phical Defcription of their Countries; and concludes his firft Book (confifting only of fix Chapters) with the State of Italy when fubdued by the Romans, and divided by them into feventeen Provinces. Our Author, like most of the Italian Writers, applies to the modern Italians whatever he finds in the antient Writers, in Commendation of the old Romans. No other Nation, in his Opinion, is fo much as to be compared with his Countrymen for Bravery, Prudence, Learning, Piety, Love of Glory, Brightness of Genius, &c. They once fubdued the World, and are capable of fubduing it again, were they united under one Head, and not divided into fo many fmall Principalities. Notwithstanding the many Praifes he lavishes upon them, he cannot help owning, that they are a little too nice in point of Honour, and apt to revenge the leaft Affront with the Death of their Adverfary: that is, in other Terms, as they are most greedy of Glory, when they apprehend themselves any ways flighted, they moft gallantly hire a Ruffian to espouse their Caufe, and barbarously murder the Author, even of an imaginary Affront. But for that fmall Defect (which, after all, is commendable in its Source, as proceeding from Love of Glory, the predominant Paffion of great Souls) they make fufficient amends by their fincere and hearty Attachment to the true Religion; illum humanæ infirmitatis nævum diligens vera Religionis ftudium plane abftergit, fays our Author. But in what do they fhew this great Attachment to the true Religion? In living up to the Rules and Precepts laid down in the Scripture? This, we muft own, is a very idle and impertinent Infinuation, when addreffed to a Roman Catholic. Catholic. For what have Morals, fay they, or a good Life, to do with Religion? Our Author tells us in what the Italians fhew themselves fincere Followers of the true Religion. 'Tis true, fays he, they fuffer Jews to live among them, but they keep their Country clear of all Sects of Heretics. As if thofe they call Heretics, were worse than Jews, and the perfecuting and murdering them, a full Atonement for all their other Murders. Nothing is more inconfiftent with, and repugnant to true Religion, than Perfecu tion; and nevertheless, in the Church of Rome, the whole Duty of a Man truly religious is to perfecute, maffacre, and deftroy with Fire and Sword, all those who refufe to admit of their fuperftitious and idolatrous Worship. Tho' our Author cries up his Countrymen on account of their Piety and Religion, fuch as have travelled into Italy cannot but know, that the Laity there have no Religion at all; tho' they take care to diffemble their true Sentiments, for fear of the Inquifition. As to the Clergy, they are mere Libertines, (even comprifing the Cardinals) the moft debauched and profligate Fellows in the world. Hence they often make merry among themfelves, when they see the Ultramontanes (whom they call Pichia-petti, Schioda-Crifti, &c.) flock in Crouds, from remote Countries, to vifit the fuppofed Tombs of the Apoftles, to which they themselves, excepting fome of the meaner fort of People, are very fparing in their Vifits. Not many Years ago the Perfon, whofe Office it was to open every day and fhut the Gates of S. Peter's Church at Rome, being fufpected of having stolen a Silver Lamp from before the Apoftle's pretended Body, alledged in his defence, that he had never fet his Z 2 foot 1 foot in the Church fince the Time he received the Sacrament upon his taking poffeffion of that Employment, which he had held for above forty Years. He added, that if any one could attelt upon Oath, ever to have feen him within the Gates of the Church, fince that Time, he was willing to be deem'd guilty. This Story is related by Mr. Fiorelli*, who examined the Prifoner, being then Giudice Criminale, that is, Judge in criminal Cafes to Pope Innocent XIII. Julius Scaliger had not fo good an opinion of the Piety and Religion of the Italians, as our Author has; for the Character he gives of them is this, Italus Dei contemptor, a Character which fits them much better than that our Author draws of them. As to the Bravery, Courage, and other Virtues of the modern Romans, it will not, we hope, be unwelcome to our Readers to hear them fet forth by 2 Sectanus, alias Monfignor Sergardi, an Italian Prelate, whom the Litterati of Italy call, and indeed with a great deal of Reafon, the Juvenal of our Age. He feigns, in his fixteenth and laft Satyr, to have been in the infernal Regions, and introduces one Ligurinus, an Acquaintance of his, enquiring after the Romans he had feen there, thus: Ecquid agunt tenebrofo in littore noftri Romulides? Puto enim emunto te fingula nafa Olfeciffe tuo, atque omnes cognofcere larvas. Setanus's Anfwer contains the true Character of our modern Romans. Ecquid In his Book entitled Il Luogo tenente iftruito published at Rome 1724. Ecquid agunt Ride: torvo illos lumine figit Et merito: nec enim Romano fanguine cretumi Our Author in his three other Books gives us a very minute and exact Defcription of the various States, Provinces, Diocefes, and Cities of Italy. In relation to the different States, he takes notice of their Form of Government, their Wealth, Power, Extent, &c. As to the Diocefes, he acquaints us when, and by whom they were erected into Diocefes; enumerates all the Bishops of any Note, by whom they have been govern'd; defcends to a particular Account of the most re markable Churches contained in each Diocefe, L with the Names of their Founders, and an Account of the Reliques, and miraculous Images that are worshipped in them. But notwithftanding his Minutenefs in other Matters, he takes care never to make the least mention of the Revenues of the Ecclefiaftics, in whose hands are the best Eftates in Italy. In the Defcription of the Cities, he takes notice of their antient and modern Names, their Founders, Riches, of the Number of their Inhabitants, of their chief Edifices, Rarities; and in a word, of whatever they contain worthy of Obfervation. The Reader will find in this Work, a very exact Description of Italy; and will, moreover, be not a little diverted with the account our Author gives of the Reliques that are lodged in the various Churches of Italy: we fhall enumerate fome of them, In the great Church of Genoa is to be feen the Difh in which Jefus Chrift eat the Pafchal Lamb: in the Cathedral of Mantua a Spunge dipt in the Blood of our Saviour, together with the Body of the Soldier, who pierced his Side on the Cross, This Soldier is worshipped by the Roman Catholics, under the Name of S. Longinus. They pretend, that he was converted to the Chriftian Religion at our Saviour's Death; that immediately after his Converfion, he dipt a Spunge in his Blood; and, the following Year, carried it to Mantua, where he established Christianity, and was crowned with Martyrdom. This Story contradicts the Acts of the Apostles, where we read, that Cornelius was the firft among the Gentiles who embraced the Chriftian Religion, However, it was believed by Pope Leo III, who having paid a Vifit to S. Longinus, and feen, as our Author tells us, with his own Eyes, the Blood |