic and
Saxon^ while Greek and. Roman ardutecture is
seen only in palaces, viUas, and theatres. How
naturally ther^re does the fonner excite senti-
aoaents of awe and devotion? especially when we
learn from our very infancy

To walk tbe fttudious cloUter pale»
And love the high imbowed roof.
With antique pillars, massy proof.
And storied windows richly dight.
Casting a dim religious light.

If to these enchantments we add the peaUag
organ, the fuUrJooked choir, the service high,
and anthems ckar, we are irresistibly attracted
to a style that awakens so many delicious recol-
lections^ and calls forth some of our best and
most holy feelings. When opposed to it^ Greek
and Roman architecture^ though it may retain
its beauty^ yet seems divested of its majesty;

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14 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. X.

and appropfkted as it is almost entirely amongst
US to the .mansions of the great and to the re-
aorts of tli6 gay^ k inispires pleasnrable ideas
Milf, and awakens emotions of anrth^ and ex-
yeotatidBS of theatrical aatntseinent. But thai
assobiatkaa t£ ideas^ so fkrorsble to Oothk, is
yecoliar to an Englishman. An Italian's pre*
jndiees ma in a contrary direction. Hie Gothic,
M Tedesca^ be considers as an M^ention of the
nurthem barbariana, and a combination of dis-
|iroportions and diasbtiances. Its ttv^ght p§k is
to him .die mSkstk ^oem >of northern forests, and
of -skies fisr ever clouded ; its dnstered' piUara
aie mere cqnfnsion, iU-^contrived bnndles of stone;
the apparent length or elevation is the result of
narrowness and disproportion ; the pointed arch,
the consequence of ignorance in not knowing
the art of forming a round one ; the stone braces
that intersect the vault, clumsy contrivances to
support it ; the fretwork of the windows, happy
inventions to obstruct the light; in short, he
looks upon the whole style as an ill assotited tnass
of inccmgroities, dispanoportions, encumbrance,
qonficinioo, darkness, and intricacy, well adapted
indeed, as were the forest of Scanitiniwiay to
t^ gloom and ^he 'horror of Dnddicid sacrifices
and Runic ^ineontatimis.

Barbara jitu
Sacra Deuin> structae diris feralibus ar8&*

Lucan,

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Ch.L THROUGH ITALY. 15

bat rety ill calculated for the pnt|K»eB of a
cbrilitian ccmgr^ation^' the order and decoitam of
its ritea^ and the f^tiTe cdebration of ite
myisteriei.

It would hiere, perhaps, be the place to inquire
when and whence the Gothic style passed iiito
Italy ; an inquiry whic^ would naturally lead to
another insi^arable indeed, from it^lliough more
extensive alotd intricate, where that tkjie origiii^^
1^. But, as ih€ sul^ect is, if not stricdy
spedking Gothic, at leasA anticlassieal, I inay bd
allowed to exclude it from these sketebes, and
instead of a dissertation and my own Very inaigni*-
ficant (pinion, call the attention of the reader to
a pailsage. frosn Cassiodortis ; and admittHig thak;
it may. Adt refer to the style ih quesdidn^ yist I wiH
ask him whether it would be possible ttydescrflbe
it more suKMiatdY^.-^-^Quid.^dkanms oblunmarmm
junceam proceritaiem? moles illas sublimimmas
fabrkaruniy quasi quibusdam ertctis h&stiUbus cm^
tineri et substantia qualitdte concoois Canaiibus excor
vataSy ut magis ipsas cestiniesjuisse transfusasj alias
aeris jtcdicas factum, quod metallis durissimis videos
eapolitum*^

.* Cassio^rus lived in the sixlh century, aod was secretary
%o the irst Goihk kii^.
f Lib. Tii. Var. Form. xv. From this epistle we learn.

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10 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch, I.

The most remarkable object m the interior of
this charch is. the subten^anean diapd^ in which
the body of St. Charles Borrameo veposen. It is
immediately under the dome, in form octangolar^
and lined with silver^ divided into pannels repre-
senting the principal actions of the life of the
Saint. The bcMiy is in a shrine of rock crystal^
on, or rather behind the altar; it is stretched at
fnll length, drest in pontifical robes^ with the cro-^
sier and mitre. The face is exposed, very im-
properly, because much disfigured by decay : a
deformity increased, and rendered more hideoi^
by its contrast with the splendor of the vest^
moots which cover the body, aad by liie pale
ghastly light that gleams from the aperture above.
The inscription over this chapel or mausoleum,
was dictated by St. Charles himsdU^, and breathes
that modesty and piety which so peculiarly
marked hi& character. It is as follows :

CAROLUS CARDINALIS \
TITULI S. PRAXEDIS
ARCHIEP. MEDIOLAN.
FREQUENTIORIBUS

that under the ahovementioned princes^ Rome still abounded
in statues even of bronze—that its edifices were in good re-
paii^— and that government was extresiely atleotft^e to theb
preservation.

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Ch. I. THROUGH ITALY. 17

CLERL POPULIQ. AG

DEVOTl F^MINEI SEXUS

PRECIBUS SE COMMENDATUM

CUPIENS HOC LOCO SIBI

MONUMENTUM VIVENS ELEGIT.

. If ever a haman being deserved such honors
irom his fellow-creatures, it was St. Charles Bor-
rom&>. Princely birth and fortune, the highest
dignities, learning, talents, and accomplishments,
qualities so apt to intoxicate the strongest mind
even in the soberness of mature, I might say, in the
sullenness of declining age, shone in him even when
a youth,* without impairing that humihty, sim-
plicity of heart, disinterestedness and holiness,
which constituted his real merit and formed his
most honorable and permanent distinction. It was
his destiny to render to his people those great and
splendid services which excite public applause and
gratitude, and to perform at the same time those
humbler duties which, though perhaps more
meritorious, are more obscure, and sometimes
produce more obloquy than acknowledgment.
Thus, he founded schools, colleges, and hospitals,
built parochial churches, most affectionately at-
tended his flock during a destructive pestilence,

* He was made cardinal and archbishop in his twenty-
third year, by his unde Pius IV. who had resigned several
rich livings to him twelve years before.

VOL. IV. C-

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18 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

erected a lazaretto^ and served the foirsaken yietims
with his own hands. These are duties uncommon^
magnificent and heroic^ and are followed by fame
and glory. Bnt^ to reform a clergy and people
d^raved and almost barbarized by ages of war^
invasion, internal dissension, and by their concomi-
tant evils, famine, pestilence and general misery ;
to extend his influence to every part of an im-
mense diocese including some of the wildest
regions of the Alps; to visit every village in per-
son, and to inspect and correct every disorder; are
offices of litde pomp and of great difficulty. Yet,
this laborious part of his pastoral charge he went
through with the courage and the perseverance of
an apostle ; and so great was his success, that the
diocese of Milan, the most extensive perhaps in
Italy, as it contains at least eight hundred and
fifty parishes, became a model of decency, order,
and regularity, and in this respect has excited the
iadmiradon of every impartial observer. The good
efiects of the zeal of St Charles extended farb^
yond the limits of his diocese ; and most of his
regulations for the reformation of his clergy, such
as the establishment of seminaries, yearly retreats^
&c« were adopted by the Galilean church, and e&>
tended over France and Germany.

Many of his excellent institutions still remain
and among others that of Sunday schools ? and

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a. I. THROUGH ITALY. 19

it is both novel and affecting to behold on that day
the vast area of the Cathedral filled with children
forming two grand divisions of boys and girls
ranged opposite each other^ and these again sub-
divided into classes, according to their age and ca-
pacities, drawn np between the pillars, while two or
more instructors attend each class, and direct their
questions and explanations to every little individual
without distinction. A clergyman attends each
class, accompanied by one or more laymen for the
boys, and for the girls by as many matrons. The lay
persons are said to be often times of the first distinc-
tion. Tables are placed in different recesses for writ-
ing. This admirable practice, so beneficial and so
edifying, is not confined to the Cathedral or even
to Milan. The pious archbishop esctended it to
every part of his immense diocese, and it is ob-
served in all the parochial churches of the Milanese,
and of the neighboring dioceses, of such at least as
are silffiragans of Milan.

The private virtues of St. Charles, that is, the
qualities that give true sterling value to the man,
and sanctify him in the eyes of his Creator, I mean
htmiHty, self-command, temperance, industry,
prudence, and fortitude, were not inferior to his
public endowments. His table was for his guests;
his own diet was confined to bread and vegetables;
he allowed himself no amusement dr relaxation,

c2

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20 CLASSICAL TOUR Chi.

alleging that the Variety of his duti^ was in itself
a sufficient recreation. His dress and establish-
ment was snch as became his rank ; but in private
he dispensed with the attendance of servants^ and
wore an under dress coarse and common ; his bed
was of straw ; his repose short ; and in all the de-
tails of life, he manifested an utter contempt of
personal ease and indulgence,*

The immense charities of St. Charles exceed
the income and the magnificence of sovereigns. In
every city in which he had at any time resided, he
left some monument of useful munificence; a
school, a fountain, an hospital, or a college. Ten
of the latter, five of the preceding, and the former
without number, still remain at Pcpoia, Bologna,
Milan, aiid in all the towns of its diocese. Besides
these public foundations, he bestowed annually the
sum of thirty thousand crowns on the poor, and
added to it in various cases of public distress during
his life the sum of two hundred thousahd crowns

* That uniformity of action^ demeanor^ and conversation,
which constitutes consistency of character^ and gives to all
stages of life a certain symmetry and unity of design so much
admired by the ancients (Cicero De Off. lib. i. SI.) was pe-
culiarly conspicuous in St. Charles. He lived only to serve
his God J to this grand object he directed his thoughts, ac-
tions, and whole being, without one sideling glance at interest
or pleasure.

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, a. J. THROUGH ITALY. 21

more ; not including numberless extra benefactions
conferred upon individuals whose situations claimed
peculiar and perhaps secret relief. The funds
which supplied these boundless charities were
derived partly from his own estates^ and partly
from his archi-episcopal revenue. The former^ as
he had no expensive tastes or habits to indulge,
were devoted entirely to beneficence ; the latter he
divided according to the ancient custom into three
parts, one of whidi was appropriated to the build-
ing and reparation of churches and edifices con*
nected with them, the second was allotted to the
poor^ and the third employed in the domestic ex-
p^Qiditure of the bishop. But^ of the whole income^
the humble and disinterested prelate ordered an
account to be submitted annually to the diocesan
synod. . .

It is not wonderfril that such virtues should
have engaged the afiection of his flock during his
life, and that after his death they should be recol-
lected with gratitude and veneration. The bene-
volent protestant will not quarrel with the Milanese
for supposing that the good pastor at his departure
cast an affectionate glance on his beloved flock^^
fum deserens sed respectans ;* that the flame of
charity still bums in the regions of bUss ; that he

Cic de Sen.

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2« CLASSICAL TOUR CA.I.

looks down upon the theatre of his labors and of
liis yirtaes with complacency; and that he still
continues to offer np his orisons for his once be-
loved people through the common Lord and me-
diator."*

Of the statues crowded in and around ihe Car?
thedral of Milan, I have already observed that
many are esteemed, and some admired. Of the
latt^^ that of St. Bartholomew is the first; it
stands in the church, and represents the apostle aa
holding his own skin, which had been drawn off
like drapery over his shoulders. The play of the
muscles is represented with an accuracy, that rather

^ This extraordinary person died at the age of forty-six^
not exhausted by his labors or austerities as the reader might
imagine^ nor of the plague to which he exposed himself with-
out precaution or antidote (excepting the most effectual of
all abstendousness) but of a violent fever caught in the neigh-
boring mounljaiiis (An. 1584.) He was nephew to the la^^
Medicean Pope> Pius IV. and by him he was nominated
archbishop of Milan in the twenty-third year of his age. He
who reads his life will find few miracles to entertain him, but
will see many virtues which are much better 5 these virtues
have extorted a reluctant compliment from Addison and wmk
from Jliirn^t^ find ifhen we consider on the one aide the spirt
of these writers^ apd particulfirly of the latter^ and on t^e
other recollect that St. Charles Borromeo was an archbishop,
a cardinal, and, what is still worse, a saint, we shall be en-
abled to give this compliment its full value.

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Oi.I. THROUGH ITALY. 23

flii^sts and terrifies than pleases the spectator.
Tbe sculptor Agrati may hare just reason to com-
pare himself, as the inscription implies^ to Praxi-
teles ; but his masterpiece is better calculated for
the decoration of a school of anatomy than for the
embellishmait of a church. The exterior of the
chancel is lined with marble divided into pannels,
each of which has its basso reUeoo ; the interior is
wainscoted, and carved in a very masterly style.
The whole of the dianoel was erected by St. Charles
Borromeo. Two large pulpits stand one on each
side of its entrance; that on the right, appropriated
to the reading of the gospel, resta upon four
Immze figures representing the four mysterious
animals of Ezechiel ; that on the left is supported
by the four doctors of the Latin church in the
same metal.

But it is not my intention to enumerate all the
ornaments of this church, but merely to enable the
reader to form a general idea of its magnitude
and deccHrations. When we saw it, its magnificence
was on the decline; the income destined for its
completion and support had been considerably re-
treadled by the Emperor Joseph, and was, I
bdieve^ ^oitirely confiscated by the French; the
jirchlwhopric and the chapter were impoverished
by oiibctions and alienations ; and thus all the re-
sources that fed the splendor of this grand metro-

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24 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch.1.

political cathedral were dnuned or exhausted*
Hence^ it seemed to want that neatness and lustre
which arise from great attention and opulence
united. Here indeed^ as in every territory where
the French domineer^ appearances of irreligion too
often strike the eye; n^lected churches and
plundered hospitals/

Mdesque labentes Deoram et
'Faeda nigro simulacra f amo^

Horace.

are frequent spectacles as little calculated to please
the sight as to conciliate the judgment, that loolor
forward with terror to the consequences of such a
system of atheism. In fact, the dilapidation of '
benevolent establishments and the decay of sacred
edifices are neither the only nor the worst symp-
toms of the propagation of French principles.
The neglect of education, arising partly from the
want of instructors, and partly from the suppres-
sion of ancient establishments, and the early de-
pravation of youth that results from it, are already
deeply felt and lamented. The lawless example of
the French soldiery dispersed over the whole ter-
ritory, carries vice and impiety into every village,
and literally scatters disease and death, both of
mind and body, over all this country lately so
virtuous and so happy.

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a. I. THROUGH ITALY. 35

lUe sitioi^ morbosque ferens mortalibtts aegris
Nasdtur^ et Isvo constristat lumine coelaoi.*

En. 10.

The character of St. Ambrose^ the celebrated
archbishop of Milan^ his eloquence, his firmness,
and his political, as well as ecclesiastical influence,
are well known ; but it is not equally so, that he
modelled and regulated the liturgy of his church,
and that this liturgy is still in use in the Cathedral,
and indeed in most of the capitular and parochial
churches of this diocese. The reader, who may
perhaps be acquainted with such forms of public
prayer only as are of a later invention, will be sur-
prized to hear that the Ambrosian liturgy in the
fourth century, was more encumbered, as a pro-
testant would express it, with rites and ceremonies
than the Roman is in the nineteenth. It must be
remembered that St. Ambrose did not institute or
compose the liturgy that now bears his name (it
existed before his time, and was probably coeval
with the church of Milan) but that he merely rie-
dnced it into better order, and improved it in ex-
pression and arrangement.

* So Siria8> when his balef al beams arise
And glare disastrons o'er the 8adden*d skies^
Afirights the nations; while his burning breath
Darts down disease, and pestilence, and death.

IHU.

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86 CLASHCAL TCNJR Ok. I.

The body of this samt lies^ not ia the Cathe-
dral^ but in an andent church at a considerable dis*
tance from it, that is now called from him the Ba^
silica Ambrosiqna, and is said to have been that in
which he g^ierally offici^rf^d. Though ancient, it
has been so often repaired that it may possibly re-
tain not mnch of its original materials or appear-
ance. One proof indeed of its antiquity is the
gradnal elevation of the ground all aronnd it^ oc-
casioned by the rains of neighboring buildings ; so
that you descend some steps to enter it ; a circum-
stance that gives it a damp and cheerless aspect.
It has in frt)nt a large court surrounded with gal-
leries conformably to the anci^sit mode, which
ought never to have been neglected, becatise it
contributes so much to the silence and the tran-
quillity so necessary to the exercise of devotion.
The doors are of bronze and said to be those which
St. Ambrose closed against the Emperor Theo-
dosius; but without the least foundation, as no
doors were closed on the occasion ; the piety of
the Emperor rendered such a precaution unneces-
sary, and in the next place the present doors were
made in the ninth century.

Hie chnrch is divided by arcades into a nave
and two aisles ; it is terminated by a semidrde,
and vaulted nearly in the same manner as the
chnxdi of the Carthusians at Rome (the great hall

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Ch. I. THROUGH ITALY. Vf

of DiocLedan's bathfi). The body of the saint is
supposed to lie under the high altar together with
those of St Gervasius and St. Protasins^ of his
brother Satyms and of his sister Marcellina. , St
Victor's church called in St Ambrose's time^ Bad^
Uca Pcrtiana^ is ennobled by its connexion with
the actions of the saint, and by his contests with
the Arians. It is however old in site and in name
only ; the whole fabric being entirely modem, and
far too gaudy for ancient taste. This censure in-
deed may be passed upon many other churches in
MHariy which lose much of their majesty and e^ea
of their beauty by the profusion of rich and splen-
did decorations that encumber them. The mate-
rials of all are costly, the arrangemeilt of most is
tasteless ; yet there are few which do not present
some object of curiosity worthy of a visit. The
same observation is applicable both to the convents
and to the palaces.

From these edifices therefore we will pass to
the Ambrosian library, an establishment which,
notwithstanding its appellation, has no connexion
with antiquity, and ows its existence entirely to the
munificence of Cardinal Federigo Borromeo^ nephew
of St. Charles? and his successor in the See of Mi^
Ian. This prelate, who seems to have inherited
the virtues, if not the talents of his uncle, began to
collect books when a stqdoit at Rome, and en-

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28 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

larging his plan as he advanced in age and digni-
ties^ at length when raised to the archbishopric,
erected an edifice, placed his collection in it, and
opened it to the public under the title of BibUotheca
Ambrosiana. It contains about forty thousand
volumes, and more, it is said, than fifteen thousand
manuscripts. There is also annexed to this library
a gallery of pictilres, statues, antiques, and medals,
which contained many articles of great rarity and
reputation. But these, whether statues, medals,
or paintings, have, together with the most valu-
able books and manuscripts, been conveyed to Paris»
The hall of this library is well-proportioned, though
not so large as might be expected, and as is indeed
requisite for a collection of books so considerable.
The ceiling is adorned with paintings, and the
space between the bookcases and the cornice filled
up, by the portraits of the most eminent authors,
whose writings are deposited below, or to use the
elevated language of Pliny the Elder, qiwrum im-
mortales anima, in locis iisdem hquuntur.^

It is well known, that one of the most curious
and valuable articles in this library was a manu-
script collection of various works of Leonardo da
Vtndf accompanied with drawings, designs, &c.

Pliny, zxxT.

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a. I. THROUGH ITALY. S8

which had been presented to it by a citizen of the
name of Gakas Arconati, who generously refused
vast sums offered for this precious deposit, and to
secure its possession to his country, consigned it
to the Ambrosian library as to an inviolable sanc-
tuary. The reputation of Leonardo^ whose genius
ranged over all the sciences at pleasure, and shone
with equal lustre in poetry, painting, architecture,
and philosophy, gave these volumes of sufficient
importance in themselves, an inestimable value in
the eyes of his countrymen, who accordingly, with
that enthusiasm for the arts which distinguishes
the modem Italians as honorably as it did the an-
cient Ghreeks, erected a marble statue to the donor,
and enregistered his name among the public bene-
factors of the city. What then must have been
their rage and indignation when they saw this re-
Uct, the object of their pride and complacency,
torn from them by the French,* and sent off jum-
bled and tost in the common mass of plunder, to
Paris ? But this injustice was not the last nor the
greatest insult offered to the feelings of the Mila-
nese by their invaders.

In the refectory or hall of the convent of the

DiParigi
Le vagabonde belve.

Ab. Monti.

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30 , CLAi^ICAL TOUR Ch.L

Dominicans was^ as is well known, tbe oelebntted
Last Supper by the same painter, supposed to be
his masterpiece. The conv^it was suppressed ; the
hall was tamed into a store-room of artillery; and
the pictnue was nsed as a target for the soldiers to
fire at! The heads were their fkyorite marks, and
that of our iSaviour in preference to the odiers.
Their impiety, though wanton and to them unpro-
fitable, was impotent, and may be passed oyer witli
contemptuous abhorrence ; but their barbarism in
diQ&cing a masterpiece which, though in decay,
was still a model in the art, succeeded to the fall
extent even of their mischievous wishes, and has
erased for ever one of the noblest specimens of
painting in the world. It may be doubted whether
the Goths, the Lombards, or even the Huns were
ever guilty of sm^h unnecessary outrage.

In colleges, hospitals, and establishments of
charity in general, Milan is or rather was, most
splendidly endowed, owing in a great degree to the
princely munificence of St. Charles. Of the for-
mer, the college of Brera, once belonging to the
Jesuits, is the principal ; it contained twelve hun-
dred students besides professors, masters, and
teachers ; is of great extent and magnificence. Its
courts (surrounded with galleries in two stories
supported by granite pillars) its staircase, its library,
and its observatory, are much admired by the Mi-

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Ch. I. IBSOnGH ITALY. 31

bmsse^ and not widioBt reaaim; bat iiie gafiericai
would appear to Bioce adirattlage if die pilkurs were
nearer. Wide iiiteveotmiiirialioiift are faoweyer mery
gcaeeak in ahnost all galleries^ ptanEas^ and coiefcm
nades, tkat I lm3re seen even inJlalj ; a defect motjb
oppoi^ perhaps to Ol^atness of manner and even
to beanty than any other.

The Seminary, and CoUegio Hehetke, pardea-
krly the latter, are adorned in the same maimer
with conrts and porticos, and fhmished witii noble
balls and libraries.

The Ospedale Maggicre is an immense edifice;
its principal conrt, for it has several, is more than
three hundred feet square ; it as lined with a double
portico, supported by columns of granite: the
lower order is Ionic, the upper Composite ; it con-
tains more than twelve hundred persons, and has
halls appropriated to different trades and to work*<
ing convalescents.

Hie Lamretto is a spacious quadrai^le of twelve
hundred and fifty feet in length, and twelve hun*
drai in breadth. It contains about tbree hnn^
died rooms^ wiidi fire-places, is surrounded by a
stream, and admirably adapted fidr the residence of
epidemical patient^, by its adrineas and deanlif-
nssm. In. ^e centte of the cenrt stands a diap«l^

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» CLASSICAL TOUR Ok. I.

80 contnTed that die priest at llie ahar may be seen
by the sick eren from their beds. The pillars diat
snppcMTt the portico are slender, and distant from
each other; yet the scdidity, miiformity, and im-
mensity of tiiiis edifice give it a grand and very
striking af^iearance. It is now nsed as barracks, or
rather, I believe, as cavalry stables.

The reader may, perhaps, expect an account of
the remains of ancient magnificence, the relics of
that imperial splendor which once adorned MikMy
and is recorded iii the well known verses of Au-
sonius.

' duplice muro

Ampllficata loci species, populique voluptas
CircoSj et indusi moles caneata theatri j
TemplSj FlalatiaflBqae aices, 6{mlenaqiie Moneta,
£t regio Herculei Celebris ab honore lavacri,
Cnnctaque marmoreis ornata peristyla signis ;
Msniaque ia valli formam circumdata labro :
Omnia quae magnis openim relut asmula formis
Excellaiit -, nee jancta premit Ticinia Rome.

But of these edifices the names only remain^
annexed to the churches built on their site, or over
their ruins. — Sta. Maria del Circo^ S. Georgia al
Palazzo, S. Vittore al Theatro. We must except
the baths, of which a noble fragment «till stands
near the parochial church of Si. Lorenzo* It con-
sists of sixteen beautiful Corinthian columns fluted.

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Ch.1^ THROUGH ITAI4Y. 33

aad <tf white «ialrb]e> with thdr architrave, lliey are
all of the best proportion^ and placed at the distance
of two diametars and a quarter^ the most regidar
and most gracefol intercolnmniation. The hotisea
bdbind the pillars^ and indeed the church itself,
evidently stand on ancient foundations^ and have
enabled the antiquary to ascertain with tolerable
accuracy the form of tbe original building. The
era of the erection of these baths is not knowii^ but
the ^ctreme elegance of the remains is a sufficient
proof that they are the work of a period of archi-
tec^nral perfection, and consequently long prior to
the iron age of Maximian.^

But while the grand features of the ancient are
wanting to the modem city, the minor advantages
are nearly the same in both ; and the plenty, the
number of splendid and well-furnished houses, and
tQl the present disastrous epoch, the simple manly
manners of the inhabitants of JUilan in the eigh-
teenili century wotdd, perhaps, enable it to vie,
without losing much by the comparison, with Me-
diokmum in the fourth.

Copia rerum
Innumene calteque donras-^fsecunda virorum ^
Ingenia; antiqui mores . . . . '

* The inseription on one of the pilaateis is generally ac«
kaowledged to have no reference to this edifice.
» VOL. IV. D

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M CLASSICAL TOUR Ck. I.

Tbe mental qnalfikatioiis whidi the poet as-
cribes to the aDcient inhabitants of MiUm may,
perhaps widi eqnal reason be attributed to the
modern; especially as the Italians are no where
deficient in natural alHlities. I do not however find
that this city was at miy period particuiarly pr^-
nant widi genins, nor do I recollect the names ofany
very illustrious writers bom in it, or formed in its
schools. We may therefore consider the import of
this yene, as far as it confers on the Milanese any
pre-eminence of talent^ as merely poetical and com-
plimentary.* Another mark of resemblance I must
mention, which is, that the modem like the an-
cient town is surrounded with a double wall, which
is perhaps raised on the foundations of the old
double circumference, and may be considered as an
indication that the dty covers as great a space now
as formerly, and perhaps contains as mimy inha-^
bitants.

I shall say nodiing of the intended embellish-

* The author does not mean to insinuate that Milan has
produced no great men, or no celebrated authors j but that
the great men and celebrated authors which she has produced »
either as natives or students, have not acquired that pre-
eminence of fame which distinguishes the denizens of several
other cities, such as Verona, Padua, and Florence; and of
course that they were not entitled to the appellation of very
Hlustrious writers.

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a. I. ' THROUGH ITALY. m

ments, nor of the fatorc Forum of Bonaparte: the
present government has a great talent for destnio
tion, and is now ocenpied in the demolition of ram«
parts^ convents, and houses^ to make room for the
latter edifice, destined hereafter to ontshine that of
Trajan itself. When it is to be began is not known ;
meantime the work of destruction proceeds. How*
ever be these improvements what they may^ I must
say, that the beauties of Milan are not a little at
present^ and in opposition to the poet's declaration
were, I believe, anciently still more eclipsed by the
splendor of Rome. Juncta premit vicima Roma,
an observation applicable to Milan, to Genoa, and
litfll mote to Florence because nearer that Capital,
«o long the seat of beauty, of empire, and of Ma-
jesty.*

* Tbe trareller would do well to visit, as he easily inay>
the three cities above*-ineHt!oned> to which we may add
Turin and l^enice on his way to Rom<e. As for Ifapla it
derives its attractions not from art but from nature; and will
^arm as long as its bay with all its isles, its coasts with
their windings, its lakes with their wild borders aad classic
haunts, and its mountains with their fires, fertility and ver-
dure continue to glow with the beamft of the sun that row
•enlightens them.

dS

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S6 CLASSICAL TOUR €h. II

CHAP. IL

-Camo — The Larian Lake — Plimana^ the intermit-
ting Fountain — Insula Comacena — The Logo di
Leccb— The Addua— Site of Pliny's Villas— Ob^
seroatwns on Collegiate Churches — Logo di Lu-
gano — Varese and its Lake.

On Monday the 87th of September, we set out
from MiUaiy about twelve o'clock, and took the
road to Como. The distance is about twenty-six
miles, and runs over an extensive plain, presenting
in the midst of verdure and fertility many villas,
but no object particularly interesting.

At Berlasina (about half way) we changed
horses ; and a few miles further on, the distant
Glaciers began to increase in magnitude and gran-
deur, and at liie same time, thb country around
gradually assumed rougher features, and presented
hills heightening as we advanced, and exhibiting a
variety of wild broken scenery. We entered Camo
about six o'clock.

Comum is like most of the towns between the

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Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. > . 37

A^ and Apermims of great antiquity^ and like^
them also it owes its origin to a Gallic tribe, and
its importance to Roman colonization. For die
latter benefit it was indebted partly to liie ftther-
of Pompey, and partly to Jnlius Caesar. It never
fell to its lot to make a figure in the world, nor
indeed to attract the attention of the historian,
either by its glories or by its reverses ; and it seems
to have derived from its humble mediocrity a
greater degree of security and quiet in the num-
berless disasters of Italy than any of the more
powerful and more illustrious cities can boast of.
Its principal advantage is its situation, and its,
greatest glory is the reputation of one of its an-
cient denizens, Pliny the Younger. Its situation is
beautifuL On the southern extremity of the iaWan
lake it commands a fine prospect of that npble
expanse of water, with its bold and varied borders*.
It is covered behind^ and on each side, with fertile
hills. It is an episcopal town of some extent, and
of a pleasing appearance. The cathedral is of white
marble, and mixed architecture : the front is of
light and not inelegant Gothic ; the nave is sup-^
ported by Gothic arches \ the choir and transepts
are adorned with composite pillars ; a dome rises
over the centre. The effect of the whole, though
the mixture is incorrect, is not unpleasant In thc^
front of the cathedral, there is a statue of Pliny
with basso relievos alluding to his writings, and

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38 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. I.

on each side of the grand entrance is an inscription
in his honor. The inscriptions are more commend-
able for the spirit than for the style ; the best of
the two conchides in the following manner.

Ordo^ popnlusque Comensis Caium Plinium Secundum

Municipem suum incomparabilem status et elogio

ornavere.

Fftuatna honor; dulcisque javat me fama Secundum
At mage ooncUes haec posuiiae meos.

Without doubt, a writer so much attached to
his country on one side, and so fond of fame on the
other, as Pliny seems to have been, may be sup-
posed to look down with complacency on the
honors thus zealously paid in his beloved Comum^ to
his memory so many ages after his decease. How-
ever, these honors are justly due, not to his reputa-
tion only but to his public spirit, as few citizens seem
to have conferred so many solid benefits upon their
country as he did on Comum. In the first place he es-
tablished, or at least, he contribt^ted largely both by
his example and munificence, to the establishment
of a school with an able teacher at its head.-j;' In
die next, he provided a fund for th^ support of free

* Tu(R me<Eque delicue, says he to his friend^ speokipg o€
this town, their common country. — i. 3.

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Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. 39

duldrrai ; butlt a temjrie to contam the busts of the
Emperors, wkidi he had presented to bis fellow
citizens ;* adorned the temple with a bronze star-
tne of exquisite workmanship, digtmm ttrnplo, dig^
num Deo donum ;\ voluntarily resigned a legacy in
favour of Comum; and, in short, seized every oc-
casion of manifesting his affection for the town
and for its inhabitants. Few characters in truth
appear more accomplished and more amiable than
that of Pliny tl^ Younger. Indefatigable both in
the discharge of his duties and in the prosecutioa
of his studies, frugal in the management and gene*
rous in the disposal of his fortune, gentle in the
private intercourse of society, but firm and intrepid
in his puUic capacity, gratefiil and affectionate as
a husband and friend, just as a magistrate, and
high-minded as a senator, he seems to have pos-
sessed the whole circle of virtues, and to have
acted his part in all the relations of life with grace
and with propriety. Nothing can be more pleas-
ing than the picture which he gives of his domestic
ocGupfitions, and few lessons are more instructive
than the transcript which we find in his epistles, of
his sentiments and feelings on every occasion
where friendship, merit, virtue, and patriotism^ are
interested. It is true, that the picture is drawn by

X. 24. t iii. ^.

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40 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II.

Piiny himself^ aod both it and the transcript con-^
fessedly intended for the public ; bnt the intimacy
of such men as Tacitng, Snetonins^ and Qnintilian^
and the countenance of an Emperor like Trayan^
who knew so well how to appreciate merits are
sufficient guarantees that the authors life and
writings w^e not at variance. One reflection how-
ever oonirs not a little derogatory to the real sub-
stantial virtue of Pliny, and that is, that its motive
was, or to speak more tenderly, se«tis to have been
ranity ;^ a mean principle that makes virtue the
handmaid of self-love, and instead of Ae noble ob-
ject of ambition, degrades her into its tool and in-
strument But, Christianity alone can correct this
depravity ; and we can only deplore the misfortune
of PUny, who never opened his eyes to its hea-
venly light.

We may collect from Pliny that Comum was in
his time a rich and flourishing city, adorned with
temples, statues, porticos, and pillared gates, and
oicircled with large and splendid villas; that it
was governed by decurions, inhabited by opulent
citizens, and endowed with rich lands. In most
of these respects, modem Como does not perhaps
yield to the ancient city. The cathedral, in
materials, magnitude, and probably in decoration,

* ir.S.

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Ch. II. THROU&H ITALY. 41

though not in a style, equals the temple of Jupiter,

and ten or fifireen other churches, four or five of

which are remarkable for some pecuHar excellence

or other, may be deemed as ornamental to the city

as half the number of temples. One of these

churches, that oiSt. Guwanni, is adorned by several

pillars, whidi are supposed to have belonged to a

portico which Pliny mentions, as erected by Faba«

tns, his wife's grandfather.* Three colleges of re^

pmtation, and as many public libraries, are advan*

ti^es, which Pliny would have extolled with

rapture, and are far superior, it must be owned,

evea to the collection of imperial statues, and to

the temple erected for their receptacle.'f* To comr

plete the resemblance or the equality, Como is now,

(was lately, I should have said) as andently,

governed by Decurions of birth and property ; to

niiich I must add, that it contains a population of

nearly twenty thousand souls. Pliny therefore

might still behold his beloved country with delight,

and exult in its prosperity ailer so many centuries

of revolution, as well as in its gratitude aiiter so

many ages of barbarism and oblivion*

* V.19.

t The curious reader may see a description of a temple
which Pliny was about to erects though probably on his
Tuscan property^ not at Comnrn. — ix. 40.

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4£ CLASSICAL TOUR ' Ck. II.

Next morning, we embarked at nine o'clock.
' Tbe view of the lake from the town is confined to
«i small basin that forms the harbor of Como, but
the view of the town from the lake^ taken at the
distance of a mile from the qnay^ is extremdy
beantiinl. The expanse of water immediately
under the eye^ the boats gliding across it ; beyond
it the town with its towers and domes^ at the foot
of three conical hills all green and wooded^ that in
the middle crowned with a crested castle, extendi
ing its ramparts down the declivity ; on both sides
bold eminences, chequered with groves and villas;
form altogether a varied and most enchanting
picture*

On passing the little promontory that forms
the harbor, we discovered a fine sheet of water of
seven miles, with the pretty little town of Carnobio
fiall before us ; and on our left, an opening between
tbe hills, through which we discoyered some
gtaciersy and in particular Mount St. Bernard,
covered with perpetual snows. The mountains on
both sides rose to a great elevation, sometimes
ascending abruptly from the lake itself, and some-
times swelling gradually from its borders, always
shaded with forests of firs and chestnuts, or clad
with vines and olives. Bnt whether steep or
sloping, the declivities are enlivened by number-
less villas, villages^ convents, and towns, seated

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0.11. ' THROUGH ITALY. «

sometiiDes on the very verge of the water, some-
times, perched on crags and {M^'ecipices ; here im-
hosomed in groves, and there towering on the
summits of the monntains. This mixture of soH*
tnde and of animation, of grandeui" and of beanty,
joined with the brightness of the sky,thesmooth«
ness of the lake, and the warm beams of the sun
playing upon its surface, gave inexpressible interest
to the scene, and excited in the highest degree our
ddight and admiration.

We next doubled the verdant promontory of
Tomo on the right, and bending towards' the
eastern bank, landed at a villa called Pliniana. It
owes this appellation, as the reader will easily
gness, to the intermittent fountain so minutely
desaibed by the younger Pliny. It is situated on
the margin of the lake, at the foot of a precipice,
from which tumbles a cascade, amid groves of
beeches, poplars, chestnuts, and cypresses. A
serpentine walk leads through these groves, and
discovers at every winding smne new and beautiful
view. The &mons fountain bursts from the rock
in a small comt bdiind the house, and passing
throngh the under story, falls into the lake. Pliny's
description of it is inscribed m laig^e characters in
the hall, and is still supposed to give an accurate
accon n t of the phamomenon. Jt is rather singular
that the intervals of the rise and £^ pf this spring

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44 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II.

should be stated differently by the elder and by the
younger Pliny; both of whom mnst have had
frequent opportunities of observing it. The former
r^resents it as increasing and decreasing every
hour — In Comensijua^a Larium lacum^fomlargus^
harts singiUis semper intumesdt, ac residet;^ the
latter thrice a day only — ter in die statis aucHbus
ac diminutionibus crescit^ decresdtque.^ According
to some modem observers^ ihe ebb and flow are
irregular; but the greater number^ with the in--
habitants of the house^ assure us^ that now^ as in
Pliny 8 time^ it takes place usually thrice a day ;
usually, because in very stormy and tempestuous
weather^ the fountain is said to feel the influence
of the disordered atmospherq^ and to vary consi-*
deraUy in its motions. This latter circumstance
leads to the following conjectural ex^anation of
the cause of this phaenomeiion.

The west wind, which regularly blows i^khi
the lake at twelve o'clock, or ^id^ay, begins at
nine in the upper regions, or on the summits of
the mountains ; upon iiiese summits^ and particu-
larly that which rises behind the FUmanOy there
are several cavities that penetmte into the boweb
of the mountain, and communicate, with qertain
internal reservoirs of water, the existeiioe of wimAi

* Lib. U* cap. IM. -f iv. Kp. ao. ^

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Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY. 45

has been' ascertained by various observations.
Ndw, when the wind rashes down the cavities
dtove-xnentioned^ and reaches the water^ it raffles
its surface^ and carries its waves against the sides
of tiie cavern, where, jnst above its ordinary level,
there are little fissures or holes. The water raised
by the impulse which it receives from tiie wind,
rises to these fissnres, and passing tiirongh tiiem
trickles down, throngh the crevices that commnnir
cate with the fountain below, and gradaally fillft it.
In stormy weather the water is impelled with
greater violence, and flows in greater quantities,
till it is nearly exhausted ; or at least, reduced too
low to be raised again to the fissures. Hence, on
such occasions, the fountain fills with rapidity first,
and then dries up, or rather remains low, till the
reservoir regainis its usual level, and impelled by
the wind, begins to ebb again. Such is the ex-
planation given by the Abate Carh Amoretti^

We had not time to verify tiie return of the
fountain, which when we visited it, was at its
lowest ebb, but we have no doubt as to the flux
and the reflujst; the regularity of which was con-
firmed by the testimony of the servants of the house,
and indeed by that of all persons in its vicinity.
After all, tills fountain is classical, the scenery
around it is roihantic, and the way to it is magni-
ficent ; but in itself, it is inferior in every respect

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46 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. II.

to the iotermitthig fountain near Settk in Yoiksfaire^
whose eWb and flow recnr every quarter of an honr,
and succeed each other mthout a minnte's raria*
lion.

Some writers have supposed, that one of the
villas which Pliny possessed in the neighborhood
of Como occnpied this site; but though he had
many in the vicinity of the lake, he yet describes
only his two favorite retreats, and the situation of
the PUniana corresponds with neither. The one
was, it seemS) on the very verge of the lake, almost
rising out of the waters, and in this respect it
resembled the PUniana ; but it would be diflScuk
to find in the latter sufficient space among the
rocks for the gestatio quuz spatiasissimo xysto leoitcr
inflectkur. The other villa might possibly have
stood on the neighboring promontory of Tomo^
Whence (edUissimo dorso) it might have com-
manded two bays. There are, indeed, many situa^
tions on the banks of the lake which correspond
with Pliny 8 descriptions, and consequently leave
us at a loss to guess at the particular spots to
which he alludes. A little further on, the lake
first contracts itself at Briermo, remarkable for its
flpurishing laurels, and then expands again and
makes a fine sweep, which forms the hay of Agregno^
a busy little town, the^ mart of the neighboring
vallies. The banks still continued to present the

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Ch. IL THROUGH ITALY. 47

same bold and wooded scenery — anuemtm^ (as
Pliny the Elda: expresses it) arbusto agro — ^die .
constant characteristic feator^ of the Larian lake^
and territory.

We next landed on a little island^ now called
Di S. Guwanni, anciently, that is, in the seventh
century, Insula Comacena. This island is wooded
and cultivated like a garden^ or rather, an orchard^
and presents a most enchanting retreat to its {hto*-
prietor^ if he have either taste to discern, or means
to enjoy it beauties. However, with all the charms
of its situation, it never seems to have attracted
much notice, as we find no allusion to it amon|^
the ancients, and little attention paid to it by the
modems. But, in the ages of barbarian invasion^
and pt^rticularly under the Longobardic kings, it
was occasionally resorted to as an asylum safe
from sudden attack, and sometimes capable of
sustaining a siege. There is, indeed, an aocoui^
of one of the Longohardk monarchs having dis-
covered and conveyed to Pctoia a treasure whidi
the Romans had here deposited; a circumstance
which, with a few additional embellishmeoitSy
might be worked into a ^ tolerable romance,
especially as the age, in which the event is sup-
posed to have taken places is fertile in legends, and

* X. 29.

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48 ciiAsncAL Toim ch. n.

oS^^centM felly open to fietian. We ane ttdd^ in-
deed, dMt it dforded a retreat to the Christians
.^kmng^ tb& perseci^ans of the three first contdnei^
and that from their numbers it derived the rank of
41 town, mider the appellation of ChristopoSa;
that it next sheltered the Greek ^michs, and
endbled them to make a SQcce8d[id stand kgainst
Hk^ Long^Aardic invaders; and, in fine, that^lt
became an independent republic, extesided its coii-
^poests ovcsr the ne%faboring banks, and carriefd on
a long and eventfhl war with C(nm. Bnt, these
and its other brilliant achievements, not having a
lliiicydideB to transmit them emblazoned to pos-
terity, are gradnally sinking into darkness, and Wi8
prabably. ere long be bnried in total oblivioii.
This, romantic island swdls gently from the Idte,
» abont a mUe inl^igth, hstf a mile in braaddH
add half a mfle distant fircon thd-^eitmi bank.

Nearly opposite to it on the eastern bank, tiie
radian lowtt pf^^iMi are' TOugb, shapeless, 'and
iweaEitfdfi^^'lM^^p^d^to^cav^t^^ and recesses, ril
dafk'ali^afi^men^bto; white beneath limm tile
wMsr^id^iuitiMaHy d^, and fi^om it«r^d^pth, Md
th» ahsid^'Whiib the siip^nonmb^ift-i'obkiii otet
upon iii^i&j^pears <bladk^and dUmal to the eye as
well as tei the ioK^ination.

As we advanced, we passed some^wan^ifhl bays

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a, IJ, THAOUGIJ ITAIiY. 4«

BAd promoirtories. with their villas and vijla^.
AioDV^ these are Balbiam ; Lmna, wh^re sopae
years ago a sabterraneoiis temple was discoTered
.with a marble statue of Diana ; and 00 the vexj
margin of the lake, ViUa^ which took its oame
without doubt from the mansion which formerly
tooeopied ^e same spot, and seems to have bem of
great extent and magni6cence, as remains of {xillars
are discernible, in calm weather^ under the water
dose to the diore* Some antiquaries suppose this
to be the real site of Pliny s yiUa ; he could not
.indeed have chosen a more beautiitd spot, nor, if
.we may believe the general Of»nion, a more
geaabl climate* H^ce, its productions, such as
aloes, capers, &c. se^oa to belong to a more south-*
em sky, and surprize us by their blooming ap-
pearance Duider the snowy brows of the Alps. We
dien traversed the little bay of Tramezsina^ and
.landed at Cadembbia about four lo'clock.

The view fcom Cadenabhia is the most extw^
cdvfe, and at the same time> the most iaterestipg pa
die lake ; it takes in the greats expanse of water,
because ii overlooks the Larian befwe its division
into, its two branches (otie of w|udb takes its name
from Coma, and the otheir from Lfcfo) and it in-
eludes the greatest variety of scteery, because it
commands the entrance into both these branches,
and the promcmtcny that sepataies tbem from each

VOL. IV. £

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so CLASSICAL TOUR Ch.ll.

other. lliis pionumtory sweUi i»to a lofyj
^M^beoee, is eoToed with woods^ adorned wi&
sereral villas^ and crowned with a convent* It k
called BellaggiOy from a village that stands on ita
jMifeniity*

In froiit and over lint widest part of the lake

•rises a tdogh rocky shore^ with a ridge of broken

grotesque moimtains beycmd^ and above them Ibe

^hxct pointed snininit of Monte Legnane^ one of the

^highest of the A^. As the situation of Ca^mbUa

is so beaniifiil, and as its accommodations are good^

ifae traveller^ who wishes to explore the recesses #f

the Larian lake and its bordering mountaiiii^

-may make it his head-qnarta:«, and from tfaeafc

commraice his excursions. Beliaggw^ and tbe

branch c£ the lake which lies beyond it, will fiqit

attract his attention. The Lag4^ di Lm^o (for so

that branch is cidled) takes its name from thetowto

of Xeeco (probably the ancient Ltcm Forum) wUdk

'Stands at ka extremity, at neariy the same distaoioe

'"from the pcmit ^ separation as is Camo. Tbe

Logo di Leceo is, pr6perly speaking, the channel of

t&e Adda (Addaa "mm carulus)^ which flowing

through the upper and wider part of the lake^ may

be considered ass turning from it at Betk^gw,

* Ckiisdiaii De yL Cons, fikms.

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Ch. II. THROUGH ITALX. ftl

and oontractmg its diaaanel as it withdraws, id:
length resumes its ordinal fyxm and name a liUfe
beyond Lecco.

The next excnrsion may be to Be^mO) nomt
miles above Cad&u^bia^ and on the opposite side of
die lake. He will here visit a cavern formed by
the &lUng of the river Fumsrm through a rodcy
iM% aajA called very appropriately £rom its darioiess
and the mnrmtu^ of the toirenti BOrtida. Low^
dDwn and nearly opposite Cadenabbia is' a village
eaUed Ct^jmam^ supposed by-«ome antiqiiartes to
have been the real situation of HmyV lowendlbu
Their ^jcmjectores are founded pancipally npcm a
Mosiac pavement :£scovered thene^ a cireumstance
which proves indeed that a villa waji th^e, but
Bdthing more. Both Plin/s fatwite seats must, I
conceive, have beaat in the neighborhood of Cmtunk
Not &r from this village is a stream eaUed Latte^
which bursts from a vast cavern on the side of a
mountain, and forms a cascade of more than a
thousand fieet befm-e it reaches &e plain. Tim
cavern is supposed to extend for miles through the
bowels of die mountain, and e^en to lead to the
icy summit whidi supplies the streun.

Thence the traveller may return by Bdktggio,
and range through its groves of olive and pines,
visit its palaces, and compare it with the descrip-

S £

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58 CLASSICAL TOtJk Ch. ft.

iSon >irhifch PliAy gives 't6f liis up^ vUIa or his
Drdgedia ; for on this spot it stood, if we tiiay
credit antiquaries, and certainly a more command-
ing and majestic site he conid not have chosen ;
b^t thongh several circumstances of the description
agree with this situation; yet, I doubt much as to
the accuracy of their application — Imposita saris
tacum prospicit . . . hcu latius utitur . . . fluctui
non seniity &c. are features applicable to a hundred
ntuations on both the shores of the lake, as well as
to the promontory of Bellaggio ; while the only
expression which seems to distinguish it from many
others is not^ in niy opinion^ applicable, in Hihy's
iiense, to the spot in question. His words are-^
M(KC mum sinum mdlli curvamm ampkctitur ; lifo
editissimo d&rso duos Mrtmit. That the word simlt^
ixtay be undemo<kl of the two branches of the take
I admit, but that it is not so extensively applied in
this paksdge must appear evident, when vre con-
sider that no villa, garden, nor park, can be sup-
posed to embrace in its windings one of the
branches of the lake, which is fifteen infies in
length; and consequeatly we may conclude that
the word sinus here signifies one of lh:e little bays
formed by some of the numberless promontories^
that project from the shojres between Como and
Cadembbia. '

I must here notice another mistake, into which

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a. II* THROUGH ITALY. 59

the &ame antiquaries seem to have &31m. Tbey
8«fiIK>9.e^ that the channel .between the iflwd dSioyf
described and the shore^ is alluded to in the foU
lowing words: — QmdEuripus viridis etgemmefi^f^
Now it is evident from the context^ that the villa
to which this Euripus belonged^ was in the Jip.ine-
diate vicinity of Ccmo^ ^uburbanum armnim^^nwn^
in appellation by no means applicable to a.seot
sixteen or eighteen miles distant from a country
town.

But to return to BeUaggio. — This dellghtlul
spol^' now covered with villas and cottages^ wa3^
durmg the anarchical contests of the middle ag^s^
not nnfreqoently converted into a receptacle of
xoljhex^^y ontlawsy dmA banditti^ who infested all the
borders of the lake during the night* and in day*
time concealed themselves amid the3e thickets^
caverns, and fastnesses: and indeed when neglected^
and abandoned to nature it must have resembled
the fictitious haunts of Apuleius's robbers, an4 bave
been a ste^ and savage wilderness Mms horridus^
sjfkestriSf frmdibus umbrosus et imprimis alius
• , . per oUiqua deva:a . . « mm a$^
perrkm ci^itur.^

From Cadenabbia we sailed to Mem^gio^d &w

* i. 3, t At>ttl. Metam* iv.

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M CLASSICAL TOUR Ch.ll.

idiles higher i]^ tke lake. F»»nr tlm Jktb town
we had a ibtt vkw of the lake from BeUaggio to
GrmedoM and Domaso; bejond this latter place
the Larian receives the Adda, after which it conr
tracts its chani^l^ and changes its name into dfte
Idxgo di Ckiave$ma. We are now abont to take
onr leave of this celebrated lake, bnt think it
necessary first to make some general observations*

The lake of Como^ or the Larian (for so k is
still called^ not nnfreqaently even by the common
people) retains its ancient dimensions unaltered^
and is fifty miles in lengthy from three to six in
brjsadth, and from forty to six hundred feet in
depth. Its form is serpentine^ and its banli^ ma
indented with fre^ent creeks and harbors ; it 19
subject to sudden sqnallsy and sometimes eTCil
when calm, to swells violent and unexpected; hadi
are equally, dangarous. The latter are more firer
quently experienced in the braueh of the. lake that
terminates at Como than xo the other parts, because
k has no emissary or outlet, such as iiieJMaf^muB
at Leeco. The mountains that border .the lake
are by no .means either barren or naked;, their
lower regions are generally covered with olivec^
vines, and orchards ; the middle is encircled with
groves c^ chestnut of great height and expansion^
auad the upper regions are either downs, or forests
of pine and fir> with the exception of certain very

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Ch. IL THROUGH ITALT. 55

elevated ridges/ idiich lune necessarily eitlier nake^
or covered with snow. Their sides lure a^ldou
f<m&ed of one continned steq)^ bat nsiiaUy inter-*
rapted by fields and levels extending m some
places into wide plains^ which sopply abundant
i^ace for every kind of cultivation. These fertife
plains are generally at one-third^ and sometimes at
two-diirds^ of the total elevation. On w near
these levels are most of the towns and villages^
tibat so beantifnlly diversify the sides of the moun-
tains.

But cultivation is not the only source of the
^kdbes of the Lariah territory : various mines of
iron^ lead^ and copper^ are now as they were
anciently^ q^read over its 'sqr&ce^ and daily opened
m the bowels of its mountains; besides quarries c^
marble^ which supply Mtlan and all the neighbor^
ing cities with the materials and the ornaments cS
thdb: most magpificent churches.

Nor are {^soere I should say) the borders of iStxt
Larian lake destitute of literary establishments.
Several convents^ and some collegiate churches
kept or patronized schools, and spread knowledge
and dvilization over the surface of a country appa-
fimtiiy rugged and abandoned. Coll^iiatechurches^
especially where all the canons without exceptimi,
are dbliged to reside nine m<mths in the year (aa

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5« CLA^ICAL TOtfA Ch. li:

in tbe^ ikakt df jltfiftin^ and indeed in all eatholkr
cdttlitiiei^) ha^ always appear^ to me of gre^f
utility lA the ebmiiiy in general^ and particularly
in remote tiraets and raifreqnented provinces. The •
persons promoted to stalls in these establishments
are generally sneh as have acquired reputation as
^nthors^ distinguished themselves in univCTsities
and cdilteges as professors, or rendered themselves
servfceable as tutors in private education.- The
conversation <rf such men was well calculated to*
propagate a spirit of application and improvement
ir the vicinity of their Chapter ; while the service
of the church, always supported in such establish-
ments with great decency and even splendor,
strengthened the influence of religion, and with it
extended the graces and the charities which ever
accompany its steps. To these we may add, that
the decorations, both external and internal of these
churches and of ' the buildings annexed to ihem,
not only give Employment almost cc^stant to nu-
merous attiiians, but moreover inspire and keep
alive fe titste for the fine arts ; and to the number
of sueh' establishments and to thdi^ splendid em*
belli^im^Mis we mnf perhaps ascribe tfaat rriish
fbfiistoitfe, painting, sculpture, and ardliteetore;
and^4^ tii(^ dise^i^^ment in thesie arts> so gene-
rall^^ ^e^dl^flt Jti Italy^ and observable even in
peasdrittR^tid- day-ldbonrers. The enth>e suppres-
sion tli^refore of such foundations, whieh i^now

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€h. IL THROUGH ITALT. 57

taddag pbtt afauMtraU ovor the ocmtfamt^ kto-ks
lamratffd » impolitic and nndbievow, and IdRlf
in its cBMc qp c nces to deterioiate the tute, «id
gnAuHwto bttrbarise tliemaiiiieiB^f the people
atks^; aad in a special maimer, <yf the
tavts of wild and moontaiiMNis r^ioos.

I cammt torn from the Xnrian lake withoot le-
milidiiig die reader of the veises in which din*
dian allodes to its magmtod^ the tatSity of its
banks, and the moontains iimt border it.

FrotiBiif umbross qua Testit littus oHta
LarinSj et duld mentitur Nerea fincta^
Parra puppe lacom pnetervolat. Odas inde
ScxodSt inaccessos bramali sidere montes.

We set ont from Memiggia about topi o'clock^
aiad todk our way towards the lake of Lugano on
foot, first oTer a fine hill> and dien through a most
deHglitfid yale^ between two very lofty and steqp^
but verdant momitains. From ^be snnuait of the
hill we looked down on the Lario^ attd had ako a
distinet Tiew of a cdteiderable part of its eattera
brandi^ the Logo di Lea». The latter part of the
TaU^dntm^ irirfeh we passed seraas^ at some
distant period^ to have been under water^ as it is
low and swampy^ and termimites m a lesser Idke^
called fimaits ritsatbn JCie^ii 42 Pkm, Tlie ihk;--

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M Chl^mCAL TOUR Ck.lL

toresqoe UU which: rises befmd this JUce «mie«nr
ftam the nwshy flats that simoimd it^ as if it had
awe .been on ishnd. The travdlar od pasung the
vattey ought to torn roimd occasioiiaHy^ in ofdcc
to behold the magniicent barrier of craggy roeks
that close it bdhiiid.

LAGO DI LUGANO.

About twelve o'clock we arrived at Porl^zn^
six miles from Menaggto^ and immediately embark^
ed.oh the Logo di Lugano. This lake is twenty-five
miles in length, in breadth firom three to six^ and
of immense depth ; indeed, in some, places^ it is
said to be almost unfathomable. Its formei: name
was Ceresius Locus ; but whether known to the an-
cients, or produced, as some have imagined, by a
ipndd^ (^nvnlsio'n in the fifth or sixth century, has
not yet been ascertained. The banks are formisd
by th^ sides of two mountains, so ste<^ as to af^^
ford little rpom for villages or even cottages, and
so high^ as to cast a blackenkig shade ovar the sinr-
giQ^iof.tbe waters. Thav rodcy b^es are often-
times SQ perpendieular, and descend so rapidly into
ihQ gulph below, without shelving or gradation, as
not to ^Uow shelter for a boat, or even footing for
a hunwi: bei»g. Haac^ although o^vered with
wood j^angingin imt masses of ^^csdure from th^
pref^ipliies, and althoQ|^ bold and magnificeBt in

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ek.II. THROl»3H ITALY. &»

tks liighest degree fixnn their bdk and elev»tioii|
yet they inspire Mosadons of awe ratbcr than ^
pleasure. The trayellar feels a u»t of terror as he
glides under th^D^ and dreads lest the rodks should
dose over him, or some fragmeDt descend from
the crag, and bury him suddenly in the abyss.

To this general description there are several
exceptions, and in particular with reference to that
p«, which «p.«d»« w^WTd fo™. U» h.yW
Lugano. The banks here slope off gently towards
the south and west, presenting fine hills, fields, and
villas, with the town itsdf in the centre, consistiBi^
in appearance of several neble lines of buildings*
On the craggy top of the promontory on one code
of this iiay stands a castle ; the towering summit of
the opposite cape opens into green downs striped
with forests, bearing a strong resemblance in sce^
nery and elevation to the heights of VaUambrosa.
The snowy pinnacles and craggy/ masses of the
neighboring A^ rise beluiid the town, and fdrm an
unmease seiBiiaieular boimdary* The town is said
to be pretty, and the climate is considered as miUd
and geael,

. iMgam foraierly asgoyed prosperity and inde*
p^idenee under the proteetimi of llie Swiss Can^
torn* In &e late revolntimuury war it wns seised
by theHrsasbi and aimexedto th^ Cisalpine Re^

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fO CLi^SiCAL TOUR Ch.lh

public The chaoge was not very popaUr, sis may
be ttm^it^ ; however mbmisston wat wavqid-
ahUj. tiU, imponemhed by taxes, and teased by
swaiws of blood-suckers under the titles of prefeots,
mayonsf^ Gonunissieners, &c. the inhabitants yield-
ed to.the ioapnlse of courage, threw off the yoke,
and expelled the Cisalpine officers. It was in ac«
taal rebellion when we passed, and it. had our cor*
dial but unavailing wishes. In front of the town
we sailed under a lofiy niountain covered with
wood,, and projecting into tibe lake. Its interior is
hoUowfed. into a variety of caverns (called by the
fieople cantini) remarkable for coolness and dry-
n^s. Here the citizens of Z^g'^»a store their wiw
wd com, and In the summ^ monthis they\keep
theic m^at bere, whiicb, even in the most snltiy
weather, remsuns untainted for a owsideraUe
time.

The bay of Ijugano lies nearer, the soutbem
than the aicHthem extremity of the lake, which, a
few miles Jbeyond it, again expands and forms three
otl^r harancbes* One of the branches, beading
northward, is (^ considerable extent, and dis-*
charges itsdf by the river Tresa into the Lc^q
M^giorcn In turning from LugmOj the dsfih ^
tbe bike is, where narrowest, considemUy dimi-
nished, ackeumstanee ascribed to d^fall of a-, vast
promontory. Tbe sanie eXhct is supposed to ha^c^

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Ch. II. THROUGH ITALY- 91

heeh prodacied by the samc^ came lowtr doi^hn,
near a tomi called Melana. Tbede 'tremmdotin
fklls are occasioned prhicipaUy by the aedon 6l
subterraneous waters that Jiollow^the woiHitain i«ito
caverns, and sometimes force their way throt^h
its 3ide$, tearing it astinder as they rwh fdrdi, and
hurling its fiiagments into thfe lake belt^w. SmA
an event happened in the year 1528, aiid neairiy
swept away a little town called Campimej almost
opposite Lugano; and again in the year 1710 near
1^eT¥esa (the emissary or oi^let of the Jake) and
choked its^ channel with the rains of a neighbor-
ing nhkmikitit Henise we may coricludef, that tboiri
who ase^e the origiti of the lak^ itself to anin^
temal convulsion, derive #ome preemptive and
plausible ar^ments to support their conjecture
fiott the frequency of simifamccidenfe.

As we advanced the boatmen pointed to some
iSistant caverns on the bank, as having once been
tlxe receptacles of a troop of banditti, who infestel
the lake and its immedkte neighboiiiood for a.
4;onsiderable time, and by the secrecy and the ex-
tent of therr subterraneous retreats, long eluded tlie
pursuit of gd'^mment. We glided ovw the latter
part in* the silence and ofascurity of evening, ^md
landed at abdittimlf past seven at Pwto. Hie ca|^
iiagea had heti^' been appointed to meet us^ and as
accommodations dre very iiuMffereat, being 4>nly a

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es CLASSICAL TOUR CA.IL

▼illa^, we immediately set out for Varese. Tbt
d]irtaii€e is seven miles. The comitry » said to be
▼ery beanti^^ but the darkness €£ the night pre^
vented ns from observing the scenery.

At Bisu$ehioj the first village jrom Porto, thier^
h a villa belonging to a family called the Cimgna^
snrronnded with a garden^ wfi&mente Ingkse, for
so lliey assured ns. In a countty like this> whi&tt
there is so great a variety of ground^ so: mnoh
}water, so much wood, and so much moiintain,
nothing is wanting to tnake a garden pr park /rt/^
EngUA bat ft little judgment, and soxbe partiaMtJr
for a rvBol life to faring it into ac^n; It is to be
Mgretted that this taste, so confomiable to riatnr^
and so &vorable both <to pnbUc asid private feli-
city should be uncommon in a country pre-emi^
nently adorned with all the charms calculated to
inspire audi nourish it

- .......... Non ullus aratro

I^gniis hofios ; squaUent abductis arva colonis.

Gfiprg. i.

Parese is a small and cleanly town. It seems
formed principally of the villas of some of ^e Mi^
kmese nobility : the Ionic front of the prindpal
chmdh was the only object that attracted my at-
tention.

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.ch.iu Tsaau&anias. »

From Varese^ having sent the carriages to Nih
varay we proceeded post in the yehides of the
country to Laoeno. We set. ont about half past
nine. The country which we traversed^ whoi con-
sidered as bordering npon the Alps^ may be called
flaty bnt it is in reality varied with fbe swdQs and
undulations. Its principal ornament is the Lc^o
di VaresCy an expanse of water very noble in itself,
thoi^h it loses much of its real magnitude from
the co^ipari^on which is papetoally made between
this lake and the three inland ^as in its immediate
vicinity. It appears to be of. an oval form, about
twelve mikis in lengdi, and six in breadth. It^
banks ^Ic^ g^titly to the v^ge of the water, and
ar6 <:avered mth all the Icixuriancy of y^tation.
JRtelda of deep verdure bordered by lofty trees $ hil)^
seoveicMl with thidcets; villas shaited with pine9
^and poplars; ViUi^es ebdrcded with vmeyiordt,
.^rike the thivdler wherever he turns bis eye^ «nd
amuse him as be wi&dera along the nmrgin of the
lake, with a continiml picture of fertility and df
happinass.

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CLASSICAL TOUR Ck. III.

CHAR ni.

The Lago Maggio7*e or Verbanus — Its Islands-^
Lake of Mogotzo — Vak of Ossokt-^Sempione —
Arona— Colossal Statue of St. Charles — Obser^
vathns on the Lakes — Comparison between the
' Italian afid British Lakes — Navara — Vercelli
— Plain of Turin.

About twelve b^cloek we aatiTed iat Lavemt a
large and handsome village on a bay of the La^o
Maggiore. Close to this village nortliwafd rises
a rough craggy mountain^ that poors a constant
^ream in a cascade from its hollow bosom. la
front spreads the Le^o Maggkyre^ in its widest ex-
panst<m. Hie andaoit name of this lake was Ver^'
bmms; its modem appelladon is derived from it»
greater magnitude^ or rather fiom its sapefior
beanty ; for in this latter quality only is the La-
rian lake inferior to it. Opposite the bay of
Lmeno opens another bay^ and in the centre of the
latter rise the Borromean islands, which are con-'
sidered as theprindpal ornaments of the lake, knd
ranked indeed among the wonders of Italy. To
these islands, therefore^ we xmmedmtely bent oar
courser

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Ch. III.* TRRIMTGH ITALY. «

As we rowed along gently in order to enjoy the'
magnifieent prospect that opened aronnd us in
eT^ry. direction^ we were informed by the boatmen
diai; we weie then in the widest and deepest part
of the Verbano. Its breadth may be here abo|it
se?ep or ei^t mi)€»j while tibe plummet desceiMb
to the enormoas depth of eighteen^ hmidred feet!
7%[te' imagination takes alarm at the idea of. skim-
ming in a light boat over the surface of sndi a.tr»-
mendous abyss, and even the ti^ayeller, who has
been tost in the bay of Biscay, w lifted on the
swdl of the qcean^ may here eye the approaching
shore with some dfigKe of oom|ifabceiiey .

We fifst landed on the /joJ^ ittefl^, as ^^
i^. ieme and the most attractive in appemtooe*.
lbAejcm» the^q^thet of beaut^ul from ^ paints
and gardens which cover, its soiiacd. Thepalaoe
slanda on the esrtxennty of the island^ and admoit.
hsags aver the wateiv It contains upon the Joweri
story a snit of rooms fitted np in die style of'
g|rottos^ paved^ lined^ and evfn coved with spars^
shelisy and party*<:olored marbles, and in appear*
ance, ddightfnlly cool and refreshing. Two mag-'
nijEicent Saloons in the principal story form thf
state apartments ; the other rooms are not worth
notice. The garden occupies nearly the whol^
island. It consists of a pyramid formed of ten
terraces rising above eadh other^ and terminating

vot* IV. p

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(^ CLASSICAL TOUR Ou III.

iu a square platforai. The tenaees have gravel
walks their whole length ; they are bordered with .
flowers, and their walls are covered with fruit trees.
Rows of orange and citron shade the walks ; and
gigantic, statnes, which when near appear grotesque,
csrowd the corner^ and front the palace« The par-
terres are * watered by fountains that rise in dif-
ferent pftrts of the edifice, and fall in sheets fix>m
marble vases. The area of the pyramid covers a
apace of four hundred feet square ; the platform
on its summit is fifty feet square ; and its whole
elevation about one hundred and fifty. The ter-
races are supported by arcades, whidi form ao
many grand galleries or green-houses, where the
more tender plants and flowers are ranged during
the winter. The form and arrangement of this
gprdm have been the subject of great admiration
during part of the last century, and the Isola Bdh
has been represented by many as a terrestrial pa^
radise, an. enchanted island, the abode of Calyps^,
the garden of Armida.*

»
In process of time when the public taste chang-
ed, and straight walks and parterres and terraces

* Burnet^ who is enthusiastic in abuse only^ when de*
scribing this island for once rises into panegyric^ pronounces
it to be the finest summer residence in the worlds and rap^
l^roosly gives it the epithet tnehmUd,

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ChAU. THROUGH ITALY. «r

with their formal accompaniments were exploded^
the Isola Bella forfeited its ikme;^ the spell was
dissolved ; the fairy scenes vanished ; and nothing
remained but a dnll heavy mass^ a heap of defor--
mity. Bnt if it was then too much panegyrized^
it is now perhaps too much despised. Praise is
due to the man who had taste and discernment
enough to select such a spot for his residence^ es*
pecially as it was originally a bare and craggy or
rather shapeless rock, and had no recommendation
but its site^ till then unnoticed. In the next place
it would be unjust not to applaud the nobleman
who, instiead of wasting his income in the fashion*
able amusements of a neighboring capital, devoted
it to wdrks which gave employment to thousands
of hands, difiused riches over a large extent of
country, and converted three barren crags into as
many productive and populous islands. Edifices
that give a permanent beauty to a country, that
exercise the taste and the talents of the age in
which they are erected, and become monuments of
that taste and of those talents to posterity, are at
least a proof of public spirit, and deserve our praise
and our acknowledgment* To this we may add^
that if pleasant walks at all seasons, and the most
delicious fruit in abundance, be objects of import-
ance in gardening; we must allow the merit of
utility to an arrangement which multiplies space,
sunshine, and shade, and adapts itself in some

f2

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tiS CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. III.

jKieasure to the state of the weather^ and to th0
ftacjr of the propri^w* However^ even modem
^te will be gratified and delisted with a groTe,
lining die north side of the gardea, formed of tra^
fioos evei]greeng, bnt pardcolarlj of bay (lanrel) of
great height and most luxuriant foliage. A path
winding in an easy cnnre through this thidcet leads
to a town^ and thence to the palace. This grov^>
from its resemblance to d(Hx^estic sceneiy^ awakens
some pleasing recollections in the mind of an Eng-
lish traveller.

A high wall surrounds the whole island^ but it
is so constructed as to form a terrace^ and thus to
aid the prospect. The prospect^ particularly from
the top of the pyramid, is truly magnificent. Hie
yast expanse of water immediately under the eye,
^th the neighboring islands covered with hous«
and trecis. The bay of Magotzo bordered with lofty
hills westward, eastward the town of I^wem witli^
its towering mountain, to the south the winding of
the lake with numberless villages sometimes on the
margin of the water, sometimes on gentle swella,
and sometimes on the sides and crags c^mountaiM^
To the north, first the little town of P^gtama^ ait
the foot of a bold promontory, then a succession of
villages and mountaiuB bordering the lake as it
stretches in a bold sweep towards the 4^9^ and
loses itsdf amid their Bnow«-crow]ieid pmiacliei. Tbe

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a. III. ' TKEIOUOH ITALY. < ^

beaaka of the lake ore 39^11 wooded, and finely va-
ried with a perpetnal intermixture of vineyaiti aid
forest, of arable and meadow, of plain and mnln-
tain. Tbift lattei? dienrastance indeed dbaractadaee
the Logo Maggiorey and dtttingmshei it from Ibfe
iMb^is wfasch are endosed in a peFpetnal aaid wt-
intermpted ridge of mountains; while itere w^be
chain is frequently broken by intervening plains
nmi vallies. Hiis interruptimi not only enlivens its
suffiu^ by admitting more fight and sunshine, bot
$LppaxesA\y adds to its extent by removing its bouni-
daries, and at tlie same time gives a greater eleva-
tion to the mountains by bringing them intd con^
traiA with the plains. Another circumstance, tom^
mon indeed to a31 these lakes, contributes much to
enliven their borders; it is that all the villages
With their churches are built of white stone, and
have, particularly in distant perspective and in
high situations, a very splencfid and palace^ike
appearance.

The bank nearest to the Isota Belki is formed
of a bold swell covered with a forest, and intersect-
ed by several dells, the beds of mountain torrents.
The foli^. of Ihis forest was even at this season
of a fresh and vivid green, and it harmonized adnii*
rabfy wi^ the gleam of the waters below, and with
the deep azure firmament above. On the side of
the kknd that laces this forest, a church with 1
few houses forms a litde village.

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ro CLASSICAL XOUlt Ck. III.

About half a mfle westwacd from the Isola
BeUa is the hola dei Pescatari, m called from the
ordinary occupation of its inhabitants. It is nearly
covered with houses, and with its church makes a
pretty object in the general Tiew, but has na daila
to nearer inspection. Its population amcmnts to
about one thousand.

The Isala Madre rises at the distance of a tiile
north from the Isola Bella. The southern part df
this island is occupied by terraces ; its northern
side is covered with a wood ; its summit is crown*-
ed with a villa. The terraces are formed on the
slope of the hill, and may be considered almost as
natural ; the villa is spacious, but looks cold and
uncomfortable. The wood is formed of laurel,
cypress, and pine, and is the more beaudfbl for
being neglected. This island is indeed in 1^ whole
less disfigured by ill-directed art, and (or that reascm
more picturesque and more likely to please English
travellers than the Isola Bella, notwithstanding the
more flattering appellation of the latter.

From Is(^ Madre we sailed up the bay of
Magotzo lying full west, and landed at its extre-
mity^i whence we walked over a rough stony roftd
about three miles, and about eight o'clock arrived
at Magotzo. The inn seemed poor and dirty, but
the people were obliging. Next morning we arose

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OuUL THROUGH ITALY. 71

at day^break^ and had an apportunity of contem-
platu^ the surrounding scenery.

Hie little town of Magotzo is situated on the
wertem. estremity of a lake nearly oval^ three
miles in laigth, in breadth one and a half, border-
ed on the south and north by hills bold but not
too steep, wild yet finely wooded. It is separated
fraid the Verbam (L^go Maggkre) by a plain o^
InmBant v^ure, divided by rows of poplars into
munberless meadows^ and iirtersected by a narrow
stream winding along the road side, nayigable only
when swelled by abundant rains. This streamlet
forms a communication between the two lakes*

About sey^ o'clock we mounted our horses,
and advanced towards Domo d' Ossola through one
of the most delightful vallies that Alpine sditndes
enclose or the foot of the watiderer ever traversed.
It is irom two to seven miles wide, encompassed
by mountains, gaierally of a craggy and menacing
aspect, but not unfrequently softened by verdure,
wood, and cultivation. It is closed at one end by
&e tpwering summits of Sempione^ whitened with
everlasting snows. Through the middle of the
valley meanders a river called Tosa^ wide and
smooth, narrow and rough alternately. The road
sometimes crosses meadows, sometimes borders the
stream shaded by the poplar, the limCji and the

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r« CLASSICAL TOOil A. HL

weepjiig birch ; here it winds np the nMiintalnsv
and edges the brink of the precipice^ and tbere.it
intersects groves and vineyards, passing under
vines carried over it on trellia-^work, and inter-
woven into arbors of immense length and iiiipeni&»
trable foliage.

About three miles from Domo iVOssoia we

crosaed the river in a ferry^ passed a marshy phin

covered with underwood, and entered the tows

about one o'clock. Thence we immediately pro^

, eeeded by an excellent road towards Sen^none. : /

This mountain, the object of our excursion, is
one of the highest of the Italian Alps ; it is covered
with perpetual .s^ow, and is remarkable for the
passage of Bonaparte previoua to the :battle. of
Marengo. A road is now making over it under the
direction of the j French government^ in order to
open an easy military communication with Milauy
and thus to secure the dependence of the Italian
republic. The ascent and difficult part of the road
commences at the spot where, the torrent of Dioario
bursts through a vast chasm in the rode:, and
rushes headlong into the valley of Ossola. Over
this chasm a bridge is to be thrown, an undertaking
jbold in appearance, but in reality not difficult, as
the shallowness of the water in smnmer enables
them to lay the foundation widt ease, while iise

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Ch. III. tHROUGtt ITALY. 79

Fock on each side ferms immoVdable abntments.
The piers were nearly finished. The road then,
Kke all the Alpine passages, follows the windings
of the defile, and the course of the torrent, some*
tones on a: level with its bank, and at other times
Kdsed along the side of th^ monhtain, and o|i the
verge of a precipice. To enlarge the passage, thi^
vOck has in'toany places i)een blown up; an opera*
tion carrying on as 'We passed, and adding, by the
eeho of the eicplosion, not a little to the grandeur
rf the scene. In dne spot, where the mass of
granite which dvethfiing the torrent was too vast
fo be misplaced and too prominent to be worked
es^iemaUy, it wlis hollowed out, and an openii!ig
taa/ie of about sii^y feet in length, twelve id
hteadth, and as many in height. This' divern . is
represented by the French as an unusual and grand
effi^rt, a monument of exertion and perseverance :
but how iiisignifieant does it appear when com-
pared to %he gotto of Posilipo^ or to the gate of
Salzburg.* 'Hie ascent is very gradual, and* per-
fiscdy safe and commodious/ It is therefore likely
to becdme when fiiiished, the principal communi-
eation between Itkly, France, and Switzerland ;

, * The spacloiis galleries, worked through the solid riick «l
Cribraltar^.and formed into aerial, batteries, iM'e far superioc
to the above-iDentioned grottos both in extent and in diffi-
culty of execution.

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74 CLASSIGAL TOUR Cft. IIU

since oo art. can render the momitaiiMi^ Cem^ &^
l^nardy and St. Gathard^ so s^Ture add pracdi-*
cable.

' ' I- . . • -
Beyond the spot wba*e the rock is perforate^
the road reaches an eleT^,tion too cold &^r the vinei^
and the face of nature resigns the warm f^tores o^
Italy. Indeed^, a little b^yon^ the next viUajgc^
called Ginfdo^ \vhere the traveller. pa3S^s from Pvi^^
to Imgutz, the language itself 4ters; andGermai^
more conformable to the mggedness of the ^ttoar
tion, assumes the place of Italian. Th^ ^H^^:
which gives its name to the mountain^ stands not
on, but near^ the suaoimit^ £^d is called by its >poK:
habitants Sempekndorf. Its I^atin appellaitioji in
sai^iosed to be Mons Cdsfiimis, <Hr Semproiui^ w^yf

As the road was merely traced out^ bnt: noC
passable beyoaad Gondo, we stopped at a qx>t whew
the torrent, forcii^ its way through two lofty
r^ck^ takes a sudden tunn^ becaiisa the sc^^
here appeared particularly magnificepti Ind(^j
in descending, the grandeur of the defile is sQen to
more advantage in all its parts. On the bank op*
posite the road, the mountains rose in large per-
peiidicular masses of lm>wn rock, and swelling to
a prodigious elevation, displayed on their craggy
summits a fe^v scattered plants^ and son^etimea

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Ch. m. THROUOH ITALY. 75

woods of pme^ fir, and beech. Behind us, were
the snow-clad pinnacles of Sempime^ and in front
a ridge of towering rocks that overhang the yale of
the Tosa. The severity and terror of the prqspect
incre^es at every step as we approached the ea*
trance of the defile, and the view from the bridge
passing through the cliffs where apparently highest
and darkest, and resting on the shining gldders
that crown the naonntain, is by the contrast l-en-
do'ed peculiarly striking, and one of the most
magnificent scenes of Alpine solitude.

We had in our progress noticed the mode of
forming the road, and though praise is due to the
undertaking, we could not much admire the exe^
euiion. The foundation is generally the natutul
rock, but where that fails, small stones are em-
ployed as a substitute; all the upper strata are
formed in the same manner of small stones, and
seem ill calculated to resist the force of torrents, or
even the impetuosity of the winds that ru^ like
hurricanes from the gullies of the Alps^ sweq> the
sftow in clouds from the froasen summit, and tear
the trees and shrubs from the foot of the moun*
tains. The masses of stone employed by the
Romans seem much better adapted to such situa-
tions, and would have resisted alike the action of
winds and of waters. But the road over Sempixmc^
however commodious it may in time become, is

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76 CLASSICAL TOUR CA.lll.

not likely to equal the f^a Appia, either in solidity
or in duration ; nor indeed i» it comparahle either
in convenience or in extent to the passage by the
Rhatian Alps^ or by the Tyrol^ which seems to be
the most ancient, and is the best and most fre-
quented of all the grand arenues to Italy.

We returned by the same road, and passed the
night at Domo D'Ossola. The first part of the
name of this village or little town is Ducmo^ the
appellation always given in Italy to the cathedral,
as the House by eminence, and was appropriated
to Ossoh^ because in it was the principal church
of the whole valley to which it gives its name.
It is pleasantly situated at the foot of a wooded
hill, encircled with fertile meadows, and much fre-
quented by Milanese and Smss merchants. The
inn is tolerable.

Next morning we returned to MagotzOy and
after a slight repast, took a boat and rowed across
its lake. We traversed the meadows that enclose
it to the east, on foot, and re-embarked on the
Lago Maggicre. It seems highly probable that
these two lakes were formerly united, and it is
possible that the Lago Maggio^e e^^nded its
waters over all the ValffOssola, and 6n€e bathed
the, feet of the granite mountains that endoEie it.
Strabo represents the Lacu^ Verbamts as nineteen

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ChAU. TmOJJGM ITALY. 17

miles in breadth^ that is^ nearly the dirta&oe be-
tween Lageno and Damo (TiQssalay a circumstance
not a little favorable to this conjectore. We Once
more glided by the Isola Belia^soid taming souths
ward^ left the grand and stupendous boundaries of
the north^u part ^ die lake behind us^ and found
ourselves amid the milder scenes of ornamented
cultivation, verdant swells, tufted hillocks, towns,
and villages, scattered confusedly on each side.

Approaching Arona, we were strack with the
colossal statue of aS/. Charley Barromeo^ erected sOn
the summit of a hill near the town. It represent}
the archbishop in an attitude equally appropriate
to his office and to his benevolent feelings, as
turned towards Milan, and with an extended arm
imploring the benedictions of heaven upon its in*
habitants. It is supported by a marble pedestal
forty-two feet in height, and is itself seventy ; it is
of bronze, and supposed to be finely executed. If
the qualities which, according to Virgil, open
Elysium to those who possess them, can claim at
the .same time the minor honors of a statue,
St. Charks is entitled to it under a double capacity,
both as a blameless priest and as a public bene-
factor.

<itunq^e.ftace^d(>^$ casti dum vita manebat
Quique.sai memoras alios fecere merendo.

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78 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IIL

It must also be acknowledged^ that such a
monument of public gratitude and veneration is
highly honorable to the people who conceived and
erected it. It bespeaks public feelings grand and
capacious, and while it far surpasses the diminutive
diifttinctions of modem nations, it emulates the style
and the imperial honors of the Romans. A little
abbve the town of Arona stands a castle now in
ruins. It was once the principal residence of the
Borromean family, where St. Charles was bom.
Yet neither this drcumstance nor its strength and
eoomianding position, could secure it against neg-
ket and decay.

Arma is a little but an active commercial
town; in the cathedral there are said to be some
fine paintings. But it was dusk when we arrived,
and as drcumstances did not permit us. to pass the
night thcre^ we took a coach and proceeding to
Ncfvara, where the carriages were waiting, ar-
rived there at a late hour.

We have now taken leave of the Italian lakeis,
and as we turn from them, it is impossible not to
express some surprise that their beauties should
have been so little noticed by the ancients, even in
poetry, and apparently so little known by the tra-
vdQed and the inquisitive. Virgil indeed alludes
to them in general, as conspicuous featui^s of Ita*

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ChAll. THROUGH ITALY. 79

lian scenery^ and mentions two in particnlar^ the
Larius for its magnitude^ and the Benacus for its
majestic ocean-like swell.* . Catalhis speaks with
fondness of his beautiful villa on the promontory
of Sirmio. But these poets were born in the vici-
nity of one of the lakes^ and had it constantly
imd^ their eyes in their youths and not unfrequait*
ly even in their xipet years. Pliny the Eider men*
" tions them m a cursory manner^ though as a iia*
tive eith^ of Verona or of Comum, he might be
siqip08ed to glory in them as the prin<^pai orna-
ments of bis native country. The youi^r does
enlarge with expressions of complacence on the
views of the lake, and the charms of his villas on
its borders. But neither he, nor even Virgil and
Catullus, speak of them in such terms of adminh-
tion and rapture, as their b^iuty and magnificence
seem calculated to inspire. Whence comes this
apparent indifference? were the Rcmians in gene-
ral insensible to the charms of nature? it cannot
be supposed. Were the-Latin poets — were Virgil
aiid Horace inattentive observers? Every line in
their works proves the oontrary.

* The two other lakes he omitted^ probably because they
were little kno wn> being in a remote part of the country, and
at a considerable distance from any great town, while the
vicinity of Conmni to the Larian, and of Verona to the Be-
nacu$, gave publicity and fame to thdr beauties.

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80 CLAS»CAL TOUR G%. III.

Kara mihi et rigui placeaat in yalliboB lunnes
Flnmina amem sylvasque inglorius^ &c.

yirgU, Ge&rg. ii.

Ego laado ruris amosni

HiTOSf et mnsoo circumlita saxa nemusque^

Hor. Epitt. lib. i. lO.

is the language of passion and enthnsiasm. Yefc
Virgil, in the lines immediately following those
which I have cited, passes from the magni6cent
objects aronnd him and. almost before his eyes, to
scaiery remote, and certainly inferior, perhaps
even known to him only in description, and em-*
bellished only by the charms of poetic imi^ery^
This latter circumstance may perhaps in part ac^
count for the apparent indifference which we have
remarked. At the era of these two poets, GalUa
Cisaipina was scarcely considered as a part of Ital^r ;
it had been successively over-run by various Gallic
tribes, ajad those tribes had not been Imkg enough
subjected nor sufficiently civilized and polished to
assume the name of Romans. Their country had
not yet become the seat of the muses ; it had not
been ennobled by^ glorious achievements, nor in-
habited by heroes, nor celebrated by poets. Its
beauty was inanimate, its grandeur mute, and its
forests, and its lakes, and its mountains, were all
silent solitudes, unconnected with events and des-
titute of recollections. Such barren scenes the
poet contemplates with indifference, and willingly

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€A. m. THROUGH ITALY. 81

tmuB to ngiou where hiatorjr infwea a imd inlo
mtare, "mi lights vp her feataim wkh oieiiifliry
and tPiagiimtiQP. But what this grAnd suMpkie
Mend theii wanted^ it hti siMt aoqtm^d* One
W^ord of Virgfl has gir^i digaitjr to diic Xiatmn
lake; oxfteTeiBehascommuiiicatadthegraiidciirof
the ocean to the Benacus; mdjL few lines W<e
raised the little streamlet of the Minciui ahoTe the
fiili and majestic Damd^.

O testudinis auree

Dulcem quee strepltum^ Pieri« temperas . .

Tottim hoc muneris tui est. Borat lib. iv. ^:

Th^ lakes of Westmoreland and Cumberland
ars to Enghmd^ what those of the Milanese are to
Italy. Yet none of our ancient poets have noticed
dieir distant beanties. Tliey stiU remiun imsmag
and uneonsecrated in classic stoiy. One of the
SeottJah lakes has ktely been more fortwiale.
Y«f/ who eirer heatd/of Loch Katrine till ^e
Mifistirel peopled its lonely isle with phancome of
rAot and of beauty ?

And sweetly o*er the lake was heard his strain
Mix'd with the sounding harp.

Ladf of the Lake.

Before we abandon the subject it may p^aps
be asked, what proportion in bemtj, magmtade.
and giMwfanr^the Bntish lakes bear to the Itriki,

TOL. IV. G

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M CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. III.

(Snglandvas far as regards ike fiioe of natve, Ims
been rqiresented as a miniatnnB picture of Enn^
at harge, and its featores, thoogh perfaapa eqnal in
beanty^ ^are yet considered as inferior in boUnesa
and in. relief to the traits observable on tbe omoh-
tinent. Tliis remark is pecnliariy applicable to itt

^ lakes and monntains^ which contract their dimcxi-
sions and almost sink into insignificance when com-
pared to similar objects in Alpine regions. Intmtfa^
to a traveller lately returned from Italy^ WindermerCi
appears a long pool, and Skiddaw shrinks into a
hillock. Ullswater alone, in the comparative
boldness of its banks, may perhaps present a faint
jesemblance to some parts of the Logo di Como;

.but the parallel is confined to that single feature.

:Tbe rocks that firown over Buttermere may be snf-
ficia&dy grand, bat how insignificant is th^ sheet
of water, spread beneath them. One of the Scotch

.lakes, (for the others I have not visited) Loch
Idmondy renunded me of the Bemcus in the wi4e-
ness of its expanse and in the gradual swell of its
banks. Bat die resemblance goes no farther; for,
admitting that the little islands interspersed in the
broad part of the lake have a considerable share of
beauty, yet the heavy lumpish form of Benhmond,
its heathy sides and naked brow, with the lifeless
masses around it, which form the <mly grand fea*

.tures the prospect can prebend to, are very m^f-
ferent sabstitntes for the noble Alpine ridgp that

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e*. *f/. THROUGH ITAI^. «3

borders. the Bmacm^ su^d presents every H^imti^
form and cplor; fr^m the curve to the pianacle^
firpiif t^iq de§p tipts of the forest to the 4«u»EliQg
brightness of snow. When to those conspicoaiis
advantages we add the life and interest which such
scenes derive from churches^ villas^ hamlets and
towns^ placed as if by the hsjuid of th^ painter in
l^e most striking situations, so as to contrast with
and relieve the horror of the surromiding pictorei
we describe the peculiar and characteristic features
which distinguish the lakes of Italy, and give them
animdi^puted superiority.'!^

Adde lacus tantos te Lari maxime^ teque
Uttctibus et fremitu assurgens Benace marino.

Virgil

Ifaving taken a slight refreshment at Naoara^
as the night was far advanced, we determined to
continue our journey; especially as the district

* I am willing to believe all that is related of the match^
less beauties of the lake of. Killarney, but as I have not had
the pleasure of seeing them> I cannot introduce them into
the comparison. However^ they seem to be too often douded
with mists and drenched in rain, to be capable of disputing
the palm of beauty with scenes lighted up by the constant
sunshine and the azure skies of Italy. Of the Helvetian fokes
we may- perhaps discourse hereafter. At presait I shall only
say^ tliat they are on the tvronir side^of the Al^.

g2

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84 CtASStCAL TOUR Ok. HI.

whicBh we were about to traverse was a dead flat,
^tersected witii caiuJs, and planted with rice, the
^ibtiiigBi^iiig mark of an imwhoksiMiie and imiii^
teresting couiitrjr.

In leaving Nooara I need only observe, that it
is an episcopal city of great antiqiiity, bat of little
renown eillier in ancient or modam times, so tliat
its Roman name is Hit only title it has to the tra-
veller's attention. The night was dear and refresh-
ing. At a little distance from Nm&ra we passed
the Jgogna, and about break of day we crossed the
Sesia, a wide but then shallow river, and immedi-
ately after entered VerceUiy a very ancient city, still
retaining its Roman name, and probably containing
as great a population as in Roman times. It never
mdeed rose to any very great celebrity, dioif h it
eajoyed a transient gleam of liberty and independ-
ence m the middle ages. It is rather a handsome
and flourishing town. The portico of the cathedral
is admired.

We proceeded over a flat country and feitili^
but neither so productive nor so beautifril, nor so
populous as the Milanese. This plain has indeed
been the theatre of many sanguinary contests be-
tween the French, the Spaniards, and the Austrians,
during the two last c^itnries, and is now subject
to the iron sway of die Frendi republic ; neither

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O-UL THROUGH ITALY. 16

of which drcamstances are calculated to improye
its appearance^ or to increase its importance in
classic estimation. In onr progress we crossed
fonr rivers^ all of which still preserve their ancient
appellations ; the Baltea^ the Oreo, the Stura, and
the Dora. We entered Turin abont six o'clock
(October the third.)

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86 CLASSICAL TOUR C^. IV.

GHAP. IV.

' ■ 'J' . J

Turifiy its History ^ Appearance^ Edifices^ Academy^
and University — the Po — the Superga — Conse-^
quencesqf the French Conquest— precious Introduc-
tion of the French Language^ Manners ^ and Dress
at Court — Observations on Dress in General

Turin, like Genoa^ though of ancient foundation^
, can boast only of modem fame ; with this difference^
that the reputation of the former is recent, and
almost confined to the last century, while the
glories of the latter rose early and blazed through
a series of active and ^yentful ages. Augusta
Taurinorum was the Roman appellation of this
city, which it received when raised to the dignity
of a Roman colony by Augustus. Before that
period it seems to have been mentioned only in
general, as a town of the Tauriniy the Gallic tribe
of whose territory it was the capital.

Taurinof^m unam urbem caput gentis gus, quia
mlentes in amicitiam ejus non veniebant vi ejcpug*

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Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 87

fiaraty* says Livins^ speaking c^ Anmbal; and
from these wards we learn the litde importance of
this city in the eyes of the historian^ and in the
next place, the attadmient of its inhabitants to the
Romans. This insignificance and, fidelity seem to
have been the constituent featnies of the destiny
of Tioin for a long snccession of ages, and have
cotttinned to expose it both to the hatred and to
the vengeance of all the invading hordes, firom
Attila to Francis I. Daring this long era of
anarchy and of revolution, it was alternately de«
stroyed and rebuilt, deserted and repeopled.

Its importance conmienced in the thirteenth
century, when it became the residence of the
princes of Savoy, and assumed the honors of a
capital ; since tlmt period, though in the heart of a
country, the constant theatre and oftentimes the
object of war ; though often besieged, and not nn-
firequently taken ; yet it continued in a progressive
state of improvement, and had become about the
middle of the last century^ one of the most popu*
lous and flourishing cities in Italy. This its pros-
perity must injustice be ascribed to the spirit, the
prudence, and the activity of its princes. Its dis-
asters, like those of Italy in general, flow from its

• L, XXL 39.

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8« CLAS8|€i|l4 TOUR Ch\ IV,

y^timty ^ Fkaqce^ yi/bom mm» have so ofbm
ormma tto tenitoriea, aaa^td its rraiparto^ wairtoi,
ijU SQburha, and «i far as their abiUty equftUeii their
malio^ deatrpyed its edifioea. hk om of these
iiiroaib> the Frendb, under Francis. I* demdUudiied
all the monumenta of Roman. antiqiiity> wbidi
had escaped the rage of preceding barbarians, and
which had till thto constituted the prineijial trnm*
xamt qS Tmin, In another^ they were deieated;
by Pnnce fingene^ and obliged to. raise the si^gio^
with prodsigioiis shuighter. But tiafevtiinately diejr
have since been jonore snecessfnl^ Turin yidUbd
without the formalities even of a blockade^ and
Piedmmite, ia spit^ of the- Jlp0, waa declared to be
a depaitment of France.

While the residence of its aovere^M^ this ca^
pital waa lively> populous^ and flourishing. Its
court was equally i^emarkable for politeness and
for r^ilarity, and much frequcaaited by strang^^^
because it was considered as an introduction to the
n^aaaers and to the language c^ Italy. Its acwl(^
my enjoyed a consideraUe degree of veptita^tkm^, >
and was crowded with forei^oiers^ attiaeted in
part by the attention which ijie king ; eoAde^
8(cended to shew to the young nleinheiis^ attd pair%
by the cheapness of masters^ and by the far
cility of instruction in every branch and language.
This academy was indeed a Inost uselul establish-
ment^ and extremely well calculated to usher young

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Ch.IV. THROUeH ITALY. 99^

mea mid' ^ wcntM in the aiost iwpectaUk i
ner^ andix> iulaoii them to coorto aod to pubBe
life. A year passed in it, widi the kasi applica^
tian, enabled them to p«otec«te tbdor trards ti^itlk
advantage, not only by supplying them with the
iBfevmation aeoessary, but by fAroclnring them
mdk €oimerions with the &rst fiumlka in aU the
great atks as laight prectatde the ibimaUtiM of
preamitatioii, and admit.thraa at once into the k^
timacy of Italian society. Without this confidefr^
tial adnuBsion (which lew traveilera have ei^oyedl
hr many yeara past) the 4<naaesti€ intercQurae <^
Italians, and consequaady the ciiaracter of tbe na*-
tion, which ia Mf^or iuUy and undiagms^y w^
folded unless in such intercourse, must continue It
mystery. Now the academy of Twin, where tihe
young stndesits wet e conmdcred as part of thai
court, and admitted to all its batta aiJd amusen
BE^nts, placed this advantage completdy within
ihdbr reach, and was in this respect, and indeed iaf
moat otheas, far superior to Otneoa, where ike
Btitidi youth ol rank were too ofieih sent to learn
Firench and sciepticianL

Turin is beantiiully situated on the UOTtbera
bank of the Po^ at the foot of a lidge of fine hilK
rising aoodiwaBd beyond the river; while north*
ward eatends a plam faoimded by the J^s ascend^
ing sometimes in gigantic groups IQce batdemei^

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» CLASSICAL TOUA Ck IV.

tA tio^eny and at other times^ piescutiu g detached-
points darting to the clouds like spires glittering
with unmdted idcles^ and with snows^ diat never
yield to the rays of summer.

The interior of the town is not unworthy
Its iame and situaticm; its streets aire wide and
strait, intersecting each other at tight angles, and
nmning in a direct line from gate to gate, through
some large and regular squares. The royal palace
is spacious, and surrounded with delightful gar-
dens. Th^e are many edifices, both public and
private, which present long and magntficoat
fronts, and intermingled with at least one hundred
chmx^es, give the whole city a rich and splen*'
did' appearance. In die churches and palaces,
marble of every vein and color is lavished with
prodigality, and decorations .of all kinds are scat-
tered with profusion ; to sudi a degree indeed, as
to encumber rather than to grace these edifices.
Sudi are the general features of Turin, both grand
and^airy. AnuMig these features the fi^ur gates \^
the city were formerly numbered, and as they were
adorned with pillars, and cased with marble, they
were represented as very striking and majestic en-
trances. But these celebrated gates the French
had levelled to the groutid, together with the ram*
parts, the walks and the plantations, that fcxrmerly
endfekdthe town as with a forest.

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C*. IV. THROUGH ITALY. 91

Tbe Hiisfortniie of Turin hi» been, that while
both its sdyereigns and its inhabitants wanted nei*
ther means nor inclination to^ embellish it, lio ar- '
chitect of correct taste was found to second their
wishes. The two principal persons of that de-
scription employed 3t Turin, Guarini and Jwcara,
whatever might have been their talents, were de-'
ficient in judgment, knd preferred the twidted, tor-
tcfred curves and angles of Btfrromini^ to the
nnbroken lines and simj^le forms of antiquity.
Novelty, not purity, and prettiness instead of ma-
jesty, seem to have been their sole object. Hence
'this city does not, I believe, present one chaste
model, one simple grand specimen in the ancient
style, to challenge the admiration of the traveller.
Bvftiy edifice, whatsoever its destination may be,""
w^ettler cshnrth or theatre, hospital of palac^ is
encumbered with whimsical ornaments, is all glare
and glitter, gaiety and confusion. In vain does
the ey^ seek for repose, the mind long for simpli-
city. Gilding and flourishing bkze on kll sides,
arid We turn a1?rayfit)ni the gandy shew, dazzled
attd 'disgtfsted. Hie cathedral h an old Gothic
edifice, in no respect remarkable ; at its end is the
chapel royal Delia Santissimd Sindane, rich in the .
highest degree, and surmoxmted wiih a heavy
dome: ' Thi' Vdrpus Domini, S: Lorenzd, S. Phi-
Uppd Ni^i;' Sta. Cristinh, S: RikicoJ S8i Mauriisid
et Latih^Oy iind seteral oth^'chnrcHeS, deierVe a*

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M CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV.

particular inspection eitiber for iimt magoiboAt or
their pillars^ or for the variety of marbles employ-
ed in their decoration.

The nniversity of Turin occupied a most eX'-
tensive buildings containing a library of more than
fifty thousand volumes ; a museum furnished with
a numerous collection of statues^ vases^ and other
antiques of various denominations ; a very fine
collection of medals ; a hall of anatomy^ admirably
furnished; and an observatory. It was endowed
for four-and-twenty professors^ all of whom gave
daily lectures. They were generally authors and
men of great reputation in their respective sciences.
There are two collies dependent upon the uni-
versity^ remarkable also far their spaciousness and
magnificence^ as well as for the number of young
students which they contained. To these we must
add the academy whidbi I mentioned above^ form-
ing altogether a very noble establishment for the
purpose of public education in all its branches and
VQodifications^ highly honorable to the judgment
and munificence of Victor Amadtus^ who, by en*-
larging and reforming its different parts^ may just-
ly be considered its founder.

In hospitals Turin was^ like the other cities of
Italy, richly endowed. The R^io SpeMe delta
Carita was on the plan of the celebrated hospital

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Ck. IV. ISROUGH ITALY. tt

aifc Rome^ and fumidied at the same time proH-
ttions and employmeiit to the poor^ education to
'CNTpfaans^ a d<y#ry to nimiamed girU^ and an asy-
lum to the sidk and to the decayed. Eigfat or more
eitablifthntenta of a similar hatore^ though on a
iesso* floak^ contributed to the same object m di^
ftranent parts of die dty^ and left no form of misery
without the means of adequate and speedy relief.

The palaces, though some are large and spa-
cious, are yet so disfigured by ill-placed decoratiom
and grotesque architecture^ as to make littie im*
pression on the eye, and consequently to deserve
little attention. The pictures which formerly
adorned theur galleries and apartments have been
transported to fVaace, and their rich fniniture
carried off and sold by ibe plunderers.

We will pass thwefore to the ceiUKtary imm^
diately roundT^m, whack is by no means defidetit
in beauty. Its first and most conspiemms feature
is the Poy which gives its name to the principal
atreet of the dty, and batkes its walls as it roUs by
m all its magnificence. I need not here mfox«
the reader that the Ligurians, a tribe of GaUic or
German ^digin^ ^ve this river the nuoie of JB^
dinco or bottomless, on account of its depth ; nor
need I enlarge upon its different appellations and
their origin. He will smile however, whm he is in-

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: 94 QhmiCAJU TOU*. Ch. IV.

Scorned by a learned Dutchmaa% that the JSrid^
(^t^jCxmseprated by the. fall of Phaeton^ shaded by
}dB ^Uter poplars^ and enrid^ by their amber
,te^Si.i3 not th^ oelelmKted river that jgives fertility
and fame to one of the noblest proTinoes of Italy^
but the Raddaunty a stream that intersects the
plains of Prussia and falls into the Vistola near
Danizk! This change of site^ climate^ and scenery
will add much without doubt^ to the ideal charms
which poesy has thrown over the Eridanus, and
considerably enhance the pleasure which the rea^
4er receives from the various clasiuc passages in
which it is described.

But to drop alike the &iions of the Greek
p^ts, and the dreams of the German critics^ we
onay observe that the account whicl^ Pliny the
Elder has given of the Po, is still found to be to^
lerably accurate, though physical commotions^
aided by human es^ons^ may be allow^ to have
iBade some petty alterations.*!* Of the power of
i:he forpier we have two striking instances in the
destruction of two ancient cities in this very region
by the fall of mountains^ one of which, Industria,
lay near the road between Turin and VerceUi, and
consequently not far from the ehannel of the P&.

• CloTerius, 1. 33. p. 391. t Lib. iii. 30.

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a. IV. THROUGH ITALY. W

As to the hkUetyithBs be«i e:!(ert€id principsyQy in
opaoJug iieir 0atl6i3 at the moath of the rirer^ aad
in giving a better direction to its vast niass of
waters^ in order to prevent the consequences of in*
nndations^ and to recover some portions of land
covered by its waves.

. This magnificent river takes its rise about fiye-
and«*twenty or thirty miles from Turin, in the re-
cuses of Mmte Vm or VemluSj celebrated by
Virgil for its fcMrests of pines, and for the sisee and
the fiercene^ dT the boars that fed in them""^. vlt
becomes navigable even before it reaches TuriHy
though so near its source, and in a course which,
including its windings, extends to three huhdred
miles, receives thirty rivers, bathes the walls of M^
towns and cities, and gives life, fertility, and opu-
lence to the celebrated jd^ns called from it lUgio
Circun^adana. Its average breadth from Turm
to Jriano msij be about twelve himdhred ftet; its
depdi is every-where ecmsiderable ; and its current
strong and equal. It may justly therefore be call-
ed the kmg of Italian river8,'and ranked among
the principal streams of southona Europe. We
had beheld it frequently in the course of our wan-
derings between the Alps and the ApennimSy and

* Eneid, x. T08.

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96 CLASSICAL tOtm Ch. IV.

dwir^ unida it widi intefcst and ndiniratiOB. We
now had t» take leare dtit, and ttun for ever from

tfae^bin,

,.j . • . • ■ '

qaa
Eridanus centum flaviis comitatus in «qaor •
Centam urbes rigat et placidis interluit undis.

Fracoit. Syph. h. 1.

' The next object wkicli attracts tlie eye of Ibe
traTdler, and whidi really deserves his attention,
it dienoontain of the Superga, and the lofty temple
ihat erowhs its mimniit* The elevation and pitto-
wsqne appeamnce of the hill itself, and the canse,
file destkntion, and the corresponding magnificence
of the edifice, are ail so many claims npon onr
Cttnosity.

The Siferga is about five mileB from Tliiw;
tile Moent is gradnd, and the road good. Hie
anmmit of llie hiU commands a noble view of tile
city, its snbnrbs, the river^ and ike drccm^acent
oenntry ; and on it Victar Anutdats uai Frkiee
Eugene met daring the fambns siege of Turin in
1706, and formed the plan for the attack of the
enemy and for its deliveranoe. The dnke (for the
jovereigns of Piednumte had not then assumed tEe
title of king) made a vow, if Heaven prospered his
arms, to bnild a church on the very spot as an ever-
laiting monument of bin g«atitade« His prayers

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C*. IV. • THROUGH irxVt. 9T

Were hesarA ; the French were defeasted with gnoit
slaogbter ; the siege was nused; and the church was
boiit. The edifice is not unworthy of its origin.
It is really a grand meoMMial of royal and nattondi
adknowledgment. Its sitimtion is peculiarly well
adapted to its object. On &e pinnacle of a lofty
monntain^ it is visible to the inhabitants not of
Turin only, bnt of the whole country for many
miles round, and instantly catches die eye of eyety
traveller and awakens his curiosity.

The church is of a dmabtf form, supported 1^
pillars; the portico is ornamented with piUam^
and the dome rises on pillars. All these colua^t
are of beautiful marble of di^lferent colors^ andpve
^e edifice an appearance unusually rich and
stately. Instead of pictures the altars are deco*
rated with basso relievos ; the pavement is of va-
riegated marble; in short, all the different parts of
&e edifice, and even the details of es:eontion ai«
on a scale of sploidor and of magnificence, well
adapted to the rank of the founder, to the impw-
tance of the occasion, and to the dignity of the
object.

The mansion annexed to the church far the
use of the officiating clei^ is, in the galleries^
the library, and even the private apartments, pn^*
portioned to the grandeur of the establii|lvn<inty

VOL. IV. ' H

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98 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV.

and lUc^ Ae tasj^e iteeif, rich m marbles and ia.
deeoniti0Kis« It is ooeupied hj twrive clergymen^
wlAi are i^eotiaivkaUe for their talents and acquire
itents^ and are here occnfned in qualifying th^n«*
selves feptbe highest offices and dignities of the
dnxroht bn fact^ the St^erga is a sort of seminary
ntfaich supplies the Sardinian or rather Piedmoi^
teiie territory with deans, hishc^, and archbishops,
^e expenses neeessary for the support of this
edifice and establishmmt were furnished by the
Idng himsdf, who considered it as a royal diapel^
and as the destined mausoleum c^ the Sardinian
monarchs and of die dynasty of Sofvey. Bnt alas!
I' am now speaking of establishments that no
longel: exist; of temples verging to decay; <rf
monarchs dethroned ; and of dynasties exiled and
degraded

Turin was late the capital of a large and po*-*
pulous territory, and long the residence of a race
of active and magnanimous princes ; it was fur'*
nished with all die establishments, literary and
dvil, that usually grace the seat of royalty ; it was
enlivened by a population of one hundred thousand
souls, and frequented by crowds of strangers from
the most distant countries. Turin is now d^rad-
ed into the diief town of a French department,
the reMdenee of a petty tyrant called a prefect ; it
is stripped of its university, of its academy, and

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of all its noble spid,itft well w^kM^ed.^est^^Uh*'
mmt» ; it is redoiced to, onprhfilf of its po^l^tion^
and tpamans»in Taiaits skrrapy^ it^ impoverislunei^
aod its solitiulei The rei^der^ therefore^ will .^^y
ItdieTe that the French^ eveiy-where disliked^ are
here abhoired ; that their language^ manners^ md
persons are equally objects of antipathy ; aud that
the day of deliveraoce and of veng^nce is inost
ai4ently desired by the qppreinpd Fkiimw^ffc^

Bat though we sympaithi^e most sincer€;ly with
libis tDJured people^ ajod lament the fall, of the
court of Turin as a general qalamity ; yet we may
be allowed to observe^ that this catastrophe is^ in
some degree^ imputable to its own weakness and
irresolution. Had the present sovereign inherited^
not the justice and the piety only^ but the martial
spirit of his ancestors ; had he been animated with
the ai^^animous sentiments of his gran^lather
Amadsus^ he would^ at the first menace^ hay^
marched direct to the AJps^ garri^soned th^ir imr
{mgnable fastnesses with his troops ; and if th^ ^^e-r
xay appe^ed^ he would have swept the defiles
with his artillery. If victorious, he would have
Imried half the French army in the precipices, and
stifled the war at its birth. If defeated, he "^ov^ld
have given his people, and they wanted n/^ither
courage nor inclination, time to assemble and to
am ; and had he fallen in the contest he would

H 3

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100 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch.iV.

bave kSkn, like Leooidas at Thenrnpykty as a hero
aadakingt encircled with glory and with renown.
Bat at that period of infatoation the Roman Pon-
tiff alone had the sagacity ta see the danger^ and
the courage to meet it. All the other Italian
powers adopted a temporizing system^ an ineflfec-
tive neutrality^ of all measures the most perni-
cious^ because it leaves a state open to attack
without ^ means of repelling it. Sine grot id, sine
^gmtate premium 'oictaris,* Thus they were easily
overpowered one after the other, and plundered
by the French, who ridiculed their want of policy
while they profited by it. How different the con«
duet of the ancient Romans, and how difierent the
result.

When the Cimbri, far more numerous than
the French, rushed like a torrent down the A^,
and threatened to inundate Italy with their my-
riads, the Senate, not content with the armies op-
posed to them under Marius and Catullus, ordered
a census to be taken jii all the states, and found
that seven hundred thousand foot and one hun-
dred and fifty thousand horse were ready to march
at thdr order and to meet the common aiemy.
Yet at that time Italy was bounded by the Apen-^

* Liv.xxxv.49.

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Ck. IV. TBROUQH ITALY, Ml

nines^ aad one^third less than it noW b; btit vwf
different was the spirit of the iramerow little i^
publics into which it was then divided mlder tftfe
guardian genius of Rome, firoin that df its presenit
monarchies and its aristocracies, too pftelif under
the influence of foreign intrigue. Diis uiinene^
which may jnstly be ranked among Hd]« ^reateaft
evils that modem Italy laboiirs under, has been
consideraUy increised, unintenticmaUy perlups, hjr
the court of Titrin. The matrimonial eohnexioas
which so often united the house of &t%V)^to tiiot
of BourboH, and the partiality which naturally ao^
companies such connexions, gradualljr introdnced
the language, dress, and manners; aad with thefn
not a few of the fopperies of the court of VersM-
ks into tihat of Ihrin, and thence opened a passage
for tham into the other provinces of Italy. Hence
an Italian author of some eminence observes, in a
tone of half smothered in£gnation, ^at at Turm
French is spoken oftener than Italian;'* and he
might have added, that the preference, thus ab^
surdly and unnaturally given to a foreign tofigue
so inferior in every respect to tiie native diar
lect of the country, is entirely owing to the eor<*
ample and the influence of the court. How in*
politic such a preference is, I have elsewhere ob*-

-* Dsnina. Yiceade della Lelteraiarft.

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im CLASSICAL TOyH CfA. IV.

Served;' heitt 1 shall only repeat, that die kiKnr-
l^ge bfi^ French ha^aage iHttodookl FVeiicfa
Ifkef&tbfe, Titstrch nottom, abd FMach prfnciples
Itlto Piedmont; ' and that ihej again open^ the
way tJb *F»%iich bayonets, PVench crwdtf, and
Fretotft oppression; to all the evils that now prey
upon this once noUe capital, consnme its resources^
^eronr its population, and seem fikely to irednce
it ere Idng to the^ lonefiftesa^and the insigiiilGafite
^f k vfflage. A Wesson to the northtcn capitidb,

' ''A»f€«'tfikFrentehdi«ss,hwas<firstintM>dao^
StftotheHbioHiiertr -parte of Italy by the Didcts of
Sieciff, lit the time of Lewis XIV. aAd thence it
^asMd ittto the southern {Hxivinces, and fcinctt ims
^ htieti adopited in all'tbe comts c^ Enrepe. 3b en*
able the reader to determine how &r the adofftion
of this costume is to be regretted, I take the ii*
berty of offering the following observations. Tbe
hmnan body is the most graceihl and iiM>st ma^
jestrc object that nature presents to our contecRi^
pUtion; yet neither decency nor couTenienoe per-
mit it^to be exposed to the eye, in all its naked
proportitas. A covering, therefore, of flome kind
or other is necessary, but ite form and quantity
depend upon opinion and circumstances. That
which fits the limbs exactly, and shows their form
and proportion, is not unbecoming. That which

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m. HTv THftOU€» ITAIiY. 101

fibfttl in )]g^clripery.atQijiid.the koAj^mA^r^ft
aluides tbaii coaeeak lt& outline, i|s h%hf j .gn?^^
£bls that whidi cov«» tb^ p«noA jentj^r^ly^.^d
&Ml» tbe whole iQan. up ]|>. hi3,g^];ni^t^> i^s f^-^
brous^ and if oat managed wj^ noww^ l^rt^. |^r«
ders f^n d^oimity. Tbe laat^e^su^i at 4lr(Jip^9
to bfure be«i very generally pcfsferr^,]by fbe.QP'
4Uiiak9 md is still the mode./^f ^e^s is T^Al9Wfig
idle Tories and th^ Par»ws, ,Tb« ^Est, j^Qcprdiflg
to Tfl^tps, was thfe distinctive luupd^ of .1^ qobl^
among the and^ait Gerpai^ pnd iS}Sl;ill ^e.^^
tional dress dT the Hungarians^ imitated in th§
imififfm of the H^sBars.*. , Tb? feq9»4.^4 t^'^^
el^iMt;^ as weU as nnost patura), i^fas tb^ ArfWfPf
-the .Qredfs and ]BU>mans« Though aM the incMtjiyes
«f drisss are necessarily cambfued ip tbesi^ ^^V^
laim^nts^ (yet the ol^ect of tbfi first ^^m^ <^#y
.^QOvenieiieei of the second, gim^^r.of tb^ tbif:4
magnificence*

These habits have of course been modiJ^e4»^aI*
tered, and intermixed in various manners^ accord*
ifig as taste or barlmrism,, reason or |ancy thave
prevailed; thou^ in most cowtries mpofi xem-«
nant may be discovered of their anciept.and. l^g
established garments. To the instances wiiich I

* De morlbus Germ. cap. ^^vii.

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hsLV^jiM hilakd at, I otMd obIj add, diai ki Italy,
in Sidly^ and i& tibe other piovinces long* snsbjefct
to tbiB iBtomaiift^ some trace of tlie t^a may be s^
diaeevered'fai'&ecioak without beeves, whidiii
ihrawti about the body to cover it in part or ea*
tirely, si^metimes over one shoulder and under tii»e
otber^ and solnetin^s over both, so tiiiat o&e of the
ikibMs Mh lootocAy down the back. TW f€g& wm
the dbuuPlKsterisde dress of the Homans, the habit
of pea<^ and of ceiremony, the badge of freedom,
^and the distkigaishing ornament of a ' Roman
citsssM. Yet witii tbese hcmorable claims in iti
fafdr; itk^Mld fiot resist the inflnenee of ftMfaiooa ;
•irflfe w eaily as die age 6f Attgnstns, we find the
R^aaiis fifoid of appearing without it even in the
¥6ttmi, and reboked for this practice as a symp-
tom of meanness and degeneracy, by that prince,
so tenteions of thef dccomm of ancient times. En^
said he, uuUgnabundus.

Romanps rerum dQiQiii6a« gentemque togatam -

Suet. Oct Qes.Aug.40.

Horace alludes to the same custom, as a mark
of vu%artty * But as the prosperity of the stinte

* In Martial's time the toga stiU continued an essential

part of decent dress in Rome j it was considered as one of

the comforts of the country to be able to dispense with it

Utc tunieaia quies.

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c^jept of hQi)9r0.bb 4i9tm<^nj lim 4pte$9jMsmkMiA
to \t vas gradually a€gl«cie4^»cit J^y tbci ifKi|^tikiee
pnly,,M Jjj the higb«r ord^i^ a.nd juK^itKJwri^
tim^ by the.£ii^p^ors thismielir^^wbp wmvtm&tm^
timsa Utltc^ beliter than semibarbmaasr^. . ;llw^ftg^
%€3ice incr^awed coii»d#rahly duraig the dwluiit
of tlu^ ^OfHi:^; and yet both theaaad hug «fW jto
fallj, the Ilomw habit if as ^ill^ia ai^seat Aegifio^
the moi^t pr^i^ent And kid?^ .^eh btirhwmf^
who inyaded Italy, hwe m ^f»f»al been ifieiy
ready to adopt its language;, Jimrwemy ittld dfm^
as moore polished and more becoming thw^ithms-
owq; and the (Ranges winch hare takesi^phM$ie4fl^
all these respects ar« to. be ascribed :nat^ P^iik^
tyranny of the conquerors^ but to thei slavish 9ifm%
of the ItaUans themselyes^ somustitnes top.nm<^
dii^sed to copy the habits and thediale^: of^th^
cmiquerors. The Goths^ in £ict (not to speak of
the short reign of Odoacer) were Romans in every
respect^ exceptii^ in name^ long before they were
introduced into Italy by Theodoric; and the Lcn^a-
hardly thontgh at first the most savage of barb^ans^
yidded to the influence of the cUmate^^and bowed
to the superior genius of their new country.

The principal change which took place there-
fore during those turbulent ages, was rather tjbi^

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IO0 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. ITi

fM^lect^f ffitftli AeBomms considered w decauy
of ixfMi tfaan tha adoption of any new habit.
Tb0 toga .was laid adde a& eambersome^ astd the
tmHcn grudaaily became the ordinary habit; on the
¥Mrioii8. b^ma of the tanica most of our modem
drtsses hare be^ fashioned. In tbe middle ages
tidiness and magni£k;«M^ seem to have prevailed;
m later times the Spanish dress appears to have
been in nse. among the higher classes^ at least in
the notih of Italy ; and to it finally succeeded the
French coiftiM€f without doubt the mostnnnatnra},
and the most uiDgracclnl of all the modes hitherto
<^cdveiied by barbarians to disfigure the human
ibodf • By a peculiar felicity of invention^ it is so
mainged as to ccmceal all thebendings and waving
lines that naturally grace the human exterior^ and
flU> ^replace them by numerous angles^ bundles and
Imotsw Tbus the neck is wrapped up in a bundle.
,<^*Un^;< the shoulders are covered with a cape;
the arms, elbows and wrists are concealed and often
swelled to a most disproportionate size^ by sleeves;
the knees are disfigured by buttons and buckles.
Tj^ eoat has neither l«gth nor breadth enough
lor 9taf drapery, yet lull enough to hide the pro-
portioii3 of the body ; its extranities are all strait
lines and angles; its ornaments are rows of useless
buttons; the waistcoat has the same defects in a
auallet c^mpasa. Shoes are very ingeniously con*

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Ch. IV. THROUGH ITALY. Id?

ttfved, esrpecially idien aided by bnckleis^ to tortirfe
and compress the feet, to deprive the ii»rtep and
toes of their nataral play, and even sh^^, and to
iptodxLce pmninl protnberanees. hh for the head,
which nature has dedcedwith iso misinyomamcinM,
and has made the seait of grace in youth, in e^ of
reverence ; of beanty in one sex, of command <m
the other; the head is encambared with all Ibe ib-
foto^ides' that human skill could devise. Ia ibe
fii^t pkce, a* caruiit df paint covers those evcor^vary-
!ng ftishes, that play of featnreft^ which constitute
the delicacy and the etpisession jqS female hesruty,
because they display the constant action of the
mind. In the next place, the hair, made to wai^
roimd the face, to shade the features, and to in-
crease alike the charms of youth and the dignity
of age ; the hair is turned back from the forehead^
«tifien«d into a paste, scorched wi^h 4ron6, aafcl
ccmfined with pins; lest its color should betnijr
itself, it is frosted over with powder; and lest its
length should hang clustering in ringlets, it musj
be twisted into a tail like that of a monkey, or
confined in a, black bag, in mble state d^pendmg.
When the man is thus completely masked and
disguised, he must gird himself with a sword, that
is, with a weapon of attack and defence, always an
encumbrance, though sometimes perhaps neces-
«ary ; but surely never so when under ther protec-
tion of the law, and p^aps undei^ the roof, and in

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108 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. IV.

the immcdktte presence of the fittt magistrate."^
In fine, to crown the whole fignre thus gracefully
equipped^ nothing is wanting but a black triangle
(a form and color admirably combining both in*
convenience and deformity)^ in other words a
cocked hat ! Addison has said^ that if an absurd
dress or mode creeps into the worlid, it is very soon
observed and exploded ; but that if once it be ad^
mitted into the churchy it becomes sacred and
remains, for ever. Whether the latter part of thip
observation be well or ill-founded^ I will not at
present undertake to determine ; bot the first part

* The reader need not be iaformed, that this custom is a
renraaot of barbarism. The Greeks and Romans never car-
ried any kind of weapon, except when actually in war, and
when embodied as soldiers. Among the latter^ H^ was
4loemed a crime to fight, and it .was murder to slay, even 9
public enemy, without having preWously taken the military
oath.— See a striking instance of this delicate sense of law
and justice, in Cicero de Officiis, lib. 1. The barbarian^
on the contrary, considered the sword as the mark of freedom
«nd independence ; they looked to it, and not to the law for
protection. Like Mezentius they invoked it as their tutelary
divinity.

Dextra mihi Deus et iekm quod missile libra

FirgUx.

Our poUthed courtiers choose to imitate, the latter. I re-
commend to their perusal a passage of Thucydkles on this
anlisiect.— *jLt&. 1.

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ChAr. THROUGH ITALY: 1»

it deayly contradicted by the long reign of Ftekth
feshions in courts^ and by the apparent relnctanot
to remove them. After all^ it must appear singular,
and ahnost unaccountable^ that courts so proud cS
their pre-eminence, and nations so tenacious of
their independence, should so generally submit to
the sacrifice of their national habits, and in their
stead put on the Hvery of France, a badge of
slavery, and a tacit acknowledgment of inferiority.

It was hoped at the union, that the Frendi
phrases^ which still remain in parliamentary usage
to perpetuate the memory of the Norman conquest,
and to disgrace the lips of the sovereign even when
arrayed in all the majesty of the constitution,
would have been suppressed. The public wen
then disappointed, but it may not be too nrnch to
expect that a public spirited sovereign will, ere
long, reject both the livery and the language of a
luMtile nation, and not yield in patriotism to an
usurper,* who never i^peared in any foreign dress*
or listened to any foreign language. Princes can
by example, every-where, and in their own courts,
as wdl as in all public meetings, by command,
establish whatever dress they may please to adopt;

* Cromwell, whose foreign correspondence was always
carried on in Latin, and whose dress was that of the cavaliers
of the time.

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tW CLASSICAL TOm.' CtAV.

wkd it B not a Utde eKtmordinaiy^ that tfaey tare sa
sekklm iexerted this control which they have over
fiuihion^ in favor of taste^ of grace, or of con-*
venience. Yet a sovereign of Britain need not go
beyond the bomids of his own empire for a national
dress, both graoeihl and manly, that displays at
onee the symmetry of the form, and furnishes
dn^iery enough to veil it with majesty^ The render
will parhaps smile when I menti<m the Highland
dress, not as dis6gnred in the army, bat as worn
OQoe, it is said, by Highland chiefs, and pechaps
occasionally even now, by some temct/^ lairds.
This raiment borders nearer npon the Rrnnan, and
Iftce it, is better calcnlated both for action and for
^nity, than any modem di^ess I have ever beheld*
A few inq[>rovements might make it perfect and
qualify it admirably for all the purposes of a na-^
tional habit, and would very soon, by its intrinsic
merit and beauty, supersede the monkey attire t»f
France, not in the British empire only, but eveoi
on the Continent, still partial to the taste and to
the feshions of England.

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C/t,Y. i£tm0ViStHlTA%Y. lii

CHAP. V,

Stosa (Skgumm) — Naoalese — Passage if Msmk
Cemni — Coment on its Sumnut*— Observations
^n the Passage of Annihal — The Advantage of
hUoing vuited Italy in its present State^Cam^*^
^fMncds rfthe Frtnch Invasion — Cmcbmm^' *

On Wedo^fiday, the 6th of October, we took i^
final }e^ve of the la»t great city of Italy, and at
d^t in the mproi^g set out for Susa* The road«
for several loUes consists^ of a noble avenue, and
t%iD$ ki a dkeet line to Rimli^ remaiJkable only for
a royal villa* Here we entered the defile of Susa
through a jdifirrow pass, formed by rodcy hills.
}»anching out from the Alps, and approaching so
near as merely to leave room enough for the road
between them. Froni this spot Alpine scenery
again commences ; the sides of the mountains are
successively craggy and naked, or green and
wooded ; the valley sometimes expands into a
plain, and sometimes contracts itself almost into a
dell ;. the Dura, which waters it, sometimes glides
along as a rill, and sometimes rolls an impetuous

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119 CLASSICAL TOUA CA. V.

torrent. Woods and fields are iaterspersed amidst
heaths and precipices ; and a perpetual mixture of
the wild and the cultivated varies the whole tract,
and gives it a romantic and delightful appearance.
Sum is seated amid rocky eminences on the banks of
the Dura here a mountain stream, oli the very
confines of the more savage regions of the Alps^
where the steeps become precipices, and the rnonn^.
tains rise into glaciers. The town is in extent and
appearance below mediocrity; but its antiquity
and a triumphal Arch entitle it to the attention and
the respect of the traveller. Its original name was
S^usktm, under which appellation it was the seat
of Cottius, the petty sovereign of this mountainous
region, and was considered as the capital of the
X7ottian Alps^ and of the bordering territory. Cotys
(for such was his real appellation) resigned his
kingdom to Augustus, and wisely preferred the
safer and more permanent honors of a Roman
prefect to the insecure tenure of an Alpine crown.

The triumphal arch, which still remains, was
erected by this prince to his benefactor, and is a
monument rather of his gratitude than of his means
or magnificence. He rendered a more solid ser-
vice to the Romans by opening a road through his
mountains,and by establishing asafe communication
between Italy and Gaul. This road still exists^
and traverses Moftt Genevra. The sitnatiovi of Ae

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C*.V. THROUGH ITALY. U$

town and its strong citadel formerly rendered if a
plaice of considerable importance; but it is now
totally disregarded, as tlie citadel i$ dismantled,
and as the French territory inchidea all the other
passages of the Alps, and all the fastnesses that
command them.^

We arrived at Navtdese about ten o^dock, and
ai the moon shone in fall brightness, we could
easily distinguish the broken masses of MouM
Cenms hanging over the town, with their crdiggy
points and snowy pinnacles. Early in the mdniibg>
^le carriages w^e dismounted ; th6 body of each
was suspended between two mules, one before and
one behind $ the wheels were placed on a thiid^
and the axletree on a fourth ; the trunks and the
baggage of all kinds were divided into several
loads, and laid on mules : the whdie set out about
six o*clock.

* Though the inn did not appear very alluring, yet as the
Bight approached add we were unwilling to pass Alpine
seeaery in the dark^ we were inclined to put up with it.
However^ considering the time necessary to eross the moun-
tain> and listening to the repre£f^ntalion» of our drivers^
who entreated us to proceed, we drove on. We had reason
to thank Providence for the determination, as that very
aigfat the inn at Susa, with forty hi^tses ind ttll the carriages
ia Hie eMkt, wtee bnsnfJ

VOi. IV. I

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1 14 CLASSICAL TOUR CA. V.

At balf past seven we monnted oior mnfesyand^
followed. The morning was fine^ and the Mr
cod; but not chiUihg. Tlie ascent conunences
ftom the tuwn^gate, at first very gradual; the
st^lmeSB howeyer increases rapidly as yon asocad*
The road at first winds along the side of the hiU^
then crosses a torrent^ and continnes along its banks
all the way np the mountain. These baidcs are
for some time fiinged with trees and bodies.
Abont half-way stands ihe village of Femora,
amid rodcs and jnrecifnoes, in a sitaation.so Ueak
and wintry, that the traveller almost shivees at itii
appearance. A little above this village, the aceti-
vity becomes very abmpt; the bed of the torrent
tnms idio a snocession of fmdpices ; and the stream
tumbles from cUff to dtf in sheets of fioam vrbix
tremendous nproar. I^e road sometimes faotders
npoi^the verge of the steep, but it is «oi uriole Jis ti»
remove |dl a^r^ension of danger* In one jdaci^
only the space is narrower than nsnal, and there, a
gallery or covered way is formed close to the
rock, which idses perpendicular above k, in order
tcKttHbrd the travelkr in winter shelter against the
dlfiffi^g snows and the wind, that sweep all before'
ttieM-dewn the steep:

^'-"^We shortly after entered a plain called. iSii»
Niddo. It is intersected % the CemtoUi^^ fdk Amt
is the name of the torrent that rcHs Mnm fte

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a. V* THROUGH ITALY. U5

mi^ of MomACmm^m SB the Itidkuscall it
more ctas»icaU^5 Mmte Ctnim. At the^atvanne
q£ this plaia idie tc»Ta[it . tumble • from- the rock^ in
a: lofty cascade^ and on its banks staodsa stone
piUar With an iascriptioa, infonamg the ti^Ydkr^»
wba ascends^ that he stands on the yerge of
Fkdmmt 9xjA Italy, and is abont to ea^bsr Saooy!
T1ioi:^h this pillar marks rather .llie arlntrary thaa
the natnral bonndaries of Italy, yet it wsmi impos*
sible not to feel some regret at the information ;
not to panse, look bade, and reflect on the matob-*^
less beauties of the eonntry we were about to leave
for ever.

We continued our ascent, and veirf' soon
reached the great plain, and as we ^tood xm th^
k»w of the declivity we turned &om the. hW^
snowy pinnacles that rose befom u% and ead^^
vored to catch a parting glimpse of the sunny
scenery behind.

Here, amid ^ horrors of the Alps, and all the
rigors of eternal winter. Religion in her humblest
and most amiable form had> froni time immeo^o-
rial, fixed her seat; to counteract the genius of
the. place and the influence of the climate; to
anelter the traveller from the storm ; to warm
iiimif baraiiibed; to direct lum if bewildered; to
reVeve Um If in 'want ; to 9tte&A him if sick ; and

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lU CLASSICAL TOUft Ck.V:

if Sead, to Cdddgn Itis femains iMth doe rites ta
the grare. Hiis beneroleitt estaUfelim^it did not
escape the rage of the {db3o8ophigt8> and whi^ by
Aem rappt^Bssed in the carnmeaeeiiieiit of tte re»-
potSican en* ' 0a &e ve-efttaUishiiieiit of re^gioh^
H T^aa i^^sfored and angmeoited by order of the
fitst Coastri, and ia now id a more flonriafaing
Mate perfaapg thim kt any iwtner period.

His convent was formerly mhabited by friars ^
ibey are now replaced by nnmks. The aiqierior
Was (Hice a member of the celebrated Abbey of
CiteauXj the parent monastery of the Bernard
order^ and consequently he was of noble birth^ as
lio others were admitted itto Ibat house. His
inanners are esAremely polished, &tid his appearaiitt
gentlemanlike. He receired ns with great eM^
idiality^ shewed tis the diflereirt apartmeais of Ae
convent^ and ofl^ed ns snch refreshments aa iSbfc
place afforded. He was accompaniedf by a fine
boy his nephew, bom to fortone, but reduced by
the rerolution to want and dependence. The
education of this youth was his principal annise-
toent, and occupied him ddightfnlly, as^ be a^sui^
us/' during the dreadful solitude of wintef) wlk^
Secluded ii'om the whole World, and visited Oiily
accidentally by a needy wanderer, they dee no
object but driving snow, and hemr no sound bitt
the how&ng of wolves, and the lilting of the teta-

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€h. V. THROUGH ITAtY- 117

*p(^t Siidi w^tn aa may Ijave Ti$ite4 CitetHi^t i*
^e days pf its glory, inU not be sTvpriz^ at thf
eompaasion whic^ we felt for tbe^ poor lOjonk
tremspoFted irooii mxh a palace-like reaidencf^ m
tbe plains of Burgnmiyy to an hospital on theUeak
snminit of Mount Cerniis.

The weather was stiU clear, and the air jn«t
loold enongh to render walking pleasant ; and as
ife proceeded very leisnrely towai:d9 the vm, ve
had ail opportunity of observing the scenery
aroond us. Itie plain which we were tray^nniig
is about six miles in length, and about four in
breaidth where widest* In the broadest part is a^
Ib^, in foraaa nearly cilncular, about a mile and an
half in dkmet^, and of immense depth. The
plain is about six thousand feet above the level of
the sea^ and tuotwithstandi^g this elevatiQU^ is,
when §fee from snow, that is, jfro^n June tiU
Oetober, covered with flowers and verdure^ It i|
hwderod on all ^des by the different eminences
and rid^s tbat fwm the summit of Moimt Cemm^
€ov^ed:for the greater part with ev^Iasting snows,
Ibat glitter to the spa, and clutt the travelbr with
the fioa;^ prospect. On the highest of theae
ndges^.whieh rises three thousand £Bet ahorve the
eeAiainjt,^tbnre ia a dbapdi to whidi the ndghbop-
mg pansheapiocBed in procession once a year, on
^ fifth^f Augltot: the asoent from ^ plain on

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H8 CLASSICAL TOUR Ch. V.

the north seems gradual and not difBcoIt ; to the
8oat2i^ that is, toward ftaly^ the cliff presents a
bndcen^ and aknost perpendicnlax ptiecipice. From
hence^ it is said, the yiew extends oyer the inferior
Alps that rise between, to Turin, to the plams of
the POf and to the Apennines beyond ; and from
hence^ some add^ Annibal pointed ont the snnny
fields of Italy to his frozen soldiers. Pragressus
signa Annibal in promontcrio quodam unde longeac
laie prospectus erat, cansisterejussis militWus Italiam
ostentat, subjectesque Alpinis montibus Circurnpaddms
compos. The appearance of the ridge advancing
like a bold headland towards Naoakse, smd the ex-
tensive prospect from its summit answers the de-
scription; but these two circumstances are not in
tliemselves sufficient to justify the inference.

Most authors are of opinion lliat Annibal en*
tered Italy by the Grecian A^s, about thirty miles
eastwal-d of Mount Cenrus, and seem to suppose
that the road over this latter mountain was not
open in ancient times. But as the route which
Annibal took in his passage was a subject of dotibt
and controversy even in Titus Livius's time^ and as
this historian's own opinion <m the subject is far
from being very clear^ the traveller is at liberty to
indulge his own conjectures^ and may^ without
rebelling against the authority of histor^^ suppose
that the Carthaginian general entered Italy by the

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Ch. V. THROUGH ITALT. U9

lY^ry rood wUch we are now treading, an^ that he
took his .first view of its glpries from thye summit
Qjf jpocl^r towering eminence. .

TbQse glories we cpnld indeed no longer dis*
co^irei;, yet a3 we paced along the summit of this
vast rampart, these eternal walls* which Provi-
dence has raised rpundthe garden of Elnrope^ we
had time to retrace in our minds^ the scenes which
we had contemplated, and to revive the impres-
sions which they had made.

To have visited Italy at any time is an advan-
tage> and may justly be considered as the comple-
ment of a classical education. Italy is the theatre
of soine of the mipst pleasing fictions of the poets^
and of many of the most splendid events recorded,
by historians* She is the mother of heroes, of
aages^ and of saints. She has been the seat of
empire^ and is still the nursery of genius, and stilly
in spite of plunderers^ the repository of the nobler
arts* Her scenery rises far aboye rural beauty ; it
has JBL claim to animation and almost to genius.
Jiyery spot of her surface^ every river, every

* MoBoia Italis. Litf:

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13d CLASSICAL tooa ^ V.

mountaiD, and erery fyres/t, yes^ every mnlet^
hillock^ azid thicket^ have been ennobled by tke
energies of the mind^ and are becmne monnmoite
of intellectual worth and glory.* No country
fumsbes a greater number of ideas, or itisjHres so
Inany generous and exalting sentimente. To have
visited it at any period^ may be ranked amcmg the
minor blessings of life^ and is one of the means of
mental improvement. But this visit at all times
advantageous^ was on the present occasion, of
peculiar interest and importance^

Italy seems now to be in the first stage of one
of those revolutions that occ^onally change the
destjpies of nations^ and very much improve^ or
very much injure the state of society. Improve^
ment Italy can scarce expect ; she has enjoyed a
long series of tranquil and almost glorious year8>
and attained a degree of prosperity and indepen-^
dence far greater than at any period of her his*^
tory, from the reigns of the first Caesars down to
the present epoch. She is now once more fallen
into subjection, and actually lies prostrate at the
feet of her most ancient and most invi^terate
enemies. These enemies have at aU times been
remarkable for their treachery and their rapa^-

* Nullum 8in« nomine aaxom. Liv, ix.

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Ch. V. THROUQH ITALY. l«l

city^ rad di^ae two destractive qmdities fbey
have alreluly exercised in Italy with considerable
Isitttode, and will probably indulge^ without re*
straint^ when their new domination shall be eon«
i^olidated by time and by habit.^ I^biigh the
levity of the national character^ and the history of
the Gallic tribea, which represents them as invad-
iQg almost every country^ from ihe Hdmdei to
the Caspian^ with success always followed by iii*
feat^ seem to mUitate against the probable dura*
bility of their empire beyond the Alp&; yet, should
it last for any time, its consequ^ices would be in^
finitely more pernicious to Italy than all the pre-
ceding invasions united. That many of the holdes
of ancient barbarians were cruel, I admit, and also
that tibey ravaged Italy» sometimes butchered and
always oppressed her unfortunate inhabitants; h\A
it must be remembered that they aQ submitted to
her religion, adopted her language, assumed her
habi^ t^A manners, and made dthar Rome her*
8elf> or some one of the Italian cities, the seat of
their empire. Now a country that retains all these
advantages, though wasted by war and deprecfar
tkm, still possesses the means of restoration, and
cherishes in its bosom the very seeds of indepen>-
denee and of prosperity.

* Gens rapiendi avidissima. XiimMxxxviii.

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isa CLASSICAL TOUR ' C/i. y.

, Hew diSoreirt are the views^ how oppoMte liie
conduct, of the modem invaders*. Declared ene*
mies to Christianity, to the religion of Italy, tibey
persectite it ia all its forms* llieir own laagoage
they wish to make the dialect of Europe; thdr
fitehioAs are to be the standard of dyilization ; and
Pkria is the destined metropolis of the universe.
Italy is to be degraded into a province ; her sons
are to be the slaves and the instmments of the
Great N^htiy to recruit its armies and to labor for
its gre«teess. With such views they will inevi-
taUy drain Italy of its po{mlation; they will
'Stri|> it of its ornaments and its riches^ they
will* break its spirit, and consequently they^ will
stifle its genius ; that is, they will deprive it of
A its proud dktinctions, c^ all its glorions pire-.
rogatives, and reduce it to th€; state of Greece
under the Turks, that of a desolated province, the
seat of ignorance and of barbarism, of famine and
of pestilence. lii«s the golden era of Leo will be
followed, 'as the Augustan age was, by years df
darkness and of disorder ; the magnificent remains
of its palaces and its temples will strew the earth
in their torn, and perhaps excite the interest and
exercise the ingenuity of future travdlers. The
seven hills will again be covered wilh shattered
masses; and the unrivalled Vatican itself only
enjoy the melancholy privilege of preseutmg ta

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Ch.y. THROUGH ITALY. Its

the scstc/tmheA spectator a iii<»« rimpelese tod a
more gigairtic min !

Bot we had now r<sached the northem farow of
the mountain; we had passed the boundaries of
Italy, and left the regions of cla»Bie fane and
beauty behind ns. Nothing occurred to attract
our attention, or to counterbalance the inoon^te-
nience of delay. England rose before us With all
its public glories, and with all its doineslio cbarms.
England, invested like Rome with empfti and
with renown, because like Rome governed by its
senate and by its people. Its attractions^ aQ4 our
eagerness increased as we approached; and the
remaining part of the joueney was harried Torer
with indifieience, because all our tboogfata W^re
fixed on home and on its endearments.')'^

* Not only tottoa bleak 6crauiaia*ii rosdSi, .
And pantuk^ bx^thlepA in heir^m«4tabpdesM . • ^
Not only through ber forests pacing sXow,
And climbing sad her mounts of driv'n snow :
All dreary wastes, that erer bring to mind
The beauties, pleasures^ comforts left behind.
But in those dimes where suns for ever fari|^t.
O'er scenes Elysian shed a purer light;
And partial nature with a liberal handj
Scatters her graces round the smiling land.
On fair Parthenope's delicious shore.
Where slumb'ring seas foiget their wonted roar;

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m CLAMICAL TOUE Ck.Y.

Where Ocean dally 4fnd8 bis fttiheniag toeeie.
To sweep the plain and fim the drooping trees ;
And evening zephyrs springing from each grove.
Shed cooling dews and incense as they rove. —
And there, where Amo curled by many a gak.
Pours ftvshness o'tf Etroria's vint^elad vale $
Where Vallombrosa's groves, o'er^arcMug high.
Resounding murmur through the middle sky^—
Eren there, where Rome's mijestic domes ascend.
Pantheons swell, and time^vfom arches bend ;
Where Tiber winding through hfe desert plains,
'Ifidst modem palaoes and sndent ftnes^
Bholds with anguish half, and half with pride^
Ueie ruins strew, there tonples grace his side j
[Unhappy Rom^ ! though once the glorious scat
Where empire throned saw nations at his feet.
Now doom*d once more by cruel fate to fkll
An helplass prif to treacherous pilfering Craul.]
Eyen in thiie scenes^ which all who sea admife>
And bajrds and painters piaise with rival fire $
Where memory wakes each visionary grace.
And sheds new charms on nature's lovely face ;
Even in these sacred scenes, so fam'd, so fair.
My partial heart atfil ftU its wonted e«K $
And auMed still to think how fiur away^
The dearer scenes of lovely Albion lay.

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Bk. THUOnOH ITALY. MS

DISSERTATION.

Oemtal ObsetDoHom m the Gei^raphy—CBmt

'-'Md R^gi&n of Itafy^^-^atui m the ChatMUt
^theltdUans.

The following reflcfttiond are &e reralt of Ibe au^
thor's observations and researches while in Italy^
VsiA m%% i& (kiH^ be MUdlde]^ as a recapitalatioh
^ the Wtedle Work, and as th6 stmitmia^y df an Iti^
lito tcmr. We will b^gm Mrith it» gebgraphy, be-
cause fi-(tta itssitoation atid climate, it derives the
beanty and the fertility which render it the garden
of Ettirope^ and mairk it oat as perhaps the most
delicious region t>n the snt4aee of the globe.

GEOGRAPHY.

I. In geography, there are two modes of divi-
sion to be considered ; one natural, the other ar-
tificial. The former is generally permanent and
unalterable ; the latter being factitious^ is liable to
change^ and seldom indeed outiasts the oause diat

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IM CLASSICAL TOUR DtB.

pfochioed it* The former, interests «s where its
Hues are bold and magnificent ; the latter, when
Gcnmected with great events and with the history
of celebrated nations.* In both these divisions
Italy is peculiarly fortunate, but transoendently so
in the former. The Alps, the highest ridge of
monntains in the ancient world, separate it from
t|ie r^ons of the north, and serve as a barrier
against 4^e frozen tenqiests that blow from the
bpfeal con^ineiits, and as a rampart against the
inroads of their cMice savage inhabitants. Annibal
justly calls these mountidns. Mama nan JtalM
vffido sed etiam urbm RmmniB*\

Tb^ Jdriatic Sea bathes it cm the easjt; the
Tjprksn^ on the west; and on the sopth the
iwifln opens. aQ easy communication with all .the
aoiPEtbe^. countries. Numberless islands line its
i^res, and^ appeaa: as so many outposts to protect
it a^^nst the attacks of a maritime enepiy;. or
rather as sq many attendants to grace the state of
the queen of the Mediterranean. Such are its ex-

* Most of the provinces still retain their ancient names^
tnch-as^ Latium (Lazio) Etruria, Umbria^ Sabina^ Campania^
Apulia^ (La PuHa) Calabria, Samnium, &c. names blended
with the fictions of the fabulous ages^ as with the first events
recorded in tbe ittfimcy of bistor^.

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tefnal bonyrs. In the mterior, Ae ApOmSms
extend tfamiigh its iriiole l«iigdi^ and brandhiii^
imt into vaf iotis rsamficatioiig^ divide it i»to s«¥^
ral provmces niaterially dueling in tbc^ difiiates
and prodiKStioiis.

Italy Kes eactended between tbe tiiirty^%tllll
and the fbrty-^th degree of northern latHade^ -a
situation wfaieh exposes it to a considerable A^gtm
of heat ia snmmer and of coM in winter ;' bnt the
ii^uence of the seas and of the mountains %hat
snrronnd or intersect it^ connteracta the c^ftcti of
its latitude^ and produces a temperatfsre thfiit ex«
eludes all extremes, and renders every season de-
Bgfatfnl. Howeter^ as the adtton c^ thi^ n^tisea
is nne^piily the climate of the country a%^ hirge;
^bongh every^i^wbere genial and tempetute, tarieii
considerably, and more so sometimes than the dis^^
tutce between the places so dffleiingv might irfdnce
a person to expect Without enteriug-into rM^' or
many of these variations, the eflfects of 1:he bear^
ings of the different mountains,^ Italy may be divi-
ded into four re^ons^ which, like the sister ndads
of Ovid,* though they have many features in com-
mon, have also each a characteristic peculiarity*

* Facies non omnibus un^ " * * *^'' '"

Nee diTersa iamen qostem decet esse sorortun. MlMtt^^l.lib. iu

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nB OJUnCALTOOB Hk.

The fink tf ifeK n^km is flie ^ak rftfie Av
wliicii cilfiiM about two fanndiod sad ajtty ade^
iiilcaglkiy and in breadth, wfaeve wideat, oae hm^
dmd and tkf. It it faaonded by Ae .^ and Urn
jlpouunti on the norths west, and aovlli ; and ott
the €a«t, k lieB open to the .^dU^^Joliic: TlieseocMid,
ia iIm^ tnct endbaed by the 4^eBninei, Ibn^^
Soman and TWcan temu wrics. The tfand, k con^
fined to the Campama FeBx and its inunediate de-
pctodenties, mA aa the boidefs and the islands t^
the bay rf Niqdes, and ci the ^uns of P4mum.
The but consists of LabruzzOj ApuBa^ Cakhria,
and th^ soalhem extremities of Italy.

The fiiilt of tibese regions or cfanatrs, has been
repMlented by many, as perhaps the most fertile
and the orast detidoos territory in the known
wmM; to it we may ap|dy literally the enootiiinm
whieh Viigfl seetns to have confined to the ▼ici-*
nity of Jfoitfttti.

Non liqaidi gregibos fontes^ non gramina desant,
Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus
Exigua tantum gelidofl ros nocte reponit.

Geofg. it

It owes this fertility to the many streams that
descend from the bordering moimtains and frimish'
a constant supply to the majestic river that inter-
necto.it; Fimhrum Me^ Erukma. But while tlia.

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iMoatwos thus waiter it with feit^iOQig i^lis ^ey
alao Aend doira occasiMal gad^ to £00! it^ipimiib
liiiar>.aiid. blasts that .sometimes dbiiU its c^WKtiB^
wd giire its winter some fwtwses of tpaotd^QMh
verity.; sliglit indeed, as if mein^y to ^ tbis ^t*
tention of die ii^abitants to 4iat repositwy 4^^
eternal snow tha£ rises pcarp^tiiatty befpie rtjI^WPI
Intf sufficient to .checdc the grpwth^^f smob |)lwytP
as> lilfie the orange, and the dlmoffAt shrinjk ir/djiH
fiKist^ or pine away imder its most mltjga^
aspect The vine, ^ongh .oanuaoja.wd ^4^1^
luxuriant, is supposed ,by many not to prosper in
tibds climate, bocanse the wia^M^M gweral thia
and sour; but this defiact must be ascribedji not
soldy tQ the diima^, wihiq^ m waiwth s^nd jm-
fonaity far exoeb iijitAof.C^ampffgm fif Burgm^n
but to the mode of oaltixatiap* To ^o^ the y^
to raise itself into the air, to sfircpd frfim ImMi^
to branch, and to equal .its ivvmn^.«)^s and poipj|#^
in elevation and luxuriancy, is beautiful to the eye
and delightful to the faucy.; bnt not so fav<^ble
to the quality of the wines, which become richer
and stronger when the growth is repressed, and
the energies of the plant are confined within a
3maller comp^s.^

* The reader wiU observe^ that I avoid the name fre-
qmmtljr given to the plains of the Po or of Milan* LombarAf
YOL. IV. K

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ISO ChAS^lCAL TOUR Dki

The seopnd climate is protected from tlie l^lasta
of the north by an additicmal ridge of monotainsy
fo that it is less obnodons to the action of finost^
axxi is indeed more liable to be incommoded by
the lieats of snmmer than by wintry coUL lb
prodoctions accordingly improTe in strength and
flavor; its wines are more generons^ and its or^
cfaards are graced with oranges. It is bowevw
exposed occasionally to chill piercing blasts^ and
not entirely nnacqnainted with the £rosts and the
snows of transalpine latitudes.

in the thmi dimate, that is^ in the delicbns
I^ins of Campania^ so much and so deservedly ce^
lebrated by traytUars, painters^ and poets> natore
seems to panr out all her treasmes with compla^
cency, and trusts without appreb^ision her ten^
devest productions to gales ever g^nal, and to
skies alsMst always serene.

Hie phuns of JpuUa, that lie beyond the Jpeu^

is a barbarous appellation derived from one of the fiercest tribes
that invaded and wasted the delicious region T am desdibing.
After more than tWo centuries of devastation and restless
warfare, they were exterminated by Charlemagne i and I do
not see why their name should sunrire their existence, or why
a barbarous term should displace a Latin appellation.

Occidit occideritque sinas cum nomine.

' rirg.

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Di3. THROUGH ITALY. 131

nines, opting to the ridng son, with die coasts
of AbruzTk) and Cakbria, form the last and fowtOk
division^ differing from that which precedes in in-
creasing warmth only^ and in productions 'more
diaracteristic of a southern latitude, such as the
aloes and the majestic palm; ohjects which,
though not common, occur often enough to give a
novehy and variety to the scenery. I have con^^
fined this distinction of climates principally to th6
pbins; as the mountains that limit them, vary
according to their elevation, and at the same time
enclose in their windings, vallies which enjoy in
the south the cool temperature of the Milanese^
and in the north glow with all the sultriness of
Ahruzzo. Such, in a few words, is the geography
of Italy.

I must here observe, tibat an opinidn has heeti
adopted by several authors, that the climate df
Italy has undergone a eonsiderable change during
the last fifteen centuries, atid that its winters are
mpch warmer at present .than .4hey were in the
time of the^ ancient Romans. This opinion is
founded i^n some passages in the ancients, al-
luduig to a severity of cold seldom experienced ift
latter ages, and sometimes describing winter
scenes never now beheld beyond the Apennines.
The supposed alteration is explained by the sub-
seqw^ cnhivatioQ oi Germany , whose immense

K 2

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132 CLASSICAL TOUR Dts.

forests aiid wide attended swmmps^ the receptacles
of so many damp and chiffing e&faalalions, hate
been cleared away^ drained^ and tamed into fertile
fields and sunny meadows^ that fill liie air with
vegetable warmth and genial emanations.

Cultivation, without doubt, while it opem the
thick recesses of woods, and carries away stagnat-
ing waters, not only purifies the atmosphere, and
may probably extend its beneficial influence to the
adjacent countries. Ye^ it is much to be doubted,
whether the air of Germany ^ howsoever it may
have been ameliorated, could ever reach Italy, or
have the least influence on its climate. Not to
speak of the distance that separates the two coun-
tries, the Alps alone form an insurmountable bar-
rier that soars almost above the region of the
wind, and arrests alike the breath of the gale and
the rage of the tempest. If the long luigering
winters of Germany do not now retard the pro-
gress of spring in Italy, and if the deep snows and
the bitter irosts that chill the mountains and de-
files of Trent y do not either check the verdu!^ or
blast the opening flowers in the neighboring plains
of Verona^ it is not credible that anciently the
damps, which rose from the overflowings of the
Elbt or the Oder^ should have clouded the Italian
rsky; or that the keen blasts that sprung firom^tbe
depths of the Ikrofman forest should chiH the

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Dm. THROUGH ITALY. 133

galea of Campama, or cpve? its meyard^ with
snow, ^e Alps formed th^ aa they do now^
the line of separation which distingaisl^s the cli-
inate^ as offectoally as it divides the countries^ and
confines the rigors of winter to the northern side,
while it allows the spring to clothe the southern
with all h^r flowers. The climate, we may then
fairly conclude, remains the same ; or if any par-^
tiad changes bare taken place, they are to be at*^
tribnted to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or-
such like local causes, too confined in their opera-
tions to produce any general e£fect.

Hie classical passages which gave rise to the
contrary conjecture may, I presume^ be explained
in .a manner perfectly satisfactory without it. The
first and principal argument in favor of the pre^
tended change of climate is taken from Pliny the^
Yonnger, who, when describing his viUa on the
banks of the Tiber ^ admits that, the severity of the
winter was oftentimes fatal to his plants ; but as
a kind of consolation adds, that the neighborhood
of Rome was not exempt from a similar inconve-
nience* The reader must observe, that the villa,
of which Pliny speaks, was situated in a vale
flanked by the Apennines^ and opai only towards
the north, obnoxious, of course, to the cold blasts
that sweep the bleak forests of Mmte Somma on
one side^ and the snowy summits of Sera Voile on

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134 CLASSICAL TOUR JDw.

iSbe other^ as wdl as to tbe boreal tempest that
blows' unimpeded in its progress oyer tbe wbole
length of the yalley. That, in snch a sitnation^
plants should frequently snflfer from die incle-
mency of the weather formerly as wdl as at pre*
sent, is not wonderful. As for the effects of cold
in the neighborhood of Rome they are fell as strong
and as frequent now as in Plin/s time; and Ae
reason is plain. The Apennines form an immense
tiieatre, including Rome and its Campagna, as its
arena. Of these mountains most are covered- witii
anow^ three, many six, and some nine months in
the year*. Whenever a strong wind happens to
blow from any of these vast magazines of ice it
brings with it so many frozen particles as to chill
ihe warmest air, and to affect the temperature of
spring though considerably advanced, and some*
times even of summer itself. Instances of such

* The weather was so warm on the twentf- third of Maivh^
when we ascended the Montagna della Ouardia, near
Bologna, as to render the shade of the portico extremely
pleasant. Near the church, on the summit of the hill, we
found a considerable quantity of deep snow, which had till
then resisted the full force of a vernal sun. As this, hill
fbrms the first step of the neighboring Jpennines, the snow
that lay on its summit was only the skirt of that vast corer-
ing which remains spread over the higher rid|;es of those
mountains, till dissolved by the intense beats of ACid^
summer.

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Dii. , THROWH ITALY. l»

9n aHcratiQii are by op means «icosmiaa. Th^
ismoe inflaence of monntam air on the climate la
general enables ns to ea^plain different passages of
Horace usnally quoted on this subject* Mandela^
now Bardela, whidi the poet characterizes as, n^
gmtsfrigorepagm^ is situated in the midst of the
SaUne mountains, and of course diilled by many
a hiting blast ; and as for Mount Soracte^* the tra-
veller may see it almost every, winter lifting iU
mmf ri^e to the clouds: while, if he traverses
the defiles of the Apennines, he may behold many
a forest encumbered tvkh its mntry load, and dis^
cover here and there a stream Jettcred with

The dimate of Italy is therefore now, as it
was anciently, temperate though indined to heat.
The rays of the sun are powerful even in winter;
and the summer, particularly when the Sirocco
blows, is sultry and sometimes oppressive. The

* One of these sudden sc^aalls occurred during our visit to
Horace's villa^ and has been mentioned among the incidents
of that excursion. — ^Vol. I. chap, xviii.

f Vides ut alta stet nive candidum
Soracte^ nee jam sustine^nt onu;
Sjlvs laborantes, geluque
Humina constiterint acuto.

Hot. Carm. lib. I. 9»

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iS6 CLASSICAL TOUE Dii.

hesit, however^ is never intolerable, as the air is
frequently cooled by breexea from the monhtaiM^
and is refreshed on the sonthem coasts by a le^
gnlar gale from the sea. This breeze rises about
eight in the morning and blows without interrap-
tion till four in the afternoon, deliciously temper-
ing the homing sodb of Naples, and sweeping
before it the sullen vapors that brood over tibe
torrid Campagna. Moreover^ the windings and
the recesses of the mountains afford as they aseend
several retreats, where, in the ^eatest heats of
summer, and during the very fiercest ^w of the
dog*-days, the traveller may ^oy the vomal cod.^
ness and the mild temperature of England. Sudi
are the baths of Lucca, situated in a long withdrMh
ing vale and shaded by groves of chestnuts; such
is Vallombrosa, encircled by the forests of die
Apennine ; and such too the situation of Horace's
Sabine Villa, concealed in one of the woody dells
of Mount Lucretilis, with the oak and the ilex:
wafting freshness around it.

Though rain is not frequent during the spring
and summer months, yet occasional showers fall
abundant enough to refresh the air and to revive
the face of nature. These showers are generally
accompanied by- thunder storms, and when un-
timely, that is before or during the harvest, are as
mischievous in their consequences as that which

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JKi. THROUGH ITALY. W

Virgil describes tdth such appearances of apprebai-
sioii.'i*' ^s J i)£^ye elsewhere mentioned the rains of
Autumn^ and the inundations of winter torrents^ I
need not enlarge upon the same subject again; but
it will be sufficient to observe^ that the periodical
rains, and the accidental showers^ the local effects of
mountains aiid seas ; and that eyea the clouds and
^<)rms of Winter, are only transient and temporajry
interruptions of the general serenity that constitutes
one of the prindpal advantages of this delightful
dimate. The traveller, when after his fetum he
&ids himself wrapped up in the impenetrable gloom
of a London fog, or sees the gay months of May
and June clouded with perpetual vapors, turns his
recollection with complacency to the pure azure
that canopi^ Rome and Naples> and contemplates
in thought the splendid tints that adom the vernal
skies of Italy.

Largior hie oampos aether et lamine yestit
Purpureo.

* Ssepe ego cum flavis messoredi induceret arvis
Agricola^ et fra^ jam stringeret hord^a cttlmo
Omnia ventonim concurrere prselia Tidi
Quae gravidam late segetem radicibus imis

8«bUiiieexpalsain eraerent

Oiorg, i.

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ISS CLASSICAL TOUR tiU^

SCENERY.

IL Nothing is more pleasing to an eye aeciu»-

tomed to contenipli^ prospects through the me^

dinm of a vaporous sky, than the extreme pnrity

of the. atmosphere^ the consequent brightness of

the U^t and the distinct appearance of remote dl>*

jeeCs. A serene sky takes off much of the horrors

of a desert, and communicates a smile to barren

sands and shapeless rocks ; what then must be its

efects upon the face of a region, in which nature

seems to have collected all her means of ornament

all ber arts of pleasing ; plains fertile and exten*

sive, vloiedwidi gentle swells and bold elevations;

mountains of every shape, outline, and degree, at

difiercut dutances^ but always in view, presenting

bere their shaggy declivities darkened with woods^

and there a long line of brown rugged precipices ;

now lifting to the skies a head of snow and now a

purple summit; unfolding as you advance, and

discoifiering in their windings rich vallies, populous

villages, lakes and rivers^ convents and cities;

these are the materials of picturesque beauty, and

these are the constant and almost invariable fea

tures of Italian scenery. H^ice, this celebrated

country has not only been the resort and the

theme of poets, but the school of painters, whe*^

ther natives or foreigners ; who have found in its'

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Dk. THEOU6H ITALT. . »9

Taried prospects^ the richest source of every spe-
des of beauty. There, amid the Sabine hills, that
spread so many soft charms aromid T^voli, Poussin
formed his ti»te, and collected the originals of the
inad niral scenes displayed m his most famous
Imldscapes. Claude Lorraine made the Alban
Mount, and all the successiye range of Apemiine
that swe^s along the Roman and the Nei^litan
coasts his favorite hatmt; and there he saw and
copied the glowing shades that embrown &e
w^ods, and the rich tints that gleam along the
distant promontories, and brighten the surface of
the ocean. Salvatar Rosa indulged his bolder ge*
nias in the mountains and the forests of Calahria,
where he found that mixture of straigth and soft-
nesSy of grace and wildness, and that striking com-:
bmation of deep and airy tinges that characterize
bis daring pencil.

HISTORY.

in^ That a country^ thus gifted with a fertile
noH, a serene sky, and unusual beauty, should
h^ve attracted the attention of its neighbors^ and
nat unfrequently allured distant tribes from less
favvred settlements-was natural ; and accordingly
we find tibat the nations of the south and the tribes
of the north, Pkenkums, Tryans and Greeks^ Gauis^
Gothi and Vandab; and m more mo^m jdmes^

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140 CLASSICAL TOUR DU.

that Spamards^ French and Austrians, htLve in«
Taded^ ravaged, or subdtied its sevatd provinces
in their turns with various success, and with very
diferent consequences. The Phemciam estab-
lished themselves in Etruria: the Crreeks prin-
cipally occupied the southern provinces: the
Trojans fixed themselves in Latium, the heart and
the centre of the country; and the Celtic tribes
seized the fertile territories eztoiding along the
banks of the Po, and stretching from the A^ to
the Apennines. The Phemdans and the Gredtt
brought with them their arts and sciences, estab-
lished flourishing cities, and laid the foundations
of the future glory and prosperity of the country.
Ilie barbarians of the north never passed their
frozen barriers without bringing devastation and
ruin in their train. If they made a transient incur-
sion, like a tempest they swept away every thing
within their range of havoc ; if they settled, they
lay like a swarm of locusts, a dead weight on the
soil ; and ages passed over their iron generations
before they were softened into civilization and hu-
manity. To the Trigans was reserved the nobler
lot of establishing the Roman power ; c^ tamii^
and breaking the fierce spirit of the northern sa-
vages ; of^ canrying the arts and sciences of the
southern colonbts to the highest degree ^rf* perfec-
tion ; of uniting the^ str»gth, the genius, the
powers of Italy in cHie centre; and of mebing

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Dk. tHROUOH ITALY. Ul

down Ae wbole into one vast mass of interest and
of empire.

Prerions to die establisbniCTit a£ the Roman
sovereignty, Italy, thongh independent and free,
was weak becaiise divided into petty states, and
was incapable not only of conquest, bat even of
koig and snocessM defence. During the era of
Roman ^lory, Italy xmited nnder one head and
directed by one principle, displayed talents and
energies which astonished and snbdued the Uni-
verse, and fbmished the brightest examples of
viitne and conrage, of widsom and success that
emUaeon ibe pages of history. After the &11 of
the empire, Italy was again divided and again
weakened; frequently invaded with success, and
repeatedly insulted with impunity. Hie Venetiam,
it is true, rose to a high degree of pre-eminence
and consideratk>n ; but they retained even in their
greatness the spirit of a petty republic, and alive
to liieir own, but indifferent to the general interest,
^ diey too often conspired against their common
country, and to further their own projects, abetted
the cause of its oppressors. The sovereign
Pbntiffs alone seem to have inherited the spirit of
ibe Romans, and like them to have kept their
eyes ever fixed on one grand object, as long as its
attainment seemed possible : that object was, the
expulsion of the barbarians^ and the annihilation

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143 CLASSICAL TOUR Dis.

of aQ foreign iofiaence in Italy. They have failed^
though more than once on the very point of
success, and their failure^ as was foreseen, has at
kagth left Italy at the disposal of one of the most
msnltkig and most wantonly mischievow nations
^BoA erer invaded its fair domains*

What may be the duration, and what the con^
sequences of the preseaoit dependent and degraded
state of that country, it is difficult to conjecture $
but should it terminate in the union of all its pro~
Tinces under one active gov^nment seated in
Rome (and there is at least a possibility that sn^
may be the result) such an event would compen*
8i|6 all its past sufferings, and would jAace it once
more within the reach of independence, of empire/
and of renown. The power which the present
sovere^ of Italy and of France, enjop, is pecu*
liarly his own ; and like that of Charlemagne, will
probably be wrested from the gtasp of his feeble
sucoessors. Whoever then becomes master of
Itjsly, if he should possess abilities, will find all the
ms^terials of greatness ready for his use; an Italian
army, a rich territory, an immense population, and
a national character bold, penetrating, calm, and
persevering ; with such means at his command he
may defy all foreign power and influence ; he may
stand up the rival of France, and may perhaps
sharis with the; British monarch, theglory of being

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Dm. THROUSH ITALY. I4S

^ nmi^re ^d the defender of Europe. -No
country in reality is better calculated to oppose the
gigantic pride of France than Italy ; strong in its
natural situation^ big with resources, magna parena
fn^THj magna vhrum^ teeming with riches and
crowded with inhabitants^ the natural mistress of
the Mediterranean, she ^ight blodkade the ports^
or pour her legions on the open coasts of her ad-
versary at pleasure^ and baffle her favorite prafects
of southern conquest^ with ease and certainty.

But the fate of Italy, and indeed of Europe,
hiEUigs still uncertain and undecided; nor is it
given to human sagacity to divine the permttient
consequences that will follow the grand revohitions
which have, during the last fifteen years, eowulsed
the political system. To turn, therefore, from difr*
foions conjectures about futurity to observadons on
the past ; Liberty, which has seldom visited any
country more than once, and many not at all, has
twice smiled on Italy, and during many a ha^ppy
age has covered her fertile surface with rqpubHos,
bold, free, and independent. Such wene the
SabineSy Latins^ Vdlm, Sanmtes, most of the Etru^
rian tribes, and all die Greek colonies, previous to
the era of Roman preponderance; and such the
States of Siemy PisOy Fhrenoe, Luccay GenoOy and
VemcCy that rose out of the ruins of the empii^,
floorished in the midst of biuinoism, and trans*

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144 CUmCJI. TMJR Di$.

watted the prindplefl and llie spwit of
liberty dowB to modem times. Of diese commoB-^
waitbuy some were equal, and two were snperiiH',
in power, policy and dmation, to tibe praudeat re-
pnblica of' Greece, not ezcqpdng Lacedemm and
jkkms; and like them they enjoyed tlie envied
privilege of {Moducmg ppeto and histwians to
reopid and tofllnstratethdr institntionsand adiieve-
meats. The readw, who peroses these records, will
appland the 9pisAt o( Uberty aqd patriotism that ani-
mated almost all the Italian republics during the
periods to which I allude; and he will admire the
opidenceaod the prosperity that acoompanied and
lewwded that ^pkit, as well as the genius and the
tdents that seemed to wait upon it, or to start up
instantaneous at its command.

While oontemjdating the splendid exhibition
of the virtues and the powers of the human mind,
called into action and perfected in these latter as
in those more ancient commonwealths of Greece
and 'Rome, the candid reader will perhsq>s feel
himself disposed to .question that grand axio^ooi of
politicians, that monarchy, when lodged in the
hands of a pofectly wise and good prince, is tiie
best mode of govemmeirt. If peace, security, and
tranquillity, were the sole or even the principal
objects of the human mind in the present state of
esdstence, such a position might be true; and in

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adoiitta^ its tm^^ msm mn&t r^ign Im (Sigmtft
and must sacrifice the powers and the accompliKb^
meats of his nature to ease aud to indolence. But
the intention of Providence seems to be very di£>
%3ent He hfts bestpured vfm mm ga^mtd-
Idctpal fioirera, wd endow^ kim with mwderM
^UE^gies jof soul^ and hi^ Will m^st be, that these
povtfs aud enjsrgies shopld be put forth, and de^
TelDped a^ iQ«tur^ by e^^ertion. Now, tfa^e mm&
pei&ct tbexaouarc^y, die l^s ocp^sic^itheE^isigwr
tb^ t^^ts aad th^ exertions pf sulbj^cts. Tbs
vjudpia of th^ ftfioce p^rvad^s €¥^ hv^rnqh of ad^*
inuustcaliQA wd cq^t^ds tp €v^ cproar of t^
emfuie; it r^eiMdi^ every di^wd^^ loid proiid^.
tof every contingency : tjki# subject l^ noting ^
do but to eiyoy, w4 to s^i^^ tbe v^eHnee «i4
the iw^^sight of his spverdgn^ T|Mit i» pt^t^ an
gtfremed is iiieFy delightfUin-A^aonpti^^ Tetp
piXHipefans Jrn reaiity^ I admit; but Hfb^t itt§B iKs
finite, ssai wb«t th^Teanlt pf its pNM|)tiity? Eftae^
eTfratherindali^EW^, pride wd luxury. :Noi»aiily
tul^its riipen, no droHgb hardy virtues prosper iund^
its uiflu€»ce. Look at the Romsin empire under
Ta^sm Md the Antonines, the most accompjiished
princes that have ever adprned athrpne, whoee ara
is xjqpresented by Qibbo^ as cons^tiHing the hap^
piest period of homfm hi stpry . Beaoe, justice^ and
wd0*^ reigned, it is tme;, m ewrf province, und

VOL, IV. L

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146 eLASSICAL TOUR Dit.

the Capital received every day additional embelfidi-
ments.

Mollia sectirs peragebant otia gentes. Ovid,

Bnt what great men arose to distmgiusli and
to immortalize this age of happiness ? The two
Plmys^ Tacitos^ and Saetonius. Look next at the
great rq>nbUc in the days of Cicero^ when jarring
factions and clashing interests ronsed every passion^
and awakened every energy: when every virtoe
and every vice stood in array and strolled for the
mastery. See what talents were displayed ! what
gmns blazed ! what noble characters arose on aR
sides! Lncretins> Sallnst, Gato^ Pompey, Cicero^
and Caesar, all sprang np in the midst of pnidie
fermentation, and owe their virtues, thehr acquire-
ments, and their fame to die stormy vicissitudes
cf a popular government. Behold again the
glories of the Augustan age, all a splendid reflect
tion of tiie setting sun of liberty. Virgil, Horace^
and Titus Livius, were nursed, educated, and formed
under the Republic ; they speak its lofty language,
and breathe in every page its generous and ennob-
ling sentiments. Let us again turn to the Italiim
states. Naples has for many ages, indeed almost
ever since the time of Caesar, been under the sway
of a monardi ; Florence, for many a century, and
in realky till the sixteentii, was a republic. How

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DU. THBPUGH ITALY. 147

unprodnctive in genius is Naples ; how exuberant
Florence !

In pursuing these observations I am tempted
to go a step farther, and to infer from the great
prosperity of the Italian^ as well as of the ancient
Grecian republics, that small territories are better
calculated for happiness and for liberty than ex-
tensive empires. Almost all the great towns in
Italy, particularly on the coasts and in the northern
proyinces, have in their turns been independent ;
and during the era x>f their independence, whatso^
ever might be the form of their internal govern-
ment, have enjoyed an unusual share of opulence^
consideration, and public felicity. Manttm, Verona^
and VkenzOy owe all their magnificence to their
governors or to their senate, during that period ;
since their subjection or annexation to greater
states, they have lost their population and ridies^
and seem to subsist on the scanty remains of their
former prosperity.

Sienna and Pim could once count each a hun-
dred thousand inhabitants, and though their terri-
torie9 scarce extended ten miles around their walls^
yet their opulence enabled them to erect edifices
tbat would dp honqr to the richest monarchies.
These cities yielded in time tp the prevailing in-
fluence of t]bteir riv^ i%re»(^; wd under its Dukes

L'2

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14S dtASfflCAL lOUR Dm.

they withered away into secondary towtui ; wfaSe
dieir wide drcomference^ stately streets^ and
maible edifices daily remind the few scattered in-
hibitantSy of the greatness and oi the gl<Hry of
dieir andestoh.

Lucca stiBi retains its independence and itii
liberty^ and with them^ its popuktion^ its opalencey
and its fertility. Parma and Modena possess Ae
Matter advantages because indepetidoit, hot iii i^
inferior degree comparatirely^ because not fr6S.
Bologna is (I am afraid I may how say uu^) a most
flonridhing dty^ though aimexed to the pqialtetti-
tdry ; because though sulject to the pontiff^ it b
in part gbvemed by its own ina^strates^ iHill
enjoys inany of the b&efits of actual ind^ieii-
deuce.

llkase petty states^ it is true, were agitated hy
factions at hdnie^ and engag^ in perpetual wai'-
fare abroad; but their civic. tempesfe and fmeUga
hostilities^ like the feuds and the contests of the
ancient Greeks^ %eem to have produced more
good than evil. Hiey selddifa terminated in cat-
sage or in desthlctibh ; while they nevel* faifed to
give a strong impulse to Ithe ^ubl!(6 ihitxd, and to
ddl forth in Ihe colKioh eVery ktent spaik of
vihneandof geiiiit^i ft ihay^ petfi^s^ hie directed
diat such petty sta^eh Bte too tnudi ikpostid to i^s>

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DUt. IlII^pUOH ITALY* U9

. I9114) jbcBtiKty, .^ Are iigbcapable of pppoalqg a
long aad an f^fectoal re3iBtaiice to a powerful in*
v^der ; and %h^ &te pf Italy itself may be prodt^ced
as ail instancy of the misery find desolation tq
^)u^ a PopptFy }s |s^q)ps^ when dirided^ ^d rob-
#yid(e4 »tQ so mmj Uttle independent commpni-
1)91. It naay indeed ]b^ difficult for pach states to
fp^atp^^ thfsir iQfl^>(^i^4enjce at a time like tbe
pPfMnt, wben tifo or thi?e prergrown Powerv
^^kMe tp tb^ reit of Enrope, and when great
mauea are necessary to resist the impetus of soph
preponderant agents. But I know not whether a
sort of federal anion, like that of Switzerland (for
Switzerland lost her liberty, not because subdivided
bnt becanse enervated) or an occasional subjection^
like 4i9,t 4^ ^ QfffAfi to Agan^eninon, and that
of the Italian nfjunjicipal towns tp the Roman re-
public, when the common canse required them to
imit^ and act as ope body (whil? at the oilier 4jmes
^ffiji atii^te enjoyed its owq laws fmd was governed
by iu .o]vn m^sjgjstrates, under tlie honorable ap-
ffHi^ifiQU of Sofiii:) I }axQW not whether sncb 9
ij^pudjitipnal and ^uaji^ed si;d)mifisi(WL wpnid not b^
fl'^TFyt^ tp aU tbe purposes of defence^ and even of
ii3P4WKfSt ip general, without subvertrng the inde-
jlfefidffig/^y or caking the prosperity of any st^te
j|$ijp4fi^n)«r.

^«-— — -4ic4ortii Blnuria oreTil :

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iio CLASSICAL tOtJR Dk.

But t6 cohelude, and to smimpf Athikditf of
Italy in one short observation: No conntry hlui
ever been the snbject or the theatre of so maoy
war8> has enjoyed a greater portion or a longer
duration of liberty, has exhibited more forins erf
government, and has given birtii to sO many and
inch powerftil empires and republics. -Virgil
seems, therefore, not only to have described its
past, but explored its future destinies, when mUdt^
prising in four emphatic words its^ eventful imnalB,
he represents It as, ^ •"

Gravidam imperiis, belloque fremeolem*

LANGUAGE AND LITERATtJitE OF
MODERN ITALY;

IV. That a country subject to so many vicissi-
tudes, colonized by so many different tribes, and
convulsed by so many destructive revolutions,
'should have not only varied' its dialects btit sonie-
times totally changed its idiom; must appear natu-
ral and almost inevitable : *wie at6 bnly' surprised
when we find that in opposition to the influence of
so many causes, Italy has retained, for so long a
series of ages, so much of one language, and pre-
served amidst the influx of so many barbarous
nations uttating suth discordant jargons, the full

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.hdrmoniow soimdi of its native Latin* I have
^ebewhere made some observations on the origin
and progress of this language,* and I need only
add that it remained long in a state of infancy and
ino^rfection ; tfas^t^ in die short space of one hnn«-
dred and fifty or two hundred years, it passed
rapidly to the highest refinement ; ^d that in the
days of Cicero and Virgil^ it was compared bj the
..partial Romans^ and not withont some appearance
of , reason^ for copiousness^ grace, and m^esty^ to
the most perfect of human d^dect8^ the language
of Pla^ and of Demosthenes. Its decline was as
rapid as its progress. The same qentury may be
said to have witnessed its perfection and its decay,
liie causes that produced this decay continued to
operate during ten or even twelve centuries with
increasing activity^^ during which Liatin was first
corrupted^ and then repplished and softened into
jpo4iern Italian*. ..lyhen this change took place, by
what. causes it was effected, or, in other words,
wl^en and from what the Italian language
; ojriginated, has ]}e^ a matter of much curious re-
seardi and long discussion among the learned in
Italy f and where ^ the most emip^ent native critics
differ, it would be presumption in a foreigner to
. dei^idj^. As to the precise period when pure Latin
,.ci^si^ ^0 be spoken it wpuld indeed be useless to

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Ifi CLASSICAL tOfm Dfe

ioqtiifis^ hexMBC impos^hlt to ^iic6iet. link
goages ^€f improrect and ctirrapted^ foftDied and
lodt ^ihnbsf imperceptibly : the chafige iti listm^ ts
in die Wdrkd of natnre, thongh daMy eaitied oii^
liecomes observabie only kt diidtatit periods^ tHk9ie
the ifitermediate gmdationl^ ar^ so minttte as to
elade obserVatidn. Oibboii, l^o might hate betti
expected to enlarge npoh ^ poiYit ^6 intefesting in
itself and so intimately botitiedted with hi^ mbfeet
as the fate of die Latin langtiage, has bnly m^-
tibned In general tehus ^d Widrotit toy iS^i^tAi
\o the fime^ its entire ^e^^attbti k^ ft livittg tongM.
¥ot want of bettet infditnaticAi tfn this point; the
following dbsefVationd may, ptthaps, be ateept-
able.

ttie Latin lafignagts^ Stripped indd^ x5f "ita
elegance, but still grammatical tod gentohi*; Sttf-
vived the invai^ii and the exptdsion of theOMhS^
and continued t6 be spoken In Rome k the ht-
ginnmg of the seventh centmy. Tliat it wis
spoken under llieodotic; atld his i^cciedsOM ap^peays
evident from t^ieir kwd, f egtdatiotl^^ and lettein hi
Cassiodohis. 1ft oHfe pf these lifter*, iMM^tUs,
then king of tl^ly, SpeaMtig Sf l!b6 Itin^n^ df
tloine, sAys — ^Jtdfnd frudit s^isquktm ijuo tuatfias
nihil mMiury" Aftet the long and destirmcttte

♦ Cis^ fib. 1. c!p. 7.

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Bi^ TaHOUOB fTALT. Itt

«ar^ whk^h tevmiMted m the exjpttbim of Ae
Oqdis^ weiod Cbn^ory ^ Great, m Ae bc^in^
nkig of the sevetath centcurf, ddi^mi^faui iastrao-
iknUR to Ua fltek io Isim, and in a style &ff more
flMQt and oorreot Ihim Cassiodoros, who fttoBA^
ed him hj m»e tfaaa fifty years^ Itos to be re*
ssemiHsead^ ihaA these ioftnicfioM weie w^ kseeoh
€d b»«p[gne&» «/ ^£ib*iii»^ but familiair iKseeimeB
addrened to Ae people on Smidays^ aad ooaeo-
qnoi^y in the language t^ert tinderstood by those
to whom they were diveeted. I am awaie^ tliat
Farmitttf aaaetts in a note on the epi«de of Tlk^
dahattiSy whidi I have qnoted above, that he kiaa-
sdf had seen a deed drawn up at Ravenna in the
reign of Jnatfinan, in the langixige of modem
Itaftians; ^3ermmefmmilgus hmtUsmmc ytitur ;
but whaWvar tti^y he the f^oanineness of andi an
JMtmmfdnt or dbed> at n t?nAmL, fvom tiie espraik
slion of the iong whieh I haVe eited^ that sadli
€dald«iiot haiire been <die lan^nage of Borne at that

FMai'the timeiof.Oregory the Gitat to Ifae
ftstosatiQii «f the yftkttm cgapire^ Roa^^ duMigh
perpe ta aB y tlosatcMd^ was never taken by llie
Loaabaids^^ nor by any other barbiiriam> nor is
th«re»ilnyappeHranee that any very <eKtiaocd]nary
idhK^^artm^gaa flowed into it during lint in-
trartal. We aan^ diecdfare^ooncfasdcL thadt «»opt-

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IM CLASSI^LTOUR JKl.

ing thenatiiiftl progress <^ b«rbaiiimiiii a dark
Hand, distracted age^ tbe language ftrnmosA unal-
tered; espedaUy as all the public and private
'docnmaits tibat hate been tcanamitted ti m £rom
4he iii^nraiing period are all drawn up in regular
.gianiiiMideal iLatia. We may; I bdiev^ oil the
.same or similar reastNos, gromid an infetoMaey diat
•die aan^ labgnage thongh moiv aorraptedrslitt
«oontintted.in>u8e during the nhKth5.tendi^.uid'e#«i
'lAeveaih centuries. In fitict^ all^ the isermans, heUba^
.^docnntcaats^ and iinseripticxks of /^this eraiate* aH
-Latin; moiie or less ioorrapt^ aoebrding to the., pro-
fession, asnd the information of the writer. . '

. Bot, while I represent Latin :as the language of
vliiehigher and better informed partof the^coBomtnni-
:ty,salate as the elerirath century, I do not mean to
-assort. that the UnKreF^daebes^'partiailaaly in:dK
conntry^ spoke admUctsb regnlar and leorraet;
rand I am aware tlwtiat 'a nmch^earliec pmo&ilhe
pnre and grammatical language of the dassics.ms
not even imderstood by the common people^ at
least in the transalpine provinoeis. In Ihe third
council of Tours^ Aimo 813^ the clergy are re-
quired to Explain or to translate their sehnons into
'^Rustkam^RomanamUnguam; and in Fof^a&m'we
find the form of a solemn engagement betweoi
ChGrles the Bald kihgof.Erancse^ and lam of
Qana^y in the year MSi in thirf: langua|ge> or

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Dk. THROiUGH ITALY. 155

Mther jtatg&a vary- different indeed from Latin ;
but we can only infer irbm hence> that beyond- the
Alps the progress of barbarism was far more rapid
than in Italy. So late indeed as the twelfth cen*
tnry^ we find a Cakbrion hermit traversing the
conntry^ and crying ont as he went along^^-jBeine*
tMttu^ sanciykatu, lauditauj lupatre, lu Itllu^ lu ipk
ritu sandUf tenninationi. still retained in the Sid-
fon and Wallachian dialects, probably taken from
dl0TQ%ar tongoe, and thon^ cormpted, still very
intdMgflile to a Roman; at all arents, this Ian*
ginige and even modemltaUan was long honored
with the appellation of Lingua Romaaa and
Latina.

From these observations, I think we may ak
least conclude, that no n^ hngoage was istio-
^ced into Italy by any of tibe invading tribes.
Odoacer 'and the Hemli were masters of Italy
daring the space of seventeen years only, a time
too short to influence the language of a whole
country. Theodoric and his Goths probably spoke
Latin.* They had long been in the service of the

* Odoacer made himself master of Rome and of Italy in
the year 470, and was defeated and slain by Theodoric king
of the Goths^ in 493. The Goths were, in their tnm> ex-
pelled In 5SS. The Lombards tinder Alboin invaded Italy,
and made themselres mastsn of ih« northeni prorioees in

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lU CLASSICAL TOUR 0%$.

enqiire, and maaj^ perliapt motC oi tlienif b«4
been mnrsed and cdscated in ito idio<rf9 and l»r
gioni. Besidei^ they were coUerted in am .vrnf,
and not nnmeroui enon^ to prodnce todi a ri^tfy^
hadoa bb a diange <^ hes^m^ oy^ a icowtrf M
eztensiye; to wbidi may be added^ that tbw i^
neratioa for the Roman luune was flvdi^ thol; is
Older to QMoeal dbeii! baribomm, Ihay endaavored
to ad(^ die lai^oage^ the mannars^ and the dncst
of a people w &x sc^erior to them* MQm9ir»^
dieir i^ign did not csceed the narMW UmJto of
aiKty yews; aftor ivinch^ daring tibe ccnne of »
loi^ and bloody war, lliey were alnuist extenair
nated by Belisarins^ and by Narses. The Jmb^^
bardfi entered Italy soon alter the expulsion of tibe
Qod^ and nmrnoed tbare ftr the fi|W)e »f two
hnadred yeaais bat ibmr x&Bmnc^ nm mnfiqieKl
^Bmeipatty to Ae noMhern pi^^ivinQM^ «pd «mM?
«]Mntly ndbdi^ es^ended to Romc^ «ior tQ ibp

the year 569, and their kingdom was destroyed in the year
T74. TlieSaracea«^iiAtedk, for tlMfifSl time, in thcf year
&9Q, and the Normans in 1016. A considerable number of
Vandals were introduced by Belisarius into Italy, after the
con^j^WBst of Airica, as was a whole cotony of falgmw^ at a
i|«tor fmod, ito miUixate Ms ftSf»WflieeSc4efi(»pul|iM l^y wur.
-Oi these taitor oolaaies «k wm '0i»errcMl bgr eaatemporary
witeai« tkttt tteir aoaa afualM 4be iwHre JMHaiip ia ih^
cpimiy iaad Ae masotafas itf Ihssr iaagupgi!.

1

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Pi$. THROm^H ITALY. m

^r^tdr part of the mmtii: and ikef also, libe line
06ib^, se^bi, As a|»pelure ftimi diear laws, to have
Adoptfsd die language of Italy, and whatever $bste
Aisf might have had ia oompti&g it, moM uo^
doubtidly they did not attempt to mfaititdte «fiy
6dief- in iM j^bce* The transient visit of th^
Frendi and German Caesars, the predatory incnr--
sions of the Saracens, and tbe settlement of tmnt
bands of Norman adventurers, were inadequate to
prodnoe the efiect in question; nor can we possi-
bly attribute a change, so slow and so extensive as
the suppression or formation of a language, to
causes so confined in their continuance and opera^
tikm. To these observations, we may add one
more of great importance on the sul]ject, which is,
fiiat there is not the least resemblance between the
Itognages of Italy and the dialects of the VarioM
tilbes which t have mentioned, as far as these &i^
tects a^e known to us. The former is peculiaity
soft and harmonious, all the latter are rough and
discordant; and consequently we may conclude,
that Italian does not owe its origin to barbarians;
and farther, that its introducticm was gradual, aad
the operation,- not of one, but of many succeeding
^es.

Btit attM it may he adbed, whence does Italian
derive its Migin? May not Italian derive ito origin
from the corruption of the Latin bnguage, the

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isa CLA8SI€AL TOUR Dh^

canses of wUch bc^an to operate so eady aa thie
eia of Jnlhn Cesar^ and cootuiaed till the tweURdi
ee&toryy when the modem dialect first aastuned a
regular and grammatical form? The 'canaea wet^
firsts the great influx of provincialB into Rome«
CaasaT;, to atrengthen his party, bron^t se^reral
noble Ganls who had attadied themselves to hia
fortones into Italy, raised them to various digni*
ties, and perhaps introduced some of iheai into
the sraate itself then thinned by civil war and ks
conseqaences.* This evil increased after the
extinction of the Julian line, when the governors,
and oftentimes the natives of distant provinces
educated in the midst of soldiers, and unacqu^t-
ed with the refinements of the cs^tal, were pro-^
moted to the firat stations, and not unfrequeatly
raised to the imperial dignity itself. It reached a
most alarming pitch in the time of Diocletian, and
continued from that period to the downfid of the
western empire, filling all the offices of state,^
crowding the legions, and degrading the throne
itself, by the introduction and the usurpation of

* The concourse of strangers was so great about this
period^ that Caesar^ to enable them to share the public
amusements with which he entertained the Roman people,
had plays acted in all languages. — Suet, Div, Jul, CcBf.39.

Confluxerunt enim^ says Cicero about the s^me time, multi
inquinate loquentes ex di.venis loch*r^De Ckir, Or^L^

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IMS. THROUGH ITAtT. M

bMbariam. Hie iitfliieiice of these mtradersi^ii
Ibe Roman idiom^ may be traced tiirot^h Lucan^
S^aieca, and Mattial, to Ammianns MarceUmtui
aod Salvian.

.-,/■.• ■ •

S/Booftidlj, the introdnGtioii of eolloqnial and
oftifcDtimes rustic proximiciiation into the style of
the highes classes^ as well as into regular compo-
sition, or writuig. The suppression of final letters,
such as s* and m, was, we know, common in t>r-

* Qain etiam quod jam sabrttsticum yidetar, olim auten
politius, eorum verbonim, quorum ejedem erant postremie
da»^ qu» sunt in optumus, postremam litteram detrahebant^
nisi focaUs insequebatur. Ita non erat offensio in rersibus^
qaam nunc fogiunt poet» novi. ^Ita €nim loquebantur :

(i^ ui omnibu princeps, Non, cmntbus princeps. Et.
FUd iUd diguu locoque. Non Hgnui.

Cicero had observed a little before^ that the use of the
aspirate was much less common anciently than it was in his
time, and that the early Romans were accustomed to pro«
nouoce Cetegos^ triumpoSj Cartaginem^ &c. that is» as the
modem Italians (Orator 48). The more frequent use of the
aspirate was probably derived from the Greek pronunciation^
w|u<^ began to influence Roman elocution about that period.
— Cic. de Claris Orat. 74.

The observations of Quintilian upon the S and the M are
curious:

Cflsterum consonantes quoque^ eseque pr»cipue qu« sunt
asperiores in commissnra verborum rixantur

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iMO Ci<AS8ICiUb TOUE I>m.

diMttyodOTemtiQii itod m li^ ooinpoaitiqftB, taid
li«B piobaUy» on ficco«itf of ^ ko^
wkf tiikefaHsMmi, almost wiiTcsna) m the prc^-
finoes and in the country. In liie latter dioA, the
custom of nniting a word terminating in a vowel,
wkfa the fcdlowiag wmd bcgimiiag witik €me, as
^vdl as an mdiitkict yronimdatioa of vowels and
Wmsonaats of similar sonnds, was noticed by
Cicero, lliese disians were ^very . ancient^ and
probably r^nained among the peasantry wiien
given np by the more polished inhabitants of the
Capital. In fact, from the inscription on the ros-
tral pfflar, and the epitaph of the Scipios, we find
that the m and s were anciently suppressed, even
in writing; that the b and the v, the e and the i,
were naed mdiscriiiunately^ and that tihe o was ge«
nerally employed instead of 21. In an iUiterate^^,
when few know how to read or write, and mxh

.... qutt f^t Mmsaet tdenrio mAAfOitndm, B, UUtm
qvoties ttlttma etset aliaqiM cwMooaote floecipereliir Quod
veprebendit Laiiraniuej Messala defendit. Nam oequeLuct^
lium putant uti eadem ultima cum dicit SerenuJuUet dignu*
loco-, quinetiam Cicero in Oratore plures antiquorum tradR
sic locutos inde BeUigerare, po* meridiem, Et ilia Censorii
Catonis Die* hanc; aeque% M, litera in E mollita. Quie in
veteribus libris reperta mutare imperiti solent et dum libra-
riorum inacientiam insectari Tolunt^ «uam confitentur.-—
Quifiitf . lib. ix.

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J>is. THROUGH ITALY. ^?

were tbe ages tbat £illowed the fyi of tlie Boniaa
EoQ^irei the prooianciation of the lowers chss gene*-
rally becomea that of the comaiiiDiity at large^ and
at leugth acquires authority by time and jMrescripK
tioo. . .

- . Another cause^ suuilar and ccmcomitaut, vmr
&e ignorauce :of orthography. .The dreadful sojII
destructive wars that preceded and followed that
disastrous eveut^ snsf^nded dl literary putsuits^
disjiiQlted all schools aud seminaries, and deprived
for ages the inhabitants of Italy of aln^ist all
laeans of mstruction* Bodks were ii*are,.and readers
stilL rarer; pronundation waa abandoned to the
r^gplation of the ear only, and t^e ear was un-»
guided by knowledge, and depraved by faarbarcnia
dissonance. Wc may easily guess, how a language
must be disfigured when thus given up, to the mar>
nagement of ignorance, when we observe how our
own servants and peasants- spell the commonest
words of their native tongue^ even though in their
infancy they may have learned at least tbe ele-
ments of reading and spelling.*

* To tbe ignorance of orthography we may attribute half
the corruption of the Latin language : hence the degradation
of the Capitolii^m into CampidogUo, the Portico of Caiua
I«tidtt8(Caii et Lucii) into GallucdO'j hence the Busta GaU
lorum became Porto Gallo, the Cloaca^ ChiavichOit Video,
Fq^go, Hodie, Oggi, &c. &c. &c*

VDL. IV. M

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UZ CLASSICAL TOUR Dis.

Amoog di^ie causes we. may perhaps mtmber
^ faJse refineifaents of tke Ital»n& tbemsdves ;
and it is highly probable, as fine learned MqffH
<MiDJectords, that tbe unparalleled ^ffoninacy of
the Romans during the second, third, and fonrth
centuries, might have extended itself even to their
language, multiplied its smoother sonnds, r&*
traaiched some of its rougher combinations^ and
tamed many of its manly and majestic closes by
consonants into the easier i^w of vowel terminal
tions. No circnmstance relative to the Itatiao
langnage> is so singular and so unaccountable as
its softness. The influence of the peasantry aS
the country, as well as l^at of the northern bar-
faarians, must have tended, it would seem, to
imtune the language, and to fill it with jarring
and discordant sounds ; yet the very reverse has
haj^ened, and the alteration has been conducted
as if under the management of an academy em-
ployed for the express purpose of rendering the
utterance distinct and easy, as well as soft and
musical. Thus the termination of wi, so oft«n re-

The most material change took place not in the sound
but in the sense of the words, though it is difficult to con-
ceire how it could have been effected. HYiua, Uuwrt to,
loos^n^ UAbii^y biif b^ome icudare to( let go» to let in geae;^
ral : cavasreio boUow^ indent* is I|qw to .talue, to dpaw* M<^^t
biduB, sickly, morbid, morbido, soft^ &c.

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m. THROUGH ITALY. 163

corring in Ladn^ was supposed to have a bellow-
ing sound, and indeed Cicero calls it mugientem
Utterani; the $ again was heard to hiss too often
at the end of words ; as t closing the third person
Was considered Us too short and smart for a con-
dnding letter; they were all three suppressed.
Cly plf tVy have somewhat indistinct as well as
h^sh in the titt«:ance ; the £rst was changed be-
fore a vowel into chi ; tiie secon<l int6 pi ; the i
#as Separated from the f", and a vowel inserted to
ghre the organ time to unfold itself, and to prepare'
for ihe forcible utterance of the latter letter. "Ilius
Ckeoisj pletcercy trahere. Were softened into chiave^
piacere, tirdre. For simHar reasons', wi, c, />, when
ft^wed by f, were obliged to give way, aid som*
nusy actus y asmmptnsj metamorphosed into so?ind/
attOy assontQ; in short, not to multiply examples^
whith the reader's observation may furnish in
abundance, the ablative case was adopted as th^
most harmonious, and the first conjugation as the
most sonorous. The only defect of this nature in
Italian, aod it may be apparent only, is the fre-
quent vetam of the syHafol^ ce and a, which con-
vey a sort of chirping i^oudff, tidt J>leasing t think
when, too often repeated.

As for the want of BMtgj in that language; ife
is a reproadbi which h^ iiiaiy make who has never
read Dant€, Ariosto, or Tasso ; he who has perused

M S

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164 cLimfCAL tomb Dk.

ihiem knows that in enei^ both of laogoage
and of sentiment, tk^j yield, oqly to their ilUis^
trioas masters^ Virgil and Hom^r, and will ac*
knowledge with a satyr^sf of taste^ wdspkitf thai
they strerigthen and harm&mzc,b(4b the ear and tha
iatelkct.* , .

In fine^ though the invading tribes did not in^
trodiice a new lai^uage into Italy^ yet jthey mnal
he allowed to have had some share in com:^rfii^
^d diBfignring the old^ by perverting the sense of
"^ords, invierting the wder of sentences^ and thiia
infecting the whole language with the inaccniacj
of their own di4ects*r}* Hence^ though the great
body of Italian remain Latin^ yet it is not di^qall

t This coemption Vida daggersfes aad deplores «s »
chpiiigeo^ language imposed by tbe victorious barbariam^ on
the subjugated Italians.

Flerldes donee Romam^ et Tiberina fluenta
Deseruere/ f talis expulsseprotinus Oris. '

Tanti caussa malh Latid gens asperar v^ehb
Siepios irrojaspen^. Suntjmii'TerteraBBmpeQt ..
AusonidsB victim TidjIl^fSa vocibus usi.
Cessit amor Musarum, &c.
This change of language however is confinicd io about a
thousand words^ which are derived either from barbarous
dtaleets« or fir6m ankaowii sourees.. 'Muvrntfrnhis collected
them in his Thht^^ihitdiym&tSi^^tk. The mt^ the bn-^
guage is J^titi.

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Dis, THROUGH ITALY. 165

to discover some foreign aecretions, ' atid etm
point out the l^gaagea fkim which ^y faa^B
been taken ; and thongh singnlar yet it h certaltl^'
that the <7reek^ the SclaTonian, and the Arabid
tongues have fnmished many, if not tibe greateisC
part^ of these tralatitions tei;ms.

The first remained the language ofApuUa, Ca-
Idbria, and other southern districts of Italy, trhicM
continued united to the Greek Empire many agesf
after the fell of the Western. The second was
brought into Italy about the middle of the seventh
century by a colony oi Bulgarians, established iri
the southern provinces by the Greek Emperors :
attrd the last by the Saracens, wha established
themselves in Sidly^ and in some maritime towns
in Calabria, daring the ninth and tenth centuries^
The Lombards probably left some, though; I be-
lieve, few traces of their uncouth jargon behind
them ; and the same may be supposed of the Van-
dals, whom Belisarius transported from Africa^
and established as colonists in some of the most
fartiie provinces, to repair the dreadful havoc made
in their population by the Gothic war.

These causes were doubtless more than suiB-
cient to produce all the changes which have taken
place in the ancient language of Italy, even though
we should reject the conjecture of Maffdj who

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166 eiA&SlCAL lOUR Dkr

yapposesy that Italian retams miub of tbe anisient
dialects of tiie differeat provmcea, wlipch dialecta
yidded to Latiii in die great towm dnrmg die do*
QdniQUi of Rome, bat always remained m vigor in
the villages smd among the peasantry. Yet tfaia
opinion, in itself probable, as may well be sappoa*
ed, since it is supported by such anthoiity as that
of die learned Marqnis^ is strengthened, and I
might say almost established, by the information
fnd the acnteness of LanzL

But whatever foreign words or b^baron^
terms might have forced their way into the lan-r
gnage of Italy, they have resigned their native
roughness as they passed the Alps or the sea, drop-
ped their supemmnerary consonants, or cbai^ei|
them into vowels ; and instead of a nasal or gut-
tural close, they have assumed the fulness and the
majesty of Roman termination. {Such words th^:^
fore may, in general, be considered rather as em*
bellishments than as deformities, and uuquestion*
ably add much to the copiousness, without dnni-
nishing the harmony of the language. In this
latter respect, indeed, Italian stands unrivalled.
Sweetness is its characteristic feature : all modem
dialects admit its superior charms, and the genius
of music has chosen it for the vehicle of his
most melodious accents. That this advantage
is derived from the mother tongue principally, is

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m. THROUGH ITALY. W»

sippmmt, as ftU tha scmiids of the modern Lax^oaga
sure to be found ia the aodeat ; but fioeae attepipts
seem to bare been .made) by rotFenjching.tfae imm*;
ber of .Goiisoua»t8 md maltiplyifig that of vovrela;
bysui^essu^ aspiratioits aad sepai^tiog. ixiutie»:;j
in shorty bj multiplyisg the opaKsrsonnds^ and
generalizing the more sonorons caees^ tmise«» a«bd
tonjngationsy to improve the smoothx&ei^s of LatiQ^
and to increase^ if possible^ its harmonious pqw^enf «
How far, these attempt^ hayc^ iHiu:^^^ is y^j;^
questionable! espedally as they have been coun-
teracted by the introduction^ or xatberi tbeexten-
Am^ of articles and of auxiliary yerbsj that dead
ve^llt imposed by barbarism on all, modem ^an-
gm^i^ and invented^ it would seeip^ for %he ex^
press. purpose of checking the r^pidit^y of thqugbt,,
s^d encumbering the flow of a, sentence. ^ ^9
respect particularly^ and almost exdus^yelyi ^.
modem dialect of Italy betrays niarks of siUterf
und.of degradatiom i . _

Barbarico6 testatud voce tamultus.

Milton Epist ad Fairem^

- ■ . '

Italian is, however, freer from these burthens than
any other modem language ; but this partial ex-
emption, which it owes to a nearer resemblance to
its original Latin, while it proves its. superiority
on one side^ only shows its inferiority on.the othen

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To whicb we may add^ that ike Romaa prammci-
Biimij ike ocly one which gives Italian all the
gnces and all the sweetness of which it is snaoqK
tible^ is evidently the echo of the andent langnajge
transmitted from generation to gaieration^ and
never entirely lost in that immortal Capital. Let
not the daughter therefore

Sdegnosa forse del secondo onore.

dispute the honors of the Parent, bnt content her-
self with being acknowledged as the first and the
hifest of her bflfepring.*

• I will now proceed to poitat out some* of the
most striking features of resemblance, which have
been observed between the modem and the an-
cient dialects of Italy, and at the same time indi-
cate several words borrowed by the former from
liie latter. These I shall extract principally from
LanzL I will then follow Latin in its decline, as
I formerly traced it in its advancement, and by
presenting the reader with specimens of the lati-
nity of each century, enable him to mark its ap-
proximation to the modem language.'f*
■ ' ■ — I - ' - I ■ ■ - ■ ■ -

* *' Figlia bensi della Latina^ ma non men bella e noblle
della Madre/* says Muratori with pardonable partiality. —
Dissert xxxiii.

' t The reader will recollect^ that the limitfl of the present

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Bii tlflWUfeH ITALV. l€9t

The dilfereiic^s between the early and kttei^

Latins, and between them and the Aodem hk^

lians, may be classed nnder four heads — I. Di^

iractio — !!• Ad^ectio — III. Immutatio — ^IV. Trans--

mutatio.

•m

The Etfmians, like the Dorians, ci):en tto^
trenched syllables, as Sw for ^cpjxa, wtpa for xapiy^f,
and so the modem Italian /^o for prodo^ &c* and
in DarUCy ca for casa.

Retraidiing the last syllable, was- commim
firom Numa to EtmiuSy pa for parte, po fovpcpuJo j
aod in the latter, aid for cabtm, debil k&rm for db^
l^, in Lucretiusfamul fmjimmku : a pmctice ^PWfs
common in Italian, espeoiaHy in poetry,

.Che npn Jian teQipo di pur tor gli scodi.

Ariosto.

han for Jiarmo, pur for j&wre, tor for fo/re po-
gliere).

The letters N and R were oiBten omitted, as
Cosoi rums for Consul rursus. M at the beginning,
as Ecastor for Mecasior, &c. and oftener at the

work oblige me to confiQe ipyself to a few general observa-
tions^ and to give him rather an imperfect sketchy than a full
v*ew, of this vtty titensivc and interesting stibjeit.

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170 CLASHCAL TOUR Din

•ndl, a« Regem AmHoco, wA Smnmo apet. S was
geoerftliy omitted at the end ef wordu^ as Jami^
cauid.

Cato the censor entirely omitted the M^ ac<*
cording to Quintilian.

Vowels, in long syllabloi, wefe doubled, aa

In some of the ancient Italian dialects, and
even in Liatin, as in the modem language. Towels
were sometimes inserted between two consonants,
merely to prevent harsh sonnds; tbna i^POZBO for
4P&2£0, &c* ; prittcipes^ ancipes^ iorprinctps^ mcq^
materi for fn^tri: tirare in Italian for trahete.

£ and O were often added at the end, as iUico,
JacCy dicey for iUky foe, die; like the modem,
armnoyface^ dice.

Syllables added in the beginning, middle, and
end Qf words, not uncommon anci^tly ; davutit
for 4v^ is a remarkable instance: in Italiaa
Clmsiica for Cloaca.

The custom of the modern Italians of ending
syllables and words with vowels, is derived from
their anc^tors, the Latins, the Umbri, and the

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Dit. THROUGH ITAtY, 171

Eteoriana^ as well as the Oscans^ as wrfcrtwrt fins
adfertur, hoco for hoc,. ^,

Letters were frequently transposed to faciUtate
utterance by the Dorians and tfamr Italian caloniea
anciently^ as KAPNKioi: for kpan£IO£^ a nam^ of
Apollo; as by the modem Italians.

C, among the ancient Latins, often used for g^
as acnu for agnus, and for g as cotidk, as also for
4^ ^facit for faxit, sometimes with s as w^^kc
for %;m*^ &c. ..;

Syllables displaced, as precuUt, p^^^i^y Thorn
smnena, Tkrascmeno; and in derivatives, as from
Jdof^Tiformip TV/njy t^ner : all in nse in Ita^an.

F, V, and B, ^nd sometimes S and N^ were,
used merely to mark the aspiration^ as Fenkum,
Mordeum^ HcUa, FeHa, ^peti, Ven^i, J^^,
Bribes.

Consonants, of sonnds not very dissimilar,
were often nsed indiserioiinately or conftisedly, as
BPandF: MandN: DandT. BeUm.Duel-
lum ; PurrhttSy Burrhus ; Ci^ndolmm, Q^oUum,
from whence perhaps the modem Cmrtpidoglid^ &c.

£ ^as a prevalent letter^ and oftien. substituted

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17^ CLASSICAL TOUR Sis.

fei^ I^ us in ItdUan. O also often snbstitnted for S
and U, as Vostri, colpa^ &c. as again in Italian.

Aspirations were marks of rnsticity in the
earlier ages of Rome ; bat became common at a
later period.

Diphthongs were used in genitives^ datives^ ab-
latives, for simple vowels*

The Etmrians and ancient Latins^ like the
modem Italians^ often wrote o for au, as plostrum
for phstroy as also dede for dedit^Orcuk for Urgu--

kius.

» ' . •

Sti^sd: for'seipsa; on at the' end ©f verbs in-
stead of unt, as conoeneron, whence the Italian
dmaron^ sentiron, &c. corneas for circe ne eas.

.TKe Italian soimd ofz, like ts, is very ancient,
as appears from a medal of Trezaene, on which,

for Zevgf is j^Asvi.

Ct was generally changed by the ancient as
by the modern Italians into tt, as Goctius into
Cottius, pactum into pattum, factum vatofcOtum^

&c. ; in Italian, Cottio, patto^ fatto, &c.

>

Great conftision also prevailed in the ancient

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m, THROUGH JTAJiir. 131

{nmct»i|ticni : sometiuesf aeitber -^sestaaqes i^mr
words w?re sqmrated; «it other tiiaerf ^ll^lble^
and even letters. .

WORDS.

Simm ^Qt: sursum) nxident Latin, (lience the
Italian suso), foimdia.aaia8criptteii.o£tiie year of
Rome 686.

i?ia{ifor^4e2ir>h€aicelJbe.ItaUaQi[i6osi.i^ .

' DfJmkeris aa^ Teeberk /oi: .J'ifwM.-, /

Among such words we may rank Vitelloy Toro,
Capray Pcrcoy which occur in the £i^gnt>iw.<;f8d)lesy
and were common in Italy before the formation
and the general adoption ofLatinu .

Cosmo is derived £rom the Sabine Cascinmu

The Italian come seems to be derived froa
cume or cuMy sometimes spelt qtwm.

Cima for summit, is found in liucilius, and
seems to have been confined in pnoc^ss of tiiM to
popular use.

Basium, basia, used by Catullus only in the

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in CLASSICAL roUit Dk.

ipmet age of Latin, and adRterwards- resumed by
Jnveiial^ Martial^ and Petromofl ; it s^em^to have
been borrowed, like the word Ploxetmrfty used by
the same author, from the Venetic dialect. Circa
Padum inoemty says Qtontilian.

OktiMta mente is used m the Italian senise by
thesamepoeL^^^. vii^v. iL

In Plantos we find several words supposed to
be derived. frtiOL the S^dbines^ triicb wefe girddnally
retrendbed from pare latinity, bat preserved pro*
bably in the- popok^r i^om, sad ifevived in the
modem language. Such are,

Baa^re {jiMfT batUre) to B^ike.

Pcplom for pofnUum.

Danmt(dant) now danm.

Face forjac.

Cf^0idire (new it^ranSre) to gtow.
Mmacia fw mrue, threats.
Pappere (cdere) to eat.

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; Merenda, a slight repast or leolktion:

Others of the same nature may be collected
Irom Lacilias^ as , *

Mataa^a, now AHatasm, a fAt&si (of thread)*

1^W¥9 a . lance (wheupe onr u/iord speBx).

Cicero uses the habessky whence the bttliaA
^pesscj as ,an ancient and legal form* S^^atitm
nema habessit d^. — ^De Legibos n« 8.

He elsewhere notices the custom which he
ymsdf once induced in^ atid afterwards corrected
as faulty^ of sometimes omkting the aspirate H^
now nniv^^ally suppressed in Italian. — Oraior
48.

The following passage from Varro (quoted bjr
Muratori) gives the origin ef an Italian word
tagliare, which without such authority^ we should
scarce have suspected of being derived from Latin*
— ^Nunc Intertakare rus^ica vo^e dicitur divida:^:
vel excid^e ramum ex utraque parte sBqualibiler
praecisum quas alii Calbulas alii Faleas appellant.

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176 Cf^h&^lCAL TOUR) Dk.

tn Pliny tl»5 JEHd^ we find tfaeiWOid kUvnen,
in Italian- ilefame* — i9^. Nat. xviiL c 16«

DECLINlE Of LA'Tlir.

S^tonint (in Angntto^ 88) alludes to various
pecniiarities of Angostns, both in Dieting and
speaking; and Qointilian asaures iis^ that the
Roman people assembled in the Circns and in the
theatre^ sometimes exclaimed in baxharotis expres-
sions, and Gonelndes, that to speak Latin is yery
difierent from- speaking gimiftmatically^^-^^i^o
in^mti>s barbare locutos^ a iota ^(tpe tkeatra^ et
omnem Circi turham excldmassc barbare. — Lib. !•
cap. 6.

l%at the cases required by the rules of syntast
in the gOTemment of yerbs and prepositions^
were not always observ^ even in .the very fan^
of the above-mentioned Emperor, is clear from the
following expressions, quod est in palatium, and
Dot Fufiae Ctiniene, et Fujm Cucke sorores, used
even in writing by his own freedmen. (Murat.)

Festns observes, that the rustic mode of pro*
nonncing au was like o, whence so many Italian
Words are formed in o from the au of the Latins.

* AUud est liatine^ aliud grammatice loqui.— Cap. 10.

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ZHs. THROUGH ITALY. 177

^ Orita,'* says hej *^ genoir piscis appellator a
colore anri quod rastici orum dicebant.** Cato^
cited by Varro^ makes the same observation, or
radier ns^s the rustic pr<»iaiioiatioB; apronmi-
cialaon so prevalent at a later period, that the
£inpeix>r VespaMan seenis to have been partial to
it, and i^as reprehended by an nncoxutly friend for
changing plauttra into plostra.-^Suet* in. Ve^Mh

Slatius, in one single verse, seems to use a very
common word in a sense peculiarly Italian.

Salve supremum^ $ein,wr mitissime patrum !

'Efidtdium vn Patrem,

** Quidquid," says Seneca, ^^ est boni moris ex-
tingnimus levitate et politura corporum." The
word poUtura is here taken in a sense purely Italian.
Impolitidy taken in the opposite sense, was a Vord
net cmcommon among the early Romans, accord-
ing to Aulus Gellius iv. IS.

The African writers seem to have used a dia*
lect tending more to Italian than any others,
whether derived from the early colonists, or from
some provincial cause of corruption, it is difficult
to determine. In Apuieius we find, not only
particular words, as totus, russus, paironus, &c. in
theltalian sense, but united adverbs, accumulated

VOL. IV. N

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ITS OiASSICAL TOOR JKf.

epkbdb, and liie floiM [Ameokify of itdiaii
fMeticpme.

Itt die AngMtM Uitary lerenil jkamaeB ^-
deling npon Italian^ and miris taken in an IteUn
aenae, may be obierrad^ aa a latui inatead at a
laterty mtte Jhimle far Jrmitem, kaUuta (now id-
lata) for MlUttionei, Mum §&t omma, mtwutrty tot.

The word ^ffeUa, ttgrnfying a«i1ab Ti^SBtaUa,
is repTeaeated by 8t J^rom upmtljf Italian^ and
is atiU in nse. — G^. iv. in Exech.

The same author aUndes to the word parentes,
taken in tlie Italian and Frandi aena^ that ia^
for rdatians, kindred^ as nsed in hia time, miitari
m^ariquc semwne. — lab. ii. i^^ ado. JRtjffSn.

MuUeri ma far hia wife^ is naed by Sl Angna-
tine — De Catech. nuUhis, cap. xxvi. aa kjusut^i^
(giu, below, beneath, in Italian) TVact viii. in
I^.uS.JahMn.

In tbe cemetery of Cyriaca (in the catacomba at
Bom^ the following words were aaacribed in If^^
lettera: Locus Pergdfi MMtanm se Inbo/ece.

In an apartment of the cemetery of .S& Mar-

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i^l&p^ rfH^d PfQter^ there i§ qn j^e n^l a {tt^^urf
representing a repast — near one of the fiye %pr@|
is inscribed; Irene da calda, and near anoth^^
j^0p€ tmm ^'- Mwy ^Qjthc^ iwtiuicies pf the
«<Mrwiiptia0i .cf tl^ Jflognage 9iay b^ i^hser^ W
these cemeteries^ ^whidi cai»w>t hw^ h^u m^ Ap
places of interment after the beginiung^ or at the
Iftf est the mid Ae^ of die fifth oentoFy.

A iashop of Brescia (St. ^Gaadantias,) of the
same era, mentions the word brodium for bnah
Hmnd solely Itatiam.— *iSbm. 9do^ 4jd Neopiifl/^

St. Ceeaarins, bishop cfArhs, employs the irard
jbahlimiiss, IMxre, for haUs^ daneuaig^ &c.f'

lopi St. GkcgcNty w^ find the wiord c^i&^.used
&r ^(fi^is inmost constapdy^ together wit)iL.^)tb^
words of rustic origin, replacing ibfi inore poUte
terms of the preceding ages.

flf^fn-etti {in Mur<ftm) Im pvl^uihied a curiQiii
|)a^sf^^,extFiK^ from the manuscript work of
XJrhiciiis, a Greek anthor of the fifbb century^ ckhi*
49i»n^ ^e Iqrms /employed in command by ^e
^QlxirioQs s<^d txilraaes. Theiy are in I^itin^

* Fifth Century* f Sixth Ceatory.

n2

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180 CLASSICAL TOUR Dii

though written in Greek charadters^ and mn as
follows : —

^' Sikntio mandata complete — ^Non vo8 torba-
tift— Ordinem servate— Bandmn seqnite — ^Memo
dimittat bandnm et inimicos seqne.**

Here we discover the constmctibn, and ey&k
the [phraseology of modem Italian; complete^ segtdte
- Bandum, (Ban£era)—Nm vi turbate, xgue, &c.

In litanies snng pnblicly in Rcnne in the seventh
centnryi we find Redemtor mundiy tu Jo adftfoa ;
thns ilium first resnmed its original form illomj and
then became lOy as iUarum by the same process^
Unv; thns also in the eighth century Un was trana-^
formed into iviyubi into (yo€,prope into presto, &c.
Qui and iste into quiste, questa, questo, Suo. and fre-
quently into stOy sta, &c.

From this period indeed Jlie alteration of the
language seems to have proceeded with more ra-
pidity, and popular phrases bordering upon the
modem dialect appear in every deed and instru-
ment, as in a manuscript of Lucca,* " Una torrc
d*atiro iabricata ;" and in another of 730 ** Uno
capite tenente in terra Chisoni & in alium capite

* An. 753.

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LHi. THROUGH ITALY. 181

tenente in terra Ciollom ; de tmo latere corre via
publica & de aliam latere est temila PiQinuU plas
minus modiorum daa^ staffilo."

Again, in a deed of the year 816, we find^

^' Avent in longo pertigas qnatordice in transyerso,

de nno capo pedes dece, de alio nove in tfavergp

. . • de nno capo dnas pedis cinqne dealio capo.**

I aUnded above to the oath which follows ; it
is well known, and shews what cormptions Latin
had undergone beyond the Alps in the ninth
century,

^' Pro Deo amur/ et pro Christian poblo, &
nostro comun salvamento dist de in avant in quant
Dens savir & podir me donat, si salvario cist meon
fradre karlo, & in adiudha, & in cadhuna cosa, si
cum om per dreit son fradre salvardist in o, quid
il mi altre si fazet. Et ab^Ludher plajid nunquam
prindrai, qui meon vol cist meon fradre Karle in
damno sit***

In Italian this form would run as follows :

^^ Per amore di dio, e per bene dd popolo

* This is the first specimen on record of the Provincial^
Frovenzal, or Romance language. ,

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ISt CLMSSICAL TOUR Dii.

Chnsdmno, e per cmirime si^esssfa, da qneslo df
inf avaiiti^ itf <]Qa&to Dio mi (fera Mpei^ e potete^
oosi salvero questo mid Fratelky Cttkp, e gli saord
in aiuto, e in qnahinqne cosa, come nomo per deritto
dec ^alvare il suo Fratello in quelfo At nn altrdfa-
rebbe a me; necon Lottariofsuf^nxai goebrdo olen^
cist di Hiio roUste torni itf dtfimo di qoeftto mio
Fidtdb Cjirki.'*

CV ttearly tht ssUtie erd asM tke following c^-
otasi letters WMcb are tran^ktion^ of the papal fe^
seriptd td the Emir of Palermo, on the parchase
of certain captives, and may be considered both as
specimens of the vulgar Latin of the age, and as
instaiices of the benevolence a*fd the active dia^-
rftydfthePdpes.

** Ln Papa de Roma Marinn servtui di &mAi

seivi di ki mania Den te saliite

. . . • • • * La tna doamiakzidn^ Ifiie
intii la responsio qnantns vorrali denari ptt btmn
kaput de ilia gens . . . de In plus }^iefstti; M
si farai ak kosa tantu bona, In maniu Den ti dat
vita fongd, omnia plena di beii^diksioni, &e. M tres
di lu mensi di April oktocento oktanta dni, di In
usu di li kristiani."

This epi^le was written or rather traasla^
horn one written by Pope Marimi9 in th« ye«^
882. The subsequent letter is of the same Pope.

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IH0. THROUGH ITALY. 1»3

'^ AJbeo kafritttto la tna Uttero signtta kam la
ghmata dilli qoisditi dilu mrase di Aprili dcto-
oento ocstaata tre. Abeo lectn in ipsa Id la Mnlai
tl a data la permiasn di viudirmi onme illi sldavi
ego Tolo la qnali kosa mi a dato tma konsolaziona
Bdania*"

In 1089 we meet with worda and phraaes per**
fedly Italian^ aa> '' In looo et finibus vbi didtw
cmtate retem . « • • prope loeo qui diditar
a le grotte.**

The fint r^olftr iaicripticm in the modern laa-
gaage is of the following century^ yiz. llSiS! ; it
was w^ved cm the inmt of the cathedral of
FerrarA, and ia as follows :

II mille canto tremptacinque nato
Fb qnesto tempio a Zorzi coasecrato
Fo Nicolao Scolptore,
S Olielmo fo ranctore>

• Umi tbHo)1s feriM wlaehLatia hap assaafld ia thedif*
finreai pftyrinces whcra it was oaes tbe feigning langsage,
miglit if oompaied together aflford aone means of diseover*
ittg the odmmott sornoe of eorraption. In the Bngaddlna
and in Frioli two diSlecfes exist among tbe commoB people^
of IiBtia origin, bnt of Terjr diSnrent sound. The fiist Terse
of Genesis in the Bagaddhui tongae mas as fidloits: In Q
princijpi cveer Deis il Tscliel e la tena} mo la terra era ana

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184 CLASSICAL TOUR Dig.

There is however a cohnderable differrace be*
twieen these faElf-fonned rhjmes and the higUy
piolisfaed strains of Petrarca. In the space dutt
intervened betwe^ the date of die ipscr^on of
Ferraraj and the birth of that poet, taste began to
revive^ information became more general, and
men of learning and genins applied themselves to
the cnltivation of the vnlgar tongue. Latin, which
still continued then as now the langnage of the'
Chnrch^ of the schoc^s^ and of formal discossibh
and public correspondence^ furnished both, the;
rules^ and the materials of amelioration; and to
infuse as much of its geniua and spirit in^ the
new language as the nature of the latter would
permit, seems to have been the grand object of
these first masters of modem Italiiem. Among^
them Brunetto Latini, a Florentine, seems to

chiauBsa zainza fuorme^ e voeda^ e stiinezar but la fatscha
dell abisc ; e il spiert da Jieia 8*muyieTa sur la fatsche de las
agoas. In Frinlan, the same verse is rendered thus : In tel
principi Gio al crea il del e la tiare $ ma la tiare e iene va*
aide e senza fooarme, e par dtit lis tenebris e jerin sn la face
dell abiss^ el spirt de Gio al leve su lis aghis. In theipe two
specimens there are two words only which are not eTidently
of Latin origiDyand these two words are common to most if
not all the dialects deriTed from Latin. Mo^ E^gaddina: ma
Friuli^ Ital.; mais, French; mss, Spanish > mas^ Portuguese;
zainza^ £ngad.> senza^ FriuH, ItaL; sans^ Fraich; sin>
Spanish; sem, Portuguese.

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Dis. THROUGH ITALY. 186

have been the principal ; and to hiin his conntiy*
men aie supposed to be indebted foe the pre-emi*
nenee which they thai acquired, and have ever
since enjoyed in the new dialect, which from them
assumed the name of Ttiscan. Dante, Petrarca,
and Boccacio completed the work which Brunetto
and his associates had commenced; and under
their direction the Italian language assuined the
graces and the embellishments that raise it above
all known languages, and distinguish it alike in
prose or verse, in composition or conversation.

Illaxn quidquid agit^ quoquo vestigia veitit
Componit fartim^ subsequiturque decor.

Tibul. iv. 2.

In this form of beauty and perfection the new
language had recovered so much of the parent
idiom, that not the same words only, but even the
same phrases are equally appropriate in both, and
hymns have been written which may be called in-
discriminately either Latin or Italian.* Of this
description are the two following :

In mare irato in snbita procella
Invoco te, nostra benigna Stella ! &e.

* Hie same attempt has been made in favor of Portuguese,
but the languages as may easily be imagined do not assimi*
late so naturally

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IM CLASSICAL TOWt DU.

The Mconi tonis npoa lihe Mdie tlioi^bt, and
miMt be ooiMdefed by the feadw ntwehf a* a
poeticfll httw, as I do not aiMB to be aeoomitable
for its theologicri accuracy.*

Vivo in acerba pena^ in mesto ormre •
Qaando te non imploro, in te ndn apem
Pnritaima Marwy et in dnoero
Te non adoro^ et in divino ardore.
£t, O Tita beala, et anni> et ore !
Qdando contra me armato, odio severe
Te Maria amo/ et in gaodio vero
Vivere apero ardendo in iriyo amore.
Non amo te, Rq;ina anguataj qnando
Non viTo in pace, et in ailentio ildo;
Mn amo te, quando non vivo amando.
In te sola o Maria, in te confido
In tua mat^ma cnra respirando,
Quasi columba in sno beato nido.

WheiD the reader has attentively pemaed these
obserradonsi he will^ I believe, agree with me
when I recapitulate and oondade, that Italian owes
little to barbarians; that it has borrowed much
from native sources ; and that it still bears a suffi-
cient resemblance to the ancient language, to en-
title it to the appc^ation of Livoua Latin a.

* It was composed by P. TemuUi, a Jesuit of great lite**
rary reputation.

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Di$. THROUGH ITALY. ItT

ITALIAN Literature.

V. But language is only the vehicle rf ms^tK;^
tion; and the sweetest dialect that eret graced
the lips of mortals^ if not ennobled by genius tod
consecrated by wisdom, can neither command at-
tenfion^ nor inspire interest Porttmately for Italy,
if the Goddess of Liberty has twice smiled, the
Sun of Scfence also has twice risen on hei^ fkTor*
ed regions, and the happy periods of Aogufirtttt
and of Leo, have continued through all succeed-
ing ages, to amuse and to instruct mankind. If
the Greek language can boast the first, and Latin
the secottd, fepic poem, ItaBah may glory in the
thiifd ; aiid Tasso, in the opin^ of dl t&oMA
critic* hai an undoubted right to stft next iH h&hbt
and in fame to his countryman Vh'gil. Dar^e and
Ariosto have claims of a different, perhaps not ^
inferior, nature, ind in originality and grandeiir
the former, in Variety and imagery the Ikttet,
sttods unrivalled. Petrarca h^il all the tendernesis,
all the delicacy Of Catullus, Tibnllntr and PMper^
this, without theif fbuhesf( and dfibminacy; he
seems to have Mt the softness of lote without any
mi:ttur6 of ita sensuality ; he has even raised it
above itself, as I have obsmred elsewhere, and has
stipetadded to that gj^acfe add beiraty, ttrhich have

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188 CLASSICAL TOUR Dir.

eYer been deemed its appropriate ornaments^ some
of the charms of virtae, and a solemnity almost
religions. Nor has the genins of Italian poesy^ as
if exhansted by the effort expired with these^ the
first and the most illustrious of her offspring. The
same spirit has continued to inspire a succession
of poets in every different branch of that divine
art, from Boccado and Gtmiim down to Alfieri and
Metastasio ; all Phabo digm locuti, all inimitable
in their different talents^ equal perhaps to their ce-
lebrated predecessors in the same career and in the
same country, and undoubtedly superior both in
number and in originality to the bards of the
northern regions.

The Frenchi who glory, and not without rea-
son, in their dramatical writers, have ofiten re-
proached the Italians with the barrenness of their
literature in this respect, and have even vaitured
to assert, that it proceeded from some inherent de-
fect, from some want of energy or of pliability in
the formation of their language. But the language
of Dante and of Ariosto wants neither of these
qualities ; it has assumed all the ease and the grace
of Terence, in the comedies of Gherardo di Rom ;
in the tragedies of Alfieri, it appears in all the dig-
nity and the strength of Sophocles ;*" and simpli-

* The tragedy ofArittodemo bj fianH is deemed a msster-

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Dii. THROUGH ITALY. in

city/tenderiiess^ and delicacy^ are the inseparable
attendants of the virgin mnse of Metastam. It is
indeed oseless to enlaige on the excellency of Ita-
lian poetry ; its superiority is admitted, and dull
must be the ear^ and unmusical tbe soul, which do
not perceive in the chant of the Hesperian Mnse
a glow and a harmony peculiar to the age and the

piece ; it is In the chastest style of the Greek school. It
would have heen well for the Poet's virtue and honor

si sic
Omnia dixisset.

The unhappy man in his old age sunk into folly and wicked*
ness, insulted his Sovereign, and blasphemed his Saviour.
To flatter his new masters, the French, he indulges himself
In a philippic against England, which he emphatically call.
La Seconda Rama. We accept the omen, and tnsst that
modern Rome, powerful and free as the ancient, will
triumph over modern Gaul. Its greatness is well described
by the poet, and is an earnest of its success.

Sei temuta, sei forte : a te rischiara
L*nn mondo e I'altro la solar quadriga,
E le tue leggi il doppio polo impara.

A te d* Africa e d*Asia il sol castiga
L*erbe, i fiori, le piante j e il mar riceve
Dalle tue prore una perpetua briga.

Capitolo (TEmenda,^

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it* Qu/^mou^fBimt JMu

cmmtff vbidi imf^M, ^ ^itmn ^ V««il and

jMortalitj ncc vei; hominem sooai ; O Dea^ certe
St Pluebi soror ! JEn. lib. 1 .

Bat the reader, if not better versed in Italiaa
iKCffttore tnftn most ot oiur trftyeflerB^ wiii oe smr*
prised to hear that Italy is as rich in history as in
poetry, and that in the former as well as in the
latter, she may chum a superiority not easily dis-
puted, over every other country. Every republic
and almost every town has its historian, and most
of these historians, though their subject may
sometimes appear too confined, possess the infor-
mation and the talents requisite to render th^
works both instmctiye and amvsiug. The greater
States can boast of authors equal to their reputa^
<don; whil^ numberless writers of the first rate
abilities have devoted their time and their powers
to the records of their country at large, and have
related its vicissitudes with all the spirit of ancient,
and with all the predaion of modem times. In
these cursory observaticHis, a few instances only
can be expected, but the few which I am about to
produce are sufficient to establish the precedency
of Italian historians.

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|«dg]^) ^ wlri?iiUbd, Mid k furaposed as a nodd
^f enM^teme in tlieart pf mmtivdliiig tbemtribi-
de» Qif wbf^p^egeatitetioii and pidrty ^iiit Candiaid
jP^Ummni treiuted tbe same subject as Poo^ Saifi,
^irith (caadur^ •doqmeiice, aad jud^neat, attd bis
0tfk asid naimer aro snpposed to oombme t^
^cdker irith great felicity, ihe ease and ik& d%tiitf
that became the tnifajeet atid the historian. 6riafff-
fiORe possesses nrarly the same qnaBties, and adds
to them an impartiality of discussion, and a dqpdk
of researdh pecnliar to Uunself. Gmodardmi^ with
the penetration of Tacitns, unites llie ftdoesi
(kctea ubertas) of Titus Livius, and like him pos-
sesses the magic fomtr of transforming the rela-
la&a into action^ and the readers into iq>ectatoirs.
Ttm bistort has been reproached mth the lengdi
and the intricacy of his sentences ; a defect eonsi*-
derably increased by the nmnber of parendieses
with which they are, not mxfrequently, embarrassed.
Hie reproadi is not without foundatioii. But &
must be remembered that his Roman master is
not entirely exempt from the same defect, and that
in neither, does it impede the fluency, or ivi^ealceii
the kiterest •«£ tlie narrBrtioa. The greatest fanle^

^ In his history of the Council of Tfsnt,

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in (XASSICAL TOOE Urn.

of tte Flonatme luiloffiani is me mj ^pa a cf of kis
gtadicJ tpctdbt^^ a fimk inlD wUdi be wtm bo-
timycd bf bit admiratioii of die andcnti, and bjr
tbat paMMMiate desire of imitafing tbem, wfaicbia
its Datnral ooDseqoenoe. But bis baiangnes bave
tbeir adraotages, and, like diose of Litiiis and of
Thocydidefy not only fiurnisb examples of eb^-
ijaenoe, hat aboond in maxims of pobbc policjr
md of sound pbikisophy. Machurodti lanks fa^
as an historian, and may be considered as tbe rnrad
of Tadtosy wbom he imitates^ not indeed in tbe
dignity and the extent of his subject, nor in tbe
reradty of his statements, bat in the OMicise and
pithy style of his narration.

These historians were preceded and followed
by others of talents and celebrity little .inferim';
snch were the jadicions historian of NapltSy Angth
de Castanzo; the Cardinal Bembo, Marasiid^ and
Paruta of Venice; Adriam and Ammirato of Tus-
cany or rather of Fbrence: Bernardino Corio of
Milan; and in general history, Tarcagnota and
Campagna, not to mention Daciia and the Cardinal
Bentwoglio. In each of these historians, the Italian
critics discover some peculiar features, some dia-
Irac^ristic touches exclusively their own ; while in
all, tliey observe the principal excellencies of the
historic art, discrimination in portraits, judicious
arrangements in facts, and in style, pure and correct

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t>is. THROUGH ITALY. IM

lu^nage. These Tirriters^ it is tme^ flourished for
the greater part, at a time^ when Italian literatnre
was in its meridian glory^ that is, during the fif-
ti^enth, sixteenth^ and seventeenth centuries; hut
its lustre did not cease with them, nor was Italy in
&e eighteenth century either unenlightened by his-
tory or unproductive of genius.

Were I to mention the learned and judicious
Muratori only, and close the list of Italian histo-
rians with his name, I should not be called upon
for any further proof of the superiority of the Ita-
lians in the research, and the combination that
constitute the excellence of this branch of litera-
ture. So extensive is the erudition, so copious
the information, so judicious the selection, and so
solid the criticism that reign throughout the whole
of lliis voluminous author's writings, that his
works may be considered in themselves, as a vast ;
and well disposed library, containing all the docu-
ments of Italian history and antiquities, and the
reflections which they must suggest to a mind of
great and extensive observationv

But to the name of Muratori^ I will 9M
another e(jpally illustriQus in the annals of limsr
tore, uid like it capable even single, of fixing the
refmtation of a lai^uage of less intrinsic merit dian
Italian; I mean Itrabaschiy the audior of nur

VOiU IV.

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IM CLASSICAL TOUR Bir«

mcaroiis irorks^ but laiown principally, for hii
Storia ddla Letteratura ItaUam. This work takes
in the wfaok history df Italian literature both
ancient and modem, and contains an acconnt of
the comimenceoient and progress of each science,
of the means by which knowle^e was pfdmoted,
of libraries and literary estabKshments, of liie
lives, the works, and the characters of great
authors ; in short, of persons, revointions, events,
and discoveries, connected with the finite of litera-
tore. It begins with the fint dawn of science in
Rome^ and follows its increase, decline, and rivival
during the succeeding ages ; of course it includes a
considerable portion of the general history of the-
CQuntry at each epoch, and conducts the reader
fijom the first Punic war over the inunense space
oC twenty intervening centuries down to the
eighteenth* Few works have been planned upon
a s(^e mqre extensive^ and none escorted in a
more masterly manner. A strict adherence to
vei^iicity; a thorough acquaintance with the suIk
ject in all iU details ; a, spirit of candor, mised for
above the influencer of party; a discemmeat in
criticism, deep and correct ; and, above all, a clear
an4 uftbifiste4 judgment^ prHncipium et fom recte
scribmdh pervade eveicy part of this astonishing
wpfk, iQid giye it a p^faction very unusual im
lil^rary f^odnctions sq comprehensive and 9acfm^
plicate^ ThjC stjE^e, acoording. to the opinion, of

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DU: TfillOUGtflTALY. 1**

ItiffidB critics^, is pure^ easy, and rapid, free dSike
ftara th€ wit tbat dazzles and £fx>in the poitip tliat
encuinbirs, yet grated wifii such ornatiiAi^ts as' risd
s/pontaneously from the nature of the subject. Ott
the whole it may be considered as one of tJi€
noblest and most interesting works ever j^nblished,-
and fer superior to any historical or criticdl per-
formance in any other language. The author iri^
fteilded it as a vindication of the claims of his country^
to the first honors in literature, and has, by establish-
ing those claims, erected to its glory a ibomimfefif
as durable as human language, and has appropriated
^1* eVer to Italy the title of Mdtheif of the Arts
std Sfciences, and Instructress of Mankind. ,

The work of Abate D. G. Andm Dett Oi^e-^
girte, d? progress e delfo Stato di oght Letteratura, it
a noble, an extensive, arid a vdiry masterly per-
formance. I have already i^pdkc^ti of the Reco^
hizmd D* TtaKa, by the Abate Derilnd; 1 need onljf
say that to perspicuity and manly simplicity this
afithor adds a great share of polMteal sagacity, and
a sound philosophic spirit. The Same qualities are
predominant in his discourses, Shpra le Vicende
della Letteratura^ a work which comprises, in
small compass, a great mass of information, and
may be considai^d as a compendious history, and
at the same time, as a very masterly review, of
literature m gdnerid.

o 2

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M6 CLASSICAL TQUR ZfU.

In antiquitiea the Italians are rich to 8«per*
abundance^ and can produce more authors of Uus
descriptimx not only than any on^ but than all the
otiier nations of Europe together. Among them
we may rank the illustrious names of Muratori^
Ms^d^ Maxzochi, Carli^ and PMiaudi, to which
many more might be added were it not universally
iicknowledged that the study of antiquities called
forth by so many motives and by so many objects^
is an indigenous plant in Italy, and flourishes tiiere
as in its native climate.*

For the last fifty years political economy has
been a &Torite sul^ect on the continent, and in It
some French writers have acquired considerable re*
potation. In* this respect as in many others, the
Rench may be more bold» more lively, and per-
haps more entertaining, because more paradoxical;
but the man who wishes to be gmded by ezr
p^ence and not by theory, who prefers the safe,

* En veriie, exdaims the AbM Bsiihelemlj <m ne pent
guere te dire antiquaire, quand en ne pa$ $arU de JFi-aiice/-—
Letter it.

The same ingenious writer observes elsewhere— J//asi<
Vavouer encore unefois, ce n*est ^*ici que se trouvent dee car--
rierw infyuisabks d^antiquites; et relativement aux etrangers,
on deoroit ecrire tur la porte del Popolo cette belie inscription
iu Dante.

Lasciate ogui speranza voi di* entrate*

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I^ THROUQB ITALT. Uf

tike generous principles of Cicero and of Vhto, to
die dangerous theories of Rousseau and of Siofe^
will also prefer the Italian to the French eeammri^
Of the former the number is great^ and from them
has been extracted and printed in sets, as Ckssk»
(in which light indeed they are consid»Bd) a sdlect
number of the best^ whose works form a collectioii
dF about fiftjr Tolames octavo.

In Essays, Treatises, Journals^ and Reviews^
the Italians first led the way, and still equal every^
other nation. In the Sciences, they have been con-
sidered as d^fident, but this opinion can be enter-
tained only by persons imperfectly acquainted with
Italian literature. To be convinced, that it ii
without foundation, we need only aiumerate the
astfondmers, mathematicians, geograj^rs, rad
natural pitilosophers^ who have flourished in Italy
from the time of Guliko to die present period ;
and among tiiem we shall find a sufficient numbef
1^ justly celebrated names to vmdicate the rcputa^
tion of their country, and to justify its claim to
scientific honors.*

* Le$ sciences sont plus cultwees a Rome qu'on le croit en
Ranee, says the Ahh6 Barthelemi^ je vans dirai sur tela,
quelquejour, des details qui vous etonneront, — ^Letter xxylil^

S^fiez persuade, sa}fa he agaiD« ^ fMlgrl VamUtsement et
k decouragefHent general, VltaHefoumit encore bien des gens

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IM CLASSICAL TQtJB &$.

Here Indeed, as upon another occasion, I mult ^
observe that Italian litenitnre has been tradnoed^
because its trea3ures are unknown ; and that the
language itself has been deemed unfit for research
and argument, bepanse too often employed as the
yehicle of amorous ditties and of effnninate me-
lody. This pr^udice is owing amongst us in
some d^ree to tibe ii^nence of French &shions
and opinions, which commenced at the Restoration,
was increased by the Revolution, and was strength-
wed and extended in such a manner by the example
of court sycophants, and by the writings of eomrtly
authors, that French became a constituent part of
genteel education, and some tinctivre of its litera*
ture was deemed a necessary . accomplishment.
Thence, French criticism acquired weight, and the
opinions of Baileau, Bauhaurs, Dubas, &ۥ became
axioms in the literary world. Either from jealousy
pr from ignorance or from a mixture of both,
^ese critics speak of Italic literature widi^ conr
tempt» and take every occasion of vilifying ils
best and noblest authors. Hence the cdnfiemptuons
appellation of tinsel,* given by the French.Sattbdsit

de httreai dignes de ceux qui hs out pr^cidds, Ces-gens la
iroient bien loin n iU avoient un Colbert a. kur tite. ^hf
lively Abb^, like most of his coujatrymen, seema to thiolfr tl^a$
nothing can go on well without a Frenchman.

* Le clinquant de Taase k tout For de Vii|^le* * Boileau
Sot. is.

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Dit. THROUGH ITALY. lid

to the strains (Aured dkta) of Tasso^ m appella-
^tion as in^plicable as it is insolent^ which must
have been dictated by envy^ and can be repeated
by ignorance only.

The flippant petnlancy of these criticisms
might perhaps recommend them to the French
pubtic^ especially as they flattered the national
Tanity^ by depreciating the glory of a rival or ne-
ther a superior country ; but it is difficult to con-
cme how they came to be so generally circulated
and adopted in England ; and it is not without
some degree of patriotic indignation^ tibat we see
Dryden bend his own stronger judgment^ and
Pope submit his finer taste, to the dictates of
French essayists, and to the assertions of Parisian*
poets. Aiklison, though in other respects an Anti-
Gallican, and strongly influenced by those hudable
pr^udkeSy to use his oWn expression, which
naturally cleave to the heart of a true-born Briton,
here condescended to follow the crowd, and resign-
ii^ his own better lights and superior informatioh^
adopted witibout examination, the opinions of the
French school. This tame servile spirit of imita-
tion became in a short time general, and not only
contributed to give the language of our enemies
that currency of which they are now so proud;
but restrained the flight of British genius^ aud
kept it confined in the trammeb of FirefiiA rules and
of JPrench example.

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woo CLAA8ICAL TOUR XHi.

How detrimental this imitative spirit has been
to our national literatare will appear evident, if we
compare the authors, who were formed in the It»*
lian school, with those who fashioned their pro^
dnctions on French models. To say nothing of
Chaucer, who borrowed both his manner and his
subject from Italy ; or of Shakspeare, whose genius
like that of Homer was fed, as the Imninaries oi
heaven^ by sources secret and inexhaustible; I
need only mention the names of %enser and of Ad^
ton, two towering spirits, who soar £ur above com-
petition, and from their higher spheres look down,
upon the humbler range c^ Pope and of Dryden«
Yet Spenser and Milton are disciples of the Tuscaa
school^ and look up with grateful acknowledgment
to their Ausonian masters. Waller and Cowiey
pursued the same path though at a respectful dis--
tance, and certainly not, passibus aguis; especially
as in the time of the latter, French &shion b^aa
to spread its baneful influence over English liters*
ture. Then came the gossamer breed of courtly
poetasters, who forgetting, or perhqss not know*^
ing, that

The sterling bullion of one British line
Drawn to French wire> would through whole pages
shine;

derived their pretty thoughts from Frendh madri-<
gals, and modelled thdbr little minds, as liiey bor^
rowed their dress from French puppets. I mean

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2Kt. THROXJOH ITALY. Ml

nat to say^&at Italmn was utterly neglected during
fills Icmg period^ because I am aware that at aU
times it was considered as an accomplishment orna-
mental to all, and indispensaUy necessary to those
who visit Italy. Bnt thongfa the language of
Italy was known, its literature was neglected ; so
€hat not its historians only were forgotten, bnt of
all tl^ treasures of its divine poesy, little was ever
died or admired excepting a few airs from die
cfercLj or some love-sick and eflfeniinate sonnets
Bdecti&i from the minor poets. French literatnre
was the sole object of the attention of our writers^
and from it they derived that cold correctneili
which seems to be the prevailing feature of most
of the an^rs of the first part of the eighteenth
century. -

Nor was this frigidity, the only or the greatest
evii that resulted from the then prevailing partiality
for French literature. The spirit of infidelity had
abeady infected some of the leading writens of that
volatile nation^ and continued to spread its poison
impareptibly, bnt ^ectoaily, till the latter years
of the reign of Louis the Fifteenth^ when most of
the academicians had^ through interest, or vanity
ever the predominant passion in a French bosom,
langed themselves under the boners of Voltaire,
and had become real or pretended sceptics. The
worib of^the subalterns, it is true, were nrach

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f09 CLASSICAL TOUR JM.

pmised bat little read by their partisans ; and Hd^
wtius, Frera^ Du MaiUa, with fi% others of
eqoal learning and equal fame now slumber in dost
and silwee cm the upper sbeltes of pnblic libra-
ries, the common repository of deceased airthors.
But the wit and the ribaldry oS thdr Chid' con«
tinned to amuse and to captivate the ^y^ die
Tohiptuons, and the ignorant: to dictate the tan,^
that is, to prescribe c^nnions and style to the
Ughec circles ; and by naiaking impiety current m
good company, to give it the greatest reoommenda^
tion it could possess in the eyes of his countryuNai^
li^.$anctim of Fashion.

Sndi was the state of opinion in Franccy whesk
two persons of very different tastes and charactera.
in other respects, but equally enslaved to vanity
and to pride, visited that country I mean Hume
and Gibbon^ who, though Britons in general Bxxk
little inclined to bend their necks. to tbfe yok^ of
Ibrdgn teachera, meanly condescended to saerifii^
the independence of their own imdersl^4iQg 4t4
the religion of their country, to the flatteries suad
the sophisms of Parisian atheists. These two
renegadoes joined in the views of their foreign as*
sociates, undertook to propagate atheistic princi-
ples among their countrymen, and &ithful to the
engagement, endeavored in all their works to in-
stil doubt md indifference into die namdi of their

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Dk. THRQUGH ITALY. Ml

vetA»^, apd Itj sacret a*^ inmost imp&ecep^kk
art«> gnuJvaliy to naieinm^ tbeir 9ttacbment to
reTeaied re%|oa* liinto, sneers^ misiiq^reseiitit*
tion^ and exaggeration^ concealed under affected
candor, pervade almost every page of their very
popular but ^ost peroiciQiis histories ; wd if the
iniscluaf of tb^se works {low^ver gr^eat, be n^
ie(|pial to tbf wishes qf their authors^ it is mtii^
MFing to th^ gpod seiuie 9^ th^ spirit of religpao
aoi natural to the minds of ilddgUdhapiiw* Tt^
wise und bfippy temper/ the somree and tbf
secority of pnUic and privaite feiUcity^ the nation
pwes to providence ; the delating doctrines of liir
i^edulity^i^ Dmne and Gibson, and their discijdeSy
Imrrowed from Fmnce and its academies. ItaUan
Utemture is exempt from this infection: it9 genend
tendency is religious ; all its great authors huve
been distbgniahed by a steady and enlightened
piety^ and thcor works naturally tend to elevate tine
mind of tihe reader and to fix his thoi^hts on the
noble destinies 9S the human race; an unspeikable
advantage in ^ dprnnmrd and perverse age, when

* Fujez ceux qui sous pr^texte d*expllquer la nature se-
ment dans les cceurs des hommes de desolantes doctrines . . •
nous soumetteat a leurs decisions tranchantes^ et pretendent
noiiijdonoer^ pour les vrais principes des theses^ les inintd*
ligiblea systemes qa'ils oat btitis dans Isur imag^natioiM—

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904 CLASSICAL TOUR i>»/

men^.fonn^ in Tain with looks erect andcoimtenance
sublime, confine their views to the earthy and vclku^
tarily place themselrefi on a level with the beasts
that perish.

Graj) who seems to have conceived^ while in
UsAj, a partiality for its poetry^ soon discovered
tile treasures which it contains ; and first, I believe^
littempted to copy the manner and to revive the
taste that had formed princes of English verse, and
iiad given them that boldness and that sublimity
whicha^fi»retgners now consider as their character-
istic qti^tities. His school inherited lm'j^asrti$Mtf§
and the stady of Italian began to revive gradually^
tiiongfa its progress was slow nntil the pnUication
of the Lifii of Lorenzo de Medici; a work which
evidently awakened the cnriosity of the nation, and
<mee more tnrned their eyes to Italy, the parent
and nnrse cS languages/ of laws, of arts, and of
scknoes. Since the appearance of tl^t pnblica*-
ticMQ, m^ny champions have arisen to support the
naked ca«ise of Taste and of Italian, and have dis*
played talents which might have obtained success
•with fewer advantages on their side, but with so
many could iliot fail to triumph. Among these^
the public is much indebted to Mr. Mathias, and
to the author of the Pursuits qf literature (guoeun'
fue gaudet nomine) who have struggled with . un«
abating zeal to turn the attention of the public.

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Di$, THBOUGfl ITALY. MS

from the frippeiy and tbe tinsel of Fraafce^ tor %be
sterUng ore of Italy, and to place the literalsiit of
tlmt conntry in the rank due to its merit, that is, next
to the emanations of Greek and Roman geniWf

YI. It is indeed much to be regretted that a
language so harmonious in sound, so copious iiat
words, so rich in literature, and at the same dme
so intimately connected with the ancient dialect ci
Europe and its modem derivatires, as to serve n
a key both to one and to the others, should have
be^i forced from its natural rank, and.ob^kred to
yield ks place to a language far inferior lo it m.
all these respects, and for many reasons not wardi
the time usually allotted to it in fashionable educa-
Mon. The great admirers of French, that is, the
Ff^ch Critics themselves, do not pretend to foodl
Its supposed imiversahty on its intrmsie superiority*
^Qt to speak of the rough oorabinati^is of letters,
the indistinct articulation of many syllables, die
peeulisu* sound of some vowels, the suppression,
not of letters only but of whole syllables, and the
almost insuperable difficulties which arise &om
these peculiarities to foreigners studying this Ian-
gui^e ; the perpetual recurrence of nasdi sounds,
the most disagreeable that can procecad fi*om human
organs, predominating as it does throughout the
whole language, is sufficient alone to deprive it of
all ckdm to sweetness and to melody. Some

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CLASSICAL TOUR Bk,

mAhors, I know^ and matiy Frendb crities diicbter
m it a natural and Ic^cal construction^ -wMth m
tbey pretend^ gires it, when managed by a skilfbl
writtr, a deafness and a perspicuity which is scarcely
to be equalled in Latin and Greek, and may be
sought for in yain in all modem dialects. This
claim has been boldly advanced on one side alid
feebly contested on the other, thongk many of my*
readers, who haTe amused themselves with fWndi
authors for nic^ny a year, may perhaps hatr^ neve^
yet iibservwl tliis peculiar excellence, nor dis-
coverer' hat the French language invariably follows
The natural course <^ our ideas, and the process of
gnuBQDtnatical construction.

I mean not to dispute this real Of imaginary
advantage; especially as the discossion unavoid-^
ably involves a long metaphysicd questibn relattive
to the natural order of ideas and the best Corres-
ponding arrangement of words ; but I mtist observe
that to be confined to one mode of constr^sctioti,
howevOT excellent, is a defect ; because it deprives*
poetry and eloquence of one of the most powerfof
instraments of harmony and of description, I nlean,
Imerskm: and because it removes the distinction
of styles, and brings all composition down to the
same monotonous level* French poets have long
complained of the tame uniform genius of their
language^ and French critics have been obliged^

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Dk. TBROUGH ITALY. 90f

however f elnctaatly^ to acknowledge &at it bat no"
poetm style; and if the tesiAtat wishes lo'^e how
widl fomiiled these coniplaints are, and how just
tlm acknowledgm»t, he need cmlyconiiiilt the in-
genkim transUition of; Virgil's Crecprgics by the
Abbi de Lilk. In t^ p^ace he will hear the
cfHicAmmoi^t^ the difficuteies imposed npon him
by the imtotfe of hit language ; and in the Tersifi-^
cation hewill admire the skill with which the /^oe#
endeaTors (vainly indeed) to transfnse the spirit,
the yaeiety, t^e coloring c^ the original into the
datt, Itfekss imitatiiHi. If he has failed, he hat
fa&d only comparatively; for his translation is the
hest m the French language, and to dU the ex-^
c^encies of which such a translation is susceptible,
adds tlie ]^iiliar grac^ of ease and preprkty^ He
hiA aU the talents necessary on his side; tasts,
j«dgment, and enthusiasm ; but his material were
fnil, and his language, Phoebi nondmn p&tkm^ sunk
under the weight, of Roman genius. If other
proofs of the feebleness of the French language,
and of its inadequacy to* the purposes of poetry
were- vequisite, we need only open Boikau^s trans-
lation of Longtmis, and- we shall there find innu-
flrarabe instances of faihire, which, as they cannot
be ascribed to the translator, must originate from
the innate debility of the language itself.

In consequence of this irremediable defect the

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2«8 CbAaSiCAL TOUR Dk.

^«Dflh have ne po^tKal.tmBriationiof Honn-nor
of TassQi. nor had tbey of Viigit or of Mihon, taH
^ Abb6 Dc Lille attempted to introdtiee Iktn to
his countrynifp in a Fisench drest,* Bnt^ bodi
the Roman and the Brituh poet seem alike to 4iave
disdained the trammels of Gallic rhyme^ a^d tnmed
away mdignant from tl^ translator, who psesmned
to exhibit their mafestic forms mashed aod dis-
torted to the public. Tlie exertions of the AUi
only proved to the literary world, that even kis
talents and ingenuity were incapable of comranio*
eating to the language of his country, meigy
sufficient to eiqiress the divine smtiments and the
anblime imagery of Virgil and of Milton. In this
leqpect Italian is more fortunate, and seems fwmed
to coxpmand alike the regions of poetry and of
prose. It adi^ts itself to all the purposes of ar-
gumentation or of ornament, and submits with
grace and dignity to whatever construction the*^
poaty the orator, or the metaphyskiian diooses to
impose upon it.

Mille habet ornatus^ roiUe decenter habet.

* The author was proeeirt la a party in Paris many yeais
a^^ when the Mhi De Lille being asked by an Englisb
gentleman why he did not translate the iBneid^ answered in
a style of delicate compliment. Monsieur donnez mqi voire
iangue etje commence demain. He was indeed an enthusiastic
admirer of English poetry.

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JENk. THROUGH ITALY. 909

In heti this language has r^^tied a considerable
porticm of the boldness and die liberty ci tbe
mother tongne^ and moves along with a freedom
which her tame rival wonld attempt in vain to
imitate.

I have hinted at the difficnlty of die French
laogui^) which is in reality so great as to become
a serions defect, and a solid gronnd of objection,
lliis difficulty arises, in the first place, from the
general complication of its grammar, tbe multipli-r
city of its rules, and the frequency of exceptions ;
and in the next place, from the nature of several
sounds peculiar, I beHeve, to it. Stich are some
vowels, particularly a and u ; and such also many
diphthongs, as ieu, m, pi, not to mention the
/ momlli, the e muety and various syllables of nasal
and indistinct utterance, together with tbe different
sounds of the same vowels and diphthongs in dif-
ferent combinations. I speak not of these sounds
as agreeable or disagreeable to the ear, biit only as
difficult, and w much 90 as to render it almost
impossible £br a foreigner ever to pronounce
FVench with ease and strict propriety. Here again
Italian has the advantage. Its sounds are all open
and labial; it flows naturally from the organs,
and requires nothing more than time and expan-
sion. Its vowels have invariably tbe same sound,
and that somad may be found in almost every km-

VOL. IV. p

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%kQ ClASSlCAli TOUR Ok.

g«age«<^ The note and die iteoot^ iboae tf^g/f^
iMtrfwiteoto of French. «tteiaiice» ho^e no shnee ia

* In the year 1669, a certain Le Laboureur undertook:
to pro¥e that the French language was superior to Latin^
not in constraction only but even in harmony. He was in
part answered and refuted by a canon of Liege, of the name
of SlSsa. Tha BiieBchman writes vMb eaae, flippaney, aad
Goi^enoe. EUa advenary, a German^ manages hia aqb*
ject with less skill and much mpre diffidence. Neither of
the combatants seem to have been sufficiently prepared for
the contest, if we may judge of their information by the
arguments employed, and the concessions made on both
sides. Thus the Srenchmaai admits that Latin is an mi-
g^nal pr mother tongucj and that Trepdh is derived fn»t.ifti^
and while he passes over the first part of tl^is concession as,
self-evident, he softens the second by observing, that such
a derivation was no proof of inferiority^ as daughters are
ft'cquently more beautifol than their mothers ; an observa-
tion so new and so dubious, that he ftora his readers majr
call it in question, and tbeiefoiia oppresses them at onoe wMi
the authority of Uovace, O matretpulchra, &c.

In order to prove that Latin is less copious than French,
he asserts, that the Latins had only Greek to borrow from,
ivhik the f^reoch have Latinj Qveek» Italian, Spmisli^
German, ''nay, even Hebtrew and Syriac, He forgets, itc
seems^ th^t the Latins, besides Celtic and Greek, had alsot
the ancient dialects of Italy, at least six in number, open
before them, from which they might cull at pleasure 3 and
that the wars of Rome, first with the Carthaginians, and*
then wiUi the. Dalmatians^ Syrians* and BgyptiaD8> enatteik
thc^ to lay, ^ language of a}L tbepn nationst nndor ca»-

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BU. TBROVGU TTAbY. «ri

it# dhictdaftionr ho grdtiped doffiiOnant) fitt>^ its
p(F0gFd8s> BO BMiiisftiact mHrm^A ehoke its cfoseft:

l^iHi6i^. jmt tiM Rotnl^d ffid hbt ]^^N)fit by all tftMk
mlvaiitagefi to the full extent Will be adiftitfed^ bfti oit tl^
cAfrrfr baiid Aobddywill nkaltit^iii that Fi^^eh hlU derHed
much adraiilage ^om Q^tthanj Hebrew, SytiBJc, of ev^
tt6\h Qtetk, except through the ihedidi^ 6t LaUn, or wfak&
IS the san^e, 6f IValialtk or 6f SpatiSsli. 6if the ccmtttttf, 86
fiir frdtn wifiihiiig to eiifiiefa their latlgu%^ With neW a^dltfi^
ttDDff, the Freiicih seetot to have b^n efideavoriiig to relrendlk
iU la^xurian^y. Whoever Ma rftad Ill6tituigne*g Bssaytf Witt
ed$ily p^rttive, how nmoy mithly and ^^M;ie ^xpf^Mdos
haT^ died aWay, and how rAuth fh^ ^tia^gy and ca|rioiiauM
of tfatsT Ik^^age hd^ b6^n ilafkpliiridd d^iftg: €ht Uai thre6
defntttri^s:

B^f tlM whdle of thia tfrgumeiit is grounded cd a anppo^
iition, that the ridhedl kmgUages am' thode which hare
lkdn<6Wfed thost ; WiiM i» [jfoved fo be t^ht by the aeknoW'-
led^ifid' cbpilduSttefss df GreetL, vrhiah how^^r ift of all kitf^
ghees' tfi6 l^Mf ittdabted" lo Others. His objeetionr to
iMM pd^ry ane^ tMi^f Mgid&r. If e e^n^resr the aidittOffa
df sfMi^ej^ltti^tflF as' paint «blsobjedl in its own coforing^ sttcb
«i &^«ileer when applM to a liott^- aiad aiiGh as m$A tiie
l^rinctple umipLen ot eoMti1«ls iA whidh th« divinity in qtn^
tioit s^i^llfed niodt €« d«ftighl; sUeh dls Ifdiftn Api^lo;
C^&nf Vightis; He is ih^r^fiM*^ itnmelrcifiDflly severe otf tlM
two^fbAoWiiig' ntiH of Hbrafefe^

O quae beatain, Divai feries Cyprum, et

Metnphh]t< eareritcfm Slthonia nW^,
as encumbered with oircnmstances . introduced merely for
the purpose of filling up the verse. This penetrating critic

p2

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2i« CLASSICAL TOUR . Dk.

it glides from die lips with fitdUty, and it de%hts
die ear with its fulness^ its softness^ and its har-

had never, it t6ems> disocrrered tfast the aneient poets ex*
celled in paiatingj and that to retrench such eacquisite
pictures in Horace or Virgil (for we speak only of the Latins)
is as absurd as it would be to expunge the temples^ xnonn-
tainsj and streams that throw such glory and freshness over

. Claude Larrauul'i landscapes. Rhyme, he fitids delightful,
enchanting, and far preferable to metre. French verse, it is
true, tires sooner than Latin, and now and then lulls the
reader to sleep. But this Is the natural effect of its fluency,
clearness and harmony, while Virgil (so happy^ is this critic
in his instances) is not guite so well understood, nor of
course read with so much ease and avidity. The elisions
in Latin verse are rough and intolerable: in French owing
to the £ muet all smoothness. The following eulogium on
his own language cannot be perused without a smjle at the
simplicity of the wiiter. The exdamation with which it
commences, is truly comic. — " Notre langue e$i si belle,
^umd on $caU s'sn iervirl Elle tient phu de reqtrit et
depend moim deeorganes du corps que Umte autre: U ne
faut ni parler de la gorge, ni ouvrir heauamp la bauche,
frapper de la langue contre les den^, ni "/aire des signes et
des gestes,** comme U me semble que font la phspart . des
etrangers quand ilsparlent la langue de leurs paffsT ^--The

. French r is not a very smooth letter, nor is the u very easily
pronounced by any but Frenchmen.* With regajrd to the
other letters^ the palate, teeth and lips are relieved from aU

I and u&oooth proipunciaticm was iioputed tQ the French at an earlj

period. Bibuli gutturis barbara feritas uatorali quodam fragore,

quasi pUnistra per gradus confuse sonantia^ rigidas voces jactat . • . says John
the Peaoon. * » . -

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Dii. THROUGH ITALY. S13

many. As its grammar approaches nearer Latin^
it is more congenial to onr infant studies, apd may
therefore be acquired with the greater facility.

exertion by the action of the nose. The French, as we at
least are apt to suppose, are not deficient in gesture. Latin
(so says Mons» Le LabouTcur) is monotonous, because all
its Towels are pronounced with equal force. French is
agreeably varied, because its vowels are frequently half
uttered. Here the author forgets (what his countrymen are
very apt to forget, as they have no prosody in their lan«-
goage) the difference of quantity in Latin, a difference
which gives rise- to so much variety and harmony 4 and in
the next place he seems to consider indistinct sounds as
pleasing 5 an opinion, I believe, peculiar to himself. i>Vench,
he says, has a greater variety of terminations, and of course
/ more grace, more amenity than any other language. Latin,
Italian, Spanish, and almost every other, have always the
same final letter. Had the author ever read ten lines of
those languages he could not have made such a remark.
He complains of the frequent recurrence of the letter m in
Latin ; in French, though retained in spelling, it is in pro-
nunciation changed into n. The truth is, that in French
both m and n final are confounded together in the same
nasal sound, and lost in b grunt-, so that the nicest ear can
scarce distinguish between^ and faim.

Both the disputants find Virgil obscure, and both admit
the superior harmony of French ; in neither point, I believe,
will the reader agree with them. Mans. Laboureur at
length acknowledges, that in copiousness Latin surpasses,
but to compensate for this humiliating acknowledgment, he
peremptorily requires that his antagonist should confess.

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SU CLASSICAL TOUR «f.

Iq vpe^kiog of Frei)cb Jit^r^nre I vjsh |^ be

that French words are better and more naturally arranged
than in Latin. Thia indeed is the great boast of French
grammarians^ who fill whole pages with encomiums on the
admirable arrangement, the method^ the perspicnity of their
hmgaage. If we may believe them^ every object is placed
in the sentence in the very order in which it occurs to the
mind. Of the force> the beauty^ and oftentimes the neces-
sity^ of inversion in prose as well as in poetry^ there is^ I
believe^ no doubt 5 of course a language which^ I&e
French^ is not susceptible of it^ must be defective. As for
the natural order of ideas it has long been a matter of de-
bate^ and many grammarians have maintained that the Latin
constmcUon is more conformable to it than that of French^
or of any modern language. Among these^ the JbM
Batteux, in his B^Iki Lettres, has made some curious ob-
servations, and applied them to difibrent passages from
Livy and Cicero. The truth seems to be, that the con-
struction common to French and most modem dialects is the
gramoiatical^ while that of the ancient languages seems to
be the natural construction.

The preference given to the monotony of French verse,
and the regular mediate suspension to the Cesura and feet
of Latin, is too absurd to be noticed.*

Ment. Ckapen^^ wrole a dissertation on the excettenct.

^ J\m IkMMWiw eoiiqpoMdaa mfic po«n, called Ckoflemagne, and

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JMi^ THROUGH ITALY. l&

onr riv&b afe a sprightly and if^eoioBS miAon ;
tlMt ihcj have loo^ caitiTated the arts and sci-

of the French language^ and the propriety of introducing it
in inscriptions.* This author runs over the same ground as
the preceding^ and indeed the observation on the Latin m
Is taken from hitn. He complains of the inconvenience
avbing firoa the fiUl soood given in Latla to every vowel,
and the monotony resulting from it> and prefers the variaty.
of indistinct sounds that ocour in French, particularly the
e muet. He forgets the effects of quantity, and will never
persuade the world that indistinctness is not a defect, and
the contrary a beauty. He inveighs also agaihst inveni^n.
(M the leamiog frf these panegyrists of Freach literatore we
may judge by a letter of Perrault their chief, who revests
his friend to point out to him the b^t o4e in Pindar, and
the best in Horace, not being himself able to discover that
secret !

Voltaire appreciates his own language with more impart
tlality than these scribblers,

Notre langue un peu seche, et sans inversions
Pent elle subjuguer les autres Nations }
Nous avons la clarte, I'agrement, la justesse.
Mais egalerons nous Tltalie et la Grece ?
Est ce assez, en efiet, d*iine heureuse dart^,
St a« pechons nous pas par r«niformitfe ?

Voltaire, EpUre a Horace.

1m Barpe in his answer is not quite so modest as his
master. He calls French the language of the Godi!

-■ .<■■■ » — < ifi. I II — I I lai 1^1 i n- . I.. ■ I I T . ma « . !■■■■■ . ■ li. ! i i m i i i i » ■

* ftwi ai»ork MMAdid, V0%em minuudaemmtu.. T#o VoM. BH, 1669.

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n^ CLASSICAL TOUR Dk.

eaccBy aodx^tivated them with saoeetti; that tbenr
literature is an inexhaustible source of amuseioeiKt
and instmction ; and that several of their writeis
rank among the great teachers and the benefactors
of mankind. But after this acknowledgment^ I
must remind them that the Italians were their
masters in every art and science, and that what-
ever claims they may have to literary merit and
reputation they owe them entirely to their first
instmctors. Here indeed Voltaire himself, how-
ever jealous on other occasions of the prerc^tivea
of his own language^ confesses the obligatioD^
and candidly declares that France is indebted to
Italy for her arts, her sciences, and even for her
civilization. In truth, the latter country had
basked in the sunshine of science at least two
centuries^ ere one solitary ray had beamed upon
the former ; and she had produced poets, histori-
ans, and philosophers, whose fame emulates the
glory of the ancients, ere the language of France
was committed to paper,, or deemed fit for any
purpose higher than the diaries of a Joinvillcy or th«
songs of the Troubadours. To enter into a regolar
comparison of the principal authors in these lan-
guages, and to weigh their respective merits in
the scale of criticism, would be an occupation
equally amusing and instructive ; but at the same
time it would require more leisure than the travel-
ler can command, and a work fiur more compre-

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Du, THROUGH ITALY. 217

beraiye th^ the preset, intended merely to throw
out hints which the reader may verify and im-
prove at discretion, as the subject may hereafter
invite. I must therefore confine myself to a very
few remarks, derived principally from French cri-
tics, and consequently of considerable weight, be-
cause extorted, it must seem, by the force of truth
from national vanity. The authority of Voltaire
may not perhaps be looked upon as decisive, be-,
caus^ however solid his judgment, and however
fine his taste, he too often sacrificed the dictates
of both to the passion or the whim of the moment,
and too fi^uently gave to interest, to rancor, and
to party, Wnat he owed to truth, to letters, and to
mankind. But it must be remembered that these
defects while they lower his authority as a critic,
also obscure his reputation as an historian, and
deprive French literature of the false lustre which
it has acquired from his renown. And indeed, if
impartiality be essential to history, Voltaire must
forfeit the appellation of historian, as his Histoire
Generale is one continued satire upon religion, in-
tended by its deceitful author not to inform the
understanding, but to pervert the faith of the
reader. Hence the Abbi Mably^ in his ingenious
reflections on history, censures the above-mep-
tioned work with some severity, without conde-
scending to enter into the details of criticism.

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UB CLASSICAL TOUR Di$.

Tbe same author apeaks of the other hiBtotiaiis
of hii language with coatempt, and from the ge*
ueral sentence excepts the Abbi Vertat and Fleurjf
oxily ; exceptions which prove at the same time
the critic's judgment and impartiality; for few
writers equal tbe former in rapidity^ selection^ and
interest^ aiul none surpass the latter in erudition^
good sense^ and simplicity. The same Abbi prefers
the History of the Council of Trent . by tihe wcU
known Father PmIo Sarpi, to all the histoiies
compiled in his own language^ and represents it as
a model of narration, aigameot, and obserratioa.
We may subscribe to the opiniim of this judicious
critici so well versed in the literature of his own
country, without the least hesitation^ and extend
to Italian history in genoal the superiority which
be allows to one only^ and one who is not the first
of Italian historians, either in eloqu€»oe or in im-
partiality*

In one species of history indeed, the Italians
justly daim the honor both of inv^ition and of
pre-eminence, and this honor, not France only but
England must, I believe, concecte without contest.
I allude to critical biography, a branch of history
in the highest degree instructive and entertaining,
eniployed in Italy at a very early period^ and car-
ried to the hjghtst p«[fection by the l^e learned

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XWf- THftDUGH ITALY. 219

TW^cib*. In Fiweb, few prod«ictt(H)« <rf the
JmA Qxivt: p^iuips the paaegfrieal diBowraes
juwKWoeed i» the French A«dewy border nearest
npcm it; bnt these compoaitioiiSy though recom-*
mended by the names c^ Fmtenelky Mamlkmy
JFkckiert Marmantel^ and so many other illuatriona
academicians^ are toe glittering, too artificial, and
refined> as well as too trivial and transient in their
"rerj nature^ to exdte mnch interest, or to fix the
attention of the critic. In onr own language
Jkhmoris Lhes qfthe Po^« 'present a fiiir object of
comparison^ as ftir as the plan extends, and per*
h^pa in point of esteeation may be eonsidered by
many of my readers as maater**pieces of style, of
judgment, and even of eloquence, equal, if not suh
perior, to the Italian, But as the narrow sphere
of the English biographer ^inks into insignificanee>
when compared to the vaat orbit of the Italian
hifltorian, so their wcvks bear no proportion, and
cannot of course, be considered aa objects of com-
parison. With regard to the execution, Johnson,
without doubt, Surprises and almost awes the
reader, by the weight of his argummts, by the
strength of his expression, and hy -the uwfotm
majesty of his language; but I know not whether
the ease, the grace, and the insinuating familiaHty
of T^4^chi may not;ehana u» mora, and keep up
our attention and our delight Hqdi hmget ,

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am «f im iisi&tt i mtA p^rlMip^^ Re €Mt4 iMt
tat^^mit stronger pM6f6f^b^ett«)iPgles^kli
iMtifid, tlim ill (MMQ^nitfg tli^ PrtmcM laiA^^ tt^
««lf td hmme tfte vdii6te of ^r^Mit^. Hii^ wotlM,
ibefc^e^ aire^ stiperioi' to alt other corifr^tertM
tirrkmga in hie owtt, or in atty other lang;nage.

Iiv ItaKeCfr there me, 1 btlieve, none of th*t
descripCiofi : iJiere was no cBftiTc^^ of opiniofi M
dke stfbjecf , Md of oomiie no coMrovei^y : a defi^
d^dy 11^ their literatnre abnndanftly c^fmptm&ttA
hy the absetice of penal Istm', ^d df nuolMiij^ <m
one side; Md oa ^i^d o^bei^,^ ilf aniniddty Md tMT
dcgraEdHtion.

We hat^ jn^e r^i^on t& YameAt, that at l^gttiige
M> inferibr in every i^p^clt asFi^nch, shalM hn^
been allowed to acquire snch an ascendancy as to
be dDei««kt even in Jkiglattd' a^ n^e^sary aiitom-
pBihtn^ttt; aftid^ made hi' t^tmik d^^e an iht^Mtl
part of yOutldbl edncaftoti. If ^ comitioii ihe<Htti&
of communication between nations be necessary^ as
it undoubtedly is, it would have been prudent to have
retaaied^ the language most generally known in el--
vilized nations^ which is Lafitf ; especially as thi^
kngttage is the mother'of all the pdlishiid diideeti
now used in Burope, hai^'tUc^ ^dyxttiffajge' of beh^qg
the deadest, the' mosi^ r^tdar, and dte ^tbiest ; atad
moreover, mts aiMiaSly m posseMiob; at^ thtf iHitf

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JEN& TUROUGK ITALV: «n

time fdM» ift fkmjmd yMsiom coirf» t&adi^fNi, with
tihfi dmM» aad otber foppmes of Fiimee^ iis hak-
gae^ also. Red8Mfr migtat pe^hSm agdsM the
absmvKtjr of preftmng a «^r-barba¥om jatrgcns^ ito
a most ancient^ a most beautifbl, and a most per-
fect kuifiisge ; bot tlia Toice ixf reason is sddom
beard, and yet more seldom listened to' at ec^^isfts,
wiem &shioii, that is tbe wliim of the monarch
or of the fovcMnte, is alone conralced and foHoiml
eireB ki all its deformities and all- its emravs^n^

Sot idaiait wfaidh ^^eaped tbeohser^olian 6f thn
eonrtkr imgfat to have aittraifted the" attentioti of
lAtt minist^5 wha might hav^ disisovc»-ed hy refl^
tioa< or by experience, tibe advantages which a ne^
goliator derives^ fitmi' the jserfect kirawledge of iUde
ko^age which be emptoys^ and 1^ extreme itn^
policy of conceding these advanf^Eges 1^ onrene^
BMft. In order to form* a just idto of the impinv
tanoe of thi& concession, we need only dbserve liic
superiority which a Frenchman* assumes, in* Capii*
tals where his language is supposed to be that of
good company, such as Vimnn\, ami partienhurly
Pet&y^mrg^ and contrast with that superiority^ hifr
humble ^pearance in^ London or in Rome^ where
hsL cannot pretend to su(^' a distinctioni I'h t&e*
fumer cities he^fedsi himself at. home, and contri^-
dons UihwriSas^ tile flm in ranl^ because tbe ftr§t

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^&U CLASSICAL TOUR Ihs.

in language; in the latter, the oonscioiiiness of
being a foreigner checks his natural confidence
and imposes npon him, however relnctant, the le*
served demeanor inseparable firom that character.

Now, in all diplomatic meetings, French is the
language of discnssion, and consequently, the
French negotiator displays his &culties with the
same ease and with the same certainty of applause
as in his own' saloon, surrounded with a drcle of
friends at Paris. The English envoy on the con*
trary finds his natural reserve increased, and all his
powers paralyzed by a sensation of inferiority in
the use of the weapons which he is obliged to em-
ploy, and by a conviction that the eloquence of his
adversary must triumph over his plain> unadorned^
and probably ill-delivered statements. To this dis-
advantage we may, perhaps, attribute the observa-
tion so often repeated, that France recovers in the
cabinet all she loses in the field : an observation,
which, if it does not wound our pride, ought at
least to awaken our caution.

But this diplomatic evil is not the only, nor
the greatest, mischief that results from this absurd
preference: it moreover enables our enemies to
disseminate their political principles, to carry on
intrigue^, to multiply the means of seduction, and
to insivf, by the ageney of numbierless scribblers.

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Di#, THROUGH ITALY. «35

pamphleteers, poetasters, &c. the success of their
dark and deep laid projects. They are already
endowed with too many means of mischief, and
possess all the skill and acdinty requisite to give
them effect.

tot sese vertit in ora.
Tarn sffivas facies^ tot puUulat atra colubris.

Why should we voluntarily increase their powers
of attack, and by propagating their language, open
a wider field of action to their baneful influence ?
Such conduct surely borders upon infatuation.

In the next place, the propagation of the
French language has produced no better effects in
literature than in policy. If France has furnished
the Republic of Letters with some finished models
of theatrical excellence, some exquisite specimens
of ecclesiastical oratory, and an immense collection
<^ memoirs, the only branches in which she con-
fessedly excels; she has, on the other hand, inun-
dated Europe with frivolous compositions, erotic
songs, and lovesick novels, by which she has war-
ped the public taste from the classical rectitude
of the preceding centuries; and inverting the
natural process of /the mind, turned it from bold
and manly contemplations to languid and enervat-
ing trifles. Nay, she has done more. For the

VOL. TV. Q

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^^6 CLASSICAL TOUR Dk.

last sixty years^ the genius of France^ like one of
those Furies* sometimes let loose to scourge
mankind^ and to ripen corrupted generations for
destruction^ has employed all its talents and all its
attractions to confound the distinction of right
and wrong, of truth and falsehood, to infect the
heart with eyery yice^ and to cloud the understand-
ing with every error; to stop for ever the two
great sources of human dignity and felicity, Truth
and Virtue ; and to blot out of the mind of man^
the very Sun and soul of the intellectual worlds
even the Divinity himself. Such is the unvarying
tendency of almost all the works which have issueid
from the French press, and been circulated in all
tibe countries of Europe during the period above^
mentioned, frcmi the voluminous and cumbersome
Encyclopedic down to the Declamations of Votney
or the Tales of Marmontdy en petit format ^ for the
accommodation of travellers. The truth is^ that
the appellation of French Bterature, at present,
seems confined to the works of Voltaire and of hi»
disciples^ that is, to the infidel faction, excluding
the nobler specimens of French genius, the pro-
ductions of the age of Louis XFV. and of the
period immediately following that monarches de-

* Cui tristia bella

Irseque insidiaque et noxia crimina cordi.

i£n. viL

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Dii. TH&OUGH ITALY. 227

Blise : aind if we wish to know the effects which
thii^ literature produces upon the human mind^ we
tieed only cast our eyes upon those who are mo|^
given to it^ and the countries where it flonrisheft
most. We shall find that impiety and immorality
keep pace with it in private and public life, and
that domestic and national disorder and misery
are its constant and inseparable companions*
France^ where the pestilence begun, first '^felt its
consequences^ and still bleeds under its scourge.
The Prussian comt^ actually degraded and despised^
smarts under the punishment brought upon the
monarchy by the French principles of the atheistic
Frederic. The Russian Capital, now the theatre
of every dark intrigue, treacherous plot, and foul
indulgence, may ere long have reason to curse the
impolicy of Catherine, who, by encouraging the
language and the opinions of France, sowed the
seeds of death and of dissolution in the bosom of
her empire,

Vipeream inspirans animam.

The late .unhappy sovereign fell a victim to their
increasing influence; and it is difficult to say,
whether the same passions, working on the same
principles, may not at some future period produce
a similar catastrppjie. Such are the consequences
pf. partiality to, French, litef ature, and such the

Hi

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KS CLASSICAL TOUR Di$.

last great cnrse which that nation^ at all periods of
its history the bane and the torment of the human
species, has, in these latter times, brought upon
the civilized world. Now let itne ask once more,
in the name of truth and of rirtne, of interest and
of patriotism, by what fatality Enrope is doomed
to encourage a language, the instrument of so mudi
mischief, and to propagate a literature, the vehicle
of poison and of desolation? What can induce her,
by supplying means of conmiunication, and facili-
tating the progress of armies already too rapid and
too successfnl, to fximish weapons of assault to a
giant Power, that massacres her tribes, and ravages
her fairest provinces: and thus to prepare the way
for her own final subjection? Sturdy such impolitic
conduct must be the last degree of blindness, the
utmost point of public infatuation.*

* My reader^ if partial to French^ most excuse me, if ia
opposition to his taste aod to the opinion of all the French
academies, and their numerous dependents and flatterers, I
have given to that language the appellation of barbarous.
If yre tak& this epithet in the Roman, that is, in its proper
sense, we may surely apply it with strict propriety to a lan-
guage which, in its construction and pronunciation, has de-
viated more than any other from the excellencies and the
harmony of the parent tongue. To prove these two points^
we need but open any French book, particularly if a transla-
tion, and one page only will be sufficient to show, as I have
already observed, its opposition to the freer and manlier ar-

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Du: THROUGH ITALY. 9«9

Bat, it may be asked, where is the reme^?
The remedy is at hand. We have our choice of
two languages, either of which may be adopted as
a general medium of communication, not only

rangement of Latin -, and as for the second, he who has heard
the natives of different countries readLatin^ will acknowledge
that the French tends more directly and more effectually
than any European pronunciation^ to untune the sweetness
«iid to debase the acknowledged majesty of the Roman dia-
lect. Nor is this opinion either n^w or peculiar ; if it were>
it might be attributed to that dislike to French utterance in-
herent in the natives of this country; but it is common to
Germans, Portuguese^ Spaniards^ and Italians ; and as these
latter may be considered the best judges because they have
the must delicate ear, I shall quote the Ahhate Denina, who,
in one of his academical discourses, expressly asserts, that of
€M European languages, French is, in comtruction and in accent,
the most contrary to the phraseology and the harmony of Latin,

But I wish, not only to apply the term barbarous to the
language, but to extend it still farther, to many of its authors,
who surpassed the barbarians in barbarism, and formed a
project which would have shocked the Goths and Vandals
themselves. This anti-classical project was no other than
the total suppression of the ancient languages, by excluding
them from the regular course of youthful studies, and sub-
stituting in their place lectures on French literature, mathe-
matics, chemistry, &c. The disposition of the present govern-
ment in France is ^pressed, and its motives are pointed dut
with satirical delicacy, in the dedication of a work just pub*^
lished, entitled Herculanensia, by Sir William Drummond
and R. WaJpole^ Esq.

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830 CLASSICAL TOUR DU.

without inconvenience, but even with advantage,
— ^Latin and Italian. Latin ig the parent of all the
refined languages in Europe ; th6 interpreter of tbe
great principles of law and of justice, or, in ^rther
words, of jurisprudence in all its forms, and with
all its applications : it is the depository of wisdom
and of science, which every age, from the fall of
Carthage down to the present period, has continu*
ed to enrich with its productions, its inventions, its
experience : it still continues the necessary and in-
dispensable accomplishment of the gentleman and
of the scholar, and is the sole introduction to all
the honorable and liberal professions. It still
•remains the most widely spread of all languages^
and its grammar is justly regarded for its clearness,
its facility, and its consistency as the General
grammar. Why then should we not adopt as an
universal medium of intercourse, this language
universally understood ; and why not restore to it
the privilege which it had ever enjoyed, till the
fatal conquests of Louis XIV. spread the language
and the vices of France over half the subjugated
Continent ?

I need not enlarge upon the advantages that
would result from the adoption of Latin, or shew
how much it would disencumber and facilitate the
prc^ess of education : this, much, however, I will
observe, that the energy and the magnanimity of

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nk. T«ROUGH ITALY. Ml

ti^ Homan authors in this supposition made com*
mon^ might kindle once more the flame of liberty
in Europe^ and again man the rising generation
now dissolved in luxury and in effeminacy.

But, if in spite of taste and of reason^ thi$
noble language must be confined to our closets and
a modem dialect must be preferred to it^ Italian >
without /doub;t5 is the most eligible^ because it pos«
fliesses the most advantages and is free from every
€^jection. Of its advantages^ \ have already
spc^en; of its exemption from evils to which
French is liable, I need to say but a few words.
It can have no political inconvenience ; it is not
the language of a rival nation. Italy pretends not
to unirersal dominion^ either by sea or by land ; it
^tdministers to the pleasures without alarming the
f^ars of other nations. Its language is that of
poetry and of music; it is spread over all the
wide-extended coasts, and through all theinnumer^
able islands of the Mediterranean^ and has, at
leasts a classic universality to recommend it to the
traveller who wishes to visit the regions ennobled
by the genius and by the virtues of antiquity.
The general tenor of Italian is pure and holy,
Kone of its great authors were infected with im*
piety, and not one of its celebrated works is
tinctured, even in the slightest degree, with that
poisonous ipgredient. I have already mentioned

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d38 CLASSICAL TOim Di$.

the ease with which it may be acquired: all its
sounds may be fonnd in every language ; and if it
be difficult, perhaps impossible, for foreigners to
acquire all the graces of its modulation, they may^
with very little labor make themselves masters of
its essential parts, so as to express themselves with
facility and with perspicuity.

But it may perhaps be objected, that a change
of diplomatic language might at present be difficult
if not impossible. The difficulty is not so great as
may be imagined.* What has been done may be
done again. Let any one of the greater Courts
declare its intention of communicating with foreign
ministers only in its own language, or in Latin or
Italian, and a revolution, in this respect will be

* This revolution might have been effected In Vienna In
the year 1794^ that is, shortly after the commencement of
the revolationary war, if the court had supported the Anti*
Galilean spirit of the gentry and the people, who pretty
generally came to a resolution to dismiss all French teachers,
and to forbid in their families the use of that language upon
any occasion : a similar disposition was manifested in the
year 1806 in Petersburg, in a much higher quarter, as the
Emperor is said to have publicly declared, that he never ex-
pected to be addressed in any language but English and
Russian, but in neither case was this patriotic .resolution
supported j the burghers of Vienna resumed their French
grammars, and the Emperor Alexander submitted to French
influence.

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Dis, THROUC^H ITALY, S33

bronght abont withoat delay or cipposition. That
this change is desirable, and that it would bring
with it many political, literary, and even moral
advant^es can scarcely be disputed ; and that it
may take place at some .^ture period is by no
means improbable."^

Italian was in the sixteenth and seventeenth
centories, what French has been in the eighteenth,
with this difference, that the former language
owed to its own intrinsic merits that extension
which the latter acquired by the preponderance of
French power. When that power declines, and it
is too gigantic and too oppressive to last, the lan-
guage will decline with it, and again return to its
natural limits ; but what language will succeed it,
it is not easy to conjecture. Italian has its intrinsic
excellence and its superior literature to recommend
it; but English, with similar though inferior
claims, is supported by fashion, a very powerful
ally, by influence commensurate with the known
world, and by renown that spreads from pole to

* How much the rejection of their language annoys and
mortifies the French Cabinet appears from the angry ex-
pressions of Bonaparte, complaining that, in the late negotia-
tions (of 1806) the English Ministry wished to lengthen
and perplex the discussions, by the introduction of Latin
faring, &c.

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tt4 CLASSICAL TOUR Bk.

fo\^ It is already the language of comment as
fVench, is that of diplomacy ; and while the one is
confined to oonits and Capitals^ the other srpreads
gver continents and islands^ and is the dialect of
the bnsy and the active in every qilarter of the
globe. With snch a weight on its side it is possi-
ble, even probable^ that the scale will preponderate
in fiE^vor of English ; a preponderance which may
^tter our vanity^ but capnot prQQPiQte onr into^est^
^l^ it will ipcrease an influence alreiidy exorbitant^
Mid e3f]>ose ns more and more to the je^qusie^
ind the suspicions of Bjorope*

Afi^r all, it is very difllicalt to determine,
Fhether ^ny human efforts can influence the fate
fif languages,. or abridge w prolong thmr destined
dni^tion. We move along in a vast funeral pro-
0ei»sion, which conveys individuals, kingdoms, and
eiffpireis, lyith their passions^ thdur monnments>
tbejr languages, to the tomb. The Greeks and
]R4>in^s precede us in the pajtfas of oblivicm ; a
£^ut murmur of their languages reaches our ear%
to subside ere long in utter silence. Shall our less
perfect dialects be more fortunate, and can typo-
graphic art impart to them an immortsdity that
fate refused to the beauty of Greece and to the
majesty of Rome ? I know not ; but I can scarce
expect such a distinction. One consolation how-
ever offers itself amid this general wreck of man>

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2%; THROUGH ITALY. 935

of lus works, aod of bis. layeiitiona; it ib, tlisl
new political assodatioas arise from the dissolu*
tion of kiog^ms and empAres^ and call f4>Ftb with
increased vigor aad iirterest the energies mi the
virtues of the human heart: that new combinationa
of sound spring ftom the decay of fading languages,
affording fresh exfNressions to die understandings
and opening other fields to the imaginadoti ; and
that thns all the shifting scenery and the ceaseless
vidssitndes of the external world tend only to
develop the powers of the niind^ and finally to
promote the gradnal perfection of the inteUectoal
system*

RE]LIGION.

VII. The traveller who wishes to form a just,
idea of the religion of Italy, or indeed of any
other European territory, would do well to consider
that in all Christian countries the same Gospel is
professed, and of course the same principal articles
of belief are admitted, the same moral duties are
prescribed, and enfiorced by the same ^nption
i>f eternal rewards and punifth^ients; or in otibier
words, that Faith, Hope, and Charity, form the
spirit and ihe essence pf Christianity, in whatever
maioier it may he taqght^ pr where^ever ^estab-
Mmd. Wkm me m^B*^ It&erpfor^ commms

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236 CLASSICAL TOUR Di$.

the religion of a coimdry^ we mean to ask whether
these Christian virtaes inflnence its inhabitants
more or less than they^o those of other Christian
countries, and according as this inflnence is per-
ceptible in pablic and private life, we form a
favorable or unfavorable opinion. The exterior of
religion, that is the forms and the ceremonies of
worship, with the administration and police of ec-
clesiastical government, the Protestant traveller
will, if he be consistent, abandon to the taste, the
feelings, and the judgment of the public ^ certain
that no form or ritual contrary to these grand
agents in human affairs, by whatever authority it
may be supported, will long prevail in any country.
If we examine the religion of Italy upon these
principles, we shall find much to praise, and some-
thing perhaps to admire.

In attendance on public worship, the Italians
are universally regular, and though such constant
attendance may not be considered as a certain evi-
dence of sincere faith, yet every reader of reflec-
tion will admit, that it is incompatible with either
infidelity or indifference. These latter vices are
indeed very .rare in this country, and entirely con-
fined to a few individuals of the higher class, and
to some officers in the army, who resigning their
rdigion witli their patriotism, have meanly conde^
scended to adopt the fashions and the opinions of

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Du. THROUGH ITALY. 237

reTolutionary France. Interest^ the only motiTe
that can induce men to act in opposition to their
conviction and feelings, reached only a few osten-
sible characters^ and excepting nnder certain perse-
cating governments^ cannot extend to the multi-^
tude.

Nor is the devotion of the Italian confined to
public service. 'Rie churt^hes are alm^^t always
open; persons of r^alar life and of independent
drcnmstances generally visit some or other of them
every day ; a.nd individuals of every condition may
be seen at all hours, on their knees, engaged in
prayer or meditation.* Such instances of unaf-
fected devotion often melt the heart of the pious
traveller, and have, not uxifrequently, extorted an
approving exclamation from observers in other
respects blinded by early prejudice, or inflamed by
polemic animosity. If the reader be inclined to
condemn such practices as superstitious or as fa-
vorable to idleness, let him open the Gospel first,
and examine well both its words and its spirit;

* " C'est un usage pieux des Catholiques> et que nous
derrions imiter/' says Madame De Stael with her usual graco
and feeling, " de laisser les eglises toujours ouvertes -, ily a
tant de moments oft Van eprouve le beMoin de cet awile, et jamais
on n'y entre sansressentir une emotion qui fait du bien k
ramej et lui rendj comme une ablution^ sainte> sa force elsa
pnret^.*' L'^fkn^gne, VoL i. Chap. 7.

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ns CLASSICAL TOUR Bk.

tbBii let liiin consider hoir many numitefl aie
trifled away by the busiest aod soiost active in the
oMurse of the day ; and finally let bim remember
how many eares e^rrode 4he human heart, which
He only, who wore its tissite, can remoye <xr
mitigate.

The number of persons who receiye the sacra-
ment, an^ the becoming gravity of their deport*
meut on this solemn occasion, will be another
source of edification to a sincere Christian, who,
•f whatsoever denomimition he may be, must al^
ways rejoice in seeing this.a&cting Rite, often
renewed and duly frequented* I say nothing of
the. numberless religious practices interwoven in
liielife of an Itahan, and incorporated with the
whole business and very substance of his existence^
because I am aware that diey are regarded by tibe
bulk of my readers as marks rather ofsuperstidon
than of piety.*

* One observation, however, I must make> in conjunction
with a Tery learned and pious prelate of the Established
Church (Bishop Butler in his Charge to the Clergy of Dar«
ham) that such occasional memorandums are too much neg«
lected in England, and that he who (observes them with pra*
dence' and discrimination performs a rational and useful act
of Christian devotion. In fact, when an Italian, passing be*
fore a cmcifix, takes off his hat, he means not to honor. Ae
wood or the bronze of which the im^niay he oovf^oatd,

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Dis. THROUGH ITALY. M»

External practices, I know foil weil^ have oftM
been employed by the hypocrite as a coiivcfQiitt
mask, 'and still more frequently/ perhaps, abtisel
by the libertine as a compensation and excnae;
bat I conceive that notwithstanding such |>a*v^r^
sion of motive, they are, when generally observted^
a proof convincing and satisfactory of the liincbritj
and activity of national fiudi*

But to turn from the exterior of religion' to
practices more connected with its internal tftd
ffiost essential qualities, aiid consequratiy better
adapted to the feelings of EngUshlf^en in geaez^
I will venture to assert, that no country ielJiSHts
more splendid examples of public beneVokMc^
or furnishes more affecting instances of private

bat to express his revetenee and gratitude towards the saerai
perSQn thus represented in the attitude of a victioa* Whitm
he shews -a similar respect to a picture of the Virgin^ he
means not to adore a creature^ but to express his veneratioa
for the most perfect model of virgin modesty, and of mater-
nal |fcMidnes8> on record in the holy Writings. As foir Ibe '
EttcharisticElements> whatsoever opinion maybe entertatoedi
of their mystic nature, yet they are universally acknowledge
ed to be the most sacred and the most impressive symbols of
the sufferings and death of the Redeemer ^ the respect,
therefore, shewn to them, in which deficiency is perha|M
more blameable than excess, must rather edlff ihaa oAad m
devout and seosbile Christian,

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t40 CLASSICAL TOUR Dtt.

f^ theoi Italy. Christian oeimtries, in gene-
nk (ibr'^thMe aire name exceptions) and onr own
lo'pcrticBlar^ are not deficient in ibe nnmber and
endoirmetttfl of pnUic efitaUishments for die
nlieC of soieraig humanity ; but eren in this re-
spect, whoever has visited and examined the hos-
filais of Rome, Napfes, Genoa, Venice, and Milan,
will readily admit, that Italy has the honond>le
advantage of surpassing all the kingdoms of
£arope in the number and the magnificence of
l^r charitable foundations. To describe these
^edificles in detail, would require a separate work
dp oonsiderable extent ; and it will be sufficient
parhaps to inform the i^eader, that there is no
disease of body, no distress of mind, no visitation
of Providence, to which the human form is liable,
fipom- its first appearance till its final depositioh in
the grave, which is not relieved with tenderness,
and provided for, if beyond relief, with a prodi^
gality of charity seldom witnessed elsewhere.*

* It has been justly observed^ that beneficent establish-
ments owe their origin to Christianity^ and that the Greeks
and even the Roznans, howsoever humane in some respects^
had little or no idea of such methods of relief. The only
institution, or rather regulation, that bears any resemblance
to any branch of our public charities is the provision made
by Trajan for the education of the children of the poor in
Rome fifatj and afterwards extended to Italy at large. The
younger Pliny extols this institution with becoming elocpienee.

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lifliitt»t]»ni SsmfUywK 99<>pi^ i tx^ C!fs^ b9(^,

web MyJlMWi ik wm^f 9f ^ ^m ^m^M
Jjgi^^ w4 m itafexni, o£ thp miller, ^ijt^ b^mt^pji^

loth r^wd to the cl«lcij a«i )ta spare t^ ^^^ifm9.
om t^e pride, «£ tbe pj»m)|, « INff «ir cm? 9prx!i ^/
the Abrest, tnnoHog 09 9, fnvo^ «» "irkvk 1^ il^lVlf
Q)A|r be placed at mf how* a»4, i^i^ rpn^ig.^
boll «o..^iw notify «itib«n, is mm9^^\f «djwMi
vitbflwk ni»inift«iid»ti0o. of inqms^. ^9. 1'fifp^
ooly is made ta 1^ pa«mt, a«d tbwt ia ta ai^lffffi f^
pofier to isforfn th« adiniiiijitmtfiKa vt'liftlfW ^.
QhiUi Ik ba|iitia«i <)r ao^ wid whtttor t^«W ^ «S]|
dispoakiopa iaitbe pavMKtP acknonrltdfRi^ 9l.1t Iq--
torep^raod.

The mode in which the expence was defrayed deserves to be
lecondiHit The |^ igter^ of Jm^^Y ^^^ >)W t«rel^ pet
^/ff^ t)^ Bgip^rgrX^^^t ^oiiey to fij^9)i landholders as wish*
S4 tp borrow f^t five per cent.^ obliging t!\em to pay the in«
ter^st into aq ofll^ce opened for the purpose. As the interest
was low, the number of borrowers was great, and the funds
Sttperftbundant.— firoftsr, N^ «i. Atppkmeftl, Miti. lib. T.r-9
Fim, Jlamf • kf.

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24« CLASSICAL TOUR- Dig. *

The hospital of St. Michael^ ^itaated in the
Ripa Grande, on the banks of the Tiber, is perfaa|M
unequalled in its extent, endowment, and utiKly*
Its front spreads along the river side, five hnndned
ftiet in' length; and fifty in hei^t ; to it are annex-
ed a magnificent <ihurch/a copi6us library, sdiook
and w(Mrk-ro6ms. It admits foundlings, orph'aifti,
and friendless children, decayed tradesmen, time-
worn servants, and the aged of all descriptions,
i^hen forlorn and helpless. The latter it suppKes
with every assistance spiritoal and corpdral, neces*
sary to their years and infirmities. The former
are nursed, educated, instructed in languages or
trades, as their abilities and dispositions seem to
require, and when they have learned some art or
method of procuring a livelihood, th^ are dis-
missed from the hospital with a complete suit of
clothes, and a sum of money amounting to five
pounds. Both sexes are admitted, but lodged in
different wings of the hospital, and kept carefully
separate even in the church.

I pass over in silence the superb Hospital of
St. John Lateran, occupying one-^half of the vast
palace annexed to that cathedral, and containing
six hundred patients ; and the numberless similar
establishments that truly grace and almost conse^
crate the fourteen regions or districts of this parent

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pit. THROUGH ITALY. 943

1

of cities, the Capital of the christian ajid civilized
world.* . ,

On the snbject of hospitals I shall only add,^
that in many of them the sick are attended, and
the ignorant instructed, by persons who devote
themselves voluntarily to that disgusting and labo-
rious task, and perform it with a tenderness and a
delicacy which personal attachment, or the still
more active and disinterested principle of Christian
charity, is alone capable of inspiring. But, besides
these public establishments, there are . benevolent
institutions, which, though properly speakii^ of a
private nature> are widely spread and extensively
felt ; I allude to confraternities, or to use a more^
classical appellation. Sodalities. These Sodalities,
or as the name implies. Companies, are formed by
the voluntary agreement of a certain number of
charitable persons, who unite together in order to
relieve more effectually some particular species of
distress. Thus, one of these benevolent societies

. ' ^ It ia with regret I feel myself obliged to add^ that the
licentiousness of the French soldiers, and the rapacity of
their generals, have nearly stripped the Roman hospitals of
all their furniture, not excepting bedsteads, doors, and even
windows 3 and what is still more distressing, because irreme-
diable, almost exhausted the funds by which they ha«l been
supported, by draining the public treasury and destroying the
credit of the State.

R 2

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UA CLASSICAL TOUR DU.

devolfes lis attention to t^e tranb of^ fittknBk bnt
decent fiuoailies^ and contrives to administeir Hi
alais in aoch a manner as to supply their necessi*
tfesi and yeUi^^r^ dl'eit fibfaoHxble fediiig^: An-
other f&yi 6lt <iebtd cdbtrtetl^d nhder t\te pr^ssn!rK

^'^f nnaroidable distres^^ and restores the indxtis^
trions sdfeirer to liberty iM to labor. A ibud i»Ar-
dertak^ 'to visit gaioli^ iiXiA t6 timnA ttteBhi of
comTort to sueb prisoner'^ ail dVe fi^i^cttesS and for-

"^ aaken. A fourth disc6vers the ob^cu^e aUd fdrldrii
sickf supplies theiii ieith ttiedli^ih^s and pM>^-
sional assistance; if tfie^ recbveV, kffotHi tifeih
nutntTve fodd wbile fh k MU 6f c6ht&!Ht6bM« ;
if Ibey dud{ ^yi fte eicpeac^ik 6f fhdTf ftUicirsdy aAd
accoJ&pamS &em %Mi decd^t bettiimf t^ i)ii6

As I ^6 iiot m'ean 'lb '6titifn^ratte all tfare^ Irli-
mane and 'inJlj Christi^ix ad'^6cMi6Yi%, I pm titer
in sfleiidk those wh6 miaike ii iiieif obj^t^ to ttr-
atnict ignorani ybu£h and to portidn virgiA iiilfib-
cenoe ; I need only say, that every want afid €f€tf
mi&f6irkcne are certain of ifieetmg wtfh (*Ofrrt»pofid-
ing assistance from some band or othdr of g6KiJs-
rous bftthrmi and the ^traveller who contemplates

* The reader may IkcoUect/tliat several of these ehari-
table societies have been enumeraiedf in the account give a of
Ike Hospitals at Naples,

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Ifi$. ?^HR0IIX5H ITALY. , S45

jthe gnFei§d^ .exertjo^is of 3.0 I9a;iy i^^lyi^nals

united for such noble purposes, will be jobliged to

acknowledge, that in no country has dbarity as-

^iggugied so many^fQi^s, or tfj^cj^ ^g mpiy sat»9 to

|dif(coirer apd tp ,?iS9U^ge ,tl^e <;9j|;Dplic9ted vanetSfs

Sf£ buwftu ffljUerjr. T^^eae ap^qcJati^jms aije ,c^wp-

jjp^^i pjipcipftVy of t^tje ^i^^Ung fis^n^, l^r^^

M^W cqiwfties tl^^e qlass^s possess th^e^^eatest

,5hiai;e of y^rt^e a^^ ^f cqn^paipipn ; yet, the fa^t

exalted characters for .ra^}^^ fbrtpi^e, and ta|ent9>

enrol their names among them, and frequentl]p

^,4i|tmgaishjtfaerai|elTes )^y tib^jr zeal ^d^by.their

gctijiritgr ju^the ^careerof bepevoience. On all puUic

^occasions, Jt ij/s ttne, the mem|}eis .;9^ear a di^s

jl^t disguises and jeveljs all .ranks, cruder an ap

|«;|rapce grotes€|pe §nd ridiqilfms j)erh2^^ in tne

ejes of.a stiaijger, but very well contrived to stifle

:^\^trV2Lmtj ,;^hi9|i Js so .often the stimulus, and, thw

bane flf public jgepen?^^

From these ^upc;i^buudaqt ffpco^s^ of piib|ic and

private ,cha^ti^s,:t^eppc^r^pf It^y^ a ds^a^ more

^lliunfrous . Ihere tbafi in mqst other f^owit^ied,

^owing jn,g§fferal |o its ff^t pji^jw^J^titopj, and in

^^W^.:feOjtl^„ij^^^ th« deglin-

rf Jte .§totes>^*r^v?^P»PTltft4. JYitb f^fffort. tp tjii^m-
AelY^8ia»4.5?ith,a,i9s^^^iji^ sf jjje -of independence,
W^.o»tJ|,e^oypFfajifc Jlp3%Jl pf }W)r,j5at^s, so

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246 CLASSICAL TOUR Dig

inadequate to their object and so galling to the
community.

After these details^ in which I am not con-
scious of exaggeration or of misrepresentation^ I
think myself warranted in concluding, that a Re-
ligion which thns manifests its influence by so
many effusions of devotion^ and by so many deeds
of benevolence, must be, or I know not what can
be, true genuine Christianity.

Before I drop this subject, it may be proper to
say something on the attention paid to the instruc-
tion of youth in Italy, as we have been assured by
several travellers, that the lower classes in that
country are not only neglected but purposely kept
in a state of ignorance : but in this, as in many
other instances, such writers either have allowed
themselves to be blinded by their prejudices or
have given their opinion without the degree of ob-
servation requisite to ascertain its accuracy. In
opposition to this partial and injurious represen-
tation, I shall state the following facts. In the
diocese of Milan^ or to speak more properly, in
the vast tract of country, included between the
Alps and the Apennines, and subject to the visita-
tion of the arehiepiscopal See of Milan, in every
parochial church the bell tolls at two o'clock on
every Sunday in the year, and all the youth of the

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DU* THROUGH ITAIiY. , 247

pdmsh nm^mhl^ in tbe chorcb : the ^gurb ^re phced
on one side, the boys on the other : they are tbw
diyided into classes according to their ages and
their progress, and instracted either by the clei|gr
attached to the chnrch, or by pious persons whp
volwtarily devote their time to this most nsefid
employment ; while the pastor himself, goes from
cl^M tp cla^s, examines sometimes one, jsooEtetinies
aao^belr, and closes the whole at foar o'clock byia
oifefchistical discocMtrse. The writer first observed
this mode of instruction at Des^manOy on the bor-
^en of the Logo di Garda, then at Mantua^ and
finally, in the Cathedral of Milan^ whose im-
mense nave and aisles, almost equal in extent to
St^ Peter's, were then crowded with youths and with
chiidr^Qi. He was struck more than once with the
great rradiness of the answers, and often edified
by the patience and the assiduity of the tieachers.

In other parts of Italy children are catechised
regnlarly, and almost invariably in the parish
church by their pastor, and besides these general
instructions every young person is obliged to at-
tend a course of instruction for some months pre^
vious to the first Communion, and again before
Confirmation. It may perhaps be asked, what the
catechisms contain, and whether they are compil-
ed with judgment and discretion. As I have se-
veral of these little elementary books in my pos-

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"ltd dLASStdAL r^Vti «U.

Wi ^tplatiailon af the Or^, lAie OAmttondiai^ifs^

ecmpiisLti&A, te Hh M6i)^er «(^)]tltlin )^ the ^H^
.^ani in >iip{te ttlT ^f^icb it mm bblSpdMA^^ine

the motiVi^ df i^gton fts l)k(^ "sftMe dills 4li fi«|^-

knd^ ii^ inMSLfic^s 6f vt^ ^das' igMramce vtddmn

*^ctar tttito&s^fo thV; Wpeiiifatatttl£int(pi9palarlkm oof

fgrealk to^B 'd^d <if a^«fi^wii'€«p^als. ^ is/ 1

>knd^^^a^emlly belieted timt iiie'p9faciimi Modhee

of fdigiK^tts hif6Timxk»k is *ikhut i^ in italf («ad

ind^d in all kadidlic cooBtries) by the {HroluMtitfn

of translated Bibles ; but this opinion^ though sop-

t ported by the imhed anthoHty of the|ml^t«tod of

' the preft^y is founded upcm a ehj^t Inistake. TnmR-

<Iation$^ white stf^pfpu^dd to-odtertbe^steve or to^e-

^raie the ^'gftity «f due •sacred WvitiiigB J(rad

-wanybmh have4)ee!i«JM«tetedini]MnM:aa>Bi^^

'are prohifaitdd; \i4im considered Us ftolei^blyac-

dikrate, th^y ate aUcrw^ >£fnid enMan^. ^ the

tatCftr ' d^scriptibm, ion *itaAian «MndatioB exist^^

^fiH^M il^ilh grdftt ^di^cfe/«tld ¥«x»mt^ to

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Dh. THROUGH ITALY. did

iftBer 4iiii imfmrtial exposilbi], I ^J^iiik H lOlqr
be -fairtf cMickided, aod my reaidet*^ if one «idgfe
^paik of ohtis6aa charity glows in hia bo«oiQ> wiU ^
r^oicetn tibe€(^tkiAioix; in the iimt .pkuse^ that
kt a coimtpy tha8^(KqienJ»ouiiding in works of iwm-
¥t)teiice) tibe spiirit of diatity, tiiat eharacteralab
mark of ^eottine C^mstlanity^ must be eliire itod
afilf¥&t and* in die second place^ that a imtioiii, lujr-
BMbeit%ith-?so many nMans df kistnictloii^ cannot
ipetid^^thiongb igttoriiice of Ifat saying ^oc^io^
ofthe^ospeL

8«it many of te^ readers may exckuto^ with
^wpriste and :imfiitleiiei&: ^Whait! mie then tbe^ao-*
iscMHStS'Of'ItaKaa «u{^iistilMAi andbigoliy^ Vik^
ti« bftre^i^oftisi.feadsandifio often l^iighed^llll
.£idbe? Js ijk&tt no iUotaliy in J^tt^^ aojptisstQ^
no abuse ? Surely^ ioni* atubor inwt <be vUiadad %
his partiality^ aiid^ in his enthusiasm^ extend his
admiration eren to the absurdities and the defor-
i^iaft<ofirits^t)Oii;«pted.re%ton. Withoot doubt^ tb3
Mlhor JMiahisfpr^liidkei^ andmaf beii^flaenciediiot
a diole^iiii^ps % bis>mthi|aiassQii. but Jiisjpi;^-
diaas a^hisiefttkisiaiai Ieai95^^p«^*t0ifuurdfr)^-
navolende^ aisd.pfonipt^hlm tofity4Uid to issasn^
^ GDiisss af^is.&llow€ce«tareft» JHeabaado^s^
Bam^t^ H^iMisonrMisfica), Soe. and to the heed of
travellers who follow their traces, the task of in-
AafliaDgianwcrsityyai^of «ir{>rk the iilal of

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S50 CLASSICAL TOUR D».

the reader into fury by misconceived and over-
charged descriptions. He wishes to lull these
stormy passions to rest, to reconcile the reader to
his fellow creatures beyond the Alps^ and {to prevail
upon him to extend to their abuses and their w&k-
nesses some portion of that indulgence, which h^
seldom refuses to the absurdities and the follies
that^ now and then, attract his attention at home.
To answer the above-mentioned query, therefore,
many abuses, without doubt, may be observed in
Italy ; some priestcraft, if by priestcraft be meant
an interested attempt to work upon the simple
piety of the people; but I believe and trust, no
idolatry. It may here perhaps be expected, that I
shall amuse my readers with a long enumeration
of ridiculous pictures, wonder-working images, all-
pow^ixil indulgencies ; . exhibit to their del^hled
eyes, a grotesque line oi friars,

White^ blacky and grey, and all their trumpery j

and close the whole with an authentic document,
gi^g pardon to past, present, and future sins.
No! .1 have too great a respect for the public un-
derstanding at present to insult it with such trashy
and shall endeavor to present to it, as a better en-
tertainment, some reflections on the origin, the
progress, and probable reformation of these abuses.

In Che regions of the South, where the sky is

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Dis. THROUGH ITALY. 251

bright and nature beautifiil; where the heart is
warm and the imagination active; external de-
monstrations have ever been employed to express
feelings too big for utterance, and external shews
introduced to convey impressions and to excite
sentiments grand and sublime, beyond the reach
of ordinary language. The demonstrations of re-
spect used anciently in the East, are well known ;
nor is it necessary to recal to the recollection df the
reader the passages in the Book of Genesis, which
represent Abraham prostrate before his guests, or
Jacob at the feet of Esau, a posture of respect,
amongst us exclusively confined to the worship of
the Almighty. It is equally superfluous to ob-
serve, that the legislator of the Jews, acting under
the immediate inspiration of Heaven, so far hu-
mored the oriental fondness for shew, as to pre-
scribe many minute observances and an ai£nual
succession of pompous exhibitions. The Greeks
shared the passions and the propensities of their
Asiatic neighbors, and display their taste for pa-
geantry principally in their Games, which were in
fact their yearly public meetings, where the na-
tional talents and character were exhibited to the
greatest advantage.

The Romans, a more warlike and a moriB so-
lemn people, loved pomp equally but employed it
better ; and confining it to the grand objects that

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tS» (XASSiqAI' TOUR />#.

4DceapkA odbBimdy Hmr tbom^ to Ccufffm

ttidfReUgiaD, tfaqr di^diufed it in tlie tfJmD|^ #r

their heroes and in the worship of xhcar .gpdf •

But ^en the encceasfiil invasiinis pf the hudn-

nans had for ever closed the Jong ^sedes lOf li^

former; and when Christianity had .presented c^

Jects infinitely more snUime and noioi^ jeewfyil if^r

the eseicise of the latter ; then xdi^an b^csmfi

their only oocnpation^ and took possession.^ thdr

minds^ not as.aprmcyle only, hnt.as .a^domjiifKar-

jng |)assion, that chdmed for itself tb^ jUiJiaite,.of

all their talents and of all their j&cnltiQS. J!b^

xthetsgiapiousBasihceiwere.openf^jror Ae.«ssfiip*

blies of the £iithfal>.mid.the jfomaken )l<einpl«A fxv^

Termed into dwrches; the Jj^bts that .«ref;sAe4

the JBook of JLaivss ^and the fra^r^oonr jnoi^

before the £kiigiels and rthe Bishcf).; the mdew^

ftones of tn^c 4edaniation J^ece radiy;tt»^ J^Jfae

lectiwe of rthe JSQlyf£kiQks,;.andJtbe JPoalins MfX^

toned to the .modnlations .of .the.Gireeki^hfisnsie;?.

To ihis aiufgnificence .were .snperadded.^the ^sitopt

Jbnt imp ces s i v e .chams:.ofi Qx^rjuA.i^> 4m>xsm

rdgntng .andistnrbed<o:ver ;an immenae j9MKiqhlx ;

ib» .venembk.aiyi»ranee.of .tho.deig^>!Qlp|J)^;in

white, and ranged in a semicirde /behind tl^^aUar>

and at their head the majestic form of their aged

j)ontiff,jienowned}peih^.jalike .fits .bis j^anctity^

for his wisdon^ J«dJbrl|]SJdopl£nc^.^!X^

.and ihe Jlwatce wifhont dQnbt9..1ut¥e ^esjibibitsd

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mttttf ti gay A^tPr, tAA tfeie temple of Jttpker Ca]yi-
fbUiltfsr hM been tlie stage of many a noble pa-
g < flttrt ; but it may be questioned whether Rome
cf «f wi tfte fc s e d a gnmder spectacle than tihat m-
dently displayed in the ilinntinated cathedral of
tite VatidM ott tbe night of the Natirity, or m the
LatMran: Basilica on the>i«re solemn v%ti of tlie
Re^ntrebiion.

Ai yeari^ erf war and of devastation rolled on
sn»e^ssivdy^ the ptospett of the Roman worBf
datkenctf more and more ; tl^ fonim was deseit-
tfd, 1ik& dttns and the tibeattes were closed^ ftm
Hfthfi^ Were ^txt np for ever, and even the very
Mtdw*d!vinitiesfofth0iemphewefefbrgotte&« In
iSiese tinted of A^aister atad of depfession, the Ba-
aflicft dtme t^malned open, the only pines of piib-
Ue telbr^ t)ie only tetteat irons pnblkr misery,
#here the mind was soothed by the eonselaiSons,
aaid the ey^ ddiighted with the solemnities, of Re-
HgidtL In these sanctnaries the Romans assembfei
with compiacency i there, free from barbarian in-
trttsito, they heard the language and beheld the
t^tmenta of their fathers^ there they saw and ^ve-
nerated hi their dei^y and in their prelates the
grave and dignified deportment of the magistretttt
of ancient Rome ; and there they were entertainet
wMh pomps and ceremonies, pure, calm, and hdy,
that melt^ and hnproved fte liastt, vMUa they

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2&4 CLASSICAL TOUR DU.

captivated the senses, and were by that dream-
stance alone far more impressive and more delight-
fol than the impmre, turbulent and often inhnniftn
exhibitions of the circus and of the amphitheatre.

' The invaders themselves, however fierce and
untractable at first, were gradually tamed and civi-
lized by the climate, by the arts, by the manners,
and, above all, by the religion of the Romans ;
and they embraced its doctrines, not with the zeal
of converts only, but with the impetuosity and the.
passion that characterize the proceedings of barba*
nans. The conversion of these half savages gave,,
as may be supposed, a new and a stronger impulse
to the national propensities and sometimes made^,
not religion only, but as is natural to unpolished
minds, its exterior and sensible form the grand ob-
ject of their thoughts and of their devotion. Hence,
to build, to ornament, and to endow churches ; to
increase the number of the clergy, and to found
monasteries; to discover relics, and to deposit
them in splendid shrines ; to lengthen the service
by new offices, and to swell the ritual with fresh
ceremonies ; to invent pomps more magnificent,
and habits more dazzling, became the occupation
of the clergy, the ambition of nobles, and the pride
of sovereigns. It is indeed much to be lamented,
that while Zeal increased. Taste was on the de-
cline ; and that many of the institutions and the

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DU: THROUGH ITALY, 265

invexitions of the seventh and the sncceedmg i^es^
ibongh intended to grace^ too frequently disfigure:
llie exterior of Religion. The truth is^ that the
language of signs^ like thai of words^ may he
oyercharged with ornament, and that, in hoth^
overstrained attempts to catch the Beautiful or to
reach the SttblimCy generally terminate in littleness'
and in absurdity. We accordingly find, that the
same bad taste which encumbered the ritual with
petty observances, infected the style of the] times,
and filled it with- obscure allusions, and tutgid
epithets.

This evil continued to increase with the igao-
nmce and the .barbarism of the times, fiUii^ the
diurch with new orders, and deforming divine ser-
vice with new rites, new dresses, new festivsds,
and new devotions ; till the- revival of taste in the
fifiteienth. century: first checked the abuse, and has
ever since been employed, gradually, but effectual-
ly, in drmhg the holy Vandals off the Stage^ and in
dealing the ritual of the accumulated lumber of
the seven preceding centuries. jUnder the secret
influence of this improving spirit, absurd relics^
formerly honored with ilUplaced though wdl-
meant reverajce, are now left to moulder unnotic-
ed in their shrines; petty forms of deyotion are
gradually falling into disuse ; the ornaments of the
church are assuming a more dignified appearance;

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»5« CLASSrCAL TCXXIt Du.

tile sattii^er of boSdaj^ introduced amang^dietbay^
btfians^ w)io hiicl Uttl« to employ tfaeiv time but
war ftn4 rapine, ba» been diimiiiilied and adaptoA
to the more active genius of a highly oivili;^ go*.
neratioB ; and the police and extamai ditcj|^e 9§
the ehiurck ia gtadoaUy fiishioning itielf to lite
fedinga and die wasti of modern society.

The nvnnber of eeclesiaaticai penoM now e^*
iating in Italy/ though m abnse^ ia BerertfaeleMi
neither such an afasnnlity nor such a griavnnce aa*
Englishmen are generally apt to imagine it to be,
for the following reason^ which, thongh very oh*
vuBoa, has not, I faeBere, yet oomrred to aiqr of
0«tr tran^eiled aodborsi in a ooiMitvy, where tfao po«
pidatioDiaiinmeMe^aiidall tiiat population of die
saoM TdSgton, it «til be admid»d that idie parov
cUal clergy alone are not snlBcioMlIy nninerons to
MOmwt the calls and to supply M the oeligioiia
wants of their locks ; aspeoially when the instnKV
tioa of ef ery dbild, asd the visitation of every sipk
»dnridnd], are -considered as essavliial parts of par
rodiial dnty ; and when •every person of every de*
acriplton, of an age capable qf comprehendiii^ tiio
ifBportaMO of sudi a 4aty, is obliged to reeewe
theMcrament ei^ery year at or near lihe festival of
Easter. Now, as k is impossible persoiiaUy to
fnl&l these "dsrtSes, deputies and assktents are ittdia^
pensaVly snecessary i and yAko avo bettor oalcvdated

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ZWr. THROUGH ITALY. m

to fill raoh hnmbk offices tban meo who ask no
imlary and refiisf no taak; who> co&tent with the
necessaries of life> such as the common people us^^
are always ready to libey the calls of the parochiid
clergy, aiul to relieve them in the discharge of the
most laborious and bnrthensome fimctions ? Now,
such ^e the friars, a set of people despised and
much traduced by strangers, but in truth, hmohl^j
unassaming, and disinterested, obliging to all yisi-
taiits, andt % most add, oiBciously attentive to
their fpreign censors.

Add to the ciremnstances just mentioned^ that
a QOiisidi^*able part of the population of. Italy is
i^reftd over the fastne^es, and immersed m the rpr
cesses of the Apennines, md not unfimiiiently se^
parated from the inhabitants of the jplain by h^*
rictei of ice and snow. Wh€» hi tibcse Icmely wildsi
the traireller discovers rising on some .tufted emi-r
mmce the humble spire of a convent ; «r whm
from the midst of a neighboring forest he hewi
tjlie bell of an ancient abbey tolling in his e$r, R^^
ligion and hospitality seem to rise befo^ him, tQ
soften the savage features of the scene, and to in-*
spire hopes of. protection and refreshment. 3el-*
dom, I believe, are these hi^MSs disappointed. In
the ridi abbey, he may loiter day after day and
stiU find his presence acceptable, and his hosts en«
tei^taining: in the humble convent he will meet

VOL. IV. s

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SSd CLASSICAL TOUR Dk.

afiitftlijalt^ »fld^{MMake nf their Tery btnit fare. If
'fi^'Sfi^A^ litf ciftiftm im oUigattQB ; if he goes, he
ite^pamf'^oMU amMibeSj wiA, their Uefisidgs mi
^lsk»fnf0n. Sradx aets of kindness remhid ns
ilktkVh^MGttriAimis and brotben, and invpite of
^r^tt^Mll^dBteiosttjrswkand delight the benera*-
Ittittelat.

"" But these cbtt'^^ents are ^uppeNted by ch»ftr^
add may be considered as an eMonragetnent to
idfeneM, andatast upontfaeindnstrionspoor; and
^SbAr taiitbitaiite ate a lazy set of mendiamts, mere
-dMhM in «od«ty> idwiq^s igtoorant^ often debandied,
iMd^ter^nscAestf. Such is the ku^nage of nnmy
tHMr^MSyttnd of anothir class pevfaii^ equally a*-
ttAed to trath and ibH as entertahimg, of many
]k»if<6fi«ts and many romance writers. Bat, iriA
flU dhie^ respect to sndi fbnnidable authorities, I
tttdMstMe-myopution, not foimed in the doaet
fai^ fotmdfid «pon lodd ohsermtion. These ooii**
▼ents are supported by charity, it is tme ; bat that
diarity is a voluntary gift, proportioned to the
foeani and die inclination of the dom»r, atnd gene-*
ratty drawtf ftoan the stores ctf the rich, not scrq>«
cd^imHi tfae'iHttanoe of the poor^ Their inhafai-
tsnts are BseMlicBatB; ^bnt they refund the afana
triBi<& they^cdieuv with infcerestr into the common
Mode, by rimki^ than with Ife fioor and die crip-

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m. tBSLOOGU nAUY. £9#

pie; xfkTi tfatrbKndidHl tte sklc^ wMLlili^OBflAk^
^tilgrim aiad ^dte be&igliljed mm^ta^' Xbo^ tiiiqr
spare their couatry tbe expmse ntf » w^^ rMm oa ef fc
with all their prodigal af^efidogm and ^tb^fiv^lf
der it a still more important serfice^ niifraieirTillg
it from the oppressive aod ever acolTaBtotwg IgU^
theiB of poor ratei. They iastniet Uierigsaqinmi:
they visit the sick ; they nurse the dyings ami l^gf
bury the dead; employments^ silent and obscure
indeed^ but perha|i6 as usefiil to muikiod aAd as
aecq^ftble to the Divinity, as the bwtlimg erar^
tions of many a traveller and the vfdaaumiw vii-
tings of many an author. Those who chai^ theia
with igikirance and debauchery, most liave* beciii
very partial, ot very inconsiderate <4M(ervers> h»*
tendibg the defecte or vices ei a fen^^pezbi^a lay^
brodiers, (that is, servants in the dress q( liieCl^
der,) to the whole body; a modt of yeasanmg
whidl we very justly rgect, when applied to^ our
tfwa country and to its corporalioBSi butwbtcib^iWP
wter very apt to adopt w)ien speakil^ id olfy^f
eouirtries and of their institutions.

With regard to informatsM, the tnidb is, tha^
in the greater convents, such as* exist in citiefs, ft
trs^dler is certain of discoveitng^ if he chooeesito
impiirs ibr lliem, some men df geneiial ehriitieii^
and he will find the* broftkerfaood at lavge^ stHMh
times well versed in Latm and ItaUsai' liHenitiiM,

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W> CXA8S1CAI, TOUR Dh.

mui abrajrft m Jhnokj^ tlie peculiar adiqce of
tfaarfnfessmiu I9 tli« nnl cooTents^ die case is
Ta«be md leainiiig would be vi eopmiir
tea ftiw^ doomed for life to associate with
ntstios : jidtf, good natoTB^ some Latin, and a
•dioroagh kaowloipi of bis dnty^ are all that can
b^ expected, and all diat the traveller will find
banUft F(9tktr$ of the Dacrt.

Am to the mondily <tf cimTeatfl^ we most fona
opiabn of i^ with a doe regard to their Aom^
4Mi^ as iaidl aggregate bcnlies oomposed of hii]iia9
hsii^ some instances most be fcnmd of the weak-
ness of omr eomnuHi nature ; and such irr^oUu>
iam, tf not bejFond the ordinary proportion of
irailtj ins^araUe from the best estabfishments in
similar drcnmstances^ may claim indnlgence.

Now^ diongh instances of gixws immorali^ are
lomedraes heard of» and occasional deviadona are
pediaps not nnfrecraent} ye^ on the whole, it is
bot jnstto acknowledge, that piety and decomm
generally preyail in convents, and that examples of
devotion, of holiness, and of disinterestedness are
freqoent enongh to edify the candid observer^
wtiStt they oblitinute aU litd^ incidental intcrmp-
tions of re&gions regularity. Extrraies of vice
aee rare, fiortmiately, in all ranks^ and most cer-
tainly veryonnsnal ifide«4 in ecdesi^sdcal coipo-

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X^h. . THROUGH ITALY; Ml

rations of every descriptidn. The friar^ ia ikci^
who becomes a slave to his fmssioiii^ geaisraiUy
flies from the gloom and the^disdpltneiof Ufrciini
vent, and endeavors to lose th^ rememlmno&Liiif
his engagements and of his duties in^^e hnslio
and dissipation of ordinary lifis« In^fia^ 1 0»jr
ventore to assure the English tra«eU»^ tiiafe be
may pass the night in any conveotdn Italy vvrikh^
oat the least chance of being alarmed by sonnds of
midnight revelry^ and without the smallest dafbgev
from the daggers of a Schedam^ a BeUm, oir:of aniy^
sneh hooded rafiian ; that th^ tc^lmg of bdib^ ami
perhaps the swell of liie oi^n, may ehanos: to
distnrb his mornings slntnbers ; and lAiat^aonie ken
nevolent Father Lorenzo may hiqtdre/ntlier sbk
seasonably^ about his health ai^ repose^

Before I qnit this subject it will be necessary to
gii^ the reader a ihort aeeouHt of tibe hA^nidhLy of
the church of Italy, and the dlfietetU: Ord^r^ ^duife
devotion ot authority have superinduoed in iImi
courde of ages into the clerical body. Hie Fop^^
as primate^ presides over the Church of Italy^
with the same tights and preroglKliv^ as aeeaaiM
pany the sam6 title in other countries* ThtM it
one Patriarch who reside at Venic^ but deriYM
his title and honor from the ancient See of Jqui^
lotty desti^y^ by the Hbxm under, ibtila; ia the
year 452^ and ever since exislitig only as an ish-

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f fi2 CLASSICAL TOUR Dig.

aignificant town or rather village* All the great
^pl^r 9iid.aQme of a secondary rate^ have Arch-
faidipps^ while almost every town^ at least if aa^
WJAf is the See of a Bishop. To account for this
f^itoaordinary nuniher of Bishops, it will be neces-
sary to recollect, that the Christian Religion was
plaated in Italy by the Apostles themselves or by
their immediate successors, who, according to the
primitive practice were accustomed to appoint in
; every: town a Bishop and Deacons. Besides the
cathedrals . there are several coU^iate churdie^
which have their deans andichap^ers ; but it must
be recollected, that the deans and canons of every
description are obliged to reside at least nine
months in the year, and to attend regularly at the
three public services of the day, viz. Morning Ser-
vice, at four, five, or six; Solemn Communion
Service or High Mass, about ten ; and Evening
Servicey about three. Tlie parochial clergy are
numerous ; plnralities are never allowed, and con-
stant: residence is strictly enforced* So far, the
4s£^nce betw^n the Italian and English Hie-
r^ohy, if we except the article of residence, is not
material; in the following circumstances they
liifier totally, and; on which side the advantage
Ues^ the reader. mu3t determine.

. In Italy every Bishop has his diocesan semi^
nary or college, consecrated solely to ecclesiasticai

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Dit. THROUGH ITALY; SW

edaeation^ ander his own inspection and un^
the direction of a few clergymen of an difvanc^d
age and of high reputation for sanfctfty and l«rftn-
ing« In this seminary the candidates fot'otdieri
in the diocese are obliged to pass three y^afsjp-
der rigorous discipline^ in the study of di^lmty
and in a state of preparation for the dis^Uargie; of
their ecclesiastical functions, before they ate ad-
mitted to the priesthood. It may be asked, what
course of studies is, adopted in these establish*
xoents? The atfident is obliged to attend twice
a day at lectures on the Scripture, on ethics, aild
on theology. The mode of treating these topics
depends upon the taste and the talents of l!he t^«
turer; but the two latter are generally discttsr^^d
in the scholastic manner, which has long kmce
fallen, into contempt and ridicule amongst ns;
though the zealous Protestant must know, that tibe
Reformers^ particularly Luther atid Ca^mi, de-
rived from it the weapons which they employfed
against their antagonists, and the still wfth whfch
thpy used tjiem. The truth is, that notwithst^tid-
ing the quibbles, the sophisms, the triviardiistifac*
tions, and the cobweb refinements introduced into
it, a course of school divinity gives a yetf fhll
«nd cwaprehensive view'of theology taken in the
widest sense of the word, and fufnisfaes a man of
Judgment and of discripiination with the best
proofs^ the 8tro|)gest objectio^s^ and ifbfe most sa^

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M4 CLASSICAL TOUR nut

tb&ctory aaswers, upon almost every qnertkm ihkt
has occupied ihe thinking part of mankmd.on the
subject of religion.

;j3ach . is the constitution of the regular and
apostolic part of the Italian Church, of the chrgy^
mxrplj and properly so called ; n body of men as
exemplary in their conduct and as active in the
discharge of their duty^, as any national clergy ia
the Christian woild. The traveller must not eo&^
found with the clergy a set of men who wear th^
clerical habit merely as a conveni^nit dress^ that
enables them to appear respectably in public plac^
to insinuate themselves into good company, and
sometimes to cover principles and conduct very
opposite to the virtues implied by such a habit
The intrigues and vices of these adventurers have
too often been attributed, by hasty and ignorant
persons, to the body whose uniform they presume
to wear, with just as much reason as the deceptions
of swindlers might be ascribed to the gentlemen
whose names are sometimes assmned for sudi
sinister purposes.

It must however be acknowledged, that the cle*
rical body in Italy is too numerous ; that tosany
supernumeraries might be retrenched^ and that
such a reform would contribute much to the edi":
fication of the public and t6 the reputation of the

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nki THRotreii etaly. tes

body itsfelf. Bttt, wherever any prcrfcddbn hM
acquired celebrity or any corporatioti seems td
open a wider or a shorter ro4d to preferment, ita
ranks will necessarily be crowded, and the very
avenues to it besieged with pretenders, lliis evil
18 now rapidly decreasing. The ecclesidstidal pro^
^don, since the ChntHih has been plundered imd
insulted by ihe Frendi;is no Idnget the rdad either
to &me or to fortune. The attractions it retains
are merely spiritual, and not likely to alltife a muk
titude, or to compensate, in the opinioik of many/
1^ restraints which it necessarily impoieies*

We now come to the reguhir clergy, so ^led
because they live under certain rules dr istafutes,
and take upon themselves obligationsr not con-
nected with the clerical profession. This bcriy is
very numerous, exhibits a great variety of dresses^
and.strcHigly attracts the attention of an Eugliih
tmvell^, who, if a very zealous Protestant, is apt
to feel, at the sight of one of its individuals, an
aversion or antipathy similar to that winch some
hypochondriac persons are said to experience in
the presence of cats and other domestic animals. .

The regular clergy may be divided into two
great classes. Monks and Friars, who though they
ate bound in common by the three vows of
Poverty, of Chastity, and of Obedience, yet Kve
under very different regulations. The former.

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SfiS ChkmCAL TOUtl JDtf.

WmIot HMom ^{ipdlatioQS^ follow almost murer*
aally tbiB rqjk of St. Benedict, who^ in the sixth
cpntorjr, attempt;ed toregalate the monastic life
iwrhich had been introduced into Italy and the
^^tern Chnrch in the age preceding. His Rnle
la^ rather a treatise of morality than a book c^
statutes^ as it recommends many yirtqes, and
prescribes few regnlations; tbf^. herniations r^
gard {MincipaUyjthe disposal of time^and the order
of the psalm$9 the duties of the two principal
f^Elcers of ^he^hl^y ^ and the practice of hospilali^.
It enjoins mj&ppallf^hqr^ and pcesup^iofies the exis-
tence of a library, in each monastery. Much is
leftt to the jd^edoa. of the Snperic»r ; parl&:ulaxly
the ^resSj^in, which tibe prudent founder recom-
mends plainnesi% ^d cautions against singularity.
The. truth is^ that jgi;4iteic hours^ their habit, their
diet, and ^ix^frnj^lf^jimnts^ the first monks
nearly resembled the better sort of peasants*
The :C(W^> a long^ ^^b^ ^Qwn or %a intended to
cov^ their, working ,dresa. and, to give^them a
decent, appearance Jn . i;J:xurch^ was at first the
only e^«mal diatinctipn. In process of time, the
geperal promotion of ,tb? monks to holy orders,
. their application to literature, and, above all, their
adherence to tbe forms^ the hours, and the manners
of.|bQ.^e of Ih^ir^. institution, ipad^ the distinction
more striking, APii at length .marked them out as
a peculiar and.^eparate Casf.. , , ;

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m. THROtJeH ITALY. ^ Uj

The first monastetted estaUiihed hf St Himt^
diet and by his immediate disciples Mnere generdySy
imilt among rains, in unwholesome marshes or
uncaltivated plains, in the midst of dreary fet^ts,
or on the summits of mountains almost inacces>*
sible. In process of time these rugged scenes
began to smite upon the industry of their iiifa^i*
tants, atkd yielding to the nnremitdng labor of
centuries, many a swamp resigned Its itifectitaa
pools, many a pathless forest opencld into pastures,
and many a n^^ rock pnt on verdmre ^d waved
with foliage. As barrenness yieMM to cultivation,
the resources of the monasteries mnltipftied, and
dieir increasftig riches sometimes ovierflowied and
fertiGzed whble provinces. That sdlitudes were
gradually peopled by well-fed ani happy peastots,
and tlie al^y itself not uinfti^iiibntly'became the
centre and the bmametit of alburisb^g^clty.

These establishments wer^ not only the abode
of piety, but they became the asylums of learning,
and <::bllected and preserved the scattered remains
of Greek and Roman literature and refinement.
Itiey were indeed the only retreats that w«re
sometimes neglected and sometimes spared by the
hordes of barbarians that successively invaded the
provinces of the Roman Enipire, and swept awky,
with undistingttishing ruin, their edifices, ^eir
sciences^ and thdr arts. In process of time, the

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CLASSICAL TOUR Bu.

$f mat eomteat with hordiiig up books,
endeanMred to datktBe ^ence, and opened didr k^
tveats to the sCmfions ; thns the monasteries toon
bieme the seminaries of youth, and eren the nnr-
series of boyhood. Socfa, in the time of St
Benedict himsdf, was Morae Camno and after-
waids VaUombrom, Sta.Justim at Padua^ S. Gtsorgio
at VeMOtf kc. in Italy ; and in Fiance the famous
AUbeyof CiiKnl, &c.

Iff manual labor was found incompatible with
these nobler and more useful occupations, we can*
not'censure the monks for haring resigned it, not
w^oader that they should prefer, to the tiBage of
their gnmnda and the increase of their barrel,
the propagation of knowledge and the cultivation
of the human mind. Their deviation from the
letter of their Rale in this respect is the more
pardonable, as their literary labors were crowned
with the most signal sbcoHs ; and for many ages
the diwch was indebted to the Benedictine Ordex;
akme for her most enlightened prelates, the Christ^-
ian kingdoms for their wisest statesmen, and the
republic of letters for its most active and best in-
formed scholars.

1V> tins Order, several countries owe the know-
ledge oi Christianity, and all the blessings annexed,
as well hi this Hfo as in the life to come, to its

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Difi THROUQH ITALVi 9i»

V most deeply, indebted; for, tcma the lidtrnMi iif
the 9^ow Augostin and of Jbis jGMsociafeM. md
followers^ «be has deriyed her reli^ox)> ber cmni^
ber hierarchy, her sacnm^wls ; to tbei* abe oww
the. knowledge ^f the aoeient langaag98i and irf^ljbt
ancieot ^its; they founded her two UniTeta^jteftf
dw lumim regm ; they erected twd^e of ber.tmoat
magnifioeot Cathedrals, and they raised a. tbouisimtl
Qthtf 8!i{)erb edifices, which, thoiigh now in ruins
fiiidy, are still the onsiaQient of the oonntcy md tb«
admiration of travellers. Franoe haa stniflari
tboQgh oertainly not equal obligations to the Bo*
nedktinfs^ and previous to tfa(9 Bev^lnticMi oanld
boast that she possessed in the ooi^vi^tion of
St. Manrus, the most learned corporate body in tlie
world ; so high was the reputation of that society
at a certain period^ and so numjsroua the emin^it
persons it produced. In fact, what a blaatf #f
^ry innst have re^uU^d &om the isaited ^w^^^
Jif^ottlffiMcony Mobillm, Ceiilier, and i^arAfrnKTiiwha
all flourished at the sa<ne period, ^nd a^toRished
the literary world with the extent, the variety, an4
the depth of their research^.

But the Benedictines are accused of being rich,
and rich they undoubtedly, were, but nc^e^ were
riches better, acq^red^ or better empl9yedf thigr
wore acquired by the perseyering ^li9r ^pf agesi

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910 CLASSICAL TOUR Dis.

mlAty wareemyfoygd in aete^4)^ii«fiMMeitail
in wofb'Of flpbmdor* NeveriiU there m fetr a
^JiYisioQ of th^ profits of agriciiltare between the
laodlovd and dbe tenants, as betireeii the monks
and thdr ^ftrmers ; nevw was gutter indnigetjice
ibewn m case of fiulnfe ; asid nerft was assitftence
moa^ leadtly ^parted in dicnmstancea of disti«ss#
la tratb^ the peasantiy on the abbey famds W€re$
ki att countries, a hiqppj and oontfinted raoe^ wt^
imirwted in ihdr d«tfes, and well snppHed witji
ail the necessaries tod the oonrforts compatibhr
with their situation. 13iey akme -enjoyed dial;
riifal falioity' which poets have^ at all tiimis^ attnt^
ImMid to^ their fdhms at large, and mi^t josdyhai
eallad foiMnate*

Fortunatofl nimiam sua si bona noriot

I need not enlarge npon the mnnScence of the
Ordi^, as the princdy incomes ci the rich abbiea
hare, Ibr tihiese eight centuries past, been almost
mtirely devoted to the erection and the detoration
of chnrehes^ halls, and libraries, and few indeed:
Itre the provinces of Europe, which are not indebted
ibr their principal architectural ornaments to the
taste^ the splendor^ and the c^nlence of the Bene-*
dictines ; insomuch, that when it disappears^ and
the period of its extinction is probably not far
divtant^ it will leave more tfiaces of its existence,
said SDOfv noftaments of its greatness and of its

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JKr. TBftOUOH ITALY. tn

. IbeBp(ied«9tiNs are 9]iMi aci^sed t}f jimkijr;
and po^ attd nordiii^ luNPeat4iUtn»ey<^imiittd
themsdves la deseribng skm^egtim Moii^psur^
as t^ 'Gines thai; iiiibMom^tibei^^Biitn^ i aad^cosB-
viYkd mimlrs^ wttii Ae ghM.in/tlKiF^bmds^iaiigkh
ingvat Ibe toHtiig ef tlie aUbi^ht bellj ^ Ti^aiirm
that itaaoen^ xlf revelry ^sMlevor been wiftiummA
la -an iibhey> w^« tmagioe tbateijiadirai^^
fiM^ii€iKt> fftoold he e^pdlf ahsttn^) Tbo^dSil^i^f
^Bmfi^dt lobliges Jun diadpleftitorJboii^diQ!^
and isbdr kmry cdm^edrin^^tlleltmfaie.* «eery
^est according to bis rank and totliifir. tnataft.
The abbot on such occasions represented the
%ody, and was escbmcety charged with the care
and the eotortainm^t of. visitors; he/bad^ar table
aQd« s^Hiisiite apastine^to allottad fiar the ;ptii|)#9e,
atid g^n(9i»Uy iiv^d ia 4be atyk and tke. ^plendieNr
^ a bjahop. In the intemn^ the imoi^ft^ whii^tha
friofir ^t their head^ U^,ia their usual n^iraoiei^^
and fed upon their. very moderate alla^wiucf in
their hall ; while, to season their repast, a laetor^
waft read firom the Bihle^ the F%th^[S, ot Eciel^
iii^ical Hi^toiy.

la th^ saxw maimer, tl^: xaagaifio^aee^ <^ itli«ii: .
«dttficea wai > iUNifiaed to ' thc^rpiiUJtt)|iar|%o t» 1^

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Sm CLASSICAL TOUB Dh,

dimsb ta>/thft\Jibttry5 to Itoidaiitttn^ wdto die
Jball or seiKstory ; btrt aMfer pom^-llKr cetticrf*
the monk or emblazoiied the bate walls of his
hitaifale dwelling. J:\foctj wfaedier tlie incone of
tlie . 'lie "^^ tea Aonsandy the ibiu

niuir-, ...• I. ih-.f^ aad couHtioa «f die' priMbe
moBk wt!r ai'.vvh'vthc »am^ahra]ni above pBBmy,
Imt &tc b^w lujLiuy. lu diort^ monks are g^*
tally bjr.birdi aad edQantion^ gentlemcti^ and tbeir
moik. ai living nearly res^bles that of fit^ws of
colleges in die English nniversitiea ; with this di^
fetfttce, that their eagagt^ments are fot life, and
that ncllmig bat sidmeiis can exemfk thctn from
condtaat ^Msidence, and from r^^gokir^ aMendance
in hall andin chapeL

It would be nojust to pass over in sfleace^ twd
cirannstances highly creditable to this Order. In die
firat^place, die BenedictiBes have ever been averse
to innovations, and have endeavored to retain in
the fiinrgy and in the public service of the Chnrch
die ftvms and the order that prevailed in the times
oi dieir founder, and thns, by disconrpigmg petty
practices and whimsical modes or expressiims
of devotion invented by persons of more piety diai6
prudence, diey have in a certain degree preserved
nnadnlterated and nndegraded, the purer and more
majestic ceremonial (tf the anci^itB. In the next
place, in political straggles, die monks hav^ either

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Di$. THROUGH ITALY. 273

obsenred a diarilableaeMralky) bi^tiidfaig11i#db-
tressed^ and ailalyiiig the aDtnoBities ef bofli fMurCies ;
or, if forced to declare thenwehres^ tbey liaTe gime*
rally joined the caiue^ if in sndi caseft dither could
claim to be thecanse^ of their ocmntry and<rf^jiiBdce.
In scholastic debates, wkidi have not nnfteqnently
beenccmdncted witb great rancor atnd aoiMe vd&dakfy
they have acted with the coolness of ^leetabira
nnconcemed in the result, and seem occasionally to
have langhed in secret at the fhrious sseal with which
the contending parties supported or attackied aiiw
built theories and visionary systems. Even iailie
more important contests on religions artides^
which sometimes burst forth before the Reformat*
tion, and have raged with lesser or greater, but
always with most malevolent animosity, ever since
that event; in contests which have rt^Hed the
smoothest minds and soured the sweetest tempcvi^
the Benedictines alone seem to have been Mmipt
from the common irenzy, have preserved dieir
osoid calmness in the midst of the general tempeflt,
and have kept strictly within the boundb of dirist^
ian charity and moderation. Among them we
find no inquisitors, no persecutors. Though
plundered, stripped, insulted, in most reformed
countries, they seem rather to have deplored in
ulaace, what they must have considered as the
errors and the madness o£ the times, than mveigh*
ed against it in public; and content with the

VOL. IV. T

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374 CLASSICAL TOUR Dig.

testimotny of Hjbeir own consciences, they appear to
have renounced with manly piety the pleasure of
complaint and of invective.

This body, once so extensive^ so rich, so power-
inl, is now fallen, and its history, like that of many
potent empires, will shortly be a tak of days that
are no more. Philosaphists^ insects rising in swarms
from the dregs of modem times, bnzz and dap
their wings in triumph ; but the wise man, who
judges what may happen by that which is passed^
pauses in silence and uncertainty. When he con-
templates the solitudes that spread around the
Abbies of Vale Crucis and of Fumess, and the
misery that pines away in the cold ruins of the
romantic Tintem, he will apprehend that posterity
may derive little advantage from their suppression,
and be little inclined to applaud the zeal of their
improvident forefathers. The savage wilds of the
ChartreUjP have been abandoned to their primeval
horrors ; the summits of Monte Cassino, now crown*-
ed with stately edifices are destined to be a desert
once more; and the solitudes of VaUambrosay now
enlivened by the shouts of youthful mirth, will ere
long rebellow the growlings of the bear and of the
wolf of the Apennines."*^ Such is the policy of the

* This prediction has been fulfilled with regard to both
the venerable and magnificent establishmenta mentioned
above much sooner than the author could have imagined.

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1>». THROUGH ITALY. SfS

philosophic goyemors of the niheteetith centaiy^
and such their method of encouraging agriculture
and of augmenting population.

From the Benedictines sprung many minor
congregations of more or less repute, according t6
the talents and the influence of their founders, such
as the BemardinSj Celistines, Camaldolese, &c.
The first, derived great credit from the eloquence^
the sanctity, and the authority of the celebrated
St. Bernard, and grew up into a rich and numerous
Order. The second, humble and unambitious as
their founder, who from the papal chair, then con-
fessedly the first throne in Europe, had slunk into,
the silence of a convent, soon subsided in obscurity
and insignificance. The last i was too austere to
become numerotis, and if we except a few thinly
inhabited houses at Rome, Venice, and Naples, was
seen only in deserts, and flourished principally in
the most remote, and the most dreary solitudes of
the Apennines.

To the monks we may add the canons regular,
who with the dress and ordinary duties of other
prebendaries, took upon themselves monastic en-
gagements and led a conventual life ; as also the
Theatins, Hieronymites, Oratorians, and other
congregations of clei^, who devoted themselves
to the education of youth and to the instruction of

tS

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«7a CLASSICAL TOUH Du.

^jfootj ud lived in oommimilaes/ without makiiig
rows or oontnicting any permanent and irrevocable
obligations. This class has rendered many essen-
tial services to the public^ has prodqced many dis-
tinguished literary characters^ and was^ perhaps,
the most nsefnl and the least objectionable. All
tibese orders^ congregations, and institutions, have
one advantage in conmion, which is, that they are
supported by a r^ular settled income, derived
from landed property or from public grants ; an
advantage which contributes much to their inde-
pendence and to tbeir respectability^ and dis-
tinguishes them from the second class of regular
dexgy, who subsist upon alms and donations^ and
are therefoie called Mendicants.

To these latter, exclusively, belongs the ap-
pellation of Friars, derived from Fratres^ Fraii,
Freres, an appellation assumed first by St. Fran*
cis as a mark of humility, and retained ever after
by his followers. ItfWould be useless, and I fear
tedious, to detain the reader with an enumeration
of all the subdivisions of this numerous body, or
with a description of their dresses, distinguishing
features and particular observances and austerities.
Suffice it to say, that St. Francis of AsUiumy of
whom I havB elsewhere given the reader some ac
count, gave the first example and the first im-
pulse in the year 1SQ9* His disciples were called

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DU. THROUGH ITALY, 9^7

Fratres Minores,saidin a very short space of time
midtiplied so prodigiously aa to astoiuah^ and al-
most to terrify the clergy of that age^ by their
numbers and by their activity.

St. Francis of Pmda, following the example of
his namesake^ instknted a new fraternity/ and ia
order to sink still lower on the scale of humility)
called his disciples Fhttres Mmm.

St^ Dominic founded the order of ihf Preadi^aRSi
better baown under the denomination of Doauni<*
cans*.

Tbe Carmelites affect to trace their origin to
the prophet Elias^ and merely (say diey) under-
went a reform at the Christian era; they were
discovered by some military pilgrim during the
Crusades, on the top of Mount Carmel^ and were
thence transplanted to Italy, and other Eunqpeaa
countries, where, notwithstanding the changes of
climate they grew and flooridhed for several cen-*
tnries.

The Augnstines or Austin Friars^ so called be-
cause they drew their statutes from the works of
St; Augustin, were little diff^^ent from the rest of
the fraternity.

All these, and others of less note, were origin-
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afiy intended to act as assistants to the clergy in
the discharge of their parochial duties, but in pro-
cess of time the auxiliaries became more numerous
than the main body, and not unfrequently excited
its jealousy and hatred by trenching upon its pre-
rogatives, and by usurping part of its credit and
of its functions. They contrived indeed, first, by
pontifical exeniptions, to shake off the legal au-
thority of their respective bishops ; next, by simi-
lar concessions, to acquire some share of their
apostolical powers; and, lastly, by certain privi-
leges annexed to their oratories to gather con-»
gregations and to draw the people away firomthe
regular parochial service. These were great abuses ;
and in towns, where the Friars had numerous con-
vents, tended not a little to divert the attention of
the public from the spirit and the simplicity of the
ancient liturgy, to shews, images, and exhibitions.
However, to compensate, if any compensation can
be made for such evils, the mendicant Orders pro-
duced several great mpn ; each in its time roused
the age from a lethargy of ignorance, and awaken-
ed, partially at least, a spirit of inquiry and of im-
provement. Besides, in small towns, in numerous
villages, and in lonely or distant provinces, they
still continue to fulfil their original object, and, as
I have hinted above, to afford a necessary assist-
ance to the ordinary pastors. They are, in general,
considered as too numerous, and from the fre-
quency with which they meet the eye in certain

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2)«. THROUGH ITALY. ^79

Capitals^ I am inclined to admit this Goncliisi0D«
But, as the population of Italy is very great,
amounting to eighteen millions at least, and as all
that immense population professes the same re-
ligion, the surplus may not he so excessive as is
usually imagined. At all events, this evil is daily
£mmishing, and the succeeding generations in
Italy, as in most other countrii^s, will, pi:obably
liave reason to lament the want, rather than com-
plain of the number, of religious ministers*

To conclude.*-— There are in the religion of
Italy some, and indeed not a few abuses, and
among these abuses we may rank the multiplicity
of c^emonies, and the introduction of theatrical
exhibitions and theatrical, music into the churdb ;
the general use and exaggeration of certain popular
and undignified forms of devotion ; and, in fine,
the unnecessary nombm* of religion^ establidi-
ments. These abuses originate partly firom the
influence of the climate and firom the genius of
the people, and partly from the natural effects of
Ag€S, which, as they roll on, sometimes improve
axid sometimes deteriorate human institutions. To
remove them entirely, is difficult; to eradicate
them at once, would be dangerous and perhaps
not possible. The whole business of reform must
be left to the zeal of enlightened pastors, to public
opinion, to the inquisitive and critical spirit of the

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age, and to Time, ao apt to destroy his own woik
and to root up weeds, which he himself has
planted.

\ Quod aetas vitium posuit^ aetas auferet.

Pub. Syr.

At all events, one obvions r^ection presents
itself to console the benevolent and tmly Christiaa
reader, whose expansive heart embraces all nmn-
kind, and who of course wishes rather to ^arge
dian to narrow the conditions of pardon and Ihe
pale of salvation. Of all the abuses here enti-
BM^rated, not cme, in the opinion of an enlightened
IVotestant, can toudi the essence of Christianity ;
not one can obscure the splendor of dbe Divine
perfections; not one can nSkct the mediation of
the Redeemer, or obstnurt the active and efficient
operation of the three prime and all^enlivening
virtues, of Faith, of Hope, and of Chuity. On
the contrary, most, if not all, may be attributed to
a well-intended| though an ill-directed zeal, a ikuk
which, of all the failings incidental to human na^
ture, undoubtedly deserves the greatest indulgence.
With this reflection ever uppermost in his mind,
the most sealous Protestant may traverse Italy
with composure, bear its abuses with temper, treat
a monk or even a friar with civility, and still con*
sider himself as in a Christian country.

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joh. TaRovaa jtaly. »i

NATIONAL CHARACTER.

VIII. After having thus taken a cursory view
of the Climate, of the History, of the Literature,
and of the Religion of Italy, we shall proceed to
make some observations on. the character of its
iiAabitants ; observations the more neoessary, as
the subject has been much dbtorted by prejudiee
and misrepresentation.

National, like individual character, is, I «di
aware, a wonderful texture, composed of threads
oftentimes so fine, and firequently so interwoven^
as to escape the notice of the most penetrating oh-
sarver. Biit this obscurity affects only the more
delicate tints, and leaves the principal and C(msti«
tnent colors their fttU strength and effect. Ths
latter part of this observation becomes more ap-
plicable to such individuals and nations as are
placed in trying circumstances, which necessarily
call forth the passions, and oblige nature to exert
her latent energies without control. On such oc-
casions the character throws off every disguise,
and displays all its peculiar and distinctive fea*
tnres. Now, if ever any nation has heexx placed in
such circumstances it certainly is the Italian, and
consequently we should be led to conclude, that
no national character could b^ more opea to obser-

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28C CLASSICAL TOUR Di».

Tation^ and more capable of being drawn with ac-
curacy and precision. Yet, the very contrary has
happened, and never sorely were any portraits more
overchai^ed, and more nnlike the original, than
the pictures which some travellers have drawn (at
leisure apparently) and given to the public as cha-
racters of the Italians. If we may credit these tm-
partial gentlemen, the Italians combine in their
hearts almost every vice that can defile and de-
grade human nature. They are ignorant and vain,
effeminate and cruel, cowardly and treacherous,
Mse in their professions, knavish in their dealings,
and hypocritical in their religion ; so debauched as
to live in promiscuous adultery, yet so jealous as
to murder their rivals ; so impious as scarcely to
believe in God, yet so bigotted as to bum all who
reject their superstitions ; void of all patriotism,
yet proud of the glory of their ancestors : in short,
wallowing in sensual indulgence, and utterly lost
to all sense of virtue, honor, and improvement.
Hence, is a scene of lewdness or debauchery to be
introduced into a Romance? It is placed in, an
Italian convent. Is an assassin wanted to frighten
Ifidies in the country, or to terrify a London mob
on the stage ? An Italian appears ; a monk or a
friar probably, with a dose of poison in one hand
and a dagger in the other. Is a crime too great for
utterance to be presented dimly to the imagina-
tion? It is half disclosed in an Italian cmfesswrud.

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DiB. THROUGH ITALY. MS

In short, is some inhtiman plot to be executed^ or
is religion to be employed as the means or the in-
strument of lust or revenge ? The scene is laid in
Italy ; the contrivers and the perpetrators are Ita-
lians ; and to give it more diabolical effect, a con-
vent or a church is the stage, atid clergymen of
some description or other, are the actors of the
tragedy. These misrepresentations, absurd and
ill-founded as they are, have been inserted in so
many books of travels, and interwoven with so
many popular tales, that they have at length bi-
assed public opinion, and excited a distrust and an
antipathy towards the Italian nation.

• The authors of these Tales of Terror ought to
recollect, that in amusing the imagination they are
not allowed to pervert the judgment ; and that, if
it be a crime to defame an individual, it is aggra-
vated guilt to slander a whole people. Yet this
class of writers, who professedly deal in fiction,
however they may undesignedly influence the pub-
lic mind^ appear innocent when compared with
travellers who, while they pretend to adhere to
strict veracity, relate as eye-witnesses, facts which
never happened, and give as interlocutors, conver-
sations that were never uttered, playing upon the
credulity of the reader on one side, and on the
other, sacrificing the reputation of individuals and
of nations without mercy or remorse. Hiis fond-

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SM CLASSICAL TOUE Ok.,

nesrfor mischieyoos and ill-natured ficti6n^ whkji
Qome celebrated authors have indolged to a great
exeefts^ has sometiines been a serious disadvantage
to their countrymen^ and has closed against them
the best sources both of information and of ami^ie-
ment; that is the societies o£ Capitals through
which they passed^ in Sicily and in Italy .^

But this evil is trivial in comparison of the
greater mischief which such works do at home, by
in&sing prejudices^ and exciting rancorous antipar
tbies against our fellow-creatures ; sentimatits ge-
nerally ill-founded and always unchristian and ma*
levolent If it be difikult to account for the ma-
lignity of such authors^ it is still more so to con-
ceive the credulity of the readers who give the
traveller full credit for whatever he chooses to
relate^ and listen to his tales with the most unsus-
picious confidence. Yet if they reflected upon the
propensity which travellers in genaral are suppos-»
ed to have to fiction and exaggeration^ and have

* See on thia subject Mr. Swinburne's account of his re-
ception at Palermo, subsequent to firydone's publication.
Vol. III. sect. 25. I always cite this sensible and very accu«
rate writer with satisfaction. Had he given the public such
an account of Italy in general as he has of its southern pro-
vinces^ he would have superseded the necessity of the present
publication.

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DU. THROUGH ^ITALY. ttft

cmisidered how little Englkli travellers in pw^co*
lar^ for various reasons, associate with the peo^db
of the countries through whidbi they pass, they
would find more reason for doubt and diffideaoe
than for implicit belief in such relations.

But if I object to such misrepresoitations and
literary falsehoods as a man of veracity, I coisure
iJiem with double severity as a patriot. I consider
them, when published, as insults to the good sCTse
and the candor of the nation ; and, when believed^
as so many monuments of its credulity and its in-
justice. Hitherto foreigners, and particularly Ita-
lians, have shewn very little indination to retaliate^
and in general display towards the manners, the
literature, and the reputation of England, a par*
ttality the more generous on their side because the
less merited on ours. Such conduct gives them a
claim not to justice only but to indulgence, and
might induce a generous traveller to dwell with
more complacency upon their virtues than upon
their defects. In that disposition of mind, the fol*
lowing observations are written, and will perhalps
be found more favorable to the Italian character
than the reader may naturally expect ; though in
the author s intimate conviction they are always
strictly conformable to truth and to justice.*

*' The following very sensible and benevolent observe*

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«85 CLASSICAL TOUR Du.

National character is the result^ in a great de-
gree, of climate, religion, government, and educa-

tion is 80 applicable to the sabject which the author is now
treating^ that he cannot refuse himself the satisfaction of in-
serting it.

** In the picture I have here drawn^ I have followed
nothing but truth; this honest report it is but justice to
make; and it is cruelty in the highest degree to stigmatize
persons of probity and real merit in the gross as a luxurious,
slothful, ignorant set of men. For my own part, wherever
I meet such general reflections in any traveller on any coun-
try whatever, I always attribute it to his own self-sufliciency
and want of better information ; or to his temerity in taking
up the opinions of others at a venture, without having the
oppqrtunity of examining on what foundation they are
grounded."

'' The many fidsehoods and ridiculous stories reported
of this Church, and spread over aU countries, persuaded
me that this is a subject hitherto little known ; nor shall we
wonder at the number of these falsehoods, if we reflect that
the accounts we have had, for the most part, have, been
given by travellers who knew nothing either of the lan-
guage or of the matter; but went into a churchy stared
about them, and then came home and published an account
of what they saw, according to their own imagination;
frequently taking an accidental circumstance for an esta-
blished custom, and not seldom totally misunderstanding
whatever they beheld: the consequence has been, that
their mistakes, for want of being contradicted and cut off
at first, have grown and multiplied, by being copied and

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Dk. THROUGH ITALY. 9t7

tioBj which modify our common natnre, and give
it those pecaliarities that distinguish the different
tribes which inhabit the earth. Many other causes,
some of which, as I have before hinted, lie too
deep for human investigation, may concur in
heightening and varying the effect, but the above-
mentioned are, without doubt, the principal. Any
alteration in these grand ingredients must mflu-
ence the character, and to such a change we must
ascribe its improvement or its deterioration.

The ancient inhabitants of Italy are, in general
I believe, admitted to have been a wise, a valiant,
and a virtuous people, particularly from the period
which united them inseparably to the destinies
and the glories of the Roman name, and employ-
ed them as instruments in the conquest and the
civilization of half the Globe. Though the con-
sciousness of power and the possession of empire
may affect the mind and the manners of a nation,
and may give pride to the port, defiance to the eye ;
and though many dreadful revolutions have since
rolled over the regions of Italy and swept away
their inhabitants ; yet I know no cause so actively
destructive as to have totally debased the character

translated from one language to another." — Dr. King's
JSisi^ of the Greek Church, a work of learning, sense^ and
impartiality.

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t86 CLASSICAL TOUR Dm.

of the nnha)^ Italians^ and bereft them at once
of aU the yirtnes that rendered their predecessors
8o illnstrioas. They enjoy the same advantages
of climate as their ancestors^ the same serene
skies, the same fertile soil, the same loyely scenery.
The clonds and frosts of the north did not accom-
pany the septentrional invaders; and in sj^te of
every political disaster nature still continues to
smile npon her beloved Italy. In religion, indeed^
the change has been great and effectual ; but that
change in Italy, as in every Christian country, by
enlightening the mind and by improving the heart
in the knowledge of moral truth, has nused the
modem child above the ancient philosopher. As
this revolution, therefore, cannot have deteriorated
the character, we shall proceed to the great changes
which so many eventful centuries have produced
in the Italian governments and policy.

Italy was originally divided into as many, or
to speak more correctly, into more independent
and jarring governments than it is at present, and
this state of division and of hostility lasted till a
very advanced period of Roman History, when
the GREAT REPUBLIC, after ages of sanguinary
contest, at length conquered the whole Peninsula,
and united all its inhabitants in one common nam^
cause, and interest. The history of these petty
states, previous to their incorporation with Rome,

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jDu. through ITALY. 389

is obscure, and affords light too faint to enable us
to judge of the merits of their respective consti-
tuticms. One circumstance, however, we may dis-
cover ^highly honorable to them, which is, that
Liberty was the end and the object of all, and
though it sometimes rose to anarchy, and as of):en
subsickd in tyranny, yet it always revived and ever
remained the prevailing spirit that ruled their
cpundte and animated their enterprises. Liberty
brdugbt with it its usual retinue of virtues and of
bleftjsings, courage, industry, and temperance, in-
dependence, plenty, and population; virtues and
blessings which, when drawn up against Rome,
long suspended &e high designs of Fate in her
favor, ahd when ranged aftarwards on her side,
soon laid the Universe prostrate before hen But
this momentous conquest that crowned Rome and
Italy with glory and with empire, closed the
career of Roman virtue and happiness for ev^, and
by raising to the throne a race of ruthless and all-
powerful tyrants converted the country and its
Capital into the theatre and very seat of guilt and of
misery. To the whole of this long interval, extend-
ing from the reign of Hberius to the extinction of
the Western Empire, we may apply, with the ex-
ception of a few prosperous reigns, the dark
picture which Tacitus has drawn of a part of it
only. " Atros praliis^ . discors seditionibus, ipsa
etiampace sofoum. Hausta out dirutte urbea; polluta

VOL. IV. u

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250 CLASSICAL tOtm Dii.

carimania ; magna oAiUeiia ; pkfium exitiis mare,
irfesti cauiibus scopuli ; atrocius in urbe sav^itum.*"^
In tlbese times of goilt and of disaster every trace
of ancient virtue mnst nearly have disappeared^ and
the Italian character mnst have snnk to its lowest
degradation. The era therefore^ of the prosperity
and virtne of Italy may he confined to the space
whidi elapsed between the foundation of Rome
and the accession of Tiberius, including on the one
side the dawning, en the other, the decline^ of its
glory and of its felicity. At this time, indeed, the
national character displayed many virtues and be-
tmyed few defects.-f* Every state produced its
citizens, its sages, its heroes, capable of meeting
the legions, the senators, the consuls of Rome in
the field and in the cabinet, without disgrace
and oftentimes with honor. Frugality at home,
valor abroad, patriotism in every circumstance,
seem to have been virtues common to all ; while

* Hist. i.

t Of the Italian race during this period^ Virgil speaks in
the following lines : —

Hasc (Italia) genns acre Tinini^ Marsos, pobemque Sa-

bellam
Asscietumque malo Lignrem^ Volscosque vemtos
Extullt I hsc DecioSj Marios^ magnosque GamilFos^
Sc^iadas daros bello . . . r , .

Geofg, iL

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Dis. THROUGH ITALY. »1

perseverance ' and resolution^ rising superior to
every obstacle^ were the peculiar virtues of the
Romans.'*' These qualities were probably owing to
the wisdom of the Senate^ that assembly of kings^
as the astonished Greek seems juslJy to have called
it; they lingered in that body when every other
virtue had fled^ and they sometimes graced its de«
cline with a transient beam of magnanimity*

Now^ to apply these observations on the state
of ancient to that of modem Italy^ there is a
period in the history of the latter, when again
restored to her original state of division, she
enjoyed the sattie liberty and displayed the same
virtues^ The period to which I allude comprises
the space that elapsed from the tenth to the

* To ibis period of Itoman history, iTortunaiely of long
duration, we tnnst in some degree confine the eulogiumd
bestowed upon the Roman character. Of it Quintilian says^
and says with justice^-Quse profecto (dicta et facta predam
antiqttitus) nosquam plura, majoraque, qaam in nostrse civi-
tatis monimentis reperientur. An fortitudlnem> fidem, jus-
titiam, continentiam, frugalitatem, contemptum doloris ao
mortis, melius alii docebunt, quam Fabrrcii, Curii, Reguli>
Decii, Mutii, aliique innumerabiles? Qaantum enim Gned
prwceptis valent tantum Romani exemplis^-^Quintil, Lib. xiL

We admire in tlie Romans not their ambition, but the
virtues that accompanied it: and we praise not their snccess*
bat the godlike qualities that preceded and insured iU

V 2

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2d2 CLASSICAL TOUR Dis.

seventemth century, when tlie great cities, shaking
off the yoke of the German Caesars, rose into in-r
dependent and sometimes powerfbl republics, su-
perior in fame and in greatness to their ancestcnrs^
the Ligurians, the Etrurians, the Samnites, &c.
and equal to Thebes, to Athens, and to Lacedse^
mon* like these states they were engaged in
perpetual warfare ; but their mutual hostilities in
both cases seem to have contributed more to their
advantage than to their prejudice, by exciting a
spirit of emulation, enterprize, and patriotism, with
ail the military and manly virtues.

I have elsewhere hinted at the flourishing state
of these commonwealths ; but were I to draw a
comparison between them and the Greek states, it
would not be difficult to prove, that in political
institutions^ wise councils, bold enterprize, riphes
and duration, the advantage is generally on their
side : I may add, that their history is as eventful
and as instructive, less sullied with crime, if not
more abundant in virtue. The history of Thebes
is short ; its sun rose and set with its hero £pa-
minondas; and all the glories, all the achieve-
ments of Greece, are comprised in the records of
Athens and of Lacedsemon. Yet, can the annals
of these cities, can their petty wars in Greece and
in Sicily, can even that splendid struggle with
the Persian mcoiarcl^ be compared to the histories

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Bis. THROUGH ITALY. 293

of Genoa and of Venice; to their bold contests
with German, French, Spanish iiivaders at home;
and abroad to their glorions feats of arms against
the accumoiated power of the mighty Sultan?
The enterprizes of Lacedaejmon and of Athens
were confined to their own narrow seas and to
the bordering coasts, and never extended beyond
Sicily then a Grecian island. The fleets of
Genoa and of Venice swept the whole Mediterra-
nean^ carried devastation and terror over all the
shores of Africa and of Asia Minor, and more
than once bof e defiance and hostility into the
port of Constantinople. If, therefore, we praise
the ancient Greeks we cannot in justice refuse a
tribute of applause to the modem Italians ; the
same virtues that plead in favor of the former,
demand for the latter some share of our esteem
and admiration. We may carry the parallel still
farther and observe, that in the Italian as in the
Greek republics, the arts and sciences were culti-
vated with enthusiasm ; and that poetry, history,
and grammar, architecture, painting, and sculp-
tnre, kept pace with the glory and the resources
of each State, and were employed at home to im-
mortalize the achievements performed by its heroes
abroad. Here indeed the first praise belongs to
the Greeks as the inventors ; but surely no small
honor and acknowledgment are due to those
who restored and perhaps improved these noble

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394 CLASSICAL TOUR Du.

pursuits*. So fiur at leasts we see no reason for
ifiproaching the people of Italy with degeoeracjr.

This state of polity^ so much resemUing an-
cient Greece, has undergone a great change, it
13 trae, during the two or three last centuries.
Several of the lesser republics have lost their in-
dependence and been annexed to the greater;
Florence has been enslaved to its Dukes; Pisa
aod Sienna have shared the fate of Florence ; and
otiier revolutions have taken place equally inimical
to the interests of liberty. Yet the two great
republics still survived, and continued to display
ouch of their ancient energy even so late as the
middle of the last century. Besides, the various
changes alluded to were internal, and while they
transferred power, riches, and population from one.
city to another, in no wise affected the external
lustre and indqsendence of the country* On the
contrary, if we may believe a judicious historiant^
whom I have often had occasion to quote in thoe

* Egregias artes ostenderit, esto^

Graecia, tradiderit Latio preedara reperta;
Bam post, in meliosj aliunde acoepta, Latini
Omnia retulerint, dum longe maxima Roma
Ut belli studiis, ita doctis artibus^ omnes
Quod sol cumque videt terrarum, anteivcrit urbes.

Vida de Art. Poet,
I Denrna,

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Bh. THROUGH ITALY.

obs^n^tidus, Rome hanietf never beheld «mtf
splesidid dap isince liie extinction of her CTapJina,
than daring the seventeenth century; nor had
Italy^ from the same era, been more free from
barbarian influence^ ever enjoyed more tranqntllity
at home^ or been more respected abroad, th$n
daring the years that preceded the French Revo*,
lution.

According to this representation, the accuracqr
of frMch it would be difficult to question, we dii^
cover nothing in the history of the modern Italians
that mast necessarily degrade their public cha-
racter, or entirely etkce the remembrance of thir
virtues which made the nation great and illustriaw
during so many ages. The French Revolution, it
most be owned, darkened the bright prospects of
Italy, and indeed clouded the whole horizon of
Europe ; but whatever its local ravages may have
been, I do not see that its general effects have
produced a greater change in the character of the
Italians than in that of the Spaniards, of the Dutch,
of the Swiss, and of the Germans, all of whom lie
equally within the range of its devastation. At
all events, the ftiU extent of its mischief, if Provi-
dence deigns to allow it a longer duration, will be
known only to our posterity ; till the present mo-
meeit, horror and detestation are the only senti^
ments it has excited in 4ie minds of its victims^

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996 CLASSICAL TOUR Du.

So far I have endeavored to AeWy that there
is nothing in the history of Italy which can justify
the reproaches made to the character of its inhabi^-
tants by certain inconsiderate or prejudiced antfaors*
I will now proceed to particulars^ and take into
consideration some of the many vices imputed to
them. But first I must observe, that few travellers
have had either the leisure or the inclination, and
still fewer the information and the opportunities,
necessary to form a just estimate of the Italian
character* Many drive through the countrjr witb
the rapidity of couriers, content themselves wi^ a
hasty inspection of what they term its curiasiiks;
confine their conversation to the innkeepers and the
Ciceroni ; visit the Opera->house, perhaps intrigue
with an actress ; then return home, and write a
Tour through Italy. Oth^s, with more infcxniMr
tion and better taste, find that the anci&at monur
ments and classic scenery of the country, the
perusal of the Roman authors on the spot where
they were inspired, and the contemplation of the
masterpieces of the great artists, furnish sufficient
occupation for every hour; these cannot prevail
upon themselves to sacrifice such refined enjoy-
ments to the formality of visits and to the frivolity
of general conversation. Such travellers, without
doubt, derive much improvem^it and much ratio-
nal entertainment from their tour ; but yet they
cannot be qualified to judge of the character of the

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Dtt. THROUGH ITALY. 397

Italiani. For this pttrpose are requisite, in the
first plaice^ a tolerable knowledge of the langaage
of llie conntry^ a qualification in which transalpine?
in general are very deficient ; in the second place^
a iamiliar and efiectnal introduction into the best
houses in each city ; and thirdly, time and resolu-
tion to cultivate the acquaintance to which such an
introduction naturally leads. I might add^ a fourdi
requisite, perhaps not less necessary than the
fi>rmer, I mean good nature; a virtue that does
not permit us to condemn as absurd every practice
and opmion contrary to the modes of thinking and
of living established in our own country, fin-
dowed with these qualities, a traveller will indeed
be a competent judge of the subject, and enabled
to form an opinion firom his own experience ; an
opinion which he will find very different fi-6m that
generally enforced by ignorant writers, and adopted
by incoi^iderate readers.

He will experience, contrary probably to his
expectations, much hospitality, as far as hospitality
consists in iumishing a guest with every accom-
modation. This is so true, that a good letter of
recommendation may carry a traveller firom house'
to house over all Italy; a circumstance that ac-
counts for the indifference of the inns in the lesser
towns, which are fi-equented solely by foreigners
9nd by the middling classes ; as Italians of rank

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«8 CLASSICAL TOUR X>a.

almost always lodge, when travelling, in private
imnes. When once introduced into a house, he
will find it always open to him, and the more fire*
qoent his visits, .the greater will be his considera*
tion, as mnch assidaity islregarded as a mark both
of confidence and of respect. Dinners, though. not
vQCOmmon in Rome, Naples, and Milan, are not
mnch in fashion. The Italians are very indifferent
to the pleasures of the table ; their repasts are short,
and too hasty in their opinion, for conversation.
They devote the whole evenings, and part of the
night to society, when they love to meet and enjoy
their fiieads at kisure. In this respect they differ
mnch ikom us, and indeed from most transalpines ;
\mt I know not that we have reason to condemn
them. If we consult conviviality, they look to,
health, ^nd perhaps to economy. On which side
rational self enjoyment, and even social is to be
found, it is not difficult to determine. Nor, if they
are biassed on this occasion by economical motives
do they deserve much censure. Their taste for
expence takes a different direction. They prefer
Minerva to Bacchus; and take less pleasure in
Jtegaling themselves cm turtle, venison. Champagne^
and Burgundy, than in contemplating pictures,
statues, marble balls, and pillared porticos.

As for courage, it is a quality common to the
vjiole species ; every nation arrogates it to itself, a

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Dk. THROUGH ITALY. 91^

proof that it belongs to alL If any seem deficient
in it, tiie defidaicy is to be attributed^ not to inMl»
cowardice^ bnt to ignorance of the art of war; tm
want of discipline; to consciousness of the ini^tl^
of resistsmce;. or to some soch incidental eircmn*-
stance. Hence^ nations most inured to armff dis^
play this quality most; and hence the same wna^y,
as well as the same individual^ som^imes gives
surprising ma^rks of courage and of cowardice m the
san^e cmnpaign. To accuse the Italians of cowiv^
dice is to bdie their whole history* The troops
of the King of Sardinia were distiiigtiidied §ot
their valory while their monarcbs acted thei^ pasted
warriors. Even in the late invasion, the peasantry
themselves, in some parts of the Neapelilati, and
particularly of the Rcmum stated made a bold and
g^aerous though inefiectual resisK^ee. Not con*
rage^ therefore^ but the motives which < call it
forth> and the means which give it effect^ ^t
is disciplme^ faope^ intereat, &c. are wanting tq th^
Italmns*

Those who reproach the Italians witli ignor-^
anee mtist have a veiy imperfect knowledge <^
that people^ and have confined their observations
to the lowest populace of great cities, and to the
peasants of certain mountainous tracts and unire-r
^uaated provinces. Such classes, in all countries,
not excepting the UiBted Kingdojn, haye littte

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300 CLASSICAL TOUR Dit.

means and less inclination to acqnire knowledge;
they are ev^ry-where left much to natore^ and con-
sequently retain something of the Savage. The
peasantry of the north of Italy, particnlarly of the
Piedmontese and Milanese territories, and those of
Tnscany, were, previous to the French invasion,
universally taught to read and write ; they were in
every resped: as well instructed as that dass ought
to be, and equal in point of information to the
peasantry of the most flourishing countries in Eu-
rope. Even in the Neapolitan territory, without
doubt, the worst governed of all the Italian states,
I have seal a shepherd boy lying under a taree with
21 bo^ in his hand, his dog at his feet, and hn
goats browsing on the rocky hills around him, a
scene more delightful than amy described in dasMc
paistoral. The middling diasses, which in reality ocm*
stitnte the strength and give the character of a na-
tion, are generally very well acquainted with every
^Dg that regards their duty, the object of their
profession, and their respective interests. In writ-
ing, in the higher ru]es of arithmetic and in geo-
graphy, they are inferior to the same dasses in
England, but such accomplishments are most va-
bed because most useful, in commercial countries;
especially when national prosperity is intimately
connected with navigation, and when a spirit!^
adventure is very generally prevalent m ike mid-
dling and the lower classes. But, even wiiere the

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ZHf. THROUGH ITALY. dM

ordmary share of inibnnatioB is wanting, the ddk-
ciency is not so perqeptiUe as in more northern,
regions, whose inhabitants are natnrally i^ow aifei
inattentive. The Italian is acnte and observiiig«i
These two qualities united snpply in scxQie d^gi^a
the {dace of reading, and give his converaatioii
more life, more sense, and more interest than are
to be fonnd in the discourse of triaosaJiNpaft of
much better education.

We now come to the higher clads, for against
them the reproach is partiooiarly levelled, and sup^
posing the accusation wdU-^grounded, I might sug-^^
gest a few. circumstances in extenuation. On the
Continent in general, the various governments are
purely monarchical, the whole administration is
ocmfined to the sovereign and bis ministers, whjk
the body of the nation is excluded from all sh^re
and influence in the management of its own coor
cems. Such an exclusion operates most percep-
tibly upon tbe higher classes, whose natural pro-
vince such manageuMit is, and by withdrawing
every stimulus to exertion and improvement, it
acts as a powerful soporific, and lulls them una-^
VOidably into sloth and ignorance. In a free coun-t
try, mental improvement brings with it its own
reward, oftentimes rank and fortune, and always
&me and consideration : it is both necessary and
ftshioiidi^, and cannot he dispensed with by any

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303 CLASSICAL TOUtt Di$.

mdividual, who means to fittain or to keep a place
in the higher orders of society. In a despotic go*
ipemment^ all these motives are wanting. The
dmdgery necessary for the acquisition of informa-
tion irf rewarded only by the consciousness of in*
tellectoal superiority ; an advantage of little weight
in countries, where mental attainments are too
much undervalued to attract attention or to excite
envy. Hence, after having passed through the or**
dinary course of college education, or loitered away
a few years with a private tutor, the noble youth
of the Continent, if not employed in the army
sink into domestic indolence, and fritter life away
in the endless frivolities of town society.

After this general apology for the ignorance of
the continental gentry, I must say, in favor of the
Italians in particular, that they stand in less need
of it than the same class in any other country.
Whether the various republics that lately flourish-'
cd in Italy furnishes them with more inducements
to mental cultivation ; or whether the natural af«-
fcction to literature which had never been totally
extinguished even in the barbarous ages, impels
them spontaneously to application, I know not;
but the Italian nobility have always distinguished
themselves by cultivating and encouraging the arts
and the sciences. To prove this assertion, which
may perhaps surprise many of my readers^ I need

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Dis. TliROUGH ITALY. 3«

only observe, that Biany or ratlier mort of the Ite-^
Uaa academies were founded by gentlemen, and
are still composed principally of members of that
dais. Such is the Arcadian academy at Rome,
such the Crusca at Florence, the CMympic at Vz*
cenzdty the Fisiecritici of Sienay &c. To this proofs
in itself saflSciently strong, I will add, that the Ita-
lian nobility has produced more authors eren in
our days than the same class has ever yet done in
any country, not excepting our own, where they
are in general the best informed. Who has not
heard the names Maffei^ Carliy Rezzonico^ Salluzzi,
Daria, Filangteri, Alfieri? They were all of noble
birth, and have certainly done credit to it, and re-
flected a lustre upon their order more brilliant and
more honorable tha'n the blaze of all the coronets
and all the stars of Europe united. Many mof e
might be mentioned, but instead of swellif^ these
pages with a dry catalogue of names, I shall only
refer the curious reader to the lists of the various
academies (and there is scarce a town in Italy
without one or more of these literary assocmtions)
and he will find, that they consist, as I have ob-
served, of nobles and clergy almost exclusively. I
remember being pres^it at one of the academical
assemblies at Florence ; it was crowded with mem*
hers ; several sonnets were redted, and some ik*
sertations read by their xespective authors. Most
of the auditors and all the authors were gentlemen.

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M4 CLASSICAL TOUR MM$.

u I was assured by the perscm who had teen so
obligmg as to introdace as. MoreoYer^ a taste for
the fine arts, scolptare, pamtiiig, arohitectoM,
niiisic, is ahaost umate in the Italian gesftry, as it
seems to, have becan in the ancient Greeks ; now^
a taste so refined in itself, and the result of so
moch observation and of so tnuch * sensibility,
BieauM to presuppose some, and indeed n6 small,
degree of mental cultiTation, and is scanty sepa-^
ralfle from an acquaintance with the two great'
sources of information, aotiqatties and fatstorf .

We will now pass to an accusation of a more
seribus nature, and consider the state of mor^ty
in Italy, as far as it regards the intercourse be*
tween the sexes : and here £^ain, as I am pet*snad-
ed that my representation will surprise many dF
my readers, I Ihink it necessary to make some
previous remarks. In the first place, the morality
of nations is merely comparative. In all, there is
too much vice, ajid though in some it may be
more glaring than in others, yet every one has
some favorite indulgence very pardonable in their
own eyes, but very offensive to strangers. In the
next place, sensuality, in some shape or other,
seems the predominant vice of the species, and
tlH>ngh perhaps 'die most degrading propensity of
nature, it displays its^ power in every climate, at
the expence of one or other of the contrary virtues.

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DU. IBROUQH ITALY. 90S

Lttbe northeni r^ions it has long ragned uulcsr
the form of intmiqMarance. In the soathem eli<^
mates^ it has at all times domineered in the diape
of hist. Hence^ when the soft iidmbitaats dP haif^
Spain, Greece and Asia, first hdield the grim s»t
vages of the Cimbrian ChersonesuSj they wene a9
mnch surprised at their chastity, as terrified by
tbeir fierceness, and while they daily witnessed
the . convivial excesses of their conqveron they
were astonished to see them turn away with
ind^rence from more graial and n^re alkuing
CTJoyments.

But the maimers, of these nations have nnder^^
gone no small alteration since the fall of the Bo-
mim £mpire. The arts, the sciences and the dri-^
Imtidn of the sonth have visited even die pofaur
regions, and softened the ru^ed iusarts of their
half irosen inhabitants.^ The Loves, and jSporta
aGcompfnied the muses in their northern emigra-*
tion: Venus now shares the sway with Bacdins,
and Pleasure in all its forms wantons even in the
lap of eternal winter. The inhabitants of the north
have therefore little with which to reproach those
of the south, at present, especially as in adopting
tte vices of milder climates they still retain their
native intemperance ; a vice as foul in itself and
as destructive in its consequences as any that has
ever yet enslaved the human mind. I would infer

VOL. IV. X

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306 emsarcAL >Tarar Bh.

feofartfabofaterTation thai it is xsa^&r in
the Italians for excesses covxamm to diem and to
oilier mrticaK, and to stigmatize them with vioes
which are^ I fear^ latber the nuufaiess of the species
in general than the characteristic depravity of any
yartioofar tribe*

It ranst indeed be admitted^ that in many of
the. great tonns in Italy doe respect Js not paid to
ibG matrimonial contract^ and that a fineedom of
mteDconrse is encouraged contrary to the very na--
tore and essence of that sacred institation. Far be
it from me to palliate^ even in the slightest degree,
^.jsnomons a disorder, which 1^ poiscmiog do-
mttstie eon^dence and defeating the purposes of
BtDptial nnion> infects the very source of the hap^
pineM and even of the exutence of mankind. A
crime that thus rans m dn^ect opposition to idbe
benevOknt designs c£ Providence^ and violates one
of bin most holy institutions, merits mii{uaiifiid
dol^iitsliion, and cries to heaven* itself for ven«
geance. But! mmt ob^rve, that this most cri-
minal intercourse is, I fear, byino means peenliar
to Italy, and even in Italy not so general as is
commonly represented. The example of the higher
eiass, and of those who immediately administer t6
their amusements, such as comedians,- singett,
actors, actresses^ &c. is the only one kaown or at-
traded to by many tntveUers^ and thatieven, not

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JM$. WSOVOSL ITALY. M7

.tfdvf^s ywy <peir£bcilf ; general ooiidiuMOBft am too
leaaihjF drawn frois a few instances ; and appeir-
4inGes, seaadalons to ns^ because contrarf to mar
established cnsitoms^ are sometimes too easily cobp-
Y^ted into proofs. Of this latter kind is Ciau^
beism or the well known practice wfaidi anAorizei
ladies to employ an attendant friend as their pro-
tector in public and their confidant' in priyate^ who
m he performs the dnties of the husband geaersdly,
is supposed sometimes to usurp his privile^gcs.
This practice is absurd, effeminate^ ccmtnuy to tltt
-delicacy of one s^s: and to the dignity of the othw,
and therefore always reprehensible ; and yet it is
not always isrinBiinal. On the contrary, aonfistimos
theCicisbeo is a friend or a near rebtion>wh0;<aiet8
as the guardian of the boimr of the fanahand,. imA
jbj his constant and watchfol attendwce is a piadge
aad a security for the ^fe's jfidelity* There are
certain cities^ »ad even in the most wtmpt cities,
them are some fiimiltes where the o^eiqia^ww of
.K^idsbeo is ccKoifined to this confidential iospectiKMiy
which in sudi circumstances is never^ it is. dmd,
abu8«d for the purposes of criminal indulgence^

T . On the other hand, in certain other gmt
,1sowm9 the CktsbeOy enjoys all the rights of a hns^
hand without exception, and while he ^oys the
wife5 perhaps pf his friend, resits his own spouse^
in his tqrn^ to the embraces of another penson.

X 2

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8d8 dUSSICAI/ TOim Dk.

fi6W ftiH^ a most profligate exchange of wicked*
ness, sach a detestable commerce of debauchery,
cotild have crept into a Christian country^ or be
tolerated even for a moment in an orderiy govern-
ment^ is inconceivable ; but its consequences were
perceptible in the degeneracy of the higher classes
at Venice and Naples^ and the fall of these States
taiay be considered without presumption^ as in
part, the consequence and the punisliment of that
degeneracy.

Some writers have attributed the prevsdence of
this practice always indecent, and too often crimi-
hal, to the manner in which matrimonial con-
laexions are formed in Italy, where, in general,
inotives of interest are alone considered, and the
choice, the affection, and even the liberty of the
parties are disregarded. In matrimonial arrange-
ments between persons of rank, reasons of state,
X)f policy, of influence, and even of convenience,
are too often allowed to preponderate in most
countries, to the great detriment of doniestic hap-
piness, and consequently of public morality. Whai
in such contracts as have freedom and affection for
their basis, infiocent partialities are thwarted and
the most delicate feelings of the human bosom are
Wounded, Nature will rebel, and, even at the ex-
pense of conscience, seek for comfort ia con-
nexions more congenial to its propcsisities. In

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^«. TOUpUGH ITALY. #c»

Bmh cases we most jAtj, and may almost €X0web
the indiyidual^ but ca^nQt too severely repfobi|(e>§
practice that le^ so directly to vice £md to misery.
That this most mischievous i^ode of contracfii^
marriages is common in Italy, in, I believe^ to?
true; but whether, more eommou than in otbof
parts of the continent I cannot take upon myself
to determine. At all events, its evil effects are vi-
sible, and call aloud for reformation.

But it must be remembered^i that the disorders
of which I am now speaking, are confined to great
cities and to the higher orders, who form a smatt
(imd fortunately a small, because too frequently s^
very vicious) part of thje population of ,a coiintryf
The middling classes and the peasantry, thg
strength and the pride of a nation, are in Italy as
chaste as persons of the sann^ dea^cription in any,
and more chaste than they are, in most countries*
Of the Itrutb of this assertion few of our travellecs
are competent judges ; acquainted {»jncipally witjh
the tradesmen and populace of Venice and Ncfle^,
the two most corrupted capitals in Italy, they^
draw from them the character of the whole nation jr
while the middling classes of Rimie and Florence^
and all the inhabitants of the country are unnotic-
ed, and generally unknown. Yet, those who have
raided through the peopled vill^as of the M0lr
tjum, Padumy Milam^t a^d Pkdmwtm tenll^riesi

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310 CLASSICAL TOUR Dis.

those who have penetrated the recesses of the
ApenmneSy the Sabine^ Umbriany and Samnite monn*
t^$i will join the author in paying a jnst tribnte
to the innocence, to the simplicity, to the golden
manners of these happy rustics. To these regions
and to their inhabitants we may still with strict
propriety, apply the verses of Virgil, —

lUic sahos et lustra ferarum
£t patiens openim, parvoque assueta joTentus
Sacra Deiun, SanOiqae Patr^ : .
Casta padicitiam servat domus. Georg, ii.

The truth is, that the conntry pastors watch most
carefiilly over the morals of their flocks, and can*
tion both sexes at a very early period against the
dangers and the consecpences of debauchery.

The mention of the Italian peasantry naturally
reminds me of their industry ; a virtue which may
be traced over every plain, and discovered on al-
most every mountain, from the Jlps to the Straits
of Messina. The fertility of the plains of Milan
is proverbial^ but its exuberance is not more owing
to nature, than to the skill, the perseverance, and
the exertions of the cultivator. Hence where the
felicity of the soil seems to fail, the industry of the
laborer still continues, and covers with vines and
olive trees, the sides of Monte Selice^ near Padua^
and of the Superga near Turing two mountains

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PU. THROUGH ITALY. 311

natamily as barren as Helvellyn or Penrnanrnaur.
Ihe beauty and cultivation of the plains, which
e:^Qd between the Alps and the Apennines, are
too well known to be either praised or described ;
and he who has traversed them will not be sur-j
prised that a Greek Emperor {Michael Pakologus)
^should have, supposed them in his admiration, to
be the purlieus of the terrestrial paradise. But
Italian indus^ is not confined to these regions ci
fertility. From Bologna to LorettOy a distance of
one hundred and fifty miles^ it 1ms covered the
coast of the Adriatic with rich harvests, and shaded
the brows of the Apennines with verdure and foil-*
age. It also displays its labors to the best advan-
tage, and every where shews in fences, canals to
water the fields,^ plantations, &c. a neatness of
tillage seldom witnessed and never surpassed even
in the best cultivated countries. And not these
regions only, but the defiles of Seraoalle; the

* This practice of irrigation^ eo very cammon both in an-
cient and modern Italy, and contributing so very materially
to the progress of vegetation, is turned into a beaatifol sceno
by Virgil.

£t cum exastus ager morientibus eestuat herbis,
Eoce^ snpercilio divosi trainitis undtfm
Elicit : ilia cadens raucum per devia marmar
Saxs clel^ scatebrisque arentia temperat ar^a^

Gtorgk^ life* U

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sit CLASSICAL TOUB. JOu.

lovely vales of the Amo and of the Clittwmuf^sS
Jenzi and of Reate; the skirts of Vesuvius so often
ravaged and so often restored to cultivation ; the
orchards that hlow on the steeps of Vallombrosa^
and wave on the summits of Monte Sumano: Italy>
ill Italy, blooming as the garden of God, from the
Adriatic to the Tuscany from the A^ to the
loman Sea, is a proof and a monument of the in^
dustry and the intellig^ice of its inhabitants.

^'But the Italians sleep in the middle of die
day, and lie stretched out under the porticos of
the churches, or under the shade of the vine^ when
they ought to be working ; therefore they are a
lazy, shiggish race." The Italians, like the Sid^
lians and the Greeks, follow the example of their
ancestors in this respect, and only obey the call of
nature, in reposing during the sultry hours, when
labor is dangerous and the heat is intolerable. Ta
compensate for this suspension, they begin their
labors with the dawn, and prolong them till the
close of evening ; so that the Italian sleeps less and
labors more in the ibur-and- twenty hours, than the
English peasant. The Italians seem always to
have been early risers, as appears from many
passages in Cicero's and Pliny's • letters ; and a
beautiful picture of domestic life drawn by Virgil,
will on this occasion recur to the recollection of

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nu: THROUGH ITALY. dlS .

the reader.* In all warm climates^ as the cool oi^
the evening^ invites to amusement^ so the fresfanesg
of the morning seems to call to laboi: and exertion;'
and travell^s would consult both their health and-
their pleasure^ if they would obey this call^ and
devote the snltry part of the day to rest, and the
oool momii]^ hours to curiosity and application*
^^ But (say the enemies of Italy, and this indeed is
the strongest argument they produce) is not beg-
gary a proof of indolence, and in what country is
a traveller so beset with beggars as in Italy? he is
pursu^ in the streets, tormented at church, and
besieged by them at home. Their importunities
are encouraged by charity and provoked by refusal ;
in ^ort, wherever you go, you are followed and
teased by a crowd of impudent and ojptentimeff
sturdy vagrants."^ This statement, though highly
adored^ is not exaggerated ; at least, if confined to
the southern provinces. In extenuation, I must
observe, that if the example of the ancients, and I

* Inde, ubi prima quies medio jam noctis abaetSB
Curriculo expulerat somnum : cum foemina, primmn
Cui tolerare oolo vitam tenuique Minerv^^
Impositum cinerem et sopitos suscitat ignes^
Noctem addens operi, famulasqtie ad lumina longo
Exercet penso 3 castum ut senrare cubile
GoniugiB, et possit parvos educere natos.

JSn.lih.Ym. 407. /

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314 CLASSICAL TOUB Du.

jNceteod not to make the isodem Italians mere
perfect ihaa their ancestors^ can be admitted as an
excdse^ the modems may plead it in their favor.
Juvenal alone^ not to^ load the page with useless
qnotaticms^ famishes a sufficient proof of the nnm*
hers of moidicants that crowded Rome in his time,
in the following lin»^ which point ont their sta^
tions^ their gesters^ and Ae perseverance*

■ / ,' -J '

CaecQS adulator, dinisque a ponte satellea
Dignns Aricinos qui mendicaret ad axes
Blandaque derexsd jactaret basia rhedse.

' ' Sat.ir.

But without relying npon antiquity for an an-
swer to this reproach^ the reader nmst be informed,
that vagrants as nnmeroos and as tronblesome may
be seen in France, in Spain^ in Portn^d^ in some
ports of Germany, and let me add, in Scodand and
in Ireland; so that if beggary be a jHXiof of ^e-
nes$^ the. inhabitants of all these countries must
submit to the imputation. But, to remove a charge
so insulting to the largest and most civilized por-
tion of the inhabitants of Europe, we need but to
remember^ that in all these countries there is no
legal provision for the poor, and that the needy
and the distressed^ instead of demanding relief from
the parish, are obliged to ask alms of the public*
Perhaps, if it were possible to calculate the num-
ber of those who live upoh charity in Italy Knd in

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IHs. THROUGH ITALY. ilB

England^ we should find no great reaibil td trinn^j^
in the difference. Beggary, without doubt, is same-
times the effect of individual, but cannot in justice
be considered as a proof of national, idleness^ since
even amongst us, where ample provision! is sup-
posed to be made for all cases of distress, and
where mendicancy is so strictly prohibited^ yet
objects in real or pretended misery so ofl!*h meet
the eye^ and in spite of law 9Xk6. police^ infest our
public places.

As for the nakedness of children in Italy^ die
want of furniture in houses, of glass in the win-
dows, and many other external matks of misery,
every traveller knows haw fallacidus are such ap-
pearances, which are occasioned, not by tfce'dfstiiess
of the people, but by tb6^ mildtfess and the sfer^fly
of the climate. To adtnit as much air as |K>ssiMe
is the object in all southern coantries ; and in Italy
at present, as weir as anciently, the people ofaU
classes delight in living constantly in the open air;
a custom as salubrious as it is pleasant in stich a
genial' teniperature as generally prevails beyond
the yilps. Heiicef the scenes of festive enjoyment
and of private indulgence are generally repre-
sented as taking' place in the open air, as in the
Georgics.

Ipse dies agitat festos fususque per herbam.
Ignis ubi in medio^ et socii cratera covonant.

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^If CLASaCAL TOUR i>^

^ud in Hor^ce^ .

Cur non sub alta vel platano, vel hac

Pinu jacentes, sic temere, et rosa

Canos odorati capillos

Dam licet, Assyiiaqne nardo

Potainus uDcti } Carm. lib. ii. xi. .

Hence Cicero^ as Hato before him^ represents
most of his dialogoes ^ taking place in some mral
scene, as the second De LegUmSy in an island
formed by the Fibrenus ; the first, De Oratore^
under a plane tree, &c« all scenes as &ToraUe to
^ acti^ty of the mind, as they are condnciTe to
the healdi of the body.

Afiter all, a fore^ner who has visited some of
the great manuiaQtartng towns, and traversed the
northern and western parts of die United King^
dom, may ask with surj^se^ what right we have
to reproach other nations with their poverty and
misery, whto under onr own eyes, are exhibited
instances of nakedness, filth, and distress, es:ceed-
ing all that has hitherto been related of Italy, of
France, or of any conntry under heaven, excepting
perhaps some of the Prassian territories. Qumn^
in nos legem sancimus imquam !

.>

We shall now proceed to another charge,

'^ The Italians, are vindiptive and cruel, and too

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Di*. TmiOUOH ITALY. 11^

modi in the habits of sacrificing htnnan fiib to
vengeance and passion.** It would almost be a
pity to refiite this charge^ the snpposed certaitity
of which has fnrnished our late novelists, partica^
larly those of the fair sex, widi so oftnch and sucti
excellent matter for description ; dnngeons and
friars, da^ers and assassins, carcases and spectres*
Bat, veteres <i%4Vi^ tiin depulmone reoello. We mnst
leave these stories to nnrses, and to babies of
whatever age they tnay be, whether in or out of
the nursery* The Italian is neither Vindictive not
cmel; he is hasty and passionate. His temper,
i3be kis climate, habitnally gay and serme, is soa^*
times agitated by black and tremendous stormr,
smd tiiiese storms, though transient, often produce
most lamentable catastrophes. An unexpected
insult, a hasty word, occasions a qaairrd; both
parties lose their temper; daggers are drawn, and
a mortal blow is given ; the whole transaction is
over so soon, that the by-standers have scarce, time
to notice, much less to prevent it.* The deed is

* The aiithot; with one of his young companions, hap-
pened to be present at a quarrel^ M^hich had nearly terminated
in a very tragic manner. Walking early in the morning in
the streets of Antium, he saw a man and a boy disputing 5
tire man was middle aged and of a mild benevolent counte-
aance, the boy stout and impudent : after some words, the
man seized the boy by the collar, the "boy struggled, and

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«• CLASSICAL TOUR iXi.

Mttsidexed^ not as the effect of deKberate maUee^
knt of an inrolantary and irresistible impake; and
the perpetrator^ generally repentant and horror-
stmck at his own nmdness^ is pitied mai allowed
to -fly to some forest or fastness. Snch is the
cmelty of the Italians^ and snch the assassinatim
too common in some great towns^ yet not near so
common as has often been represented. It is the
tfecti not of a sangninary^ bnt of a fiary tenqier;
it was prevalent at all times in sooth^m com^esy
and might be checked by the severity and activity
of a good goyemment. Bnt of the two govenoh
QNOts nnder which this atrocity is the most ^
stractive, the one is too indulgent and the othor too
indolent ; and while the papal magistrate foi^ves^
aod the Neapolitan n^leots thecrimmal, they both
ffventnaUy enconrage and pn^Migate the crime;

finding that to noi purpose^ had reconrae to blows : the old
man bore several strokes with tolerable patience, when, all
on a sadden, his color changed to a litid pale, his eyes
sparkled, and every feature of his face became absolutely de-
Bionlac He held the boy*s throat with fais left hand, took
hiM knife out of his pocket with his right, sad applied it t»
bis teeth to open it^ the boy seemed sensible of his fate^ lost
all power of resistance, and was sinking to the ground with
fear. We immediately stepped in and seized the man's arm,
we took the knife out of his hand, and rescued the boy : the
tavm made no resistance, and seemed for somcttiioutcs totally
insanttUe of what was passing*.

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Dik. THROUGH ITALY. »l»

l^t tbe iremedy is easy aod obvious^ A |»t>hibi«»
tiofiy Qttder the severest penalty^ to carry arms:dF
any description. This i:^medy hm been afipli^
widi fnll success by the French, while mastevar of
the south ; and by the Anstrians, while in poste»«
sioe of the noith of Italy.

Bnt, in justice to the^ Italians^ every impartial
titnrellar most acknowledge^ that murder that h
ddiberaite i^asi^nation is rery uncommon among
diem ; that tiliey sxe rery seldom prompted to it
by jealomy, of which they are by no means so
snceptible as some writers would p^snade usy mid
scarcely ever tempted to it by that Ttle, faelltsb
lore of money, whidi,dn France and m Englsm^
Impels so nrany mistareambs, altera cool cakido^
tioa <tf possible profit, to^imbnte tbsit lisaida intilid
Udod of their fellow creatures. Even robbers are
rarely met with Bt present ; like the ghosts that
swim in the air during the darkness of the nighty
they are oftten talked of, but never seen ; and a
traveller, excepting in time of invasion, war, or
civic dissensi<His, may pass the Alps and the Apen^
nimsy and traverse the dreary Campagna, and thd
uninhabited Paludi, by day or by night, without
alarm or molestation. I do not expect to hear the
bloody scenes that stain the annals of Florence,
GenoOy w, Fenice, quoted as fnrods of nadonal
cruelty. Such scenes disgraced mcient GreW^ and

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9M CLASSICAL TOUE DO.

Rimie; sHuii tbe pages of Dutch alid G^nusa, of
S^paoish aad Portoguese history; and liave been
feaewed in the French Revolutioiiy with ^ profu.
^ioQ of blood, a refinement in cmeltjr, and an
enonnity of gnilt unpaiaUeled in the records of ibm
Universe. But these crimes belong, not to the
nation, but to the species. The earth, under all its
climates, has too ofien drtink the blood of man
shed by his bnither, and while it cries to hesreii
for Tengeiuaee, proves, in spite of ^ilosophism^
&at man, when left to the workings c^ his owa
irrupted heart, becomes the most cruel of savages,
ibke foulest oi monsters. We may oondud^ that
nekher the history nor the manners^of Italy present
fiore frequent or more a^mvated features of
cruelty than those of any other nation; and that dtt
accusations against them on this head, are the efot
f^Qgx^ of hasty prejudice and of superficial observa^^

tiott;

Thus, I have now reviewed, and, T conceivi^^
refuted the principal charges against this cdebmted
people. The lesser imputations, though sung bp
poets, repeated by novelists, and copied again aasdl
again by ephemeral tourists, may be passed orer in
^nt contempt, as unworthy the notice of iJie
reader and the traveller* He who, ffom tbe
kpavery of the innls^epers, reasons ^against tha
honesty of a nathth or judges of itt rhsjwtrt»

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Bu. THROIIOH ITAEY. 3«l

ffom the acoompKshments of a few wandering'*
artifits/.maj indeed imagine that Italy .is peopled
with rogues and swindlers, and prodiices notliii^.
but dancers aaid bnffioons, singers . and fiddlers.
Buty upon the same.prindpl^s he must conclude^
that the French nation is entirely composed of
cooks and hair-dressers, and that England herself,^
even England, the mother of heroes, of patriots, of
statesmen, has furnished Europe with nothing
more than grooms and jockies, cotton and woollen '
mann&ctorers.

What then, it will be asked, is the real cha*^
racterof the modem Italians? It will not, me-
thmks, be difficult to ascertain it, when we
consider the part which the modem Italians have :
acted in history, and compare it with the part*
which their ancestors performed. The latter^
were a bold and free people. Their love of liberty
shewed itself in the various commonwealths that
rose up in every part of Ausonia, and at length it ■
settkd and blazed for ages in the Roman Republic.
The former have given the same proofs of the
same spirit. They have covered the face of the
saaK country with free States^ and at length be-
h^, widi a mixture of joy and jealousy, the grand
repdblie of Venice, the daughter and almost the
rival of RiMne, stand forward the bulwark and the
^otf'tiS Italy* The ament Romans, by their'

VOL. IV. Y

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Sft CLASSICAL TOUR Dh.

arms^ founded the cnait txi e r m we^ the most
flouriflfaing, and the most splendid emfnie, that
agcfi eter witMMed in thdb- flight liie modem
XtaUanSy by tibeir irisdom^ kate acquired a tnone
peflnaoent, aod perhafM a more glorioas dbminioa
oyer the opimong of mankind, and still govem the
"irorld by their religion and their taate^ by their
arts and their sciences. To the ancient Italiaos,
we owe the plainest, the noblest, the most mi^es*
tic language ever spdcen ; to the modern^ we are
indebted for the softest and sweetest dialect, which
human lips ever uttered. The ancient Romans
rsybed the IRantheon; the modem elected the
Vatican. The foitner boast oftihe age of Anguatua,
the latter glory in that o( Leo. The former have
given us Virgil, the latter T^ttsa In whidi txf
these respects are the modem Italians nnwottliy
of their ancestors ?

Through the whole of Uieir history we oboerve
and applaud the same love of liberty, the aame
unbroken spirit, the same petciotiflm, tbe same
p^:^veranoe, the same attaK^ment to fetters, the
same detestation of badbariam and of basfaurians;
and in short, the aame active, lowering, and nag*
nificent sprit, that Mghmoiisly idifltinguisfaed Ike
RomaBS. How th«s oan'we pcesome to 4ax them
wiijh the £sekle vices of a degr^idcd and sdby ngatted
tribe? with %pmranc^ xkywardice^ andgtmmlde*

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l>fo. tflROTjGH ITaLV. 325

getietaey^ Hie Italiins, it is trtte, havie betef
been able to ntiite the states of their own cotttitry*
itt order to gire it all its force, and to enable it to
eteH; all its energies, as the Romans did; still
have they, like the Romans, succeeded in extend-
ing their conquests far and wide, and imposing a
liew yoke on half the nations of the world. But
kt it be remembered, that in the first as well as hi
Ae last of these projects, the Italians have beeti
opposed not by their own countrymen only, btlt
by the Germans, by the iFrench and by the Spa-
nidfds, no longer tribes of wandering, divided, nn-
diftciplined savages, btit mighty monarchies, united
each tinder one chief, and employing for the at-
tainment of its object, the numbers of ancient
tittles directed by the skfll and by the e^tperiencii
df modern days. With such difficulties in oppo^
sitk^ to their vast designs, we may be allowed to
dd«(bt whether the Romans themselves WMlct
bfcve succeeded in the conquest even of Cisalpine
Gaul, and fitill more, whether they could ever have
etOeuded their dcrtninion one fbcft beyond the
precmetd of Italy*

Ft^m these observations I think, I may fairly
be allowed to conclude, that a nation which has
thum^ during so many ages, continued to act so
g^eat hfkd so glorious a part in the history of man-
ktod^ thai hai thns ^ingtdshed itself in every

Y 2

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3t4 CLASSICAL TOUR Dis

branch of hnman attainment^ and excelled all otfafir
people, not in one, but in every intellectual ac-
complishment ; that such a nation must be endowed
with the greatest talents, and with the greatest vir-
tues that have ever ennobled any human society.

It may perhaps be asked, " why, with the
same talents and with the same virtues, the Italians
do not iiow make the same figure in the history of
the world as their ancestors?*' The answer appears
to me obvious. To induce man to shake off his
natural indolence, and to exert all his energies,
either urgent pressure, or glorious rewards are ne-
cessary. Now, the ancient Romans fought first
for their safety and very existence, and afterwanb,
when imminent danger was removed from th&r
city, they entered the lists of fame, and combated
for the empire of the World. In both cases, all
their powers and all their virtues were called into
action, either to save their country or to crown it
with immortal glory. The modem Italian has
neither of these motives to arouse his natural mag-
nanimity. His person, his property, his city even
are safe, whatever maybe the issue of the contests
of which his country is either the object or the
theatre. Whether the French or Russians, the
Germans or Spaniards gain the victory, the Italian
is doomed still to bear the foreign yoke. His in-
activity and indifference in the struggle are there-

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JDk. THROUGH ITALY. 355

fore excaseable^ because prudent. Quid interest cui
seroiam, clitellas dum portem meas.^ As for glory
and empife, to them, Italy diyided and subdivided
as she is, and kept in a state of political palsy by
the intrigues or the preponderating power of her
transalpine enemies, to them Italy can have no
pretension. But, if some happy combination of
events should deliver her from foreign influence
and unite her many states once more under one
head, or at least in one common cause, the cause
of independence and of liberty, then Europe might
confidently expect to see the spirit and the glory
of Rome again revive, and the valor and perseve-
rance which subdued the Gauls and routed the
Cimbri and Teutones again displayed in chastising
the insolence of the French, and in checking
the incursions of the Germans. She would rise
even higher, and assumii^ the character, which
her situation, her fektility, and her population
naturally give her, of umpire of the south, she
might unite with Great Britain the rival and the
enemy of France, in restoring and in supporting
that equilibrium of power so easi^ntial to the free-
dom and to the happiness of £urope.

But, whether Italy be destined to re-assume
her honors, and to enjoy once more an age of

* FhoBdrvfl.

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39S CLASSICAL TOyit JPU.

glQry mi of empire; or whether she bM esh^i^ted
her portioQ of felicity^ and is dpomed to ^ state of
hopeless bandage and dependence^ it is not for
man to discover. In the mean time, depriYe4 of
that sceptre of empircj^ which Heaven once entrust-
ed to her hand to hnmble the pride of tyrants and
to protect opprest nations^ to portion out la9gdQm&
and provincesj^ and to away at pleas^we the
dominion of Ahe Univerae, she has a^nmed the
milder hot ore nsefhl sovereignty of the intel-v
leptaal world^i and reigns th^ ackpQwledged <m^en,
of 'poetry and of mnsic, of painting and of ns^i-
tectnre ; the parent of allthe sciences that enUgl^ien^
of all the art9 that embellish hnmap. lif^*^

* Vida, when speaking of this mental superiority^ bursts
into tlie feNowing strains of poetry and patriotism truly
VbgUian^ Tkouipk. w« oaiuiot^ pcrkapa^ fwrtdee Ibt viith,
yet we uwsi enjoy th^ l^uty ^ i^ r^^ aivd %hi^§mty o^

Diij Romse indi^etes ! TrojsB tuqjue aucto( AqfoUo,
Unde genus nostruns cceli se toUit ad astra,
Hanc sahena auferri laudem prohibete Lathxi^.
Artibus emiii«|t acmpei, stadKsqi^ Mimwvm^
Italia^ et gentes doceat pulcherriina Roma!

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am
teo;'
:k
.'do:

"USt.

Ttmofma itjilt. nr

CONCLUSION,

Tke Andmr has bow luit only clewed fals ItaAiaii
tL Toor^ but tenuinated tiie reflations wiadi it Dft«
tii^ taally n^ests, and be ftittevs kimtelf llkat in hit
fiog »e> t throogh the comlry^ be fadiAifalfiUed the
t". eiigageviciit which he esterad into in 4he preke^
ji: mdjtdktnthtaiKientaforbisgiiidet. infact^ how**
^ eff ev he umlj hove been smkten with the £iee of
xiii«i^ or dcli^ed widi the ymxkB of art^ he ha*
seldom failed to inform the reader how the writeiB
of antiquity have described the former^ and what
nonume&ts remain of are recordedy that may en-
ter into competitioa with the latter* From thi«^
liable wwfaridoo, which perrades the whole
worky andwas indeed ia the Autboirs mxoA <m»
eS its pmdiMA objects, he thinks be may draw
th^ following inlbrettcea^ di\ three veary favoraUe
ta modevn Italy.

Ia the fifrt pkice, that the scenery and the na*^
twi^ beanties- of that coimtry ave nearly the same
a» they were in the times of the Romans. In the
seecmd place^ tb«t the language, manners^ modes
of livings and chom^r of the modern^ are nearly

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588 CLASSICAL TOUR

the same as those of the ancient Italians: and
thirdly^ that Italy was in general as prosperous
during the years immediajtely preceding the
French revolution^ as it has ever perhaps heen at
any period of its history subsequent to the reign
of Augustus. The first inference presents no dif-
ficulty that has not been, at least implicitly, re-
moved either in the course of die Tour itself, or
in the reflections that follow it. The seccmd, it is
conceived, follows naturally firom the observatioas
made in the body of the work, and if they be ac-
curate, is incontestible. The third may astoniih
many of my readers, and as it is very opposite to
our early conceptions on the subject, requires fiir-
ther elucidation.

Population and cultivation may be considered
as the most prominent indications of prosperity, ,
and these two objects must therefore be takai into
consideration on both sides. The population cf
Italy under Augustus, for it continued to decline
rapidly for several ages afterwards, cannot easOy
be ascertained ; it has been stated by some writers
to have amounted to six and thirty millions. I
am inctined to suspect that this calculation is con-
siderably^ exa^erated. We learn from Strabo,
that at the period of which we are speaking, seve-
ral ancient towns in Italy and particularly in San^
nium^ had either entirely disappeared, or had dwin-

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THROUGH ITALY. 3»

ifled iatO" viU^es."* The kbors of agricnltitre
-wnsre then carried on principalty by slares^ a mode
which cannot be constiiered as^ &Torable to popu-
lation.- To this we may add^ that the* civil and
sodal tnirs which had succeeded each other witb
sudi rapidity, and snch derastation previous to
Ai^ostiis's final establishment, had occasioned a
£minntion in population not to be replaced by the
tranquillity of the latter years of that Einpero^s
reign.'f' Moreover, the laws passed by that prince

* Lib, y.

t The 8odal war, or that between the Romans and the
Italian tribes, the civil war between Marius and Sylla, be«
tween Cssar and Pompey, between the TriumTirs and the
Conspirators, and in fine, that between Au^stus and An-
tony, all took place between the year of Rome 663 and 7S4#
that is, in about seventy years. The first was confined to
Italy, and probably contributed more to its devastation than
any contest recorded in its hi8tory> not excepting even the
inrasion of Annibal — Nee AnnU^dlu nee Pyrrhi Juit tanta
vastatioj says Florus. This sanguinary contest terminated
in the total destruction of some of the most ancient nations,
and not a few of the most populous cities in Italy. To these
wars we may add the Servile war, and the insurrections of
Spartacus, of Sertortus, and of Catiline 5 aU of which were
civil struggles that caused the effusion of much J>lood, and
the devastation of considerable tr,acts of country. When to
these active and visible causes of depopulation, we add the
silent but most effectual agent of all, a general spirit of li»
bertinism and of debauched celibacy, so preralent among

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aSO CL«SSICAI« TOim

f» the mcowagwaent of mBtmmmf^ woiM ncror
have QcciiKied to a Ic^^lator n a €Oimlr|r abcwoi^
iog IB popotatHMfb M the lentdy is nercv calfad
li»r^ tUl ^ e&ct9 qf tbe dMtoi^mr are lelt. Ihe
«ui»twr of cfAotuiH, ^mowBiAng to aj^fat md
twenty,* which he e^tohlUhed ib 4iffweiit pttrto^vf
^Ij, nay be oansidered as aa evUksce <f ^kpo-
piilatien^ aa ^u;eptii^ the eeD&ettlioDS ef the to*
woi^irat^ a prince, wba Iftee Aiigwtw^ afected to
g^miB with jtiitice and etw with clefacncy, eo«U
not be supposed to make room for colonies by the
dispossession of the original and inoffensive pro-
prietors. The poetic complaints of Virgihf* refer
t(> the same evil^ and considering the aocoraey of
the aoitfaar, nhay be admitted as satisfiictory prooA
of its reality.

In fine^ the eloqnent lamentations of Lucan^
which I have cited upon a former occaaion> proiva
dttt m his tiBie, thongh no civii war oc isOesUm

tk9 RoiDMs i» the eta of AugmBtm, wt- sbaU find avficient
wmoM to question tht gf9U popvlation of Italy at that
perlfNla

• Suetonius, Oct. Caesar^ Aug. 46,

t w Nou uUua acairo

Piguo$ hoaos» tquuiUnt obductiM arsa •oknu,
St Qxunm cigiduaa faicm coaflaotiur io ^smm*

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C^fit^ itself W93 v^ry tbioly inbabit^; w «ir9
which he fp^ic^y asoribeA to cHie iiDgk b^dtk in
^ contest Mnt)^ he cekbnA^^ Hid woitls, t^iwi
wbw a 4ur WikmaiKii^ ia loiide for the fictwui of
tb^ poc^ aod tlM^ o^gcaratim jof bia atylf , bcwr «o
mi9j^ xfjym the pwita tlsiat J tbwk it namiaw? to
wwrttbm*

i^^on letas h^ec ca^psit edax^ monimeataqim ^erum
Filtida destituit : cripien civile videmus^
Tot i^cuas urbes. Generis quo turba redacta est
Httmaiij'r to«» popoK qui nasdaiur o»W
Vet 9I11990 invtere viib nm pmrnitm apoa^
llftn 99a U9% eajpit j( i4a«^aifo«^» <$9<«iMmp
Ut9gfijn^ $^^€f.i BtgA t^tia ijHtfri^ ayi^
In nuUos ruitura domus.

Lib. vii.

Ml]^ did Mft, it «Mms^ piNibM a^ a^
•C CM» te ni^ljp the iKOKtst fif hor ovb inhabih
laata; iar Q'ViB sa aarlf a» ibm leign of Avgwtinw
l^gypthad becomeAegiaiMffy of the Cafiital^ and
dotr prioee^ aftcv the dtfioafc cdF AMkony, cxnpb^mb
his troops in clearing and repairing the different
canals that bordered the Nik, in order to facilitate
the transport of grain* from, that river to O^ia.

• Suet. 18.

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sn CLASSICAL TOUR

This evil oontinoecl to increase with singular rapi-
Akf, and Rome was frequently alarmed^ and some*
times visited by famine. A stormy winter, or the
oontinnation of an unfavorable wind in the then
imperfect state of navigation, excited the most
dreadihl apprehensions, and sometimes roused the
degenerate populace to deeds of useful violence,
that the love of liberty would have ennobled and
consecrated as acts of heroism. Once indeed the
Emperor Claudius was assaulted, and nearly driven
out of the Forum. Upon this occasion, Tacitus
observes that Italy used formerly to supply distant
regions with provisions, but that, in his time,
instead of trusting to its fertility, the existence of
the Roman people was committed to the winds
and to the waves,*

Both the depopulation of Italy a|id the decay
of cultivation are ascribed, by some autihors, not
to the civil wars cmly but to the accunmlation of
property, and to the extent and luxury of villas
and gardens. The latter cause has always ap-
peared to me unsatisfactory. The Roman villas

* At hercule olim ex Italis regionibus looginquas in pro-
Tincias commeatus portabant 5 nee nunc infecunditate labo-
ratur; sed Afrieam potius et .£gyptum exercemuSj nsTibua-
que et easibus Tita populi Romani pennissa est.— ^na/*
Zii. 43.

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THROUGH ITALY. 3»S

were large andcostly^ and their gardcao* were e<*»
tensiTe; but the former coold not occupy; many
acres^ and the latter, after all, were mere pleawj^
gronnds and regular walks and plantations. ^ Psorkd,
or large enclosures, comprehending whole tetri-?
tories in their circumference, were, I believe, first
introduced by the northern barbarians for the pur-
pose of hunting ; an amusement which, with war,
constituted the whole business and employment of
their existence. The Romans used to divert them-^
selves occasionally with the chace of wild boarsy
but the forests which bordered the coasts of La^
tium and of Etruria, and the wild recesses of th«
Apennines afforded the means of that diversion in
abundance, and rendered all artificial woods unr
necessary.

As to villas, they were not so much spread
over the whole country in the manner they are in
ikigland, as crowded together in certain fashion**
able regions. Thus, while the environs of Rome,
the Alban Mount, the banks of the Tiber and of
the Anio, and all Campania and its coasts seem to
have been covered with seats, the recesses of *Sa-
bina, and the windings of the Apennines, though
as beautiful and much cooler, and more salubrious,
were almost deserted. Horace mentions only one
neighbor, Cervius, who, perhaps, existed only in
verse; and the younger Pliny tells us that his

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3S4 CLASSICAL roUR

fHeddi, ft^m tkt f^eighbmng tmns, occasionaliy
bfMk in tqion his studies yrilh a seasonable inteiv
m^piticHi^ an expression which seems to imjrfy that
lliere were few or no Tillas in the immediftte
▼icinity • NuUa necessitas togay says the latter, in
another epistle, speaking of the same villa,'f' nemo
arcesskor ex proximo^

Hiat these irilfas were nnmerons it mnst be ac-
knowledged, as Pliny himself had four at least,
and. his mother-in-law as many ; Cicero had six,
if not more, which, from their beanty or rather
fftfta his attachment to them, he calls ocdlos IfaHa*
ated as neither Cicero nor Hiny were nmnbered
among the most opnlent of tlieir time, we may
suppose that persons of larger fortune possessed a
greater number. But after all, a yilla with merely
a garden or pleasure grounds annexed, does not
occupy much space in proportion to the extent of
the country ; nor is there any reason to belicte
that the most magnificent villa of the Romans,
covered any considerable space; since the cele-
brated villa 'Rbtrrtina of Hadrian, which con-
tained not only imitations of the most remarkable
edifices in the empire, but a reprcsentatiort 6f the
iflftmal regions, and of the Elysian fieWs, even

* Herat. Sat. lib. ii. 6.— Plin. Epist. lib. ii. Ep. 36.
t Lib. T. Epist. 6.

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: THROUGH ITALY. Df

tUt imj^emi residence with all its 9LfgmtemaM»
did pot occupjr a space of seven miles 19 drcnfleH

The accntnuUtiim of landed property diercfov%
or the laijfiimdia, as Pliny the Elder calls ovw*
grown estates, seems to have been a more probable
eause of the evil of wliich we are speaking; and
this oanse which had readied a very alarming
|iitch even in the reign of Augustus^ arose from
the facility which the civil wars and the snbscK
qneiit proscriptioai afforded of ^miassing wealth;
afl the victeir sddoia failed to bestow the landsr
afid hpnses of the vanquished iipc»i his friends and
supporters, and sometimes even «up(m the apiet
and the lowest instruments of the party. Thus
we find^ that the whole t^titory of Cremona^ with
uo small portion of the neighboriiig districts, waa
^vgh «^ by Augustus Caesar to his veterans; fron^
iius donative we may calculate the extent of hia
la^esses to his intimate friends. What, in Act,
aaust have been the income of Agrippa who could
eiect aft his own expence, and without inconveni-
eaoe, snd^ an edifice as the Pantheon, and at die
sane time sup^^y Rome with more than one hna-
drad foimtains, all ornamented with marble, with
eolumos, and with statues ? We may go farther
back, and date the origin of these excessive in*

lesaoeariy astfaensuipationof SyUa, Crassos,

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^ost immeiise fOTtune was accamidated iWer
the inflnence and perhaps from the confisoitioos
of that Dictator, is supposed to have possessed
more than five millions sterling. Antonius, Ci-
cero's colleague, besides his estates in Italy, was
proprietor of the whole island of CephaUema^ and
had erected a new city in it at his own expence:
and in the reign of Augustus, a single individual
of no rank or fame, Claudius Isidorus, though he
had suffered considerable losses in the course oi
the civil wars, left at his death four thousand one
hundred and sixteen slaves, three thousand six
hundred yoke of oxen, two hundred and fifty diou^
sand sheep, goats, sWine, &c. and in money fifteen
hundred thousand pounds sterling.

This evil increased to an extent almost incre-
dible under the Emperors ; and we find in Nero's
time^ that six Romans, who were put to death by
that tyrant from motives of avarice, were in pos-
session of one-half of Afirica ! In fine, in the reign
of Honorius, after the division of the empire, and
indeed at the very period of its riiost rapid decline,
a Roman patrician, or one of the first rank, was
supposed to enjoy an annual revenue of four hun*
dred thousand pounds sterling, not including the
provisions supplied by his estates for the use of
his table. One fourth of that sum was necessary
to constitute a moderate income. Now^ at this

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THROUGH ITALYi SS?

tery period, when the opulence of the 'Roman no-»
bled was so excessive, the reader will be surprized
to learn that a very considerable part of Italy, and
that part the most fertile, was nearly convert^
into a^ desert. Yet that such was the fact, we find
unquestionable proof in the Epistles of St Am-
brose, then Bishop ofMilan^ an eye-witness of the
icene which he describes. De Bomniensi "oefnens,
urbe a tergo Claternam^ ipsam Bmmiam, Mutinam^
Rhegium, derelinquebas ; in dea^tera erat BririUum;
ajrorae occurrebat Pkcentia *oeterem noUlitatem ipsa
adhuc nomine sonans: ad lavam Apennini incuUa
miseratuSy et Jhrentissimorum quondam popohrum
eastella comderabas^ aique affectu relegebas dolenti.
Tot igltur semirentarum urbium cadavera^ terrarum^
que Mb eodem compectu expositafunera . . . in per^
petuum prostrata ac diruteJ^ This picture, thoogli
evidently copied from a well known passage in
Sulpicius's Epistle to Cicero, must be considered
as ap exact representation, and exhibits a scene of
desolation sufficiently extensive and melancholy. .

But the depppalation here deplored was the re-
sult, not of an incidental invasion, nor the conse^
quence of a few disastrous years ; it was the ape^
ration of the military system established under the
Emperors, and had been in gradual progression

* Amb. Bpist 39,
VOL. IV* Z

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338 CLASfi^ICAIi TOUR

during the three preceding centorieis. I^y^ who
wrote his Natural History under Vespasian, ob*
serves, that in Latium^ fifty-two tribes had perisk-
ed utterly, sine vestigiis, and points out several
towns even in Campania itself, that had eithar dis-
appeared or were in a state of rapid decay. He
abo mentions several temples neglected and falling
into ruin, even in places near Rome; and fre-
quently employs such expressions as sunt rdiquia . •
jam iota abiit . . . quondam uberrima muUitudiniSj &jc.
all of which are evidently indications of a decreas-
ing population, and of a country on thedecline.

The depopulation of Italy has, I know, been
in part ascribed to the vast increase of Rome, and
to the natural tendency which opulent provincials
ever have to desert, the incekbrity of their obscure
country, and to establish themselves in the CapitaL
During the era of liberty this evidentiy was not tfie
case; for we not only find the Republic discharging
the surplus of its population in colonies, but we are
informed that the Senate, by an express order, pro-
hibited the establishment of Italian provincials in the
City, and ordered twelve thousand Latins, who had
settled there, to return home. An expression of the
historian,^ however, shews the propensity of the
Italians, and the commencement of the evil ;* yet

* Jam turn multitudine alienigensrum urbem onerante.
Tit, Lw. Lib. xxxix. 3.

W '

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THROUGH ITALY. S3^

long after this event, which took place in the year
of Rome 565, many of the Italian towns were ex-
tremely populous, insomuch that Padua alone
cotmted five hundred Roman knights among her
citizais.

Under the Emperors, when not food only and
sometimes raiment, but every convenience and al-
most every luxury were provided gratis for the
Roman people; when baths furnished with regal
magnificence were open for their accommodation,
and plays and races and combats were exhibited
daily and almost hourly for their amusement;
when porticos and groves, and temples and colon-
nades, without number, offered them shade and
shelter at all hours and in all seasons: in short,
when a thousand fountains poured out rivers to'
refresh them, and all the wants of nature were
supplied without labor or exertion ; then the idle,
&e indigent, and the effeminate inhabitants of
Italy, and indeed of all the provinces, flocked to*
Rome, and crowded its streets with an useless and
burthensome multitude. To this overgrown popu-'
lation, thus formed of the dregs and the vagrancy of
the subjugated countries, Seneca refers with temper,
Lucan with contempt, and Juvenal with indignation.-

Non possum ferre, Quirites^
Gnecam urbem.
Jam pridem Syrus in Tiberim defluxit Orontes.

z2 ' •

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S40 CLASSICAL TOUR

It may appear singular, but it is true, ^t the
population of Rome increased as the empire de-
clined, and was never perhaps greater than during
llie inauspicious reign of Honorius, when the bar-
barians who had overrun the distant provinces
made inroads into Italy itself, and forced the ter-
rified inhabitants to seek for protection in the Ca-
pital. To ascertain the amount of this population
would be difficult, especially as. the most learned
authors disagreee in their calculations ; but, what-
ever its amount may have been^ it may justly be
surmised, that it was not either at this, or at any
preceding period, a very e^cient c^use of the de-
population of Italy. The British Capital may posr
sibly contain as many inhabitants as Rome did
during any, even the most flourishing era of it9.
empire; and it still continues to increase both in
size and in population, without any prejudice to
the cultivation of the country or to the prosperity
of the country tovms. The real canse;^ of the de-
population of Italy, under the Enpiperg^rs were the
unsettled state of the Roman constitution, the ac-
cumulation and the uncertainty. of property^ and
the pres^sure of taxation ; evils resi^ltipg invanat>ly
from a military and a despotic government, and
more destructive in their effects in one century
than all the wars, famines, and pestilences that
have ever afflicted mankind.

Tlie same bane 6f public prosperity that prey-
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THROUGH ITALY. 341

ed upon the resources of Italy under the Caesars
is now corroding the vitals of the Turkish empire,
has already converted the fertile provinces of Asia
Minor, of St/ria, and of I^g]/pt into deserts, and
will shortly devour the remaining population of
Greece, and leave nothing behind but barren sands
and silent solitudes. That the towns and even
tribes mentioned by Strabo and by Pliny should
have withered away and disappeared under the
deadly influence of such a government ; and that
Italy itself, though the centre of the power and of
the riches of a mighty empire, should have gradu-
ally decayed under the immediate frown of a race
of tyrants, and constantly the theatre of their cru-
elties, of their caprice, and of their contests is not
tronderfal ; on the contrary, it is rather surpriz-
ing that it should have resisted the action of so
many accumulated causes of destruction, have sur*
vived its fall, and have risen so great and so
flourishing from its disasters.

- At what period, or by what means the popula-
tion of Italy was restored, its cultivation renewed,
and new sources of wealth and prosperity opened
to it, it is neither my province nor my intention
to inquire ; but we find it in the thirteenth century
covered with numerous republics, warlike and po-
pulous as the commonwealths that flourished in
the same country previous to the Roman con-

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349 CLASSICAL TOUR

quedt, and like them engaged in perpetual eon-
tests. In the succeeding century we see it rich ia
commerce and in manufactures; and in the fif-
teenth^ we behold it illuminated with all the spiral-
dors of genius and of science, and shedding a light
that penetrated the darkness of the benight^
countries around, and roused their inhabitants from
a long slumber of ignorance and of barbarism. So
great, indeed,^was its literary fame during this pe-
riod, and so many and so distinguished were its*
artists, its poets, its philosophers, that it may per-
haps be doubted whether its history during the
fifteenth and sixteenth century be not as instruc-
tive as that of Greece, even when Greece was most
distinguished by the arts and by the talents of its
inhabitants.* Since that period the state of Italy
has indeed varied ; 9everal bloody wars have been
carried on in its interior; and many of its pro*

* The author of Anacharsis was so struck with the united
wonders of the history of Italy at the period of which I am
speaking, that he had thoughts of introducing his ideal tra-
veller into that country instead of Greece, as affording a
greater scope for useful observations on the' arts and sciences^
and presenting a greater variety of character and anecdote.
He has left behind him a sketch of his design, which, though
imperfect, yet presents a masterly combination of hints, por-
traits, and parallels. As it is intimately connected with the
su^jeet of these volumes, and yet far from being generally
known, 1 have inserted it as an additional appendix.

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THROUGH ITALY. MS

^viBces hare passed under diffareat masters. Yet,
as those wars were waged principally by fo-*
ineigners, and as the change of dynasties^ if nnao-
oompanied by other alterations, has little or no e&
feet upon the welfare of a conntry, Italy notwith-
standing these vicissitades has continued in a state
of progressive prosperity down to the latter part
of the nineteenth century.

In the year 1784, Italy and its dependent is-
kffids, Sicily, Sardinia^ &c. were supposed to con*
tain from sixteen to eighteen millions of %habi-
tants, and it is highly probable that in the year
1793 this number was augmented to twenty mil-
lions, as no natural or artificial cause of mortality
visited Italy during the interval. All the Italian
states were at their period governed by their own
native, or at least resident princes, with the excep-
tion of Milan, which belonged to the House of
Austria ; but as the administration was conducted
by an Archduke, who always kept his court in
that capital, it felt little inconvenience from its de-
pendence on a transalpine sovereign. All the ci-
ties, and almost all the great towns, with most
places of any consideration, exist under the same
name nearly as in ancient times; many of them
have recovered their ancient prosperity and popu-
lation, and several have considerably exceeded it.
If Herculaneum, Fon^i^ and Cuma have utterly

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344 CLASSICS TOUR

perished in Campania, to compensate the loss Na-
ples not only spreads her superabundant popula-
tion over the neighboring coasts^ but oyer the
base of Vtswoius itself, and raises populous and
flourishing towns on the ruins of the fallen cities.*
Rome is reduced, it is true, from a million perhaps
to two hundred thousand inhabitants, and its im-
mediate vicinity has perhaps lost one million
more; but Ancona^ on the opposite coast,^i8 more
flourishing than it was under the Caesars; and
Loretto^ a new city, has risen in its vicinity, and
BOW lodges fifteen tliousand inhabitants on the
sommit of a mountain. San Marino, the child of
Liberty, nurses her seven thousand hardy sons on
a pinnacle of the Apermims, and all the coast of
the Adriatic swarms with life and blooms with in-
dustry and vegetation.

Etruria^ though not perhaps as flourishing or
as populous as it was about the period of the
foundation of Rome, is more so probably than it
was when under the sway of the Emperors. Most
of its. ancient towns remain, and some are in a
much more flourishing state than they were at any

• The southern provinces of Italy are possibly as well
peopled now, if we except a few great towns, as they were in
Roman times. Apalla was always a sheepwalk: Cicero
calls it-^ inaniMtmaiMn JMks,

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THROUGH ITALY. 94S

period of Roman history ; such as Fhnnce^ Sienna^
and Lucca. The Maremne or sea-shores^ formerly
nnhealtby and thinly inhabited^ are, in consequenoe
of the estaUishment of the free-port of Leghorn
then a miserable village, now a populous city, coU
tivated and in a s^ate of progressive improvement.
As to the spacious plain extended between the
Alps and the ApermineSf its ancient towns, (with
die exceptkm ofVelleiaj which was overwhelmed
by the fall of a mountdn) and all its ancient cities,
are in a inost flonrishing states some far more
prosperoQfl indml than they were ev^i in the
reign of Augustus or of Trajan. Among the latter
we may rank Turin and Genoa^ both places of
little name anciently, now populous and magnificent
capitals. Milan itself is probably much more consi-
derable at present than it was at either of the above-
mentioned periods, though inferior, in population
at least, to what it was when during the decline of
the empire, it occasionally became the residence of
the Emperors. The prosperity of Bologna^ with a
few exceptions, seems to have been progressive,
and has long since raised it to such a degree of
opulence as to appropriate to it, as its distinctive
quality, the epithet of rich. To close the catalogue,
Venice rises before us with its domes and towers,
with its immense population and its extensive
commerce, the Queen of the Adriatic^ and the
mistress of Ddmatiay of Epirm 9Xkd of Acarmnia,

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Me CLASSICAL TOUR

of die loman islands, and in die beginning of the
last century, of Pelopmnesus itself This splendid
Capital compensates the loss of Aqwiida^ and om
coont in their extensive and populous territories
ten towns more considerable than that ancient me-
tropolis of Istria.\ In short, Italy, with its de-
pendencies, in the year 1792 was supposed to con-
tain more thaEn twenty millions of inhabitants, a
population for the extent of country far superior to
the best inhabited territories, the Netherlands not
excepted, and in all probability, if not above, at
least equal to its population at any period of
Roman hiBtory since Augn8tns4

As to cultivation (the second criterion of pros-
perity) one observation will be sufficient to dedde

^AquiUta was destroyed by Aitila in the fifth centuiy.

f To the barbariaD8> howsoever mischievous in general^
Italy, according to an Italian proverb> owes two blessings^
its modem language, and the dty of Venice, I do not know
whether many of my readers may not consider both these
blessings as purchased at too high a price.

j X There is a circumstance mentioned by Folybius (Lib.

j ji.) which may be considered as furnishing a foundation for

j calculating the population of Italy at an early period : this

author relates^ that on a rumor of an approaching invasion

by the Gauls, the inhabitants of Italy (an appellation which

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THROUGH ITALY. 347

&e question in favor of Modem Italy ; and that is,
Italy at present not only feeds her own inhabitants
bnt exports largely to other countries, an advantage
which she never enjoyed at the period of history
to vrhich I have so often alluded. To this obser-
vation it may be added, that Italy now produces
every krticle necessary not for the comforts only,
but moreover, for the luxurious enjoyments of life;
and although there, as well as in less favored
countries, fashion may often induce the opulent to
have recourse to foreign markets for accommoda-
tion, yet there is not one single object requisite for
either dress or furniture that may not be procured
home-made in Italy. One source of riches and
commerce indeed this country now enjoys, which
b alone sufficient to give it commercial superiority ;
I mean^ the silk which it produces in abundance^
and which constitutes its staple manufacture. The
nurture of the silkworm indeed, and the culture of
the mulberry-tree on which it feeds, not only fur-

then excluded aU the country lying north of the Jpennines)
^brought into the field an army of more than six hundred
thousand men. This force^ we may reasonably suppose,
was the result of an extraordinary effort, and could not have
been maintained as a regular army; now modern Italy,
including its dependencies, could, if it formed a federative
republic like Germany, support an army at least as consider*
able without depopulating its provinces or inspoverishing
Hs inhabitants.

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348 CLASSICAL TOUR

nishes the poor of Italy with emplopaent^ but
mipplies its poets with a favorite and popular
theme.

Unde sacri Tiridem vates petiere coronam
£t mentis gratas sibi devinxere puellas. •

Vida, Bombycum, lib. ii.

I might pmrsue the suhject still farther^ and
maintain^ with some appetomce of tmth, that^
excepting Rome^ Italy is ornamented with more
magnificent edifices at present than it was at any
period of ancient history. The ornamental edifices
of ancient times were temples^ porticos^ baths^
amphitheatres, theatres^ and circuses, to which I
may add, an occasional mausoleum. The magni-
ficence of temples consists in their colonnades^
which generally formed their front, and sometimes
IiKed their sides, and the beauty of colonnades as
of porticos, arises from their extent and elevation.
Now temples, graced with majestic ornaments, were
beyond the precincts and the immediate vicinity of
Rome, certainly not common. A well-known
temple of Fortune gave considerable celebrity to
Praneste ; the lofty rock of Anxur was crowned
with the colonnades of Jupiter ; and it is probable
that each great city, and occasionally a promontory
or a fountain, had a splendid edifice dedicated to
their tutelar divinities. But the far greater part
of the temples were small, sometimes deriving

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THROUGH ITALY. 3149

considerable beauty and interest from their site
and their proportions, as that of Tihut^ and of
CUtumnuSy and sometimes, as seems to have been
the case of most rustic fanes, without any share of
either.* Moreover, these temples appear to have
been at all times much neglected, and many of them
allowed to fall into decay, as we are informed, not
by Horace only,-f- but by the elder Pliny, who
mentions a temple in ruins so near Rome as Ardea.

It will, I believe, be admitted, that the
Churches which rise so numerous in every part of
Modem Italy, oftentimes equal the temples of old
in exterior magnificence, and generally surpass
them in interior decoration. Though I have ex-
cepted Rome from the comparison, yet I may

* Pliny the Younger, by a single expressioi], eai^laB m
to gaess at the size and furniture of a rustic teoipje^ eveii
when of great celebrity — ^* Vetus sane et angusta, quum st^
alioquin state die frequentissima . . . Deae signum . . antn
quum e ligno, qulbusdam sui partibus truncatum** ?Hny,
who was about to rebuild this fane, in melhis, in majui, orders
his architect to purchase four pillars for the front, and a
quantity of marble sufficient to, lay the pavement and lam
the walls— 1.«6. xi. Ep. ^9.

f Delicta majorum immeritus lues '

Romane, donee templa refeceris
iBdesque labentes deorum^ &g,

Hor. Lib. iii. Ode 6.

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S50 CLASSICAL TOUR

'safely aver that there was not anciently, eren in
Rome itself, one temple in magnitude comparaUe
to the cathedral of Florence^ or to that of JUUan,
and that few in internal beauty surpassed or even
equalled that of St. Georgia at Venice^ of Sta. Grius^
tina at Padua, or of the abbey church of Chiara^
V( lie.

The piUared portico was a peculiar feature of
Roman magnificence, nor does Italy at present
exhibit any thing of the kind, excepting the grand
colonnade of the Vatican, forming the most exten-
sive scene of architectural beauty in the world. In
arcaded porticos Italy is still rich, and Vicaiza and
Bologna present in their celebrated galleries a length
of arches not probably surpassed in ancient times.

-' Amphitheatres were of Roman invention, and
when <^ great magnitude and of solid stone wefe
most stupendous edifices. But of these the num-
ber was very small, and it may be doubted whether
in all Italy there were more than three or four of
the kind, two of which were in Rome, and one at
Verona. Most, if not all the others were either of
wood, like that of Placentia, which was burnt in
the contest between Vespasian and Vitellius, or of
brick like that of Puteoliy and numberless others
unnecessary to mention.*

* I am awart that several learned authors are of opinion.

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THROUQH ITALY. 351

The observation on the small nnmber of mag-
iii&ent amphitheatres may be applied with some
restriction to theatres, many of which were of
little size, and of very common materials, and
contribnted no more to the ornament of the conntry
than modem edifices of the same description.
The same may be said of circuses and baths, pa^^y
ticularly the latter, which, with very few excep*
tions, were in provincial towns buildings of more
convenience than magnificence. But to compen-
sate the defect, if there exist any in this respect.
Modem Italy possesses other edifices perhaps of-
eqnal beanty, and undoubtedly of greater utility,
and of far superior interest. I allude to her abbies
and to her hospitals. The former lift their vene-
rable towers amidst her foresti^ and her solitudes, .
sometimes replace the temples that crpwned the
pinnacles of her mountains, and open in llxe lone-
liness of the desert scenes of architecture, of literary *
opulence, and of religious pomp, which, contrasted

that the upper story only of the amphitheatre of Placentia
was of wood, and that the same may be said of other similar
edifices supposed to be built of the same materials. But the
destruction of so large an edifice can scarce be ;represented
by an historian so accurate as Tacitus (Tacit. Hist. ii. 21) as
the conflagration of the whole ^ while, on the other hand, it
is difficult to conceive how the appellation pulcherrimum
opus can be applied to a wooden pile. On the whole, as it
was eomuimed by fire we must conclude that it was of wood.

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SX CLASSICAL TOUB

with the sarage features of natare aroand^ seem
aboost to border on the wonders of enchantm^it.*
The latter encircle her cities with lines of palaces^
superior in size and decorations to the mansiDn of
their sovereigns^ and expand halls, litmuies, fonn-
tains, and gardens for the reception, not of an idle
populace, nor of parasites and bnffoons, nor of
actors and declaimers, but of the sick and the sn£>
fering, of the ignorant and the forlorn, of all that
feel misery and want relief! If, to these edifices

* The Bite of the temple of Jupiter Latiaris, on the
pinnacle of the Alban Mount, is now occupied by a convent
of Camaldolese monks, and the Parent Abbey of the Bene-
dlctin Order rises on the ruins of a temple of Apollo which
downed the pinnacle of Mount Caainvm, The reader will
rtcollect other instances*

Some writers of more prejudice than reflection, rqyresent
tliese, and all similar establishments^ as blots, deformities^
defects, &c. but as long as painting, sculpture and archi*
lecture are held in repute ; as long as agriculture and litera*
ture are considered as advantages; and ito'long as the know-
ledge of Christianity is looked upon as a blessing 5 so long
the great abbies will be ranked among the ornaments of
Modem Italy. But, in the opinion of the authors mentioned
abore^ the ergastula of antiquity, which may perhaps have
sometimes occupied the same solitary recesses, and were the
prisons of the slaves who cultivated the .land, and now and
then also of freemen seized by the lawless landholders on
the high road, and enslaved for life, these ergastula might
possibly be more ornamental.

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THROUGH ITALY. 3W

We superadd colleges, seminaries, and literary es-
tablishments, all institutions unknown to antiquity^
and almost all of considerable magnitude and splen.
dor, spread at present over the face of the country
in every direction, and embellishing in a greater
or less degree every town from Susa to Rheggio^
we may perhaps np longer hesitate to allow to
Modern Italy the praise even of superior embeU
lisfament. But, when with these edifices we con-
nect the object for which they are erected, and the
moral effects which they are intended to produce;
when we contemplate the consequent propagation
of religion and decency,* of literature and humanity,
the prospect still 'brightens upon us, and Modern
Italy rises before, us ^ encircled with a lustre, that
eclipses all the glories even of the Augustan age.

Such was the state of Italy during the latter
period of the eighteenth century, populous. and
cultivated, covered with the works of art and with
the monuments of glory; not only independent
but extending her sway over the neighboring
coasts and islands ; not only united by the same
language, (the most harmonious and the most
copious of modem dialects) but spreading that lan-
guage \^th all its treasures over all the wide-
extended shores of the Mediterranean. But the
French invasion darkened the prospect, and cloud-
ed all this scene of glory. Since this disastrous

VOL. IV. A A

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554 CLASSICAL TOUR

e^tnt ereiy j^kc bos -nmted Italy widi some ad-
ditkMMtl mt^ iti its train^ aod bad swept tmsLj m
ks ^bt some miMiQiiieiit of ber fermer fiune,
some remnant of her l^e prosperity. Her cilies
bave been plondered; ber sons dragged away to
bleed in tbe cause of tbeir oppressors ; ber sebook
hftyebeeb suppressed ; ber caltivation discouraged;
the morals of her youth tainted^ misery bas dnis
been totarited upon fnture generations ; and all die
iHirses of military despotism have been inflieted
upon her in all their aggravation. Of these cnrses
the greatest and most destmctive is tbe loss of her
independence ; Italy now^ for the first time in the
long annals of her most eventftil history, is num-
bered among the provinces of a foreign empire.
Rome, the Princess qfpraoinces is beceme tr^mtanf;
the Metropolis of Christendom is degraded into
tbe handmaid of Paris. Hie Roman Emperor,
that majestic phantom that terminated with be-
coBoling dignity tbe grand pyramid of the European
republic, bas descended from his throne, and tamely
resigned the crown and the sceptre of the Caesars
to a Gallic usurper.* Yet tbis pusillanimous

* The Roman has thus sabaided la the French £iiipre>
and Napoleon affects to reign the founder of a new monareiiyj
and the rival> not the successor of the C^ssirs. This attempt
to tnake France the seat of empire is the second on record.
The first was made daring the distractions that accompanied

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THROUGH ITACY. S&&

pdoee^ when ine ^e op a title iviificli had bmi
;the ambilaoii of the vliseflrt >and tbe itiost heroic of
itti aneefliws, and wbich isubed his fftmily abore ^aU
-llie royal dynasties of Europe^ had more Icgiaas
-QDder his command tlom were aiisctobled jmAkr
-hmdk C^sar and Pompey to dlspule tbe entpioe of
.the worM in the plains of Panatia. Bat, if •Bgnoe
rhaa to blush for the jmsilliliiimity of fai^ fimponGnr^
shrm^ jc^tly glory in the fii^sefts «f *fa^ BoMii^
attd axilLnoWledgie iii l^ins Vil. the wcoiiqaeKabfe
'Mttl of her ancient heroes. While all the .etiher
tsK>Tereigns of the continent bcm^edifi silent 8id>-
mission to the will of the yictor, and resigned
or assnmed provinces and d&tdems at his nod^ the
liuviblie Pontiff alone had the courage to tmtatt 1A
ittdeptaAence, to nspei in^gnaiidy the pnrtetided
wyt^ereigBly of the Fmneh des^t, and to arejcM
with contemptniDiw disdain hc4h his dkitm mei iSb

Iticoncussa lenet» tliibio restigid mundo.

.Lu4ian it.

How long this subjugation of Italy may last.

^ contest bet«reen Vespasian and Vitellius^ Though sach-
tiessfal at first, it soon terminated in disgraee and dlsooafrfi*
ture, and the empire of the Gauls vanished before the genius
of Rome. — Tadt. Hist. iv. It is to be wished, for the sake
of the human race at large, that this second attempt at uni-
Teisal dnmSnion may m«et with tbe same i&te !

AA 2

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35e CLASSICAL TOUR

it is not for haman' foresight to determine ; but we
may without rashness rentnre to assert, that as
long as the population and the resources of Italy
are annexed to the destinies of France, so lofi^
France must be triumj^mnt. A peace that con-
signs the garden of Europe to the tranquil sore-
reignty of that overgrown and most restless Power,
ccms^s the Continent over to hopeless skyecy;
and of a peace ^hat brings such a dke disaster with
it, it may justly be asserted that it irill be more
p^nicious in its consequCTces than die longest wA
mmt destmctiTe warfare.

The islands may flatter themselves in rain wiA
the advantages of their situation ; a population of
811^ millions, active, wariike, and intelligent, with
dU' the ports and all the forests of the Continent. bA
tfadr command, with increasing experience on thek
side, and with the skill and the valor of trans^
atlantic mariners in their favor, must at length
prevail, and wrest the trident even from the mighty
hand of Great Britain.

When we contemplate the page of history; and
see how intunately happiness seems connected
with misfortune, and how closely glory is fol-
lowed by disaster ; when we observe the prosperity
of a country suddenly checked by invasion, the
most civilized regions opened as if by the hand of

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THROUGH ITALY. 357

Pkovidence to a horde of barbarians^ and ail the
fiur prospect of peace and £^ity blasted in the
Tery moment of expansion^ we are tempted to in*
dulge a sentiment of despondency, and monm over
the destiny of onr Species. But the philosopher
who admires the wisdom and the goodness of the
Divine Being lumped on the face of nature, and
reads them still more forcibly expressed in die
Volume of inspiration, will ascribe to design that
which folly might attribute to chance ; he will dis-
cover in the histories df nations, as in the lives of
individuals, the prudent disdpline of a father
inuring his sons to patience and to exertion ; re-
pressing their petulance by timely chastisem^its ;
encouraging their efforts by occasional success;
calling forth their powers by disasters and disiq[>-
poiutments ; allowing the mind seasons of peace
and prosperity to mature its talents ; and, when it
has attained the highest point of perfection allotted
to human endowment in tliis state of trial, chang*
log the scene, and by new combinations of nations
and of languages, calling forth the energies of
other generations ; and thus keeping the human
beart and intellect in constants play and uqinter*
fnpted progress towards improvement

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APPENDIX.

On the Pope J the Roman Court y Cardmah, S^c.

The subject of the following pages, tbongh not
strictly speaking inchidecl in the plan of a ClasdaU
Tonr, is yet intimately connected with the destinies
of Rome. FW the fermer reason I hare omitted
these observations iii the body of the woric ; and
for the second, I thkik it necessaiy to insert them
here ; especially as many of my readers, though
they may have heard much of the nameSy yet may
possibly be very superficially acquainted witii the
things themselves. Such therefore as may have
any curiosity to satisfy, or any wish to acquiie
more information on the subject, will perhaps
peruse the following pages with some interest.

The person of the Pope may be considered in
twd very different capacities, as temporal sovereign
of the Roman territory, and as chief Pastor of the
Catholic Church. The confusion of these charac-
ters has produced much scandal in past ages, and
in more modem times, has occasioned much nus-

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APPENDIX. 359

representation and not a litde oppression. To
draw the line therefore^ and to enable the reader
to dkcrlminate the r^fats annexed to these differ^
ent characters, may be considered not only as ncr
cessary in a discourse which treats of the Eonian
Conrt, bnt as a debt dne to .the cause of troth and
benevolence. That such a combination of spiritual
and temporal power may occasion a mutual rcT
action on each other, and that it has had that effect
not un&equeQt}y, must be admitted: whether it
may not on that very accoi;mt be, in some degree^
piischievons, is a question which we are not here ,
called upon to discuss, especially as this union
forms no part of Christian or CathoUc discipline ;
and however decorous or advantageous the inde^
pendence of the first Pastor be supposed, yet it is
confessedly no necessary appendage of his spiritual
jurisdiction. I shall treat of the spiritjual character
first, as that is the essential and distinguishing
privilege claimed by the Roman See, and. then
speak of the temporal power which it has acquired
in die l^se of ages.

Now, in order to give the Protestant reader a
clear and precise idea of the rights which every
Catholic considers as inherent in the Roman See,
or to speak more correctly, in the successor of St.
Peter, it will be necessary to observe, that the
Pope is Bishop of Rome, Metropolitan and Pri«

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%eo AVWSSDJX.

niKte of Italy^ of Sidly^ and of Macedonia, &c.
and Patriarch of th^ West ; that in each of these
capacities he enjoys the same privileges and the
same authority as are enjoyed. by other Bishc^s,
Metropolitans, Primates, and Patriarchs in their
raipective dioceses and districts ; that his authority
like theirs, is confined within certain limits marked
out by ancient custom, and by the canons ; and
that like theirs also, it may be modified or sus*
pended^ by the Church at large. I shall only add,
that as Patriarch of the West, the Pope enjoys a
pre-eminence elevated enough to satisfy the wishes
of the most ambitious prelate, as by it be ranks
before all western ecclesiastics, and takes place
and precedency on all public occasions.

But the Roman Pontiff clauns hpnoors still
more distinguished, and as successor of St Peter
is acknowledged by the Catholic Church to sit as
its first Pastor by divine institution. As it is not
my intention to exhibit either proofs or otgections^
but merely to state an article of belief, I shall i»
the best and most satisfactory method give it in
the words of a general council.*

** Item> definimus Sanctam Apostolicam Sedem et Roman-
um Fontificem inuniyersam orbem tenerePriaiatmn^etipsiim

• General Council of Florence.

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APPENDIX. 9Sl

Poiitificem Rbmatmm Suceessoraaa esse beati Petri> Prineipto
i^ostolorum^ et verom Chri9U Vicfurium, totiusqae Eedesi^
Caputs et omnium Chrifitianorum Patrem et Dqctorem exis-
tere ; et ipsi in beato Petro pascendi^ regendj^ ac gubernandi
universalem ecclesiam a Domino nostro Jesu Christo plenam
potestatem tmditam esse^ quemadmodinn etiam in gesttt
OScumenicorum coociliomm et in sacria caoonibus contine*
tar. Renovantes insuper ordinem traditnm in caaoBibui
csterorum venerabilium Patriarcharum j nt Patriarcha Con-
stantinopolitanus secundus sit post sanctissimum Romanum
Pontilicum, tertius vero Alexandrinus> quartus autem Antio-
chenns^ et qaintas Hierosolymitanus 3 salvia videlicet priti*
kgiis oiniiibua et jaribus eoram/'

According to this canon the Pope enjoys, by the
institution of Christ, the primacy of honor and
jurisdiction over the whole Christian Church, and
to refuse it to him would be deemed an act of re-
bellion.* But no authority has yet determined,
and it seems indeed very difficult to fix, the precise
rights and prerogatives which are conferred by this
primacy, and are so inseparably annexed to it, that
to oppose their exercise or to deny their existence
would be either schism or heresy. Suffice it to
say, that the greater part of the powers exercised
by the Popes, and especially those acts which have
been considered as the most offensive in them-
selves as well as galling to other bishops, are al-

* See on this subject, DwiruB fidei Analysis, &9. hj Hdl«
4en^ a pious and learned divine of the Sorlfonne,

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3« AFPBNDUL

kMei to be €f bmnan inttkotioD* In htty iibe
olgeet of the eancm above-mentioned, as also of
tbe article corresponding with it in the creed <^
Pins IV. serais to have been solely to ascertain the
existence of a dwinely appointed SupericNr in the
Catiholic Chardi^ leaving in the interim the mode
of exercising his prerc^tive to the canons and die
discipline of the same Chnrch, to be enlarged or
restrained as its exigencies may require.

Bnt though no temporal advants^es are origi-
nally, or by its institution, annexed to it, yet it is
evident that such an elevated dignity nmst natiir
rally inspire reverence, and consequently acquire
weight and consideration. Influence, at least in a
certain degree, must accompany such con^dera-
tion, and give the spiritual pastor no smaU degree
of worldly importance. We accordingly find, that
even in the very commencement of Christianity
the Bishop of Rome had become a conspicuous
personage, so far as to attract the attention of the
Emperors, and sometimes, if the expression of an
ancient writer be not a rhetorical exa^eration, to
awaken their jealousy.

When the Emperors embraced Christianity,
it may easily be imagined, that the successor of St
Peter acquired an increase of temporal weight and
dignity : and it has been observed, that the Pagan

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APtBNDlX; MS

lufitDriau speak with some asperity of the spiendw
of his rettnue aad of the delicacy of his table. This
splendor can excite no astomcAnttent. The first
pastor of the religion of the EiOiperors might justly
be ranked among the great dignitaries of the an^
pire ; he had free access to the person of the sore^
reign^ and was by him treated with filial revereace:>
his palace and his table ware freqnented by the
first ofiicers of the iGttate^ and to support his dignity
in their company mighty perhaps justly^ be con*
sidered as one of the duties of his station. We
cannot suspect the Popes of &at period^ such as
St. Sylvester;^ St. Bamasns^ Gelasins^ Leo the
Great, &c. of such contemptible vices as either
luxury or ostentation ; simple and disinterested aU
through life^ they could not be supposed to resign
their habitual virtues in their old age, and to ccun-
raence a career of folly when seated in the chair
of St. Peter. But they knew human nature, and
very prudently adapted their exterior to that clas»
of society whidi they were destined to instruct.

Bat besides the consideration inseparable fi'om
the office itself, another source of temporal greats
ness may be found in the extensive possessions of
land, and in the great riches in plate, of the Roman
Church itself. These riches were considerable,
even under the Pagan Emperors and during the
persecutions, as we may presume from various

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3M APPENDIX.

ym%ti§W in ancient antbors,* and they ;vi^ere not
a little increased by tbe liberal donations of the
Christian princes, and particularly of Constantine
the Great. The invasion of the barbarians, with-
ont doubt, might occasionally lower the produce
of these lands, and their rapacity might lessen die
quantity of plate ; yet not in the same prc^ordon
in which it affected the lands and the properties of
the laity, as great respect was in general shewn to
the tombs of the Apostles, and to tbe sanctuaries
of St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John Lateran. So
ikr, indeed^ was this veneration sometimes carried
by these invaders, that the fierce Genseric himself
not only spared the great Basilicas, but .during all
tbe.:hQvrors of a week's plunder, respected ^
p^aons aiid the property placed within their pre-
dacts. Hence the Roman Church, after repeated
iuv^ioQS, after the establishment and the reigns of
a race of barbarian monarcbs, and even aRer tbe
destructive vicissitudes of the Grothic war, which
gave the last blow tp the prosperity and to the
fortunes of Italy, still retained extensive posses-
sions, not in Italy only, but in Sicily and other
more distant provinces. This fact we learn from
the epistles of Gregory the Great, who employed
the vast income, of which he was the administrator,

* Prud. Lib. Uspi s^sfdywv. 2. D. S, Laurentio,

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APPENDIX. 3^

in supporting many iUnstrious fdmiiies redncerf^^
misery, and in relieving the distress of the people
laboring under the accmnnlated presisure of wm^, of
famine, and of pestilence; When such riches dfe
so en^loyed, it is no wonder that the public shoald
look with reverence and affection to the hsLni
that dispenses them, and be disposed to transfer
liieir allegitmce from a sovereign remote, weak,
and indifferent, to their Pastor, who relieved them
by his generosity, directed them by his prudence^
and protected them by his talents and by his an- ..
tfaority. Snch was the part which Gregory acted
dnring his pontificate. He was by birth a Roman
patrician, and took a deep interest in the misibr*
tnnes of his country ; he was placed by his raak
and education on a level with the greatest characters
of the age, and had been early employed in' the
management of poUic affairs ; he had thus apquired
the address of a courtier with the experience of a
stetesman : when raised to the pontificate he found
in the disastrous state of Rome and Italy, sufficient
opportunities of displaying these talents to the
best advantage, and for the noblest object; and by
them he saved his country from the intrigues of
the imperial court, from the weakness and the
wickedness of the Exarchs, and from the fnry of
the Longobardi, then a recent and most savage
horde of invadei-s.

From this period, though the Greek Bmperors

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366 APPENDIX.

were the nominal, y«t the Popes became ^e real
and dSecAve soTereigns of Rome ; and attached fo
k as they generally were by birth, and ahrays by
residence, dnty, and interest, they proiUfrted its
wel&re with nnabating and oftentimes^ snoces^foi
Isflorts. Upon the merit of these services tb^t^e-
fore, and the yolontary submission of an admiring
and gratefiil flocV rests the original and blest
(daim whit^ the Roman Pbntifis possess to lisre
temporal' sovereignty. Bat thongh thfe sove-
reignty Was enjoyed, many years elapsed before k
was avowed, on the side of the Ponti^ or admit*
ted on that of the Emperor, and many mott ages
before it was fnlly and finally established on t
seKd and nnsbaken basis.

'• Th^ German Caesars continned long to assort
their supreme dominion over the metropolis as
the Capital of their empire ; the Roman barons, a
ptfcmd and ferocions aristocracy, olten defied tike
authority of their weids Pbntiffs ; and the RomM
f)eo[de itself, thongh willing to submit to ihe coun-
cils of a father, firequently rebelled against the or-
ders of a prince. It will not appear singular^ that
these rebellions^ or to speak more fairly, these, acts
of opposition to the temporal dominion of the
Pc^s were never more frequent than during the
reigns of those Pcmtiffs, whose characters w»e
the most daring, and whose claims were the most
lofty. In fact, from the tenth century, when the

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Bbfes hegm to di^^emrailie from die ptttf of tliear
pedeeeswrs^*' and to sacrifice their i^irkMl (qSm^
racter to iimir temporal misrests, Rome beeanier
the theatre of insurrectioii^ warfare, and intrigUQr;^
and caBtiniied so with Turbos istervalft of iacwEiH
(jpiSlity oceastoned by die laterreBkig^ rei^s o£
milder Pastors, tiU the tixte^th century, wbr»-
Aey resumed the virtues of dieir eaity prede-
eessovs, and by them regamed the reneration and
the affection of their flocks. Since that peiidd the
Pope has reigned Pastor and Prince, an object at
once of the reverence and of the aUegianee of the
Roman people, seldom alarmed by foreign inva-
dion, ot- msulted by domestic insurrection: de-
voted to the duties of his pofession, the patron*
of the arts, the common father of Christendom,
and the example and the oracle of the GathoHc
Hierarchy.

But though the Pope is both Bi^iop and
Prince, yet his tides, dress, equipage, and the
whole ceremonial of his courts are adapted to the
first of these characters. He is styled Hc^ineasi

^ This fact will not be contested by the npioaC zealous
partisan of the papal prerogative 5 if it should be, the au-
thor need only appeal to Baronius, who^ speaking of the
ttinth century, observes — Pontificei mmanos a veterum pietate
dBgemraste, etpriiK^ei saculi sancikaieJioruis$e.

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8^ APPENDIX.

the tioly Father, and sometimes m histwy ^
Sovereign Pontiff; but the former appellations, as
more appropriate to his dnties and fimctions, are
ezchisivdy used in'fais. own conrt. His robes are
the same as those of a bishop in pontificals, (ex-
cepting the stole and the color, which is white not
purple.) His vestments when he officiates in
church as well as his mitre do not differ from
those of other prelates. The tiara seems origi-
nally to have been an ordinary mitre, such as is:
still worn by the Greek Patriarchs. The three
circlets, which have raised it into a triple crclwn,.
were added at different periods, and it is said, for
different mystic reasons. The first or lowest seems
to have been originally. a mere border, gradually
enriched with gold and diamonds. The second^
was the invention of Boniface VIII. about the
year 1300; and to complete the mysterious deco-
ration, the third was superadded about the middle
of the fourteenth century. , The use of the tiara
is confined to certain extraordinary occasions, as
in most great ceremonies the Pope uses the com-
mon episcopal mitre.

Whenever he appears in public, or is ap-
proached even in private, his person is encircled
with reverence and with majesty. In public, a
large silver cross raised on high is carried before
him; as a sacred banner, the church bells ring as

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APPENDIX. Je»

he passes^ and all kneel in his sight. Whw he
officiates at the patriarchal Basilicae ht is canded
from his apartments in the adjoining palace, to thi&
church in a chair of state ; though in the cbafH^
his throne is merely an ancient episcopal cbauTj
raised only a few steps above the seat* of the.ear^
dinals or clergy. In private, as the pontifical pabces
are vast and magnificent, there are perhaps more
apartments to be traversed, and greater appear-
ances of splendor in the approach to his person^
than in au introduction to any other sovereign*
In l^s anticbamber^ a prelate in fnll robes is
always in waiting, and when the bell rings, the door
of the pontifical apartment opens, and tbe Pope
is seen in a chair of state with a little table before
him. Tbe person presented kneels once at the
threshold, again in the middle of the room, and
lastly, at the feet of the Pontiff, who, according to
circumstances, allows him to kiss the cross em-,
broidered on his shoes, or presents his hand tO;
raise him. The Pontiff then converses with him
a short time, and dismisses him with some slight
present of beads, or metals, as a memorial. Tbe
ceremony of genuflection is again repeated, and
the doors close.*

* Some Protestants hafe objected to this ceremony,
which, after all, is only a mark of respect formerly paid to
VOL. IV. B B

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9fQ AFPSKDQC.

The poaaip which environs the Pontiff in pnb-
Uc^. and attracts the attention so forcibly, may per-

every bishop^* and still kept Up in a court tenacious of its
tttlctent observances. It u said, that Horace Walpole^ when
presented to Benedict XIV. stood for some time in a posture
of hesitation) when the Pbpe^ who was remarkable for
cheerfulness and humor^ exclaimed^ '^ Kneel down, my moh,
receive the bkesing of an old man ; it will do you no harm P*
upon wl^ich the young traveller instantly fell on his knees,
and was so much pleased with the eonyersation and liveliness
of Benedict, that he took every occasion of waiting upon
l|tm, and testifying his respect during his stay at Rome* J^
truth, English gentlemen have always been received by the
Popes with peculiar kindness and condescension, and every
indulgence is shewn to their opinions, or, as the Romans
must term them, their prejudices and even to their caprices.

The custom of being carried in a chair of state has also
given offence, and is certainly not very conformable to the
modern practice even of courts, however it is another rem-
nant of ancient manners, a mode of conveyance (less lux*
Urious indeed) copied from the lecHea, so much in use among
tke Romans. In the earlier ages, the custom of the Popea
as of other bishops was to pass from the sacristy through,
the church on foot*, leaning on two priests, and thus advance
to the altar; a custom more conformable to Christian
humility, and to the simplicity not only of ancient but of
modern times. In fact, in all the ceremonial of the Roman
Church and Court, the only parts liable to misrepresentation

* Fieury Mceun des Chretiens zzzii* ad finera*
f Ordo aooi. Prinuu ct Sccwd. M»r$ttri*

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APPENDIX. an

haps appear to many a gloriods and enviable dis*
tinction ; but there are few, I believe, wbo wonU
not, if accompanied by it in all the details of or-
dinary life, feel it an intolerable burthen^ Other
Aovefeigns have their hours of xelaxatiDn ; they
act their^ part in public, and then throw oS their
robes, and mix in the domestic circle with their
family or their confidants. The Pope has no hours
of relaxation ; always encumbered with the same
robes, surrounded by the same attendants, and
confined within the magic circle of etiquette, ke
labors for ever under the weight of his dignity^
and may, if influenced by ordinary feelings, often
sigh for the leisure and the insignificance of the
college or the clbister. A morning of business
and application closes with a solitary meal; a
walk in the gardens of the Quirinal or the. Vati-
can, a visit to a thurch or an hospital, are his
only exercises. Devotion and business, the duties
4if the Ponti£f and of the Prince, successively oe<^
capy his hours, and leave no vacant interval for
the indulgence of the taste, or for the arrangement
of the affairs of the individual. What honors caa

pr censure> are certain additions of later tiroes^ when> in
religious pomps and court pageants^ in dress and in style, all
Vr^ inflated and cumbersome. The rule of reform is easy
and obvious ; to prune ofif the excrescences of b&rbarous
ages, and to restore the simple forms of antiquity.

BBS

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tnt APPENDIX.

coinpeasate for a liie of sadi reBtnint and com^
finement!

I have said a solitary meal, for the Pope never
^ines in company ; so that to him a repast is no
recnreation; it is consequently short and frugal.
Sixtos Qnintns is reported to have confined the
eiEpences of his tahle to about sixpence. Innocent
XI. did not exoeed half^-crown ; and the present
Pontiff, considering the different valuation . of
money, equals them both in irogality, as his table
never exceeds five shillings a day. These unsocial
repasts may have their utility in removing all
temptations to luxurious indulgence, and all op^
portunities of unguarded conversation ; two evils
to which eonvivml entertainments are confessedly
liable. Yet> when we consider on the one side
the sobriety aud the reserve of the Italians,
particularly when in conspicuous situations, and
en t^ other the nomber of men of talents and in-
formation that are to be found at all times in the
Roma^ court, and in the eollege of cardinals, we
feel ourselves disposed to condemn an etiquette
which deprives the Pontiff of such conversation as
might not only afford a rational amusement, but
oftentimes be made the vehicle of useful hints and
suggestions. Another advantage might result
from a freer communication ; the smiles of great-
ness call forth geniua; adpussiou to the table of

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APPENDIX. I7i

the Pontiff might reTive that ardor for liter^
glolyi which distinguished the era of Leo X. and
might again perhaps fill Rome with Oratdrs^
Poets, and Philosophers. And though we applaa4
the exclosion of bnffoons and pantomimes, and the
suppression of shews and pageantry, yet we may
be allowed to wish that the halls of the Vatican
again resounded with the vbice of the oratbr, and
with the lyre of the poet ; with the approbation oi^
tht Court, and with the plaudits of tibe multitude^
But can Rome flatter herself with the hopes of a
third Augustan age ?

On the whole, the person and conduct of the
Pope, whether in public or in prirate, are midet'
perpetual restraint and constant inspection. Th^
least deviation from strict propriety or evmfrbm
customary forms^ would be immediately noticed,
published, and censured in pasquinades. Leo X.
loved shooting, and by the change of dress titees-'
aary for that amusement^ gave scandal. Clemeat
Xiy. (GanganelU) wks advised by his pfayskiantf
to ride ; he rode in the neighborhood of his AlbaA
VUla^ and it is said, offended the people of tlM
country not a little by that supposed levity. B*-'
nedict XIV. wished to see the interior arrange-
ment of a new theatre, and visited it before it was
opened to the public;^ the uefiKt momnsig an ifk*
uxipAcok appeared over dk# ddte by Whi^b h6 bad

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374 APPENDIX.

entered^ Porta Santa ; plenary indulgence to all who
enter. These anecdotes suffice to shew the joyless
QQiformity of the papal conrt^ as well as the strict
decornm that pervades every department imme*
diately connected with the person of the Pontiff.

Some centmies ago the Popes considered
ffaemselves anthorised, by their temporal sove-
xdgnty^ to give the same exhibitions and tonma-
xntots^ and to display the same scenes of iesthoty
and magnificence in the Vatican, as were beheld
at the courts and in the palaces of oilier princes;
nor did such ill-placed pageants seem at that pe-
riod to have excited surprise or censure. But the
influence of the Council of Trent, though its direct
interference was indignantly repelled, reached the
recesses of the pontifical palace, and the general
rigor of discipline established by it, ascended from
the members to the head, and at length pervaded
the whole body. Hence the austere features of
the jpapal court, and the monastic silence that
teigns through the vast apartments of the Vatican
and of the Quirinal palaces ; and hence also the
solitary repasts and the perpetual abstemiousness
of the Pontiff's table.

I mean not, however, to insinuate that the
private virtues of the Popes themselves have no
ibiire in this system of firu^dity and decoorum^ as

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APPENDIX. $n

diat is hj oo means the tratb. Temperance is a
general virtue in Italy, and independent ^en of
^e national character, the Popes have long been
remarkable for their personal abstemiousness. The
present Pontiff, in particular, inured to monastic
discipline from his youth, and long accustomed to
tibe plainest diet, Owes, probably, the extreme tem-
perance by which he is distinguished, to habit aa
much as to principle, and can feel little inclination
to exchange his slight and wholesome repasts for
tile pleasures of a luxurious table. But, to what*
ever cause it may be attributed, this truly episco*
pal spirit and ap^>earance are edifying, and must
extort the applause of every traveller, who, how-
ever unwilling he may be to acknowledge the
Pontiff as the first Pastor of the Christian Churcbj
must confess, that his mode of living and appear-
ance are not unworthy of that sacred character*

To speak of the prerogative of the Pontiff as
a sovereign is scarcely necessary, as it is known to
be uncontroled by any legal or constitutional au-
thority ; a despotism, which, though mildly exer-
cised, is diametrically opposite both to the interests
of the people and to the personal happiness of the
prince himself. The mischiefs that result from
thence to the former are obvious ; while the latter,
if alive to sentiments of religion and of moral obli*
gation as the modem sovereigns of Rome must

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9f€ APPENDIX.

iinquestionably be^ canaot but tremble imder ^tbs
weigbt of a responsibility so awful thus iconfiaed
to his own bosom. To share it with the best and
wisest members of the State is safe^ and would at
the same time be so glorious^ that we should be
tempted to wonder that the experiment had never
been triedi if every page in history did not prove'
how sweet despotic sway is to the vitiated palate
of Sovereigns. But^ if ever any^ monarch had
either an opportunity or an inducement to realise
the generous plan formed by Servius Tullius of
giving liberty and a constitution to his pec^e^ the
Popes, we should imagine, could have wanted
npithen

In the middle ages when even Rome itself was
infected with the barbarism and the licentiousnew
of the time^^ the Romans may perhaps have been
incapable of governing themselves with prudence
and consistency. The Barons were perhaps too
powerful^ the people too ignorant, to bear, or to
appreciate the blessings of equal laws and of repre-
sentative administration. (I have said perhaps,
because experience has long since proved that the
best instrument of civilizaticm is liberty.) But
surely this objection is not applicable to the Romans
of the present age whether nobles or plebeians ;
the former, are calm and stately ; the latter, serious
and reasonable ; forming a nation well calculated

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APPENDIX* 3T7

to exerciie the rights and to display die eoei^giefi

of a free people. The cardinals and the first

patricians would constitote a wise and illnstrioas^

senate, and the people might exercise their powers

by a representative body^ the materials of whieb-

may be discovered in every street in.Rome, and

in every town and almost village in its dependent

provinces. The Pontiff, a prince mthont passions^

without any interest but that ,of his people, witfa^

out any allurement to vice, and any bias to injus^

tice, must surely be a fit head to such a pc^litical^

body, and calculated to preside over it with dig^

mty and effect. Thus the Senatus Populusque Ilo^

marmsy now an empty name, would again become'

a mighty body; the rich and beautifiil territory

imder its sway would again teem with population;

its influence or its power might once more unite

Italy in one solid mass, and direet its enei^es in

union with Great Britain, its natural ally, against

die common enemy of Italy, of Qreat Britain, and

c^ mankind.

/

But to turn from visions too prosperous to be
realized, we shall proceed to the College of Car-
dinals, the real senate of modem Rome, and the
council of the Pontiff. The title of cardinal was
originally given to the parochial clergy of Rome :
it seems to have been taken firom the imperial
court, where, in the time of Theodosius, the prin-^

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3ra APPENDIX.

cipa) officers of the state bad that aj^Ilation ad*
ded as a distinction to their respective dignities.
Hie number of titles^ or chnrcbes which gave a
title to this dignity, is seventy-two, including the
six suburban bishoprics ; their principal and most
honorable privilege is that of electing the Pope;
and it is easy to conceive that their dignity and
importande increased with that of the Roman See
itself, and that they shared alike its temporal and
its spiritual pre-eminence. As they are the coun-
sellorsy so they are the officers of the Pontiff, and
are thus entrusted with the managemaoit of the
diurch at large and of the Roman State in par-*
tieoliur.

' In the middle ages, when the Roman Bishop
seemed to engross to himself the government,
both spiritual and temporal, of Christendom, and
acted at once with all the power and authority of
Emperor and of Pontiff, the cardinalate became
the next most conspicuous dignity, and rivalled^
sometimes eclipsed the splendor of royalty itself.

Even vStev the jdenitude of papal power had
bean retrenched, and the reformation had vrith--
drawn so many provinces from its dominion, the
porple retained its lustre, and a cardinal still con-
tiimed to rank with princes of the blood royal.
This honor they possess even in our timeS| and in

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APPBMSDS:. 37t

sfite of the TeTolation itself^ tbey enjoy it ki sneh
cosrts as are not imnnediately under French con*
troL Thus the coU^ of Cardmals Ims made a
conspicuous figure in Europe for the space of at
least one thousand years. The Roman Senate
itself can tsK^rce be said to have supported its fame
and grandeur for so long a period ; in di^ity^ rank^
talents^ and majesty, the sacred College is word^y
to succeed and to represent that august assembly.

One of the advantages, or rather the peculiar
glory of diis body, is that it admits men of emU
nence in virtue, talents, or rank, without any
regard to countiy or nation ; thus paying a tribute
ko merit in opposition to local prejudices, and in-
viting genius froiii every quarter of the globe, to
receive the honors, and at the same time to in«
drease die lustre of the Roman purple. The classic
writers of the age of Leo, while they beheld so
many distmguished characters collected in this as-
sembly, and while they received so much en-
couragement from its learned members, looked up
to it with reverence and affection, and joyfully ap-
{died to it the titles and the appellations of the,
anciait senate. It was with diem the amplissimua
aetusy imperii et ratimis arx—portm omnium gm^
tium — OrUs terranwi cancUium^ &c. Its members
were iheparpurati patres — gentium piOroni — Urbis
pfincipesy &c. It canm>t therefore be a matter of

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8M APFBNDDL

tuprise that this dignity should at all timet hmt
been the ol^ect of ecclesiastical ambitioii^ and been
accepted with joy by die sons e^en of the first
inonarcbs in Enrope.

The cardinals are named by the Pope, though
all the Catholic Powers are allowed to recommend
a certain namber. Some hats are generally kept
in reserve in case dF any emergency, so that thd
number is seldom fiill. The nomination is not
oflen abased, and the honor so rarely misfdaced,
that the public has not been known to complain
for a long h^rae of years.

The grand assemUy of the cardinals ia called
the' Consistory, where the Pcmtiff prendes in
person. Here they appear in all the splendor of
the purple and form a most msgestic senate^ such
as might almost justify the empfaatical expression
of the Greek Orator. But this assembly is not
precisely a council, as it seldom discussed, biU
witnesses the ratification of measnrea preriooily
weighed and adopted in the cabinet of the Pontiff*
Here therefore public communications, are ail-
nounced, foreign ambassadors received, cardinala
created, formal compliments made and answered^
in short, the exterior splendor of uoveteigatj is
displayed to the public eye. But the principal
prerogattre of a cardinal is exercised in llie Con*

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APPENDIX, 381

daye^ so called because the members of the sacred'
c3oUege are then con&ied within the precincts of
the great halls of the Vatican palace, where they
remain immured till they agree in the election of
a Pontiff. The halls are divided into temporary
apartments ; each cardinal has fonr small rooms,
and two attendants called concIaTists. The Senator
of Rome, the conservators, and the patriarchs,
archbishops, and bishops, then in the city, gnard'
the different entrances into the conclave, and pre-
vent all commnnication. These precautions to
etclnde all undue influence and intrigue, firom
such an assembly, on such an occasion, though
not always effectual, deserve applause. However,
the clashing interests of the diffieirent courts Bxe so'
well poised, that even inlr^e can do but Kttle
mischief; for if the cardinals attached to any
sovereign make particular efforts in favor of any
iindividual of the same interest, they only awakei
the jealousy and rouse the opposition of. all the
other courts aiid parties. The choice generally
fid)s on a cardinal totality unconnected with party,
and dierefore exceptionable to none, exempt from
glaring defeote, and ordinarily remarkable for
some virtue or useful accomplishment, such as
learning, dignity, moderation, firmness.

It is not my iutentiim to specify all the forms>

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IS4 APPENDIX.

following. Ab the new Pontiff advances towards
^e high altar of St. Peter*s, the master of the cere-
monies Icneeling before him, sets fire to a small
qimiitity of tow placed on the top of a gilt stafi^ and
as it blazes and vanishes in smoke, &ns addresses
Ate Pope, Sancte Pater! sic transit gloria mtmdi!
'iPlns ceremony is repeated thrice. Snch allusions
to the nothingness of snblnnary grandenr havie,
we all know, been introdnced into the ceremoni^
of roya! pageantry both in ancient and modem
times ; nor is it mentioned here as a novelty, bnt
as a proof of the transcendent glory which once
encompassed the papal throne. — Nemo est in mundo
sine aliqua tribulatione vet angustid^ quanvois Rex sit
i)d Papa. — De Imit. Christi. i. 22. The pontifical
dignity Was then, it seems, supposed to be the
complement and perfection of regal and even im-
perial power.

Yet there is no sovereign who seems to stand
in so little need of this lesson as the Roman Pontiff.
The robes which encumber his motions, the at-
tendants that watch his steps, and the severe mag-
nificence that surrounds him on all sides, are so
many mementos of his duties and of his responsi-
bility ; while the churches which he daily frequents
lined with monuments^ that announce the existence
and the short reigns of his predecessors ; nay, the

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APPENDIX. 385

Very, city which he inhabiti, the sepulchre of ages
and of empires^ the sad monnment of all that is
great and glorious beneath the snn^ remind him at
every step of fallen grandeur and of fanman mm*
tality. One lesson more the Pontiff is now des«
tined to receive daily, and that is of all others the
most impressive and most mortifying; power
escaping from his grasp, and inflence evaporating
in thib shadow of a name, Sk transit gloria mundi.

Of the retinue and procession of the Pontiff at
the inauguration I shall say no more ; but of the
ceremonial of the Roman Court in general merely
give the opinion of the most intelligent of French
travellers in his own words, after having observed
that, to the eye of an Englishman, though as par*
tial to pomp and stateliness as the native of a
northern region can be, the effect would be in*
creased if the quantum of ceremony were con*-
siderably diminished. La pompe qui efwiranne k
Pape, et les ceremonies de FEglise Romaine sont ks
plus mqjestueusesy les plus augustes, et les plus iwpo^
sanies qttonpuisse voir.*

* La Lamte.-— The reader will perhaps be surprised to
find no account of various observances^ of which he has
lieard or read mueh> such as the open stool, the examination^
&c. &c.; but his surprise will cease, or perhaps increase,
when he is assured that no such ceremonies exist.

TOU IV, C C

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3M ATBEtmOL

Ftom the state and tke exterior of the Popes
ift genenl, we wfll now pass ta die person and the
dbwiiStr of the present Pontift Fins VII. is of a
atUe fiuaily, Chiaroimmte by name, and became
earty in life a Benedictin monk of the Abbey of
SuGemrf^ ai Fance. His leanung^ yirtne, and
vsildness laised Inm shortly above the level of his
brethren, attracted the attention of his Superiors
first, Mid afterwards of the late Pope, Pins VI.
who on his way to Vienna had an opportunity of
noticing the Father CUaranumte^ and who shortly
after proaoted him to the See of Imola^ and after-
wnrds raised him to the pnrjde. His career in
this splendid line seems to have been marked
n^her by the mild and conciliating virtues than by
the display of extraordinary abilities ; we acami-
mgly find him esteemed and beloved by all parties,^
and respected even by die French gjcnerals, and by
Bmnaparte in particular.

When the late Pope was torn firom his Capital
by the orders of the French Directory, and dragged
prisoner into France, the cardinals were banished
or deported with circumstances of peculiar cruelty,
and the cardinal Chiaramante of course shared in
common with his brethren the hardships and the
dangers of this persecution.

On the death of Pius VI. the t^w^mt^l^

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ASVS3SBIX. 3f7

Med iB €oi»!tare at Vemce^ wad ia a shoirt time
unanimcmsly procladmed cardiiial ChiatammOe^
Pope. This election took place mthe laontb of
Mait;h J 800. The Frenefa were obl%ed to &»-
coate Rome abont the same period, and the P<^
embarked for AncMs, and made his pnUie entrsf,
into Rome in the following AptiL

We may easily conceive the joy both rf the
Pontiff and of the people on this happy occasion.
The scene was unnsnally splendid, bnt it owed iim
splendor not to the opulence of the sovereigoy but
to the zeal of the snbject. The guard that lined-
ti^ streets, and escorted the Pontiff^ consisted* of at
numerous body c^ young patricians^ the triumf^dl.
arthes and decorations were sopplied by the- Ro-
man people ; and the equipage of the Pontiff him-
self was the voluntary homage of t^ generout*'
Colaima, a prince truly worthy of the name of tf .
Roman. In fact the Pope was* personally as poor
as the Apostle whom he succeeds, and like him,,
brought to his Flock nothing but the piety of tlM
Pastor, and the afi^ion of the Father. As the*
procession moved towards the Vatican^ tears were*
observed more than once streaming down his
cheeks, and the details which he afterwards re-
ceived of the distress occasioned by the rapacity ol
the late invaders, could only increase his anguish.

To relieve the sufferings ctf bis people, «id to^

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889 APPENDIX.

restore the finances of die cofantrjy w«t his fint
object, and to attain it he began bjr establishing a
system of the strictest economy in his own home*
bold and aronnd his own person. He next wap^
pressed all immnnities or exemptions, and snbjeel^
ed the nobility and the clergy to the same or to
greater bnrthens than the lower ordars ; this tegn*-
lation, so simple in itself, and so jnst, is yet little
practised on the continent, where in general the
weight of taxation falls npon those who are least
capable of bearing it. The Frendi republic afects
indeed to sAapt it, but in fact uses it only as a
convenient method of plnndermg tlie rich widioot
reliering the poof. Snch are the beneficial e£feets
of this regulation, that thongh some oppressive
and unpopular duties have^ I believe, been removed^
and the sum imposed on each individual diminisfa-
ed, yet the general amount of the taxes is consi-
derably increased^ Other salutary arrangements
are, it is said, in cdbtemplation, and the good in-
tentions, the sense, and the virtuous feelings of
Pins VII. encourage the hope, that his reign, if he
be not thwarted in his designs, will be the com*'
mencement of an era of r^rm and of prosperity.

The Pope is of a middle stature ; his eyes are
dark, and his hair is black and curly ; his counte-
nance is mild and benevolent, expressing rather
the tranquil virtues of his first profession, than the
sentiments congenial to his latter elevation. How-

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APPENDIX. m

«vcr, it IS wiiispered by those who are more inti-
Hiately acquainted with hb character^ that> he cao^
on Occasions display grei^ firmness and decision ;
that he is influenced mnch more by his own judg-
ment than by the opinions of his min]sters> ao4
that he adheres irrevocably to his determinatiopp*
At the presaEit crisis, when the temporad posses*
Mm& of the Roman Church are at the mercy of
the strongest, a spirit of conciliation is perhaps
<im best calculated to preserve their integrity i and
>even in the spiritnal concerns of the Apostcdic See,
the interests of religion may doubtless be best cfmr
finlted by such concessions and changes in discip-
line as the reason or even the prejndices of the age
may seem to demand. In both these respects, and
particularly in the latter, the lenient and judicious
Pontiff is likely to employ his authority in a n^n^
ner highly conducive to public utility,

>•
I have said above, if not thwarted in his desigm^
for the exception is necessary. The power of the
Frendi Republic still alarms the Roman comrt;
and the darkness of its designs and the known
malignity of its leaders, are sufficient to justify
every suspicion. Even at present their conduct is
treacherous and insplent Though obliged by^he
articles of the late peace to evacuate the Ron^ii
ti^ritory^ they still oontinae to occupy its itea^p^nrts,
and they compel the papal government to provide

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990 AfPWOHX.

for the maurtenanoe and the pay of die ttoaps em*,
ployed for that purpose. To which I may add^
that they still encourage spies and kitrigners c^
▼arions descripdons in the Capital^ and what is
perhaps less dangerous but more ejq^ensive^ they
aend gen^nals to Rome under Taiioos pretexts, bii(
in fact to extort money under the appellation of
presents^ Sudi is the occnpation of M^rca^ at
idle moment I am now writing, and sudi the
silent warfare carried on by the Frc»cii sincfe the
)aat treaty.

Caoponantes bellam, non bjeUigemntes.

The attention paid to this brother-in-law of
the First Consul is great, and borders rather upon
homage than civility; but it is the worship paid
to the genius of mischief, and springs from suspi-
eion and fear unqualified by one single spark of
esteem or affection.*

* One evening at a conversazione given by Turlor^, a
well-known 'Roman banker, in honor of the peace latdj
concluded^ to which Jftcral, the French general, and all the
English and French at Rome were invited, Murat paid par-
ticular attention to the English, and among them to Captain

p —of the Guards. Walking with him and others

about the Faro table, and observing that the English took
no part in the gambling there carried on, he took oceaskm
to make them a compliaaent on their €orbtaraaer> and pasBuig

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Avvmmx. 391

m-

of

mi
d

Tke filial experiepce of ¥Veticb ^am&t 9XA io^^

lignity^ and the fearfol obscarity iu wiiidbk t)ie iih^

tentioBS of that infen^J government are envelop-

^ ed^ must of coiurse act as a drawback upon the

benevolent plans of the Pontiff^ and keep the re-

soan^es of the coHiitry almost in a stale of slagnar

tion. If an exeirv action is to be mai|e^ a queitioQ

'^ nattiraily^ occurs---May not the FVench make iM

b^ another vitfit^ and cairy away the fnats ^omr di$«

\t eo veries ^ If a project of cleaasing the bed of thil

Tiber is pi^oposed^ and abont to be adopted^ foi^

whom, it is aaked^ dball we draw up ijiese long

negled^ treasures ? fbr oiu- greatest enemies. Is

a palace * to be repaired or new furnished ; what f

they exclaim, shall we spaid our fortunes to prepare

lodgings for a French general? Thus the influenct

of the French, whether absent or pn^ient, li

always felt and always active in the production

thence to some sarcastic observations on the master of the
house and his countrymen^ concluded by a declaration that
there are but two nations in the worlds the French and the
Bnglish-^** You" says he^ ** are the first hf sea, we dy
Umd." To this decinon^ which however flattering to tbe
D^vy ia.no eompMrnent to the army of Great Britain, the
Captain replied dryly, *' Sir^ we are just arrived from
Egypt.*' This short answer^ uttered with the modesty pe-
culiar to the man> reminded the French General of the re-
eent glory of the British arms, and extorted from him some
awkwaid and relatlant cxpbaatioiii.

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sn AFPBNDIX.

and intbe eztewon of nuBery^ of devafltatioD^ and
of baribamm*

INCOME OF THE POPE.

Of the income of the Roman conrt, some ac<-
count may perbapt- l)e ^xpefi^, diongh the
many alterations which haye lately occurred may
be supfioaed, not only to have.rednced its amoon^
but to have raadeDed that amoont very im^dar
and uncertain. Several yean ago, when in fiiH
poipeaaion &( its territory^ both in Italy aod in
France, it was not cakokted at. more than six
hundred thousand pounds. Contratry to a very
general opinion I tainst here obaervej that this in-
come arose principally from internal taxation, and
that a very small part of it was derived from. Ca-
tholic countries. The sums remitted by Catholic
countries may be comprised under the two heads
of annats and of dispensations ; now these two
heads, when united, did not produce in France, the
richest and most extensive of Catholic countries
previous to the revolution, more than fiflteen tibou^
sand pounds per annum. In Spain the.aanats Jiad
been abolished, or rather, bought off; and in Gar-
many, if I mistake not, suppressed. Dispensar
tions, that is, licenses to take orders, to hold liv-
ings, to contract marriages, and do various acts,
in cases and circumstances contrary to the [nre-

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. APPEHblX. 99S

scfiptioDs of th6 common csnon law, prodoced
merdy sufficient to pay the expences of the conrti
through which they necessarily passed, and added
little to the Papal revenue. As for the concourse
of pilgrims^ which was supposed to be so very
productive a source of income, it brought nothing
to Rome, but the filth and the beggary of Catholic
Europe. The far greater pm^ of these pilgrhns
nf ere not only too poor to bring an aoeemon of
wealth to the City, but even to support them-
selves, and were g e ncrt illy fed and lodged in hos-
pitals expressly endowed for iheir reception. Into
these lM>spitais seven hundred or more have fr«^
quently been admitted at a iime, and snpiplied not
only with Ae necessarM, but .even with the torn-
forts of life«

The'revolutbn»ry invai^n of Italy^ and thip^
consequent dismemberment of part of the Roman
territory, lessened the papal income, not only by
diminishing the number of persons who contri-.
buted to it^ but by impoverishing all the inhabit
tants <^ the Roman state, and by depriving even
the industrious of the means of paying the taxes.
In truth, the greatest distress still prevails at
Rome, and the government, it is said, can scarce
ooUect l3ie sums essential to its very existence.

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EXPEITDITiJRE.

Having thai given a diort tccoont of the in-
iXMve, I 8haU touch iq)on the expenditare of ibe
ftoaum cowt, and :paMing over those articles
vrhipb are common to all governments^ unh a«5
the army, cert:ain c^oes of states ma^tracies and
charges, &c. I will coi^e mysdlf to the causes of
4i0btirs8iD^it which are pecuti^ to the pc^nt^cal
ti>oss|iry. The Rom^ P«iiti& have always con-
^dered the propagation <^( Chnsthuai^ as their
ftrst and most indiapemihle duty, md iiave ap-
plied tbemtselvefi to it with' zeal and «iicee»s» act
only in the early ages when their sjnrittia) ibnc-
tions were their sole occupation, but even at a
later period, when politics and ambition had en-
grossed no smaU portion of thar attention. H^nce,
jn the second and following eexktiuissi the provinceB
ef the Romaa Empire efpofAoyed tkmir MaJ^ and
iheir disdples spread the light of the XiMpi&l over
ihe Ganls, %>ai», and Giteat Britian; in the middte
Ages, Germany and the north called hrik tbw
apostolical exertions ; and m more uodeite times
America, with its ii^ands, <m one side; and on the
other, the East Indies, with China and t|^ depen-
denpies; have fomi^ed them with coipistant and
increasing employment. Of all the regions com-
prised under these appellations there is scarcely

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cBie whUk hm not been yisited by diiariidbsioiiarieB^
and ^ all (be natib^s mMdx i»liahit tbem, there m
scarcely one tiibe in wluch they have not mwAt
coBTerts.

. To sapport this graod md extcMive fAtm of
Christian canqviast^ there are seireml estabiMbments
at Rome, aad one in p^cidAr, wfaidh from its
ol^ect is called the CoUegmm de Pr(^agandii Fi^
This s^nin^ is vast and noble, supplied mtili -%
Doagnificent lihrary, and with a press, in whidb
bool» are printed in every known langniige. I
onght perhaps, in strict propriety, to have said
w^e pruitedf as tib^ Freoch previous to their
Egyptian expedition, carried off all the types,
amowiting to thirty*six sets appropriated to sn
many diiferent languages-
Some of my i^eaders may perhaps condenMi
this mode of propagating the Gospel as preposte*-
rcws, and ill-adapted to the present state of society •
they may conceive that the idiffiision of Christianity
ought to be left to the progress of civilization, aind
to the ccM3seqoent extension of general knowledge.
But in the first place, though Christianity seem*
necessary to produce civilization, the inverse does
not appear so evident. What progress has Chris-
tianity made among the Turks and the Persians?
or, independently of Ronmn missions, among the

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APPBNDDL

HiodoM and liie Chineae? what pn^ress has it
made m our West Indhn Isfauids? or on the
bolder, I might almost say, in the very bosom of
Ae American states ? or to come to a nearer and
more iiuntliar instance, is the ciirilization of the
French very favorable to the propagation of
Christianity? The troth is, that civilization is at-
tMded with vices as opposite ta the spirit of the
Gospel as those of barbarism itself; and the prid^,
the loxnry, and the indifference of the former, are
obstacles to conversion perhaps mwe insurmonnt-^
aUe than die stnpidity, the blindness, and the
bmtality of the^ latter. To which we may add,
ikBt the progress of civilisation is slow and irregn-
kr; it ebbs and flows as kingdoms and empires
wnne or flourish; it visits unexpectedly under
some new impulse the shores of the savage, and
withdraws from the regions of luxury and refine*
ment. Is the communicatimi of the truths of
Christianity, upon which depend the eternal de^-
nies of mankind, to be abandoned to the operation
of a cause, so slow, so uncertain, so ineffective?
No : the Gospel itself prescribes another method
better adapted by its energy and by its rapidity to the
Importance of the object— GO AND TEACH
ALL NATIONS*— iind he who issued the grand

« um. 38.

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APPENDIX. a*r

coQunisaioD^ baa hitbeito given ^Ek;! .to kt caoer*
ciae. The tongues of fire that first jiabliahed ifaft
Gospel^ still coatiiiue to prodaiiii its troths ; .aadl
will ccmtione to the eod of time to inflame the
bearts of the auditors.

Acting therefore npon the anthority and th0
eommission of Christy the Roman Pbotiffseontums
by their missionaries, to teach all ndtimiSf and to
carry the z»H>rd of truth to the most distant regicms*
To prepare persons fojt this nndeitaking, and to
establish seminaries for their education, has thereir
fore always been an object of primary importance^
and the sums of money annually employed for tba
purpose, have formed a very considerable part of
papal expenditure. To this article we must add
the support of several hospitals, asylums, schools^
and collies founded by various Popes fw objects
in their times pressing, and still maintained by* the
Apostolical treasury.

Moreover, the same treasury has to keep all
the public edifices in repair, especially those
immense palaces, which, thou^ €^ little use as
residences, are the recqrtacles of all the wonders
of ancient and modem art ; to protect the remains
of Roman magnificence from further dilapidation ;
to support the drainage of the Pdmptine marshes;
and, in fine, to continue the embellishment and

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3W APPBNDOL

aodioMtioii of die Capkai and of its territorf .
When to these borthens we add the pensions which
the Pc^ is accustomed to settle on bishops whei^
mmsnally poor and distressed^ and the numberless
claims upon his charity from every part of Europe^
we shall not be surprised either at the expenditure
of an income not very considerable, or at the ^tiffi-
culties' under which the papal treasury labored
tsowanfe the end of the late PontiflTs reign.

Many of my readers will probably be surprized
to find no mention made of the infaUUriUty of the
Pope^his most gh>rio» prerogative, for the sup-
pooed^ maintenance of which, Catholics have so
Icmg sitfered the dterision and the contempt of their
antagonists. The truth is-, that there is no such
article in* the Catholic Creed, for according to it,
in£sUibility is ascribed not to any individual or even
to any national church, but to the whole body cyf
the Church extended orer the universe. Tt^>
several theol(^ans, particularly Italian and Spanish
have exaggerated the power and the privileges of
the Pope, is admitted ; and it is well known that
among these, some or ralher several carried their
opinion of pontifical prerogative so high, as to
maintain that the Pontifi^, when deciding ex^athedrA
or ofiicially, and in oipacity of First Pastor and
Teacher of the Chut^ch, with all the forms and
circumstances that oc^t to accompimy legal de-*

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APPBNDIX. as»

•> sQcb a» freedom, d^bemtaoiiycciwitetioi^
&C. was by &e apectal protectioa of Ptovidenee
siBoared from error* The Roman comt favored a^
doctrine so confonnable to its general feelings, and'
of course encouraged its propagation, but never
jMffitended to enfofce it as an article of Catbofia
faitb, w yentured to attach anj marka of censure to
the contrary opinion*

This latter opinion, the ancient and unadulte-
rated doctrine of the Gatholic Gbarch, prevailed
over Germany, the Austrian empire, Poland, the
Loiv Countries, and Ei^knd ; and ia France^ waa
supported by the whole authority of the Gallican
duircb, and by the unaaimous deelaralion of all
the Universities. So rigoroualy indted waa ibeir
hostility to papal in&lhbility enforced, that no
tbeologiani iras adsnitted to d^rees^ unless he
maintained' iar a public act the four famous resofai-
ti<ms of the Grallican church against the exag^r-
ated doctrines of some Italian divines relative to
the powers of the Komaa- See. These resolutiodB
declare, that the Pope, though superior to each
Uahop individually^ is: yet inferior to the body of
bishops assembled in council; that his decisions
are liable to error, and can only commatid our
assent when confirmed by the authmity of' the
Church at large ; diat his pow«r is purely spiritual,
aad extends ndth^ directly nor iadii^ctly to the

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400 APPENDIX.

tanporalities or prerogattTes of kings and piuioes;
and, in fine, that his aothoritj is not absofane or
dtspotic, hat confined within the bounds prescribed
by the canons and the customs of the Chinch«
This doctrine was taught in all the theoli^ical
sdiools, that is, in all the universities and semi-
aaries in France, as well as in all the abbies; and
was publicly maintained by the Ekiglish Beftedictin
college at Doumf.

The conclusion to be dtawn from these obser-
vations is, first, that no Catholic Divine, however
attached to papal prerogative, ever conceived an
idea so absurd as that of ascribing infallibility to
theper«m of the Pontiff; and secondly, that those
theologians who ascribed infallibility to papal de-
cisbns when clodied with certain forms, gave it as
thdr opinion only, but never presumed to enforce
it as ihe doctrine of the Catholic Church. Hiere-
forei, to taunt Catholics with papal infallibility as
an artide of their fidth, or to urge it as a proof
of their necessary and inevitable snbservi^M^ to
the determinations of the Roman court, argues
either a great want of candor, or a great want of
itformation.

Before ive close these observations, we wilt
indulge in a momentary retrospect of past ages,
and contenidate t^e consequences of pontifical
dqwifanfiwi. daring the middle centuries, when

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, APPENDIX: 481

there wad iqqcIl barbarism and mote %tibnmce in'
Eorope^ and when its provinces were, with litde.
vamtion, abandoned to mismle and to deT^statron.
The ambition of the Pbpes is a threadbare subject^
and 'their pride, their cruelty, and their debanchc!ry,
have been the theme of many a declamotioi),' and
lengthened many a limping verse. Btft the candid
reader who, in «pite of prejndices howsoevw, early
in^tfiled, and howsoever deeply irtipressed, can
contemplate troth, ocuio irretortOy will perhaps
agree with me in the following reflections, and
ackm)wledge in the first place ; that if amidst the
oonfttsion of a falling empire, of barbarian invasion,
and of increasing anarchy some and even many
disorders should find their way It^o episcopal pa-
laces, and infect the morals even of bishops th<*m-
sielves, it would be neither linexpected or unrpris-
ing ; in the second place, that if we admit the
ccmstant flattery and compliance which environ the
great to be an extennatien of their vices, we itfnst
surely extend our indiilgence, in some degree ^'dt
least, to the ambition and pride of the Popes, flA%->
tered for ages, not by their courtiers and depend-
ants only, but by princes, by monarchs, and even by
efmperbrs ; and thirdly, that with so many induce-
ments to guilt, and so many means of gratification^
no dynasty of sovereigns, no series 'of bishops of
equal duration, have produced fewer indiyiduals'of
demeanor notoriously scandalous. This observa-^

VOL. IV. D 6 ^^'*^ '* "^ ^

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4M APPENDIX.

tton has^ if I do not mistake^ been made by Mm^
tt^ieu, who dedares that the Popes^ when com-*
pared with the Greek Patriarchs^ and eyen widi
secular princes, appear as rnc^i put in contrast with
children. This superior strength of mind »Eid
consistency of conduct may, justly perhaps^ be
ascribed to that sparic of Roman spirit and Roman
firmness whidi has always been kept alive in tibe
pontifical court, and has ever marked its proceed*
ings. In fact, at a very early period, when the
Emperors were oftentimes semi-barbarians, bom
in distant provinces, and totally unacquainted with
the Capital, the Pontiffs were genuine Romans
bom within the walls of the city } and it is highly
probable that a far greatar portion of the elegance
and of the urbanity, as well as of the simplicity
and the modesty of Augustus's &mily, might
have been observed in the palace of Urbanns or
Zephyrinns, than in the courts of Caracalla or
Heliogabalus. This observation is still more ap-
plicable to the Pontiffii and Emperors of the suc-
ceeding centuries, as the latter, from Diocletian
downwards, had assumed the luxury and the cum*'
hrous pomp"* of Asiatic despots, insomuch that
the court of Comtantimple bore a much nearer

* See £u8ebius*s description of the dress of Constantine,
-when he appeared in the Council of Nice.*^ Dc Vita C(jn-
itantinij lib. iii. Ks^. i.

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APnSNDIX* 409

res^blance in dress and ceremonial to that of
Aitaxerxes^ than to that of Augustas. We may
therefore easily imagine^ that the manners df
€h:i^ory the Great and of his clergy were not-
withstanding the misfortunes of the times^ far
more Roman^ that is, more manly, more simple,
and for that reason more majestic, than those of
Justinian. This natural politeness still continued
to be the honorable distinction of the pontifical
court, till the ninth century, when the visits of the
French sovereigns to Rome, and the frequent in-
tercourse between them and the Popes, contributed
xtot a little to soften the manners of the former,
and to extend the blessings of civilization to their
subjects^*

From this period the Roman P(H)tiffs assumed
the character of the Apostles and the Legislators,
the Uioipires and the Judges, the Fathers and the
Instructors of Eurc^e, and at the same time acted
die most brilliant part, and rendered some of the
most essential services to mankind on record in
human history. Had their conduct invariably
corresponded with the sanctity of their profession,
and had their views always been as pure and as

• Le regne teul de Charlemagne, says FoUaire, an author
pot very partial to Rome, eut tme lueur de politesse, qui fut
pr0bttbkmtnt le fruit du voyage a Rome.

DD 2

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404 APPENDIX.

diiiinte^ted as their duty required, tbey must have
been digested of all the weaknesses of hmnan im-
tore, and have arriyed at a degree of perfection
which does not seetn to be attainable in this state
of existence. Bot, notwithstanding the intemi]>-
tioDs occasioned from time to time by the ambition
and the profligacy of some worthless Popes, the
Grand Work was pnrsned with spirit; the bar-
barian tribes were converted; Enrope was again
civilised, preserved first from anarchy, and Acn
from Turkish invasion; next it was enlightened,
and finally raised to that degree of refinement
which places it at present above the most f©-
nowned nations of antiquity. Hius, while the
evils occasioned by the vices of the Pontiffs were
incidental and temporary, the influence of their
virtues was constant, and the services which they
rendered mankind were permanent, and will pro*
bably last as long as the Species itself. Hence^
not to allude again to the virtnes of the earlier
Popes, and to the blessings which they communis-
cated to nations during the middle ages, to th^n
we owe the revival of the arts of architecture, of
painting, and of sculpture, and the preservation
and restoration of the literature of Greece and of
Rome. One raised the dome of the Vatican ; an-
other gave his name to the Calendar, which he
reformed; a third rivalled Augustus, and may
glory in the second classic era, the era of Leo.

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APPENDIX. 40^

niese services mil be long fdt and remembered,
while tbe wars of Julius U. and the cruelties of
Alexander VI. will ere long be consign^ to oblii-
^fion. In fad, many of my readers, wliatsoevier
ixpiidon they may entertain of the ^fcim right of
4he Roman Pontifls, baay be inclined with a late
ek>qneiit writer,^ to discover something subliQie in
die establishment of a common Father in the very
centre of Christendom^ within the precincts of tbe
Eternal City once the seat of empire now the Me-
tropolis of Christiamty ; to annex to that venei^
able name sovereignty and prineely power, and to
entrust him with the high commission of advising
and rebuking monarchs, of repressing the ardor
and the intemperance of rival nations, of raising
the pacific crosier between the swords of warring
sovereigns, and checking alike the fury of the bar-
barian and the Vengeance of the despot.

Unity of design is a beauty in literary compo-
sitions and in the works of art ; it is essential to
political combinations, and may surely be allowed
to be both useful and becoming in ecclesiastical
institutions. To attain this advantage a (lead is
necessary. How many evils in reality does not
the appointment of a chief Pastor, and a centre of

ChateaubiiaBd.

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405 APPENDIX.

miion preyent, by repressing alike episcopal pride,
popular ^ithasiasm, and national superstition ; by
holding np to view constantly a regular role both
of doctrine and of discipline, and thus supporting
that aniformity which tends to make all Christen-
dom one vast republic, divided indeed into diffiar*
ent provinces, but united by so many ties, by so
many sacred bonds of religion, of manners, of
opinions, and even of prejudices, as to resemble
the members of one immense fkmily« But whether
these ideas be the result of prejudice, or the die*
tates of reason, the reader will determine aocordiog
to his own judgment

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POSTSCRIPT.

The reader who interests himself in the fate of
Rome^ may perhaps wish to be informed what the
eonseqaences of its entire snbjngation may have
been ; whether the evil of French domination has
been^ as it usnally is^ pure and unalloyed, or whe-
ther some unintentional advantages may have
accid^itally flowed from it. The author is fortu-
nately enabled by the arrival of a friend, for many
years a resident in that Capital, to give the foL
lowing information on the subjek^t. In the first
place, the French under the pretext of beautifying
the city, and of restoring its ancient monuments^
but in reality to discover and seize the treasures of
art still supposed to lie buried under its ruins, h^ve
commenced several excavations, and of course
'made some discoveries.

In the Forum, on digging round the insulated
pillar, the subject of so many conjectures and so
many debates, it was found to be a column be

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408 POSTSCRIPT.

iongiDg to one of the neighboring edifices, but re-
moved from its original site^ and re-erected in
honor of a Greek Elxarch in the seventh centory.

Ronnd the base of the supposed temple of
Peace nothing was found but renmants of marble
shafts and capitals.

The earth gathered round the Coliseum has
been removed, and the whole elevation of that
grand edifice is now displayed; the vanks h«ve
been cleared of the rubbish and the weeds dnt
filled tbem^ and the arena itself is exposed fuUy to
view. Canals, walls^ and even vaults have been
discovered intersecting the arena in various direc*-
tions, and covering it with intricacy and cooftmw;
a circumstance that has astonished and indeed quilB
confounded all the antiquaries who bad ever con-
ceived the arena to be a space- perfectly open and
unincumbered. For my part, if I were to venture
a conjecture without having inspected the spot, 1
should be disposed to imagine either that the' walls
and separations lately discovered were erected
during the middle ages, when exhibitions were
not unfrequently given in the amphitheatre; or
that in digging they had removed, the arena itself,
and sunk down to the canals and caverns which
were prepared under it to supply it with water^

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POSTSCRIPT; 499

and to cafry of* tibat vat^r whea ^o l&ngex tieces-
garv.*

»ary.

« Some Rcywan antiquaries imagine, as I am ialbrmtd»
tiiat the arena was boarded, and that the boards were coTered)
with sand or earth : this conjectare is more than probable,
because we know that the surface of the arena was removable,
and capable of admitting of sudden and surprising alterations.
If I had not already passed the bounds which the nature of
the work prescribes, I might amaze the reader with an ac-
count of the wonders, not occasionally, but frequently ex-
hibited in the Roman amphitheatre. Titus himself who
aieded it^ not content with the usual exhibition of wild
beasts, produced the scenery of the countries whence they
were imported, aii4 astonished the Romans with a sudden
Aaplay of rocks and forests.

Q^quid in Orpheo Rhodope spectasse Theatio

Dicitur^ exhiUI>uit, C^sar, arena tlbi :
Repseruntscopiil^, noirandaque sylva cucurrit.

Quale fuisse nemus creditur Hesperidum.
Adfuit Unmixtum peeudum genus omne ferarum . . .

Mart. De Sptc^

Doipitian covered the arena with water, and entertained the
Romans with various marine exhibitions and naval fights.

' Ne te decipiat ratibus nava,lis Enyo,

Et par unda fr^tis : hie modo terra fult
Non credis; spectes dum laxent sequora Martem,
Parva mora est^ dices, hie modo pontus erat.

De Spect xxiv.

The rapidity of th^ change is frequently alliuied to. In

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41* FOSTSCBIPr.

Hiej have remcnrei all tbe rubbiflh ramid llie
temples of Vesta (or of tbe Sun) and of Fortnaa

ages thef i^eoi Id hste improvied upon liiese
giguUic mcUmorphota, ao tliat the wlude arena saddadf
dissppeaied* and from tlie chasm fDrmed by its fidl, rasa
fiucsta, offcbards and wild beastt*

Ah miieri^ qaotieBS aos dcaoeadeatis arens
Vidimiis in imrtea? mptaqne TOiagine tens
Emciaiase faros} et eudem saqie tatebris
Anna cum croceo crereront arbota libro,

Gf^fNIfRtM;

These changes weie produced by the application of Tarioos
machines^ which they called p^mata, which rose and swelled
sometimes to a prodigious extent and elevation^ and again
subsided into a perfect IctcI ; or perhaps sinking still lower^
exposed the caverns and subterraneous dens of wild beasts
which lay under the arena. Seneca describes these machines
with great accuracy. His licet annumeres machinatores, qui
pegmata ex se surgentia excogitant^ et tabulata tacite in
sublime crescentia et alias ex inopioato varietates: aut dehis-
centibus quse cohserebant : aut his quae distabunt sua sponte
coeuntibus ; aut his quse eminebant pauUatim in se residea*
tibus. — Epist Ixxxviii.

Sometimes criminals were raised on these machines, and
while engaged with objects calculated to attract the atten-
tion> hurled unexpectedly into the dens of the wild beasts
below, and devoured.

One of these it seems was in the form of a ship, which
while floating in the amphitheatre struck the groand as if

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POSTSCRIPT^ 4U

irmlis^ tfarowa down the walk Iietweeii the piUarSy
aad restored to those edifices some portion of th^

\¥recked^ and opening let loose some hundreds of wild
beasts^ mixed with aquatic animals, who swam, fought^ or
played in the waters, till the water was suddenly let out, the
beasts slain, and the ship restored to its original form..

We find in Claudian mention of exhibitions of flames
playing round the machinery without damaging it, in a man*
ner that might astonish moderns, however .accustomed to
theatrical scenes of fire and conflagration.

Inque chori speciem spargentes ardua flammas
Scena rotet ^ varios effingat Mulciber orbes
Per tabulas Impune Tflgns : i^ctseqiie citato
Ludant igne trabes; etnon permitta morari
Fida per inocuas errent incendia turres.

In Havii Maliii Theodosii Cimaulaturhf^

It is not wonderful that in oontemplatingsuch efforts of
human skill SI. Airgustiii <ahonld have exclaimed. Ad qwiin
etupenda opel'a* iodiislriii hamana pervenit ^ queintheatna
mirabiHa spectantibus^ audientibus incredlbilia, fsdenda et
exhibenda roolita est }

Of the number of animals employed for public amuse*
ment, we may form some idea from a circumstance mention-
ed by Capitolimis, who relates that Frobus when qusestor
exhibited in one day a thoumnd bears, besides an hundred
lions and tigers. Augustus is related to have produced more
than five thousand on a similar occasion.

One circumstance more I think it necesBary to mention;

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4if FosncBinr.

aiicioqt Heamtf. The t«ni|i]es of CoMnd ad of
Supiter Tonaqg, on the Clmis Capitoliinis, have
nJso been disincombered of the earth m which tbef
i^ere half bnried, and now exhibit a most majestic
appearance. The same may^ in part, be said of
the Area di Gtano, and of the ardnes of Htns and
SevCTog. The temple of Antoninns and Faustina
had been restored in part by the Pope, who indeed
had projected and commenced many of Ae exca-
rations and ia^proyements since executed by the

perfumes were nol only iprinkled in ahowco^ which was
eommoo^ but on c«rt«in great oCGtaaom poared in tcwrents
down the stepe or. ralher tke aeste of the smphitik^tatro. In
honarem Trqjmk ^oiiam^ €t cfocnapn per gna^m thea^i /iuere
juisU, says Spartia^usi, spe^kiqg of Hadria^ : ^d Seneca
uifornis us» that fpr this purpose pipes were conducted from
the centre of the arena to the summit of the amphitheatre.
Namquid dohMatttr^ aaya he, quiA spanio ffla q^ ^Jm-
d am m ti$ mtdka airem ereacmi in awmnam iiltidi44iniM|
amphitheatri perveait efm inteatiokie a^inVB flidt;?— r4<>(* li,
Qm9k. Nai.

From these observations^ and from the rarious passages
of aneient writera on nrhich Ih^.are f(Hi94^, wofliay with
eertaioiy infer in the 6x$ti ptAc^, iM, un^er th^e wrwa tb«r«
were dens of wild beasts^ restttiv^iis .of wfi^r^ Md sew^iss to
carry it off) spaces to ooutain w^i, macbiuefjr^ Ac a«4
cellarfl for perfumes and the wiae with which thi^ were
mixed ; and secondly, that the aubstrAtfiin of th« 9^m mu^t
have been moyeable, and consequently boarded.— *See Lipsius
De AmpkUke^rii. ' . .

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FVc^Qch. Hiey have opened the space roimd the
biwe of Trajan's colnmii^ and I bdieVe dng down to
tlie ancient pa^toient : irs^gments df rich marUein
considerable qttantity, capitals and broken shafbi
of pillars rewarded their exertions.

But the ^«nater, it geems^ rises rapidly and rc^
mains stagf)ant in some of these hollows, so that
to prevent the infectious vapors which mnst ine-
vitably be exhaled from such pools, it is apprehend-
ed that it will be necessary to fill them np again.
This eircnmstance seems to prove that the bed of
the Tiber is considerably raised pardy by rtuns,
bnt principally by its own depositions ; £^ that
the first step towards permanent excavations is liie^
cleansing of the river, in order to reduce it, if pos-
sible, to its ancient level. Bnt this grand scheme
of improvement mnst be the undertaking of a
settled and baievolent government, ami does not
form any part of a predatory and irregular system
formed merely for the advantage of the parties
concerned, without any reference to public utiKty^
It has been observed, that when expense is to be
incurred by any proposed improvement, the French
seldom discover its necessity or its advantage : so
niggardly indeed is Buonaparte towards his Italian
provinces, that the roads, formerly so good, havei
been totally neglected, particularly in the Roman
•tate^ and are in some places scarcely passable. «

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414 FOSTSCRIFT*

In fine, fay enfmchig the laws stricdy and i
Maadj, and at the same time by disarmii^ die
popohc^ they have pot an eod to the hnrrifale
custom of stabbing so frequent, and so jostly cen-
sttred in the Roman state. This proceeding was
dictated by motiTes of personal safety, and cost
the invaders nothing but a rigorous oceeoti^m of
the law ; and in acts of sererity against the inha-
bitants of other countries the Frendi have never
been deficient When to this salutary police and
to the excavations above-mentioned we add the
jriantation of a row of trees alcmg the high roads,
we shall have completed the catalogue of real or
iqyparent ameliorations ascribable to the ¥Vench
government.

We may now, therefore, pass to the mischiefs
that have followed their usurpation, and in the first
place inform the reader, that by the suppression of
the Benedictin abbey annexed to it, the Church c^
St. Vfiuljuori li tnura is abandoned to its own so-
lidity, and left to moulder away in damp and
neglect; that the baths of Diocletian, or the
church and magnificent cloister of the Carthusians,
have been converted into stables ; and that most
of the churches are in a state of complete dilapida-
tion ; that the Pomptine marshes have not only
not been drained as one of our newspapers lately
stated^ but that the drainage has been totally neg-

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POSTSCRIPT, 415

lected^ and the openings made by the late Pope
allowed to fill; that the collections of status
busts, colonms, &c. whiph continued to omam«it
the halls of the Vatican and the Capitol, in the
year 1802, have been again plundered, and now
finally annihilated ; that the cabinets and galleries
. of individuals have been nearly stripped of the few
mast^ieces which had escaped preceding exac«
dons ; that the Vatican library has been plundered
of all its manuscripts, and indeed of every article
either curious or valuable ; and in fine, that the
population of Rome has been reduced from one
hundred and eighty, or two hundred thousand
souls, to ninety thousand! a diminution greater
than that which has taken place during the same
space of thne in any capital not entirely destroyed
by a victorious enemy. This rapid decrease has
been occasioned in part by the conscription, whidi
is held in such horror, that many youths have
mutilated themselves, or fled their country, while
aged parents, and particularly mothers, when de-
prived of their sons, have been known, to pine
away, or throw themselves into the Tiber in de-
spair. To the conscription must be added the
want of employment, the consequence of the total
failure of commerce and agriculture there being no
means of exportation, the land-holders confine
their crops to the supply of the home market;
and the cultivation of com, .of the olive, and of

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4te FOSTSCRIFT.

the Tine, which were in a stale of nqnd fanprove-
ment, and supplied the giand articles of Roman
commerce, was almost entirely neglected. This
cause of depopulation has reached not only the
great towns, but the villages and the cottages^ and
has convert jd one half of them into deserts : it is
difficult to say what time, but a long time certainly
is necessary, to repair the evils fnrodoced in Italy^
and partrcularly in Rome, daring the short period
of French usurpation.*

That usurpation is now over, and French pre-
dominance

Terrarum fatale malom, fulmenque iquod omnes
PerCttteret pariCer populos^ et tidus iniquum
Oentibus^ Lucan, Lib. x.

has at length been put down by the otit-^retcked
arm of Omnipotence; not unto us is the glory;
for great as were human exertions, and mighty
the display of human power, yet man would have
failed in the contest, had not the elements been
arrayed on his side, and snow and vapors, whds
and storms^ that fulfil the word of their Creator,
been employed as instruments of vengeance. The

* The population of Rome will in all probability increase
with rapidity in more prosperous circumstances ; an obser-
vatioa not applicable to country towns*

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POSTSCRIPT. 417

day that completed tbis signal visitaticm^ and saw
the grand enemy fall nnde^ the walls of bis sub-
jugated capital^ should^ be set apart as an annual
ftolemnity ; as a festival, not of nationi but of the
species, and celebrated by all future fenerations^
as a day of general deliverance . frdm atbeistdy
Ignorance, and military despotism. Why Provi-
tlence may have sent this scourge upon .Christian
Erurope, or ivhy allowed it so wide arrange, and
fto long a duration, it becomes not Us to enquire ;
but that motives, equally wise and benevolent,
commissioned it and guided its progress ; and that
many important lessons have been inculcated by it^
is evideict to the most superficial observer. The
higher ^classes may have learned by experience
how dangerous it is to adopt or to encourage
monstrous opinions, which, by destroying the dis-
tinction between right and wrong, let loose the'
worst propensities of the human heart, and aban^
don men to passion; that is, to the savage and
brutal part of their nature. Sovereigns may have
observed that oppression leads to resistance ; that
public discontent will at last find a vent ; and that
those thrones only are stable which rest upon jus-
tice and public opinion. They may also have
learned that partition treaties, the oppression of
weaker states, and the barter of provinces and
nations like fields and herds, howsoever easy in
{Practice, are not always safe in their consequences ;^

VOI. IV* E E

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418 fOSTSCRIPE.

and that examples of rapacity and ambition are
recorded precedents that justify retaliation. BoA
SQYereigns and naticms may hare learnt^ that the
interest of the whole is the interest of each ; ttuut
to be bribed away from the common cause, is to
^sacrifice evra personal interest^ and that partid
security r is to be found only in general union*
Hience, perh^s, the cause of religion may be
Strengthened by the grand attack made upon it,
^nd men may attach themselves more, and more tp
principles which have always been followed with
fafety and never rejected with impunity. The
interests of freedom may also be promoted by an
explosion which^ confounding together all the
rights^ both of the prince and of the people^ termi-
nated in military despotism. Sovere^s may be
disposed to redress grievances, and improve the
' constitutions of their respective states, because
they must have perceived that an oppressed and
discontented populace is indifferent to the interests
of their country, savage towards their governors,
and tame and submissive to an invader. We may,
therefore, hope that this tremendous lesson, the
most awfril on record since the fall of the Roman
empire, has not been given in vain, and that the
nations of Europe restored to the holy principles
and moral habits of their ancestors, will unite in
one vast commonwealth, and vie with each oth^,
not in extent of territory, nor in numeroua armies^

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POSTSCRIPT, 41«

but in freedom and industry, in commerce and
population, in all the virtaes, and all the arts of
feligious aud civUi^d beings*

Among other blessings easily attainable in
themselves^ and> at the present moment insepa-^
rable from the happiness of mankind, we may
confidently hope^ that justice will be done to two
nations, both unfortunate, and both, for different
reasons, dear to Europe — ^I mean Poland and
Italy. The Poles are a generous and high-*spirited:
nation ; they hare seldom passed their limits for
V motives of invasion or plunder ; for ages they de^
fended the borders of Christaidom against the
Mahometan despot ; and to their generous exer^
tions under the gallant Sobieski, Vienna owes it»
existence.* Why should not this nation be al-*
lowed to possess its honorable name ? Why should
not its territory remaia inviolate as a trophy over
the. infidels from whose grasp their valor rescued
it, and, at the same time^ as an acknowledgment
of their services, and their achievements in the
common cause i -

The Italians have been our instructors in the

♦ The Poles defeated the Turks, with dreadful slaughter,
under the walls of Vienna, and obliged them to raise the
Siege of that cityi This^ven^ took placfe An. 1683.

£ £ S

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490 POSTSCRIPT.

sdenoeg, and onr masters in the arts ; tbeir cbmi'
try is the garden, the glory of Europe : it is an
inheritanee derived from the noblest race that erer
acted a part on this globe: its history, its geo-
graphy, its literature, are connected with every
idea, every feeling, of the liberal and the enlight-
ened individual, and are interwoven with the re-
cords of every civilized nation. Why not leave it
in honorable independence, as the great parent of
the Christian world, the benefactress of a thousand
tribes and of a thousand generations ? Such rea-*
sons, I am aware, have little influence on the
cabinets of sovereigns, and may be pressed in vain
on the attention of plenipotentiaries. Yet the
allied sovereigns who have given such unparalleled
example of moderation and forbearance towards a
mast guilty nation, cannot close their ears to the
claims of an innocent and injured people. Poland
oppressed and subjugated, will add little to the
security, the greatness, or the glory of Russia ; nor
can the Venetian territories, torn from Italian sway
in spite of nature, be necessary to the weUFare of
Austria. While, if the Emperor of Russia would
comply with the dictates of his magnanimity^ and
give Poland a king of his own blood, and with
him bestow upon it independence, he would not
only acquire more glory, but give more stabi-
lity to his throne, and more security to his own
person, than by the conquest of fifty provinces, and

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POSTSGRIPT. 4«1

the enrolment of fifty regiments. If, in the same
ananner, the Empew)r of Austria (for stiU, it iseems,
he prefers that provincial title to a more glorious
and imperial appellation) would annex the Vene*
dan states to the Milanese, and make over that
coble province to one of the archdukes, his bro*
thers, and to his heirs, he would engage for ever
the affections of a brave people, and protect his
empire on that side by an impregnable rampart:
The empires of Russia and of Austria are already
too extensive and too unwieldy ; the distant proi-
vinced of both are ill peopled,, ill cultivated, and
indilEerently governed. To give to these provinces
their full share of prosperity is the duty of their
respective governments ; in the discharge of this
duty, they will find employment for all their ac-
tivity and all their vigilance ; and its success will
give them an accession of power and glory suf-
ficient to sate the utmost cravings of human am-
bition«

In fine, let the Emperor of Austria recollect
that it is in his power to give happiness to that
country to which his family is indebted for its ori-
ginal importance. Its first step to greatness, its im-
perial titles, its regal honors, and all its consequent
fame and protracted prosperity: that while he
recals to mind these particular claims upon his
justice, he may also remember what every sove-

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HM POSTSCRIFT.

reign in Enrope owes to that conntiy which is to
Europe the fountain-head of law and l^iskticHiy
of the discipline of war, of the arts of peace, of the
charms of literature, of the blessings of religion.
Cogita te missum ad ordinandum statum, liberarukn
civitatum, id est, ad homines maxime liheros, qui
jus a natura datum virtute, mentis, religione te-
nuerunt , • , Reverere gloriam veterem, et banc
ipsam senectutem, quae in homine venerabifis, in
urbibus sacra. Sit apud te honor antiquitati, sit
ingentibus factis, sit fmbulis qnoque. Nihil ex
cnjusquam dignitate, nihil ex libertate • • decerp*
feris . • • , . His reliquam umbram, et residanm
libertatis nomen eripere durum, feruin> barbarum*
y w est,

PUn, Ub, viii. Ep. «4,

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493

Extract from the Abbe Bartkelemi, referred to in
Vol. 4— Page S56.

** Le hasard m'inspira Tid^e du Voyage ^Ana^
charms. J'^tois en Italic en VJ55y moins attentif
a Tetat actoel des villes que je parconrois^ qn'^ leur
aadenne splendeur. Je remontois natureilement
zxxsi sidles- oil .elles se dispntoient iagloire de fixer
dans lenr sein les sciences et les arts ; et je pensoin
qne la relation d*nn voyage entrepris dans ce pays
vers le temps de L&>n X^ et prolong^ pendant un
certain nombre d'ann^es, pr^senteroit nn des plus
int^ressans et des pins ntiles spectacles pour This^
toire de Fesprit bumain. On pent sen convaincre
par cette esquisse l^g^re. Un frani^ais passe lea
Alpes: il yoit k Pavie J^rdme Cardan, qui a 6crif
snr presque tons les snjets, et dont les cmvrages
contiennent dix volumes in-folio. A Parme, il volt
le Corr^ge peignant a fresqne le ddme de la cath6<^
drsde; k Mantoue, le comte Balthaasar Castillonj
autenr de Fexcellent onvrage intitule : Le Courti*
tan, // Cortigiano; k V6rone, Fracastor, m^decin^
philosophe, astronome, math6maticien, litterateur^
cosmographe, c^l^bre sous tons les rapports, mai»
sur-tout comme po^te ; car la plupart des ^crivains
cherchoient alors k se distinguer dans tons les
grares^ et c*est ce qui doit arriver lorsqne les let-

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tres s^introcbiseiit dans nn pays. AFladoiie3 tt
assiste aux la^ons de Philippe D^e^ professenr en
droits reDomm6 par la superiority de ses talens et
de ses lami^res : cette yille 6toit dans la d^pend-
ance de Venise. Louis XII^ s*^tant empar^ da
Milanez, voulut en illnstrer la capitale^ en j 6tar
blissant D^ce ; il le fit demander k la r^pabliqoe
qui le refusa long-temps, Les n^gociatLons con-
tinu^rent, et Ton vit le moment o\i ces deux puis-
sances alloient en venir aux main? pour la posses*
aion dun jurisconsulte,

^^ Notre Yoyageur voit.i Venise Daniel Barbaro,
h^ritier d'un pom tr^s-heurenx pour les lettres, et
dont il a sautenu T^clat par des commentaires snr
la rh^torique d'Aristote, par une tradnctian de Vi-
truve, par un trait^ snr la Perspective ; Paul Ma*
nuce^ qui exer^a rimprimerie, et qui cultiva lea
lettre's avec le m^me succ^s que son p^re^ Aide
Manuce. II trouve chez Paul tootes les Editions
des anciens auteurs grecs et latins, nduvellement
sorties des plus fameoses presses d'ltalie, en-^
tr'autres celle de Cic^ron en quatre yolumea in^olioi
publi^e k Milan en 1499) et le Psantier en quatre
langues^ h^breu, grec, chald^en et arabe^ imprim^
h G6nes en 1516,

^^ II Yoit a Ferrare, I'Arioste : k Bologne, six
cents Pollers assidus aux lei^ons de jurisprudence

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425

que donnoit le professenr Ricini^ et de ce nomhre^

Aldat qui, bientdt apr^s, en rassembla huit cents^

et qui effapa la gloire de Barthole et d'Accnrse ;

A Florence, Machiayel, ies historiens Guichardln

et Paul Jove, une university florisgante, et cettc

maison de M6dicis, auparavant borate aux op^T

rations du commerce, alors souveraine et alli^e

k plusieurs maisons royales; qui montra de

grandes vertus dans son premier 6tat, de grands

yices dans le second, et qui fut toujours c^l^bre^

parce qu'elle s'int^ressa toujours aux lettres et

aux arts; k Sienne, Mathiole travaillant k son

Golnmentaire sur Dioscoride: k Rome, Michel*

Ange 61evant la coupole de Saint-Pierre, Raphael

peignant Ies galeries du Vatican, Sadolet et

Bembe, depuis cardinauz, remplissant alors aupr^

de L^on X la place de secr6talres ; le Trissin don-

nant la premiere representation de sa Sophonisbe,

premiere foag6die compos^e par un modeme;

B6roald, biblioth6caire du Vatican, s'occupant 4

publier Ies Annales de Tacite qu'on venoit de d6-

ccmvrir en Westphalie, et que L^on X avoit

acquises pour la somme de cinq cents ducats d'or ;

le m^me pape proposant des places aux savans de

toutes Ies itiations, qui viendroient r^sider dans ses

6tat8, et des recompenses distingu^es a ceux qui

lui apporteroient des manuscrits inconnus.

" A Naples, il trouve Tal^sio travaillant k re-

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425

prodmre le systinie de Pkurm6mde^ ei qm, suiiraaft
BacoD^ ftit le premier restanratenr de la philoso*
phie: il tronye aossi ce Jordan Bmno, que la
nature sembioit avoir choisi pour son interpr^e^
mais k qui) en Ini donnant un tr^beau g^nie^ elle
refnsa le talent de se gonvemer.

*^ Jusqn'ici notre voyageur s'est bom6e k tra-
^efser rapidement Fltalie, d'ane extr^mit^ k
f autre; marehant toujours entre des prodiges*
je reux dire, entre de grands tnonumens et d^
grands bommes, toujours saisi d^une admiration
qmi croissoit k cbaque instant. Des semblables
objets frapperont par-tout ses regards^ lorsqull
mnltipUera ses courses: de4A, quelle moisson de
d^convertes^ et quelle souice de inflexions sur
Torigine des lumi^es qui out ^clair6 TEurope!
Je me contente d'indiquer ces recfaerches ; cepen*-
dant men sujet m'entralne^ et exige encore quel**
ques d^veloppemens.

"" Dans les V* et VP sidles de Yhre chr^tienw^
ritalie fut subjugu^ par les H^rules, les GothS)
les Oiitrogoths et d'autres peuples jusqu'alors in-^
connus ; dans le XV% elle le fut, sous des aus«-
pices plus favorables, par le g6nie et par les talens.
Jls y furent appeles, on du moins accueillis par
les maisons de M6dicis, d'Este, d'Urbin, de Gon*
ngue, par les plus petits souverainsj par les di-

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m

verftes r^^bliqaes: par^tont de grand« hommes^
les itns n^ dans le pays rn^me^ les antres attir6$
des pays Strangers, moins par uu vil int^rit que
par des distinctions flatteaaes; d'antres appel^i
chez les nations voisines, pour y propager lea
lumi^res, pour y veiller sur T^ducation ,de la jeii%
nesse, ou sur la sant^ des souverains.

" Par*toat 8*oi^anisoiait des tmiversit^s, des

coll^ges^ des imprimeries pour Ixmtes sortes de

langues et de sciences^ des biblioth^ques sans

g:esse enrichies des ouvrages qu'on y publioit, et

des manuscrits nouvellement apport^s des pays

oil Tignorance avoit conserve son empire. Les

academies se multipUferent tellement^ qtf h, Ferrare

on en coznptoit dix k donze^ k Bologne oiviron

quatorze, k Siaine seize. EUes avoient pour

objet les sciences, les belles-lettres, les langues,

rhistoire, les arts. Dans deux de ces academies,

dont Tune ^toit sp^cialement d^vouee i Platon,

€t Tautre h son disciple Aristote, ^oient discut^et

les opinions de I'ancienne philosopbie, et pre*

sent^es celles de la philosophic modane. A

Bologne, ainsi qu*& Venise, une de ces soci^t^s

veilloit sur rimprimerie, sur la beaute du papier^

la fonte des caract^res, la correction des ^preuvesj

et sur tout ce qui ponvoit contribuer a la per^

/ection des Editions nouvelles,

^^ L'ltalie 6toit alors le pays oi les lettres

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428

aToient fait et faisoient tons les jonrs le pins de
progr^. Ces progrfes 6tpient I'effet de F^mTila-
tion entre les divers gouvememens qui la parta*
geaint, et de la nature da climat Dans chaque
£tat^ les capitales^ et mtme des villes moins con*
sidirables^ ^toient cxtr^mement avides d'instrac-
tion et de gloire: elles offroient presque toates
anx astronomes des observatoires^ aux anato-
mistes des amphitbe&tres^ aux naturalistes des
jardins de plantes^ k tous les gens de lettres des
collections de livres^ de m^dailles et de monumens
antiques ; k tous les genres de connoissances^ des
marques 6clatantes de consdd6ration^ de recon^
noissance et de respect.

'^ Quant au climat^ il n est pas rare de trouvcr
dans cette contr^e des imaginations actives et
f6condes, des esprtts justes^ profonds, propres k
cohcevoir des grandes entreprises^ capables de les
m^diter long-tempe, et incapables de les abandon-
ner quand ils les ont bien con^ues. Cest k ces
avantages et k ces qualit^s r^unies^ que Fltalie
dut cette masse de lumi^res et de talens qui, en
quelques ann6e8, T^leva si fort au-dessus des
autres contr6es de I'Europe.

'^ tTai plac^ FAripste sous le pontificat de L^oa ,
X ; j'aurois pn mettre, parjni les contemporains
de ce pohe, P^trarque, q[uoiqu il ait v^cu environ

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429

cent cinqaante ans avairt lui, et le Tasse qni
naquit onze ans apr^s: le premier, parce que c^
xte fat que sous L^on X que ses poesies italiennes,
oubli^es presque d^s leur naissance, furent goii-
t^es et obtinrent quantity (T^ditious et de com-
mentaires ; le Tasae, parce qu il s'^it form6 en
giunde partie sur TArioste. Cest aiusi qu*on
dpnne le nom da Nil ^ux sources et aux embou-
chures de ce fleave« Tous les genres de po^ie
iiirent alors cultiv^s et laiss^rent des modules.
Outre TArioste, on peut citer, pour la poj6sie ita-
lienne, Bernard Tasse, p^e du c6lfebre Torquat,
Hercule Bentivoglio, Annibal Caro, Bemi; pour
la po6sie latine, Sannazar, PoUtien, Vida, B6i^d ;
et parmi ceux qui, sans 6tre d^cid^ment pontes,
fai^oient des vers, on peut compter L6on X,
Macbiavel, Michel-Ange, Benvenuto Cdlini qui
excella daas la sculpture, rQrf(6vrerie et la:gravure*

"Les progr^s de Varchitecture dans ce si^cle
sont attest^s, d'un cdt^, par les ouvragea de Serlio,
de Vignole et de Pallade, ainsi que par cette
foule de commentaires qui jparurent sur le trait^ de
Vitruve; d'un autre c6t6, par les (Edifices publics
et particuliers construits alors, et qui subsistent
cB<?ore.

«
" A regard de la peinture, i*ai feit mention de

Michel-Ange, de Raphael^ du Corr%e ; il faut leur

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4SO

jbindre Jnlea-Romain, le Utien, Andr^ del Sarte
qui vivoient dans le m^me temps, et cette quantit6
de g6nie8 formes par leurs lemons oa par lemrs
onvragea.

** Tons lea jours il paroisscut de nouveaBX
Merits sar les syst^mes de Platon, d*Aristote ^ de$
anciens philosophes. Des critiqnes obstin^s, teb
qae GiraldHS, Panvinius, Sigonras^trayailloientsnr
les antiqoitis romaines, et presqne tontes les villes
rassembloient lears annales. Tandis qae, pour
oonnottre dans toate son 6tendae Thistoire de
fbomme, quelques ^criyains remontoient anx
nations les plus anciexmes, des voyagenrs intr^pidd^
s*ezpo8oient anx phis grands dangers, ponr d6-
oonyrir les nations 61oign6es et inccmnnes, dont on
ne faiscMt que sonp$:onner Texistence. Les noms
de Christophe Colomb g^ois, d'Am^ric-Vespnce
de Florence, de S^bastien Cabot de Venise, d^corent
' cette demiire lisle, bientdt grossie par les n<uns de
plnsienrs antres Italiens, dont les relations fiirent
ins^r^es, pen de temps apr^, dans la collection de
Ramnsio, lenr compatriote.

** La prise de Constantinople par les TVircs^ eir
1453, et les Iib6ralit6s de L6on X, firent reflnw e»
Italie qaantit6 de Grecs qui apport^rent avec enx
tond les litres iMmentaires relatifs anx mathfma-
tiqnes. On s^empressa tf^todier lenr kngoes

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431.

l^nrs U^i^s fbrent impnm^^; tr^diut9> explicp^e, e«
le go^Lt de la g6om6trie deviat gi6n6ral. PlxisieurA
Ifix consacrokat.toaa leurs momens; tQl$ fiu'eati
Cpmmimdin^ Tartaglia: dautres lassocidient k,
tears premiers travaux; tel fut Maurolico def
Mesaliie^ qui; publia^ diffJ^reas ouvragi^ sar Faritb-
m^tiqae, les m^caniques, Faattonoinie^ Foptiqae^ 1^
musiqne^ rbistoire de Sicile^ la grammaire^ la vie
4e quelqn^ s^uts, le martyrqloge rpmaio> saps
^ H^gliger la po^si^ italienne : tel fut aussi Angustin
Nifo^ profesaei^r de philosophie k Home sousL^oiit
X, qni ^erivit snr Tastrpnomie/ la m^decinei la
pplitique^ la m.orale, la rh6toriqae^ et stur plusi^ois.
aotre^ »ajets.

^^ Uapatomie fiit eorichie par les obserratiQiift.
4e Fallope de M od^ae, d'Aqqape^deate son dis*.
ciple, de Bolotgoini de Padoue^ de Vigo de,
G^nes^ etc.

^^ Aldrova^di de Bologne^ ^Vf^^ avoir^ peodaQt
quarante-hait aps^ profess^ la botanique et la
pbilogopbie dans Taniversit^ de cette ville, laissa
nn Conrs d'bistoire naturelle en dix-sept yolames
in^folio. Parmi cette immense quantity d'onv-*
rages qui pamrent alors^ je n ai pas fait mention
4e ceux qui ayoient ^p^cialement pour pbject la
tb^ologie ou la jurisprudence^ parce qn'ils scsit
counus de ceux qui cnltivent ces sdeaces^ et qn'ib

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kAinMat pen cem i qoi dies waathamgha^
A r^s^ ^^ antm dasKs, je n «i df6 4fm
ijoAjaa exemples prisy pour aina dire, an haaaid.
Ik soffiroDt poor montrer les diffiErena genres 4e
Kttefatnre doot on aimcHt a s*oocnpcr, ct les diC-
li^rens mofens qo*on emp]oy€Ht poor iUain et
nndtipiier nos oomioissances.

^ Lea progr^ des arts £ivorisoient le goAt des
spectacles et de la magnificence. L*^tnde de
fhistoire et des monnmens des Grecs et des Ro*
niains inspiroit des id^es de d^caice, d'ensemUe
et de perfection qn'on n*avoit point enes jnsqn*-
alors. Jnlien de . Medidsj fr^re de L6on X^
ayant itik proclam^ citoyen romain, cette procla-
mation fat accompagn^e de jenx publics ; et sor
on Taste th^fttre constndt expr^ dans la place dn
Capitole^ on repr^senta pendant denx jonrs nne
com^die de Plante, dont la mnsiqne et Fappareil
extraordinaire ezcit^ent Tadmiration g^n^rale.
Le pape, qui cmti^n cette occasion devoir con*
rertir en nn acte de bienfaisance ce qui n'^toit
qu*un acte de justice^ diminaa quelqnes-uns des
impdts ; et le peuple, qui prit cet acte de justice
pour un acte de bienfaisancei loi ^leva une statue.

" Un observateur qui verroit tout-^-coup I»
nature kisser 6cbapper taut de 'secrets, la philoso-
pbie tant de yintis, Tindustrie tant de nouveUe» '

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fmikfOLf^ AtQs le 4raips hi6id0 ^oh ajotttoit 4
Faiic|0ii moiiide im nonde noof^ean, eroirmt ptt^
•iftttr k la naiffiutiice d'lm nomreaa genne kmnain :
«MUB la ssrfnise qui hti ^anfieroknt tootes oift
aorMiilei, dnouiiieroit aussHAt qaHl Tcarrcat ie
motile et les teieas lattaot avec aimitaige coMre
les titr^ les plus respect^^ les sa^^aiw et les gens
da teltres admis k k poarpre rofmiiie, a«s: ooo^
sattft des rois, anx places les f^s impoitontes d«i
gouycnmemeiit, it tons les boBaeoDB, k tootes ks
dignity.

^ " Pour Jeter un nouvel int6r£t sur le Voyage
que je me proposois dedecrire^ il suffiroit d'ajouter
k cette Emulation de gloire qui ^clatoit de toutes
parts^ toutes les id^es nouvelles que faisoit ^clore
cette ^tonnante revolution, et tous ces mouvemens
qui agitoient alors les nations de FEurope, et toui^.
ces rapports avec Tancienne Rome, qui revien-
neut sans cesse k Fesprit, et tout ce que le present
annonjpoit pour Favenir ; car enfin, le si^cle de
L6on X fat Faurore de ceux qui le suivirent, et
plusieurs g^nies qui out brill6 dans les XVII'' et
XVin"" si^cles chez les diff^rentes nations, doivent
une grande partie de leur gloire k ceux que FItalie
produisit dans les deux sifecles pr6cedens. Ce
sujet me pr^sentoit des tableaux si riches, si varies
et si instructifs, que j'eus d'abord Fambition de le
traiter : mais je m'aperi^us ensuite qu'il exigeroit

VOL. IV. F F

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434

de ma part mi nonveaa genre dT^tudea; et me
rappelant qn*on voyage en Gr^ vers le tsmps de
Philippe^ ph« d* Alexandre, sana me d^toomer de
mes travanx ordinaires, me foomiroit le moyen de
renfermer dans nn espace circonscrit ce qne rhistoire
grecqne nous oflre de pins int^ressant, et nne infinite
de details concemant les sciences, les arts, la rdi-
gion, les moeors, les osages, etc. dont rhistoire ne
se charge point, je saisis cette id^e, et apr^ Favoir
long-temps m^dit^e,. je commen$:ai Tex^enter en
1757, k mon retonr d'ltalie."

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INDEX.

%* The Raman numerals refer to the volume* ; and the Arabic
figure* refer to the pages of the four volumes.

Academy della Crusca, notice of, iii. 392.

Accommodations in Italy, remarks on, i. Pr. D. 47, 48, 49.

Ad^OfCs Letter from Italy quoted, i. 273, 309. His opinion as to

« the sit^ of Virgil's tomb, examined, ii. 868, 369. His conjecture
as to the supposed site of Arasanctus, disproved, i. 332. , Charac-
ter of his Dialogues on Medals^ Pr. D. 12. General character
of his Travels in Italy, 28, 29, 30.

Addua, river, notice of, i. «37.

Adige, river, villages on the banks of, i. lt)6, 107. Course of, 11/2.

Adrian, see Hadrian.

Agnano, lago d*, description of, ii. 380, 381.

Agriculture, professorships of, established at Padua and Edinbui^h,
i. 156.

Agripmna, supposed tomb of, near Baiae, ii. 411.

jttba Longa, site of, ascertained, ii. 257.

Alban Mount, described, ii. 253, 254. Temple of Jupiter Latiaris
on it, 273. The scene of the six last books of the ^neid,
274, 275.

■ , lake, account of, ii. 256.

Albano, town of, described, ii. 255.

Albumus, mount, iii. 87.

Aldus Manutius, eulogium on, i. 165, 166.

Alfonso of £ste, encomium on, i. 250, 251.

Alps, defiles of, described, i. 83, 86, 87, 93, 97, 109, 110.

Altars, in churches, whether they should be ornamented, ii. 190,
note.

Amasenus, handsome bridge over, ii. 301. Classical inscription on
it, 301. Present appearance of, 301.

Ambras, castle of, described, i. 91, 92.

Ambrose, St., character and tomb of, iv. C5.

Ambrosian Library at Milan, iv. 26.

Amphitheatre of Verona, described, i. 112, 113. Curious exhi-

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INDEX.

MoQ ia, lUy 115. Remuks oa tha ancient amphitheatres,
ir, 364. And oo the Tarioos ezhibitioiift there, 426, 499,

Amtanetuty valley of, conjectures on its situation, i. 562, 333.

Amifelm^ canal of, why form^, ii. 8^.

Anama^ temple of Venus at, i. 291. Ancient state of, ibid. Noble
mole, 292, 293. Triumphal arch, 293. Cathedral, 295. Other
churches, 296. Present appearance, 297.

AngH» (Castet S.) deseribed, ii. 18, 19.

- (Michael), critique on his Last Judgment, ii. 44, 48. De-
fects of his arcfautectiiral style, iii. 217, 218.

Amo, river, coune of, de s c ri b e d, ii. 229. Its waterfalls, 229,
230.

Aniimm, ancient and present state of, ii. 276.

AM^ny (St.) church of, at Padua, described, i. 146.

Aruntr, ancient site of, ii. 304.

Apennines, passage of, described, i. 310, 311. Poetical de-
scriptions of, 313, 314. Instructions for passing them, 316,
917.

Apono, warm fountains and baths of, i. 185, 186. Celebrated by
Claudian, i. 185, note.

Anuleiui, quoted, iv. 35.

AfuedmcU, of Rome, described, ii. 8. i$. 166. Of Caserta,
ui. 56.

Arcadiw academy, institution and design of, ii 200.

Arch of Constantine, i. 377.

Architecture of Italy, necessair to be known by travellers, i. Pr. D.
13. Best works on this subject, ibid, 14, 15. Observations on
Uie architecture of modem Rome, ilL 207. Account of the fiv^
eras of its architecture, 209. General remarks on them, 216.
Comparison between the Roman and Gothic architecture,
iv. IS, 14.

Arenas of the ancient amphitheatres, construction of, iv. 409. No-
tice of the wonderful exhibitions there, 409, notes,

ArezxOf ancient and modem state of^ iii. 315.

Ariminum, See Rimini,

Ariosto, bom in the territory of Reggio, i. 248.

— — , quoted or illustrated, i. 250, 338.

Arno, river, sceneiy of, iii. 31?. See Fal d*Amo.

Ar&na, town of, its situation, iv. 77, 78. Statue of 6t. Chaijcs
Borromeo there, 77.

Afpaia, the ancient Candium, defiles o^ described, iii. 68, 69,
70.

Arqttato, village of, i. 187. Tomb and villa of Petrarch tfaeie,
189, 190.

Arsenal at Venice, described, i. 173, 174.

Arts^ communicated to the world finm Rome, i. 349, 350.

Asdntbal, account of the battle between, and die Romans^ il-
lustrated, i. 288. The site of Monte Asdrubale asoertaioed,
ibid, ^ '

Assassination, remarks on, in Italy, iv. 31T, 31t). ViKt fteqiMBt
among the Neapolitans, iii 139.

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uxmsL

AiMi the ancient Asimnii^ notice of, iii. 298. AccooDt of
St. Francis of Asski, 297.

AttrwU, formerly the crater of • Toleaoo^ ii. 384. Now converted
into a royal forest, ihid.

Aitura, island of, a residence of Cicero's, ii. 279.

AuguiHn, St., supposed tomb of, iii. 490.

AvgustuSi triumptial uch of, at Rimini, i. 334. Noble biidge
' erected by him at Nami, 999. Mausoleum of, ii. 15.

Awar, river, course of, iii. 441.

Amonkn, quoted, iii. d5d. iv. 39.

Atutria (Emperor of), reflections on his present situaition and duties^
IT. 4S1,422.

AoenHne, Mmtnt, ancient and present state of, i. 381, 382.

Avemut, lake, description of, ii. 394. Fictions of the ancients
concerning it examined and accounted for, 395, 396, 397. Di-
vested of its horrors by Augustus, 398. Ancient temple on k$
southern banks, 399, 400. Giotto della ^biUa, 400. S^poeed
situation of the cil^ of the Cimmerians, 401.

B

Baup, beautiful bay of, ii. 406. Ancient nans on its banks,
' ibid. Buths of Nero, 407. Ten^ e corners di Fenere, 408,

409. Casde, 410. Tomb of Agrippina, 411. The scene of

profligacy and cruelty under the successors of Augustus, iii. 13.

Causes of the present unwholesomeness of the town and lake,

13, note,
Baptittery of St. John Lateran, ii. 117.
Barbarians^ devastations of, accounted lor, i. 293.
Barthelemy, Abb^, interesting Sketch of Travels ib Italy, dming the

age of Leo X., iv. 423, et seq.
Bathe, vrarm, of Apono, i. 185. Of Caracalla, 385, 386. Of TitM,

389, 690. Of Dioclesian, 393. Of Nero at Baiae, ii. 407. Of

ancient Rome, distinguished by their splendour, iii. 190, 191. Of

Lucca, 436,437.
Be^y of Naples, description of its beauties, ii. 325, 326, Of Baitt,

406. Ot Prodrfa, iii. 1, 2. Of Lugano, iv. 58.
Bella fio, the probable site of one of Ptiny's villas, iv. 51. Its

ancient state, 53.
Benaeue, lake, described, i. 199, 200, 205, 206. Subject to sudden

storms, 203, 204.
Benedictine monasteries and order, nature of their rule, iv. 267, 496.

Vindication of their character, 269. Remarks on the annihilation

of the order, 274.
BenetRetion of the Pope, in what manner conferred, ii. 562.

iv. 360.
Beneventum, excursion to, iii. 67. Aiident history and present

itttte of, 73. Trium|>ha] arch of Trajan, 74. Cathechai, ibid,

Pepolation, 75. Ancient inhabitants almost exterminated by Uid

Romans, 76.
Bmrn^d, Mount St, gbtoien of, iv. 42.

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Bukcpi" teaiif where placed, in andent and modem chnrchae^
ii. 166, 167.

Blood, supposed, of St. Januarios and St. Stephen, ii. 534.

Boechetta, mountain of, described, iii. 47T. Its romantic scenery,
478.

Boetiui, tomb of, at Pavia, iii. 4§3.

BologWi, ancient state of, i. 257. Vicissitudes of, ibid. Presmt
appearance of, 259. Cathedral, ibid. Church of St. Petronius,
iitd. Splendid portico, leading to the church of the Blessed
Virgin, 260. Her church described, ibid. Noble palaces, 26S.
' The Clementine academy founded, 263. Its excellent plan, 364.
Public library, ibid. The institute founded by Count Marsigli,
265. Eniiched by subsequent benefactors, 266. University, ibid.
Other literary estabhshments, 267. Bad taste of the fountain in
the great square, 268.

Bohano, notice of, i. 100.

Btmamico, verses of, on the deserted villas of Rome, iii. 215.

Barghese (Prince), villa and gardens of, described, iL 205, 208.
Its gardens liberally open to the public, 208.

Barromeo, St. Charles, tomb of, iv. 16. Sanctity of his character
and example, 17. Benevolent institutions, 18. Private virtues,
19. Numerous chanties founded by him, tbid. Death, 20, moie.
Statue of him at Arona, 78.

, Cardinal Federigo, founded the Ambrosian libraiy,
iv. 27.

B&tr&mini, architectural defects incroduced by, iii. 217.

Botsuet, character of, iv. 221.

Brenner, an Alpine mountain, described, i. 93.

Brenta, river, appearances of its banks, i. 159.

Bressinone, notice of, i. 99.

Bridges over the Tiber, i. 401. ii. 22.

Buil, the Famese, described, ii. 365.

BulUbaiting in the amphitheatre of Verona, i. 114, 115.

Buonaparte, effects of his government in Rome, i. 426, 427.

Burial-ground of the hospital dell Sma. Anounciata, excellent situ-
ation and plan of, ii. 347, 348.

Burtfing in churches, remaits on the impropriety of, ii. 348)
349.

Caduta delle Marmore, a noble waterfall in the vicinity of Temi,

described, i. 327, 331.
C^cuban wine, remarks on, ^. 323, 324.
Casar, passage of, over the Rubicon, ascertained, L 276. His ap>

pearance before Ariminum described, 282, 283. '
Cams Cest'uis, tomb of, described, i. 382.
Camaldoli, road to, described, iii. 371. Description of the abbey

and hei-raitages. 372, 373. By whom founded, 374. Number of

monks in the abbey, and their rule, 375.'
Campagna di Roma, present appearance of^ i. 540. Observations

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INDEX.

on its onheaitliuiess and the causes of its insalubrity, both in an-
cient and modern times, iii. 241, 256.
Campania f entrance of, descrik>ed, ii. 317, 318. Its beautiful ap-
pearance, iii. 142, 143.
Campus Martius, and its edifices, described, i. 898, 399.
Canal of Amyclae, why formed by Nero, ii. 323.
Cane, grotto del, ii. 382. /

Cappella Paolina at Rome, ii. 43. Cappella Sistina, 44, 47,
Capitol, view from, described, i. 356, 357. .Historical account of,
362, 363. Noble edifices formerly on it^ 363, 364. Modem
buildings erected on it, 366, 367. Its^ present appearance, 367,
368. Museum Capitolinum, 368. Church aild convent oiAra
Caelis, 369, 370.
Capua, ancient histoiy of, iii. 142. Account of the modem town

of, 144.
Caracalla, baths of, described^ i. 385, 386. Circus of, ii. 212,

214.
Cardinah, how nominated, iv. S77< Power and influence of the
college of cardinals, 377> 378. The Pope elected by them,
379.
Caserta, aqueduct and palace of, described, iii. 57.
Castration of boys, disgraceful custom of, continued, ii. 354.
Catacombs of Rome, account of, ii. 90 — ^95.
. Cattolica, origin of its name, i. 284.
Catullus, quoted or illustrated, i. 99, 202, 236, 237.

, grotto of, at Sirmione, i. 202.
Caudium, See Arpaia.

Cava, town of, its origin and present state, iii. 82.
Cecilia Metella, mausoleum of, ii. 214, 215.

Cemetery, an ancient Jewish one, discovered at Rome, ii. 91.

' note. ^

Cennis, mount, description of its ascent, iv. 115." Convent erected

for the benefit of travellers, 116. The supposed spot, whence An-

nibal pointed out Italy to his army, 118. His conduct compared

with that of modem invaders, 119. .

Cesena, present state of, i. 273.

Character, national, of the Italians, account of, iv. 281. et seq.
Charitable Institutions, number, of, in Italy, iv. 240. et ieq.
Chastity, cultivated by the northern nations, iii. 127.
Chaunt of the Roman church, remarks on, ii. 172, 173.
Chiaravalle, abbey of, its situation and history, iii. 495, 496.
Chiusa, the ancient Clusium, i. 99. Account of, and of its fortifi-
cations, ibid. 98. ^
Christianity, mild influence of, on the mountaineers of the Alps,

i. 97, 98.
Chrysostom, St. John, eloquent allusion of, to the tombs of the

apostles, ii. 140, note.
Church of Rome, service of. See Pontifical Service. Differences

between this church and the church ot England, iv. 262.
CAwrc^ ^/S'/.G'iw/i«a, at Padua, described, i. 148. Of St. Antony,
ibid. Of St. Mark at Venice, 167, 169. Other churches at
Venice, 175. Of St.' Stephana in rotondOy at Rome, i. 387.

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INDEX.

Of the Caidnisians on the Esqixflind HiR, 093. General re.

maiks on the Roman churches, ii. 69, 76. Description of

the church of St. Clement, 77. Of S. Pietro in Vincoti, 79, 80.
Of S. Martino and S. Silvestro, 80, 81. Of St. Andrea in
Monte Cavallo, 82. Of St. Cecilia in Trastavere, 83. Of S.
Pietro in Montorio, 84. Of Santa Maria in Trastavere, 85.
Of S. S. Grisogono, Giovanni e Paulo, and Gregorio Magno,
86, 87. Of St, Onofrio, 88. Of S. Sebastiano, S9, Madoooa
del Sole, 92, 95. Santa Maria Egiziaca, 96. St. Lorenzo in
Miranda, 97, 100. Pantheon, or Piazza del Botondo, 100,
103. Basilica, or Church of S. Lorenzo, 105, 106. Santa
Maria Maggiore, 108, 112. BasiKca Lateraneusis, or Church of
the Latenm, 112, 118. Basilica di Santa Croce in Gienxsar
lemme, 118. Basilica of St. Paul, 118, 119, 124. Of St. Peter,
^5» 163. (See St, Peter). Suburban churches — Church of
St. Urban, 218. Of St. Agnes, and St. Constantia, 220. Prin-
cipal churches of Naples, 334. Santa Maria Maggiore, idid»
Santi Apostoli, 333. Of St. Paul and St. Lorenzo, 336.
Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, 337. De Spirito Santo,
ibid. Church del Parto, 340, 344. Remarks on the impro-
priety of bur^fing in churches, 348, 349, 352. Churches of
Florence, remarl^ on, iii. 330. Cathedrid church, 331. Bap-
tistery, 335. Church of St Lorenzo, 836. Other churche^
340. Cathedral of Pisa, 427, 428. Of Genoa, 458. Cathedral
of Milan, iv, 7, 25. General observations on the churches of
Italy, i. Pr. D. 62. 63.

Cicero, reflections of, on the ruins of Corinth and other dtieft,
i. 355, note. Villa of, near Alba, ii. 258, 26^. And in the
island of Astura, 280. His Formian Villa and Tomb, 313,
314. Examination of the situations of his vHlas, Pnieohtttum
et Cumanum, 391, 392. Supposed villa of, at Pompen, iii.
48, 49. His tomb at Gaieta, 147. Vindication of Cicero from
die sneers of Rousseau, 270, note.

— ^ quoted or illustrated, i. 355, 372. 'ii. 280. iii. 14$, 174,

273,274,448. iv. 159.

Cimbrij descendants of, now in Italy, i. 142.

Cimmerians, supposed abode of, ii. 401, 402, 403.

Circus, of Caracalla, ii, 212, 214.

Civilization diflfused through the worid from Rome, i. 344, 345.

Civita Castellana, supposed to occupy the site of the ancient
Veii, iii. 293.

Classical kmneledge considered, as necessary to travellert in ItsStfy
Pr. D. 4, 8,

Claudian, quoted or illustrated, I 185, note, 237, 536, 339, 379.
* ii. 211. iii. 96, note. iv. 50, 57.

Clement XIV. (Pope) account of the museum founded by him,
ii. 59, 60.

Clergy, Italian, different classes of^ their duties aad qoalificaCionff,
iy. 261^ et seg.

Clitumnus, the source of, described by the younger Pfinv, i. 318.
Its present appearance, 319* Ancient tua^e on its Imnks de-
scribed, 321.

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ClM^tf^y orsewenofanciciit Rename, desc^bed, iii. 1$9.
Clodiusy the scene of his assttsioKtion pointed out^ ii« Sj^.

Cikveriusy error of, detected, iL 951.
Ceecubvs, mount, ii. 308, 309.

Cceijan Mount, ruins on, i. 387.

Ccliseumy best mode of viewing to advantage, i. 375, 37d. Its pre-
sent state described, 377.

CollegtHte churches, benefit of, iv. 55.

Coilegium de propaganda Fide, nobie desig^i of, iv, 305;

CM E^ganet, described, i. 185.

Cofowiw (Prince), estimable character of, ii. 34, n«^. Description
of his palace, S3, 34, 35.

Colony, Eoman, now remaining on the borders of Transylvanift^
i. 143.

Columella, quoted or illustrated, iii. t42, 243, notes,

Como, the ancient Comum, situation of, iv. 36. Statue of Pliny, ^f.
Its cathedral and present state, 41, 4«. Villa of Plinj in iu
neijgbbourhood, 40. Scenery of its lake described, 46. Fertility
of its surrounding territory, 51.

Con/hitemitieg, benevolent, at Naples, ii. 354, 855.

Conservatorii, or schools of Naples, account of, ii. 353, 354.

Comkmtine, arch of, i. 377.

Gon»ent8f utility of, vindicated, iv. 258.

Cora, ruins of, li. 300.

Council of Trent, account of, i. 103. Subjects discussed at, IM
Review of the charges against, 105^ 106.

Cremona, vicissitudes of, . i. 232, 239. Present state of, ^33.
Beautiful chapel of the primitive martyrs, 234. The native place
of the poet Vida, 235, 236.

CufMB, ancient history of, ii. 436. Causes of its decline, ihid*
Present state of, 427. Royal forest there, 428.

Cumean Sybil, grotto of, ii. 423, 426.

JOante^ epitaph on, iii. 334. Fnntlese aCteniptB of the FloMAtiiiiS

to obtaiiy ms remains irom ReYenpa^ iM.
IMlerhi the Alps^ desef^o» of, i. 68, 86, 93,. 96, 109, 110.

UfCaudiumrBt.6e. '

Db lAHe, reflections of, on tiewing Pope's Villa, ii. 376^ note*
Delia Crusca Academy, account of, iii. 392.
IHantt, temple of, tm the Aventine mount, i. 381. Her g^ove an4

. temple, near Gensano, ii. 267, 268.
Dies Irie, a fuaerai hymn, extract of, i. 9Sf itete,
DM^tian baths of, i. 393.
MHoH^f^m Perfegetes, f]fQoted, i. 337, note.
JbkpooMom with which pei9one ought to titkvel, considered, i. Pr.

D. 9^, «7.
Dmm4ikiola, itoatioBof, iv. 77.
J>f^m 6i tU> Rettttti eta^, dtfEei^M parte of, es^ained, ii.

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INDEX.

IBS, 184. Of^teWnmA^nauukBcnkMl
hr. 102. Gcoenl leflMott on dnm, 106.
Darazzo, Doge of Venice, anecdote oi, m. 4£9. Accomir of the
Diinaao Palace alGcnon, 4».

EiMcet of ancient Rome, destrored by hostile (oiy or by
Christian zeal, L 403 — 406. And also bj neglect of gOTan*
ment, 406. Some preserred by being conreited into dmrches,
410.

Ereria, grotto of, ii. 217. Foontain of, 270.

Eljfnan Fields, description of, ii. 414, 415.

Ennkis, quoted or illostrated, ii. 401.

EntertainmenU of the Italians, riodicxted, m. 455.

Epitaphs on Virgil, ii. S67. On Dante, ii. 182.

Eruptions of Vesuvios, notice of, ii. 330. iii. 25—30. Account of
that, which overwhelmed Pompeii, 54.

EsifuUine Hill, ancient and present state of, i. 390 — 392. Carthu-
sian convent on, 393.

Este^ bouse of, eologium on the munificence of its princes, L 250.

Etruria, reflections on entering, iii. 288. Remaiis on the histoiy
and arts of the ancient Etnirians, 310. Remains on the ancient
Etruscan language, 393, 396.

Euganean Hilu, notice of, i. 185.

— — — soothsayer, 186.

F

• Faenza, description of, i. 270.

F^suia, or Fiesole, history and description of, iii. 354.

Falemus j^ger, description of, ii. 319. Examination of the causes
which make its wine to be now in less request than it fonneriy
was, 320 — 324.

Fano (the ancient Fanum Fortufue) described, i. 285.

Famese, Alexander, epitaph on, i. 245.

Ferdinand IF". King of Naples, account of his return to Naples,
iii. 106. Extravagant joy of his people, ibid. Anecdotes and
character of him, 108, 110. Kept in imoranca, 111. In-
stances of his benevolence, 113, 115. Effects of his govern-
ment, 118.

Fh'e, spontaneous, at Pietra Mala, iii. 388, 390. Remains on it,
392.

Ftaminius, verses of, addressed to Mantua,, i. 230, 231.

Fkrence, early history of, iii. 319. Struggles during its republican
form of government, 321, 322. The title of duke usurped by
Alexander de Medicis, 327. Present state and appearance of,
329. Descriptions of its churches, 330. Cathedral, 330 — 333.
Baptistery, 335. Church of St. Lorenzo, 386. lAormtian
library, 339. Other churches of Florence, 340-— 343. Palaces,

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INDEX.

343, 345. Desciiptioii of the Fli^Wfttiae gftllery, SiS-r^SSl^

And of its environs, 352. Museum of natural history, 391.

Academy della Crusca, 398. State of Society there, 409, no$e,
Foligno (the ancient Fulginia) described, i. 318.
Fondi, town of, described, ii. 30r, 308. Its vale, why unhealthy,

309.
Fontana Felice, description of, ii. 11. Fontana di Trevi, 13.
Forli (Forum Leiri), description of, i. 271.
Forlimpopoli (Forum PopiliiJ, present state of, i. 2T1.
Formine, See Mola.
Forum of Rome described, ii. 371. Allusions to it, 372. Its

? resent state, 373, 374. Account of the forums of ancient
lome, iii. 178 — 182.

Fountains of modem Rome described, ii. 8 — 14.

FracastoriuSf beautiful extract from, i. 210.

Francis I. Emperor, death of, i. 89. Chapel and altar erected to
his memory at Inspruck, 89.

Francis /. King of France, honorable anecdote of, iii. 393, 394.

Francis (St.) of Assisi, account of, iii. 299.

French, depredations of, at Chiusa, i. 110. At Verona, 126. At
Padua, 148. At Venice, 174. Effects of their conduct on the
Venetians, 184. Depredations of, at Parma, 246i Plundered
the Vatican Library, ii. 58. Causes of the superiority of French
literature examined and accounted for, 360 — 363. General
conduct of, while at Rome, iii. 229. Effects of their invasion,
241 — 247. Wanton depredations at Milan, iv. 29. Effects of
their invasion of Turin, 98. Account of useful undertaking?
executed by them at Rome, iv. 407—414. Mischiefs caused by
diem in Italy, 414. Reflections on their expulsion from Italy^
416, etseq.
Frescati, erected on the site of the ancient Tusculum, ii. 263.

Modern town of, described, 264, 265.
Furca Caudintt, or defile of Caudium, described, iii. 68. Their
supposed situation, according to CiuTerius, 71, note.

Gaieta, fortress of, ii. 311. Present state of the tovin, 311. Its
cathedral, ibid. Tomb of Mutius Plancus, 312.

Gaieta, bay of, iii. 147. Tomb of Cicero there, iUd.

Gallery of Florence, account of, iii. 345. Plundered by the
French^ 346. Architecture of it, 347. Paintings, ibid. Sta-
tues, 348.

Garda, Lago di, described, i. 199, 200.

Gardens of LucuUus, ii. 194. Of the king of Naples, 365.

Genoa, harbour of, iii. 448. Interior of the city described, 4499
Churches, 450. Palace of the family of Durazzo, ibid. Of the
Doge, 452. Church di Carignano, 453: Cathedral church of
St. lAureuce, 458. Hospitals, ibid. Instances of Genoese
benevolence, 459. Fortifications of Genoa, 460. Revolutions
in her histoty, 461. Rivah7 between Genoa and Venice, 485

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IMDfiX.

4ea. Genoa, wfay attached to the Wteadk imtreatf 467. lU-

maitfl on the GenieM chttttcter, 468, 469.
GM»rit remark on the Roman churches, erroneous, ii. 188.
Giustina (St.), abbey and chorch cf, described, i. 147, 148.
Oevemment of Rome described, iii. 818. Oiuin and progiress of

the temporal sovereignty of the popes, 8S0. £&cts of the Reform-
ation on it, 884.
Gregorian Chaunt, observations on, ii. 174.
Gregwy the Great, pope, character of, vindicated, iii. 159| tiMe,
Grrotta Ferrata, the site of Cicero's Villa, ii. 856.
Grotto of Egeria, ii. 817. Of Posilipo, described, 377, 878.

Beautiful views thence, 379, 380. Del Cane, 388. Of the Cu-

mean Sybil, 483 — 426.
Gualbert, St. John, founder of the abbey of Valiombrosa, legendary

anecdote of, iii. 366, ntfte.
Gyklei to travellers in Italy, remains on^ i. Pr. D. 81-^31.

ffadrkfkf Emperor, maosoleum of, ii. 17, 18. His viUa, 887.
ffallem, village of, described, i. 78. Account of its salt noines,

79-*88.
fferculaneum, ancient town of, how discovered, iii. 38. Desciiption

of its ruins, 33. Papyri discovered there, 37.
HUtmry of Italy, knowledge of, necessary to the traveller in diat

country, Pr. D. 10.
Homer, quoted or illustrated, ii. 401. ifi. 7.
ttornce, quoted or illustrated, i. 135, 803, 348,398. iL39> 194,.

809, 836, 842, 846, 248, 849, 850, 951, ^Q^ 308, 304, 384, 406.

iii. 9, ^^ 130, 134, 843. iv. 84, 80, 186, 316.
■*■ ■ " , supposed villa of, at Tibur, ii. 841, 848. His Sabine viU^

848, 849. His journey to Brundnsium illustrated, 860. iii.

149.
Horatii and Curiatii, tomb of, ii. 265.
Hospitals, noble, of the Neapolitans, ii. 344 — 347. Burial ground

of the Hospital dellaSma. Anhundata, 347. Excellent custom-

of, 353. Number of them in Italy, iv. 840, 844.
Houses of Rome, described, ii. 8. '
Hugford, father, chfuracter of, iii. 866.

I J

Improvisatdfe, account of the performances of one, i. 317, dl^.
Imolay description of, i. 270.
Itteefise, why used in the Roman chmch, ii. 188, 189.
Income of the oopes, iv, 398.

Infallibility or the popes, how to be understood, iv. 398^
Infis, of ancient ana modem tiihes, badness of their accommcMl»-
tioM, ftcdounttf d foY, iii. 149.

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INDEX.

Ingpntck, description of, i. 88 — 98.

Imtrtteiion, oumeroas establishments fbr^ ia Itsiy, iv. 246,

Iniula Comacena, history of, iv. 47.

Iniermittent fountain at the villa Pliniana, iv. 45. The ph
accounted for, 46.

haiah, quotation from, i. 379.

hchia, the ancient Inarime, iii. 17. Volcanic appeanwcef Qf this
island, 18. Mount Epomeo, 19. Soil «ad produce, ibi4* Npn
merous towns, 20. Present state of, ihid,

itoUiy remarks on the eeograpby of, iv. 1^5. Boundaries^ \ftQ.
Divided into three climates, 127. Remarks on the »tate /of
the weather, 135. Its scenery considered, 138. Sketch pf
the history of Italy, 139. Considerations on the present de-
graded state of Italy, 144. And oa) the languages of Italy,
150. Remarks on the literature of Italy, 187. Religion, 235.
National character of the Italians, misrepresented, 281. Clm-
racter of the ancient inhabitants of Italy, 287. Most prosperous
period of Italian history, 289. Hospil^ty of the Italians, ^97.
Their courage, 298. And general knowledge* 299. Ignoraoca
pf the higher classes accounted for, 301. Numerous authors to
be found among the nobility, 303. State of monUs> 804.
Nature of cicisbeism, 307. Mischievous mode of contractiog
marriages in some places, 308. The middling classes of Italiaas
distinguished for their chastity, 309. Industry of the peasantry,
310. Italians vindicated from the cljarges of indolence, 311.
Of cruelty and murder, 317. Robbers not frequent, 3^0- The
present political state of Italy considered, 321. Ancient and
iQodem population, 328. State of cultivation^ 346. State of
Italy at the close of the 18th century, 353. A knowlec^e of
the lai^age and history necessary to the tr^velkr, Pr. D
i. 8— 10.

Jmutarhts (St.), supposed blood of^ ii. 334.

Jerome's (St.), account of the catacombs at IU)me, ii. 92, noffi.

Jb0fphf Empteror of Germany, edict of, to prevent burying ia
churches, ii. 350.

Juno Ar^^, temple of, iii. loi.

JuvetMtl, quoted or illustrated, i. 291. ii. 217, 219, 302, 427.
iii. 14, 248. iv. 314.

LMg» S Oarda, described, i. 199. Lago d'Agnana, ii. 380. Lago

m Lecoo, scenery of, iv. 50. Lago di Li^^ano, description of,

58. Lago di Varese, 63.
Larune on the Venetian coasts, described, 160/
Lmi^ should have the commumon administered in both kinds,

». 178, 179.
Lahei of Italy, gernral remarics on, iv. 78. The English and

Scottish lakes compared with them, 81.
Languages of ancient Italy,^ iii. 393. Etruscan, ihid, Oscan,

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INDEX.

*witb specimens^ 390. Vokcian, 398. Progress of the Latin
language in die reign of Servius Tullius, 399. Specimens
of the Latin lai^age at subsequent periods, 396, et seq.
Kemaib on the general use of the French language, iv. 109.
Progressive changes in the Latin language considered, 153.
Circamstances that contributed to produce a change in the an-
cient language of Italy, 157 — 167. Examples of difference
between the early and later Latins, and between them and the
modem Italians, 169 — 176. Causes and specimens of the de-
dine of the Latin language, 177 — 183. Improvement of the
Italian language, 185. Proofs of the feebleness of the French
language, 206. Its difficulty, 209. The Italian superior to
die French language, 209 — 214; and preferable as an uni-
versal language, 231. The knowledge of ItaUan necessary to
the traveller in Italy, Pr. D. 8.

Ixtrian Lake, beautiful scenery of, iv. 4? — 54. Sources of die
riches of its surrounding territory, 55.

La Riccia, tovm of, described, ii. 966.

IxiMt Judgment of Michael Angelo, critiaue on, ii. 44, 45.

Lateran palace," description of ii. 30. Church of St. John
Lateran, 112 — 116.

Latin language, reasons for partially retaining it, in divine ser^
vice, ii. 180, 181. Progress and specimens of it, at different
periods, iii. 396. Remarks on the progressive chauges in it,
•IV. 153. Causes of its decline considered, 176 — 183. Rea-
jH)ns -why the Latin should be the universal language, prefer-
ably to that of France, iv.- 222 — 225.

Laura, Petrarch's pasaion for, considered, i. 195, 196. Re-
marks on the charms attributed to her, 193 — 194.

Laurence (!^X.^, church of, ii. 105, 106. The author's feelings on
approaching his shrine, 223.

Laurentian Library at Florence, iii. 339.

Laurentum, ancient site of, ii. 285, 286.

Lavemia, excursion to, iii. 377. Description of the convent,
378. Chapel of the Stemmate, 379. Number of friars, 380.

Lazzaroni, situation of, iii. 122. Honourable anecdotes of,
124.

Leaning Tower of Pisa, iii. 432.

Leghorn, road to, described, iii. 443. Origin and present state
of, 444.

Le Laboureur, futile attempts of, to prove the superiority of die
French language, abstract of his aigument, 210, note.

Liberty, better promoted in small territories than in extensive
empires, iv. 147. This position illustrated by; examples,
149.

Library in the Corsini palace, ii. 29. Of the Vatican, 57, 58.
Plundered of all its MSS. by the French, ii. 431. The Lau-
rentian library at Florence, iii. 339. Ambrosian library at
Milan, iv. 27. Plundered by the French, 28.

Ligurians, ancient character of, iii. 47Q,^

Lirii, river, course of, ii. 314, 315.

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INDEX.

Literuture of Italy, considerations on, Iv. 187. OrigiBality of
Italian writers vindicated, 188. Characters of several lusto-
nans, 188 — 195. Antiquarians, 196. Italian literature, why
traduced, 199. Petulant criticisms of Boileau repelled, ibul.
Influence of the French infidel writers, 801. Italian lite-
rature exempt fron^ its infection, 203. Real, estimate of
French literature, 215. Indebted for all its excellence to
the Italians, 216. Comparison between Tiraboschi and Dr.
Johnson, 219. Baneful influence of French literature, 225.
Causes of its preponderance examined and accounted for, ii.
861-^363. State of literature in Naples, i. 359. iii. 133.

Liiemum, ruins of Scipio Africanus* villa there, ii. 421, 422.

Livius, Titus, monument at Padua, in honour of, i. 150.

, quoted or illustrated, i. 286, 312, 361, 372, 395. ii.

30J, 329, 391. iii. 40, 72, 143, 145, 166, 294, 316. iv. 87,
119.

Loeulky, influence of, on the mind, i. 372.

London, why inferior to other capitals, i. 137.

Loretto, present state of, i. 298. Legend of the Santimma
Casa, 298. Remarks on it, 299. Santa Casa described, 301.
Its treasury plundered by the French, 303. Description of
the church, 304.

Luean, quoted or illustrated, i. 186, 278, 283, 287, 313. ii. 265,
385. iii. 303. - iv. 331, 416.

Lucca, onpn and early history of, iii. 413, Unanimity between
governors and people, 416. Rarity of crimes, ibi^: Description
of the city, 418. Baths of Lucca, 419. State of literature and
the arts, ibid,

LucretiliSf mount, description of, ii. 247, 248.

Lucullw, gardens of, it. ii. 194. . Villa of, near port Misenus, 416,
417.

Lucrine Lake, ruins of Agrippa's mole, ii. 328. Present appearance
of the lake, 394.

Lugano, lago di, description of, iv. 58. Present state of the town

» of Lugano, 59. Its fine bay, 60.

Luna, beautiful bay of, iii. 447.

M

Macerata, city of, described,.i. 306.

Maggiwe, lago, the ancient Lucoi Verbanm, iv. 64. Isola Bella,

^5 — 66. Isola Madre, 70.
Mantua, city of, described, i. 223, et seq. Cathedral, ibid, St.

Andrew^s church, 224. Revolutions in its history, .225, 226.

Bust of Virgil there, carried off by the French, 227. Regard of

the Mantuans for the memory of Virgil, 229. Present state

of, 230.
Manuscripts of the Vatican library, ii. 58, 59.
Maps, the best for travellers pointed out, i. Pr. D. 31.
Marble, how far used in the palaces of the ancfents, i. 127.

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JMofmw* iMd af» iL 4ii2. RaouiilBt on the dfeots of iIm Uede
of Marai^y 463.

AIMi TVrasM, EmpiMs, hooomVle ttieciiote of, i. 89, ^.

Mmni, the poet, tomb of, ii. 3dT, 838.

ilimA (81;.), chnrob of, «k Venice, ^kscribed, i. 166 — 170. Aeeowit
of tbe Coding and tmi8poi«m|^ km body from Alexandria to Ve-
nice, 170, 171.

MmrM, quoted or lUudaEBted, i. 880, 3T5. ii. 80, 304, 305, 874,
410, 486, mte. m. 173.

MlUHwe dF Baitbolomew, ywanting of, at Rome, ii. 43.

MauioUtm of Aogottus, i. 399. ii. 16. Of Hadrian, u. 17, 18.
Of Cecilia Metella, 814, 815. Of the Medicean family, 198.

MecrnnaSf palace of, on the Eaqn^e HiM, i: 391. Villa of,
ii. 840.

M^daki koowledge of, aeceetaiy to the traveller in Italv, Pr. D.
18.

Medicu, Alexander di, first obtained the title of the Doke of Flo-
rence, iii. 387. * .
■ ■ , family of, aplaiidid mausoleuaa of, iii. 387.
, Cosnao, palace of, iii. 344.

MgdManum, See dfUan,

Mel&, river, course of, ascertained, i. 99.

Mandieani oiden of the oburch of Ro«ie, account of, iv. 876.
Fratres minores et thinimi, 277. Dominicans, iM. Cannel-
ilea and Augustine 6»ars, ibid. Remarks on their numbers,

Bftfawt^ aver (tbe aadent Metauros), eoune of, described, i. 887.
Account of the battle of Metaurqs, between Asdntbal and die
Romans, 888.

iMSftm (the ancient Mediolaaum), history of, iv. 8, 6. Detest-
able effects of the French Revolution on the Milanese territory,
6, 7. Present state of, 7. Cathedral church, t^W. Exami-
nation of its architectural beauties and defects, 8, 12. 8plen-
dar of its materials, 12, 13. Statues, 88. Ambiosian fibracy,
87, 28. Colleges and hospitals, 30, 31. Lazaretto, 81. Re-
mains of antiquity in Milan, 32, 83. Character of its inhabit-
ants, 34, 35.

Miltan, illustrations of, iii. 366, 370.

MlnciOy river, and its surrounding scenery, described, i. 21 1»
282.

Minerva Medica, temple of, i. 390.

MifUumtgy ruins of, ii. 315.

Miienus, port, description of, ii. 415.

Modena (the ancient Mutina), vicissitudes of its history, i. 849.
Present appearance'of, iUd. Raised to emmence by its princes,
fl51, 253. Illustrious men bom there, ihid.

M»ia (the ancient FerraisB), present state of, ii. 310.

Hfymuteries in Italy, iv. 865. Account of the Benedictine onier,
867. Mendicants, 276. Friars minors, Dominicans, Car-
melites, and AugustiaiaBS, 877. Numb^ of menln in Itidy,
278.

Monattic EHabRihmmiii, raamiksLOii^ Hi. 8T^> 881.

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INDEX.

* Monte Sammti, descriptioii of^ i. 996.
Mimti, i^tical description of Rome by, m. SOI. diameter of

his works, iv. 188, note.
Monuments, aadent, reflectionB on the destniction of, ii. 91.
Mountaineers of the Alps, simplicity and piety of, i. 95, 98.
Murat, general, anecdote of> iv, 390, note.
Muratori, notice of, i. 253.
Museum Capitolinum, described, i. 367. Pio Clementinom plun*

dered by the Frerich, ii. 61. Soirey of the anttqae statues,

paintings, &c. preserved there, 61, 66. Of natural history at

Florence, iii. 39S.
Music, some knowledge of, necessaiy to travellers in Italy, i. Fr. D.

19. Present state of Italian music, 19, 20.
Munatius Pkncus, tomb of, ii. 312.

N

Names, ancient, rematlm on, iii. S03.

Naples, beautiful bay of, described, ii. 325, 326. Ancient his-
tory of this city, 328, 329. History of, under the Emperors
of Constantinople, 330, 331. Present state of, 331, 332.
Situation, and number of its Inhabitants, 332. Motley ardii-
tecture of its buildings, 333, 334. Prindpal churches, 3M.
Santa Maria Maggiore, ibid. Body and blood of St. Janusr
rius, ibid, Santi Apostoli, 385. Church of St. Paul, ibid.
Of St. Lorenzo, 336. De Spirito Santo, 337. Chapel of St,
John the Evangelist, ibid. Tomb of Marini, ibid. Sepulchral
chapel of the family of San Severn, 338. Churdi del Parto, 341,
342. Noble hospitals of Naples, 344, 346. Schools or conser-
vatorii, 353, 354. Benevolent confratfsmities for the poor, 354,
355. Palaces of Naples, 357, 658. Literature of (Ms dty, 359,
363. Its beautiful situation and climate, 363, 364. Royal gar-
dens and the Toro Famese^ 365. Tomb of Virgil, 366, 368.
Return of the king to Naples, iii. 107. Extravagant rejoicings of
the people, 108. Illuminations of the abbey of San Martino, 118.
MA of the city, 120. State of literature there, 133. Style of so-
ciety, 134. Assassination and drunkenness not very frequent, 137.

Nor. See Nera.

Norm, situation of, i. 334. Noble bridge of Augustus there, ibid.
Present state of, 335. Poetical description of, by Claudian, 3S6.

Naugerius, beautiful verses of, on Padua, i. 157.

Neapolitans, remarks on the character and dispositions of, iii. 122.
Their debauchery and dissipation, 126. Remaiks on its probable
tauses, 131. .

Nemi, lake, name of, whence derived, ii. 267. Description of it
and of the town, 268.

Nera (the ancient Nor), river, course of, described, i. 333, 334.
iiL295.

Nero, canal of AxajcUs, why burned by, iL 323. Villa projected
by him near Baiae, 411, 412. Notice of his splendid palace,
termed Domui Aurea, iii. 211.
VOL. IV. G G

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INDEX.

Niskhtp isle of (the ancient Nesii), detcis|»tion ol^ iL 30^ 396.
Nacerm (the ancient Nuceria), notice of, iii. 80.
ATooara, brief notice of, iv. 83.

Novi, notke of, iii. 479. Character of the ancieat inbabitaots, 479,
480.

O

' ObeUiha of nuMlem Rome, de»Qiibed, ii. S, 8.
Obizzif castle o^ described, i. 188, 189.
Objects worthy the traveller's attention, i. Pr. D. 5d, 56.
Ocricuii. See Otrieolu
Olympic Academv, at Vicenxa, account of, i. 133, 134. Splendid

theatre erected by, 132, 133.
Orthography, ignorance of, one cause of the changes of the language

of Italy, iv. 161.
Oscan language, specimens of, iii. 396.
Ouaidy village, onzin of its name, iii. 309 <
Ossian, quotation trom, i. 379.
Osiio, ancient and present state of, ii. 281, S8S, 283.
Oiricali (the ancient Ocricuii), situation and present aj^azance of,

i. 337.
Omd, quoted or illustrated, i. Pr. D. 56, 57, 364^ 395, twte. ii. $17,

21B, i^, 270. IM. 133, 140, 180, 350. iv. 128, 146.

PaduUf aficieDt hiatary of, i. 144, 146. United to the Vaodian
lerritoiT, i. 147. Present state ot, ibid. Church of St-Giuatina,
148. Chufdi of St. Aatooy, 148. Toira-hall, and moniuMat
in honour of livy, 150. Woollen manu&ctures of, 151. Urn-
versities and literary estaUiahmeats, 155, 156. Poetical eulogiani
«n, i. 157, 158.

AMftMM, ruins of, iii. 77. Ancient history of, 88. Anciettt teai-
ples, now remaining, 90. Present slsate of, 97.

Ptdaees of Italy, general remarks on, i; Pr. D. Q5. The palaoes
of modem Rome described, ii. S3, et teg* Remarks on their
general style of execution, ^3, 25. Dona palace, S7, Palani
iUispoli, Ofsiiii, a&d Giastiniani, ibid. AJitieri, £6. Cida poroi,
ibid, Corsini palace and bbrary, 29. Villa Famesiana, and Pa-
lazzo Famese, 30. Palazzo Costaguti, 31. Palasao Boi^g^ieae, 31.
Palazzo de la Spada, 32. Barberini, 33. Colonna, 34, 35.
Remaik of Gibbon on the Bomaii palaces, 35. Pontifical palacas.
See Lateran, Quirinal, Vatican, Palaces of Naples, ^. 357.
Eoyal palace of Capo di Monte, 3iv8. Palaoe of Casearta, de-
scribed, iii. 59, 60. Comparative remarks on it, and on the ]W)pal
palaces of the Looarre, VevsaHieB, Mafra, aod at Potsdam, 61, I0S.
And on the royal palaces in England, 65, 66. Account of the
palaces of Florence, iii 343. Palaces of Genoa, 450.

Pahtce, ducal, at Venice, described, L 171, 173.

Palace f floating, of the emperor Trajaa, ii 270, 271.

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INDEX.

Pfllfftm^ Moun/l, ruia^ on, i. 379. State of, io the time of CiautMan,
3T9, 380.

PaUadia^ splendid edifices erected by, at Verona, i. 131, 18S. Ac-
count of, 133. Comparative observations on edifices erected by
hiw. 135, 136,

PantheqUt or Piaz^della Rotonda, at 'Rome, described, ii. 100^
101. When converted into a church, 10@. Saggestion for ren-
dering it a mausoleum of eminent men, 108, 104.

Papyri^ ancient, found f^t Herculaneum, iii. 37. t>i£cnlty of un-
roUing them; ibid. ,

Parma, vicissitudes in the history of, i. 244. Present state of, ibid. -
Churches, 245. Palace, ibid. Paintings of Corregio carried
away by the French, S46. Literary characters resident there,
247. The residence of Petrarch, 248.

Pastorals of Virgil, design of, i. 217, 220.

Pavia, early history of, iii. 488, 480. Account of its celebmted
university, 490. Independence of its dtizeos, 491. Tomb of
iQoetius, ibid. And supposed tomb of St. Augustin, 492. «

Perugia, ancient name and state of, iii. 303. Present appearance
ana condition of, 304.

Pesaro (the ancient Pesaurus) described, i. 286.

Peschiera, fortress of, i. 300, 201.

Peter (St.) See St, Peter.

Petrarch's villa, at Arquato, described, i. 189* 190. Garden, 191,

192. Tomb of, 187, 192. Remarks on his hterary character,

193. His attachment to Laura considered, 19/>, 196. Remarks
on his sonnets, 196, 197.

Petronius Arbiter, quoted, i. 314. ii. 419,

P/updrus, quoted, ii. 416.

Piazza, Navona, described, ii. 3. Piazza d'Espagna, 4. Piazza

Colona^, ibid. And of Monte CiUmo, 5. Origin of the term

Piazza, iii. 20S, note,
Pietole, the supposed bifthplace of VixgU, i. 214.
Pietra Mala, excursioii to, iii. 384. Singular phenomenon there,

387.
Pillars of Antoninus and Trajan, present appeaHMice of, i. 401.
Pisa, situation and history of, iii. 422. Preiient state of, 425.

Cathedral church, 426. Baptistery, 427. Leamng tower or

belfry, 431. Cemetery, or Campo Santo, 435. Cloister, 437.

Hot baths of Pisa, 438. University, 439. Security of its port

accounted for, 440.
Pisatello, the ajocient Rubicon, description of its course, i. 274,

275.
Pius VL Pope, blessed the people in the amphitheatre of Verona,

i. 114. Beautified Cesena^ his native city, 274. Enlarged the

Museum Clementinum, ii. 59, QQ, Account of his munificent

Mndertaking, the draining of the Pomptine marshes, 295, 297.

His munificent pl^s and patriotism, iii. 200.
Pirn VIL (the. present pope) character of, iv. 386. Entrance into

Rome, 387. Salutary arrangements of his government, ibid.
Placentia, sketch of the history of, i. 2S7. Present state and ap-

pe^iFwice of, 238, 239.

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Plim tk0 Elder ^ ^^JHP ^» ^ t^mnpeii, dmiag die onptioa of
Vetmriufy lii. 50.

' qootatioiis from, i. 352. ii. 210, 31T, S22, 534.

N iiL lOS, 158, 187, 198, 349. iv. 44, 47.

Plwif the YimnreTy his descriptioa of the soatvei of the Clitomiiiis,
i. 318. His description of the country on the coast near Ostia,
B. S84y 285. His Tuscan villa, near Tifemum, iii. 316. Cha-
ncter of Pliny, iv. 38,

■ quoted or illustrated, ii. 374, 402. iii. 27, 50^

249^316. iv. 38, 39, 44, 422.

P^t river, description of its channel, iii. 507. Its course, ir.
94.

Poem§ of Silius Italicus, Martial, and Statins, comparative remariu
on, iii. 12, note.

Poetic modem, of Italy, remarks on, Pr. D. 5, 6.

Poicevera^ valley and river of, iii. 495. Dangerous situation of the
Austrians there, in 1746, 497, 498.

Po/t/MM, beautiful description of FaesnlsB by, iii. 356.

Pompeii^ ancient site of, now occupied by Torre del Greco, iii. 41.
Barracks of Roman soldiers, ihid. Theatres, and temple of Isis,
42. Other ruins, 45. Ancient villa, perhaps of Cicero, 46. Ac-
count of the eruption which destroyea this to¥m, 48— i5i. Re-
flections of the traveller on examining these ruins, 54.

Pompeffi statue, in the Palano de la Spada, anecdote of, ii, 32, 33.

Pomphne Mershei^ name of, whence derived, ii. 290. Probable
ongin of, 291. History of the attempts made to drain them, 292,
296. Particulariy by the late Pope Pius VI. 296, 297. Present
^qpearance of these marshes, 290. Sleeping dangerous when pass-
ing thiougli them, iii. 148. Ancient cities formeriy erected on
them, 150. ^

P&iUamii erected tiie chapel of St. John the Evangelist at Naples,
iL 337. His verses and epitaph, ihid.

Pimie Felice, road from, to Rome described, i. 339> 340.

Ponie de la TWve, picturesque scenery of, i. 308.

Ponie Lamentano, ii, 221.

Ptmie Lttgnno^ ii, 226.

Panie S, Angelo, the ancient Pons Sublidus, described^ i, 401.

P(mieStdaf9yU.^\.

PonHfieal Service of the church of Rome, described, ii. 164, f^ ieq.
Daily service, 165. How performed when celebrated by the Pope,
on the great festivals, 167, 172. Considerations on the chaunt of
the Roman church, 172, 173. Solemn services on particular fes-
tivals, 174, 175. Particularly on Good Friday, 175, 176. Cir-
cumstances that render the ceremonies of the Romgn ehurch im-
posing, 177. Difference between a Christian congr^tion in eariy
times and in the present age, 178, 179. Reasons for perfonniitt
part of the sendee in the vernacular languages, 180, 183. The di^
ferent parts of the service explained, 183, 187.

Poer^ benevolent provisions for, at Naples, ii. 344, 347, 354, 355.

PapeM of Rome, origin and progress of their tempond sovereignty,
iii. 220. Effects m the reformation on it, 224.

Pope, rank of, as the successor of St. Peter> iv. 350. Hb claim to

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unhrenal primacy, yindicated, 3^. Gradaal promst of the papal
power, 362. Titles and equipage, 367. Pablic Ufe of the popes,
368. Mode of presentation, 369. His private life, 371. In what
manner elected, 380. Remarks on the adoration of the pope, 389.
Last ceremony attendant on his inauguration, 383. Income of the
pope, 392. Expenditure of the popes, 394. Doctrine of papal
inndHbility, how to be understooa, 398. Summanr view of the in-
fluence of the papal power on Europe, in di&rent ages, 399,
etieg.

Pope's villa and gardens, remarks on the destruction, ii. 376.

Poptdation of ancient Italy, remarks on, iv. 328— *841. Modem
population, 341 — 345.

Pcrttci, erected on the site of Herculaneum, iii. 32.

Porticos of ancient Rome described, iii. 183-<-189.

Porto di Fenere, description of, iii. 447.

PosU^, hill of, described, ii. 366. Villi's tomb there, 368—377.
Grotto of Posilipo, 379, 380.

'PosfjBuoIo, See Puzzuolo.

Pratt del Popolo Romano, present appearance of, i. 388, 383.

Proehvto, island of, described, iii. 14, 15.

Procida, beautiful bay and castle o^ iii. 1, 2. DescriptiOD of its
surrounding scenery, 4, 5. And coast, 6, 7.

Propertius, quoted or illustrated, i. 322. iii. 180, 184, 214, 290.

Prudentius, poetical description of the catacombs at Rome, ii.
92, note. His account of the patriarchal Basilica of St. Paul,
123, note.

Pnzxuolo or Pozzuolo, the ancient Puteoli, fine situation of, ii.
386. Comparative view of its ancient and modem state, 387.
Coliseum of, 388, 389. Ruins of the temple of Jupiter Serapis,
388. Noble mole, 389. iii. 20. Its bay now deserted, 20.

%iintiUany quoted or illustrated, i. 406. iv. 159, 299.
Quintilioti, the villa of Quintilius Varas, ii. 234, 240.
Qtnrmal palace, description of, ii. 37, 38.

R

Rajfaello, paintings of, in the Vatican, described, with remafks,
n. 47, 48.

RainSf equinoxial, effects of, in Italy, i. Pr. D. 43, 44.

RergiOf the country of Ariosto, notice of, i. 249.

Retchenkallf town of, described, i. 83.

Religion^ communicated to the world from Rome, i. 346, 351. Ge-
neral remarks on the religion of Italy, iv. 235. The churches, why
/almost always open, 237. External observances of reli^on viB^
dicated, 239. Number of charitable establishments, ibtd. The
pomp of religion, in Italy, stated and vindicated, 24^^56. No-
merous duties of the Italian denjT, ibid.y 267. Remaiks on the
abuses subsisting in the religion ofltaly^ 279.

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INDEX.

JRqmMct of Italy and ancient Greece, sitniiarity of their polity and

circumstances, it. 291.
Metian Alps, description of, i. 83, B8, 93, 98, 108, 110.

— ' tribes, conquered by Augustus, i. 87.

Rxalte, at Venice, described, i. 173.

Rimim (the ancient Ariminuni), triumphal arch of Augu^us at,
i. 279- Present state of, 280. Its port obstructed, 281. History
of, 281,282.
RoadSf constructed by the ancient Romans, described, iii. 170.
RomanSy ancient, observations ou the character of, iii. 259, et seq.
Hieir ambition, 262. Greatness, 266. Employment of the noble
Romans, 269. Causes of the universality of their laws, 270. Their
language, 272. Resemblance between the characters of the an-
cient and modem Romans, 274. Remaining traces of die ancient
Roman spirit in the modem Romans, 275. Charge of indolence
refuted, 282. State of momls and society, 283.
Rome, reflections on beholding, i. 342, 353. The ancient Romaa
govemment diffused civilizarion, science, and religion, through*
out the world, 344, 346. Epithets bestowed on ancient Rome^
351, 352^ St. Peter's church, 354. View from the Capitol, 355>
356. The most commodious way of viewing this city, and its
ruins, &c. 359, note.
Andem Rome, 357. Historical accounts of the Capitol, 362, 363*
Noble buildings formerly erected on it, 363, 364. Modem edi-
fices on it, 366, 367. Present appearance of the Capitol, 367, 368,
Museum Capitolinum, 368. Church and convent of Ara Cceli
on the summit of the Capitoline Mount, 369, 370. The Roman
Forum described, 371. Allusions to it, 372. Its present state,
373, 374. Coliseum, how to be viewed to advantage, 375. Its
present state, 376. Arch of Constantine, 377. Ruins on the Pala-
tine Mount, 378, 379. Ancient and present state of the Aven-
tine Mount, ^81, 382. Tomb of Caius Cestius described,
382, 383. Foreigners buried within its enclosure, 384. De-
scription of the baths of Caracalla, 384, 386. Church of
St. Stephano in Rotondo, 387. The hatha of Titus, 380,
390. Ruins of the temple of Minerva Medica, 390. Pa-
lace of Mecaenas on the Esquiline hill, 392. Baths of Dio-
clesian, 393. Church of the Carthusians, 393, 394. Present
state of the Viminal Hill, 394, 395. Temples of the tutelar divi-
nity of Rome, and of the Sun, 396. Campus Martius and its
edifices, 398, 399. Pantheon and Mausoleum of Augustus, 399,
400. Pillars of Antouinus and Trajan, 401. Bridges over the
Tiber. — ^Ponte S. Angelo, ancient Pons SubciciUs, 401. Ancient
theatres destroyed by hostile fury or Christian zeal, 402, 403.
State of the Roman empire, under Trajan, 406. Neglect of the
governments, a cause of rains in Rome, 408, 409. Indifference
of the magistrates, and contempt of the people, 409, 410. Devas-
tated by wars in the reign of Justinian and his successors, 415,
416. And in consequence of divisions in succession to the papal
iee, and its removal from Rome, 417, 418. And lastly, by the
moaWwing hand of time, 418, 419.
Modern Rome, population of, ii. 1, 2. Appetu^ce of its streets and

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INDEX.

houses, 2, 3. D^cripdon of the squares, 3. Obelisks, 5, 8.
Fountains, 8, 14. Ancient tombs, 14, 25. Palaces, of the eaidi-
nals and nobihty, 23, 35. Pontifical palaces, 36. The Lateran,
idid. Quirinal, 37. Vatican, 40, 69. Churches, 69, 124.
(See Churches.) Villas of ancient and modem Roqie, 193, 209.
Views and rains in the vicinity, 210—222. Appearance of Rome
when entered from Naples, iii. 151. Remarks on the magnificence
of ancient Rome, 152. Contrasted with that of some modem
capitals of Europe, 160. Cloacae, 165. Aqueducts, 166. Viae,
iro. Forams, 178. Porticos, 183. Therm®, 190. Temple*,
192. State of Rome in the eighteenth century, ^26. Conduct of
the French army while there, 229. Effects of the French invasion,
235 — ^240. iv. 43 1. Account of the few useful acts of the French
at Rome, iv. 40f — 413.
Romuald, St. notice of, iii. 375.

Romulus, cottage of, i. 365. His apotheosis described, 894, 395.
Roses of Paetura, celebrated for their fragrance, iii. 96.
Route, the best for travellers in Italy, pointed out, i. Pr. D. 34, 42, 4^
Roveredo, description of, 107, 108.

Rubicon f examination of the question relative to its real course, i. 27&
—278. The Pisatello, a branch of it, 376. The spot ascertained
where Caesar crossed the Rubicon, 278.
Ruins of Italy, general remarks on, i. Pr. D. 60, 62. The rains of
ancient Rome, caused by hostile fury or by Christian «eal, i. 403,
405. And also by neglect of the government, 408. By indiifer^
ence in the magistrates, and contempt among the pepple, 413,
414. Of Cumae, ii. 421. Of Pompeii, iii. 41. Of Herculaneum ,
32. Of Paestum, 77, 90. Of Posidonia, 98.
Rutilius, quoted or illustrated, ii. 285. iii. 284, 287, 441, 444.

Sadoleti, Cardinal, account of, and of his writings, i. S51, 252. .

St, Peter, church of, at Rome, i. 364, 355. Description of it,
ii. 125, et seq. Early history of it, 125, 126. Account of the^
building of the new church under successive pontiffs, 127, 128..
Plundered by the French, 130. Approach to, and grandeoc of
its exterior, 131. Its portico, 133. Effect of a eoup^'oeil^ 134.
High altar, 136. Cathedral or chair of St. Peter, 136. Con-
fessional of St. Peter, 137. Sacre grotte, 138, 139. Vestry or
sacristy, 141. Comparison between its noble dome and that of
St. Paul's church, London, 143, and note. Defects of this church
considered, 145. The colonnade of Bernini, 145. The front,
146. Statues of legendary saints, introduced, 147, 148. Statues
of other saints, 149. Pictures and Mosaic decorations, 150, 152.
Comparative observations between St. Paul's church, London, and
St. Peter's at Rome, 152, 153. St. Peter's compared with the
church of St. Genevieve at Paris, 155. With the cathedral of
Florence, 167. And with Santa Sophia at Constantinople, 157.
And the Temple at Jerusalem, 158, 159. St. Peter's cpntiasted
with the B^man temples, 162, 163.

Sakmo, ancient and present state of, ii. 85.

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INDEX.

SaU'Mmes of Halleim, described, L 78, 70, 80k

Soli fTarki of HaUe, i. 91.

SaiiMbmrg, city of, described, i. 74, 75.

Sahianf account by, of the chastity of the northern nations^ iii^ Vff,

SamiazarhUf villa of, ^destroyed by the Prince of Orange, ii- 342.

Erected Uie church Del Purto on its site, 342. His tomb. and

epitaph, 343. Allusions to his church in his poems, 340, 341,

342, mote.

, quotations from, ii. 428. iii. 102.
iSsNlainiiMi Casa of Loretto, l^endbuv history of, i. 298. Remaib

thereon, 299. The Santa Casa described, 299. Its treasoiy

plundered by the French, 303.
SkmOf river, poetically described, iii. 102.
SearcUjf of com, instances of, in ancient Rome, iii. 260.
Scenery of Italy, remarks on, 1. Pr. D. 56, 60. iv. 108.
Sciences, diffused through the worid from Rome, i. 344.
StMo Africanus, villa of, at litemum, ii. 421. Funeral inscrip-
tions of the hnaXy of the Scipios, iii. 404.
Sereeniy when first introduced mto churches, ii. 189. Remarks on,

189, 192.
Secmd eighty not confined to Scotland, 186, 187.
SempUme, Mount, descriptiou of, iv. 72. Military road over it,

t5idf.
Seneca, quoted or illustrated, ii. 379, 390, 403, 422. iii. 11, 284,

410, note.
Senegaglia, origin of its name, i. 288. Present state and appeavi-

ance of, 290.
Septizcnium of Severus, ii. 20, 21.
Severe, San, fiunily of, sepulchral chapel, ii. 338.
Sewers, magnificent, of ancient Rome, described, iii. 165.
Siiiut Italicue, quoted or illustrated, i. 214, 241, 287, 297, 314,

339. ii. 364, 399, 410. iii. 20, 27> 306, 448.
■ restored the dikpidated tomb of Viigil, ii. 374.

Sirmiime, peninsula of, described, i. 202, 203, 204, 205. Grotto

of Catullus there, 202. Sudden storms prevalent in it, 203, 204.

Produce of, 207.
SUamni di MarcQ, a wild mountainous tract, described, i. 109, and

$iote.
Soddi^eSf nature of, iv. 243. Number of them in Italy, ibid.
SMttara^ sulphureous lake of, ii. 224. Near Poatniolo, descriptioii

of, 418, 419.
Sonnets of Petrarch, remarks on, i. 196, 197.
Spoleto (the ancient Spoletum), situation of, i. 323. Its Roman

descent cherished by the inhabitants, ibid. Present state of,

323,324. Cathedral and castle, 325, Noble aqueduct, 325, 326.
Squares of modem Rome, ii. 3.
Stahias, ancient and present state of, iii. 102.
Stael Mad. de, her Corinne the best guide to traveUers in Italy,

i. Pr. b. 30, note.
Statius, quoted or illustrated, ii. 43, 234, 304, 369) 408. iii. 9,

21, 86, 167.

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INDEXi

Statues, numhen of, in ancient Rome, i. 4SS« Beaotifal com in

the diapel of San Severo, ii. 338.
Siorfn, in Italy^ described, ii. 287.

5/rado,«quoted or illustrated, iM. 17, 140, £47, 896, 4SS.
Streets of Rome, described, ii. 2.

Suetonius, quoted or illustrated, ii. 406, 413. iii. 11, 53, 185, 189.
. iv. 158, 830.

Sunday Schools, frequent in Ital^, iv. S46.
Superga, Mount, iv. 96. Origin of the church erected on it,

97. Its endowments, 98.
Surrentum, promontory of, iii. 83.
Susu, the ancient Segusium, account of, iv. 111. Triumphal arch

erected by its king Cottius, 112. Providential escape of the

author, 113, note,
Suwarrow, battle of Trebia gained b;^, 240.
^hatites, interesting anecdote of, iii. 100.
Sybil, grotto of the Cumean, il 423, 426.

Tacitus, quoted or illustrated, ii. 390, 411. iii. 193, 205| 244.

iv.332, 354.
Tasso, quoted or illustrated, i. 250. ii. 430. iii. 139, 288« 369.
, monument of, in the church of St. Onofiio, at Rome, ii.
88. Vindicated from the petulant criticism of Boileau, iv. 198.
Tassoni, notice of, and of his Secckia rapitOj i. 254.
Tecino, river, course of, iii. 487, 488<

Temple of Diana at Ephesus, proportions of, ii. 162. Of Jupiter
Capitolinus at Rome, l63. 6f the Pantheon, converted into a
Christian church, 101, 102. Of Vesta and of the Sybil, at Tivoli,
281, 282. Of Jupiter Latiaris, on the Alban mount, 273. Or
Jupiter Serapis at Posilipo, 388. Of Proserpine on the banks of
LiULe Avemus, 399, 400. Of Venus at Bai», 408, 409. Of the
dants near Torre di Patria, 423. Of Juno Argiva, iii. 101. Of
Jnpiter Capitolinus at Rome, 192. Of Peace, 194. ftemarks on
thii structure of the ancient temples, iv. 348. Surpassed by the
modem churches, 349.
Term (the ancient Interamna), present state of, i. ^26. Celebrated

cascade in its vicinity, 327, 331.
Terracma, town of, described, ii. 302, 303, 304. i

Teutones, descendants of, now in Italy, i. 142.
7%eatres, magnificent, of ancient Rome, iii. 197. Remaiks on the

ancient theatres, iv. 351.
Theological compositions of the French, why superior to those pf

Italy, iv. 353, 354.
Thermit of ancient Rome, enumerated, iii. 194.
Tiber, course of, near Otricoli, described, i. 337, 338. Bric^
over it described, 401. Remarks on its course and surrounding
scenery, ii. 210, 211. Horace's villa, 234, 235. Smaller cas^
cades of the Anio, tdd. Beautiful villas in its vicinity, 240, 241 .
Tibur. See Tttfoli.
Tiraboschi, notice o^ i* 959.

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IND£X.

mnu, botfaf of, i. 380, 390.

TJvoli (the ancient Tibor), present state aiid population of, ii. 2S8.
Beautiful views of the waterfalls of the Anio, 229, 330. Temple
of Vesta, 231, 232. Of the Sybil 232.
ToUeiUinOy description of, i. 306. Picturesque appearance of a pil-
grim there, 307, note,
Tombi in Rome, described, ii. 14. Of Caius Cestius, i. 382. Of
Caius Publicius Bibulus, ii. 15. Mausoleum of Augustus, ibid.
Of the Emperor Hadrian, 17, 18. Of Cecilia Metella, 215, 216.
Of Munatius Plancus, 312. Of Cicero, ibid. Of Viiml at Na-
ples, 367—370. Of Agrippina, at Baiaj, 411. Of Cicero at
Gaieta, iii. 147.
Torchet, why used in the Roman church, ii. 185.
Torre del Greco, town of, its present appearance^ iii. 88. Attach-
ment of its inhabitants to its soil, 39. Occupies the site of the an-
cient Pompeii, 40. Descriptions of its various roins« 41.
Trqfan, state of the Roman empire during his reign, i. 406. De*
Bcripdon of his column, 420. His triumphal arch destroyed to
erect that of Coustantine, 408. Splendid floating palace of, ii. ^70,
271.
Dsmmenus Lacui, description of, iii. 305. Fatal battle there be-
tween the Romans and Annibal, 307.
Trwelling, in general, observations on, Pr. D. i. 2. Requisites for
travelling to advantage in Italy, 2, 3. Classical knowledge, 4.
Italian language, 8. Italian history, 10. Medals, 12. Archi-
tecture, 13. Sculpture and Painting, 18. Music, 19. Disposi-
tion proper for the traveller, 21 — ^26. Remarks on the pnnted
guides to travellers, 28 — ^30. Mi^^, 31. Route to be followed,
and time to be appropriated for travelling in Italy, 34 — 36. Ac-
commodations, 47. Objects of attention to travellers, 50 — 56.
Scenery, 56, 60. Ruins, 60. Churches, 69. Moral improve-
ment, the end of travelling, 67—70.
TreMa, battles of, i. 240.
TVenty (city), ancient name of, i. 102. Described, ibid. Account

ofits celebrated council, 103.
Tullianum, dungeon of, described, i. 365, note.
Turin, ancient name and history of, iv. 86. Situation and present
appearance of the city, 89. Architectural defects of its public
buildings, 90. University, 92. Hospitals and palaces, ibid.
Description ofits surrounding country, 93. Course of the Po, 94.
Mount Superga, 96. Effects of the French invasion, 98. Intro-
duction or the French language and dress, 102.
Tutculum, Cicero's villa, described, ii. 259. Plane trees still found

there, 262.
— — — , town of, its site, ii. 264.

U

Unanimity in religious worship, how far attairfaWe, Pr. D. 24, 27.
C^»ft^^#iVy of Padua, ancient and present state of, i. 155, 156. Of

Pisa, iii. 439. Of Turin, iv. 92.
Unienberg mountain, superstitious tradition oonciniing, i. 76, 77.

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imiEX.

Fal dAmOy bsaudfui scenery of, described, iii. 3t7.

FallombrostXi abbey of, iii. 356. Beautifd scenery of, described,

350—366. Destroyed, 370) ^e>/^. i
Fapour Baths near the Grotte dpi Cane, virtues of, ii. 383.
Varese, town and lake of, described, iv. 63.
yasari, battle of Lepanto, remarks on, ii. 42.
A^a/fVan Hill, origin of its appellation, ii. 38. The Vatican palace,
its furniture and ornaments, 40. Sala Regia, 41. Cappella
I Paolmny 43. Cappellu Sktim^ 44 — 47. The Loggie di Rafaello,
43 — 50. Camere di Raffkello, 51 — 53. Progress of the Vatican
Library, 57, 59. Plundered of all its MSS. by the French, iv.
415. Museum Pio-Clementinum, i. 59 — 67.
/^«t, conjectures on the site of, iii. 290.
yelino (the ancient Velinus), river, course of, described, i. 328,

329.
Vdleia , town of, ov^^elmed by a mountain, i. 242.
Feiletrif an ancient town of the Volsci, former and present state of,

ii. 289, 290.
Venicey approach to, described, i. 161. Origin and progress of,
162. Literary state of, 164, 166. General appearance, 166.
Description of its public edifices and antiquities, lt>7-— 182.
Causes of the decline of the Venetian republic, 179, 180.
Population and state of society, at Venice, 182, 183. Gon-
doliers of, 184.
Fenusy temple of, at Baise, ii. 408, 409. -
Verbanus Lacus. See Mag^iore,

Verona, situation of, described, i. 111. Account of its amphi-
theatre, 112, 113. Ancient gates remaining there, 117, 118-
Modern edifices in, and appearance of, 119, 120. Literary cha-
racters, natives of, 120, 121. Sketch of its history, 122, l2S.
Opinions of the Veronese relative to the Austrians and French,
124, 125. Wines of, 129. Reflections on leaving Verona, 127
—129.
Via Emeiia^ account of, i. 242.
VesUfHus, first eruption of, ii. 830. Description of this mountain,

iii. '23, 26, 30. Notice of its principal eruptions, 26, 27.
Vicenza, situation and history of, i. 130. Olympic theatre at, de-
scribed, i. 133, 134. Splendid villas in its vicinity, 141, 142.
Vico Varo (the ancient Varise), described, ii. ^43. Beautiful views

in its vicinity, 245.
Vl^y allusion of, to the city and council of Trent, i. 106, note*

Sketch of his character, 285, 236.
Villas of ancient Rome, ii. 193, 194. Of modem Rome, described,
195, et seq, Orti Famesi, 196. Villa Spada, 197. Villa Mathei,
and Negroni, 198. Villa Aldobrandini, ibid. Villa Ludovizi,
ibid. Villa Medici, 199. Villa Barberini, 200. Villa Pamfili,
202. Villa Mellini, an j its beautiful views, 203. Villa Madama,
ibid. Villa Albani, 204. Villa Borghese, 205,-208. Of Horace
at Tibur, 235, 236. Of Quintilius Varus, 234, 235. Of Me-
csnas, 240. Villa £stense,241. Horace's Sabine Villa de-
scribed, 248, 249. Formian Villa of Cicero, 313. His Puteola-

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INDEX.

num and Cunumiim viHas, 391, 392. Vilhi mojecud by Nero at
Batae, 411, 412. Of Lucdlus, near Port Miteniu^ 416, 417. Of
Sdpio Afticanos, at litemnm, 423. Of Cicero, at Pompeii, iii.
4r. Of Pliny, near Hfemum, 316. Of the dukes of Florence,
353. Of Pliny, iv. 43. General obiervation on the villas of the
ancients, 333.

Fiminal Hill, present state of, L 394, 395.

yinci, Leonardo da, Talttable MSS. of, at Bfilan^ carried off by tfa«
French, iv. 09. Their wanton damage of his pictore of the Last
Sapper, 30.

yirm, supposed to be bom at Pietole, i. 914. Farm of, 813.
Design of his Eclogues, 917— 4tO. His bust carried off by the
French from Mantua, eS7. Regard of the Mantuans for fau me-
mory, 229. Description of his tomb, ii. 367. Examination of
opinions relative to its supposed site, 368>— 379. Why ne^ected,
373.

Firgil, quoted or illustrated, i. 99, 128, 151, 904,917, 918, 999,
932, 272, 315, 332, 333, 350, 365, naie. 380, 381, 389. ii. 995,
996, 275, 281, 289, 285, 309, 309, 390, 371, 400, 417, 495.
iii. 9, 7, 8, 90, 79, 84, 88, 96, 967, 988. iv. 95,80, 88, 198,
137, 990, 311, 313, 330.

FUrutiui, quoted or illustrated, i. 365, note.

Fhmra, isle of, described, iii. 14.

FiighietVf town of, its origin and present ttatei iii. 484. Descripttbn
of the road from Tortona to Voghiera, 485.

Fokeian language, specimens of, iii. 398.

FtUairet rtuiBik of, on the French language, iv. 915, tuH0. Cha-
racter of his Histoire Generale, 917.

W

fFtlpoie, Horace, anecdote o^ iv. 370, tmU.

Wme9 of Falemum, why not so excellent as they formeriy were,

tL 320, 392. Are taken by the Italians for refieshment, not for

inebriety, 322. Caecuban and other wines, remains on, 393, 394.

Horace^ enumeration of the principal wines of Itak, 394.
fToaUen Mnuffketurti of Paaua, ancient and mooem state of,

i. 151.

THE END-

ERRATUM.

Page 123, Vol. II. tine 9%, for Petmuos, nod Fradentias.

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