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representative of the people: a
kind of tribune, as far as fuch an
office can exift in an unlimited mo-
narchy, like that of Naples. He
likewife appeals to the king in per-
fon. The demands of the Lazaro-
ni are moderate: they have a fenfe
of right and wrong; which the
people feldom want, when they
are not mifled. To difregard any
juft remonftrance of this people, or
not to comply without ftating the
grounds of refufal, would be dan-him into the fea.'
gerous. They love the prefent
king; and I am affured that, in
cafe of neceffity, he might depend
upon their affiftance: of this, how.
ever, he is in no need.

in the dress of a pilgrim, in the 'great fquare, who is diftributing French hand-bills; the meaning ⚫ of which neither I nor any of us yet understand; and he is kiffing a stone, which he has brought 'from the ruins of the Baftille. He will certainly excite an infurrection. We would have thrown him into the fea, but I wished firft to hear your opinion; though I think we ought to have thrown

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"Before the king last year made a journey to Germany, Nicola Sabbato, for fo is the prefent chief of the Lazaroni called, made him a fpeech. He lamented that the king fhould be abfent fo long from his people; yet rejoiced in a journey that fhould afford pleasure to a prince, who took fo much fatisfaction in the good of his fubjects. We are,' faid he, thirty thoufand ftrong; and, in your abfence, we will preferve the peace of the country. You certainly have nothing to fear from any man: but, thould any one have the infolence to fpread inflammatory opinions, we will tear him into as many pieces as we are men; and each of us will have a morfel of him to fmoke in our pipes.'

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"The minifter had much difficulty to make him conceive that a preliminary inquiry was neceffary. He continually returned to the neceflity of throwing the orator into the fea; and, when the minifter told him he would fend foldiers to put the man in prison, Nicola replied, There is no occafion for foldiers; I will undertake that bufinefs.'

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"The man accordingly was taken to prifon, by the Lazaroni. The contents of the hand-bill were entirely feditious. The infurgent was one of thofe emiffaries that were fent, by the too provident care of the French clubs, over Europe; to enlighten, improve, and make the people happy. He had difguifed himfelf like a pilgrim, and was fubject to the gallows, according to the common rights of nations; but the government only thought proper to banish him to the island of Maritima; one of the Egades, on the weft fide of Sicily.

"The Lazaroni are devoted to the prefent king. A body of many thousand men, who have nothing to lofe, may reasonably be dreaded; and may keep a tyrannical king in very wholefome awe. A defpotic conftitution may perhaps need a remedy like this; the terror of which fhall preserve a ba

lanco

lance between itself and a power that is equally blind, and unwife. A free conftitution requires order; for order is the foundation of freedom. Bodies of people, like the numberlefs Lazaroni of Naples, or the hags of the halls, the filhwives of Paris, could not exist among a people that should be truly free.

The streets are uncommonly crowded; yet the crowd is much lefs inconvenient here than in other cities. The coachmen too are lefs infolent than fuch gentlemen ufually are; when, mounted upon their throne, they look down with contempt on the multitude beneath. However, the number of coaches is fo great that the foot paffenger must be continually on his guard; which it is difficult to be, stunned as the ear is by the rolling of the carriage wheels. Yet the coaches are much lefs dangerous than the little one horfe cabrioles; which are driven through the city by the young gentlemen, who imagine that the foot paffengers fhould vanish before them, as eafily, and as inftantly, as the yielding air before the breath of their fnorting horfes.

"There is great oftentation here of carriages and horfes; which laft are juftly famous. They are finall, but beautiful, full of fire, and are treated with cruelty. Nothing is fo highly difpleafing, in the Italians, as the manner in which they treat their animals.

"Horace called this city otiofa Neapolis: the indolent Naples. I, and my fellow-travellers, were lately taking a walk on the fea thore; when a great crowd of men and women made us imagine there was fomething extraordinary in agitation. All preffed forward to the fame place; for curiofity is catching, and we got into the midft

of the throng. The object of inquiry was a fishing boat, the people of which were dragging up a large net; and the fpectators were in eager expectation to know how many fifh had been taken. Had a man of war, after a fea fight, returned to harbour, and had the mothers, wives, brothers, and fifters, all crowded together on the ftrand, to inquire how many of their deareft relations were on board, or how many were cut off, the emotion in their countenances could not have affumed a more animated appearance. The draught of fish was found not to be very great; and the people retired in a difconfolate manner, with very evident tokens of difappointment.

"In general, the city is well built; you feel, however, the want of the better ftyle of the Romans; and ftill more of the more noble palaces of Florence. The houses are most of them flat-roofed. The pavement confifts, as in moft of the cities of Italy, of fquare flag ftones of lava. The royal palace is capacious, and has a noble appearance. The fituation of the city is inexpreffibly beautiful. No great city. in Europe, Conftantinople alone excepted, can, in this refpect, be compared with Naples,

"There is a long extenfive walk on the fea fhore; from which the whole high mountainous coaft is feen on the left, and oppofite to the city the promontory of Sorento. Mount Vefuvius likewife rifes to the le:t; and Portici lies at its feet. On the right of the city, the hill Pofilipo extends itself far into the fea.

"The fortrefs of Caftell del Uovo is built on an ifland, which is con➡ nected with the city by a bridge. On this rock, which the ancients called Megaris, and Magalia, LuG 4

cullus

cullus had his garden. From the walk, the profpect of the haven is concealed by this fortress. On the right of the promontory of Sorento ftands the high island of Capri; like a rocky mountain in the open fea.

"This walk on the fea fhore would be still more pleasant, were it planted with lofty trees. Two long alleys of the Yprenfis-Ulmus, with its branches cut to form a trellis, and hung round with vine plants, afford it a neceflary fhade in fummer. Small orange and oleander trees are planted on each fide. In the centre of the place is the celebrated group of white marble, known by the name of the Farnelian bull; which is one of the most beautiful of the antiques.

"This walk is called Villa Reale, and, between this and the rocky fhore at the foot of the Pofilipo, there is a large place which is de ftined for the exercife of arms, What a delightful walk would this be, were it shaded by the spreading plane tree! The way is open as far as the beautiful haven, and the coaft of Portici, on the left. On the right, I amufed myself among the rocks; which I now climbed, and now ftood waiting till the waves fhould retreat. The nymphs of this bay are a little malicious. They fuffer you peaceably to ap proach the edge of the fea, and fuddenly fend a rolling wave that dafhes over your feet. You ftep back, and the sea affumes its former repofe."

ANECDOTES of the MODERN TARENTINES, with the HUMOURS, O

"YES

SAINT'S DAY.

[From the fecond Volume of the fame Work.]

VESTERDAY, being the 10th, the Tarentines kept the feftival of their patton, St. Cataldus; who was an Irishman, and, according to the legend, arrived here in the fecond century; though I doubt whether, at that time, Chriftianity had travelled as far as Ireland. The love of antiquity may easily have thrown back the era when this bifhop lived a few centuries. During the eighth, ninth, and ten centuries, when the Italians were funk into barba rifm, fome Hibernians came there who taught the fciences, nay more, the Latin language, in Italy; and principally in Pavia, and Bologna.

The Tarentines, as Chriftians,

take no lefs delight in their holidays than did their ancestors, as Pagans. They will ride miles, from all parts, to be prefent at the feftivals of other towns: for which reafon many perfons had arrived from the neighbouring places, on the prefent occafion; the number of which vifitors was estimated at ten thorfand.

"The magiftracy of the town intended me the honour of making me bear a star before the folemn proceffion of the faint; from which project they were with difficulty diverted, by the archbifhop. His authority, and not my herefy, was my protection.

"The lower orders are extremely

ly credulous. The principal object of adoration among the men, and till more among many of the women, appears to be the filver image of the faint. With no lefs zeal than that recorded by St. Paul, they feemed to emulate the Ephefians; while they exclaimed, 'Great is Cataldo, the patron of Ta⚫rento!'

"The ftatue had been taken from its fhrine, and placed in the middle of the church, the preceding day; on the 9th, in the afternoon. You can form no conception of the clamour of the people; or of the loud mixture of riotous mirth, and flecting devotion. The women uttered their feelings with tears, howlings, and hideous grimaces. Men and women, all were defirous of touching the faint; fome with their lips, others with the hand, and the most devout with their garments. One woman fuccefffully opened herself a paffage through the crowd, placed herself fervently before the image, gazed at it, and prayed to it, to excite its attention, as people are accustomed to do to those whom they would awaken from a reverie. Hift! Hift! san Cataldo! san Cataldo! A merchant converfed with me as zealoudly, concerning the uncovering of the image, as if he had spoken of the actual appearance of the faint; although he knew he was talking to a heretic, for he had queftioned me, the Sunday before, whether I would not go to mafs? and I had told him I was not a catholic. His terror deprived him of all reply. In his panic, not knowing how to conceal it, and forgetful of what he was doing, he fuddenly attempted to kifs both my hands.

"The divine service of yefterday was long; for in Tarento, and

in Brindifi, the ancient Brundufium, the epiftles and gospels are always read firft in Greek, and then in Latin. The folemn proceffion with the image through the town, was numerously attended.

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According to the ancient Greek cuftom, the day of the town patron, oxos, was devoted to national games. A high pole, which was foaped two thirds of its height, was erected before the gate, in honour of San Cataldo. A wheel was faftened above, which was hung round with hams, fowls, flatks, cheefes, faufages, and viands. To climb up this pole was the talk; and, after many vain attempts and tumbles, at length one adventurer took poffeffion of the wheel. Loud fhouts of joy then refounded from the place, the city walls, and the round towers; all of which were covered with the thronging multitude. This was a peep into Grecian antiquity.

"The people are handfome; and, among the women, I faw many truly Greek beauties. I did not find that undeviating furface, which defcends from the forehead to the nofe and chin in a right line; a line which certainly can only exift in nature as an exception, is rather uncommon than beautiful, was firft used by the artifts who were guilty of excefs, and afterward received among the dilettanti as the fection of ideal beauty; but a gentle projecting, which effectually connected in many the right-lined nose with the fmall forehead.

"The women wear their hair platted behind, and wound round the head; as we fee it in the bufts of the Grecian women, and efpecially of the Mufes. The people of rank fubject themselves to the fafhion; and thus lofe very much

in comparison with those who adopt this beautiful coftume.

"Both fexes are well proportioned. The women here are fair complexioned; though, in the other parts of Puglia, they are ftill as warthy as the Apulians were in the times of Horace; whofe ufurer, Alphius, overcome for a moment by rational feelings, fighs after the country and wishes for a wife:

Sabina qualis, aut peruta folibus
Pernicis uxor Appuli.
HOR. Epod. 2.

Offun burnt charms but honeft fame, Such as the Sabine or Apulian dame. FRANCIS.

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Many of the Tarentine women have fair hair, and blue eyes.

"This handfome people were yesterday particularly jocular; and, after the Italian manner, ornamented with various colours.

"The conqueror of the hams and faufages played many tricks upon the wheel, took one of the flasks, and drank to the honour of the faint and of the city, and defcended by a rope, which was faftened laterally to a wall, fometimes fwinging by the hands, and at others holding by the legs.

"When this diverfion was over, they had an afs race; and of many a one of thefe courfers it might well have been faid, as Boileau has remarked of Rofinante, that

fouthern nations, they are easily ex cited, and eafily appeased. Amid their zeal, they are tolerant, and there is dignity in the toleration of zeal. Nothing but ftupidity or kna-very, and more frequently the laft, will praife the toleration of indiffexence.

"There are many Greek words in the Tarentine dialect. The archbishop caufed a copy of these words, as collected by the Abbate Tommai, to be transcribed for me; most of which I here enclose.

The

"There is a kind of manufac ture here, which has defcended from mother to daughter, probably from the times of the Greeks. A fpecies of thell-fith, called pinna, the leaft of which are fome inches and the largest may be an ell long, afford a tuft of fine hair, or threads, of polished green colour, archbishop had the goodness to fend for fome women, to work while we were prefent. The art is fimple. The tufts are taken from the fifh, are washed twice with foap, three times in clear water, then heckled, and afterward ipun from the diftaff: after which they take three threads, wind them, and out of them knit gloves, stockings, and entire garments. They have the glofs of the cloth called drap de vigogne, fit eafily, and look handfomely. They likewife take two fuch threads for knitting, and add a third of filk; and the manufacture is then more durable, but lefs

Galoppa, dit l'hiftoire, une fois dans fa beautiful.

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