the fpectators, till they were tired of applauding him. One perfon, in the middle of the pit, whom I had remarked displaying great figns of fatisfaction from the beginning of the performance, cried out, "He deferves to be made chief mufician "to the Virgin, and to lead a choir of "angels!" This expreffion would be thought ftrong, in any country; but it has peculiar energy here, where it is a popular opinion, that the Virgin Mary is very fond, and an excellent judge, of mufic. I received this information on Christmas morning, when I was looking at two poor Calabrian pipers doing their utmost to please her, and the Infant in her arms. They played for a full hour to one of her images which ftands at the corner of a ftreet. All the other ftatues of the Virgin, which are placed in the ftreets, are ferenaded in the fame manner every Chriftmas morning. On my enquiring into the meaning of that ceremony, I was told the above-mentioned circumftance

G4

circumftance of her character, which, though you may have always thought highly probable, perhaps you never before knew for certain. My informer was a pilgrim, who flood liftening with great devotion to the pipers. He told me, at the fame time, that the Virgin's tafte was too refined to have much fatisfaction in the performance of those poor Calabrians, which was chiefly intended for the Infant; and he defired me to remark, that the tunes were plain, fimple, and fuch as might naturally be supposed agreeable to the ear of a child of his time of life.

Though the ferious opera is in highest eftimation, and more regularly attended by people of the first fashion; yet the opera buffas, or burlettas, are not entirely neglected, even by them, and are crowded, every night, by the middle and lower claffes. Some admired fingers have performed there during the Carnival, and

the

the mufical compofers have rendered them highly pleafing to the general tafte.

The ferious and burlefque operas prevail infinitely over the other theatrical entertainments at Rome, in fpite of the united efforts of Harlequin, Pantaloon, and Punchinello.

The prohibition of female performers renders the amufement of the Roman theatre very infipid, in the opinion of fome unrefined Englishmen of your ac quaintance who are here. In my own poor opinion, the natural sweetness of the female voice is ill fupplied by the artificial trills of wretched caftratos; and the awkward agility of robuft finewy fellows dreffed in women's clothes, is a moft deplorable fubftitution for the graceful movements of elegant female dancers. Is not the horrid practice which is encouraged by this manner of fupplying the place of female

fingers,

fingers, a greater outrage on religion and morality, than can be produced by the evils which their prohibition is intended to prevent? Is it poffible to believe, that purity of fentiment will be preferved by producing eunuchs on the ftage? I should fear it would have a different effect. At the funeral of Junia, the wife of Caffius, and fifter of Brutus, the ftatues of all the great perfons connected with her family, by blood or alliance, were carried in proceffion, except those of her brother and hufband. This deficiency ftruck the people more than any part of the proceffion, and brought the two illuftrious Romans into their minds with more force than if their ftatues had been carried with the others.Præfulgebant Caffius atque Brutus, fays Tacitus, eo ipfo, quod effigies eorum non vifebantur*.

* The memory of Caffius and Brutus made a deeper ima preffion on the minds of the fpectators, on this very account, that their flatues were not feen in the proceffion.

LETTER LII.

Naples,

I

TAKE the first opportunity of informing you of our arrival in this city. Some of the principal objects which occurred on the road, with the sentiments they fuggefted to my mind, fhall form the fubject of this letter.

It is almoft impoffible to go out of the walls of Rome, without being impreffed with melancholic ideas. Having left that city by St. John de Lateran's gate, we soon entered a spacious plain, and drove for feveral miles in fight of fepulchral monuments and the ruins of ancient aqueducts. Sixtus the Fifth repaired one of them, to bring water into that part of Rome where Dioclefian's baths formerly ftood: this water is now called aqua felice, from Felix,

the