hufband was, to endeavour to affaffinate the happy lover. But when French manners began to fpread over Europe, and to infinuate themselves among nations the most oppofite in character to the French, jealousy was firft held up as the moft deteftable of all the paffions. The law had long declared against its difmal effects, and awful denunciations had been pronounced from the pulpit against those who were inflamed by its bloody fpirit; but without effect, till ridicule joined in the argument, and expofed those husbands to the contempt and derifion of every fashionable fociety, who harboured the gloomy dæmon in their bofoms. As in England, after the Restoration, people, to fhew their averfion to the Puritans, turned every appearance of religion into ridicule, and, from the extreme of hypocrify, flew at once to that of profligacy; fligacy; fo in Italy, from the custom of fecluding the wife from all mankind but her husband, it became the fashion that the fhould never be seen with her husband, and yet always have a man at her elbow. I shall conclude what I have to say on this fubject in my next. LETTER LXXV. Florence. EFORE the Italian husbands could BER adopt or reconcile their minds to a custom fo oppofite to their former practice, they took fome measures to fecure a point which they had always thought of the highest importance. Finding that confinement was a plan generally reprobated, and that any appearance of jealousy subjected the husband to ridicule, they agreed that their wives fhould go into company and attend public places, but always attended by a friend whom they could truft, and who, at the fame time, fhould not be difagreeable to the wife. This compromife could not fail of being acceptable to the women, who plainly perceived that they must be gainers by any alteration of the former fyftem; and and it foon became univerfal all over Italy, for the women to appear at public places leaning upon the arm of a man; who, from their frequently whispering together, was called her Cicifbeo. It was ftipulated, at the fame time, that the lady, while abroad under his care, fhould converfe with no other man but in his prefence, and with his approbation; he was to be her guardian, her friend, and gentleman-ufher. The custom at prefent is, that this obfequious gentleman vifits the lady every forenoon at the toilet, where the plan. for paffing the evening is agreed upon; he disappears before dinner, for it is ufual all over Italy for the hufband and wife to dine together tête à-tête, except on great occafions, as when there is a public feaft. After dinner the hufband retires, and the Cicifbeo returns and conducts the lady to the public walk, the converfazione, or the opera; he hands her about about wherever she goes, prefents her coffee, forts her cards, and attends with the most pointed affiduity till the amusements of the evening are over; he accompanies her home, and delivers up his charge to the husband, who is then fuppofed to refume his functions. From the nature of this connection, it could not be an easy matter to find a Cicifbeo who would be equally agreeable to the husband and wife. At the beginning of the inftitution, the hufbands, as I have been informed, preferred the platonic fwains, who profeffed only the metaphy fics of love, and whofe lectures, they imagined, might refine their wives ideas, and bring them to the fame way of think. ing; in many inftances, no doubt, it would happen, that the platonic admirer acted with less feraphic ends; but these instances serve only as proofs that the hufbands were mistaken in their men; for however abfurd it may appear in the eyes |