^^t V^"*, •^•2>i>*-(M- w-' i^^:; ■fff "tf^'»^Vi;*. .\ .V A A A A A KXAJUi,,.. k g?©|W:vv :i*v**2^^^^'i;ff! mm* ¥mmm''-j LETTERS FROM ITALY. VOL. L LETTERS FROM ITALY, DESCRIBING THE Manners, Cuftoms, Antiquities, Paintings, &c. of that Country, In the Years mdcclxx and mdcclxxi, T O A FRIEND refiding in FRANCE, By an ENGLISH WOMAN. The SECOND EDITION, revifed and correaed. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR EDWARD ANDCHARLBS D I L L Y. MDCCLXXVII. PREFACE. 1 "^ H E Author of thefe Letters made the tour of Italy with her huiband in the years 1770 and 1771: her correfpondent, a near and much efteemed relation, had re- quired from her at parting, circumftantial details (by letter) of whatever {he (hould meet with during the period of their feparation, curious or interefting ; in the view of com- paring her communications with the heft modern travels of French or Englifli pub- lication. At the requeft of that relation they are now publiflied, with little other caution or corredion, than the difcharging them (in A 3 fome vi PREFACE. fome meafure) from repetitions, and the fup- preflion of certain matters of mere private concern, by no means objeds of infofmatlon or entertainment to the Public. It were a mlfufe of tim.e to offer proofs of their authenticity, which fhew fo clearly and unequivocally through every page of thefc volumes. Will not the public candor prefume, that farther embellifhment of flyle, appofite quo- tations, abundant illuftrations, (^c. (^c* might have been fupplled by the fame pen, which offers them the prefent artlefs, inge- nuous narration, had fuch decorations feemed expedient, or a difplay of the Author's read- ing been an objedl of publication. Much of the matter now before us, was thrown on paper immediately after 3 and not a little PREFACE. vii a little of it whilfl the recorded incidents were yet pafiing ; the greater part of it was wrote in the rnidll: of fatigue, in moments unfa- vourable to precifion, and unfriendly to reflec- tion, fave only to fuch refledlions as naturally rofe out of the occurring events. The Editor, who cannot plead indiffe- rence to thefe Letters and their Author, finds himfelf impelled to anticipate the Read- er's approbation of that fpirit of tendernefs and benevolence, that animated warmth fo honeftly avowed, and fo feelingly exerted in the defence of freedom and the interefts of humanity, which abundantly difplay them- felves in the pages now before us. The Author's declining to give her name to fo circumflantial a narrative, as renders it fingularly improbable it fhould long remain concealed, feems to call for fome apology viii PREFACE. apology 3 all the Editor has to fay, in regard to this peculiarity, is, that the utmoft that could be obtained from her, was an ac- quiefcence in their anonymous publica- tion. ADVERTISEMENT To the Reader. OHOULD any of our readers ohje5f, thai io3 much place is given in theje volumes to ivhat feems to interejl the correfponding parties more nearly than the Public ; // may be relied on, that fucb parts have been retained folely from the motives of giving a more natural pi^ure of the manners, c^r. of the people reprefented, than the unanimated nar- rative of a mere fpe^lator might have conveyed^ Nor could the Editor, without difficulty, have fe- parated from the fever al defcriptions, that part and interejl which the Author had in them. If the Edi- tor fhould appear reprehenfihle for preferving fucb extenjive criticifms in the article of painting ; he can only fay, that his Author's ftrong propenfity to that fcience induced her treating it more largely than may he agreeable to feme of her readers -, and that he was prevented from fupprejjing any part, from a poffihilily of its being relifhed by thofe amcngfi them 5 ADVERTISEMENT. of a different tajle, who may he unprovided with better or more recent accounts. Of Catalogues indeed, there is no deficiency ; they fwarm in every town and every palace of Italy : but thefe publications are merely catalogues ; fuch criti- cifms as they offer being oftentimes fortuitous, fre- quently falfe, and for the greater number calculated by the proprietor to promote the f ale of fuch pictures of indifferent merits as he wijhes to part with to ad- vantage and profit, T'hofe in this country who commiffion perfons re- fiding in Italy (of which there are many) to procure them the befi of fuch piSiures as chance brings to inarket^ may acknowledge feme utility in critical dif- qiiifiticns of this nature, if executed with a decent portion of truth and information ; as ferving to dire^l their choice upon the immediate objeBs of preference, and proving, when in correfpondence with the reports cf thofs employed by them, a confirmation of their efiimates and recommendations. — Here they will alfo learn, that many pictures, fuppofed the property of their forraer cwners, will appear to be in the poffeffion of other mafiers and other countries. After all, if thofe who have not already travelled in, or who have no expeSfation of vijiting Italy : if thofe who 4 are ADVERTISEMENT. tire unacquainted with^ or uninterejled in the merits of painting, will but turn over a few pages ivhen they come to fuch defcriptions, of which the marginal references are a conjlant indication, perhaps their trouble may be but inconfiderabk, in proportion to the entertainment or information provided for a larger number of our readers. L E T T E R LETTER I. Sept. 2oth, 1770. I SUPPOSE you have already received my letter from Ornon. Nothing but the promife 1 had made you of writing from the very firft place we fhould fleep at, could have prevailed upon me to have fent you fuch a fomniferous epiftle — if the reading of it did not put you to deep, the writ- ing did me. — I fear this v/ill not prove more en- livening than its predeceffor. — Would you had but patience until I have reached Italy ! for there I expefl every day will produce frefh fources of amufement both for you and me. — But that, you have refufed me, and infift that I mark and paint every ftep I take in fo clear a manner, that you may follow me clofely in idea — Do not fuffer the too tender friendfhip you honour me v/ith, to produce anxious and uneafy thoughts, which ferve but to augment every inconvenience, or trifling accident that may happen •, for as you took care at the mo- ment of our feparation to bind me doubly by my Vol. I. B friendfhip [ 2 ] frlendfhip and honour, not to attempt to deceive you through a miftaken kindnefs in the fmalleft particular, fo be aflured I hold myfelf obliged to fulfil my engagement, au pied de la lettre. — Fol- low me then in ideal jaunty like Puck's fairy friend. Over hill, over dale. Through bulh, through brier, Over park, over pale. Through flood, through fire. My journey alfo mull have a fiery end. Mount Vefuvius. — I tremble at the thought — though per- haps I may be better reconciled to a burning mountain, when I Ihall feel myfelf almoft petrified to cryftal, amidll the eternal fnows and iced moun- tains, towards which v/e are making all pofilblc expedition. Having quitted Ornon this morn- ing, we arrived at noon at a fmall town called Pontarlier. Pontarlier ; here we changed horfes and dined : it is a bleak, raw-looking uninterefling place, the road however is tolerable between Ornon and Pon- tarlier, — but not at all to your tafle -, a precipice quite confiderable enough to terrify you being conftantly on one fide, the mountain rifing on the other •, for a confiderable part of the way this road appears to wind and turn about the fides of thefe high hiils : — the day has been very fine, and the profptft highly romantic ; — though no where fo diftanr, but that the horizon is diftinclly clofed [ 3 ] by a chain of mountains clothed np to their fummits with pines ; — their fituation is rendered particu- larly ftriking by the fudden protuberances of the ground which produce them. — When the fun had rifen fo hish as to the favourite moment of all landfcape-painters, the 45th degree, or (to fpeak with the vulgar) about ten o'clock, the tops of the firs gliftened v.'ith refulgent brightnefs, and the dark fhadovvs caft by their fpreading branches augmented in appearance the real projecftion of their conical fides. — By the majeftic nodding of their heads, they feemed to infult, from their fuperior elevation, the humble trees in the valley below, and capricioufly to amufe themfelves with fuddenly calling monftrous and gigantic fhadows on the peaceful plains of green corn in the valley, interfperfed with various hues, occafioned by the patches of peas and other pulfe now in bloffom. — Here and there meadows of hay in the various progrefs of making, and a few poor villages fcat- tered amongft the mountains diverfified the fcene. Thefe cottages (though far more pifturefque in profped, than the moft comfortable of the farm- houfes of Halfpenny) are only compofed of a few planks and trees loofely faftened together. As we advanced, we began to clofe with the pines, which had hitherto bounded our view, and which now, dividing themfelves at our approach into beautiful viftas, opened out to us irregular lawns, watered by limpid fprings gufhing forth from amongft the trees, their ftreams feparating into rivulets, B 2 bordered , [ 4 ] bordered by various flowers of the lily and flag kind— but all my paftoral fpeculations were inter- rup:ed by our arrival at Pontarlicr, where, as I have already informed you, v/e dined. — 1 do not invite you to partake in iinagination of our ban- quet, for they fcrved us up a (linking chicken, which, after fome entreaty, was exchanged for a few egas, little inferior in ripenefs to their chicken. Juft as we fat down fo our frugal repafi^ enters a peafant, and f.i.ys, Void Monfteur le Ma- rechal—l was about to rife mechanically, ftruck with the fimilarity of the ftyle and title of my vifitor to the well-known found at B -, when, behold a dirty blackfmith enters ; it fcems his Cy- clopian aid had been wanting to our carriage, for which he demanded payment.— On being afked hov/ much would content him, he replied, Si^ Vaches.—Six Vaches, cried I with aftonifiiment ! The peafant, who felt the caufe of rny furprife, fmiled, and faid, he means eighteen fols— which fum in this country gees under the nppellation of f^.. cows.—Ow holl charged us five livres for four cacTs ; pray how many cows does that make ? As foon as our horfes were ready, away we drove as faft as poiTible, each horfe doing his beft accord- ing to their feverai abiliti^-s, for all ^iv. were of dif- ferent fizes, fnapes, colours, and propenfities. Our read continued much in the fame llyle with that of .the morning, till we reached the end of our day's >(;■;./. journey— a place calkd JougnL—Fv^rt to yourfeif a ruine:] cattle,- fituated on the fide of a mountain, embofumcd [ 5 ] embofomed in a forefl of fir-trees -, one of its tov.'ers alone habitable, and that confiding only of two tolerable rooms. By its date in figures on one of the ftones 1579, it mufl have been built in Henry the Third's reign, if 1 do not miilake. — • This caftle belongs to the Duke of Rochefoucaulr, who is proprietor of thirty-eight Signories conti- guous to it. — The inhabitants of the village are civil and poor ; they are dreffed like thofe montag- nards who come twice a year to B— — to the cxpo- fition of the Sainte Suaire. — And their coiffure is to the full as furprifing. — A long pewter fkewer, with a knob at each end, fuilains their Chigncn^ wliich is twilled round it, — fo that their head^, when viewed in front, have fomething of the air and grace of young heifers with budding horns. Good night; we have juft fupped on trout, the natives of thefe mountain rills, — I cannot fend you this letter from hence, as there is no poft-office here. Sept. 21. At five o'clock in the morning quit- ting; jougne, we travelled for a league and a half through forefts of pines ; after which the roads were bad, the afcents and defcents rapid and rough ; now and then cmbarrafied with hollow ways-, and v/e were conftantly accompanied by a thick fog. — We dined at a town called Sara. It sara feemed as if this town had marched out of its gates 5 for there remained feveral gates, but very B 3 few [ 6 ] few houfes within them. Here we regaled our- felves on the fhoiilder of a ram, as high flavoured as though it had belonged to a fox. I fancy we ihall not want appetite by the time we reach Ge- neva. — We are now at Morgefs, a Swifs town, where we lie, which is, I think, nine pofts from Joiigne. But obferve, that for the future I Ihall not trouble myfelf with calculating how many leagues or pofts we travel each day, or how many there are from one wretched bourg to another : if you are curious in this matter, you may confult the poft-books, or Richard, or Lalande, ^c. — Our iandicape has quite changed its face, for about four leagues paft, to a fine clofe cultivated country, refembling parts of Berkfhire -, the fields divided by quickfet hedges, clipped and drefled as in Eng- land. We faw Laufanne at a diftance. Our road Lake of ^^Y ^long the fide of the lake of Geneva : it appears Geneva. ^^ broad as the bay of Southampton ; but is neither fmooth nor clear. — On the oppofite fide appear Mountains ^^^ mountains of Savoy, whofe lofty heads riie far of Savoy, above the clouds -, which ferve but to conceal a part of their fides, like drapery wrapped round them. Morges is a pretty little town, with two well-built ftreets. The Swifs pdifannes are much prettier than the French, but they have no air ; their faces are fair and clean, but want that coun- tenance the French ftyle piquante : they feem mo- deft, but flow of apprehenfion -, fo that it is with difficulty they are prevailed upon to anfwer the fimpleft queftions. — Our inn is clean, and like an Engliih Merges. [ 7 ] Englifh country ale-houfe. We fare well ; and are charged only three livres a-head. To-morrow we hope to arrive at Geneva. We have been walking about the town in queft of fomething curious. Our kind hoftefs conduced us to the houfe of Monf. k BaiUiey by way of fhewino' us the fineft edifice in the town-, — a dreadful difmal- looking old manfionj painted all over black and red. I reft fatisfied that your friendfhip will make allowance for the inaccuracies of this letter, for the barrennefs of the fubjeft, and for the want of that amufement you may have expedled to have received from the pen of your moft afFeftionate, B 4 L E r ^ Gex. I 8 ] LETTER II. Sept. 23, 1770. J E are now in Savoy, where we arrived yefterday afternoon, about half a mile from Geneva. Having been informed on the road, that there was a better inn on the other fide of Geneva than any in the town, Vv^e drove through ■without flopping. Another convenience arifing fi-om our not being in the town, is, that we are not fubjefc to be detained here longer than jufl: to take a curfory view of this famous city, wherein, had we been lodged, we might have experienced difficulties in fo fuddenly breaking from the fociety of feveral of our countrymen, which, though it might prove a moft agreeable interruption to our journey, yet, 2s the feafon is far advanced for paf- fing Montcennis^ we think it more prudent to lofe as little time as pofTible on our way thither. All yefterday's journey Vv'as through a moft beautiful country (till we came to Little France, Pot's de or the Tdis de Gex ; of which diftrid, fo much talked of by our news-writers, I fhall by and by attempt a defcription). From Morges to another jj Qj, decent town called Nyon, the road winds the whole way along the borders of the Lake -, and on the other fide, as far as the eye can reach, nothing ap- pears but a rich foil, all under tillage, and planted with extenfive orchards of applet, pears, cherry, and [ 9 ] find \yalnut-trees, growing at about the diflance of fifteen yards from each other. Agriculture appears to be in a ftate of great perfedion in this part of Switzerland. Here are confiderable fields of buck wheat and lucerne, as v,'ell as of various other kinds of artificial grafies. The Swifs have a contrivance for fpreading an alarm on the appearance of the enemy, which has a pretty and an odd effect : this they do by beacons, Beacons. placed on the correfponding fammits of their higheft mountains. Each of thele confifts of nothing more than a very tall withered pine, ftuck into the ground with a bundle of draw and faggots tied acrofs, and appears, when viewed at a difcance, like the belfry of a ruined hermitage. On the fufpicion of an approacliing enemy, they fet fire to that beacon which" happ^^ns to be the mod conti- guous ; the blaze is immediately perceived, and all the beacons in the country are inilantly in flames. Thus the necefiary alarm for warlike preparation fpreads rapidly from canton to canton. Afrer an hour's drive on this fide of Nyon, we entered the Pais dc Gex ; feparated only by a rivu- p^u de Jet from Switzerland. Scarcely had we paffed its borders, when OLir ears were afiauked by the fqueeling ftreet voices of the Frenchwomen. The peafants of both fexes bear in their phyfiognomy in- ccntedable proofs of their origin, though they have been tranfplanted hither many years fince ; brown> meagre, ragged, hjif-ftarved wretches, prancing and grinning at one in their dirt, mifery, and jahis i [ !0 ] fahots ; their houfes fcarctly covered in, windows lliiffeJ with rags. — Lazinefs, fuperltition, and def- potifm, with their baleful ckws, feem to have been the only cultivators of this wretched country. — » What a difference between, this fcene and the land- Icape on the other fide the ftream ! their habitations clean and commodious ^ themfelves flout, frelli-com- plexioned, healthy, and decently dreffed (no fabots) ; their beafts of burden large, flrong, and well fed % their implements of agriculture ingenioufly con- ftrufled, and always employed ^ their churches neat, fimple, and well built, though perfedly plain. But how different m.uft be the country where liberty, blended with each patriotic and fecial virtue, fprings up fpontaneoufiy in every bofom, to that where religion ferves only as a mafk to hide the hypocrify of the wily prieft ; who, inftead of inculcating the laws of morality, and encouraging induftry, as Chriftianity teaches, when- ever it ferves his intereils, drags forth from his faintly cupboard his holy puppet-fliow, and unfurls the banners of his deceits * to his deluded flock i who, beating their brealls, their eyes turned up in extatic ftupidity, v/hilft their ears are filled with the fwelling yell of thefe hofy men, fancy that the heavens, propitious to fuch didortions, will beftow upon them immediate rain or funfhine, according to their wifh ! — I fhall beg pardon for this digref- fion, and return to the defcription of the Paix de • The ftandavcJs, on which are painted faists of both fexes* fer. and which are borne in proccffioui. Gcx, [ " ] Gcx, which is about three quarters of a league ill breadth, and three and a half in length, in fhape like a tongue, ftretching acrofs the country down to the Lake. — The moment we entered it, we were attacked by a harpy, commonly called a Coinmis of a Bureau, v.' ho extorted more duties upon our baggage for three quarters of a league, than the like charges for twenty-eight leagues had amounted to in Switzerland.— Our C^;ww/i was fuc- ceeded by a woman between feventy and eighty years old, who purfued us, clattering her wooden Ihoes, and demanding a trifling toll. The firft time I have feen rouge fmce I left France was on the Ihrivelled cheeks of this beldame. — As we were very curious to fee the port of Verfoix (the new town) we difpatched our courier to the com- mandant for his permiffion to that purpofe, which was very obligingly granted, and he fent the com- manding officer of the troops to be our guide. The commandant very politely excufed himfelf from accompanying us, on account of illnefs, and being confined to his room. His name is I -re : he inhabits a poor cottage, jufb at the entrance of the hourg. We alighted then from our carriage, and walked about what is to he the town of Verfoix, for there is not a houfe yet begun upon. The Itreets, fquares, &c. are indeed diftinguifhed by tall flakes fixed in the ground, and have all pompous names. Here are a fev/ miferable hovels, or rather roofs of planks, which almofl touch the ground, and appear at a diftance like tents. In thefe wretched [ J^ ] wretched habitations, on the cold and damp earth, have the unhappy foldiers (deftined to take up their quarters here) endured the laft rude winter. Paf- ling by one of them, I looked in, from ciiriofity, ro difcover its contents, and do fuppofe it mud have been the infirmary hovel ; for I perceived feveral Tick wretches ftretched out upon palliajfes^ who feemed ready to expire, and whom it had been more merciful to have fhot at once through the head, than thus facrifice them piece-m.eal to agues and dead palfies, for the Glory of Lewis thi Beloved. Our conduclor, after relating to us the very great difficulties they had combated during the lafc .winter, in particular that the heavy fnows had prevented their receiving provifions from Savoy, and their Swifs neighbours had refufed to fell them any, added, that the garrifon of B. (from which they are a detachment) obliged them (the officers) to fubfcribe twelve livres a month each to the comedy at that garrifan. This is fomething fo highly prepoftercus, and at the fame time fo unjuii, that it is fcarccly credible. The Lake in this part is very rough, and fre- quently fo dangerous in winter, from the tdC\Y winds caufed by the furrounding mountains, ihaC none of their little veifels could lie at anchor in fafety, if unprotefted by w^alls, whicli form a regu- lar port (I believe I forgot to tell you, that there is a very good port at Merges, though none at Ge- neva}, in il:iape a fquarc of about two h\ind.red vards. [ 13 1 yards. Tliree fides of this fquare are formed by a wall four feet thick and twenty feet high, buik out into the Lake upon piles, with an entrance to kt veflels in. - Having viewed this town and portm lerrorem, we took leave of our polite guide, williing him a fpeedy order to return to Old France*. M - prophefies this town will never be built ; or, fup- pofing it fiiould be in part, never inhabited -f-. His reafons are, — "that it is fituated in the mid ft of implacable enemies, whofe interefts and inclinations it muft ever be to diftrefs this new eftablifhment. Nor can trade be carried on without a fund ^ and though that was afforded them, ftill the Genevans, by making the fmalleft accommodations for the veffels trading upon the Lake, would render utter- ly ufck'fs and unavailing all that the French may hereafter expend upon Ferfoix and its port." What benefit then can they expedl to refult from throwing away a great fum of money, and harafiing many more of their already too opprefTcd military fubjed:s } As we drew near to Geneva, the country became very cheerful, by offering to our view a great num- ber of fmall houfcs and pretty gardens belonging to the citizens, who retire to them in the fummcr when their bufmefs permits.— Our inn is very good, * The troops now here are a detachment of about 300 from the Queen's regiment, and aoc of the Royal artillery. f This prophcfy has been hnce fulfilled, as the undertaking was totally abaiidoiied iiruacdiately upon the D. of Choifiul^ difgrace. as f H J as Vv^ell as our accommodations and provifions 5 and the people civil. I think civility in inn-keep- ers efTential to the health of travellers ; for how much are one's nerves and fpirits hurried, and one's blood heated, when, on arriving late per- haps at an inn in France, you are almoft morally certain of receiving an infolent reply to any quef- tion, though the moft: reafonable, and neceflary, that a traveller can afk ? I think the trout of this Lake inferior to the common Englifh trout. The vidluals here arc drefied in the fafliion of Geneva, or rather in the old Engiiih ftyle, boiled and roafted, with pud- dings of various forts, codling-pies, &c. The Genevans and Swifs boall a refemblance in their manner of living to the tables of England, but they are total ftrangers to the luxuries of our mo- dern repafts. — As to what you have heard in re- gard to their eating cats, if there is any truth in that report, it is not at Geneva that animal is in vogue, but in the more remote and uncivilized parts of Switzerland. Here I am interrupted by a great noife, proceed- ing from the jollity of fome young m.en of Ge- neva, who. Divine fervice being over, are come to pafs their Sunday's evening in various amufe- ments in the garden of our inn. Some play at nine-pins, others at vingi et une ; others eat and drink in the arbours, and chaunt the old French pfalm-tunes to profane words, che fono tin pocs Ircppo allegro. — I imagined the Genevans had been [ S5 ] been a grave plodding people ; having formed that idea of them from thefe lines of Voltaire, which I had lately been reading : Au pied d'un niont * que les temps oiu pele> Sur le rivage ou roulant fa belle onde Le Rhone echape a fa prifon profonde Et court au loin par la fone appeile j . On voit briller la Cite Genvoif:?, Noble cite, riche |!, fier, et fournoife ; On y calcule et jamais on n'y rit, L'art de bareme eft le feul qui fleurit-fi On hait le bal, on halt la comedie. Du o-rand Rameau Ton ignore les airs Pour tout plaifir Geneve pfalmodie Du bon David les antique concerts, Croyant que Dieu fe plait aux mauvais vers Des predicants la morne et dure efpece Sur tous les fronts a grave la triftefie, &c. J We can form no judgment of the juftice or in- juftice of thefe line:, knowing fo little of the peo- ple they characterize. * La Montagne de Salive, partie des Alpes. II Les feuls citoyens de Geneve ont quatre millions cinq cent mille livre de rente fur la France en divers effets. II n'y a point de ville en Europe qui dans fon territoire ait autant de jolies maifons de campagne proportion gardce. II y a cinquante four- neauxdans Geneve, ou Ton fond Tor et I'argent, On y poufToit autrefois des argumens theologique. t Auteur des Comptes Faits- X Ces vers font digne de la mufique on y chante les commando- TAtnLs de Ditn fur lair re-veilki t-jui be!k endonme. As E 16 i As to the company below, the maid of tha | houfe eyes them with terror, calling them liber- tinSj and mr^uvais fujds. She certainly means what v/e call Bucks, and of thefe, I think there mutl be a certain proportion to every town. At length la Jeunejfe Genevois have taken their leave, for at a cer- tain hour Geneva's gates are doled, and impenetrable to any perfon whatfoL^ver until the morning. To my great difappointment, I am ]i\i\ now- informed that the letters I expefted to receive here from you are fcrv/arded to Turin j travellers muft learn patience. A cold I have caught, adds to my chagrin, aS \ it deprives me of g-ing to Ferney*, whither M — wenc this morning, and from whence he is juft returned, highly fatisfied vv^ith his reception, for Voltaire was in a pcod humour : D'Alembert and the Marquis d'Argcns v*'ere juft arrived by appoint- ment to pals a few days together, the form.er from Paris, the latter from Berlin. You may imagine the converfii'ion was not languid when kept up by fuch men. I have been teafing M — to relate to me every Vs^ord they uttered ; what he recollects of the converfation pleafes me fo much, that I wilh him to commit it to paper for your amufemenr, and he has pTon^ifed me he v;ill do fo the very firft n^.omcnt he can command. Ke fays, Ferney is a charming place, that. Voltaire lives magnilicently. — His niece, who is a very well bred agreeable woman, manages his houfnold affairs -, — and that * The fent of M dc Vouaire, about tliree Englilh mihs dif- tant iVom Geneva, the [ '7 ] the gardens are well kept, and neat, which I wonder at, the mafter being a Frenchman. We Ihall continue our journey the day after to- morrow. I an:i going to fend this letter to the polt. — Don'c be furprifed at not hearing from me till after our arrival at Turin •, not that I fhall neglecSl writing j but, it is pofTible I may not be lucky enough to find an opportunity of fending a letter from any part of Savoy. I have not forgot that you was delirous I iliould be very particular in my account of that country : whatfoever I meet with which appears remarkable, or extraor- dinary, or that has not been noticed by Richard^ Lalande, or Keyjler^, &c. you may depend upon it, fhall not efcape me ; though I lliould imagine thofe authors have not omitted any thing of confequence, nor have I the vanity to put my hady letters in competition with their travels. — They made this journey with a view to writing and publifhing their obfervations for the benefit of travellers, and the information of the curious ; but we who travel merely for our amufement, and I who write for yours only, if my letters iliould prove fufficiently entertaining to chafe away tine partie de vos ennides^ (for I know no exprefllon in our language for thaf univerfal complaint, although no nation is more tormented with the diforder than the Englifn) I fliall think my end fufficiently anfwered, and your approbation will be more grateful to me, than the applaufe of all the learned do6tors of the Sorbonne, I remain, as ever, moft affectionately yours, &c. Vol. I. C LET' [ iS ] LETTER III. September ajth, 1770. Geneva. ^ T| T ^ quitted the neighbourhood of Genev^ VV to-day at noon. Do not expect from me a dcfcription of this famous city and republic •, I am neither qualified nor inclined to defcant upon the merits of their form of government, laws, &c. —nor is the town at all to my tafte •, I mean its ftreets, architedture, &c. It is very dirty, and I Thould imagine trade flourifiies prodigioufly by the number of carts and drays with which the itreets are crowded. Our hoft was not unreafonable, and we parted without any dilpute. I write this from Friangean. a little village called Friaiigean, fituated in a bot- tom, furrounded by high mountains. Our inn has a dangerous appearance, but that is all ; for the poor people do every thing in their power to oblige us. They have drefled an elegant little fupper, confifting of a fine young turkey, a tongue a la datibe, two fallads, one of anchovy, the other of lettice; a dejert compofed of cheefe, bifcuits, Mafpiterie^ almonds in fhell, butter churned fmce our arrival, and very good wine both white and red. Is not this a fumptuous repafl for fuch a favage place } And what do you think they charge lis, including our courier ? Only five livres, five fols, French. I dare fay you thought Savoy af- forded nothing but acorns and goat's v,'hey. — From Geneva to this place, our road has not been abfo- [ >9 ] lutely bad, — though we have had fome rough (leps. The mountains, according to their differ- ent afpeds, produce vines in abundance, corn, buck-wheat, and various kinds of pulfe. — The Arve winds along the valley, its waters are clear, and foaming in their courfe break over feveral laro;e ftones and rocks which have tumbled into it from the mountains on each fide. — Do not ima- gine that we poll it here; there is no going fall in fuch roads ; fo we have hired an excellent Geneva carriage, with four ftout fleek republican horfes, and a careful coachman, who boafts with J. J, Roufleau of being a citizen of Geneva ; he ap- pears en hon pointy is rich, and communicative,— has talked to us much about Lord , who has been admitted, to his great fatisfadion, a citizen of Geneva. Good night. To-morrow we fet out early to gain Chamberry. C 2 LET- Aix. [ 20 ] LETTER IV. Chamberry, Sept. a6th. E have pafTed feveral frightful bridges tOr day ; for by the winding ot the road round the protuberances of the mountains, you Rumclie, are obliged to crofs the Arve incefTanLly. At Ru- mclie (a wretched old town) there is a dangerous bridge at prefent, and an afcent from it to the inn, by no means pleafant on account of its abrupt (Icepnefs. But, it feems, they propofe foon to build a very good bridge here. The inn belongs to the marquis de T — n^ a Seigneur of Turin ; and had been the family chateau, I ran through the apartments, which are paved, as well as wafte and wild; and at length came to a gYta.t falcon, which had no other ornament, or furniture, than the fa- mily arms blazoned ; not even one grim anceflor in armour to grace its naked walls : — But I fup- pofe the family pi6lures are conveyed to Turin. As foon as we poffibly could we took leave of Rumelie. I believe no place in the world, of its fize, contains more beggars ; but I fufped them to be the inhabitants of the town, who demand alms in the moft importunate and clamorous manner. From thence we came to Aix, where we em- ployed about an hour in examining its fprings and baths. The road is good from Rumelie to Aix, and from thence to Chamberry. Cultivation is not neglected s [ 21 ] negle6led ; on the other fide of Aix the moun- tains are laboured until their extreme acclivity mocks the peafant's toil. Their corn is dill very green, their hay now making ; having a bad pro- fpe6t of grapes this year, they have negleded their vines, whofe branches trail in diforder along the ground. — From Aix hither, there is no mountain to afcend or defcend j fertile plains open them- felves out on each fide of the road to a oreat extent, whofe boundaries are mountains covered with fnow. Abundance of flandard fruit-treeSj forming confiderable orchards, and bending under their harvefts, the corn growing between them in many places, flrike the mind with ideas of plenty, widely differing from thofe I had formed of Savoy. But it feems this landfcape is to have its contraft. — At Aix we made every inquiry, our time would permit of, in regard to the medicinal qualities of its waters. Two of the fprings burft out of a rock on the fide of a fteep mountain, which are arched over like a grotto. The upper bath, fup- plied by one of thefe fprings, has a ftrong ful- phureous fmell and tafte. The fpring flows out of a leaden pipe inferted in the rock, in a ftream which meafures about two inches and a half dia- meter : it is fo excefiively hot, that I could not fuffer it to fall upon my hand for a quarter of a minute. M held his hand repeatedly under it, till at laft it fwelled, looked very red, and itched. Our guide told us, that a Geneva gentleman, who had but juit left the town^ and who was fo para- C 3 lytic [ 22 ] lytic at his arrival as to occafion his being helped out of his carriage by five men, in fix weeks after he had ufed the baths and drank' the waters, got into his coach without affiftance, and is returned in perfed: health to Geneva. Lepers bathe here, and, v/e are told, fome have been cured. The fccond fpring brings down with it a kind of fluff or pafte in flakes, in colour and confiftence not unlike white of egg a little hardened ; which flames and burns w'len applied to a lighted can- dle. Curiofity led me to tafte the water, of which having drank a glafs with feveral flakes in it -, I was almofl; infliantaneouily feized with a ficknefs in the ftomach. It is ufed in confumptions, and all diforders of the breaft. I folded up in a paper ibme of the moft ccndenfed flakes, which lluck about the fpring, and put them into my pocket- book to dry ; but, an hour or two after, there was not the fmallefl veftige of them to be feen ; nothing remained but an exceeding bad fmell. However, they had covered a knife and fciflfor?, v/hich were near them in my pocket-book, with ruft. The flones, which receive the fpray of this fpring, are parted over with a green coat refcm- bling vitriol ; and in the crevices, where the flakes are colle6led together, they have acquired a fub- ftance as firm as glaziers' putty. This is applied to corns as an infallible remedy. No doubt, it may be endued with many fuperior virtues ; but its medicinal qualities have not yet been properly inveftigated. On one fide of the place, whence- the [ 23 ] the fecond fpring flows, is a hole in the rock, through which a perfon may creep. While we were trying to explore the ccurfe of this cavity, an old woman appeared with a lighted candle, in order to penetrate through this opening into a fub- terraneoLis paflage, which fhe did with much eafe. She had been fent by a phyfician to gather a quantity of the fubftance and incruftation mentioned above-, but having advanced about nine yards, the great heat and fteam obliged her to make her retreat as faft as pofiible. Probably this paflage leads to other baths within the mountain, of Roman conflrudion •, for, no doubt, the Ro- mans were acquainted with thefe waters and their virtues. No fifh, nor any reptile, as you may ima- gine, can exift in or near thefe fprings. — The third fountain fupplies a bath of about twenty-two feet in diameter, of an irregular fhape: it was built for Madame Royale, The water of this is green, and fo tranfparent, as to difcover the fource bub- bling up through the gravel at the bottom : but is not fo hot as the two fprings before mentioned. — About two hundred yards higher up is another fountain, milk-warm only, that has fcarcely any taflie •, this is called the refrefliing fpring. Our guide afTured us, it has the extraordinary quality of reftoring in a few hours to their original frefh- nefs all forts of herbs and vegetables, though dried and v.'ithered. We had not time to make any experiments ourfelves, nor further inquiry into the qualities of thefe waters ; it is to be wifhed that C 4 feme [ 24 ] fome good natural philofopher of England was to refide here for fome lime, and to analyfe them pro- perly. I am fare the world would profit by his difcoveries. — There are no lodging-houfes, nor any particular conveniencies for the fick. The inn indeed is not a bad one : and here thofe who come to Aix for their health are obliged to refide : its largeft apartment is occupied at prefent by the Duke and Dutchefs de Gramont. The S— — — 's pafied the lad fummer, or part of it, here. We intend halting to-morrow to reft ourfelves. This town is built like many of our old Englirti country-towns, but inferior to moft of them. Though, as I faid above, the bed apartment in the inn is occupied, yet we are not ill lodged : the houfe is clean, and we are well ferved at three livres a head. [ 25 ] LETTER V. Chamberry, Sept. ayth, at Night. WE have been walking about this town all the morning. Here are no antiquities to be feen, nor any thing curious. Abbe Richard, vol. i. p. 8, has faid more in favour of the architec- ture of the Church, than we think it deferves. Church. They fhew with great veneration a little chapel, in which the Sainte Suaire was formerly depofited : fince removed to Turin. Upon the wall hangs a long lift of relics, confifting of above fixty diffe- rent articles ; fuch as St. John's reed, that was ftjaken by the zvind in the defart ; two nails of the real crofs ; fragments of fome of the apofiles^ gar- ments. But, unfortunately for the devots at Cham- berry, all thefe precious realities have been removed to Turin, and the lift only remains. — -The old Caftle Caftlc. was deemed impregnable in bow and arrow time, but is now commanded on every fide. Two thou- fand people were lodged within its walls in 1736 or 1737, at the marriage of the prefent King of Sardinia with Madame of Lorrain. — The palace is in ruins. There are a few fmall pictures in the church of the Jacobins, which are tolerably well executed. The public v/alk admired by Lalande does not anfwer his defcription. Here are feveral fountains well fupplied with excellent water. The. houfes make a beggarly appearance, on the outfide particularly, as the windows are of paper, and fre- quently [ 26 j quently in tatters. In ftrolling about, we were accofted by a Jacobin monk, who informed iiSj tonvents. that there are in this town fifteen religious houfesj male and female communaute''s, befides one convent of Jefuits ; who, though confifiing of no more than fourteen or fifteen in number, have a yearly revenue of thirty thoufand livres (Piedmontefe). He added, that, to his knowledge, they had many con- cealed refources, but that they conducted them- felves and their affairs with the utmoft fecrecy and circumfpedion, not chufing to converfe or alTo- ciate with any of the other religious orders. This man complained much of the rile and dearnefs cf provifions. The meafure of corn, which fold for four livres in 1767, cannot nov/ be purchafed under nine ♦, and every other article of the necelTaries of life have gradually rifen, to the double of their former prices. — France ufed to fupply Savoy Vv-ich a confiderable quantity of corn j but as this traf- I iic is now prohibited, they are in conftant appre- I henfion of a fcarcity. There may indeed be fome refource in their buck-wheat, which produces two crops, the fecond later than every other fort cf grain. Several families of nohlejfe refide at Chamberry -, and during the carnival they have a comedie and mafked balls. The ladies here wear no rouge, ex- cepting one old Marriuife^ who, I fuppofe, is a Frenchwoman. — Our hofl: boafts much of a cer- tain fifh called lavaret, for which this river is |i famous ; but he has not yet been able to procure ; us one of thefe delicacies. I Ihall t 27 ] t (hall conclude this letter with an anecdote of Cobier's ,.,,,. family. a cooler s family ot this town. — About a quarter of a league from Chamberry, a fine chateau, juft built, attraded our notice. The mafter of which goes by the name of Jaques Mar (for he has no title), and is the fon of a cobler. In childhood, having quitted his country, he travelled into Spain (in as humble an equipage as many of his com- rades who thrive on Pont-Neuf). Being arrived at Madrid, he had the good fortune to recommend himfelf as a marmiton in the Qiieen's kitchen; where, in procefs of time, he was promoted to be Chef de la Cuifine ; and at length, fortune pufhing him on, he became Entreprenneur de la Ciiifine \ in which capacity he had a fixed monthly allowance to provide viftualing for all the houfehold. Mean time, a brother of Jaques Mar\ (who, to feek his fortune in England, had quitted Chamberry about the fame time) died in London, having rea- lized ten thoufand livres a year, which he be- queathed to his brother. Fame does not give fo accurate an account of the rife and progrefs of this Mar, as of Jaques. All I can learn is, that he ferved a London merchant (during his youth) who traded on the feas, and that at length he became confiderable, and carried on commerce on his own bottom. — The Entreprenneur, Jaques Mar, planned and built the before-mentioned chateau, to which he is retired, with a yearly income in the whole of forty thoufand livres *. He is not above forty- Hve years old ; is at prefent a widower, his wife ^ Near aooo /. Englifli money. being [ 28 ] being lately dead, by v/hom he has two or three children. His ccufin-german continues the family- ftall, furnifhing to the necefilties of the foles and heels of his neighbours, with as much humility as if ti'Cre had been no chateau in the family. Adieu. The poil pafTes through here to-morrow morning, which will give you this letter; uninte- refting as it is, you will be glad to hear we have got thus far, free from accident, and accompanied by fine weather. I am, as ever, moll affedtionately, yours, ^ut not dangerous j and Savoy. the country fertile. The town and citadel of Mont- melian (the latter now in ruins) are fituated upon a high and very fteep mountain, on the fides of which the vine is cultivated which yields that be- verage fo much efteemed, and fo frequently men- tioned by the Italian voyage v/riters f. The inn is * Mount Cennis. \ It is remarkable, that thefe vines have fcarce any earth to grow out of. I do not beliere that la cart loads could be colleded from I J acres of mountain en the weftern fide of IMontmelian. not [ 30 1 not in the town, it is half a league on this fidej and was formerlry a nobleman's chateau. But poor and humble muft have been the times, when the great occupied fuch houfes. An Englifh farmer would not be thought unreafonable, were he to complain loudly of his landlord's having deftined him fuch an habitation on his eftate. The afcent is fo fleep from the inn, that we walked it up. Having gained the top, the coun- try we had left behind appeared very charmino; - the river Ifere walhing the feet of the mountains, which from the bottom to the town of Montme- lian are entirely covered with vines. The town is crowned by the citadel, now fufficiently ruinous to be a fine objeft of view. Higher again, and on all fides, rife up mountains, fome quite bare and barren, others clothed with wood •, and great beds of fnow in the clefrs of rocks, forming a flron"- contraft with the green pines. From Montmelian to Aiguebelle, after palTing the mountain above- mentioned, the road lies in a very narrow valley, which winds incefTantly ; there is no room in many places, but for the road and the river, the moun- tains on each fide approaching clofe to each other. The courfe of the river is frequently turned by the fiiones that have fallen into it, and the road is in many places impeded by vail fragments of rock that have rolled down from the adjacent moun- tains. Within a league or tv/o of Aiguebelle the profpeft opens, the country is well cultivated and peopled, and feveral villages appear on both fides, half t 3' 1 half hid in trees -, the fpires of their churches, covered all over with tin, gliden amidft the forefts of firs. Several ruined towers, moftly of a iquare form, crowning the brows of the mountains, feem placed there on purpofe for the view. AigLiebelle lies in a bottom clofely fiirrounded by mountains, whofe tops are covered with eternal fnows, which the peafants firmly believe have never melted fince their firft fall after the creation of the world. This is but a poor ftraggling village. The water here is delicious ; it is clear, light, and fparkles in the glafs like Champaign. The inhabitants pre- tend, this village has acquired its name from the quality of the fine fountain that rifes in it. The inn is tolerable ; there are a few Sardinian cavalry quar- tered here. A female, who belonged to the troop, particularly attracted my attention; (he was dreffed in the regimental uniform ; a man's coat of blue cloth, faced with fcarlet, and filver buttons ; the fkirts very long ; a petticoat, buttoned before and behind, of the fam.e materials, covering a fmall hoop beneath it. On her head a brown peruke^ which I think is called a Ramilie^ with a q^iieue reaching down almoft to her heels. In perfon, ex- tremely tall; her face long and pale, her nofe aquiline, and to crown the whole, an exceeding fierce cocked laced hat. — M is gene to fee the remains of the village of Randan, which was de- Village o,f ftroyed a few years fince in a wonderful manner j the Cure of the parifli accompanies him: if the account he brings me proves in any degree curious, I fhall certainly retail it to you, M . Randan. [ 32 ] M— — is returned, and he Ihrewdly fufpefts that neither Richard nor Lalande ever gave them- fclves the trouble to explore in perfon the devalla- tion that a falling mountain caufed, by its defcent on the village of Randan : an event which hap- pened on the 12th of June, 1750. Here follows his account of it : " Continued heavy rains for " feveral days, fucceeded by a warm fun-fhine, " dilTolving the vafl heaps of fnow which had lain " on the mountains contiguous to the village, " caufed fuch an inundation, as brought down on *' a fudden vafl fragments of the foil and prodi- " gious rocks, in fuch an abundance as entirely to " cover up the village, which confifted of thirty- *' fix houfes, the chateau^ gardens, and ilablt.-, of " the Seigneur, and the parifh church ; excepting •*' about 16 feet of its fteeple, which ftill appears ** above the furface. The windows of the belfry *' are above eleven feet from the ground ; not *' eve?i with //, as Lalande affdrtri *; nor is there ** any poflibility of entering them without the " afnftance of a ladder. The peafants have cleare;^ *' out about feven feet of the arch of the vault of " this church j but it was too difficult and expen- *' five an undertaking for them to continue the *' excavation. The fpace covered over appears to " be about 150 acres, including the village and ^* adjoining fields. The ground is raifed above its " former level 36 feet in the higheft part, floping *' down to the river. Old trees are buried up to Vol. ift, p. 8. f' their • [ 33 ] «* their heads, five or fix feet of their topmoft *' branches only appearing above the ground. Stii- *' pendous rocks lie difperfed on all fides ; fome *' of them meafure from eleven to thirteen feet " one way, by feven to eleven the other : this iine- *' qual fuperficies is covered over between the rocks " with brufli-wood, the fibres or feeds of which *' have come down in the fragments of the moim- " tain. The torrent of melted fnow which burft *' away from the hills formed two catarafts, over- " turning in its courfe houfes, trees, and rocks : " the channels they have left are nearly i6 feet " deep and thirty broad." As Lalande and Ri- chard have faid very little of the cataftrophe which befel this village and its environs in one day, I thought it worth while to give you this report of it, which you well knov/to be exad and authentic. Having nothing more that is curious to add, I conclude, i^c. Vol. I. D LET. r 34 ] LETTER Vir. Sept. 30, 1770, at Night. gt.Michacl. J I - ERE, at St. Michael, another deferted X J. chateau^ are we to pafs the night-, but the accommodations are To wretched, that they have banifhed deep from my eyes : the hardnefs and dirt of the bed does not invite me to reft. One would think old Keyfler had been doadng, when he fays, " there is very good accommodation in " a fpacious inn at St, Michael," i^c. Spacious it is indeed, but naked walls, and ill-paved floors ; a few broken chairs, and ftraw beds \ thofe with- out curtains being better in fome refpeds, by being \t^s fordid; a larder affording no other provifion than (linking oil ; bread four and black \ and trout marinated after they flunk. But what charmed poor Keyfler, was certain moral fentences wrote over the doors •, who inveighs with great ill-humour againll the fallies of fancy, commonly infcribed by young people upon window-panes. It had been a difncult matter to have found any here to have wrote upon. — Our hoftefs made us fome reproaches for chufing to fup in our own room (al- though it was more for her intereft, as we pay confl- derably dearer), intimating that it would be much better if we would eat at table d'hote ; for there was a great deal of company. You cannot imagine how much all our hojis have worried us to eat at their table i [ 35 ] table ; but I need not tell you, we had rather have a cruft of bread in the liable with the horfes, than fit down with all forts of people that are totally unknown to us: they may be " the heft fort of ■people in the world" However, the laft words of the hoftefs made me curious to learn who the com- pany were : it confided of a Seigneur of Milan, an Abhi cf Florence, a finger from Venice, three Lyons traders, and a woman, wife to one of them. Our road to-day has been worfe than any we have yet experienced. From Aiguebelle to St. Jean de Maurienne is one continued afcent and St. jean de defcent. We have pafled feveral dangerous bridges, enne. compofed of nothing but fir-trees thrown acrofs •, very uncertain and loofe, the river running under them with great rapidity. About three weeks fince, one of thefe bridges failed, as the Lyons diligence was pafTing it. None of thepaffengers perifhcd; but the baggage, to the amount of forty thoufand livres, was loft, and all the horfes drowned, before they could be difengaged from their harnefs. Some of the ftone bridges I think little lefs terrifying than thofe of wood ; one in particular near St. Jean de Maurienne, which is more like a fharp ridge of a houfe than a bridge ; and fo narrow, the wall on each fide being alfo extremely lov/, that were the horfes to take fright, you m.uit infallibly be overturned into the river. — I forgot to mention, that we dined at La Chamhre, a moft wretched La Cham* place, and a very bad inn : it is about mid-way '^^"^• D 2 betvveen [ 36 ] between Aiguebelk and St. Jean de ManrienHC. This latter is a pretty, clean-looking little town. Lalande makes mention of this place, as being the fortrefs by which Hannibal marched into Italy, according to feveral writers •, but as authors^ you knc-w^ 6jUn differ., in fuch inveftigations, ethers will have it (and this he fays is the common opinion) that he crofied over the mountain St. Bernard. He (Lalande) gives a long quotation from the Memoirs dii Marechal de Vielkville, defcribing a kind of mafque given by the inhabitants of this town to Henry the Second of France, in i^^'^* This you will fee in torn. i. p. 15. Having already attempted to give you an idea of the bridges in Savoy, which, as you mull have perceived, are not too much to be depended upon (though the prefent time of the year is efteemed the bell and fafeil feafon for this journey), there is- another kind of accident to which thofe who travel this road are alfo fubje^l, that of being crufhed to death by ponderous rocks, many of which feem fuf- pended by one corner only, and jutdng out, hang over the road, threatening to part tlieir hold at every moment. The foil about them is a loofe grey fand, and feems ftrongly incorporated wit'i lead ore. Many of thefe rocks have already fallen down into the road, others into the river : thofe which by their fall had quite interrupted the road, have been blown up by the peafants, fo as to leave fu^^cient room for a carriage to pafs. Several of tliefe new arrivals are nearly cuhicaly and as large as [ 37 ] as moderate cottages. One reddifh rock, in par- ticular, which appeared to be an entire flone, that had rolled to one fide of the road, in form and fize refembles a fmall parifh-church. The great flones which have fallen into the river, by flopping its courfe, have caufed moft rapid calcades, whofe white foam dafliing from rock to rock, is beau- tifully contrafled by the greennefs of the ftream.— This road is particularly dangerous in the fpring, when the rocks are moft fubje6l to fall, from the weight of the Ihow that lies upon them, and the wafhing away of their earth. Further on, and nearer to St. Michael, there is a variety in this mountainous profpedl that is more than romantic. Some of the hills are cleft and torn aiunder, as if by earthquakes, a gloomy dark- ncfs concealing the inmoft receffes of their caverns. Down the fides of others, prodigious cataracts have, in their fall, rooted op aged fir-trees, and thrown them carelefsly acrofs each other : fome of which are aftually growing with their heads down- wards. Near St. Michael, there are mountains whofe fides admic of cultivation, the earth being fupported by low walls, rifing one above the other, till interrupted by the fnow. Vines, and ail forts of grain, flourifh luxuriantly on their funny fides. The earth is brought up in ballcets faftened to the backs of women and children, as the mountain is too fteep for an afs or mule to afcend it. — We could not perceive any petrifaftions or foiUls along Xh\s road, for which we had a careful look-out ; D 3 an4 Miolans, i. (late- priibn. Sunplice des Ra- zoirs. C 38 ] q.nd as our carriage went flovvly on, I think they muft have appeared, had there been any. We pafTed by a caftle fituated upon the top of a very high rock : it is called Miolans^ and ferves as a fiate-prifon. The king of Sardinia fends hither thofe who have committed capital crimes againfl the ftate. Many years paft there vsas a dreadful inftrument of death employed here upon prifoners condemned to die i it was called la fupt ■pike des. razoirs. A calcade, which falls near the caftle, turned a mill-wheel, fct round with razors: %ht condem.ned wretch, being faftened under this wheel, was foon hafhed into a thoufand pieces. Adieu. I do not know when an opportunity will offer to fend you this and the foregoing letter, not having met with any poft fince we lef^ Chamberry. I am, yours, ^ quantities of cryftal found in the grotto ; and that the peafants in the villages made ufe of it for fak- cellars and fmall cups. That it was not always white ; I 48 I white i but even fometimes nearly black. T he^ make no doubt of cryftal being formed from ice ; and account for the flraws inclofed in lumps of it, and the muddy appearance it often makes, to its having been once in a fluid flate. But as the ori- gin of cryflal has been, and ftill is difputed by the learned, who have not as yet agreed upon the matter, I certainly don't mean to give more weight to the Lanebourgian opinion than it may prove itfelf entitled to. The rocks and itones lying on all fides of the road have many of them the appearance of marble^ with beautiful veins, of different colours •, there are alfo large lumps of fpar, which glillen with great brightnefs in the fun. I picked up fome frag- ments that are incorporated with ore. Lalande's account of the natural produflions of ilraved. rough t 6s ] rough and bad. We pafied by the famous Bru-Brunieite, nette, which, although efteemed impregnable by the Piedmontefe, Monf. Richard thinks com- manded by two mountains j but, however, he makes a Ihrewd refie<5tion, and very apropos, namely, " That it v/ould be difficult to bring up, and plant a battery of cannon on thefe mountains:" which no doubt it is utterly impofTible to do. We walked down the defcent which leads to Sufa. As for the Arc of Triumph, which is in a kind of alley leading to the caftle at Sufa, I refer you to Lalande. His obfervation on the bas reliefs, ^c, is extremely juft; but we could not find the in- fcription he mentions. A foldier, upon guard near the place, told u?, a plate of bronze had been conveyed away (upon which it, probably, had been engraved) feme months before to Turing and he (hewed a hollow in one of the pillars, which appeared to have held a plate of metal. The town of Sufa is not confiderable. From thence to Turin*, the road winds mod pleafantly through a valley, with well drefled fields on either fide. In the corn fields, are planted mulberry-trees, in rows, at a fufficient diftance not to injure the corn. We lay at a wretched village, called Bujfolia^ Buflblia. on ftraw-beds, covering four planks, and thefe fupported upon ftone props, fimilar to what are nfed in England for corn ftacks. I find the pre- *'From Sufa to Turin are a few fmall croffes, to mark the places where afTaffinations have been commicted. I think I did not perceive more than three or four of them, and thefe have been up fotne years. caution [ 64 1 Caution of carrying cur own flieets with us highly neceflary. Next day, we dined at a village called Sl Ambrofe. From the inn, which is tolerably good, the abbey of 6"/. Michael de la Clufe hangs upon the brow of a very high mountain -, and as it is for the mofl part in ruins, forms a fine point St. Am- of view. Bv the road fide, and near St. Amhrofey ^;^^'^, ftands a fmall church, built in the Gothic tafte, church. of brick ; the mouldings and pillars, which are all of terra cotta, are very well executed. Certain friezes formed by vine branches, leaves, and their fruit, are particularly well fculptured, and of the RivoH. fame materials. We paJTed through Rivoli, where Royal on a fharp rifing ftands the Royal Caftle j here '^ ^' the prcfent king's father ended his days. Should I happen to be informed of any thing particularly curious, in regard to this Prince and his imprifon- ment, during our iiay here (more than what is mentioned by Richard and Lalandc), it Ihall cer- tainly make a part of fome future letter. For the three leagues from Rivoli to Turin, the road is planted on each fide with double rows of moft beautiful elms ; it is extremely broad, lite- rally ftraight, and forms one of the fineft avenues (I fuppofe) in all Europe. The beautiful fields on each fide, which are for the moft part water meadows, are kept in as neat a ftate as it is pofii- ble for the utmoft care and attention to bring them to. Near the gate of the town, we faw the prince of Piedmont, who had alighted from his coach to walk J his fuiie confifted of feven or eight pages only [ 6s ] only. He is a tall, thin, genteel looking young man, and of an agreeable countenance. The entrance into Turin is noble ; the gate is TurJR, of a folid, but magnificent archite6lure. The for- tifications are in perfedl repair, as iVI particu- larly obferved -, for as you know thefe matters are not quite within my province, all I can affirm is, the wall appeared to be ftrong and thick, the ditch very broad, and that there were feveral centinels, well-drefTed, parading backwards and forwards. The town feems to be extremely populous. I fhall fay more about it in my next letter. Al- though this is grown to a moft unconfcionable length, yet as I promifed you fome anecdotes relative to the l^on Pere Nicolas.^ of the plain of Ment Cennis, I fhall infert them here, and if pof- fible crowd them into the cover. Pere Nicolas's fandity of life, his charitable and pere Ni- moral difpofition, at length reached the ears of his ^°'^^' fovereign, who fent for him to court. The King took fuch a liking to him. that, upon his entreaty, he granted a perpetual exemption to the Lane- bourgians from the quartering of troops, and from furnifhing either men or money for the miiicei even in time of war. So little did Pere Nicolas confult his own interefts, that he never aflced any thing for himfelf ; and although he goes to court from time to time, and is always e: ] Other formal figures, which were never to be found in Nature, to beautiful lav/ns, hollow flopes, wild clumps of trees, natural cafcades, irregular walks, planted with the mod beautiful flowering Ihrubs, and of which every garden in England has fome- thing. Even the Palace has much the air of French pahce. architcdure, flat and bald : compofed of brick and ftone. The entrance is through a Ipacious gate- Vv'ay, into a fquare court, furrounded by a piazza^ through which you enter the palace by the great ftair-cafe, at the foot of which, in a recels, (lands aa equeftrian ftatue of Viclor Amadeus the Firft. The hcrfe is of white marble, very heavy and ill executed. Vi6lor is in bronze, and but little bet- ter in point of fculpture than hishorfe. The archi- tefture of this ftair-cafe is not beautiful, nor is it kept clean ; the odious cuftom of making ufe of the corners of the landing-places, which you "have heard is a practice in Italy, commences here already •, where the ilench occafioned by the ftag- nation mixed with the fmoke of the lamps, which is never cleaned off' the walls, makes the entrance of the houfes very difgufting, — Lalande pays a jufl: tribute, torn. i. p, 89, to the patience and po- litenefs of Monf k Comte de Grcjfo Cavallo^ who frequently condu6ts ftrangers about the palace, from whom we have received many civilities, that I fl-sall liave occafion to mention hereafter. — I have heard the King has been prefent incognito^ whilft ftrangers have been viewing the apartments ; but F 4 I believe [ 72 ] 1 believe it very rarely happens. They are nobly furnifhed ; no expence fpared ; a profufion of glafTes, gilding, rich Lyons' filks and velvets, cover the walls. The floors are beautifully inlaid with woods of different {hades, and kept, as are the whole of the apartments and furniture, delicately clean. The frames of the looking gflafes of thefconces are all of wrought plate, as are the arms that hold ths candles, and the fhapes of the pier glafles ; large mafiive tables of filver ftand under each glafs, all wrought in bas reliefs, and the workmanfliip for the rnoft part finely executed. The luftres that hang from the cieling are of rock cryftal. I mea- fured one of the ornaments which was within my reach (for thefe lullres hang too low), it was fliaped like a pear; was it fquared, it would mea- fure a cube of five inches ; but they have, by their fcolloping and crinkling, fpoiled the rock cryft^ as much as pofTible, The curtains to the doors have a fine effefl ; for when all the doors * which lead through thefe mag- nificent /kzV^'J of rooms are open, thefe curtains are lied back, and by the manner of their being drawn up,, their folds form beautiful arcades. They con- fift of exceeding rich flowered filks of Lyons, of a * Thefi doors open in the middle, and folding inward are received into gicoves made in the thicknefs of the wall ; the pannels are carved and gilt, and when the apartments are open, no door is to be feen ; but as yon pafs through the door- caTe, the ornaments of the doors, »vhich cover the fides of the ihitknefs of ihe wall, are very lUiking. beautiful [ 73 ] beautiful pattern, reprefenting large fruits and leaves : there is a canopy of the fame, which pro- jeds about eight inches over each door, and liniihes in a moft graceful fweep. Thefe doors all an- fwering to each other, form a perfpcdive which I think has a moft beautiful effed. As thefe fuites of rooms form a rectangle, you look up from the fame point two extenfive viftas, which being ter- minated by looking-ghilcs, feem to have no end. Silk is the furniture of the fummer; that of the winter apartment is of crimfon velvet. — As the walls are extremely thick, the windows have a noble air from the infide, the wall doping off from them, and the tops arched in cove fafnion, are in- cruftcd with looking-glafles fet in gilt foliage, which by their reflediions produce a brilliant effedl. Sculpture and gilding abound in every room ; all the mouldings, architraves, and every morfel of wainfcoting,, is highly ornamented. But what is wonderfully ibocking in the midft of all this profufion of finery, is that the panes of the windows are fet in lead, in the fame manner with the cafements of our English cottages. The cielings are painted, but none of them in a capital ftile ; the beft is that of the audience chamber, but even this has a certain bloom of colouring which is too gaudy. Ihe reprefentation is allegorical, the groups much confufed, and the whole unpleaf- ing ; the cornice loaded, and compofcd of too many mouldings ^c. I (haH [ 74 3 ' I fliall not pretend to give you a regular cata- logue of the pidures and curiofities contained iii this palace, I fhall only mention thole that pleafed us moft. The palace contains ^^ chambers, of ■which 40 are completely ftirniflied. The King's gallery is decorated in an excellent tafle, except the cieling (by Daniel de Senterre)., which has not much merit. The pictures are all hung upon black pannels ; I fuppoie they irna- ■gined it would let them oft, but 1 do not think it has a good effefl. The following are the moH to our tafte : r,-ri A boy carefTinp; a dop;, by Cimiani. This is fo Pictures. •' , . well done, and lb natural, that the longer it is looked at, the more beauties it difcovers. — A full length portrait of King Charles I. by Miers, a fcholar of Vandyke's. The perfpedlive of the background is much admired, though iris charged with the following faults :, the point of view is placed too h':gh, the pillars are too much crowded, and the row of columns commence too near the fore e;round, on which the Kino- Hands. The co- louring is black, and the aerian perfpedive ill ob- ferved •, the King's figure ilicks clcfe to the archi- tefture, for want of proper judgment in the demi- teints, if not owing to a failing in the linear per- fpeflive. The face is admirably done. The » figure is differ than it othervvife would have been, perhaps from tlie too great attention of the painter to the buttons, lace, ^c. and too ftrid a reprefen- ' • - ration [" 75. I tation of the mmtti^ of the ornamental drefs of- thofe days. — A Venus, Cupid, and doves, in high prefervation, by Carlo Cigniani. — Prince Thomas on horieback, by Vandyke, as large as life. A very good portrait -, the horfe v/ell done, his mane incomparable; and the whole together in a great and fnafterly ftyle. — i\nother of the fame mafter, reprefenting the three children of our Charles the Firll ; admirable, both as to the colouring, dra- pery, and correftnefs of the drawing •, all the graces that belong to children, are here blended in the moft charming countenances, which exprefs at the fame time, dignity vvithout pride, and foftnefs without languor. There is alfo a fpaniel in this picture, fo natural, that it would almoft deceive in a proper point of view. — The portrait of this painter, by him.feif ; a truth and force of colour- ing- that m.uft ftrike the moft ig^norant foedlator. — An Evangelill Vv'riting, an Angel dilating ; the a::ention and awe, mixt v^ith a holy dread, ftrongly exprelTed in the countenance of the Saint, is beau- tifully contrafted by the benignity and candour in the celeftial face of the holy meffenger. I have forgot the name of the author of this pi6lure. — A pidure reprefenting the daughter of Sir Thomas More, his head juft feparated froni the body, and lying on a table •, file is fainted away, her palenefs is moft natural, and there is great expreiTjon in one of her hands, which is a little elevated from the dead head, as if ihe had Ihrunk it back with hor- ror at the touch : this is by Conrado of Milan. — In [ 76 ] In the room after the gallery are two good pieces of perfpeflive, as feen from an angle ; one repre- fents part of the iniide of St. Peter's at Rome, the other of Sl jobn de Lateran. There is aifo a land- fcape with four oxen in it, well done. Although the above three pictures are not by celebrate.d raafters, they are by no means contemptible. — The portrait of Porbus, by himfelf ; he is meafuring the extent of his fkuU with a pair of compafles ; although it is not ill executed, yet the ungraceful- nefs of the attitude, and the uncouthnefs of the fubje<5t:, prevent this pidure from pleafing. — A portait of Rembrandt, by himfelf, and a fmall piflure of an old man, whofe head and hands arc admirable, particularly the truth of anatomy in the latter -, the drapery and back ground are fo dark as to be totally indiftind. — In another room, which goes by the name of Solimene's, are four pi6tures by that mailer; the beft reprefents the Queen of Sheba prefenting her gifts to Solomon. By his never finilTiing any of his pi6lures, there is often a great failing in his clair ohfciire^ which is frequently falfe. Covetoufnefs v/as the caufe of this fmgalarity -, for he could finifh a piece confilling of thirty figures in fix days*, and his piilures fold off quick, as there is always to be found in them a truth of drawing, and great knowledge in the art of grouping his figures without confulion ; but at * His firft flroke was alfo his la?, for he never retouched tbcm . firH [ 77 ] firft fight his piAures appear all fpottcd T;ith mould i the prevailing colours being a black and a bluilh grey, with fpecks of white. — In a cabinet, a ! Salutation by Rembrandt-, the St. Elizabeth is full of merit. — In another, belonging to the fummer apartment, are the portraits of Martin Luther and his wife, by Holbein. I do not doubt their being ftrong likenefies -, they are a homely, good couple, and the want of fliade in their faces does not ren- der them more pleafing. Notwithftanding this peculiarity in all Holbein's paintings, they are efteemed confiderably in Italy, as Monfieur Groflb Cavallo alTured us were all the works of our old Englifli painters; if that is true, I believe it is ov/ing more to their politenefs than to their fincerity. The Q^ieen's gallery, which is 30 feet wide, and 270 long, is to be lined with marble; this is al- ready begun, and meant to be completed with thQ marble of this country, excepting one narrow moulding round the pannels, which is of that of Verona. It will be extremely fine when finifhed. Amongft the variety of coloured marbles, an ala- baiter coffee colour and white, and a green, are of extraordinary beauty. Here are fome paintings of great merit. A prodigal fon by Guercino. This picture is a proof of the cxprefiion a human figureis capable of conveying, without the aid of the coun- tenance i for the face of the prodigal fon is not feen : he is reprefented in a kneeling pofture, his back turned to the fpedators, but every feeling of his mind is fliewn in the mufcles of his back, legs, and the [ ;§ I the folesof his feet; fhame, regret, and repentancej are as llrongly exprelTed as they could have been in his face. The colouring; is vio-orous, the draw- ing bold, and the dair obfcure well preferved and ftrongiy oppofed. — Two very large pidures of Paul Veronefe. One of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who" is very ugly indeed: this pifture is full of faults and abfurdities. The other is the finding of Mofes by Pharaoh's daughter. It is re- markable chat Paul Veronefe has introduced him- felf amongft the attendants of the princefs, and is one of the moil alert to prefer ve the little Mofes, ■whom he is extricating from am:ngfl; the bul- rufhes. Pharaoh's daughter is too finely dreffcd. The beauty of the filks and embroidery of Paul Veronefe can never be too much admired. It is fingular, that fo good a painter fliould invariably fall into the fame abfurdity, of draping the ladies of antiquity in the moft modern dreffes and orna- ments of his own day. — A David by Guido ; there is one alfo at the Luxemburg, and another at Ge- noa. Monfieur GrofTo Cavallo thinks that all the three were done by Guldo's fcholars, and after- wards touched by himfelf. The figure is ftrik- ing, and there is all the grace of Guido in the air of the head. — A holy family alfo by Guido ; the Virgin's attitude too much {trained, and falfe in the drawing; the little Jefus finely done. — Rape of the Sabines, by Jacopo EaiTano : fome of the women's heads have great exprefllon, and their faces are handfome. — its pendant, by the fame mailer ; [ 79 ] maflerj the fubjecSb, a woman whipping a Cupid out of a tinker's (hop. Here BafTano had an op- portunity of rcprefenting all forts of brais and copper kitchen utenfiis, in which he excels. — A St, Stbadian fliot to death with arrov/s, by Cig- niani -, a faultlefs picture, but the fubjecl too fiiocking to think of or dwell upon.— Alfo a Saint Andrew crucified, by Efpagnolet. This great mafter has here difplayed all that manner and vi- ^£;»'/r of cciouring for which he is fo juftly famous. — The Queen's cabinet de toilette^ which is a cube of 30 feer, is entirely wainfcotted with japan : either it never was fine of the fort, or elfe it is fpoiled, for the varnifh is faulty, and the graia coarfe. There is ajar of old japan, which is the fined piece of the kind I ever faw. In another cabinet are twelve jars of japan china, black and gold of exquifite beauty, and of great value ; pre- fented by the King of Portugal to the King of Sardinia. In the Queen's bed-chamber are two very tall filver ewers, I fhould think about three feet high, finely wrought in bas relief; the handles are formed by two lions, who bending their bodies, from near the top, ftretch out their tongues to- drink out of the ewer; they are extremely well ex- ecuted. This room is hung with crimfon-velvet, and laced with gold : the bed the fame. — In a fmall chamber of audience, ftands a clock of very curious workmanfliip; it is of gold, and reprefents a Chinefe temple. From my recoUedion it m.ay be about fixteen inches high : it Hands on a table. ' . - X "' Afi^all [ So 1 A fmall cabinet which leads to one frill lefs 5 covered with curious woods inlaid, ivory and mo- ther of pearl : the latter is engraved, but indif- ferently done. Here are fome fhelves of books; my curiofiry urged me to open two or three, amongft which I found the Female Speflator tranflated from the Englilh ; a book entitled A Monitor for Sovereigns^ doubled down and marked in feveral places. On one fide is a little oratoire, with a fine pi6lure of a Madona by Carlo Maratti. — ■! believe I did not mention the four elements by Albani, which are in the King's bed chamber ; they are perfe£i in colouring and defign. This mailer's works always pleafe. — In another chamber is an Annunciation, very large, by Gentilefchi. The virgin is more natural than beautiful; the modefty and confufion of an exceeding young perfon is the charafleriftic of her figure ; the angel is kneeling to her: the colouring is gay and frefli looking; and, upon the whole, makes a very good pi6lure. — Oppofite is a St. Fran^oife by Guercino, who has made as much of his fubie(5l as it admits of. The furbafe of the fame room is prettily painted, by a Piedmontoife artift, after the Flemifh manner. 1'he angles of the coved cieling are formed by four great fhells of fingular beauty. — In a fmall cabinet are four chiidrcns heads by Scudoni ; they are freely touched, rather than finiflied. — A virgin and a little Jefus by Pietro Perugino, Rafiaello's mailer. All the remains of this painter are more curious than perfed ; he had but one niar.ner, and 7 that [ 8i ] that fo ftiff and To flat that his pidures can never be miftaken for thofe of another : his women are always red-haired; their drapery commonly without folds, and generally black, or very o ark- coloured ; the face broad, fair, infipid, and for the molt part viewed in front -, the teint of the ficin a li2;ht vermilion. Ke wanted a fufficient know- ledge in painting to give thole beautiful demiteints that are conftantly found in nature, and that the great Raphael fo well underflood, and fo amazingly imitated — A weeping Magdalene, very homely, by Rubens. — In a cabinet, highly ornamented with glafs, and beautiful gilt foliage, are a vaft num- ber of miniatures ; all portraits Thefe pidlures are difperfed in fuch a manner, amongft the glafs and foliage, as to have a fingular and very pretty efFe(5t. They are incomparably well executed, on ivory ; none hatched, all dotted, and bear the teft of the higheft magnifying glafs. They are painted by one man, named Carameli, a Monk-, his own pifture is amongft them. Infiead of ufing a ca- mel's hair pencil, which is (I believe) univerfal in miniature painting, this man dotted all his pid:ures with the feathers plucked from woodcocks' wings*; and inftead of iinifhino; as he went on, he beo-an them nearly at the fame time, and worked at each every day, till they were all complered. Amongft I owe this piece of intelligence, which I intend to try, to the Marquis de Barbian, one of the genrlemen oftiie charriber. H<; fays, no hair-pencil can be brought to the point that thefe feathers have naturally. Carmeli took thirty yeari to finifii ihem ; and had never learat. Vol. I. G many [ 82 ] many remarkable portraits, that of Sir Thomas More is much admired. — The Galerie de Guerre contains many battle-pieces, reprefenting viftories gained by the late, the prefent King, and Prince Eugene ; in which, as you may fuppofe, the French are every where worlled •, running away in mod places, and in others begging their livTs on their knees. All round this gallery, forming a row juft above the fuibafc, is a fine colleftion of Flemifli pictures by the bcfl: mailers ; fuch as Te- niers, Wcvermans, Brughels *, and others vv^hofe names I have forgot. There is one little Berg- hem, which is excellent, reprefenting a landfcape with the fun letting ; and a very fmall one by Calf, of a cirron peeled : two fmall Peter-nefs : a woman with a flower-pet and a cage, by Gerard Douw. The high finifhing and neatnefs of this mailer is wonderful. — Two portraits on copper, the mafter forgot. One rcprefcnts a man, the other a woman, and feem to be brother and filler ^ they are remarkably well done, in their proper drefles; the point rutt'of the lady, her auburn hair, and a fillet of pearls, appear To natural, that one- can fcarce forbear touching them, to be convinced they are not real"!-. — In other rooms I remarked tv/o admirable flower pieces by Vanhufen; a Scalken, reprefenting a Pv-Iagdaiene by candle- * This mafler's peculiariry cf colouring refanbles often, in refpecl of his blue and green, the paintings on old china, t Al! the Flt-mifii pddures were added to this colledlion by Prince Euger.e. lighti [ 83 ] light; not inferior to one I favv of the fame mafler at Windibr-caftle ; and, as well as I can recolk^l, may be a duplicate of that piclure. But of all the Flemifii piftures mofli. adnnired in this colledlion, one by Gerard Douw, called la Hydrcpiquc, has jufily the preference-, as it combines in it every perfe<5lion of the Flemifii fchooi. This pi6ture appears withoutfide like a cupboard ; it is fnut in by two doors, on which is painted by Gerard Douw, an ewer and a napkin. When thefe doors are opened, the piAure appears with more eclat from having been concealed. It reprefents the in- fideofaroom; the clair obfcure has a beautiful eiTecc ; the room is lighted by an ox-eye placed over a window, and by the light proceeding from a nre in the chimney, v/hich is admirably thrown on the furniture and other objedls. The principal figure appears to be a phyfician, who is Handing on tp.e fore-ground, and holds up a phial to the light, which he looks at very attentively ; he is drefied in a prodigious fine lilac-coloured fattin night-gown-, tbiC dropfical woman is very fine alfo, in white fattin ; her daughter's drefs is not neglected ; fhe is on her knees near her mother, and holds one of her hands in her's. There is great tcndernefs ex- prefkd in the countenance of the daughter j and her attitude is eafy and natur^^ : the mother ap- pears to be in the lad Ilage of iilnefs. A waiting- maid, who is adminidering a potion to the fick lady, has a llupid indifference in her manner, that forms a good contraft to the filial piety and tender G 2 atten-tion [ 84 ] attention of the daughter. This pidure may be faid to be too highly finifhed ; the fattin, lace, em- broidery, &c. done too well: which caufes a hard- nels of out-line in many places, augmented by an extraordinary attention to the finifhing feveral pieces of furniture in the room. In fhort, there are many fketches, by Italian mailers, I fhould prefer to this, had I my choice : it really is, upon the whole, rather a curious, than a capital pifture. One wonders more at the extreme patience and laborious difpofition of the painter, than at the fuperlative merit of the piece. — There are fo many fmall cabinets, or clofets, that I had forgot two of them -, one is painted in compartments, by Charles Vanloo ; the fubjefts taken from Taflb's Jerufa- lem Delivered, and are all well done -, the colour- ing tender and gay. The other cabinet is entirely of looking-glafs, cieling and fides, which are highly ornamented and gilt. — There are two fmall rooms which are kept locked by the King's order. Monficur Groflb Cavallo is alone entrufted with the keys ; and very great is the difficulty of gain- inc^ the entrance of thefe myflerious repofitories : decency is the pretext : a fight of thefe pictures (as fuppofed by the King) may be of dangerous confequence to young people. If he locked them up from the Princes and Princefles only, the man- ner of their being brought up is fo particular in fome refpeds, that I fliould think he had reafon. He does not willingly permit the Duke of* Savoy * Now King of Sardinia. to [ 85 J to fee an opera, although now near forty years old, left it fhould corrupt him. The Kings of Sardinia have been exceedingly odd in their old age. "When young, they are flrongly addifted to libertinifm and debauchery ; when old, always devots^ torment- ing their families and court with eijqueiie, and the moft ridiculous pruderies.— But to return to the contents of thefe dangerous cabinets. One con- tains nothing but the chafteft reprefentations ; fuch as a Saint Jerome of Michael Angelo, much blackened by time, otl>erwife worthy of that great mafter. A holy family and a Saint Jerome in the fame picture : the little Jefus is capital •, a moft amiable fmile, and a moft angelic exprcfllon in the countenance. This pi6ture is by Bahazar Pcroufi^ ou de Siena* Two original portraits ; one of Pe- trarch, the other of his beloved Laura *, by Bron- gino, * Pafling through Avignon in Auguft 1771, they fhewed us in one of their churches a tomb which is allowed to have been that of Laura. In the coffin which it contained, was found, about 30 years (ince, a roll of parchment, inclofed in a fmall Jeaden box, with th« following copy of verfes, in Petrarch's own hand, from which I have tranfcribed them: Qui ripofan qui cafti, e felici ofTa Di quelr alma gentile, efola interra, Afpro, e dur faflb hor ben teco hai fotterra El vero' honor, la fama, ebelta Scofla; Wortc ha del verde Lauro fvelta, e ScolTa Frefca radice, e il premio di mia guerra Di quattro lufiiri e piu, fe ancor non erra Miopenfier trifto, et il Chiude in poca fofla; Felice Plantain Borgo de Avignone Is'acque, e raori, equi con elia giace G % La [ 86 ] gino, a famous painter of that day. Her fort of beauty would never have captivated me, had I been Petrarch •, firft, her hair is red, her eye-brows extremely narrow and exaft, forming a fiat arch ; her eyes fmall, her nofe a littler hooked, and rifmg too high in the middle, her mouth not very fmall, and lips like two fcarlet threads, a very faint co- lour in the cheeks, the contour of the face more fquare than oval, her countenance more demure than engaging •, her head is covered with a kind of caul which fits clofe, and is of gold net, with pearls and precious (lones faftened on in lozenges i this caul confines her hair, excepting a border or roil which is left all round clofe to her face. Her gown, which I imagine was intended to imitate embroidery of that day, looks now like a piece of an old Turkey-carpet; it is without plaits. Two rows of large pearls, intermixed with rubies and emeralds, hang loofe about her neck. I give you this detail of herdrefs, as it was probably thefafhion of her day, and I fuppofe was efteemed extremely becoming. As for Petrarch, he is exceedingly ugly La pennn, el Hi], rinchicflro, e lareglone; O delicad nicmbri, o viva face! Che ancor me cucci, e ilruggi ; in ginnocchione Ciafcun preghi il fignor le accept! in pace, O S C X o. Mortabellczza indarno fi fofpira; Lc alma beata in ciel vivra in eterno ; Pianga il prefcinc, e il futur fecol privi p'uaa ul Luce, ed io digii occhi e il Tempo. 8 indeed^ [ 8/- ] indeed, but has a very (cnfible black and yellow face. ' — A Virgin, an Infant Jefus, and a St. John, an angel defccnding with a great quantity of flowers j the little Jefus grafps at a white rofe. Here is a fine glow of colouring and frefiin^fs, as if lately {inilhed, although by Dionyfius Caloari, Guide's firftmafter; its date ip^nq. it hangs in its orig-innl frame of filver, clumfily wrought. — A Holy Family, and a St. Jerome in the fame piece, by Andrea del Sarto, The colouring of this antique painter is very re- markable ', he was fatisfied with fpreading over ail the fie(h a foft carnation; but nevtr introduced, in his fliadovving, the tcints of violet, yellow, nor even pea -green, which has {o fine an cffed in the complexion cf young and fair pcrfons. The eyes of all his figures are black, like a fpot made with charcoal ; nor is there in any of thein, the white fpeck, fo neceffary and now fo univerfal even in the woril pidurcs of the v^otil: mailers. Never- thelefs the works ot this mafter have a peculiar foftnefs, and fo much eafe and gracefulnefs, that they are univerfaliy admired, and his faults forgot. — A pidure, mentioned by Lalande thus : '* Parmi les tableaux qui dohent le -plus exciter la ctirirfit: des conncijjeurs^ it y a un Prctre conftjlant une bonne 'femme^ ^ un Pcnilcnie qui attend^ is'e. Cn ait q^iCil eft de I'Efpagnolet.''' Fardonnez moi, Monfieur, cn ne dit pas tdle chcfe a 'Imin. This pidlure is by no mxans in high edimation, nor does ic m.erit fo to be. It is cold and infipid ; even its hibjecl does. not prevent its being totally unintereiling. A G 4 grotefque [ 88 ] grotefqiie painter might have made a fatyrical re*- prerentation of the above groupe ; but Efpagnolet had no turn that way ; and probably, had he been abfurd enough to have attempted to turn into ridicule any part of their religion, he would have been in that day thrufl into the inquifition tor his wit, and his picture burnt by the hands of the executioner. I do not know where Monl. La- iande difcovered that it was fuppofed to have been painted by Efpagnolet. Monf. GrolTo Cavallo, upon my inquiring particularly for this pi6ture (from the account given of it by Lalande) (hewed fome furpri c ; for till then he had been fo obliging as to exprcfs himfelf in terms the moft fluttering to m-, upon the juftnefs of my obfervations, ^^r, on n-!oft ol the pictures j but I was too vain of the good opinion of Groflb Cavallo, to let him remain in an error; and upon my producing my authority, he fmiied, ilirugged his fhoulders, and faid. That Monf, de Lalande pafled but a very few days at Turin ; that he had but flightly run over the pictures in the palace \ and that it was fufRcient for an Italian to diflike a pifture, to give it per- fe6lion in the eyes of a Frenchman ; adding, il faut laijfie caujee & jasee les MeJJieurs jpranfois.^ I fear your modefty begins to be alarmed, as I am now arrived at the indecent colledion. The firft objeciis that ftrike one's eye on entering, are our firft parents, in their birth-day fuits. As Adam and Eve were not born, I Ihould have faid (with njore propriety) in puris naturalibus. Very indif- ferently [ ^ ] ferently done. — One of Ovid's metamorphofes, reprefenting Selmacis and Hermaphroditus. Poorly executed; their limbs appear lame, from the ill prcfervacion of their proportions. Three Venufes, byGuido. The largeft juUfprung from the fea •, the other two in fupine poftures. They are as large as Jife. One is finely done ; the face, neck, snd fhoulders, perfectly beautiful : the reft of their perfons, we may fuppofe, were as full of merit as might be expected, being the production of fo great a mafter ; but that is left to the imagination, the good old King having caufcd all thefe goddefles to be cut in two, and from the breaft downward burnt, by his order. — A fketch in little, by Cor- reggio, from his large picture of lo. Perfedt of its kind, and univerfally admired by all connoif- feurs, excepting Monf. Lalande, who believes it a bad copy. — A Cleopatra, by Guido, large as life, applying the afp to her bofom. Much faded •, but tthe air of the head perfectly graceful. — A Diana and A6teon, author unknown. The figure of the goddefs is noble, and beautiful in every refped:, both as to the truth of the anatomy, and thejuft- nefs of the colouring -, the bubbles and circles formed by the water are furprifingly well imitated; 'Jier foot and part of her leg appears through the bath, and is finely done ; her face betrays a tumult of different pafllons ; her dignity offended, her in- dignation and rage, gathered into a florm, feem ready to burft on the too prefumptuous Afleon, who is fwimming towards her with all his might. 5 — A Venus [ 90 J A Venus and a fiiepherd, in little^ by Wandcrwerf. This pi6lure might pafs for a Diana and Endymion. The fliepherd is reclined in a fleeping pofture j the Venus moil exquifitcly finiihed, her counte- nance, her attitude, and her colouring are charming; her face and figure animated only by the fofteft paffions. She feems to approach (with the n^.oit tender anxiety J the (hepherd, vvhofe doubtful repofe is finely exprefled. This delicate colouring, and exceffive high finifh, is to be met with in no painter of his country to the fame degree, as in Wanckr- werf. His painting is fmooth as ivory, and is not varniflied. His dark Ihadows have been objefted to ; but they give a foftnefs that no pidure which is highly finifned with a very llrong oppofition of clair cbfcure can never attain.— A Medea ga- thering fimples by night. 1 his piflure plcafed me much, but, by fome miiftake in my notes. I am doubtful of the painter's name. — A portrait of a Lady, by Titian ; and of a man who is offering her a chain of gold, it is but indifferently done, though afierted to be the v/ork of fuch a mafter. It wants charader, precifion, and fails even in co- louring. — Three Graces \ much fpoiled by damp, or accident, — Six paintings, or rather fl ] itouch of Raphael in thefe paintings. However, /^ Compte de Grojfo Cavdlo looks upon them as of ineftimable value; he fays, they were found amongft rubbifh in the Vatican, and prt-fers them to any pidures in the palace.—Thrje fine Etrufcan vi:-fes, of delicate texture, with human figures, in two co- lours. — Two Mofaic pictures-, one reprefcnts Mo- fes. This manner of painting is wonderiully curious; it is a compofiticn of coloured glafs. You fiy, you know that already; but as this ilyle of painting is peculiar to Rome, it is reafonable to forbear giving m.y opinion of it unci! I ll.all have reached thiat famous city, vvhen i may be able to form a better judgment of u perhaps, and be Itfs iiable to fpeak of what I do not underftand. The Theatre, the chapel of the St. Suaire, ^c. I mufl defer mentioning to another opportunity. Mean time, I hope you are not tired by this long letter ; but why this to you. * * » I am, <£c. P, S. Hurried as I am, \ niufi add, that I think there is too much gilding and carving in this pa- lace ; which abounds fo much in every apartment, that the eye is fatig-ued with ^audinefs. It is re- markable, that in this collcchon of pictures, there is no Raphael, except thole defaced (ketches I m;:ntioned •, but one Titian, ar.d that not a good one; a fmgle portrait by Michael A.ngelo ; one Scalken ; and not one of Salvauor Rofa, nor Cor- ree:2;io. LET- [ 92 ] L E T T E R X. Turin, Odl. zoth. S I find you doat upon long letters, I am determined not to fpare you, but fhall en- deavour to crowd into this all I have to fay on the fubjeft of Turin and its environs. In my laft, I had fcarce gone through the palace, not having made mention of the Library nor the Theatre i the former is faid to contain curious manufcripts, but we could not fee them, an excufe being made, that fome perfon vs^as out of the way who had them in charge. Plans of all the battles of prince Eugene are preferved here. There is little elfe remarkable in this apartment. They fhew a moveable ftaircafe, which is neatly finifhed, but is very common in all confiderable libraries in England. Tfceatrc. As to the Theatre it is flrikingly magnificent, and fo far fuperior to any theatre I ever faw be- fore, that at firft fight I could not believe it ad- mitted of criticifm. Notwithflanding which, I am at prefent convinced of the juftncfs of Cochin's obfervations, which are fo clear as to render every reader a competent judge of its proportions, tsff. if endued with the fmalleft degree of tafte, or the moft fuperficial knowledge in architefture. I could wiih, with all my heart, to fee a theatre at London [ 93 ] [London but half as wel! built ; and would will- ingly compound for all the faults Cochin has juftly [difcovered. The form is that of an egg cut acrofs. There are fix rows of boxes ; narrow in- fdeed in front, but very convenient within •, and I hold eight perfons with eafe*. The King's box is in the fecond row, fronting the ftage ; it is ^o feet wide, Paris meafure ; and the back part, co- vered with looking-glafs, rcfiefts the ftage in fuch a manner, that thofe wiio happen to have their backs turned to the a6lors, either converfmg, or at play, may fee the performance in the glafies. Thefe glafies form a partition, which can be moved whenever they choofe to enlarge the box, there being a room behind. The very great breadth of the ftage produces a moft noble effect. The profcemum meafures forty five Paris feet [diis meafurement I took from Cochin], he does not give the extent of the ftage behind the coiilijjes -, the depth of the ftage 105, beyond which they can add a paved court of 24 feet f . A gentle rifing is contrived at the fides. By which may be in- troduced triumphal cars, for great procefI]ons, * The Italians play at cards, receive vifits, and take all forts of refreOimentsin their boxes j they refemble little rooms, rather than boxes at a theatre. There are no benches, but v.'hat is much tnorecocvenient, chairs, which are mcved about XI pleafure. •f M meafured it, and found it thus according to Erg- Ii(h meafure; ftage go fee: broad, includifg 36 feet behind the (9kl\nes, and 126 deep. horfes, C 9+ ] horfcs, (f^c. They can alfo throw a drav/^bridgCr acrols when the fcene requires it, and have a con- trivance for letting in water, fo as to prefentajfj^ d'eaii of ^o feet high. Sixty horfes at a time have bten brought upon the ftagc, and have manceu-^ vred with cafe in reprefentations of battle : the orcheftra is fo cuiiouOy conftruded, as, by having a place left underneath, which is concave and femicircular, to augment the found of the inftru- nients very confiderably. 1 am forry that, as it is not carnival t.m?, we have no chance of being . prefent at an opjra, there being none performed in this theatre but at that feafon, when they re- prefent the ferious opera, 1 he only theatre now open is that of Carignan, which, though called Imail here, is, I alTijre you, by no means defpi- cablc. Here they give none but operas houjfon at this time of the year-, I fhall have occafion to fay more upon this fubjrCt before I quit Turin. Falnce of That part of the palace * of the duke of Savoy ^/p;^^j;_'^'^ which is mcdern, is fronted, in the moil orna- monc. mental manner, by Philip Juv,ira (the rcfi being old) \ and is in the beft ftde of archittCture of any building at Turin. The Corinthian pillars, with their entabLuure, terminated by a fine balluftrade, upon v;hich are placed ftatueSj vafes, ^c. mnke a lUiklng appearance. But the flair cafe is admired here to fuch a degree, that they affcrt it to be the * Tnis pslarc -s now called tna: of the Prince oF P cdmont, as he occ'jpies it at preient ; ior ihe duke of Savoy has apart- ments in uie King's palace. lira [ 95 ] firfl: in the world •, it is double, and unites at top, from whence you enter the grand {^Uoon. Cochin's remark thereupon feems well founded, *' Cc'/ efcalier eji en general fort heau^ quoiqiie Von trouve que la cage qui Venferrne^ foit trap etroit pour fa longeur, il y a des details fort ingenicufement dc- cores, & d\jutre de mauvais goilt, ^ d'une archi- tenure trcp tourmentee, i^c. The apartments are well furnifned, and would appear much more grand and confiderable than they do, was it not for the flair- cafe; the noble appearance of which indicates your finding a more magnificent and ex- tcnfivc fuite of rooms. — Another great palace grows on to that of the King's, which is called. The Academy. The Manege is very large, and finely vaulted •, the apartments neat, and fit for the purpoles for which they are defigned. — I be- lieve I did not mention to you. the gallery in the King's palace, where the archives are kept. Thefe are arranged with fuch method, that, although they are extremely voluminous, the King can, at a moment, turn to the population, extent, and produdions of the fmalleft fubdivifion of his here- ditary dominions, or of thofe acquired by him at the conclufion of the war in 1744, commonly called, Les pa'is conqnis ; their prefent and pad: revenue, at or for any given period wirhin the two lait centuries, by the day, week, or year-, their capability of bearing a further increale of taxes, in cafes of recefTity ; their value, and cafual increafe, or decreafe, in different branches of [ 96 ] of mannfaflnres, as well as the number of militia, and of recruits, which each can furnifh upon any emergency. Table The T'able Ifiaque is one of the moft celebrated Ifiaque. £gyp^-j^j^ antiques in all Italy. This Qab or table is of copper ; it is covered all over with hierogly- phics. The principal figure is an Ifis, fitting; fhe has a kind of hawk on her head, and tlie horns of a bull. Many and various are the conjedures formed by the learned in regard to the meaning of the figures upon the table. Some have ima- gined, they could prove it to be a compafs ; others, a perpetual calendar j and not a few have pre- tended to find in it principles of philofophy and politics ; while, more ingenious Jiill, fome have afifcrted, that it contains a complete body of theo- logy. After what I have faid, you cannot expedl from me an opinion upon this fubjedl. i am not impertinent enough to pretend I difcovered any thing more, than a ftrange chaos of men, women, ugly birds, and other animals, frightfully deli- neated, by ftraight lines fometimes fpringing all from a point, like rays, then fuddenly turning into angular figures, formed by filver incrufted into copper. It is evident, that much filver has been taken out of this table, as the grooves remain. Notwithftanding the feeming confufion of the re- prefentations, the filver lines are very neat, and extremely well inferted into the copper. — Monf. Grofib Cavallo gave himfelf a great deal of trou- ble to procure us a very learned difi^ertation on the fubjedt )Uaire. f 97 ] fubjeft of this famous monument of antiquity, which he borrowed from a friend of his. But we returned it foon after ; for, either through want of capacity, or of tafte, we were tired to death of it, without being at all informed. The chapel of the Saint Suaire is curious, from Chapel of its fingular conftrudion i it is quite round. Thirty si pillars of black marble, highly polifhed; their capitals and bafes, of gilt bronze, fupport fix great arches, which ferve as windows ; thefe have niches between them, ornamented with pillars of the like marble. The cupola, which terminates the whole, has a very furprifing effed j being formed by a great number of hexagonal figures in black marble, fo contrived as to admit the light: they are placed, one over the other, in fuch manner as to produce many triangular lights (if I may be allowed the exprcfllon, for it is really very difficult to defcribe). Through thefe open- ings appears, at the top of all, a crown of marble in the form of a ftar, which feems fufpended in air, and fupported by part of its rays. The fides of the chapel are all incrufted with the fame fort of marble. The pavement is grey, with feveral ftars of bronze inferred into it. In the middle fifes a lofty altar ; upon which is placed, in a • very high glafs-cafe, a caOvct of filver wrought, and minutely ornamented with gold and precious ftones, in which is inclofed, as they pretend, the Sainte Suaire^ or winding-fheet in which the body of our Saviour was wrapped up by jofeph of Ari- VoL. I. H mathea. [ 98 ] mathca. This precious relic is very rarely exhibited to the people. Above the cafket a group of Angels fuftain a beautiful crofs of rock-cryftal, Ihooting out gilt rays. At the four corners of the altar hang very large filver lamps ; as do alfo feveral others between the columns. Thefe are always kept burning. The fort of uncertain day that reigns here, is calculated to imprefs the mind with holy horror. The reflexion of the flames of the lamps on the high polifhed black marble, con- trafted with the doubtful light admitted from the cupola, where nothing meets the eye but black and gold, ftrikes the mind of the fpeftator with a fort of momentary enthufiafm, that weak perfons might miftake for devotion. This chapel is buik on to the cathedral ; the entrance of which is through a great arch, fupported by very large Corinthian pillars, fluted. Here the King often goes to hear mafs ; and they reckon this chapel particularly well conftrufted for mufic. St. Philip ^^' Philippe ^e Neri is efteemed one of the moft dtNeri. beautiful churches in Turin. It contains a fine pidlure of Solimene, reprefenting the faint in extafy before the Virgin, furrounded with angels ; but the colouring is too grey, and the light too par- tial : I mentioned to you before the faults of this matter. This church is ornamented with feveral pillars of marble, enriched for the moft part in a bad tafte, with garlands of flowers and foliage of gilt bronze wreathed round the fhafts. The altar is in a fine ftyle of architecture, and has a no- ble I 99 ] ble effbfV, when feen from its proper point of view. .^# The Cabinet of Infcriptions and Antiques, Cabinet which v/e hear contains many curiofities, I fear I o""^crip- •' , ' tions and ihall not have it in my power to give you any ac- antiques, count of; for Monfieur Bartoli, who has the care of this colledion, is not now at Turin, nor ex- peded to return hither before our departure. I am very forry for it; but there is- no remedy. The cielings of the palace of Carignan are faid to be very finely painted; but as the princefs of Carignan is lying-in, there is no poiTibility of be- ing admitted to fee them. I am furprifed that neither Cochin nor Lalande make mention of thefe cielings. The Church of St, Chrifline is In the P/^r^ Church of Sf. Carlo, which is a very fine fquare, well built, ^1' ^^"' with porticoes all round. The fronts of the houfes are uniform, and richly decorated. This church is a great ornament to the fquare; the front is of hewn ftone, ornamiented with pillars and ftatues. The infide is remarkable for two ftatues ; one of St. Therefe, the other of St. Chri- ftine. They are the work of a Frenchman, one Le Gros. That of St. Therefe is the bed ; but her extafy borders on diftraftion ; and the tear- ing open her bofom to (hew her heart to God, is a ftrange extravagant idea of Monfieur Le Grcs, which I do not tWink has fucceeded. Thefe ftatues being the efforts of a Frenchman, Lalande does not fail to expatiate on their merits, and thofe of the fculptor. H 2 A church [ 100 ] Church A church dedicated to St. Charles Baromee, is ^^ ^i" famous for containing a miraculous virgin. Her Baromee. chapel is almoft covered with votive pictures, fet- ting forth all the miracles this image has per- formed whilft at Turin ; as wretchedly done as the fubjefts are falfe. There are here fome good mar- ble ornaments. Church of In the church of Sl There/e, the great altar is St. The- yery high, and ornamented by two rows of twilled pillars, with ftatues of marble-, the latter but indifferent. Here is a pifture, remarkable for its fingularity of compofition. The infant Jefus, in the attitude of a Cupid, is drawing a bow to pierce with an arrow the heart of Saini Therefa, who faints away, and is received into the arms of feve- ral angels, who are very conveniently found ready to receive her. The Virgin and St. Jofeph are admiring and obferving upon the addrefs of the little Jefus, who expreffes an archnefs in his coun- tenance, extremely ill-fuited to fo fad and facred a fubjed:. A copy of this pifture would be per- haps a welcome prefent to the Moravian chapel at B . In this church is a pretty chapel, built by order of the late Qtieen Chrijiine Joanne de Hejfe Reinsfeld. Six marble pillars fuftain a gilt cupola, ornamented with glafftrs, which are difpofed in fuch a manner as make you fancy the fun always ihines into the chapel. In the middle is a flatue of St. Jofeph, holding the infant Jefus ; he appears in a kind of glory, borne upon clouds by angels. The whole is executed in white alabafter, and is ingenioufly [ '01 ] ingenioufly enough conftruifled ; the fupports of the figures not appearing fo as to hurt the eye*. The Arfenal appears more like a palace than a Arfenal. place for arms. There are only two fides of the fquare as yet completed. The proportions of the architefture pleale the eye at firft fight. This building will bear the ftrifteft examination. A noble fimplicity, the fource of true elegance, reigns throughout. There is no inconfiftency to be found here, but a propriety and jullnefs in every part adapted to the ufe for which it is align- ed. Here are two great rooms, the roofs vaulted, and bomb-proof, fupported by ftrong brick pil- lars ^ each of thefe rooms are about ico yards long by 30 wide. Round each pillar are frames of wood, in which the arms are placed ; mnfl^ets, with their bayonets, placed in fuch a manner as to refemble an organ, was it made in a circular form. There are about an hundred mufl<.ets round each pillar ; they are quite covered with red flannel bound with yellow -, fo that they appear like tents. All thefe covers are to rife at the fame moment, *I believe I have not mentioned the dome in the church of the Carmes, rendered famous by being the dcpofitory of a mi- raculous pidlure of the Virgin. This dome is painted by the fame man who has decorated the theatre for the grand opera. He has reprefented a round dance of Cupids, capering and jumping about the Virgin, who is Handing in the middle dandling the little Jefus in her arms. The painter was fo penetrated with ideas of the opera, that he could not avoid transferring a ballet of Cupids into the folemn reprefentation of the celelUal Par adife. H 3 by C 102 ] by the means of the communication of pulleys from the vaults of the cieling. Between each pil- lar are placed fuits of ancient armour of different ages and fafhions j many of them finely wrought and gilt, which had belonged to the anceftors of the prefent King. To the wrifts of fqme of them are faftened weapons that make one tremble-, one refembles a flail, the handle ebony ; at the end of which is faftened, by two fmall iron chains, an- other length, of about two feet and a half, and feems by its weight to be filled with lead : it is garniflied round with iron fpikes. Here are many other inftruments of death of old time equally deftrudlive and cruel. No nation but the Englilh is permitted to fee the citadel j but they are never refufed upon a proper application. As it affords neither pidlures, ftatues, nor other curiofities of that kind, and having been told there is a great quantity of gun-powder and ball in tht fouterreinSf you may be fure I have not explored them, M has been there, and has feen every thing above ground and below it ; if you ftiould be curi- ous in regard to its pregnability or impregnability, &c. you muft apply to him for information, as he is indefatigably induftrious in his refearches and ^n his not^s, which I have always permiffion to make ufe of. Turin is about a league in circumference; has four beautiful gates, and ramparts all round, which are very pleafant to walk upon, and from which the profpedls are moft agreeable. Almoft ' ' a(l [ I03 ] all the ftreets are quite ftraight*, and finely built ; the fronts of the houfes uniform ; and what adds greatly to its magnificent appearance is, that every llreet is terminated by fome agreeable objedlj either a church, fome ornamental building, or the rampart planted with fine trees. The bcft ftreet is the Rue de Po ; it has open porticoes on each fide, which are ornamental, as well as ufeful for foot- people. The fituation of Mr. L 's houfe is delightful, and commands a very fine profpe^t ; it is almoft clofe to the rampart. I now come to the environs of Turin-, and, firft, Valentin, fhall begin with the airing-place, or Corfo, called ^'^ • the Valentin : you enter an avenue, formed by four rows of lofty trees, conducting to the palace, which is at the end, and fituatcd upon the borders of the Po. There are alfo other avenues, one of which leads to the church, called the ServiteSt, The Royal Family, and almoft every body at Turin who are not bed-rid, lying-in, or dying, make their appearance in ihefe avenues every day, from the hours of five or fix until feven, when they change their ground to another avenue at fome diftance from thefe, and very near the citadel. This they leave at eight for the theatre, or fome private aflTembly. Thofe who cannot afford to keep equipages are here on foot ; and let the weather be fine or rainy, the coaches never * The King is conftantly improving the town ; fo that in a ihqrt time every ftreet muft be perfedly Ilraight, nor will there be a houfe ihat advances beyond another, H 4 fail [ 104 ] fail to come. The Royal Family make a noble appearance, particularly the coach of the Dutchefs of Savoy, which is very fine: fhe drives with eight horfes, and a confiderable cortege^ confiding of her ladies, pages, ^c. in other coaches ; all con- duced with the ucmoft dignity and tranquillity. The young Princes frequently alight and walk, and the PrincelTes fometimes amufe themfelves with walking in the garden of the palace of Valen- tin. The coaches are extremely good here in general, and fome fo well painted, as might merit approbation even at Paris. The ground between thefe avenues is neatly kept, and the King is en- deavouring to bring it to a mathematical plane, by levelling fome very gentle fwells, which would be thought ornamental in England. Galley The Galley Slaves work here at prefent, and Slaves. (5rawy themfelves, in harnefs, the carts of earth i an occupation no freeman could be brought to perform. Thefe Slaves are fent once a-year from Turin to their Galleys at Nicej till which time they are lodged in the citadel, and employed in fome public works; of thefe there are always a fufficient number going forward to occupy more culprits than the town and country can furnilh. Pxlace The Palace Valentin is in a ruinous condition ; ■ ^^^"^ ' it contains many bad pi(5lures, and but two we think tolerable ; one reprefents a Magdalen ex- piring in the arms of angels. There is great merit in the angel that fuftains one of her arms. The other reprefents Romulus and Remus fucking the wolf, t 105 ] . wolf, who exprefles an amiable chara(5ter in her countenance, and feems to aflume all the gentle- nefs that her ferocious nature can admi^t of. I do not know the authors of thefe pidtures ; the palace being fo much negleded, as not to be thought worthy of a Ciceroni to fhew it. Here is a fine falcon, a double cube of thirty feet, painted all round with the battles of Philibert : very indiffe- rent. We faw three groups fculptured in ivory Sculptur- and cyprefs-wood, which never decays ; a prefent g''°"P* from the Emperor to the King of Sardinia. One reprefents the judgment of Solomon, and is finely done. The executioner, about to divide the child, who is the principal figure, has great bold- nels, and is near three feet high. The fecond, Solomon upon his throne : He is well executed, as are the angels who bear his canopy. And the other, which I like the belt, is the Sacrifice of Ifaac : Abraham, Ifaac, and the angel, form fine contrails to each other, by the fculptor's having ftrikingly exprefled their difi^erent feelings. The manner in which the angel is fupported, who is defcending, is fo extremely ingenious and well- contrived, that we confidered it for fome time be- fore we could difcover the means by which it was effefted. All thefe figures are ivory, and the clothing cyprefs-wood, which has a good effe<5l* The gardens are old-fa(hioned -, and contain a few botanic plants, which they fhew to ftrangers. La Venerie is a country palace, much admired La Vene- by the Turinefe and the French, for the beauty of "^ its [ io6 3 its architeAure, gardens, ^c. Both the one and the other are quite in the French tafte. — The road from Turin is planted with white mulberries. The approach is through a wide ftreet, regularly built, at the end of which is a large fort of place, fhaped like an egg cut the long way, or a concave half oval, furrounded with a piazza; behind are build- ings for the King's guards, and two churches, one oppofite the other : at the extremities of this great court are two pillars of marble, on the top of one is a virgin, and on the other the angel Gabriel. Thefe ftatues are fcarce worth remarking. Pro- bably they are placed here only as being the infig- nia of the higheft order of knighthood of Piedmont, that of the ^Annunciation. Through this oval place you enter into the great court of the palace. The building is not yet completed. Duke Charles Emanuel the Second, about the middle of the lad century, began it ; and what is curious, he himfelf drew the plans. It is built of brick, and highly ornamented with balluftrades of white marble be- fore each window, and one continued balluftrade all round the top of the walls, whhich crowns the building. The roofs are high and flaring, like thofe of Verfailles. It Ihocked me to fee beautiful white fculptured marble married to brick. The front altogether has a flat, unfinifhed, infipid ap- pearance. There are two pavillions, one at each end of the building, in the fame tafte with the middle part. The entrance is by a great hall, as high as the building, where are fome pidures by John [ lo; ] [John Miel. Had they not been mentioned in the [manner they are, by Cochin and Lalande, they are (in my opinion) luch wretched daubs, that 1 fhould mot have taken the trouble to have looked at them after the firfl glance. They are fo much fpoiled, that fome parts are effaced, and in what remains, I own I could not difcover any kind of merit. The leaft frightful are, a Death of a Stag, and a Repofe after Hunting. Over thefe are a great many equef- trian paintings, all portraits, chiefly women. Thelb Amazons are drelled in the Spanilli fafliion, and are mounted upon prancing horfes. If they were not portraits, they would not be worth a moment's confideration ; but I fhall only trouble you with two or three of them ; as they reprefent people who have been diftinguilhed in the annals of this court : and I believe they were all ftriking iike- nefles, if not caricatures, of their originals. The picture of the Countefs de Sebaftian, who was af- terwards married to the late King, is not fo hand- fome as I fhould have imagined her to have been ; ihe appears indeed with child. Another, of the famous Countefs of Veriiei not handlbme neither, but piquanUy her nofe too long. Each lady is drawn drelTed properly for the chace ; and as all their hats and riding-drefTes are much alike, they are diftinguilhed by filk bridles to their horfes of different colours : this was really the order of the late King, that he might be able to diftinguifh them from one another at a little diflance *. The • See Keyfler, for anecdotes of thefe ladies. men [ 108 ] men are alfo in hunting-drefles, but with full-bot- tomed periwigs, as large as thofe worn in the days of Charles the Second. Above thefe portraits, the j compartments in the cove are badly painted in frefco. Here are no fine apartments except the I gallery, which is of great extent. At each end is a faloon ; their cielings are domes fupported by pillars. There is neither picture, ftatue, nor gild- ing in this gallery; it is ftuccoed and whitened only. We thought the projedlions of the different members of the architedure of the fides, and the architraves of the windows, too fl:rong andfalient,eventoheavi« nefs •, and that they have a very crowded appearance when viewed from one end. In one of the apart- ments is a table oi lapis lazuliy'which appears to con- fift of feveral pieces, and is by no means a fine thing. There is another table, compofed of excellent mor- fels of lapis, amethyft, and agate, 22 inches broad, and 3 feet 10 inches long. In the apartment of the Dutchefs of Savoy, is a cabinet de toilette and a boudoir, all wainfcoted with the fineft old japan (I fuppofe) in Europe. Thefe pannels abound with the beautiful green leaves and filver dragons, fo much admired by all connoifleurs in japan ; and in the boudoir, the compartments reprefent land- fcapes, with ftags, and Indian warriors on horfe- back, in bas relief, incrufted in Pierre de Lar, which is exceedingly fine. The above pieces of japan were prefented by Prirxe Eugene to the Princefs Vi6tolre, from whom they came to the houfe of Savoy. — The chapel is famous for the beauty [ 109 ] beauty and ingenuity of its architeflure and pro- portions -, it is built in the fhape of a Greek crofs, and is terminated by a dome. The coup d'^sil is ftriking j but there are fome bad ftatues and other ornaments that had better have been left out. — A picture of Saint Eufebe * ; I think the drawing not fauitlefs, and the colouring glaring and tawdry. Cochin efteems it much, both for the one and the other, which furprifes us both, and inclines us to think, he had taken his opinion from another, and had not feen it himfelf. Three rooms in this palace are furnilhed with portraits ; one contains the family of Savoy, another the Im- perial family, and the third that of England, from the Saxon line down to Queen Anne : all vile copies. The portrait of Elizabeth is greatly flat- tered ; Ihe appears to be about 1 8 years old, with the fineft large black eyes and black hair, and the beautiful complexion the French call Brune clair. The Orangerie is much eileemed for its archi- 9''*"S^' teflure-i it is 582 feet long, 51 broad, and 40 high : the front is ornamented with pillars of the Ionic order. — The Stables are alfo very beautiful, Stables, and feem to be to the full as large as the Orangerie-, we were told they contained two hundred horfes. — The gardens were laid out by a Frenchman ; Gardens. one would think this good man had taken his idea of planning gardens from fome of Euclid's problems. They are of great extent; the walks Cochin fays, of St. Anguftin, but he is mlHaken. all [ "O ] all flraight, and cutting each other at right angles, leaving Iquare plantations, or quarters of beech and brufhwood, which are frequently interfered by narrow alleys, fo that they form triangular figures, wounding the eye by their uniformity, ^c. They told us, that in thefe copfes are great plenty of pheafants, hares, and chevreuls (roe- bucks). As all thefe right lines produce what is called ftars, of one kind or another, his Majefty amufes himfelf with la chajfe a fufiL Taking poft in the centre of the ftar, where many of thefe angles meet, he is fecure of much fport; the pqueurs enter the quarters, and drive out the game, who croffing the alley, feek the oppofite problem; mean time the King lets fly at them^ and knocks them down at pleafure. I walked till I was ready to expire, in order to fee a fylvan theatre. You know my pafllon for thefe theatres * * * At laftl reached it*, but my difappointment was great indeed. Never was any thing of its kind fo ill attempted. From hence we were condudled to another foolilh affair, a labyrinth ; in this is built a kind of fummer- houfe, which overlooks it ; and when the royal family are to be diverted at ha Venerie, a fi mple clown is fcnt into the labyrinth, who in vain at- tempts to get out J the turning and winding of the walks, joined to the thicknefs of the hedges, making it almoft impoflible he fhould, whilft the lookers on are highly amufed from the balconies that command it. We [ «" } We were ftruck (from their fingularity) with the terminations of many of the villas, formed by the great alleys or wood walks, the mountains at a great diftance covered with fnow and glittering in the fun J as alfo with a mod beautiful wood of poplars, of a v'onderful height, and as ftraight as upright cyprefies"; they call them here (from their manner of growing) Pines of Pavia, but they are properly fpeaking poplars of that country. They grow quite naturally, never having felt the fheers ; yet it is impofTible that any trees, however pruned and drefled, fhould bear a more exad: conical form than thefe do. What is called here le Bof- quet de Charmille is prodigioufly admired •, it con- fifts of beech and hornbeam, tortured into kinds of arbours, to imitate open galleries, with pillars fupporting domes. I believe they are brought to as great regularity, as branches of trees admit of; but Nature will not jullify luch paring. You have feen fomething of the fame kind at Marly, where there is a continuation of what they call, des Cahinets de verdure** About a fmall league from Turin, by the fide of the road, grows a very large elm-tree, beneath the fhadow of whofe fpreading branches, the late King, when Duke of Savoy, held a council with Prince Eugene, the Prince of Anhalt, and the • Lalande has the effronterie to aiTert thefe gardens to be in the tafte of thofe at Richmond. 11 y a un labyrinthe curieux, un mail, iff des aiajie pieces de gazouille, belle /implicit e champetre, a peu pres comme aux jardins de Richmond pres de Londres^ Vol, i. p. 250. Marquif 5 [ II* ] Marquis de Prie, a Piedmontefe general, on the 5th of September 1706, in which they determined both upon the manner and attack of the French lines : this took place the 7th of the fame month ; in which famous aflion the French army was en- tirely routed, Marelchal Marfm killed, and the fiege of Turin immediately raifed. Notre Very near this elm-tree is a little Convent of Dame Capuchins, called of Notre Dame de Compagna. I fat in the carriage, whilft M went into the convent, to fee the Tomb of Marefchal Marfin ; Marefchal he is interred under the wall of a little chapel to Marfm. jhe left of the choir, without any other monu- ment than a (lab of black marble, inferred into the wall, and neither ornaments, arms, or atchieve- ments ; but there is an inlcription in Latin, which pleafes M much, and does honour to the mo- deration of the vidors, who caufed it to be placed over his tomb-ftone. M v ill not tranflate it for you, but leaves that for Monfieur R — when you next meet. FERDINANDO DE MARSIN FRANCIS MARESCALLO SUPREMI GALLIO ORDINIS EQUITE TORQUATO VALENCENARUM GUBERNATORI QUO IN LOQUO ymi jbris ,706 INTER SUORUM CLADEM ET FUG AM VICTORIAM EXERCITUM VITAM AMISIT ETERNUM IN HOC TUMULO MONUMENTUM. In this little church is a pifture, reprefenting the above-mentioned council, drawn but the year after j the tree appears extremely like what it now is. [ "3 ] isj and the four warriors are painted under it on horfeback. The next moft confiderable country houfe (and StupenJg* which his Majefty is very fond of) is Stupenige^ a hunting palace, about two leagues from Turin. The avenue that leads to it is finely planted with two rows of very large trees, and fo ftraight that you fee the palace which terminates the vifta the whole way; though I believe I ought to impute this effed:, in fome meafure, to its being placed up- on an elevation, which however is Icarce per- ceptible till you are clofe upon the building, when the ground fuddenly riles. A coloflal flag, gilt, feems as if bounding over the roof; it has an ex- cellent effeft, and is finely proportioned, appear- ing very plainly even from the commencement of the entrance of the avenue. This palace is more habitable and agreeable than la Venerie. The front is decorated with pillars of the Ionic order j the wings are built femicircular, and are termi- nated by two fquare pavilions. Although the plan may admit of criticifm by very knowing architects, yet its efFe<5t is not at all unpleafing to the eye ; nor has it the bleak look of la Venerie. There is no antichamber nor veftibule •, you enter at once into the great faloon, which is in the ctnlxtoi iht corps- de-logis. The in fide is Angularly flriking •, it has the appearance of a fine theatre, very fit for a mafqued ball, and is decorated and ornamented with paintings in frefco. The plan is an oval, round which are four tribunes, fupported Vol. I. I by [ 114 1 by piladers of the Ionic order: it feems as if be- hind thefe tribunes there were galleries of confi- derable extent, with windows at the end; but all this is deception, and the falfe ornaments, which are painted, agree with, and continue the real cornices, frizes, ^c. in fuch manner that at firft fight you can Icarce diftinguifh the true from the falfe. There is really great merit in this kind of painting, where it is properly employed, as it ihews the force of the art of perfpedlive, and that of light and fhade. The cieling reprefents Diana d'efcending in a triiiraphal car, drawn by two white deer; Aurora precedes her, and wakens her nymphs. The colours are very lively and gay, and although fome of the figures might have been lighter, yet there is great vivacity in their atti- tudes, and various preparations for the chafe. The aerian perfpedive is alfo well obferved, the fky appearing of a prodigious height. The ciel- ing of one of the falfe galleries reprefents four fly- ing nymphs fhooting with bow and arrow. Op- pofite are four other winged nymphs who have taken feveral red partridges in a net. This laft is very well executed, and the fubjed: fucceeds won- derfully well, though reprefented on the cieling. — Thtkfrefeo paintings were the joint work of two brothers, Venetians, named the Vakriani-, one painted the figures, the other the architefture. There are four doors, which condud: to as ma- ny apartments ; eight chimneys j and fix great windows. [ 115 ] windows, three on each fide ; prefentlng different villas. From one appears the avenue v/ith Turin at the end, from the others are different viev/s, equally extenfive, of the foreil, feen through the garden, and have a very fine effecl:. This falcon i-s covered with copper. The cieling of the firil room of the King's apartment reprefents the fa- crtfice of Iphigenia, painted \nfrefco, by Croifati. The fubjed is well treated ; there is a flrong ex- prelfron of grief in one of Iphigenia's attendants, great dignity and refignation in the countenance of the princefs, and the deepefl aftiidion in the attitude of Clytemneftra, who appears at a dif- tance, endeavouring to fupport herfeif upon the bofoni of Agamemnon, unable to endure the near approach of the facrifice. The figure the lead interefling (though the moft a propos to prevent the impending fcroke from the uplifted arm of the unfeeling Prieil) is Diana, v;ho looks as if ihe did not recoiled why fhe came there, nor for what purpofe. In the King's bed-chamber, the cieling is paint- ed hy Carlo Vanloo ; the fubjed, the Repofe of Diana afcer the Bath : the compofition is very well ; the attitudes and countenances of the nymphs amiable. But the principal fault is, too ftrong a refemblance between the goddefs and her attendants : they might be all taken for fillers. — In the apartment of the Duke of Savoy are ten pidures, in two colours, by Alberoni; their fub- ^ I 2 ieds [ "6 ] jefls architedlure, finely thrown into perfpedive. All the apartments are hung with flowered fattin, very beautiful, of the manufafture of Turin. The King himfelf furnifhes the filk, and the ma- nufafluring of it does not fland him in more than three livres an ell, as we have been fatisfaftorily informed. In the gallery, for uniformity, are a row of fham windows, oppofite the real ; all the panes in thefe are of looking-glafs •, they open and ferve for doors to armoires, or clofets, furnifhed with (helves. We were ftruck with one of the rooms, the proportions of which pleafe the eye furprifingly, it meafures i8 paces long •, M flept it, and fays it is equal to 1 8 yards, or there- about, and the width is 9 ; 16 feet high, not in- cluding the cove, which may be four more. The walls are painted, very indifferently, by a Piedmon- tefe girl. — In the Duke of Chablais' apartment are feveral paintings in cameoy well done, reprefenting Cupids catching hares, and coupling dogs with garlands of flowers, &'c. : the fubjedl of one of thefe has merit on account of the thought ; one Cupid carefTes a fawn, while feveral others are en- deavouring to keep off the dogs from tormenting it. Thefe are all done by a Turin painter, named Rapoux, — Adjoining is a fmall cabinet of about 16 feet fquare, the cieling coved with looking-glafs, and fo neatly done, that the joinings are not per- ceptible. By there being a great number of pieces, the company in the cabinet is multiplied and [ "7 ] and reflefled to infinity from the fides of the cove, as you may imagine. Wreaths of flowers are painted on the glafs, to hide the feparations, which fucceed extremely well. The floors are of the marble of this country, compofed of many difl^er- cnt pieces and colours like fineered wood, which have a good effeft. — The fl:ables are commodious and large. The windows above the racks have green curtains drawn clofe over them, which are equally ornamental, as convenient. — The garden is in as bad a tafte as that at la Venerie. At the back front of the palace is a parterre a V Angloife^ forming fcrolls, and various flourifhes filled up with grey fand and brick-duft, but no flowers. There is a kind of ill -kept grafs-plat, called here a Boulingrin had you Icen my curtains, compofed of neck- handkerchiefs and pelices. However, this con- trivance was better than no Ciirtains. Adieu, till to-morrow evening, when I hope we fhali have reached Genoa. LET- [ ^55 ] LETTER XIV. Genoa, Oftober 27111, J E are fafcly arrived, and lodged at the poft houfe, the bed inn at Genoa, and very near the famous church of the Annonciata, This day's journey has been fatiguing enough, although we got here by dinner time, and did not quit Novi till about nine o'clock. Our road has lain entirely amongfl: mountains. Mod of them under clofe cultivation, particularly about Gavi^ a GavL ftrong fortrefs of the Genoefe, from whence there is a very fine profpefl. The road lies under it, and the defcent is extremely rapid ; the town ftands below the fortrefs. In the bottom appears a torrent, called Lemo ; v/e paiTcd through the village, now called Yoltagio, which was the Voltagio. ancient capital of a people of Liguria, known formerly by the appellation of Vcituria. This place is twenty miles from Genoa, and fix from theBuchetta; namely, from the fummit of the Appenine. The road over the Appenine and the defcent is all paved. This great mountain affords nothing entertaining or beautiful. The pave- ment is exceedingly rough, in many places very rapid, and the appearance of the mountain on all fides dreary and bleak. Having paQcd the Bu- chetta, snarone. Polcever- [ 156 ] chetta, we came to a village, called Campomarone, from the great quantities of Spanifh chefnut-trees which abound here. It is fituated eight miles from Genoa, and affords a tolerable inn, called Delia Rcfa. Here the houfes are all covered with flate, and the tables made of the fame material, called lavagna, of which there is a great quarry, ^bout twenty-five miles diftant from Genoa. About three miles from Genoa you are obliged to traverfe a kind of valley, which is in reality the bed of a river, called Polceverra. This bed is a moft difagreeable morfel to contend with; water finds its way here and there, and in many diffe- rent channels, which form narrow rivers, necef- fary to be croffed frequently : there is no fixed road, the river changing its courfe continually ; and when the waters are out, travellers are obliged to wait for three or four days, till they are fufficiently retired. The whole furface is covered unequally with loofe Hones and pebbles, and the jolts and lliocks were fo violent, that I expeded the carriage or wheels to break. However, we got acrofs fafely, and without the leaft accident. There are fevcral veiliges of bridges, the arches Handing, fome entire, others partly in ruins, v;here they have in vain endeavoured to make the road more convenient ; but the violence and fud- dtn fwellings of this river, have rendered all their labour hitherto ineffedual. This valley is flcirted on the right and left by many beautiful country- houies, and terminated, as it were, at one end, \^f a great [ «57 3 a great bridge, called Cornigliano, compofed of Cornlgll- nine arches, of fufficient ftrcngth and extent tof".j rcfift the overflowings of the river. It appears well in prorpe(5l. Farther on, the Tea and the palace Durazzo are clearly difcernible; but the poft-road does not pafs over the bridge -, it turns to the left, and leads to Genoa by the magnificent fubiirb of Si. Pietro d' Arena*. You may fuppofe, I have feen nothing as yet of Genoa, but from the Genoa* windows of the inn. The town feems much alive, and thickly peopled, without noife or riot. The women's drefs is fine, but Angular, I mean the Bourgeoife, for I have feen no noble ladies pafs by: their heads are wrapped up in a piece of printed cotton, which looks like a counterpane : reaches down to their waflcs, and rolling it round them, they fold their arms over the ends, bringing it fo clofe together before, that fcarce any part of their faces can be feen. They have ftraight- bodied gowns, with very long trains of rich fattins, da- mafks, i^c. thefe they do not give themfelves the trouble to hold out of the dirt ; fo their tails fweep up all the ordure of the (Ireets. This cuftom is, I prefume, a pretence to magnificence . They gene- rally wear long aprons of fine muflin, trimmed with lace. The poorer fort of women and pa'ifannes are wretchedly clothed ; they wear ii * The poft-maflers obliged us to take fix horfes for our car- riage, when we had reached half-way from Novi to Genoa, for the remainder of the journey. petticoat [ 158 J petticoat of -woollen, or ftriped linen, with a cor"' fet\ their heads are quite naked, the hair of the chignion rolled round and round at the top of the back of the head, and feveral pewter bodkins, as long as fkewers, ftuck through it by way of orna- ment. Our hoft kindly advertifes me, that the poft is going out. You fee I do not negledl to feize every opportunity of writing. Adieu. You Ihail hear from me again, as foon as I can colled; fufHcient materials to form (I hope) a more enter- taining letter. I remain, as always, l^c. P, S, "We have had no trouble with the cullom- houfe officers •, for a fmall confideration they cheer- fully let us pafs without any difficulty, on M — *s affuring them we had nothing feizable. Our name has been fent to the Doge. This cudom is what all ilrangers muft comply with. LET- [ 159 ] L E T T E R XV. Genoa, Nov. 5th, 1770, Have been confined to my bed two days, with a rheumatic pain in my cheek, and a bad cold; M has had a blood-fnot eye, which has been extremely troublefome to him ; but at prelent we are both pretty well recovered. I fo dreaded being confined by illnefs, and confequently detained here longer than agreeable to us, that I determined to apply an outward remedy to my cheek, of fpirit of guaiacum, and to take it in- wardly at the fame time ; that by giving the rheu- matifm no quarter, I might have routed the ene- my, fo that he fhould not be able to rally again. For this purpofe, I fent to an apothecary for the above drug : when it was brought to me, it ap- peared fo unlike, in colour and confiftency, to the guaiacum I had feen in England, that I feared he had made fome miftake •, fo I fent for him : he came prefently after ; I was in bed, and my cur- tains drawn, and M had him into the room. Upon feeing a handkerchief tied over his eye, he concluded him to be the patient who had fent for guaiacum •, and as I fuppofe he had been already informed by the fervants, that we had quedioned the quality of his drug, he with great vehemence, and violent adion, cried our, on entering the room, Buono, luQtio per, gli occhi^ bifogna fret tare froltare. Findinsr Finding M did not inftandy comply with hU prefcription, he changed his note from /r<5;/^r^ to avalare. I laughed fo much in my bed, that I could not fpeak ; as for M he was too much charmed with the apothecary's error to attempt un- deceiving him for fome moments ; at laft he alkedl him gravely, whether it was equally efficacious | for a rheumatic pain, as for a blood-lhot eye. He replied in the affirmative, and had we added? any other malady, he would, no doubt, have per- fifted in the fame remedy. In (hort, with him, ■ fpirit of guaiacum was the Grand elixir. But his ' wretchednefs, poverty, or avarice, v/as fuch, that all his ardour proceeded from the fear of his not difpofing of his drug, as he demanded twenty- four fols for a fmall phial half full. This man, in appearance, was the counterpart of Shakefpear*s apothecary ; and had he been of Mantua, I Ihould have concluded him a lineal defcendant of ' that caitiff wretch^ whofe tattered weeds and overwhelm- ing brows, &c.* However, upon inquiry, find- ing his drug to be really fome preparation of guaia- cum, I fpread it over my cheei<, and in half an hour it gave me eafe ; though it was at the fame time fo ftrong, that had it been applied to the eyes, I fuppofe M would never have {^tn. more. He is perfedly recovered, by ufing plan- tain-water and tutty. There is fomething very fhocking in being ferved entirely by men, till cuftom and neceffity reconciles you in fume meafure to it. Not a female lli I i6' ] female to be feen in an Italian inn. Our expences here are a fequin a head per dsiy*; for this they give us three or four dilhes, confilting of a foup, the fowl that has been boiled in it, with or with- out rice, very indifferent indeed j a fry of liver and brains, or fome fuch thing: thefe are our Handing dilhes •, befides which, they vary from one day to another, pigeons a la crapodine, and fometimes ragoued in oil; partridges in /nV^Wi?, and with cabbage, &c.; but their conftant ufe of oil (which is feldom good), even fometimes in their foups, is extremely difgufting to us. We may have roaft meat if we choofe it ; but their manner of roafting is thus, after oiling the meat with a feather, they fufpend it over a charcoal fire, until it is become fo dry and brittle as to admit of pulverifation. Fifli is rarely to be had, except upon les jours maigrcy when the galley 'flaves, chained two and two together, cry it about the ftreets; it generally confifts of oyllers, Ihrimps, fmall flounders, and fprats. I have had thefe * The 'vaJet de chatnhre, who is our courier, about fix livres fer day; laquais de louage, 40 fols each, and they find them- felves. As the wine of the inn is not good, we have any fort we choofe, by the flalk, from the noble families of Doria, Balbis, Spinola:, Durazzo, Grimaldi, ^c. &c.; for thefe nobles do not efteem themfelves at all debafed by vending a flafkofwine, or a halfpenny worth of oil and vinegar, and all forts of liquors by the glafs. This is what one may call trad- ing in a great jlyle. There is nothing a noble Genoefe would not fell; yet they fancy themfelves much fuperior in rank to what is called the mercantile part of Genoa, Vol. I. M poor [ >62 ] poor creatures called up to the door, in order to buy from them myfelf, not from a motive of gluttony, but that our hoft might not make a hard bargain with them. They wear a kind of waiftcoat, and trowfers of flannel -, their heads are bare, as are their legs and feet. I intend to go on board the galleys before we quit Genoa, when I (hall be able to give you a more exadl defcrip- tion of them. The great fcarcity of fifh is not owing to a want of abundance in the gulph, but to a tax upon this article, when expofed for fale in the markets, which raifes the price to the buyer above that of butchers meat, although that is fold at twelve fols the pound ; the Genoefe do not eat much meat. The poorer fort efpecially live almoft entirely upon chefnuts * and macaroni. Bread is excellent here, but very dear-f; the corn with which it is made comes from Sicily. The air is fo much warmer at this place than at Turin, that we cannot bear a fire in our apartment. Here are great plenty of flowers, which are fold ex- tremely cheap, and come out of the gardens in the environs of Genoa. Thefe bouquets are com- * The chefnuts that Campo Maroni afford are excellent, and have not that cloying fweetnefs of thofe in England. Water melons are in great plenty, and grapes; but thefe are not as yet quite ripe. Here are alfo green peafe of a very good kind; the brocoli would be excellent, if the Italians knew how to drefs it. f Fourteen bakers work night and day the year round. The price of rolls, of the fize of thofe called French rolls at Bath, are dearer by a halfpenny than in that town. pofed [ i6i ] pofed of rofes, carnations, China-pinks, Catalo- nian-jeflamin, violets ; the green of lavender* cotton, dittany of Crete, and a very aromatic fweet fcentcd rofemary ; lavender in great plenty, and knotted marjoram of an exquifite fmell. I inclofe you the copies of our letters to the families of Spinola Balbis, and Durazzo, from the ambafladrefs of Spain, and France; both thefe families are (unluckily) at Novi. This cir- cumftance will, however, leave us at liberty to quit the town when we have feen every thing worth notice. Madama Balbis and Madama Du- razzo have the charadler of being uncommonly polite to flrangers ; the former has dillinguilhed many Englifli by her obliging prejudices to that nation ; the latter is deemed to be rather partial to the French. We are juft returned from a walk about the Genoa town. The Strada Nuova, and Strada Balbi, are ^^^^^"' the wideft and beft ftreets. The architeflure of Palaces the palaces that adorn them is admirable, and would appear to much greater advantage was the area wider. This circumftance muft always be re- gretted by the lovers of architedliire, as it is im- poflible for a fpedtator to place himfelf in fuch a manner, as to fee the fronts in a proper point of view: the houfes are alfo extremely high. Al- though there is a profufion of marble in this coun- try, many of the palaces are painted upon the outfide with reprefentations of ruftic bafes, co- M 2 lumns. Church. [ 164 ] lumns, entablatures, frizes, ^c. which ought to have been executed in marble. Where this paint- ing is well preferved, it deceives at a little diftancc, by a truth in the perfpeflive. The colours chiefly made ufe of, are not as well chofen as I think they might have been -, for inftance, that of Gri- maldi is almoft black; of Durazzo, yellow and white ; others, fhades of green and a dirty brick- dud red. The marble ornaments of moft of the door-cafes are magnificent, and in a great flyle of St. Siro architedure. The famous church of St. Siro is lined throughout with marble; this is the old cathedral, remarkable for the councils held here, and the plots formed for revolutions, many of which have taken place according to the annals of this city. It now belongs to the convent of the Theacins. This church is fo ornamented and gilt, as to appear loaded, and encumbered, one decoration hiding another. The cieling is painted by Carloni, but indifferently, the colouring too yellow. In a chapel is a Nativity, by Cambiagi ; this pi(5lure has but a fmall degree of merit. — Returning home in the duflv of the evening, and palTing by a church, v/hich v/e perceived to be illuminated, we went in, and there found a very confiderable audience, and a fine band of mufic. The altar was richly decked; fifty four large wax tapers, in candlefticks of filver, about four feet high, were placed pyramidically at its fides, and it was covered with relics, chefs of faints, garlands of fiowers, a magnificent fun, angels, ^c. in filver. [ i65 ] filvef. The appearance altogether was rather thea- trical than religious ; the mufic good, and the fymphonies fo lively, that they feemed to me to announce the entry of the ballet. I could think of nothing but dancing ; and had I not been fure I was in a church, I fhould have believed myfelf at the overture of an opera: nor by the countenances and manners of the congregation, could you fup- pofe they were afLfting at a religious ceremony. However, fuperftition is not wanting ; the people who enter the church, both male and female, drop down at once upon their knees, bow their heads profoundly, then feize the holy-water brufh, and fprinkle and crofs themfelves with great ardour, ftriking their breads at the fame time. I plainly perceived, that the fair Genoefe knew how to unite gallantry with devotion -, and that many of thofe ladies, who had been the mod precife in crofling and fprinkling, had been no iefs juft to the hour of affignation. There is more love in an Italian church than in a French theatre. Many handibme women afTifted at this fpiritual concert, but they do not owe their beauty entirely to Na- ture; their complexions are for the moft part brown ; and have generally fine black eyes, whofe fire they augment by rouge (but not laid on in the French ftile); the Genoefe endeavour to imitate Nature. They turn to good account the great veils they wrap their heads in, as they can orgner with more privacy, by their artful manner of half- concealing their faces. Some noble ladies were M 3 there; t i66 ] there ; they wore a black gauze hood pulled down fo as to cover their faces, but not conceal them. — • I obferved a few pi<5lures in this church, but the lamps that were burning before them fmoked fo much, that i could not fee whether they were good or bad. — The fituation of this town is fine-, it forms a great amphitheatre, fcooped out as it were down to the fca. Excepting the ftreets I mentioned, all the others are extremely narrow * : I fhould alfo except the Piazza del Annonciata^ which is tolerably large, where the coaches affem- ble and wait; alfo the Forto St. Thomafo, before the palace of P. Doria, is confiderable enough. The houfes are flat-roofed, and have either a low parapet round the top of the wall, or a baluftrade, on which are placed flower-pots, containing myr- tles, Catalonia jefTamine, and other odoriferous green-houfe plants, which live out all the winter in this mild climate : I alfo obferved feveral an- nuals and perennials, as coxcombs, tricolars, car- dinals, female balfamines, fl:ocks, and wall-flowers ftill in perfe(flion, with the addition of fome fine carnations. There are light arbours, or what the French call Berc^aus of Trelijfe^ painted and fixed on thefe fiat roofs, over which they trail wood- bine, jefl!amine, gourd, i^c. to proted them from the heat of the fun, and the women in fine wea- ther pafs moft of their time on the tops of their • Narrow fo as that, from the upper ftories of the houfes, two perfons leaning oat of the oppo^te windows might Ihske bands ^crofs. 4 houfes, [ l6^ 3 houfes, I mean thtjimpk Bourgeoife ; for the noble ladies have magnificent terrafTes that communicate with their apartments, and which are fhaded in the moft convenient manner, with filk awnings, and alleys formed of orange and lemon trees, in tubs. —We have deftined to morrow for feeing palaces and picflures. I fhall leave the cuftoms and man- ners of the Genoefe to my laft letter from this place, in order to be as full as I can upon thofe fubjeds. We never let pafs an opportunity of procuring information from thofe we converfe with, in order to compare and judge of the truth by their differing or agreeing upon the fame mat- ter, £s?f. There arrived here yefterday two Englifh gentlemen of our acquaintance * * * * * This has been a very agreeable circumllance to us. M 4 LET- w t i68 ] LETTER XVI. November the 5th. E have vifited two palaces only; the days being fliort, and the fky overcaft, it was not poffible to fee more pidures than thefe con- tain, namely, that of Giacomo Balbi, and the Giacomo other (fituated in the fame ftreet that bears their Balbi Pa- s p^ai-cellino Maria Balbi. In both are a lace. '' Marcelli- great many paintings worthy the attention of the Balbi pa^ curious ; but there are fome few in the firfl, which lace. I think Cochin fays more of than they merit. One is a St. Sebaftian, large as Nature, by Van- Vandyke, dyke ; it wants life, is flat, and, I think, ako- gt;ther, one of the worft pictures I have feen by the hand of this great mafter — Another, repre- fenting a pofielTed woman, two old men, and a child ; fo very black, that I think I could fafcly defy a connoiffeur to fhew me its merit. — A Tinto- Refurrection, by Tintoretto. The afcending ^^"°* figure very heavy, and poorly attempted. — A wretched little picture (in my opinion), laid by Cochin to be une Bfquijje finie de Rubens^ and much Lucca commended by him. — In the firfl: faloon is a Urge 'pidlurc, by Lucca Giordano, reprefenting Dio- genes feeking a man. There are two incomparable faces in the group, and a dog, who, putting him- fcif felf in a pofture of defence between his mafter and Diogenes, fhews his teeth to the latter. — A Magdalen, by Andrea del Sarto, as they pretend; Andrea but I was fo ftupid as to miftake it for a family portrait. — Two family portraits, by Vandyke, Vandyke, large as life, of a fenator of Genoa and his wife •, they are very good, but relemble each other fo ftrongly, that I v/as on the point of crowning one fottife with another, by allying the Conceirge^ whe- ther they were not brother and fifter? — Two large landfcapes, by Rubens. He has placed the point Rubens, of view fo high, as to difcover a greater extent of profpecfl than can generally be feen in Nature. One is the reprefentation of a flat country; in the other, is a rainbow, which by its weight, and want of glow in the colouring, falls very far Ibort of its brilliant original. — A picture of Dives and Lazarus, faid to be by Jacopo Baffano. — A Car- Jacopo dinal in converfation with Luther and Calvin ; a ^^^^"°* very fine pidure ; the keeping admirable, and the perfonages wonderfully natural. It appears to be the produdion of Gulio Romano; but the Co7t- GuHo ceirge attributes it to Sebaftien del Piambo. There SeTaaLii is a fly fo well painted on this pifture, that fl:ran- Piambo. gers always attempt to brufh it ofi^, although it is uncommonly large, and placed in the moft con- fpicuous part of the piece. — The portrait of a Nun, very beautiful ; (I think) by Capucino. — Capucino. Two liLtle pidures, by Brughel, on copper, re- Brughel. prefenting Adam and Eve. They pleafed me much more than they did Cochin j their nice pro- portions, [ 170 ] portions, the dignity and manly cxprefTion in the face and limbs of Adam ; the delicacy, foftnefs, and beautiful fimplicity, blended with the inno- cence which our firft mother here exprelTes (for probably the moment the painter chofe was prior to her acquaintance with the devil), renders the charadler of this pidure fo amiable, that you may look at it a confiderable time, nor find its merit diminifh by the moft rigid examination. Cochin fays, thefe pictures are highly finilhed ; but cold, and of a colouring void of frelhnefs : in all which criticifm, the height of finiihing excepted, he ap- pears to be totally miftaken. — A very large pic- Luc. Gl- ture, by Luc. Giordano. The colouring is fine, ordano. ^\^q drawing falfe in many of the figures. By the horror and agitation, with dillortions, ftrongly ex- prefTed in the female figures, confufed among the Roman foldiers, the piflure ftruck me, at firft, as reprefenting the Murder of the Innocents j but, upon a nearer examination, I perceived it to be the Rape of the Sabines. There are two of thefe Sabines, whofe figures are ftrikingly well exe- cuted : one, whom a foldier is lifting up from the ground with great violence j her fright, difordered hair, drefs, and countenance are fo exprefllve, that I could have fancied I heard her fcreams : an- other, whofe back is turned to the fped:ators, lofes no expreflion by not fhewing her face j her diftrefs is to be read in the countenance of the fol- dier, who is forcing her away, and who difcovers more feelings of companion upon the occafion than [ '71 ] than any of the others. — Oppofite to this piece is one by the fame hand -, the fLibje<5t, Perfeus con- quering his enemies, by turning towards them the Medufa's head, fixed in his fhield : they transform into marble at that horrible afpedl ; and the painter has very ingenioufly tinted thefe warriors, fo as to rcprefent the gradual metamorphofe, from great ftiffnefs of mufcles to abfolute hard marble, the carnation of the flelh declining through the de- grees of palenefs to tranfparent whitenefs, with a variety in the effect that is admirable j fuch as, one man attempting to fly, having caught a glance of the Fury's face, his features, and part of his body, are already hardened into marble, whilft his legs are endeavouring in vain to aid him to efcape the petrifying power. Another, aiming a ftroke of a fabre at the fliield, has juft time to fliew in his countenance, his horror and amaze- ment at the coldnefs and impotency of his whiten- ing arm. — Another, by the fame author; the fubjefl, Jezebel devoured by Dogs. This pic- ture may not be inferior to the other two ; but the hiftory it reprefents is fo horrible, that although I am perfectly convinced one might, by confidering it, have difcovered great merit, yet, after a cur- fory view, 1 could not bring myfelf to dwell upon the reprefentation of a cataftrophe attended with fo many difgufting circumftances. There is a man on horfeback in this pidure, no doubt Jehu, who by his palenefs, and the exprefiion of his fea- tures, looking on at this frightful piece of juftice, feems [ 172 ] fecms to be as much fhocked as an indifferent fpedator could be fuppofed to be. — A St. John Guercino. Baptift, by Guercino ; a good pifture. — A Holy Rubens. Family, of Rubens, with a cradle. The Virgin is homely ; the other figures very well. I think Cochin fays more of it than it deferves, although he does not think it by Rubens, but rather a beautiful copy by a flcilful painter. — Venus and Paris Bor- Cupid, by Paris Bordone. (Cochin attributes it to Tiziano.) The Venus appears to be very old in this pidlure, a circuraftance fo inconfiflent with every idea attached to this goddefs, that it nearly deftroys by its abfurdity its pretenfions to merit. — A Beggar, who holds a book, and is laughing Efpagni- immoderately, by Efpagnioletto. Admirably na- "°' tural, and very comic j although it wants an ex- planation, and feems to have been painted on feme particular occafion.— A large pifture ; very indifferent. By the obfcurity of the lubjed, it feems allegorical ; a woman attended by her maids. — A Hero, a Fury, a Tiger, &'c. This Luc.Gior piece of confufion is by Luc. Giordano. A pic- ^'*°* ture which Itruck my fancy, as being very good, though not mentioned by any of the travellers ■whom I have read ; it reprtfents a beautiful wo- man, preparing to (lab a deeping warrior i but a Cupid fufpends the affafll nation, by feizing her arm. There is great corre6lnefs of defign, par- ticularly in the Cupid and the woman ; the latter is finely draped in white, and full of grace. The colouring has much of Guido's, a light olive and white, [ 173 ] white, (Haded to grey. Here are fome other pic- tures which I omit, not being fufficiently intereft- ing to require particular notice. The palace of Marchefe Francefco Maria Balbi Palace is one of the finefl: in Genoa; it confifts of two noble apartments on the fccond floor; under which are open galleries : pillars of the Doric or- der encompafs thefe galleries, and ferve to fupport the above apartments. This architedure has a fine efFed. — The firft pi6lures that ftrike you on entering the apartment, are a Family-portrait, finely executed by Vandyke, and a large piece by Vandyke, Capacino, the fubje6t Jofeph explaining the Capacino, dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker. This is a great and capital pidlure ; Jofeph's figure, attitude, and face are truly exprefTive of his cha- rader •, in the latter, the features, without being io regular as to form perfe6l beauty, convey the idea of vaft liiperiority of genius above his fellow- fufferers, as well as magnanimity and greatnefs of mind, which ftrongly dillinguilh him from his unhappy companions. The butler, who is liften- ing with eagernels to Jofeph, does not negle6l to give a proper degree of attention to a baficet of grapes, the juice of which he is prefTmg out with his hands. This fubjecl is treated in a manner that makes it very interefling -, the infide of the prifon, and the injignia proper to fuch a place, have not been negleded, the colouring is agree- able — The cieling, painted by Valerio Caftelli, Valerlo is a miferable performance : was I the owner of ^aildls, 7 this Giacopo BafTano. Tiziano. Sarzano. Guercio da Cento, Lucio Mallari. Vandyke, Annibal Caracci. Agoftino Caracci. Paris Bor- done. t m ] this palace, I would have it white-waflied over.— In the firfl faloon, a Market, by Giacopo Baffano, not as well as other piftures I have feen of this mafter. A large picture by Tiziano ; fubjedl, the Adoration of the Magi. The perfonages finely done, their colouring worthy of the author ; but it is to be lamented, that he underftood nothing of trees, landfcape, or perfpedive -, a mod fur- prifing chaos occupying the back ground. A Baccanale by Sarzano : a lingular idea, but tole- rably well executed. Andromeda chained to the Rock, by Guercio da Cento : but indifferent. A fcaft given by fhepherds to Tamar ; not much bet- ter. Sufanna tempted by the Elders, by Lucio MafTari : the old gentlemen perfedly in charader, and as much variety in their perfons and attitudes as the uniformity of their wifhes admits of. As for the fair Sufanna, fhe is rather too robuft to be beautiful, and fufiiciently ColofTal to have amply defended herfelf againft the affaults of her aged admirers. — In the fecond faloon, the Portrait of a Lady, by Vandyke : the face is good, the hands and drapery but indifferent. St. Francefco d'Af- fifi, by Annibal Caracci : an excellent pidure ; the Saint is penetrated with the mod lively devo- tion. A St. Jerome with Angels, by Agoftino Caracci : not equal to the former. A Danae, by Paris Bordone : this pidure pofTefTes no great me- rit. A Bambino and Madona : there is much foftnefs and roundnefs in the picture : but it is more amiable than great : the fampler and balls of [ "75 ] of worfted on a table, are well imitated. St. Ca^ therine and two Priefts, mentioned in the cata- logue as Opera BelliJJima del Tiziano. I believe he would be much mortified, did he know this pic- ture was imputed to him. Our Saviour in the Garden, attributed (as falfely) to Michael Angelo Buonarroti. A Nativity, by Luca d'Olando : the Lucad'O Virgin is red haired, pale complexioned, and homely. In a bafket near her, is a cufliion and bobbins, with fome lace begun, and a pair of pat- tins near. A Venus with two Cupids, marked in the catalogue. Opera Rara di Annihale Caracci. I believe rare enough ; for he certainly was not capable of producing upon canvas fuch a coarfe, vulgar wench, with a couple of fturdy brats. A Flagellation, by Tiziano : this is fo blackened by Tiziano. time or accident, that it is difficult to difcern how very fine it has been ; by the little that remains you may ftill judge of its fuperior merit. A Por- trait of a young girl, by Annibal Caracci : this is Annibal a perfect reprefentation of the mod beautiful na- ture. Two Ovals, which are placed to great dif- advantage in the angles between the windows and doors ; they are heads, one of a man, the other of a woman ; the latter in particular is extremely good. They are by Gulio Cefare Proccacino. — GuHoCe- In the third faloon, a large pifture; the fi^bjed ^,^^^1^^^°*^* the Converfion of St. Paul. The reprefentation of fo extraordinary a miracle has given the painter full fcope for the difplay of his utmofl: abilities. St. Paul is fallen to the ground, with both his hands [ 175 ] hands he partly covers his face, and exprefles more, if pofllble, than had his whole face ap- peared J at leaft, the imagination fupplies the reft better (perhaps) than could have done the Michael pencil of the famous Michael Angelo de Cara- /i^ngeloda y^ggJQ. although he is fuperlatively great in his gio. figure of the Centurion, whofe amazement is ex- cited by different motives from that of St. Paul ; as the ftarting of the horfe, the fall of the Saint, and the loudnefs of the thunder; for his coun- tenance plainly indicates a total unconfcioufnefs of the heavenly vifion. A blafphemous reprefenta- tion of God the Father-, this difgraces the whole pi6ture. Befides the abfurdity of the manner of fupporting this impious reprefentation (which the attempt to reprefent is abfolutely forbid), the per- fpeclive, or keeping, is totally wanting. How- ever, the light is finely thrown, and the heavenly brightnefs oppofes and furpafles that of the day ; fo that the dare obfcure is exprefled as it were by two different lights, the former bting tranfcend- ently more glorious than the latter. A St. Jofeph Capucino. aiid Infant Jefus, by Capucino : the child is but Vandyke, poorly done. An Ecce Huomo, by Vandyke: a very fine pifture. A Blackmoor in the back- ground ftrikes you with horror ; the painter hav- ing aifembled together in this countenance all the cruelty, malice, and envy that can be expreffed in a black face, accompanied with a hideoui grin, A Madona and a lleeping Bambino on her lap ; a garland of flowers encloftrs the figures : the child is [ ^n ] IS well drawHy his fleep natural, and attitude un- affeded ; by Giovanni Rofa. St. John in the Giovanni Defert : a tolerable piflure •, by Guido Reni. A (^^^ mo beautiful Magdalen repentant and contrite, but Reni. not forfaken by the Graces ; the author Annibal Annibal Caracci. A Virgin, with her infant fon (landing on her lap ; trying to catch at a pomegranate 'iW^ holds out of his reach. He is the handfomeft child you can form any idea of; good fenfe, the utmoft fweetnefs and good-nature are blended with a ftrong expreflion of impatience to attain the fruir. The colour, drawing, i£c. are capital. By Van- Vandyke, dyke. St. Jerome in the Defert, by Titian ; the Titian. Saint very well, but the Defert deteflable. A fmall oval pidure, reprefenting a Madona and Bambino afleep on her lap ; a fine carnation fpread over the fleeping infant ; his head and arms hang- ing down liftlefs, the mouth a little open, and a mod profound Deep, are all well-imitated: by Camillo Procaccino, There are more piclures in Camillo this faloon, but I will not trouble you with them -, J^^^^^' they do not appear to have as much merit as thofe I have named. — In the fourth faloon, a large pic- ture ; the fubjeft is a group reprefenting the Vir- gin, the infant Jefus, the three wives of Rubens, feveral Saints and Angels •, alfo a man armed in a coat of mail. This lad figure is admirably done, but does not feem to have any bufinefs in this pic- ture, any more than Rubens' wives, who are all vulgar and ugly. This piece, as you may fup- pofe, is by Rubens, A very good picture of St. Ravens. Vol. I. N J-.rome [ I7S ] Guido Jerome reading, by Giiido Reni. There are ether ^"'" pidures in this fourth faloon, but I do not rn- ' tion them, for the reafons i gave before, lu regard to the former. — In the gallery, tlie wife and fon of Vandyke. One of the moti perfeft productions of this admirable painter j the child Correcrio. '^^ particular is inimitable. A Nativity j the Vir- gin-mother moil beautiful i the child is nature it- felf j he fhrinks, and turns himfelf from the cold air towards the bofom of the Virgin, as if to feek fnel- ter from the htuation to which a new-born infant mud nectilarily feel himfelf expofed, added to the inclemencies of the weather, without any other pro- tedVion than that of a ruined liable, or bed than a heap of ftraw upon which he is laid. This fcene is drongly reprefented by the energetic pencil Vandyke, of the great Corregio. Vandyke's portrait, by himfelf J a duplicate of what we have feen before Holbens. at Turin. A Portrait, faid to be by Holbens ; but I doubt it. A handfome-faced Lucretia ; but her hands appear lame, and fhe is poorly finiflied ; although the dagger is half-buried in her bread, yet it fits the wound fo nicely, that no blood, nor any mark of being wounded appears : this is by Titian. Titian. A Magdalen tranfporred into Heaven by Angels ; her face fine, and fore-fnortened with great judgment in the drawing-, her long yellow hair exceedingly well done, and as much grace as a figure can exprefs thus conveyed by other Guido figures. This pidure is by Guido Reni. A Bru'oiiel. Temptation of St. Anthony, by Brughel ; this painter [ 179 ] painter has here exhibited a wonderful company, all calculated to teafe and torment poor St. An- thony, who is more frightened than tempted ; being furroiinded with flying monfters vomiting flames, devils and dwarfs riding upon winged flfl'ies, wanton womin with fcaly tails like mer- Jiiaids, and a thoufand fuch fancies of diftempered brains, that you would think he had been raving in a fever vvlien he compofed this piece. There are, I believe, half a dozen more pidures in this gallery than I have mentioned ; but as they do not appear to have any great fliare of merit, I fliall not trouble you with an account of them. Adieu. I fear I may mifs the poll:, fo fliall only add, that thefe palaces want new-furnifliingand frefn gilding-, both have been fine, but are at prefent exceed- ingly out of repair. — The floors all paved with brick, and ill painted ; too many doors in every room; and, upon the whole, mofl: uncomfortable dwelling-houfes ; but in feems the Balbis do not inhabit their fine apartments, except when they have a converfazione^ or aflembly ; for in general they live as high as their houles admit of, and occupy a few rooms, very much inferior in fize, cleanlinefs, and furniture to thofe fliewn to flran- gers. I have no more time than to aflure you how much I am, ^c. N 2 LET- I [ i«o ] LETTER XVII. Genoa, November gth. HAVE had the sood fortune to receive ano- ther packet of letters from Turin, which our banker T has forwarded to us. I am over- joyed to find, amongft the many agreeable things they contain, that you are perfedlly fatisfied with me, and very much flattered that you give my catalogue of pi6lures, roads, i^c, the preference to thofe of *********, ^r. ^r. but as 1 am confcious of the partiality of both you and M — , I ought to fear the pluming myfelf on my own difcernment. All I can honeftly affert is, that I fpeak the truth to the beft of my judgment, and am far from prefuming my opinion in works of tafte to be what you fuppofe. Thofe pidures particularly that are univerfally admired, and confidcred as Chef d'Oeuvres, I may pofTibly do injufiice to by my defcriptions ; but as I know you had rather have any defcription that can con- vey fome idea of a pidlure, than have the epithet very fine, very good, ^c, repeated without end ; {o you muft not be furprifed at the length of my letters, which I fear will increafe, even to tediouf- ; nefs, when we fhall have reached Rome and Naples. But not to anticipate, by augmenting \ the prefent more than is necelTary, I fhall proceed to k [ «8« ] to inform you, as briefly as I can, of the contents of the palaces of Durazzo, Pallavicini, Doria, ^c. as alfo fomething of the churches. An Abigail and David : too much blackened in Palace of the fhaded parts, and become fo pale in the light,, Durazzo. as to be almoll void of merit. A Picture, the fubject of which is, Render to defar that which belongs to Cd'far, ^c. as fine for colouring as can be wilhed. But I do not think this fubjeft is very proper to be reprefented in a pidure ; it is not fufEciently marked for a painter to know well what exprefTion and character to give to each figure of the group, David giving the letter containing the order for Uriah's death : This, Guercino has Guercl- made more of than he has of the former •, the moft ignorant in the art of painting cannot avoid per- ceiving the merits of this pidlurej parLicularly in the perfon of David, to whom this aift 'of tyranny appears by no means familiar ; fo that he feems to wifli to revoke the order, in which at the fame time his pafilons compel him to perfift. It is aftonilhing how a painter could, in repre- fencing one moment of time, convey to the mind of the fpeftator fuch a crowd of ideas. Guer- cino's colouring, in general, is not, in my opi- nion, very agreeable; there is too much purple and lilak, or a light red purple and white, in al- moft all his pidtures. The woman taken in Adultery, by Julio Cefare Procaccino : the colour- juHoCe- inp; is too red and flarin^, and the woman not '''"'^ .^''°' r r 1^ ■ r caCCinO. Iiandfome. A ImalHpiaure of the Martyrdom N 3 of [ >82 "] of St. Stephen : this is a fine piece for defign, Caracci. charafter, colouring, ^c. by Caracci. An ex- C"py of cellenr copy of a famous Magdalene by Titian. Anorher '^^^^'^^ fwallowing live coals ; another copy from fromGui- Guido. Hagar, her Child, and an Angel: this picture is very interelling ; the diftrefs of Hagar is worked up to the higheR: pitch -, the child is in the agonies of death ; the foreft wild, and the reft of the country parched and dry. The whole pic- Carlo tyre taken together is well compofed j by Carlo Cignani. A beautiful fleeping Child, by Guido. Two philofophers, Dcmocritus and Heraclitus, Ktpagno- by Efpagnolette : there is a life and a force in the manner of this mafter, that was he a poet, inllcad of a painter, we fhould fay, his works infpire more horror than terror and pity. Two or three Vandyke pidures of children by Vandyke, as natural as poffible; and a very fine piifture of a fleeping Venus and a Satyr; iis only fault is being too red. Palace of I" the palace of Marccllino Durazzo are three MarceUi- capital pitlures, by Luc. Giordano : the fubiedl noDuraz- , . ' . . •to. of the firft is Seneca in the Bath. Although this ^uc.Gior- pi(5|:yi-e is hio;hly efteemed here, yet I think that in the porfeffion of the Duke of Marlborough much fuperjor to it ; for in this the charafter of Se- neca has the bafenefs of a fiave, though his dif- ciples pofil'fs all the dignity of virtue which fhould more eminently diftinguifh their mafter. in the piflure at Blenheim, Seneca*s charader is finely fuftained, and the colour, I think, is more mel- low. [ 1^3 ] low. The fecond reprefents Olmdus and So- phronia fadened to a pile of wood; Clorlnda appearing, flops the executioner. The moment th'i painter has chcfcn is from thefe two lints of Taflb : . Scno amhojlretii al palo fiejfoj e volto E il tergo al tergo^ il i^oUq afcofo al volio. 7'he iigure of Sophronia is graceful and charm- ing ; her lover is toltrable ; but Cionnda has not had jaluce done her: the colouring is rather too yellow, but the light thrown with great judgment. The third is Phineus overcome by the view of Medula's head : this head and the figure of Per- feus fail very fhort of the excellence that might be expefied, and which you have already feen upon the fame fubjeft in Luc. Giordano. The next capital pifture is by Paul Veroncfe; the fub- jcct the anointing of our Saviour's feet in the houfe of the Pharii'ee. This picture is gre>itly admired by Connoijfeurs \ neverthelefs, I do not like the Magdalene, one of the principal figures, and the molt efteerned -, her attitude appears un- natural, the drawing is falfe, and fails in tlie keeping •, her character that of a common ilrcet- waiker. Paul Veronele had forgot the feven devils Paui Ve- were caft out of her long before (he performed this ""onefe. act of devotion. However, to fee this pidure, io as to do it juftice, it m.uft be contemplated in a large looking- glafs, placed fo as to Ihew its merits N 4 to [ i84 ] to the greateft advantage. As to the carnation of the flefli, and the beauty of the ftuffs, Paul is ahnoH: without a competitor. A fragment of a pidure, rcprefenting the crucifixion. More than one half has been confumed by fire •, what remains is in the greateft manner, and cannot be too much Tintoret- admired : this is by Tintoretto. A very large Rubens. P^^^""" by Rubens ; the fubjecl, Juno fitting in all majefty, having commanded the eyes of i\.rgus to be placed in her peacocks tails ; her firft maid of honour, Mifs Iris^ is picking them out of Argus's head with a bodkin, and prefents them to little Cupids, who are ail bufy in fticking them into the tails of the peacocks. Tl:ke trunk of Ar- gus, but juft beheaded, is too well done to bear contemplation ; the veins of the neck ftill fpouting blood, is very fhocking : the unfeeling chara6lers of Juno and Iris, though well done in themfelves, are difgufting, from the inhumanity of their occu- pations ', and, upon the whole, this picture is very difagreeable, by reafon of the fubjed: ; though the drapery is admirable, the grouping fine, and the colouring perfedl. A pidure reprefenting a High Rem- Prirft i it is a fine piece, by Rembrandt. A Holy brandt. ^^^.y^Hy^ ^..jth St. Elizabeth and St. John : the head of the Virgin, for grace, drawing, and co- louring, is admirable. St. Elizabeth is as fine an old woman as can be imagined, and the infant Jefus as perfe6b in every refpedl as the moft beau- tiful child can be; ks graces enf an tine's that the An.lrea FrcDch admire fo much, Andrea del Sarto has hit del iar 10. rr 7 Off I 185 1 ofF in the luckieft manner. This piece is worthy the admiration of the curious. A Saint Catherine reading ; (he is quite alive, and exceedingly hand- fome 1 by Carlo Dolci. A portrait of a woman, ^*^'? ; '■ Dojci. finely painted, on paper, by Vandyke. — In one Vandyke. of the oratories, a beautiful Madcna, by Saffo Safib Fer- Ferrato. Another St. Catherine j Queen of Swe- Qgj.j^ den, by Carlo Dolci. Six pi<5lures of Caftiglione, Dolci. greatly efteemed -, that which reprelents a Baccha- jione. nal is the bed. There are feveral more pivftures worthy of notice in this palace ; but I fpare you, for I feel you wifh I had done : however, if here- after you Ihould be curious about the reft, I can fhew you a pocket-book in which they are all entered : at prefent I Ihall add but one more, an original portrait of Anne Boleyn, This pi(fture Anne (as the Conceirge told us) was prefented to the ^°' mafter of the houfe by a young Englifh nobleman, who fent it from England as a return for fomiC civilities he had received durins: his refidence at Genoa j but he had foj'got his name. This portrait is very handibme, and dreifed in the fafhion of the day, which is curious ; a green hat, of an oval form, becomes her wonderfully. I am ftrongly inclined to believe it an original by the attitude, which is natural to a fault •, flie wants grace, but is full of good humour. The painter has failed in the hands -, the author of this picture is not mentioned in the catalogue. — A bafTo Statues, relievo, in Carara marble, reprefenting an infant Jcfus £ I iS6 ] Jefus afleep upon a heap of draw. This is by Parodi. Parodi, and is tolerably well done. There are four ftatues, by the fame, after the manner of Barattadi Bernini i and two others by Baratta diCarara: not void of merit. — One entire piece of fculpturei the fubjed, the Rape of Proferpine ; the flefh is not deftitute of the appearance of flexibility, but the attitudes are extraordinary. This block of marble is fo perfedf, that if flruck with the linger it founds like a bell j it is alfo of a beautiful Schlafino whitenefs. Tlie fculptor's name, Schiafino of ^' Genoa; he worked after the models of the Che- valier Rufconi, his mafter. — But the only very valuable piece of antique fculpture, is a buffo of Vitellius •, it is admirable, and fo natural, that one inftinttively touches the face to try if it will not yield. It has acquired by time, or by having lain in water, certain fmall pundtures on the fur- face, no ftatuary would have ventured to have given it with the chiffcl, which have an extraor- dinary good effect. Can you hear of more pictures? Here then are thofe of the palace of Palbvicini, with which I fliail conclude this let- ter ; for iiappily for you, there is a law-fuit in the family * of the prefent pofTefTor of the paintings * The pictures are (probably) to be divided with the Frin- cefs of Monaco ; and the prefent pofTeflor fears to let ihein be feen, left fome value fhould be put upon them, and conne to the cars of the F'rincefs. Miconi's collection of fliclls is alfo in this palace ; but cannot be llicvvn to ilrangers at prefent for |i]b€ fame reafon. contained [ '87 ] containefd in tlie Palazzo Erignolctti ; (o they arc taken down and locked up, until tiie caufe fhall be decided. My next letter will find ample pro- vifion in the churches, the villas, the halls for the .-^'.eater and lelfer councils, ^c. The b::ft paintings in the palace of Pallavicini f , Palace of are a fmall Magdalene fitting; on her lap is placed ^^j^j^ a fkull, over which fhe is weeping ; her tears fall upon the fkull, and rolling round the indentures of the head, at length lofe themfelves in the fock- ets of the eyes, although fhe endeavours with her beautiful locks to wipe them away from her cheeks. Her face is angelic ; the drawing, co- louring, and finiihing admirable. This precious rnorfel is upon copper; but unfortunately the author is condemned to oblivion, for there is no catalogue; and even Cochin has not mentioned ^his pidure. Its pendant is certainly by the fame h.'.nd, akhouwh not equal to the Mag;dalene. It is a Holy Family, but fingular of compofiiion ; jSt. Jofeph is lidening to an angel, who ieems narrating ibmewhjt tlvit lurprifes him ; his emo- tion is finely expreifed ; the Virgin reading with fuch attention that fhe does not feem fenfible to the pre fence of her divine gueft ; the infant Jcfus fleeps upon the ground. — A large picture of Ve- nus and Adonis jud dead; Venus is fainted away; \n her countenance paknefs and horror are •f- Here are fome crnair.ents, coinice?, l3c. of admirable jlpcco, i'mooth as ivory. blended I l88 I blended with great fweetnefs; a Cupid having, filled a fhell with water, is endeavouring upon tiptoe to throw it on her face. This is the fineft and mod natural figure of a child that can be feen. Adonis, beautiful in death, is wonderfully well executed in every refpedt ; one hand is open, and a dog who is howling for his mailer, holds his fore-paw on the palm of Adonis. This circum- ftance, which may be trifling to read, has a moil pathetic efiedl in the pidlure ; but I know you will feel ir, fo I (houid not have called it trifling. Vanoyke. This pidlure is fuppofed to be by Vandyke.-— Another very large piece, and which is well done. On the fore-ground is a young man, whofe fur- prife, fear, and confiernation, are mingled in his face; he is finely contrafted by a venerable figure who appears perfeftly calm on the occafion. This picture, it feems, reprefents a Miracle, performed in Genoa a great while fince •, namely, a young man being thrown from his horfc, St. Peter ap- peared to him, and cut off one of the legs of the horfe, and as quickly joined it on again, in fuch a manner, that there was no vifible difference between the kg that had been fevered and the others. This is the moment the painter has taken for the fubjecb of his piece. — A pidture of Diana and Adeon, with her nymphs •, it appears to be by Aibani. Several of the nymphs finely done, their heads in particular extraordinarily graceful *, but the landic^pe is poorly drawn. — A Holy Family, [ l^ ] Family, and St. Jerome, by Titian ; a very fine pi(5lure. And a piece by Baffano, which does not, in refpedt of colouring, refemble the other performances I have feen of this mafter ; it is very grey, but has his manner, his eafe, and his ^richnefs of pencil. In this palace are fome pro- ,phets and fome portraits that are good*. Adieu. We Ihall leave Genoa in a few days. * You have heard often of the magnificent furniture of thefe palaces; it is very true that the rooms are, for the moft part, hung with velvet and damaflc, and the chairs covered with the fame ; but you mull: take into the account that thefe materials are manufadured at Genoa, and that India paper is more expenfive in England than damalk here; alfo, thele palaces are feldom nev/ furnilhed, from twenty to fifty years they leave the fame hangings up; fo that, upon the whole, this apparent finery proves very good osconomy. And when the velvet chair-covers begin to wear, they take them off, and having cut out leaves and flowers of any old fragments of fattin they have by them, few it over the worn out places, and with a gimp as thick as a whip cord work round the edges of the flowers, or pattern ; this has even a better effed than the velvet-covers had at firft. Thus ihey repair the old furai'ure at a very flight expence. LET. [ igo ] LETTER XVIII. Genoa, Ncveinber nth. OULD you believe it? the poft books are fo wrong, that the road they unention froin hence to Florence (we have difcovered) is only pradlicable for mules j for no carriage can pafs it. Thus fliall vv-e be obliged to mcafure back our fleps as far as Novi, and from thence to Tortona, &c; for, as to a fea voyage from hence to Leghorn (although many ftrangers, and even Englifh have frequently made it), it is not abfolutely without danger. A lbu:h-wcft wind may caufe fome difficulties ; the accommodations on board the boats are wretched ; in Ihort, we have no idea of this manner of reaching Florence •by Leghorn. By the road we are determined to take, we fliall pafs through Parma and Piacenza to Bologna ; from all which places you may be fure I fliall write ; for this is the laft letter you will receive from Genoa, as we propofe quitting this town in a day or two, having feen every thing worthy and unworthy of the curiohty of flrangcrs. Churches, fenare-houfes, I fhould have faid the halls of the Great and LefTer Councils ; gallcy-flaves, inquifition, mifcellaneous anecdotes of afiaffmations, penances, theatre, charities, villas, &c. fliil remain to fill this letter ; fo you muft [ 19. ] mud expe6t a large packet, though I fiiall endea- vour to be as concife as poiTible, confiflenc with the accuracy you require of me. The Jefuits Church is built in a very fingular jefults manner. A range of domes, one after the other, ^'^"*^^"* on each fide of the middle ifle, give this church too much the air of a theatre. The paintings in \frefco 2X0. well done-, the principal pictures are, an Affumption of the Virgin, confiding of twenty- fix figures ; this is an admiirable performance ^ the (hades are brown and ftrong, and the oppofition of chiaro ofcuro finely preferved. \t is by Guido. — Gaido, Over the great altar, is a fine pidlure, by Rubens, Rubeas. reprefenting the Circumcifion ; the figures are judicioufly grouped, the colouring good, and the whole of great charafler. Another ftill better, by this mafter, of a Jefuit exorcifing" a Demoniac j this piece is in a grand ftyle and manner ; the lights and Ihades finely ditlributed, and the Huffs rich and glowing. — In the cathedral, but one good pidure, which appears to be by Tiziano; the Tiziano. fubje6l, the Adoration of the Magi. The Vir- gin-mother and little Chrift are of the moll per- fect beauty. — In the church of Carignano, a good picture of St. Francis receiving the Stigmates^ by Guercl- Guercino. — The Martyrdom of St. Bafil is finely "°* compofed, and the whole is in a great manner, although by Carlo Maratti •, from whofe time Carlo ^ may be dated the decline of the art of painting in Italy. * In Gioreuo. [ 192 J Annon- In the Church of the Annonciatay over the door Church. °^ entrance, is a Lad Supper, by Julio Cefare Julio Ce- Procaccino -, we muft regret its being fo much caccino. blackened, and otherwife fpoiled, as it has been a very fine pi6lure. The painting in the cupola is not contemptible. In the Sacrifty are four pic- Sarzano. tures, by Sarzano •, and two others by one Giocino Giocino Gioretto. That which reprefents Efau felling his birth-right, is the belt : there is great fpirit and force in the figures. This church is (to my tafte) the fined in Genoa. On entering, the folemnity and majefty which ought to accompany every temple is wonderfully ftriking, "Where through the long drawn ifle And fretted vault, the pealing anthem, l^c. As our inn (the Poft-houfe) is very near, we have oftener vifited it, than we might otherwife have done. Here is a prcfufion of marble, the luftre of which dazzles the fio-ht ; certain twifted columns of a very rare fpecies, refenibling the fined clouded agate, and Egyptian pebbles af- fembled together in large mafies ; the mouldings, frizes, i^c. all gilt ; the pillars that fupport the roof are marble, fluted, and finely veined with red ; the deps up to the altar, the balludrades, i^c. are all of marble, white as fnow. Prodrate on thefe deps, we faw a very old man, poorly drelTt'd, who licked them with iiis tongue, de- fcribing erodes, from one end to the other of the deps i [ ^93 ] fteps; this he repeated every day at the fame hour. I was curious to know why this man per- fevered in fo fmgular and difgufting a penance ; upon inquiry, 1 learn: from our Cicero^n^ that during his youth he had been employed in the tobacco manufactory ; that he had been remark- ably debauched ; and that his profelTion of faith had been to fear nothing here or hereafter. That, to the Ciceroni's own knowledge, he had com- mitted more than twelve aflTaffinations -, the motive for the greatefl: number of thefe murders had been his moft violent choler, and an infatiable thiril of revenge. He grew very rich, quitted his bufinefs, married, and had three or four children ; one of his Ions was killed a few years ago on the fteps of this church, by a barber who bore him malice. This murderer now keeps a fhop in the neighbourhood, which the Ciceroni fhewed me. To avoid falling into the hands of juftice, he concealed himfelf on board an Englirti or Dutch fhip for a fhort time; after which he re- appeared and continued his bufmefs. This is no uncommon plan at Genoa; un colpo di cohello is ittn in much the fame light here, as the bruiies and contulions acquired by the athletic dilciples of the renowned Slack and Nailer in England. But to return to the old finner-, having lived in riot and debauchery until he had v^afted all his fubllance, his vices forfaking him, and the weak- nefs and infirmities of old age having alfo deprived him of his courage, he began to doubt whether Vol. I. O he C 194 J he might not have made a miftake, and deter- mined to take a bond of Fate, by making a bar- gain with Heaven, (in cafe there fnould happen to be any power to call him to account) although the conditions might be hard -, for this purpofc he lent for a pried, a confcfTor, who recommended to him the above humiliation of licking, v/ith fome fcore of Avcs and Paters by way of dou- ceur; thefe he has duly paid Heaven every day for thefe ten years pad. He alfo has the misfor- tune to depend upon one of his fons for a (lender fubfiftence, which is feafoned with reproaches and curfes for his tedious exifbcnce in this world. This wretched old man has attained the great age of eighty-four, and may pofiibly arrive at that of an hundred, for he does not look near fo old as he really is. I could not refill an impulfe to rally our Ciceroni (who had put on a face of edification) with hoping he might be entitled ro a feat in an arbour in Paradife, if when he IhouLl become old, he carefully cleaned the marble fteps in the fame manner; but he replied, that any thing might be purchafcd at too dear a rate •, and that no prieft, or any other perfon, fhould perfuade him to fubmit to fuch humiliation and mortification. — 1 believe I have not mentioned the church of St. St. Luca Luca ; it is painted by Piola (the father) j the Church, manner refembles Pietro da Cortona and Rubens; but there are abfurdities in the drawing, and ca- pital faults in the colouring. In one of the cha- Bcnedetto pels Is a pidure by Benedetto di Callilione ; the lione. heads [ ^95 ] lieads are beautiful and highly finifhed ; the dra- pery elegant and light, without being meagre; the animals and bafket are natural, but the whole is too red. I think I have not omitted any church worth mentioning, though I am not infenfiblc to your want of patience on the fubjed -, for I re- member your fatigue at Paris two fuccefllve morn- ings, that we went church-hunting, when at our .return you had huddled together fuch a medley in L,your head of what we had feen, that 1 could ilf^arcely prevail upon you to give your opinion ilupon any of them, or even repeat yourvifit, Let others difpofe of their charities as they may, I do ; apprehend you will never build churches. How- ever, as there are many more ftill to be feen in i'ltaly, endeavour, if you can, to confider therri i rather in the light of collections of paintings, of fculpture, ^c. Put prifffts and monks, with their croaking of malTes, out of your head, and the Separating thefe ideas which you have (I fuppofe) |conne6led clofely together, may enable you to read with lefs wearinefs, what you will frequently have accounts of from thefe regions of fuperflition and prieflcraft. Agreeable to the order I pfopofed obferving I in the beginning of this letter, I now proceed to give you fome account of the Doge's palace, or of Doge's the Seig7:cUrie^ as it is here called. It is vafl:, but by no means beautiful. The firft objeds that are ftriking, after entering the court, are two marble ftatues placed upon the ftair-cafc, larger th:m the O 2 life; [ '95 ] life-, they reprcfent the Dorias; ,are in Roman cuirafles, and on the pedeftal of the firft is the fol- lowing fine infcription ; ANDREA DORIA QUOD REMPUBLICAM DIUTIUS OPPRESSAM PRIST INAM IN LIBERTATEM VIN-; DICAVERIT, PATRI PROINDE PATPJ^ APPEL- LATO SENATUS JANUEN5IS IMMOR f ALIS ME- MOR BENEFICII VlVENTl POSUIT. Upon the pedeRal of the fecond is engraved, JO. ANDR7E DORIA PATRI^ LIBERTATIS CON- SERVATORI. S. C. P. Thefe (latues are good blocks of marble, fpoilec by the chifTei of an ignorant fculptor. Franccf- The firft great Sdle is that of the council; it is painted in frefco, by Francefchini, and reprefents the battle of Pifa ; The fcaling of the walls ol Jerufalem by the Genoefe ; The Moors drove oui of Spain -, and, A Doge granting freedom to : King of Arragon and his family. Thefe painting; arc very indifferent. In the middle of the ciel ing, the city of Genoa is reprefented in allegory, treading upon Fortune^ i^c. &€.-, the perfpedive i; tolerable, but the painting cold. — Seven ftatue; of marble are placed in niches, which have beer creded in honour of certain patriots and benefac- tors of this city ; but they are poorly executed.— The fecond Salle is that of the little council, oi where the privy-council is held. One end i; elevated in the manner of a platform, or tribunal ; ir cniai. [ 197 ] in the centre of which is the chair deftined for the Doge, having oppofite to it a kind of writing- table i on each fide of the Doge is a chair for a ■fenator. The fides have Teats for ten more fena- ■; itors. When a nol^le has any matter to propofe, a if [little chair is placed for him on the fame platform. This Salle is decorated wijth three very large pic- tures, by Solimene. One is partly hid by the Solimene. canopy placed over the Doge's chair; the lubjedl, The landing of Chrillopher Columbus in Ame- : rica, and the fetting up of the Crols. It does not appear linifiied, and the tranfition of the (leading is almofb as fudden as from black to white. The -. other end of the Salle reprefents the ProceiTion of •the allies of St. John the Baptift entering Genoa in triumph. There is much confufion in the grouping of the figures, and the colons has the fame fault with the firil. On the cieling is painted the Majjacre of the children of the Juftini- ani family (who were fovereigns of the iiland of Cyprus), by the command of the Emperor Soly- man ; it is almoft impoflible to diftinguifh the • figures fufficiently to judge of their merits or . 'faults ; the ofcuro is fo black, and there is fo much ■ -of it, that you cannot diftinguiPn the difcribution of the different objeds •, however, Cochin fays much in its commendation. The cornice, frize, ■ and the whole of the architedure, is not only falfe, but ridiculous. There arc figures painted in both the 6'^//fj by Parodi i they are what the French parodi. call in Grifailky and have but a fmall fhare of O 3 merit [ I9S ] merit in my opinion. So much for the Senate- houfe. Arfenal. The Arfenal contains nothing very curious, Over the door of entrance appears one of thofc naval prows of iron, by the Romans called Ro- Jlrii?ns ; it is thin, much worn, and fradured in feveral places \ being hollow within, and proje6t- ing about eighteen inches, its termination feems to reprefent, in a rude manner, a wild boar's head j the following infcription is placed under : VETUSTIORI3 HOC JENl ROMANI ROSTRUM IN EXPURGANDO PORTU ANNO MDXCVII EREC- TUM UNICUM HUCUSQ. VISUM, EXIMIiE MAJO- RUM IN RE NAUTICA GLORJ^ DICAVERE CON^ GIVES. The following palaces we could not fee; Brig- nolette, Caregha, Andrea Doria, and S. Pietro; the furniture, pi6bures, l^c» of the two former are all taken down, and the property difputed be- tween the two families, occafioned by a recent marriage •, the married parties being at law for a part, or the whole of the moveables. The tWQ I latter are abfolutely refufed to ftrangers, for what reafon I could not difcover. I believe I have already mentioned to you in a former letter, the reafons why we could not fee the Brigniolette; but if 1 have, you will excufe this repeticion, as I alv/ays write amidft hurry, and interruptions. Before I mention the villas, or country-palaces, the bridge of Carig'dan and the Alhergo di Poveri nierit attention. This bridge conduds you to the church [ 199 ] church of Carignan. The arches are of a ftu- pendous height, 240 Genot-fe palms, and 30 broad [a palm here confifts of eight inches]. It unites a mountain to the town : and is faid to have been conftrufted at the expence of an individual citizen, a defcendant of one of the founders of the church, in order to render the frequenting this church more convenient to his houfehold. The Alberzo is a building: of great extent, and does Albergo. honour to the Genoefe ; ferving at once for chari- table ufes, as well as for a houfe of corre6lion. One wing is appropriated to the females, the other to the males \ that for the females is divided amongft illegitimate females, legitimate orphans, and thofe children, who having loft either father or mother, are by fuch a misfortune deprived of the care, education, and maintenance they might otherwife have been entitled to : alio the donne handilte^ or diforderly women, and citizens wives and daughters of irregular lives, who have been previoufly condemned for their condud; by the court of the holy inquitltion. Their confinement, or enlargement, after a limited time, is propor- tioned to their reformation, of which the inquifi- tor general is to judge. The ward of legitimate females confifts at prefent of 450 ; who are taught embroidery, knitting, and plain- v/ork •, are well clothed and fed, and often marry into rich burghers families; the tradefmen frequently feek- ing wives from amcngft them ; they being allowed to marry when application is made to the Bayne of O 4 the [ 20G ] the Mij'ericordi^, who is always one of the firfi; of the NobleJ[t\ and who honours thefe girls with her care and prote6lion. There is alfo a Chevalier., who accepts the like charge in regard to the males. Thefe proteiflors * are prefent at the marriage- ceremony ; nor are the girls refufed to return home to their relations or friends, when proper application is made for them. The men, the legitimate and iilegidmate children, the donne handitte (who are quite feparate from the reft), poor old infirm people paft their labour, and who are here maintained during the remainder of their days, occupy three wings of this buildings the fourth is for ftrangers, and the fervants of the Hofpital. Poor people, who cannot afford them- felvxs lodging-places, having previoufly proved to the council their neceffitous circumftances, obtain beds, for one night, and are always offered a bowl of foup, and a pound and a half of bread before they depart in the morning. All ftrangers of every country, and poor travellers, are allowed to lodge and eat as mentioned above. A prieft feated, with a religieufe on either hand, remain the whole day in a kind of public hall, where they receive all propofals and complaints, and adjufl accounts and difierences, of which they make re- turns to the Dame^ the Chevalier, and the council of five. The boys, who are about five hundred * This gentleman and lady are at the head of a council of five perfons, who are chofen from amonglt the NobleJJe, and 9fit appointed to decide upon the deferts of thefe fubje^s. at [ 20I ] at prefent, are taught all forts of handicrafts ; and if they have no friends or relations to proteft them, when fit to earn their bread, are fee up in different trades, at the charge of the fund, which is very confiderable ; many of the citizens hav- ing bequeathed great funis to this hofpital*. The chapel is built in the form of a crofs ; the altar {landing in the middle. Here is a bajfo relievo by Michael Angelo, which is a chefd'ccuvre. Michael It reprefents a dead Chrift and the Virgin, in the "^^ °* ufual attitude of that fubjedl, diftinguifhed in Italy by the name of a Pieta^ We were fo ftruck with the tranfcendent perfedion of this piece of fculp- ture, as to contemplate it in filence for near half an hour, before we could find words to expatiate upon its amazing excellence. It is fcarce credi- ble, that a mere mortal Hiould arrive at fuch a height of perfeflion in this art, without the ai.; of fome fuperior order of beings. In fhort, was I to attempt to fpeak of it as it deferves, the idea you would form mull fall fo fhort of the original, that I will not do it the injuftice to endeavour at a de- fcription. And where were thy eyes, O deceived Laland ! This Frenchman fpeaks thus, vol i. p. * The flatues of the principal benefaftors decorate this ho^ fpital. Thofe who have given all their wealth are reprefented lilting; others llanding, and fome only in buflo, according as they have bequeathed, to the amount of an hundred rhuuurd livres, or more than twenty-five thoufand livres Genoefe. This diftindlion of fculptureis intended to encourage an simu- lation amonglt the rich citizens. But all thefe llatues are very indifferent performances, 490, [ 202 ] 49^5 " -^'^ Chapdle deTAlbergo ejljolie', ony voit un has relief de Michael Ange \ c'ejt la the d'un Vierge qui voit Jefus Chrift mort^ et fur le maitre atitel une belle ajj'omption en marhre^ du puget. Sa tete a quclque chofe de divin.'* " A ce noble couroux " Je reconnois mon fangP Here is a virgin afcending to heaven as a dame d'atcur would afcend the great ftaircafe at Ver- failles. What flouncing and plaiting of drapery, what plunging and fluttering ; but it is no marter, a Frenchman guided the chiffel. Sa tete a quelque chofe de divin. If flie had had but a chinion a la du BarrCy a toupet bicn fifee, et des boucles mignionnes en maron., Laland would have been in ecftafy. There are others befides this hofpital, where the fick are faid to be equally attended to ; but I have been very exaft, and even tedious in regard to thz Alb ergo ', as v/e inquired particularly, and went there ourfelves to have ocular demonftration of what we had heard. But before I quit the topic of charity, I think it but jufl: to mention one pri- vate family, Vv'ho are worthy members indeed of any republic, let their profefllon of faith be what it will. The Cambeaces^ of which there are now five families, were originally fprung from trade, being merchants ; about an hundred years fince they were ennobled. They give every day a bowl of Ibup, and a pound of bread, to each of the poor who prefent themfelves at their gate ; if it fo happen, that at any time there is not fufficient of foup [ 203 ] Ibup for all, the grown perfons receive four fols each, and the children two in lieu of it. The number of poor is generally from three to five hundred : they are for the mod part ftrangers, French, Piedmontefe, Lombards, and Milanefe; for there are not many natives of the republic in fuch necelTitous circumftances as to want bread. They alfo give, once a year, to poor women who apply for them, a fmock, with a co7-fet and petti- coat ; to the men, a fliirt, a great ccar, with a hood to it, a pair of breeches and flioes. At the end of the year, thofe who prefent themfelves in the clothes that had been given them, are imme- diately new-clad ; but others who fiiew no remains of the late bounty, have their condud ftriftly fcrutinifed ; as fome unworthy objects have been known to abufe the goodnels of this family, by pretending to be in diftreffed circumftances, and have vilely difpofed of the charitable donations they had received. However, all pofTible cau- tion is ufed to prevent impofition, as a certificate of the curee of the parifh is generally required, in order to afcertain the truth in regard to their po- verty, l^c. One of the brothersj' late a very confiderable banker, I think at Venice, bequeath- ed, at his death, an income for ever to this cha- rity, equal to that proportion of his fortune which he had annually devoted to it. I forgot to men- tion, that a little of the foup out of the great boiler is always carried to one of the family to talle, before it is diftributed to the poor, left by 8 the ndliaves. [ 204 ] the want of attention, or negleft of fervants, it fhould not be good. We both had alfo the cnrio- fity to talte it, and found it very good peafe-foup. This charity is thought by fome people to aug- ment the number of poor ; polnbly it may ; but furely this family ought not to lofe their reward. It is remarkable that the great expence which they are ar, has had no tend.-ncy to diminifh their cir- cumflances •, as they have, for mere than a cm- tury pafr, been incrcafing in nches. ralleya As the quay, v/here the galleys lie, is not far from our inn, I have been to fee them ; v.e had no looner reached it, than we met a whole pofTe of gallerians extremely drunk and good humoured. It feems it was St. Martin's-day, and a high fefti- val amongfl the galley-flaves. They all with one voice cried out to us, in very bad Italian, to this effefl : "lUuftrious perfonages, give a iittle money to poor ChriRians, v/ho h^ve entirely abandoned Mahomet, and have taken to the worthy caufe of Chriflianity." We comphed with the requefl, to get rid of their clamour, wlien having but juft pafied them, I ftarted at a mod flrange and fud- den noife, which was immediately followed by burfts of applaufe and laughter ; I turned to fee what had happened, when, lo ! one of the good Chriflians having tumbled into a porridge-pot, lay extended on the pavement, invoking all Ma- homet's Paradife to his fuccour. Having reached a large galley, we went on board by the means of planks inftantly put out from it for that purpofe. 2 ■ They [ 205 ] They received us moil hofpitably, and feated us on a kind of elevated deck at one end, which is protecfted from the fun. In a few m.oments ap- peared a fmall band of muficians, chained two and two ; for the polite arts are not unknown on board the galleys ; fo great a variety of people, of every rank and condition in life, are there (unhappily) to be found. Their mufic was by no means bad, but the wretched appearance of the muficians fliocked me at firft, particularly their poor legs, which were naked, almoft black, and, of fome, the flefh had partly grown over their fetters, Whilil thefe were playing, others brought us bif- cuits and coffee. Not having much ftomach for mufic or refrelliments, I exprefied my wifh to walk along the galley, in order to jfhorten a vifit, the ftrange appearance of our hofts rendered irk- Ibme to me. I thought I fhould never have reached the end ; the flaves chained to the oars imploring us to liften to the detail of their cala- mities, and to give them money. The galleys are really of a very great length, though I allow my uneafmefs may have helped to extend this one. The Turkifh prifoners on board of them are com- puted to be about 350 at prefcnt. There are fel- dom^ any women taken ; when that happens, they are prefented to the noble Genoefe ladies, who employ them in the moll menial departments of their houfeholds. M informs me, and he has been at pains to learn the particulars, that ia time of war each galley carries about 400 men, eighteen [ 206 ] eighteen nine pounders, and two fixteen ; eacli piece of cannon is ferved by fix men, two of which are Turks, two condemned Genoefe, and the other two of thole who have fold themfelves to the re- public. In time of peace, and in the fummer (the only feafon they can put out to fea), each galley carries 2C0 men only ; they have thirty livres per month wages, and all maintenance. A tax raifed, of eight Ibis the head, is levied upon each Genoele, for the permifTion to eat butter, eggs, and cream in Lent; which money is appro- priated to defray the expences of the galleys. Alfo each Noble pays from fjfcy to an hundred livres for himfelf and family, for the enjoyment of the above privilege ; which, upon calculation, amounts to about 20,000 livres annually. This fum goes alfo to the fupport of their galleys. Be- fides Turks, who have 'oc^n taken prifoners, and thofe Genoele condemned for their crimes, for a limited time, or for life, there are a third fort who fell themfelves ; amongft: whom are Italians of other Hates, Piedmontefe, and even French, who offer themfelves to fale for the fpace of two years certain, for fixty livres-, but many of them have been known to have continued (laves by a progrefTive fale of themfelves for the refb of their lives. Thofe, who behave well, live much mors comfortably than their fellows ; and there is always a confiderable diftinftion made between thefe voluntary bondmen and their companions j. they, for inllance, are allowed to have little fhops, or C 207 3 or fheds, on the quay, and make marts, knit ftockings, fell pedlary-goods, and fome keep lit- tle cofFee-houfes, or kmonadiers. Thefe are all chained to their Ihops ; but the chains being pretty long, they can move about in them, and even backward and forward before their doors. Others (according to their conduct) are permitted to go all over the town chained in couples (which I men- tioned in a former letter), and hawk about fifh, matts, 6ff. but there is always a kind of governor, or mailer, who watches their motions. Some- times it has happened, that thefe poor creatures, coupled together, quarrel, frequently from as trifling a caufe as one of them's wifhing to go one way, and the other a different way ; thefe difputes have rifen to fuch a height, that the confequences might have terminated at once their flavery and their lives, had they not been timely feparated. On the other hand, fricndfiiips have commenced from the fimilitude of their common misfortunes; fo that the greateft harmony has fubtifted amongfl fome of them. There is one man who has been chained to his little fliop on the quay, where he has vended coffee and liqueurs for eighteen years palt ; and by his indurtry acquired upwards of forty thoufand livres: he offered ten thoufand to Prince D for tlie purchafe of his liberty, but the Prince demanded twenty, and ■ the gallerian thought, that even freedom mis^ht be botio-ht too dear; therefore he is ilill a flave, bare-footed, his head fhaved, and wears a loofe fnort redingotle of [ 208 ] of coarfe cloth, lined with a kind of Ihag; nor Teems to indulge himfelf with any convenience or comfort of life, more than his comrades, though fo much richer. However, to prevent Prince D. and the other magiftrates from profiting by his death, he has entered into pariiterJJjip with a. younger Dave, whom he has made his heir, which it feems was necefiary for the above purpofe. Upon the whole, I own the idea I had acquired in England, of the wretched fituation of a galley- ilave, was exaggerated, perhaps by my own ima- gination's forming a pidture much too ftrong from what I had read or heard. To thofe gallerians, who were originally poor and hard-labouring peo- ple, the being a galley-flave is, in fome refpeds, fcarcely to be deemed a misfortune j a very little induftry, added to a tolerable condudl, in a Ihort time procures them a competency; the lofs of their liberty is to them but comparative ; the con- finement of a chain often yards long, or the in- confiderable Genoefe ftate, where the government, called a Republic, is as defpotic as a monarchy. The Hate frequently permits the galley- Haves to work at any building, ^c. private or public ; they have ten fols per day for their labour, befides a fmall monthly allowance of tobacco from the Republic. The principal diftincflion between the converts and the Turks, feems to be the not working, and the not getting drunk ; the firfl (no doubt), in right of their faith, claim, a title to ine- briate [ 209 ] briate themfclves upon tiie bounty of the devots. The family of Angelo Merio bequeathed an annual rent to maintain a fifth galley, which does not fubfifl: ; nor are the two cannon cad annually, as mentioned by Lalande. Both thefe bounties fink into the private purfes of the guardians of the bequefts. 1 think I forgot to mention that the famous colledion of fliells called the miconys^ [fee Addiibn] is no longer fliewn to ftrangers. I be- lieve I have given you as fuccincffc an account of the galleys as you can reafonably expedl, fo fliall change the fubjed: for that of the Inquifition. This holy court, or rather human (laughter- Inquifx- houfe, has not the fame degree of pov/er here, as in Spain and Portugal. It affeds neither the rich nor the great. The fweets of confifcation are no longer within its reach ; nor that influence which it gives them over the private tranfaflions of noble families, and over the perfons of the females of the firll rank, as in Spain. (When we meet I have iome curious anecdotes to impart to you upon this fubje6l, which I had from the A of S , but I cannot hazard the retailing our con- verfation in a letter.) Notwithftanding they are not endued with the plenitude of power they wifh for, yet they contrive lo keep themlelves employ- ed from time to time •, and are feldom without fome fubjedt upon whom to exercife their holy zeal. Lalande fays but little of the Inquifition, but th^t little is by no m^^m precife. I fuppofe he was in Vol. I. P a greac [ 210 ] a great fright : his words are, [fee vol. viii. p. 502.] " Elle ri'ejl fo'mt fever e \ les prifons du '* faint office ne renferment afluellement qu'un " medecin, nomme Riva, dont la folic etoit de " precher Tatheifmc, et qui depuis 25 ans n'a " jamais voulu fe retrafter, pour fortir de prifon." Thus he reprefents this anecdote; the fa6l is, that a phyfician of the name of Riva was releafed from the prifons of the Inquifition, after a confinement of 25 years. It does not appear he had been accufed of preaching at all, confequently not of preaching atheifm. He is a native of Genoa, and univerfally allowed to have been a man of very great parts and learning. We have made all the inquiry poffible in regard to his principles and opinions, and the whole of the information we can obtain (and that from rigid Papifts) is, that he explained texts of Scripture with a freedom that difpleafed the Inquifitors. And his prefent afylum at Geneva, whither he is retired, is a prefumptive proof of his inclination to the Proteftant religion, rather than to atheifm. There is now living in this city a man *****. he was in the prifons of the Inquifition three years ; his crime was poly- gamy ; having married a wife in France, he chofe to encumber himfelf with another at Genoa. (Chaqu'un cl fon gout) this man did not deny the fatt alleged againft him •, but the Holy Fathers, jiotwithftanding, frequently put him to two of thof;j horrible tortures mentioned by Limborch ; namely, the forcing the tongue out of the mouth to [ 2il ] to a great' length by a kind of pincers: and the prefllilg the fingers together, fo as to produce exquifite pain, by the means of a fcrew * contrived to produce this effed:. Befides this, one of the good Dominicans would often, for amufement, have the back of this wretched creature ftripped, and the man tied down with his face to the ground, whilft the good father, with his own hands, beat him with a (tick for half an hour at a time -f. During this man's confinement, there was alfo d female prifoner detained for the very fame crime ; but as fhe pofTefTed fome agremens^ her puniJJjmerJs were of another nature. A man who afTumed the habit of a Capuchin Monk in Gorfica for fome years, adminiftered the facra- ment there, and performed other church offices peculiar to priefts, had his head fcalped in the Inquifition, in the year 1762, his thumb and fore-finger flea'd ; and after having experienced all the various " fecrets of the prifon honfe^* in a courfe of twenty months, v/as fent to the galleys for life. It is not poffible to afcertain how many prifoners there are at any time in the Inquifition, or how long they have been there, iSc. •, thofe whom they have power over are firft lent to the * See Limborch's Hiftory of the Inquifition, ^c. under the article Tortures. f This poor man told ihefe circumiUnces, under a prcmife c'f (ecrecy to the perfon from whom M had them, and who did not elleem it a breach of tiuft, fince communicated to a ilranger, whs was foon to leave their Hate. P 2 com- [ 212 ] common prifons of the city, from v^ience they are conveyed fuddenly and privately to the prifon of the holy court •, their removal is fo well con- cealed, that their families and friends fend them provifions daily to the common prifon, long after they have been removed to that of the Inquifition, which you may be fure are not thrown away. The power of the Inquifitors is efteemed by the Genoefe a mere bugbear j judge then what it muft be in other countries where they are invefted with all the plenitude of fway the Dominicans defire. Can we ever fufficiently acknowledge the being born in a country, and under a government, where this bloody tribunal is unknown, and trom whence Popery, with all her train of mifchiefs, has been totally banilhed ? I believe you will not objedl to quitting the Galleys and the Inquifition for another fubjed. We were laft night at the play (for at prefent there is no opera) •, the theatre is rather large than fmall, but not beautiful, either as to architefture or painting. All the boxes below flairs are (liut in w^iihjalQufics^ except when the owners choofe to Ihew themfelves to the audience ; at which time they light them up with wax candles, and the jaloufies are removed. I think the play we faw meant to be a tragedy, as Harlequin kills feveral people on the flage •, but it cannot be efteemed an epic poem ; for, to the beft of my knowledge, there was neither beginning, middle, nor end. This piece of confufion began at fcven o'clock, and [ 213 ] and lafted till eleven. Several pifLols were fired to roufe the attention of the numbering audience. There were magicians, devils, conllables, fine ladies, robbers, princes, ambalTadors, and troops of wooden horfes. The audience talked louder than the aflors. The ladies turn their backs to the frage, which has an impertinent, ill-bred ap- pearance. There was dancing, and no refpite between the a6bs. It feemed to mc, the adors might have continued killing each other, tili not a man remained alive to fpeak the epilogue •, but I fuppofe the piece ended from their being, through fatigue, difabled to proceed, or the play might have lafted till now. We have pafied a couple of fine days mod agreeably, in feeing the villa-palaces and gardens, Villa-pa- though they difappointed our expeAations in many refpe6ls ; for were the pofTeirors Englifh, neatnefs, order, propriety, and confiRency v/ouid unite their aid to embellifh Nature. Inftead of which, we find water, trees, and ground, as if arranged by the Holy Tribunal. The firft con- fined in ill fiiapen bafons, or fpirted out of leaden pipes, without any kind of meaning, or end pro- pofcd, but that of procuring an ill natured amufe- ment for the company and gardener, by fpoilino- the clothes, and wetting fuch people as fervants, ^c. who dare not Ihew any refentment. The trees are cut, clipped, and tortured into fans, bells inverted, umbrellas, i^c. and the ground torn up to make a fort of hanging gardens and parterres ? 3 ^ I'Jng' [ 214 ] a V Anghije. However, there is one garden which has efcaped the general fate •, it belongs to a Doria, who ufually refides at Rome (I think his addi- tional name is Pamfili). Thefe gardens are, more properly fpeaking, orchards of orange and lemon trees, as large as old apple trees, and are loaded with fruit whofe branches bend beneath their golden burden. There is a fort of cottage fituated upon the fummit of a rifing ground, and embo- fomed in a thicket of the above trees, where ftrangers are permitted to dine. The people who belong to its owner provided us a dinner, confid- ing chiefly of fifti and fruit, with tolerable wine, at a very moderate price. The garden flopes fuddenly down to the road •, at the end is an iron pallifade painted green, and immediately on the other fide of the road you have the fea, which appears to the greateft advantage, there being no furf. The fun was fetting, and llione with fuch refulgent beams upon the orange-trees, pome- granates, and myrtle in bloflbm, that we could have fancied ourfelves in the garden of the Hefpe- rides -, nothing was wanting to augment the de- ception, except the dragon, whofe prefence I would rather fupply by the force of imagi- nation. Behind the villa is a rifmg ground, well planted with ilex, or ever-green oak -, though now much negledled, it admits of being made extremely beautiful. The pipes and conveyances of water, to produce jets d'eau^ i£c. have coll a great deal of [ 215 ] of money, and are feldom in order. There is near this foreft of ilexes a pretence to a piece of water, with a wretched morfel of rock-work in the midft, diftinguidied by the appellation of nn Ifole. This piece of machinery is lined with pipes, a man concealed from fight foon convinces the too curious vifitor that there may ftill be a Ugurian in the territory of Genoa ; for after he has taken the trouble to afcend a painful kind of fteep wood- walk, and feated himfclf under the protedling fliade of fome of thefe venerable ilexes, unlul- picious of the treacherous entertainment the man of the iCand has prepared for him ; upon a fud- den, the ilexes, from every branch, pour down an abundant fhower, the bank he fits on a6ts againft the defcending rains with repeated efforts, till a general engagement of fquirts concludes the amufement. — In a fmall inclofure of this wood, we perceived a wild boar, fow and pigs, who, climbing up againft the wall, expeded bread frorri us, having been in fome meafure tamed. We did not fee the villa ; the fcrvants faid it was in fo bad a condition within, that they could not pof- fibly fliew it, alluring us there was neither pi6lure, ftatue, nor any thing worth looking at. As to the other villas, thofe of Durazza, Spi- nola, and another whofe owner's name I forget, their plans are fo well calculated for the great heats, that they are at prefent bleak, raw, and windy ; no fires, no v/indow or bed curtains -, the rooms all waflied with water colour (painted in P 4 frefcoj'y [ St. 6 ] frefco) ; the floors bricked. The outfides of thefc palaces are the moft beautiful part, feen at a proper diftance •, the marble gliftening in the fea, and the architefture (often) llrikingly noble in the elevations, give a great idea of the wealth and noble manners of the modern Genoefe. But, alas ! ■w'here is that confiftency the want of which you and I ufed to complain of in the Luxembourg, the Louvre, Verfailles, ^c ? it is not to be found at Genoa. We are agreed, that v/e have feen a fuf- ficient number of their firft villas, to entitle us to trufl to defcriptions for the beauties of thofe we have not feen. I pafs this evening at home by the fide of a great wood fire, for it rains hard, and the fea- breeze is very cold. On looking here and there over this letter, I find I have omitted to make Armory, mention of the Armory. The greateft cnriofity it contain?, feems to me to be, certain armour which Women's fome heroines made ufe of, in a Crufade to the Holy Land, in the year 1301, and the Pontifi- cate of Boniface VIII. In the archives, are faid, to be depofited three letters cf his Holinefs's concerning thefe Genoefe ladies. This armour is nicely contrived for womxn, yet there are fome ridiculous peculiarities belonging to it. Amongft other fingular warlike matters, a wooden cannon, lined in the infide with a thin plate of brafs, and a fword with a piftol in it, feemed to me the mod extraordinary. The [ 217 ] The famous Emerald Vafe, or what has been Emerald "fnppofed ftich by many travellers, the Genoefe ^^* thcmfelves do not now pretend to be any tning more than a compofition, which for a confiderable time had impofed upon the vulgar, but is deemed, at prefent, too grois a decepti >n to elude even their eyes, though expofed to view through the ijnedium of lu perdition and bigotry. Do you wifh to form an idea of what fort of Doges, animal a Doge is ? He confifts in appearance of ^P* ■ o ^ / ^ pearancc. fhades of crimfon j his robes are crimfon velvet, ftockings, fhoes, ^c, all red ; a fquare cap on his head, which is alfo of a crimfon colour, with a tuft of flame-coloured filk in the middle. We met him on foot, his chair followins;, and with only two attendants, one of which talked to him ; there was nothing fierce nor terrific in his look or demeanour. If you ars curious to know about the elecfting of Doges,- how many there have been, and who, and how numerous have been the illuf- trious perfons Genoa has produ ed, \ refer you to Lalande ; who Wili give you ample farisfadlion in regard to thefe particulars, and Ihiall content my- felt with menti.jning only two illullrious men, Chriftopher Columous, and Andrea Doria ; I leave you to moralize upon the different genius of thefe two plants from the fame foil. — iS I dare Manufac- fay you will not give yourfelf the tn.'uble to read '^f^^- Lalandr's remarks on the manufactjre.s of Genoa, I inform you in as few words as p-fiiblej that the reputation this fuperb city has acquired for the beauty [ =>8 ] beauty of her velvets and damafks is not unmerit- ed. If Candide was to fee them, he might ven- j|(i t. re to pronounce them the hejl of all poffible vel- vets i yet I like thofe of Lyons better for men's |j clothes. Their artificial flowers are admirable. I think their gold filagree perfedl, and executed in an exceeding good tafte j I have purchafed: fome of the bed of their produ6lions in this work-, manfhip. You know how great an admirer I am of the purity and other qualities of this metal, though no votary of Plutus. Harlequin and I agree well enough in opinion (fee Vemharras des richejfes). Their territory produces fcarcely any thing-, yet they have plenty of whatever they can want from all quarters of the world. 1 can- not omit mentioning to you one fingular branch of Genoefe commerce ; for fuch it is, fince thereby the ftate is a gainer-, this is dried mufhrooms, of which they export fuch quantities that it is com< puted Spain alone returns them yearly for this article the fum of fifty thoufand livres. We were curious to tafte them, and our hoft had the com- plaifance to fend to our table an ample difh of thefe fungufes, well foaked and flewed in oil. This huona roba, as he ftyied it, was too much for me i however, I determined to tafte it, which was all I could do. The Republic will never be a gainer by me in this branch of trade, though felf- compelled to render them both principal and intereft. I fhould [ 219 ] I fhould not omit mentioning that the ramparts, Ram- cxtending all round the port, form a mofl agree- ^^"^ ^* able walk, commencing at the convent called St. Antonio's, and ending at the Fanal, or Light- Li'ght- houfe. The height of this tower is 364 Genoefe °"*"* palms. From the rampart you fee all the fuburb and the heights above the bourg Bifagno, which Bifagno bourg confifts of a great number of houfes, pa- °^^^' laces, and gardens, and they being upon very unequal ground, produce a fingular, though beautiful effed. From hence is feen alfo the hill d'jdlbaro, and all the forts for the defence of the town. M is gone out, he has left his portefeuille behind him, and I have feized the opportunity of fending you fome of its contents. " Addifon," fays M — in his notes, " infmuates, ** page 7, that the people of Genoa appear poor ; " on the contrary, they feem rich and induftrious : *' the ftate indeed is poor, though its individuals " are rich. The public charities of the indivi- Bounties " duals of Genoa furpafs perhaps thofe of any ^ '"'^ivi- " other country in Europe of ics extent and " revenue, witnefs the vail number of churches " and convents founded and endowed by private " citizens, the great hofpital by voluntary contri- *' bution, the Alhcrgo^ the Pert Frene^ the houfe " for three hundred girls by one fubjeft, the " church and bridge of Carignan by another, a " foundation for the maintenance of two hundred *' and forty nuns of the order of St. Therefa by "the [ 220 ] " the Brignoli family, who are obliged to attend " the Foundling Hofpital and the Albergo. Mar- " cellinus Durazzo's little college for twelve poor *' boys of noble parentage: this building joins on " to his own palace : they are found in every " thing at his fole expence, and have proper *« mafters to qualify them for different profefTions, " agreeable to their feveral abilities and inclina- Nobility " tions. The Genoefe nobility are great cecono- cEcono- t* mifts ; and may be worth generally from 1200/. miits. , , ^ ,. *' per ajinum, to 3, 4, and 5000 pounds Sterling -, " though few of them have a revenue equal to the " latter, excepting the families of Durazzo and " Doria. They very feldom give entertainments, *' or even have their friends to eat with them. I " had it from good authority, that few of the " Genoefe nobility fpend more in the ordinary " expences of their houfehold than one thoufand " pounds Sterling ^dT annum : thus mud they be *' always rich while they reftrain their wants within *' fuch reafonable bounds. They have an oeco- " nomical manner of lodging the whole family in "one palace; for example, in that of Durazzo, '' the three fons with their wives, children, fer- *'- vants, ^c. together with the father's family, " all occupy different apartments under the fame " roof. As the nobles always wear black, their '* drefs is not expenfive to them. They are little " addided to play, or to field- fports, nor are ** there many coaches kept here. The prefent " families inhabit the palaces as their grandfathers " and [ 221 ] • and great' grandfathers left them; and until the ■' velvet and damafk will no longer ftick together, " they have no notion of new furnifhing. The " anceftors of the noble Genoefe enriched them- " felves chiefly by commerce. In general, they " love the French, and hate the Piedmontefe ; a >' very few of the principal families feem attached " to the Englidi, but the greater number diflike " them. The people pretend a partiality to that " nation ; perhaps they have their views ; as but " few of them are difmterefted. If the Genoefe " (at lead the nobles) were to choofe a mafter, " they would undoubtedly prefer France. I be- " lieve it was in the fifteenth century that they *' offered themfelves to that crown, and had a *' coinage of money with the arms of France on " one fide, and thofe of the republic on the " other-, v/hat a happy conjun6lion ! But this coin " is no longer to be procured. I hear Lord Fort- " rofe is poffefied of one piece nearly of the value " of twenty fols. " Addifon afierts their only antiquity to be a " Roman roftrum : though there is befides a " moil valuable Roman infcription *, and an Vaiuabk " antique Ro^au |f infcrip- tion. *EXEMPLVM ^NE->E TABVL^ GENV^. Q^ Mutius, L. F. Rufui de controv^rfieis inter Genuateis» ct \ eiturios i;i re prefente cognouerunt : et coram inter eos controuerfias copofciuerunt ; et.qua lege agrum pofiiderent, et qua fineis fierent, dixertuit : eos iineis facere, terminof- q-e llatui icurerunt: ubi ea fafta eilent Romam coram venire [ 222 ] Bud of <6 antique bull of Vitellius, worth its weight iri Vitellius, ,1-1 7 r-i-v TTT1 &c. gol*^* ^^ '^he palazzo or Durazzo. He did not " take I'enire iuferunt. Rome coram fententiam ex fenati confulto dixerunt fiidib. F. ecemb. L. Cecilio, L. F. Cos. qua ager priuatus gallelli Veituriorum eft, quern agrum eos vehdere heredemque fequi licet, is ager vedligal ntj fiat. Langationi^ fineis agri priuati ab riuo infimo qui oritur ab fontej in Man-^i nicello ad flouium Edem : ibi terminus fiat, Inde iioulo fufo vorfum in flouium Lemurina. Inde fiouio Lemuri furfum ufque ad riuom Gomberane. Inde riuo Gomberanea furfuni' vfque ad convaiem ceptiemam, ibi termini duo ftant circunx viam poftumiam. Ex eis terminis red;a regione in riuo Vin-, dupate. Ex riuo Vindupate in flouium Neuiageam. Inde dorfum flouio Neuiagea in flouium Procoberam. Inde flouio Procobera deorfum ufque ad riuum Vinetafcam infumum : ibei terminus Hat. Inde furfum riuo refto Vinelafca : ibei' terminus ftat id eft, propter viam poftumiam. Inde alter trans. viam poftumiam terminus ftat. Ex eo termino quei ftat trans viam poftumiam redla reggione in fontem in Manicetuin. Inde deorfum rivo quei oritur ab fonte in manicello ad ter- minum quei ftat ad flouium Edem agri publici quod Lan- genfes pofident : hifce finis videntur elfe, vbi confluent Edus et Procobera ; ibei terminus ftat. Inde Edc flculo fur- fouorfum in montem Lemurino infumo: ibei terminus ftat; Inde furfum vorfum iugo reflo monte Lemurino : ibei termi- nus ftat. Inde furfum iugo redlo Lemurino : ibei terminus ftat in monte Procequo. Inde furfum iugo rei^o in montem Lemu- rinum fummum ibei terminus ftat. Inde furfum iugo redla in Caftelum qui vocitatuft Alianus, ibei terminus ftat. Inde furfum iucgo redo in montem Louentionem ; ibei terminus ftat. Inde furfum iugo redo in m.ontem Appeninum, quei vocatur Boploj ibei terminus ftat. Inde Appeninum iugo rei^lo in montem Tutedonem ; ibei terminus ftat. Inde deor- fum iugo re6lo in flouium Voraglafcam montem Berigienanx infumo ; ibei terminus eft. Inde furfum iugo retSo in montem PrenicuiTj ; ibi terminus ftat. Inde deorfum iugo redo in: flouium Tutclafcam ; ibi terminus ftat. Inde furfum iugo redla Eluftiemelo [ 223 ] " take notice of the piece of cannon at the arfenal, " which is fuppofed to be one of the earliefl; in- *' vention. Bluftiemelo in montem Claxelum ; Ibi terminus flat. Inde deorfum in fontem Ltbiiemetum ; ibi terminus flat. Inde refto riuo Enifsca in flouium Procoberam ; ibi terminus ilat. Inde deorfum in flouium Procoberam ubei confluont floui Edus, et Procobera; ibei terminus flat. Quern agrum popli- cum indicamus efie : eum agrum Caftelanos, Langenfes, Vei- turios polidere fruique videtur oportere : pro eo agro veftigal Langenfes Veitnris in poplicum Genuam dent in annosfingu- los VIC. N. ClCC. Sei Langenfes earn pequniam non da- bunt neque fatisfacient arbitratu Genuatium, quod per Genu- enfes mora non fiat quo fetius earn pequniam accipiant, turn quod in eo agro natum erit frumenti partem vicenfumam vini partem fcHam Langenfes in poplicum Genuam dare debento in annos fingulos. Qnei intra eos fineis agrum pofedit, Ge- nuas, autViturius, quei eorum pofedit K. Sextil. L. Caicilio. Q^Mutio CoO eos ita pofidere colereque liceat, eus quei po- fidebunt \cfugal Langenfibus proportione dent: itant ceteri Langenfes quei eorum in eo agro agrum pofidebunt fruentur- que. Preterea in eo agro ni quis pofideto nifi de maiore parte Langenfium Veiturium fententia: dum ne alium intro- mittat nifi Genuatem aut Vifturium colendi caufa. Quei eorum de maiore parte Langenfium Veiturium fententia ita non peribit: is eum agrum nei habeto neiue Iruimino. Queiager compafcuos erit: in eo agro quominus pecuafcere Genuates Veituriofque liceat, itant ci in cetero agro Genuati compafcuo ne quis prohibeto quominus ex eo agro ligna materiamque fu- niant vtanturque. Vecligal anni primi K. lanuaris fecundis veturij Langenfes in poplicum Genuam dare debento. Qucd ante K lar.uaris primas Langenfes frudtifunt eruntque vedi- gal inuitei dare nei debento. Prata que fuerunt proxima feni- ficei L. Ctcilio Q^Muutio Cos. in agro poplico quem Vituries Langenfes pofident: et quem Odiates, et quem Deftunines et quem Cauaturines et quem Mentonines poiiJent: ea prata inuitis Langenfibus et Odiatibus, et Deduninibus et Cauatu- rines, et Mentunines quem quifque eorum s^rum pofidebic inuiteis [ 224 ] *' vention. The chamber for the powder and ball *' is of bronze, for about fifteen inches ; from " thence to the mouth it is lined with the fame " metal, about a quarter of an inch thick, cafed " in wood, painted on the outfide, and exadly of "the fize of a twelve pounder : I pierced the " wood with a fpear, which I found in the arftnal, *' to prove it. This curious cannon, as alio the *' Roman infcription, have palled unnoticed by " Keyfler and Lalande. I think x4.ddlfon makes *' a ilriking miftake, where he fays, " It would be " wife and political in the Genoefe, to prevent " their fubje61:s from purchafing and holding lands " in foreign dominions." Vide p. 9. However " high fuch eflates may be taxed, none of that *' taxation goes out of the Genoefe republic •, and " whatever comes in from the pais etrangeres is, '' certainly, fo much clear gain to this little Hate. *' How fhould a fmali ftrip of country, in itfelf " wretched and barren, with but indifferent har- *' bours, and a bigotted fanatical people, find, in inuiteis eis nei quis ficet : neiue pafcat : nelue fruatur. Sei Langenfes aut Odlates aut Deftunines aut Cauaturines auc Mentonines manent in eo agro alia prata immitere, defendere, ficare, id vti facere liceat, dum ne ampliorem modum pra- torum habeant quam proxima eilate habuerunt, fruftique funt Vituries. Queicontrouerfias Genuenfiuin ob iniourias iudicati aut damnati funt, fei quis in vinculeis ob eas res eit ; eos om- neis foluei mittei liberarique Genuenfes videtur cporteie ante eidus fextilis primas. Si quei de ea re iniquam videbitur ^Kt^ ad nos adeant primo quoque die. Et omnibus contro- verfeis bono publ. Li. Leg. Moco. Mericanio Meticoni. F. Plancus Peliani Pelioni F. " their t 225 ] ** their ov/n miferable territory, thofe refources of " wealth and prolperity, Co vifible in every quar- " ter of this great city, did they not inanurc this ^^ farm with the produce of others. " Their pofleffions out of the territory cf Genoa *' are (I have it from the beii authorities) nearly " equal to the whole income of that ftate; and all " is fpent in the town. As to their being the *' more likely to give themfelves up to Spain or *' Naplesj by reafon of fuch tenures, that is un^ " natural : weak in themfelves, and unwariike, "they cannot refirt any one power j but their ** fafety has hitherto depended, and muft always " depend upon the intereft others have, in their ** continuing a free (late : their acquifition would " too much increafe the confequence and in- " fluence of any neighbouring power. Befides, ** what bribe can Spain, Naples, or even France *' offer to the Genoefe nobility as an equivalent for ** their liberty ? Can they, out of their own houfes, " fee any thing defirable in the palaces of Kings ? *' Rich in their frugality, in the poffeiTion of *' honours, of power, and confideration, can a *' noble Genoefe envy the prime minifter, or " favourite, of any crowned head in Europe ? " They import corn from Naples, Sicily, and ** take no inconfiderable quantity from Lom- '* bardy. . " The mole of Genoa is much expofed to a " bombardment : five or fix Ihips of the line could *' fail full into the harbour, notwithftanding the Vol. I. Q^ « crofs [ 226 ] *• crofs wall and the baftions, which might pfo- •' bably have no very confiderable effeft upon " them. It is believed, that had Ad 1 M *' been ferious in 1746, the town muft have been " laid in aflies 5 but perhaps his orders were to the " contrary, as he permitted provifions and rein- *' forcements of troops to pals into the harbour " iinmolefted. The only fheli from his fleet that " came near the town fell upon a rock, which I " faw, not far from the bridge of Carignan, and " does not appear to have been thrown to do exe- *' cution. For a political criticifm upon this fub- " jedl, quite in the fpirit of a Frenchman, vide " Lalande, vol. viii. p. 467. " The Republic had fix galleys in Addifon's *' time; they have now four only, which are *' mounted by levying a tax on each perfon for *' permiffion to eat butter, eggs, and cream in ' *' Lent." Thus far I have copied ; I think I have already mentioned this tax in my letter : I am turning over the portfetii lie to find fome more particulars that 1 have not already taken notice of, to pre- vent repetitions. Here follows fomething of the police, &c. from M— — 's notes alfo. " The Si^irri at Genoa are " pretty much like our conftables ; they are alfo ** the executors of all arrefts, the colledors of *' taxes, and guards of the ports. They are ab- *' horred by the people, protefted ftrongly by the t[ Greatj and what is called here the Prince^ by *' which [ 227 ] " which is meant the government. The officers ■' of juftice appear in as infamous a light as the " boureaus in France. They always marry amongn; " each other ; the meaneft wretch of Genoa would " deem it a difgrace to marry the daughter or " filter of a o > Larra- but it is placed in a bad liglit, and is much chio. blackened by damps-, it reprefents the Virgin and tlie infant Jcfus in the clouds, with kneeling faints. In the church of the Madonna della Giarra is a Madonna fine pidure by Guercino, the fubjed a cruci- i"."^ iixion i at the foot of the crofs is the Madona in church, an agony of grief, fupported by two women, one appears to be Mary Magdalen j at her fide (lands a Vol. L *" U bilhop j C 290 ] bifliop ; the head of an angel from a cloud clofe to one fide of the crofs, is greatly and defervedly admired. Our Saviour is juft expiring on the crofs ; the head is admirably well done, as is the face and the mufcles of the body. It is to be regretted, that this pifture is in fo deplorable a condition. There are other pictures in this church worth your attention, though not in a great ftyle. Modena. Modena is fituated agreeably upon a plain, well built, ornamented with fountains and por- ticoes, under which you may walk very conve- niently the whole length of the ftreets : the Strada Maijlra is the bed built. There are two large hofpitals, one for the foldiers, another for the Bourgeoife^ and an Albergo for beggars. The Duke of Modena commonly refides at Milan -, but is here at prefent, and diftinguifhes the Englilh fo far beyond all other foreigners, that they are per- mitted to fee the palace at any hour they choofe, without any previous notice, and quite undrefled j even boots are not obje61:ed to : this is an exclu- five privilege : I wifh he was of as amiable a cha- rafter in other refpefts as he is diftinguifhed for politenefs. We are tolerably lodged, well ferved, and very reafonably-, four paols a head only for each repafr, the eatables good, and well drefTed ; one paol a day for each fire, and no charge for our beds or rooms. Ducal The Ducal Palace is by much the fineft: edifice Palace. |^gj.g . -j. f^^nds alone in a great piazza, and in the beft I 291 ] bed quarter of the town. The archite6lure is both majeftic and elegant j the archited was Avanzini. Avanzinl. The court is vail, and furrounded by colonades, which have a fine efieft. The great ftair-cafe is in a noble ftile of archite6ture, and makes a ftrik- ing appearance. The Grand Apartment commences by a large Grand A- faloon (in the middle of the front), which leads P^^n^^"^- you to fix large rooms, and to a cabinet entirely lined with looking glaffes, beautifully gilt and ornamented. The faloon is ftriking at lirft entrance ; but you foon perceive the tribunes which furround the top to be too low, and the confoles that fup- port them out of proportion, mafllve, and heavy: the other decorations are fudden, and not linked together with that graceful dependance that might eafily have been given them. This faloon would appear to greater advantage was it preceded by an antichamber. The ceiling is painted in oils, by Mark Antonio Francefchini : it is not ill tlone, J^^J"^*^*** though the colours are much too feeble. Francef- In the canopy-room is a Martyrdom of a St. Peter, a Dominican Monk, by Antonio Cofetti of Cofetti of Modena, a tolerable pidure. A Judith, by Gu- Modena, ercino : Ihe is too mafculine, and appears like a flout male Ifraelite in woman's clothes. This painting, however, has merit for a boldnefs of defign and good colouring; but always too much of the lilac. U 2 An t 592 ] An Adoration of the Shepherds, faid to be by Correg-o. Corregio. The Virgin is uncommonly handfome. On the cieiing of this rooni are painted four me- Tlntoret. dallions by Tintorct: the colouring good, but the drawing incorrect. In the bed-chamber is a fine Jflcopo piftureof the Samaritan, by Jacopo Bajfano. The aiui.o. }^yp(^j.(-i-itics of Italy find faulc with this painter, for reprefenting all his perfonages as peafants ; yet they cannot deny his leaving been a moil accu- rate difciple of Nature i and the vigorous warmth of his colourino; mutt ever be held in the hi^yhclt eftimation by impartial judges. His piclures are fcarce, and bear a very high price. Gueicino. A marriage of St. Catherine, in Guercino's lafl: manner, when he endeavoured to copy Guido. It is too grey and weak as to the colouring, and is altogether a cold and uninterefting piece. Familli- A Santa Veronicha, by Famillitore. A Madona ^'^^^' holding by the hand a dead ChriH-, her head is finely defigned, the face beautiful, and the cha- rafter pathetic. They fay it is by Guido, but no conncijlfciir can be of this opinion. Andrea A Roman Charity, by Andrea Sacchi. This is the moil charming pi6lure on the fubjed I ever faw. The daughter has a beautiful fofmefs of feature, peculiar to this painter \ her amiable mind and difpofition are ftrongly marked in the expref- fion of her countenance j her old father is rather too fat, and looks doating. Jacopo In the other apartments the principal pictures iiafl*aiio. j^j.g j.j^^, following : a fine pidure by Jacopo Baflano, rep re- [ 293 ] reprefenting our Saviour on the Mount of Olives : a Prodigal Son, by Lionello Spada; here in high Lionello cftimation. I do not think it equal to that upon the fame fubjeft at Turin. Three pi6lures, by Giulio Romano, reprefent- Giulio ing the pafiing a bridge, a battle, and a triumph. R^fnano. The compofition is too confufed, and the colour- ing difagreeable. The Woman taken in Adultery, a capital pic- ture by Tiziano. She is half-naked, extremely TIzlano. beautiful, the expre/Tion admirable, A variety of character marks the different perfons prefent, that can never be too much commended. A Virgin, by the fame excellent mailer, with the Infant Jefus and St. Paul. This is a very fine pifliire in every refpeft, excepting the figure of St. Paul, by no means equal to the reft. A St. Roch in Prifon, and an Angel bringing him a crown. This is a very large piflure-, the drawing is correft and elegant, the colouring too grey, and in fome places greenilh : it is by Guido. Guido. A Martyrdom of St. Peter, by Guercino. Be- Quercino. come almoft black, which has very much fpoiled, and deftroyed in many places, the demi-tints. The four Elements; good pictures, all of them by Carracci. Carracci. A St. Sebaftian, by Michael Angelo di Carra- Michael vagio : a charmino; little pidure : an old woman j.^^^ ° is endeavouring to extrad" the arrows. There is vagio. U 2 no [ 294 ] no contemplating this pi6lure without feeling the ilrongeft emotions of pity. A fine piece reprefenting St. Francefco, whofe ardour, piety, and fervency of devotion is carried, if poffible, beyond nature : but the two little angels, who appear to him, are ignoble in cha- rafter ; and their hair is of a foxey-red. This 9f"^^ pidure is by Guido Rheni. Kheni. ^ / A Cupid and Pfyche : an admired pidure. I think the Cupid is too much of the make and Gucrcino. charafber of a young girl. This is by Guercino, as is a facrifice of Ifaac, which has more merit (in my opinion) than any pidlure I have feen by that author. Ifaac is bound upon a pile of faggots ; Abraham's arm is already lifted up to facrifice his innocent vidim : the angel appears as if at that moment, and addrefles Abraham, whofe coun- tenance expreffes at once fiirprife, a doubtful anxiety whether the angel is to be depended on, hope, and a firmnefs of faith that can much eafier be conceived than defcribed. Ifaac Ihews in his countenance quite a different fpecies of furprife ; his face turned towards the angel, is recovering from the palenefs the near approach of death had fpread over it ; his eyes are fo ftrained towards the heavenly meffenger, that the eye-lids appear red. There is a ftrong convidion in his countenance of the reality of his approaching deliverance, and a beautiful innocent fmile about the mouth makes you anxious for the conclufion of the miracle. The [ 295 ] The angel is finely done; benevolence, dignity, grace, and ardour, befitting a meflienger from Heaven, are ftrongly marked in his countenance and perfon. The lamb in the thicket does not "^ appear as if fuddenly caught-, it has a lifelefs look, as though it had been there a confiderable time, but had efcaped the obfervation of Abraham. Upon the whole, this is indeed an interefting pic- ture ; the colouring is warm, the grouping fkilt'ul, and the charader and drawing excellent. Here is a prodigious fine copy of that pidlure, Copy of called // Notte di Corregio. The original was fold Correpio. with feveral other glorious pidlures, for a great fum of money to the King of Poland. What muft the original be, v.'hen the copy is fo admir- able ! which is faid, however, to refemble it won- derfully. It iurprifes me very much to fee how different the characters are in this pidure from that famous one of his at Parma, which I defcribed to you. The fubjeft is a Nativity ; and the ex- traordinary beauty of this picture proceeds from the clair ohfctire : there are two difi"crent lights introduced, by means of which the perfonages are vifible; namely, the light proceeding from the body of the child, and the moon-light. Thcfe two are preferved diftind, and produce a mod wonderful effefl. The child's body is fo lumi- nous, that the fuperficies is nearly tranfparenr, and the rays of light emitted by it, ai-e verified in the effeft they produce upon the furrounding ob- je6ls. They are not rays diftindl: and feparate, U 4 like [ 296 ] like thofe round the face of a fun that indicates an infurance-oiiice; nor linear, like thofe proceed- ing from the man in the almanack •, but of a dazzling brightnefs : by their light you fee clearly the face, neck, and h^ds -of the Virgin (the reft of the perfon being in flrong ihadow), the faces of the pajlori, who crowd round the child, and par- ticularly one woman, who holds her hand before her face, left her eyes fhould be fo dazzled as to prevent her from beholding the Infant. This is an action full of beauty and nature, and is moft ingenioudy introduced. The ftraw on which the child is laid appears gilt, from the light of his body ftiining on it. The moon lights up the back- ground of the piflure, which reprefents a land- fcape. Every objeft is diftincl, as in a bright moon-light night; and there cannot be two lights in nature more different than thofe that appear ill the fame pidure. The Virgin and the Child are of the moft perteft beauty. There is a great variety of charadler in the different perfons pre- {cnt^ yet that uniformity common to all herdfmen and peafants. In fhort, this copy is fo admirable, that I was quite forry to be obliged to lofe fight of jt fo foon, but I never fhall forget it. The Duke of Modena, for whom Corregio did the original picture, gave him only fix hundred livres of France for it •, a great fum in thofe days ; but at prefent what ought it to coft ! There is a fingular pidlure in the Salle d' Audience ; it reprefents a very hand- fome woman, feerningly in an agony of fear, hold- [ 297 ] ing in one hand a bowl of poifon •, a man in armour itanding clofe by her, (hews an uplifted ^dagger, the point towards her throat : there are two women attendants behind, whofe faces and attitudes exprefs a joyous complacence a^id felf- fatisfaftion. A large wild boar peeps his head out from beneath tiie garments of the woman, who holds the bowl. The Gallery contains fcveral curious .antiques, Gallsry. and a Hne collection of drawings, confifting of near fix thoufand defigns and iketches of Cor- Painters regio, Guido, and Tiziano, Sarto, Parmagianino, "^™^*- Guiiio Romano, Tintoret, the Carracci, Vignola, Francclchini, &c. and a great number of fine engravings, befides many natural and ariificial curiofities. Amongfl: the antiques is a beautiful Egyptian Egyptian Canopus, eight inches high, and four """jques in breadth : a bufto of Adrian and his wife Sabina, but\oes, in bronze, large as the life : a woman's hand in white alabaiter, much admired •, it appears to be ^ of Greek fculpture, but not to have belonged to a ftatue : an Andromeda in white marble, about three feet high •, (he is faftened to a rock, leaning ' on her left fide ; there is a noble exprefllon of filent grief in her attitude and face-, the limbs are delicate, and the workmandiip extremely well executed : a Hercules about a foot high, drawing Cacus by the foot from a cavern •, thefe two figures tire out of one block ; the cavern, and one of the oxen he had ftolen, are of another block ; f they are fine, and of Greek fculpture : tv,'0 heads in [ 298 ] in one piece -, unfinifhed, but not void of merit a bufto of Francis the Firft, by Bernini ; partlj in armour -, his mantle is fo finely fculptured, thai it feems to float in the air. There are a fim feries of medals, but I am not a fufficient judge of their merits to pronounce upon them ; it is 2 curious ftudy, of which I know very little, noi is M ' very partial to it. Amongft the Cameos, the following appear to be the mod worthy of obfervation : an agate with five figures in relief, all of diff^erent colours; one of thefe figures is fuckling a child ; to one fide is the god Termes, before him an altar with the facred fire burning thereon : another agate of two colours reprefents lole coiffed with the lion's fkin : a cameo in agate of three colours, with two figures j one, of a man fitting ; he holds a fceptre in one hand, and has his other arm round the ihoulders of a woman, who is {landing with lyre in her left hand, and fomething like a fhort ftick in the other ; near the man lies a mafl<: -, the woman's figure is fuppofed to be meant for the Mufe Terpfichore : another cameo, of two colours, reprefents the bufto of Cleopatra. The above gems, appeared to us the moft valuable in the colledtion. Library. The Library contains about thirty thoufandj volumes; the book-cafes are very neat, thoughj of no better wood than walnut-tree. They are furrounded by an iron baluftrade gilt. Here are fix columns, which feem to fuftain the vaulted ceiling; C 299 ] ceiling; they are fo well painted, as to caufe a deception when feen from a proper point of view ; alio feveral ancient editions of books in the infancy of printing. In another room are many curious Manufcripts ; it is faid, to the number of fifteen Manu- hundred. They Ihewed us the following ; a ^'^"F"- Greek Teftament of the eighth century ; the Mif- cellanea of Theodore \ a Greek manufcript of the fifteenth century ; a Dante of the fourteenth, with miniature paintings, wretchedly done, on the top of each page, defcriptive of the ftory there fet forth •, a Bible in two volumes, and a breviary of the fifteenth century, with miniature paintings, very tolerable; an Herbalifi: of the fourteenth century, wrote in French, with the plants in mini- ature ; a Cofmography of Ptolemy's in Latin, with miniature maps, by one Nicholas Hahn, a German, done in the fourteenth century. They Ihewed us others alfo; the fubjefls and titles I have forgot, but M fays I have mentioned (as he recolleds) the m.oft curious. Almoft all fhewers of libraries, pidlures, ^c. talk fo much, and mix fo many impertinent remarks of their own, in every country I have yet feen, that inllead of help- ing flrangers, they confound and perplex them, I opened a tranflation from the Greek Teftami,ent, by Theodore Beza. According to this copy, printed at Edinburgh by Andrew Hart, 1610 ; the beginning of St. John's Gofpel runs thus ; " In " the beginning was that Word, and that Word was [ 30O J " was with God, and that Word was God j tiii^ " fame was in the beginning with God." You fee there is fonie little variation from our common tranflation. 'athedral. I have now done with the Palace, and (hall pro- ceed to the churches. The Cathedral is built in a bad Gothic tafte. The great altar is raifed fo high as to admit of a Church, partly fubterra- neous, under it. This is dedicated to St. Gemi- niano, and his body is conferved there. niido You find a capital pi£ture by Guido Reni in the firft chapel on the right hand. The fubjeft is called by the Monks who fliew it, a Nunc difnittis. The Virgin is on her knees before the Infant Jefus, who is held in the arms of Simeon. 1 he Virgin makes as ignoble a figure as that of a common parifn-girl of a charity-fchool. Cochin and I vary extremely in regard to the Virgin ; he commends her figure for a noble fimplicity, in which flie appears to me to be totally deficient. However, we agree as to the other parts of the pidure, par- ticularly in refpeft to the children who arc playing with the offering, the turtle-doves. Nothing can be more natural than this little group. The colouring is too much upon rhc afh-colour, and produces a cold effe61; •, though the drapery is ele- gant, and the drawing precife. The fteeple of this church is called the guirlandina^ and is cfteemed the higheft in all Italy : it is entirely of marble. They preferve in it, with the greateft care. C SOI J care, an old bucket, hooped with iron, which the Modenefe, in the battle of Zipolino, carried off as a proof of their vi(5]:ory over the Bolognefe, and purfued them into their town ; however, they met there with I'uch oppofition, as obliged them to a hafty retreat ; but not without the confclation of carrying off this bucket in triumph, Thefe wars of Modena and Bologna, are the fubjecl of a mock heroic poem of Taffo's, called La Secchia rapitd ; in which he licentioufly mifreprefents and mif- places facts, in order to give a larger fcope to his faiire and wit. La Chlefa Nova is not yet finiflied •, the deco- Cliiefa rations are elegant, of the Corinthian order; but" as it is not divided into ifles, and is to be highly ornamented with modern archited:ure, it will have the appearance, when fiiuilied, of a ball room, rather than of a tem.ple. There are two Theatres at Modena, one is very Theat well built and decorated. Here are fteps, which rife in an amphitheatrical manner, and pillars above ; the pillars feparate fome of the boxes, and luflain others higher up. The profccraiai^ the tribunes, or boxes over the ftage, and the ftage- doors, are ornamented in a good tafle. The other theatre is very indifferent in all refpefts. The troops of Modena make a good appear- T/co^ ancc ; they are well-dreffed, and parade about with a ftrong band of mufic, confiding of drums, fifes, hautboys, and French-horns. The Duke of JVlodena is-faid to have eight thoufand men in con- itant tains. [ 302 ] llant array, and that upon occafion he can bring twenty thoufand into the field. Illuftrious The mod illuftrious families are the hoiifes of Rangoni and Montecucully. There are no re- mains of the families of thofe petty tyrants who governed Modena before the houfe of Eft were chofen for their fovereigns. The Modenefe feem a gay, cheerful people; have much genius for pantomime fhows, and what is called pleafure, or rather diffipation. They are efteemed gallant, and the ladies and other females much inchned to coquetry. The Nohlejfe imitate Bour- the French in their drefs. The Bourgeoife univer- faily wear the zendado, a piece of black filk, with which they cover their heads ; and which crofllng before, is finally tied behind their waifts. Foan- Modena is abundantly fupplied with the fineft water imaginable ; there are fountains in almoft all the houies. The town indeed feems to be fitu- ated upon a vaft relervoir -, as, wherever they dig, they never fail to find a pure fpring -, this pecu- liarity extends as far as feven miles eaft of the town. On the north fide they do not find water farther than to the diftance of four miles. In the making wells, after digging about the depth of twenty-three feet, they find the remains of ancient buildings, lower down a firm earth, and at the depth of forty-five feet, a black and a whitifh foil, intermixed with branches of trees, together with troubled and foul water, like that of a marlh. This muddy water is kept out by means of a cir- I cular I SOB 1 cular wall of brick, which is founded upon the next ftratum ; namely, a bed of about eighteen feet thick, compofed of chalk, in which are found fea-produdions, as fhells, (s'c. Under this chalk begins another ftratum of a marfhy bed, compofed of leaves, branches, and ruflies : when the well is dug to the depth of eighty-five feet, they come to another bed of chalk like the firft, then another itratum of marfhy ground, which is fucceeded by another of chalk, and that again by a marfh. Having continued to dig on to one hundred and three feet deep, they come to the laft bed, v/hich confifls of gravel, round pebbles, lea-£hells, and large trunks of trees ; under this is found the pure refervoir of water, which has always proved to them an inexhauftible fource ; it fprings up clear, and in great abundance, by the means of holes made by a borer through the laft ftratum above mentioned. They are aUb fupplied by other water, from hills fituated at about three leagues diftance from the town, which forms little canals that run through the ftreets. There is a fpring at a place called Bagnonero near Modena, which produces on its furface that oily bituminous fubftance called oleum faxi, or petroleum. The adjacent country prefents you with plains. Country fertile in corn and wine, mulberry-trees, and elms ^ ^ in rows, with vines conduced in feftoons from tree to tree, as I mentioned before in the road from Plaifance and Parma hither, Amongft i 3<^4 ] Uluftrious Amongfl the illuftrions Men Modena has given ^^"' birch to, TaiTo is one of the mod remarkable. 1 The archireft Vignola was born in a village of i the fame name, four leagues from hence ; as was the famous Muratori, who has wrote feveral volu- minous works in Latin and Italian, con filling, amongft other fubjedls, of a Pliilory of the Anti- quities of Italy, and a General Hiftory of Italy, &'c. It feems there is a French tranOation of part of his works. It is to be prefiimed that the Dukes of Parma and Modena live up to the utmofl: of their in- come, othervvile they would probably fave money I to defray the expence of building bridges over the dan.crerous rivers, which render travelling- « through their territories inconvenient, and often iaipafTable to their own fubjecfls, and particularly fo to travtll.rs, by whom they profit conliderably. It would not be difficult to retrain and conduct the rivers fo as to keep them within their banks ; by which means they might gain a confiderable extent of land, now rendered totally ufelefs by the impratfticability of its cultivation. Befides, there are many other particulars refpeding this city and territory, upon which public money might be mod laudably as well as beneficially expended. We leave this place to-morrow» to purfue our journey to Bologna, from whence you fliall hear from me with the very firll opportunity. This f letter- [ 305 ] letter has been the work of two evenings only, fo excufe the inaccuracies, ^c. Adieu ; it is late, I am very fleepy, and can fay no more, than that I am always, ^c. LETTER XXIV. Bologna, Nov. 2S, 1770. E left Modena yeflerday, and reached this city laft night. The roads are good the whole way. At about two miles from Modena, we crofied the river Panaro in a bark. This river panaro divides the Dutchy of Modena from the Ecclefi- "^^''* aftical State. About a mile farther, and to the left, is fiiuated the Fort Urbano, a citadel built Fort Ur- in the beginning of the feventeenth century, by ^^"°* order of Pope Urban the Eighth : there are al- ways fome troops in garrifon here. Samogoggia Samogog- is juft half-way between Modena and Bolo2;na-, it S'* ^''1- is a confiderable village, and has the appearance of a town. Before you arrive at Samogoggia, there is a long ftone bridge to pafs, which joins Bridges together two branches of the river Reno ; this, ?,"° ^'^" *=> _ . Reno. like other rivers already mentioned, has, by changing its bed, branched itfelf out, and is im- paffable after great rains. It takes its iource in the Appenine, at the foot of which Bologna is built. Vol. I. X We [ io6 ] inn. We are extremely well lodged at the Pellegrino^ and well ferved. The provifions are excellent in every refpefb, and extraordinarily well dreffed. Our holl provides iis much more than we can eat and drink, dinner and fupper, for eleven livres and a half (French) by the day, our firing, lodg- ing and wine included. Our dinner to-day con- fided of a white foup, with vermicelli and fine Parmefan cheefe rafped over the furface, half a Bologna hog's-head admirably dried and dreflid, fuperior to any hog-meat I ever tailed in Englanc -, une friture tres recherchee, a difh of houllie, a poularde, one of the fineft I ever faw ; it rivalled thofe of Gtt ; a fore-quarter of lamb roafted, a fricando with fmall naveesy fpinage dreffed the French way, colliflower, fricafleed truffles dreffed with butter and anchovy, a difh of mortadello : for defert, the fineft white grapes imaginable, white Bury-pears, the bed chefnuts and walnuts, being of an uncommon fize and fweetnefs. The wine is exceedingly good here, lb is the water, which I think a moft material obje6t in the article of luxury. I have given you this detail of our din- ner, to fhew you the great difference in refpefl of eating between one part of Italy and another. Our dinner we mutually agreed was too abundant for two perfors only to fit down to ; as fome of the difhes went away untouched, our hofl was fhocked, fearing we did not like them : I fent for him, and told him we were perfe(fl:ly fatisfied with what he had provided 5 but defired he would for the [ 3^7 3 tiie future give us only a foup, an entree^ and Ibmething roafted, with a plate or two of garden- fluff, and a defert, and to vary the difhes as he faw proper. He was fo amazed at our want of appetite, or moderation, that he concluded our requefl might proceed from fome vow of abfli- nence made in order to bribe Heaven to profper our journey. Such bargains are frequently flruck in thefe countries between particulars and certain favourite Saints. The votive pidures with which every church is adorned, proves the univerfality of the commerce. But to return to our hofl, who really behaved in a mofl genteel and difinterefted manner ; for finding us refolved to eat no more than we could eat, he propofed a diminution of the price fl had informed him we chofe to have a: lighter fupper, proportioned to our dinner), and that if he would find bread, butter, and cr^ani for our breakfaft, I did not defire to take from what we had agreed to give. He feemed much furprifed, faid he fhould get too much by my propofal, and infifted on providing us, into the bargain, with coffee or chocolate, as we ibould choofe. The behaviour of this man gave us a favourable imprefTion of the Bolognefe. We have feen nothing of the town to-day ; for I have been employed with hiring valets de place^ feeing chamber-maids, choofmg one, un- packing, and inquiring about coaches and chairs. A job coach and coachman cofls thirteen paolos, X 2 or C 308 ] or fix livres ten fols a day, French; a chair eight paolos. We propofe flaying ten days here. I believe our letters of recommendation to this town, will prove extremely convenient, and agree- able in their confequences. We propofe fending them to-morrow to their refpe6live addrelTes. I expect letters from you every moment. Here they are. We both fincerely rejoice that you and are in good health. ******** I fhall not fend this letter to the pofi till to-mor- row. I have jufl refigned my head to the operation of ornamenting its outfide by a very good hair- drefier, who lives near this houfe, and is known by the name of Etienne-, he torments me to re- commend him to my countrywomen, who may happen to pafs through Bologna. Alas, this Frenchman thinks I muft know every individual in his Britannic Majefty's dominions ; for upon telling him, that if he performed well, I would endeavour to recommend him to my acquaintance, he did not feem thoroughly fatisfied. What a di- minutive fpeck ignorant foreigners fuppofe Eng- gland to bs ? Etienne drefles extremely well, is a very humble, well-behaved man, and reafonable in his price. We have had the pleafure of finding here the two Englifh gentlemen we met at Turin and Genoa, It is a very agreeable circumftance, that we [ 3^9 ] we may always flatter ourfelves with feeing fome Englifh acquaintance in every confiderable town of Italy. Nov. 29th, pad 12 o'clock at night. I could not fend this letter to-day, as 1 intended. ************ Havino- difpatched our letters of recommendation this morning about eleven o'clock, we received the moft obliging anfwers ; and have already met with civilities, that I think are unprecedented even in French politenefs and urbanity. We had fcarcely dined when a fort of confufed noife at our inn-gate announced fomething ex- traordinary. This proceeded from the arrival of his Eminence the Cardinal Legate, who did us the honour to come in perfon to make us a vifit, in confequence of our letter of recommendatioa from the Cardinal of Choiffeuii, Our hoft was in great perturbation on his arrival, as he is Vice- roy * here, and veiled by the Pope with defpotic authority ; the fenate enjoying but few privileges, and little or no power. * * ******* * * * * \A/hat to do with his equerries, pages, and foot-guards we did not know (his little body of 30 light horfe drew up in the ftreet before the houfe). Our kind hoft, who underitood our looks upon this occafion, opened the doors of the adja- cent apartments for them. • This Prince is of the illuilrious houfe of Branchin FortI of Sicily, who have intermarried with the Colonnas, l^c. <£c. X 3 His C 310 ] His Eminence is a very polite old gentleman 5 he bears hard upon his grand clima6leric, is hale and ftrong, good-humoured and lively-, he has done us the honour to invite us in the mod friendly manner to dine with him, and to his box at the opera. He had not been above five mir nutes with us before the Countefs of O i was announced. She is a fine woman, fpeaks French, as does the C 1 very well. ***** * * * * 7 he Senator Aldrovandi and his lady arrived foon after, and made us the mofl: obliging ofixjrs of their equipages during our (lay, and propofed coming at a fixed hour every morn- ing to condudl us to the palaces and churches, and every evening to the corfo, opera, and the afiemblies at private houfes, which they fay are vtry agreeable. We accepted their kind offers, except in regard to tlie equipage, as there was no poiTibility of refufing them 5 for they faid, they infiftcd m ferving us while we fhould ftay in thi^ town. This exprefiion means, that ftrangers re- commended are to make ufe of the perfons they are recommended to, in regard to thcmfelves and every thing belonging to them \ and i underftood that what I had been told at Turin was very juft, namely, that if a flranger happens to have many letters of recommendation, he ought to fink all above one, or at mod two, to the fame town ; otherwife he is not near fo well ferved, as when this method is obferved ; for it is almoft impof- fible to divide one's time properly amongft fevcral families. [ 3" ] families, though they Ihould happen to be well together j but if, unfortunately, the recommend- atory letters chance to be addrefTed to families that are at variance, the reception of the ftrangers fcfrves only to make the breach wider, and may oblige the latter d'entrir en matkre^ which pro- bably may be produdive of dilagreeable confe- quences to all parties. Thus we have fuppreffcd fome of ours, and I am fure we lliall not regret cur having lb done. The family to whofe guid- ance a llranger refigns himfelf, introduces him in the moft kind manner into the fociety of all their acquaintance, as we have experienced this even- ing ; for at the departure of the Cardinal Legate, and the other company above mentioned, the fenator and his lady called upon us about feven o'clock, to accompany them to the opera, where after having firlt gone into his Eminence's box, and made him a vifit of about a quarter of an hour, they introduced us into the boxes, and to the acquaintance of fome of the principal families here. The Vice-legate and the filler of the Countefs Qrfi *********. the Bar- bazza^ the Zamhecari-, the two fifters, Marchefe^s Maruli and Lanmm^ one remarkable for her beauty, the other for her v/itj the latter fpeaks French well, and has attained the air and manner of a genteel Frenchwoman ; the family of B — , ^nd others whofe names I cannot recoiled. After X 4 we [ 3i2 ] we had made all our vifits in their boxes, we fat the remainder of the evening in that of Aldro- vandi. The boxes in this theatre refemble rooms, and are wider backward than forward : you will eafily imagine how this is contrived from the circular form of the theatre. They are all furnifhed ac- cording to the tafte of their owners -, Madam Aldrovandi's is hung with a beautiful pale blue and filver filk, and lighted up with wax, as they all are, in filver fconces. This lady is lately mar- ried i fhe is extremely amiable ; her hulband is a fenfible, grave man •, both as polite and agree- able as pofTible. — The Cardinal's box is much larger than the others, and is placed in the centre of the fecond range, or tier of boxes ; it is lined with cria^fon velvet, beautifully ornamented. I was charmed with the theatrical performance, but fhall referve my obfervations thereupon for their proper place, when I come to fpeak of the theatre in its order. During the opera, refrefhments are brought into the boxes ; confiding of iced and preferved fruits, bifcuits, lemonade, orgeat, ^c. After the opera was over, we were conveyed home in the f me manner as we came-, with a lift of invitations that it will be impoITible for us to comply with in the fmall fpace of ten days, we were therefore obliged to refufe feveral on that account ; alleging the many fine pidlures and curi- ofitics Bologna abounded with, and the impofli- bility [ 3^3 ] bility of infpefling them, were we to avail our- felves of all their civilities. Good night ; melody, dance, and fong have {o taken pofTeffion of my head, that I fhall certainly dream of nothing but operas. I am as ever, yours, (^c. LETTER XXV. Bologna, Dec. 3d, 1770. SEIZE the firft opportunity to continue the defcription of Bologna. You will eafily ac- count for my filence for fome days paft by my laft letter, in which I told you of the large fociety we are in. Although nothing can be more agreeable than our manner of living here, yet the frequent interruptions we neceflarily meet with, are confi- derable impediments to our feeing the pictures, &c. of which there are a prodigious number, as well as of other curiofities in this town, that muft detain us three or four days longer here than we at firft propofed. Dining abroad breaks in upon our mornings J for it is impoflible to vifit fome of the palaces but at fixed hours. The days being lliort, there is no feeing the churches early 5 the evening and moft part of the nights pafs away between the opera and private aflemblies ; the afternoon is foon gone, lb that we enjoy fcarce any [ 3H ] any repofe. We are determined, both at Rome and Naples, to make it a rule neither to dine out, or have company at home at that meal, but to employ our mornings entirely in feeing and taking notes, to dine alone at whatever hour happens to be moft convenient, and dedicate the evenino-s to amufements and to the fociety of our friends ; for if there is too much to fee at Bologna, what muii be our fituation at Rome and Naples. Although I do not mean to give you a cata- logue of all the valuable paintings that adorn the Italian palaces and churches, yet I hope fo to manage my time, as to be able to mention thofe Palazzo which pleafe me moft. To becrin -, the Palazzo Faphco. . . Publico is a very large old building, and anfwers to what is called in France illotd de Ville. In this palace the cardinal legate and gonfalonier * are lodged commodioufly with all the officers and domeflics of their houft^holds ; here are alfo offices for public notaries, i:^c. guard rooms for the Swifs halberdiers attendant upon the legate : in ihorr, there is no end of the people who inhabit this palace. To render it convenient to its in- habitants, the great llaircafe is fo contrived, that loaded mules may eafily afcend and defcend. It is paved with brick, fcarce any rifers, but what there are, are very broad, and fiope confiderably. 1 am pcrfuaded it is more troublefome to human creatures to mount this ilaircaf?; than to that ob- * Qr great flandard-bcarer, flinate [ 3'5 ] flinate proud brute a mule. The whole building is of brick, and by no means remarkable in poinE of architecture. There are Tome good pi(5lures in this palace ; the principal as follows : a large pic- ture painted on filk by Guido 5 it was intended ^""^^' for a church-banner at the time of the plague in 1630 ; its fubjed:, the Virgin feared upon the rain- bow, under which are all the tutelar faints of Bologna, praying to her to remove the diftemper ; the colouring is in his pale clear manner (but not greenilli) ; it is not as highly finilhed as many of his paintings ; however, the heads are peculiarly graceful, the faces expreflive, and finely defigned. Another pidure by the fame, reprefenting Samp- fpn, who finding himfelf thirfty after the (laughter of the Philiftines, is drinking copioufly out of the jaw-bone of an afs ; his figure is not fufficiently coloffal for the feats he has performed, and his left leg is fo far ftretched out on one fide, that his outline forms ftrongly the Roman figure for the number ten ; yet the colouring of this pifture is fine and glowing, and the fhadows well dif- pofed. A St. John the Baptift, by Raffaello j he is Raffaello. young and in the defert -, this is a mod beautiful pidlure, and appears to be a duplicate of that in the Palais-royal at Paris, which I am fure you muft remember ; it feems to be In the beft conver- fation of the two: there is a colouring and an ani- mation in the figure that is worthy the greateft ad- ipi ration. ASr, [ 3i6 ] Simon Pe- A St. Jerome, reading, by Simon Pefaro ; hi "'''• attention is exprefied lb naturally, that one ca fcarce believe the pidure does not think : we fa^ with regret, that it is become darker than it ha Leonardo been. A fiDgular picflure * by Leonardo d Vinci, reprefenting a child in a little bed ; the in fant's body does not appear, the bedclothes covet ing every part but the face and neck. It i thought to be a portrait. Round the neck is double row of large pearls ; the drapery of th| bed is muflin, ornamented with a great quantitj of fine lace wonderfully well imitated : the bed i| like a cheft with the cover off, and beautiful! fineered with feveral forts of wood. This picture though it makes no great figure in defcription, i finely executed -, and what is very furprifing, tb colours made ufe of are but two, a brown, and yellow white ; which does not ftrike you at firft as the want of the other tints is by no means ap parent. This brought to my mind the famoti antique painter, Apelles, whom Pliny mentiort to have made ufe of but four colours, black white, red, and yellow. If Apelles made as gbo( ufe of his four as this painter did of two, Hiould eafily believe the magic force of hi colouring. RafTae'lo. I" ^he fame room is a head of Raffaello, {up pofed to be done by himlelf, but we could not h of this opinion. * This is in a fmall room, and is not generally fhevvn. Twd [ 3'7 ] Two piflures by Donate Creti, a modern paint- Donato «r, who died but a few years pail : the fubjefts, the ^^"* fhead of Argus prefented to Juno, and the Judgment of Paris; they are but indifferent performances : gaudy, fluttering figures, and the rules of per- T ;fpe(5live fo ill obferved, that the perfonages (tick to the fky. The blue is fine ; but a fhell of ultra- ; marine is a much finer colour. There is nothing ; :cither ftriking or magnificent in the furniture of the grand apartments of this palace. In a great faloon, called that of Farnefe, upon the fecond , floor, are painted in frefco reprefentations of feve- tiral memorable events in the hiitory of Bologna. [Without fide is a ciilern for water, over which lis an arcade of elegant architedlure ; its proportion is twice the breadth of the perpendicular height, cxclufive of a baluftrade which furrounds the ciftern ; it is a fmall thing, but very corred:. Be- [longing to this palace is a tov^^er where Entius King of Sardinia was imprifoned in the year 1242, and where he died. . The palace Caprea deferves to be vifited •, the Palasza apartments are noble, but contain few pi«flures ^^P*"^^- ^yrorthy of obfervation. Here is a great gallery ornamented with Turkifh fpoils, tht; warlike tro- phies of a famous general, an anceftor of the . prefent family. They confift of bucklers, fabres, bows and arrows ; the bucklers are lined with human ficin drelTed like leather; (I found means to bring away a morfel of this fkin ;) they told us it was that of the backs of Chridian prifoners 6 taken t 3i8 1 taken in battle ; and the Turks efteem a buckle: lined with it to be a particular fecurity againft th( impreflion of an arrow or the ftroke of a fabre A curious fervice of Turkifh plate, cryftal gob- lets, turbans, ornaments of great value fet with precious ilones ; the fcabbards of the fabres, ^c richly adorned with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, &c. ; here are feveral turquoifes as large as an olc Windfor-bean, and perfed in their kind -, but 1 faw no precious {tones of the fize and luftre oil thofe which formerly ufed to dazzle my fancy injl the Arabian Nights Entertainments. Here are alfo fome pretty Indian cabinets and fmall pic- tures, very proper to ornament a lady's drefling- room. Pal;5zzio This is one of the firfl palaces of Bologna in di." refpeft to its furniture, neatnefs, and elegance, van and the moft habitable I have yet feen. Here is a fine falcon coved ; the compartments painted in Stephano frefco, by Stephano Orlandi, the figures by Vittorio Orlandi _..,,.- ,, , Vittorio Bigari : tne colourmg is too yellow, yet, upon the Eigari. whole, the ceiling pleafes, and you may obferve fome ingenious thoughts in the grouping and com- pofition. The bell piflures in oil are thefe : d Jupiter under the form of a Satyr, Healing a bow from Antiope, who appears to be in a profound fleep; a Cupid alfo ileeps by her. The great merit of this pidure confifts in its exprefilon ; the colouring and drapery are alfo very good : it is by pafinello. Pafinello. A Head of John the Baptift in a green Leonardo porcelaine difli, by Leonardo da Vinci j extremely da Ymci. * ^^il [ 319 ] well done. All the works of this old painter ar> in fuch high eftimation with the co?mo?Jfeurs, that I am not furprifed at the great prices given for them, although they are far fhort of many other piftures; failing continually in keeping and the chiir obfcure-y yet there is a finifli and a colouring which pro- duces the effecft of what the Italians call foave^ that I cannot well define to you. A Head by Rembrandt ; fine, and one of the beft we have Rem- yet feen by that painter. Here is a gallery orna- ^irandt. mented with feveral antique buftos : the bed of which reprefents one of thofe women called 'pr t)y Lucca Giordano. Giorda- 5,.^ Francis, and an angel playing on the fiddle; no. . ^ I. J <^ ^ Gaercl- by Guercino. St. Gieralimo liltening to the *°- . trumpet of the laft judgment ; by Annibal Car- Carracci. raCCl. A piece of perfpeflive, well enough ; by Agoftitio Agoftino Mitelli. With regard to the merits of MicelJi. jj^jg colledion, we are fo unfortunate as to differ widely from Cochin, who 1 Ihrewdly fufpefl never faw them, as he mentions feveral pieces unknown here. The front of this palace is in a good ftik Palladio. of architecture, the defign Palladio's ; and the ftaircafe, which is afcended by two flights, inge- nioufly contrived and well-proportioned; but upon I 337 1 Upon the whole, the palaces of Bologna are not comparable in refpe6l to architecfture, furniture, and magnificence to thofe of Geiloa : they are much out of repair, and contain a prodigious number of bad pidures, which ought to be ba- niQied their colledions ; for of what ufe can fuch miferable trafli be to pofterity, unlefs merely to ferve inftead of filk, tapeftry, or paper, to cover the walls ; and I think any of the three preferable to old, rotten, ill-daubed canvas. I am now come to the churches. In the facriftie of La Madonna di Galiera is an Madonna old portrait of a monk of the order of St. Phillipe ra. de Neri, by himfelf, but fo well done, that there ^ ^'^^* is no antique painter except RafFaello who can excel it, in my opinion j it has all the merit a portrait can boaft, except that peculiarity of colouring I have fo often mentioned in Raffaello's piilures. A very agreeable pi6ture of a Holy Family, with a concert of angels -, by JelTi. Jeffi. A beautiful Madonna-, by Guide. Several Guido. miniatures by Cavadonne and Albani, and two of jonne. the fined paintings of the Annunciation I have yet Albani, feen, by Annibal Carracci : it is wonderful how Anniba! well and how ill this painter has worked, in the ^^"^'■'='* firfl: chapel to the left on entering the church, is a pidure of St. Philip in extacy •, by Guercino. In Guerdno. the fecond, a good pidure by Albani ; the fub- Albani. jc6l an Infant Jefus itanding between the Virgin Vol. I. Z and [ 338 J and St. Jofeph, to whom the angel prefents Gli Jlrumenti della pajjlone in the prefence of God the Father ; the heads arc graceful : if there is any fault, the glory appears too confufed, though well illuminated. Adam and Eve, and other frefco pictures in the fame chapel, are in fo bad a light, there is no forming any judgment of them. In the third chapel is a St. Thomas touching the wounds of our Saviour in prefence of the other Apoftles ; the Therefa drawing fine, but the colouring is too grey ; by Muratorc xherefa Muratore Moneta. In a chapel detached Moneta. ^ , ... Ludovico from the church is a painting on the wall, by Lu- Carracci. <-|qvJ-q Carracci ; reprefenting an Ecce Uomo, and Pilate, wafhing his hands : it is finely compofed, and the colouring ftrong and vigorous. Giefu & The church of Giefu and Maria; in the firft Church, chapel, a pidure of St. William on his knees before a crucifix •, above is a glory, with a Virgin, St. Magdcdene, and feveral little children •, in the back ground two little devils are creeping into the earth ; the glory is the ftriking part of the pic- ture-, they are well grouped, and the heads graceful •, but the St. William fails in charadler*, Albani. by Albani. Over the great altar is a capital pic- Guercino. ture of the Circumcifion ; by Guercino. This fubjed is admirably executed, and worthy the infpeftion of all ftrangers, Guercino having exerted Bnnefaclo '^'^ ^^^^ powers in its completion. The archited bucchi. Qf |;}-iis church was Bonefacio Socchi ; it is fmall, but t 339 ] but elegant ; its decorations are of the Compofite Order. The Mendicants di Dentro, a well-proportioned Mendi-J church, contains feveral capital paintings. In the j)entro firft chapel, to the right, is a moft interefiing Church, pidure, by Aleflandro Tiarini ; St. Jofeph Aleflan- brousht by ano;els on his knees to the Virgin, to •'' • beg pardon for his unjuft fufpicions. The colour- ing is ftrong, and the drawing corred: : the Vir- gin is not as graceful as fhe fhould be, and the air of her head is ignoble. However, fhe pardons St. Jofeph with an air of great condefcenfion, raifing him up with one hand, and pointing to heaven with the other. In the fourth chapel, to the right, is a pidure of Cavadone ; here St. Alo Cava- and St. Petronio are on their knees, adoring the °"^* Infant Jefus, who appears in a Glory with the Virgin : there is a variety in the compofition, dair obfcure^ and the fluffs that form the drapery truly admirable, although that of the Virgin, by way of giving it reliefs has been too much blackened in fome places. The large piflure of Guido, placed over thecuido. great altar, is more efteemed at Bologna than I think ic defervcs. Another chapel contains fix fmall pi(5tures of angels finely coloured, by Ber- Bertrczio. trozio, a fcholar of Ludovico Carracci. In the chapel is a charming pidture by Guido ; ihe fubr Guido. jc6l St. Giobbe replaced en his throne, and re- ceiving magnificent offerings. Amongft many * Z 2 other [ 340 ] other graceful figures is an elegant nymph, who bears a white difh full of jewels, and a boy car- rying a precious vafe, of the laft beauty : there is fomething wonderfully flriking in his figure and face. We lament that the objeft of all this ho- mage appears an infipid, ftupid-looking perfonage, I mean St. Giobbe. Though there are feveral figures, they are free from confufion -, the painting is thin and delicate to a great degree, the com- plexions tranfparent, the drapery light, and the plaits numerous and diltin(5l ; the clair ohfcure is beautifully blended, and the out-lines melt into air, fo as to produce a flriking foftnefs and union as in nature. We gave a good half-hour to the confideration of this picture. The vault of the Cava- chapel is painted by Cavadone. There is a very ^^^' extraordinary picture in this church, which neither Lalande nor Cochin have noticed -, it reprefents our Saviour fitting in a carver^s fhop, drelled in a purple robe lined with blue fattin, and fcarlet filk llockings ; he is carving a fort of term, which reprefents a woman's head with a bird's beak and wings : a poor man who has bought a wooden goblet, offers to pay for it, but his money is re- fufed. Behind the man is an old woman, well done ; in the back-ground St. Jofeph is plaining a board ; above all is a glory, in which appears the Virgin and two angels defcending, one bearing a Tiarini. mitre, the other a crofier j by Tiarini. Corpus [ 345 ] Corpus Domini, a church belonging to the con- Corpus Djmir.i Church. N'ent ot nuns of the order called in France Clarifies. D^n^ni A very elegant church, and finely decorated with columns of the Compofite order : the vaulted roof is painted, and the ornaments are in a good tafte. Over the fourth altar, to the right, are two pic- tures, by Ludovico Carracci ; one reprefents the Ludovico Apparition of our Saviour ; the other, an AfTump- ^^^cci. tion of the Virgin, and the Apoftles feeking the body of Jefus in the tomb \ they are both good pidures, but of a flat and lead-coloured tint. Over the fourth altar, to the left, is a fine paint- ing, by Annibal Carracci, of the Refurredion : Annibal the forefhortening is ingenious, the drawing fine, Carracci. but fails in relped: to colouring ; a defect rarely found in this mafler. St. Agnde ; in this chur-ch, ov^^r the great St.Agnefe altar, is a charming picture of the Martyrdom of ^''"^'^^* St. Agnefe ; (he appears about thirteen years old ; Domini- and is expiring from the flroke of a dagger juft '^ *"''*• plunged into her bofom. Imagination cannot paint a more innocent beauty, with fuch angelic dignity and meeknefs ; Ihe is robed in white, and her amiable figure is finely contrafted by an old wicked wretch, who having juft flabbed her, feems tranfported with fuperftitious zeal and fanatic cruelty. Some young girls, apparently her ac- quaintance, exprefs their grief and terror in the molt natural manner : on the fore-ground appear her mother and filter -, the former is fainted away, Z 3 and [ 542 ] and the latter weeps bitterly, hiding her head in her mother's lap to avoid feeing the dreadful ca- taftrophe. At the feet of St. Agnefe is a lamb fhe had brought up ; this poor animal heightens the diftrefs ; he appears to be bleating, and looks up to his miftrefs with a moft exprelTive forrow. At the top of the pidure is a glory of angels play- ing en various inftruments of mufic ; and who receives the palm for St. Agnefe from God the Father I he drawing and colouring is fine, and full of expreffion : it is certainly a moft capital pid:ure ; but as there is nothing abfolutely fault- lefs in the works of art, fo the connoijfeurs objeft to the glory, alleging that it forms as it were a fecond or feparate picture, being placed too low, &c. This I do not deny, but I fuppofe that Do- minichini could not have a church built on pur- pofe for his pidure, and was therefore obliged to confine himfelf to the fpace allotted him, in which cafe he is blamelefs ; for had he lefiened the glory, to make it appear higher up, and fore-lliortened his angels, they could not have been diftinguifhed the one from the other. St. Do- Saint Dominico : in the fifth chapel, is the fa- CWch. ^'^<^"s Mafiacre of the Innocents, by Guido : it is Gaido. a very fine picture, but a dreadful fubjefl. A much admired little Cupola, painted in frefco by the famx. The Apparition of the Virgin to St. Gia- cinto. who is about to celebrate the mafs, by Ludovico Ludovico Carracci. The Adoration of the Magi, Cirracci. i by [ 343 ] by Bartholomeo Cefi. St. Raymond walking on Banholo- the fea, by Ludovico Carracci. Ludovico The chapel of the Rofary contains a quantity of Carracci. plate, received in prefents from various perfons, and given upon condition of never being melted down for the profit of the community : here are a, great many filver bouquets, which are remarkably Silver well wrought at Bologna. Under the portico gojo'^'!^^'^* which furrounds this church are many frefco famous paintings, reprefenting miracles performed by St. 5,, " Benizio the Firit ; the beft of thefe is by Carlo Carlo Cigniani; it reprefents a dead ciiild lying at the 'S'"^'^** foot of the Saint's monument, and a blind man who is touching the tomb. In the church, and over the feventh altar, is a pitture called la Madonna del Mondoj by Tiarini ; a fine pifture, though it Tiaiinl. has fuffered by time. A Crucifixion, by Eliza- Elizabeth beth Sirani. A pifture which reprefents the Pre- "^'^"*' fentation of the Virgin when a child in the temple, with St. Anne and St. Joachim : the colouring, drawing, and the heads are fine; by Tiarini. A Tiarini. fine pidure, frefh and highly finifhed, by Albani : Albani. its fubjedl the Apparicion of our Saviour to Mary Magdalen. The church of St. Gcorgio in Monte; St. Geor- a celebrated pidy^, by Rafi^aello. In the feventh |ionte chapel, to the left, St. Cecilia appears with St. Church. raul and other cjamcs ; their two ngures are wor-* thy of Raffaello; having fo iaid, it is needlefs to add more, than that it is efteemed one of his moil capital performances. Z 4 The [ 344 ] The Birth of the Virgin, a beautiful pidlure : the two women who embrace each other are of Arcaufi. amiable and graceful characters ; by Aredlufi. In a chapel, 1 think the eighth to the right, you Domini- fee a very large pidure, by Dominichino ; it is confufcd, the lights and fhadows broad in an extreme, and the declination from light to dark- nefs too fudden ; the fubjeft is called the Virgin of the Rofary; the draping is finely executed. This is the laft church I Ihall mention, and I dare fay you are not forry for it; but there are many more in Bologna, which we do not mean to vifit. I muft referve the theatre and the Injlituto iov my jiext letter j therefore adieu, i^c. LET- [ 345 ] LETTER XXVII. Bologna, Dec. 15, 1770. I AM in high fpirits, having received three letters at once from you. [As the firft part of this letter confifts of family- occurrences, entirely uninterefting to the public, the Editor has omitted them, and proceeds to the farther defcription of Bologna.] The Injlituto is a vafl: palace, which formerly Inftituto. belonged to the Celleli family ; its archited was Pelegrino Tibaldi. The Senate of Bologna pur- Pelegrino chafed this palace in the year 1714, for the re- ception of a great colleflion of curiofities, which the famous Marfigli bequeathed to his country- men. This extenfive building is divided into feveral apartments, clafled according to their con- tents ; fomewhat in the manner of the Britilh Mufasum. Here is an academy for the fciences, a library, an obfervatory, a great colledion of natural hiftory, a hall for chemiftry, a fecond for anatomy, a third for painting and fculpture ; here are alfo profeflbrs for every art and fcience, who, though upon fmall appointments, yet by their knowledge and exa6l attention to their different departments, do honour to their country. The whole of their falaries does not exceed two thou- fand fcudi. This fine eftablilhment is under the -f diredlion [ 346 ] diredton of fix fenators. The Inftituto is diftind from the Univernty, which is the moll celebrated in Italy, and where is chiefly ftudied grammar, rhetoric, philoibphy, phyfic, and jurifprudence ^ they trace the antiquity of its eftablilhment up to the Emperor Theodofius. The Academy of Sciences makes part of the Inftituto, and was begun in the year 1690, by a young man of the age of fixteen years only, one Euftatio Manfredi ; he formed a little fociety, who met together at Hated times to confer upon literary fubjeds. The Count Marfigli invited them to afiemble in his palace, and let on foot an academy of painting. Some years after, he obtained the concurrence and encouragement of the Senate to extend the plan he had lb happily begun ; profefTors, i^c. were then appointed. Thii^ took place about the year 1 7 14, as I have faid above, and has continued ever fince to fiouriili and augment under their aufpiccs, and its prcfent ft:ate may not unworthily be compared with the Societies of Arts and Sci- ences of London, Paris, and Berlin. The obfer- vatory called here the Specola^ is a high tower, well furnifhed with ailronomical and mathemati- cal inftruments. "Library. The Library contains one hundred and fifteen thoufand volumes (you v/ill readily believe we did not count them). This coUedion is open for the infpedion of the public for feveral hours every morning, except Wednefdays, and is much fre- quented. The ftair cafe and antichamber contain many C 347 ] many curious infcriptions. They preferve in the library, with the greateft care, four hundred manulcript volumes, fourteen of which confift of figures of plants and animals, with their defcrip- tions. • This vaft work Vv^as the labour of one man, the celebrated Aldrovandi. There are alfo manufcripts of Pope Benizio and the Count Mar- figli. The library is adorned with the portraits of ail the illuftrious perfonages who have been its benefadors or protectors. Here is a hall for the ftudy of midwifery, which has been of great fervice to the Bolognefe, containing about feventy different models in wax, tfr. &€, Before this art had been properly taught and kftured upon in the Infiituto, many wretched women fell facrifices to the ignorance of the Bo^ lognefe midwives. The colle(5tion of Natural Hiflory is extremely isr-jtural curious -, here is a fine Egyptian mummy, and Hiilory. feveral rare animals -, amongft others, is a toad whofe young ones feem to proceed from her back. In the hall for experimental philofophy are curious inftruments for eleftricity ; for experiments re- fpefting light, fire, folids, and fluids, the pro- perties of air, thermometers, barometers, i^c» Here is a Hall containing curious models of civil, and another of military archite6lure, with plans in fortification, efceemed very valuable, prefented to the Society by the King of Sardinia : another for the marine, furnifhed with models of Ihips [ S4B ] Hall of fhips and other naval matters. In the Hall of ' Antiques, which particularly attraded our curio- fity and attention, are feveral idols -, and amongft the inflruments of facrificc is a Patera, on which is reprefented the birth of Minerva, one of the rareft curiofities in the colle6lion ; alfo feveral fine Etrufcan vafcs, fepulchral lamps, Roman urns, and many of their culinary utenfils ; together with a fine collection of medals •, but our time did not admit of examining them ; they confifl of a leries of fifteen hundred, beginning with Pompey and Julius Csefar, and ending with Heraclitus j befides Medals, many others equally curious. Alfo a coUedtion ot' falfe medals, refembling the true, for the in- flruction of thofe who apply themfelves to that ftudy, and to enable them to diftinguifh the true from the falfe. Gallery of In the Gallery of Statues are feveral originals, btatues. ^^^ ^^^^ copies or models from fome of the moft famous at Rome-, as the Laocoon of the Belvi- dere, the Hercules and Flora of Farnefe, the Mars, with the Aria and Pectus of the villa Lu- dovifi. The Prince Piombino prefented them with this laft, but had the mould deftroyed im- mediately after, to prevent any other copies being taken. The Meleager of Piccini, the Arrotino of Florence, ^'c. The Gallery of Paintings was begun by a Bolog- nefe of the houfe of Zambeccari, who bought feveral pidures of value, but nothing great •, and prefented them to the fociety. The academy of painting [ 349 ] painting gives premiums to young proficients, aS in England. Here is a ceiling well painted, by Pelleorrino Tibaldi ; it reprefents feveral events PeHegnno ° ^ Tibaldi. taken from the OdylTey. The figures are cu- rioufly forefhortened, and correftly defigned ; Carlo Cio;niani was the chief painter who be- Carlo longed to this academy ; here he lived, worked, '-"g"'^"** and died. They have alfo a Botanic Garden, which we Botanic wilhed to examine, but the weather being cold, '^ ^"* and many of the plants out of feafon, I fatisfied myfelf with knowing there was a garden, but did not go into it. We were told it contains fome very curious plants, fuch as the Papyrus of Sicily, i'lndigefera, the Petiveria, the Plbralea, the Accacia without thorns, &c. * In the Hall for Phyfics are fome good frefcos, nIcoIo by Nicolo Abati. Abati. The great Theatre f is new and extremely com- Theatre, modious ; the palTages being wide, and the whole of the building of Hone, even the flair-cafe, fo that a lire could not do it much damage. The boxes contain fix or feven people each, and are fo well contrived, that thofe behind can fee the ftage as well as thofe in front. * The ingenious Signior Buffi has publifhed a diflertation on a new genus of plants. t It was built in 1760, where the ancient palace of the Bentivoglios flood. This palace had been demoli(hed in 1505, by the order of Pope Julio the Second, who feared the greatnefs of the Bentivoglios, the ancient rivals of the Holy See in the Sovereignty of Bologna. The t 35<5 ] The little Theatre, (fo called) in which they perform operas at prefent, is very pretty, and would be efteemed fine and capacious, was it not that there is ftill a better. The boxes of the little Theatre are furnilhed according to the different taftes of their owners ; for they all belong to in- dividuals : fome are hung with rich Lyons fJks, brocaded with gold or filver, others with plain damaiks with gold fringe. The box of the Sena- trice Aldrovandi is lined with blue and fiiver, and has a very pretty effect. The boxes are lighted by wax-candles .in filver branches, behind which are placed looking-glafTes, which have a brilliant effedt when lighted up. I think the opera charm- ing, and the dances, v/hich are in the grotefque tafle, extremely diverting ; but v/e find that this opera is by no means approved of by the Bolog- ncfe, who fay they have feldom one fo indifferent, either in refpeft of mufic or dancing : but thefe good people are over-nice ; and 1 am very fure, was the whole choir of fingers and dancers to be tranfported to London, they would meet with iiniverfal approbation ; for there are no bad voices nor bad dancers amongft them. All the operas I have ittn in London could feldom boaft above o-ne good voice, and rarely more than two tolerable dancers ; the others being frequently ridicuioufly bad. No fong can be repeated until the Cardinal Legate gives his fanclion, by holding up his hand. It furprifed me much to fee an Abbe, in the proper drefs, introduced as a grotefque [ 351 ] grotefque charafter, who appears to be a true ^artuffe\ I fhould have thought this piece of wic would have been efteemed impertinent by their Em — n — ces, but they applauded as loudly as the populace. The Bologna ladies have frequently card-parties in their boxes. This cuftom anfwers a good end, you muft acknowledge-, for as the opera lads enorrnoufly long, and they never give the leafl: degree of attention to more than two or three favourite fongs, ennui fcizes many of them, and is apt to become epidemical \ the card-table is welcome : games of chance are what they gene- rally play, fo that their attention is not entirely devoted to their cards ; thus they partake of two amufements at the fame timie. I naturally pafs from the Theatre to the Afiemblies -, which are AfTem- fufficiently numerous to be agreeable •, the ladies ***' in turn open their houfes once or twice a week, where you are fure to micet a fele6t company of the firft people of Bologna. None are admitted but thofe who are acquainted with each other, excepting ftrangers, invited through their recom- mendations. The only objedion to this cuftom, if it can be objecled to, is, that the Ibciety is the fame every night, transferred to different houfes. Thofe who for the ixk.^ of variety wiih to meet improper people, who play high, and infeft their betters, can never find amufement in a Bolognefe affembly. Their play is moderate, nor is it necef- fary to play at all ; for you may always find a little circle of half a dozen people of both fexes", 7 who [ 352 ] uho can keep up the ball of converfation with a", much vivacity and politenefs as at Paris. The Palazzo Ba7'hazzd is elegantly furniflied ; the miftrefs of the hoiife is of amiable manners, and does the honours of her alTembly with as much grace as any lady I know. I had heard the Ita- lians were ceremonious ; I have not yet perceived this dcfed. The perfeiftion of good-breeding ap- pears to me to confill in putting every body at their eafc ; whoever, by a politenefs mal-entevdue^ lays their company under rellraint, deprives them cf their liberty for the time. We have often experienced this fpecies of captivity in other na- tions ; but I muft leave this digreflion, to afllire you I could pafs the Winter here extremely to my tafte, were not Florence, Rome, and Naples ftill before us ; and did not thefe great objeds con- ftantly reproach our delay at Bologna. We Ihall quit with regret this agreeable city and its inha- bitants. The Cafa Zambecari^ that of Rtinnuzziy and Ibme others, are now open. The Cardinal Legate and the Vice-Legate have no alTembly for cards, but they give magnificent and feled conver- fationes j and have both honoured us with their intimacy. The Vice-Legate is become an inti- mate friend of M *s. He is a man of letters, has much of the Englifhman about him, loves and honours our nation, admires pur government and laws ; is fond of our bed authors, reads Eng- Jilh well, and fpeaks it very intelligibly, though acquired without the afliftance of a mailer. Think what [ 253 1 ■^vhat pains he muft have taken to have made a confiderable proficiency in a language fo extremely diificult to all foreigners. La Marchionefe M ipeaks French well, has a great deal of wit, and a very agreeable perfon ; her filler L has been a famous beauty ; the Countefs O has an excellent heart and a moll: amiable difpofition, bur * ^ * "^ * ^ * * * ifthp Bolognefe ladies are cenfured for gallantry, fome Manners, allowance (hould be made for their education in convents, their being led to the altar as victims, a facrifice to any difagreeable wretch their parents think proper to bellow them upon ; if the Caro Spofo be rich, and of a good family, no matter how old, ugly, and difgufting. When you con- fider the kind of education a young Italian lady deceives in her convent, the implicit obedience required by her dire^eur to the Roman Catholic religion, and to her parents (where by the former fhe can be abfolved from any crime by indulg- ences, fin as much as Ihe will), the tyranny of the latter becomes much more tolerable, and Ihe is fcarcely blameable for any gallant incident (he may be involved in by artful men and bad ex- amples. This is too ample a field for me to expatiate upon ; but as I underftand that throughout all Italy the manners refpedting mar- riages are much the fame, I fhall touch lightly for the future upon the gallantry and coquetry of the Italian ladies. In regard to the origin of Vol, I. A a Cicef- [ 354 ] CIce(beo5. Cicefbeos, that topic I muft referve for another time, when 1 lliall have feen more of Italy. City of I now return to the city of Bologna ; the towers, Bologna, ^j^g fountains, ftreets, manufaftures, and the na- tural hiftory of its environs : but firft I fhall Noblefie mention the drefs of its inhabitants. The women of fafhion copy the French, and are generally very fine, in Lyons filks, furs, and diamonds j the men are alfo dreffed in the mode of that coun- Tradef- try. The bourgeois wear a cloak when they walk fome pro- ^^^ ftreets, which they wrap round them ; the feflions hourgeoife wear a kind of clofe gown buttoned, drefs. . . Tradef- With flecves down to their v/rifts ; it reiembling women. ^ ^\r)(\ of riding-drefs the farmers wives wear in England called Jofephs ; when they go out they Paifanes cover themfelves with the zendado. The pa'ifanes wear their chinioti braided, and a flraw hatj their bofoms covered with a colorette of cambric trimmed with a narrow lace; and their gowns are clofe like the hourgeoife. Having done with their Leaning drefs, I proceed to the Tower of Arfinelli ; it was Arfinelli, built in the year 11O9. Lalande fays, it is three hundred and feven Paris feet high, without in- cluding the cupola ; and leans to one fide three ofGari- f^gt a^id a half, Paris meafure. The Tower of Garifendi, which ftands very near the other, is one hundred and forty-four feet high only, but is out of the perpendicular eight feet two inches 5 the inclination of thefe Towers is evidently the effe :1 of defign, as appears from the conftrudlion of their interior parts \ they are both of brick. From t S55 1 Fronti t^ Tower Arfinelli may be difcerned four little towns^ one of which is Cento, at eighteen miles diftance. In the Piazza Maggiore is a large fountain, by Plasza the celebrated fculptor Giovani di Bologna; all the Fo^uftain'! figures are in bronze : the mofl: elevated (and Giovani which gives the group a pyramidical form when „£,. taken all together) is that of Neptune ^ he is landing with one foot upon a dolphin-, one hand bears the trident, the other is ftretched out from him. At the four corners of the plinth that fuf- tains Neptune, are little children fitting, wi'io appear to be guiding dolphins placed at the bot- tom of the angles of the pedeftal ; upon thefe dolphins ride four fyrens, who prefs the water ouc of their breads ; it fprings out alfo from the •mouths of the dolphins, and falling into large Ihells, efcapes from them into a bafon, from which is a defcent of three broad fleps. The Neptune is in a mod majeftic attitude ; he appears to be of middle age. The anatomy is finely rendered ; the proportions perfeft, the attitude noble and full of fpiritj his countenance expreflTes more fiercenefs than pride. It is worth remarking, that from every point of view he appears to equal advantage. The Sirens are graceful, though not without ex- prefilng a confcioufnefs of their charms, which they feem endeavouring to difplay to the beft ad- vantage. The children are natural, and the dol- phins appear adlive and lively. The connoijfeurs^ who look for faults, fay, the pedeftal has the air ^32 of [ 356 1 of a maufoleum, and that the group is too con- fufed i there not being a fufficient fpace preferved between the figures. Here are feveral other fourv- tains worthy the infpedion of ftrangers ; but P mention this only as being the firft. Streets. This town is well built, yet the ftreets appear dark and melancholy, occafioned by a piazza which projedts over the broad pavement to Ihelter thofe who walk. Some of the palaces have fine Architec- fronts, though the architecture in general is but ture. . ,.<-r indirierent. Manufac- Bologna is famous for a filk manufadlory. tares. xhere are mills in towers, which go by water, and mill the filk in order to prepare it for the loom. The rivers (which, properly fpeaking, are moun^ tain-torrents), called the Reno, the Savena, and the Avefa, are of great ufe to the manufadures ; and they fupply the fountains. The Orfevres are allowed to work curioufly in gold oriiaments, and make a kind of crape of gold worth feeing. Here is a manufadory of paper, of which you may yourfeif judge, as 1 have wrote my letters from hence upon what they efteem the firft fort j the bluifh caft is given by a fort of gum mixed v/ith it when in a tiuid ftate, as I underftood from them. The Macaroni made here is highly efteem- Provifions. ed. Provifions for the table of all kinds are ex- cellent i hog-meat remarkably good ; the Bologna iaufages and mortadellas, alfo the carvellas, are, I believe, the bell in Europe ; the hogs are of the large [ 357 ] large breed j their hair fiery red. The liqueurs, particularly thofe of the manufaflure of Giaebimo Gnudi, are famous, and fent, as alfo the faufagesj to moft parts of Europe; the rofa fola, or roffelia di anefino is the bell. All kinds of confcftionaries are made in great perfedion \ the coiognatiy or jelly of quince, is particularly fine. I have got the receipts for all the kinds of faufages, the liqueurs, and the cotognati. Their grapes are ex- cellent, which they have the art of prelerving for eight or nine months, in fuch perfe(5l:ion as to appear newly gathered. I informed myfelf alfo in regard to this article of the menage. The beft and moft efteemed kinds are the Uva Paradifa, and the Uva Angola ,• the feeds are oval, and the fkins of the fruit uncommonly thin and tender. They value themfelves upon a fpecies of melon, which they believe to be the beft in the world ; but the fealbn is now over for them. The white truffles are as good as thofe of Turin, excepting that fla- vour of garlic, which the Piedmontefe admire in their own. The Bologna tobacco and fnuff" is efteemed the beft in Italy, The breed of lap-dogs peculiar to this country, are extremely beautiful. Madama Aldrovandi was fo very obliging as to fend me one of the moft perfect I ever faw, upori 3 magnificent velvet cuftiion, trimmed with gold- fringe* i but I found myfelf under a necefllty of * It was curled (frij'ie), and ornamcBted with rofe-coloured ribbon round the neck and legs, A a 3 refufing [ 35S ] refufing this pretty crieature -, my chiff reafon wis* that I could not think of making my own dog * * uneafy, who has been my faithful companion and friend fince I left * * ^, and flie fhewed fuch a vifible jealoufy and difguft to this little ftranger, that I determined not to vex her-, however, I did not venture to give this reafon for my refufal, left I fliould be laughed at, but alleged, that one dog was fufficiently embarraffrng upon a journey, and that if any accident fhould happen from change of climate, &c. to this Bologna beauty, it would be a great vexation to me. Nitiiral Many natural curiofities are found in the neigh- tanoiit'.es. bourhood of this city ; the moft remarkable are the rock- cry ftal, of which there is great abun- dance near the river Setta, and curious petrifac- tions near the Caftello Crefpellana -, but there is nothing fo extraordinary as the Pietra de Monte Paderno, of which the famous phofphorus of Bologna is compofed ; it is called // cuminabile, or fpor.gia di luce : they are found only in this moun- tain near the town ; and require but a fimple cal« cination, when they immediately become lumi- nous, cafting a red, fiery light in an obfcure place : they retain this property three years, and then by a recalcination, become as luminous as after the fir ft. I have got fome of this phofphorus, which one of the profefTors of the Inftituto was fo obliging to prefent me with, together with fome cryftallized petrified ftiells found in this country, remarkably curious. If the old proverb is true, * that I [ 359 ] that "a rolling flone will never gather mofs," yet tevttk it, and rolling mofs may gather ftones ; for, fuppofing me to reprefent the mofs, my col- ktflion of foffils, if they augment in proportion to what they have hitherto done, may, I fear, Endanger the bottoms of our trunks. But to return- to the phofphorus; in its natural, or brute flate, it feems to be a fpecies of talc, with fhin- ing cryftalline particles ; no fhells are ever found in it, and it rarely happens, that a phofphorus ftone is compofed of a fparry fubflance. We pro- pofe reaching Florence the 17th or i8th, and have been told the inns are bad on the road, but the Cardinal Legate has been fo obliging as to give us a letter for the fuperior of a convent fituated on the Appenine: this is a very great favour; for it is a ftrong exertion of his power to prevail upon the monks to receive a woman (at lead publicly) within their facred walls, I am quite charmed with the idea of fleeping in this convent, and fur- prifing the monks, for they are to have no pre- vious notice ; but the order is of fuch a nature, that they mufl admit and entertain us at whatever hour we may happen to arrive ; his Eminence has fome humour in this affair. We have aUo letters of recommendation to Florence and Rome, which muft be attended with pleating conlequences to us in thofe cities. ********** I have jufl received a fine pheafant, a prefent from la Contejfa Orfi\ it was accompanied by a b every trifle ! Thefe fine flowers are in the common beds at this feafon; and what is very furprifmg, fnow, though it lies ox\ the ground, does not affed thern. There is a fpecies of fennel jiere, which is excellent, eat as cellery ; it has a ^ne fweet tafte, without the acrid flavour of our Eng- lifli fennel ; is cultivated like our cellery, in ridges, but muft be raifed in a common hot-bed jp the month of March ; when it has been tranf- planted and earthed up, it blanches like cellery, but always retains a greenifh calt ; it is extremely tender, and breaks off fhort j they ferve it in the deferts. There are great plenty of Maltefe orange? fold here in the fruit-fhops, very cheap; they have the fineft flavour imaginable; and as to their fize, it is too incredible to be committed to paper; le vrai, you know, is not always le vrai fevMable, Adieu. I hope we fhall have tolerable weather for oiir lovirnfv ^^^^^^^w ********. I fliall write again immediately on our arrival at Florence. P. S. The ftreets, for thefe two or three days Tefuhs. P^^» have been crowded with Jefuits ; their num- ber in this town cnly exceeds four thoufand: they are I 361 ] are artived from Paraguay and Spain, ^c. mznf of chem appear to be in extreme want and diftrefs i the greater number are on their way tp Rome, to fee what their holy papa will do for them. We were amazed to fee fuch a crowd of thcfc new arrivals at the opera as almoft filled the pit. Thcfe feemed to be in tolerable circvimftances. They wear the habit of their order; and for the mqft part appear pitiable objeds. The populace loa4 them with maledidions as they pafs, and refufe to bellow upon them (h? fqiajieft ^ffiftancc, LET. Florence. t 362 } LETTER XXVIir. Florence, Dec. 18th, 1770, " Inn at TT7E are arrived here in perfed health, ad- W mirably well lodged at Vanini's, where you find true Englifli cleanlinefs, elegance, and civility. The Englifli will have a real lofs in old Mrs. Vanini, when fhe departs this life-, and I wilh, for their fakes, her daughter-in-law may imitate the example Ihe fets her : her fon alfo be- haves quite well in his ftation ; but it is particu- larly agreeable for female travellers, to find a hoftefs of the flamp of Mrs. Vanini, who perfeftly underflands her bufinefs, is juft in her dealings, refpedful in her behaviour, friendly without the leaft familiarity, and has the art of making her hotel feem one's own houfe. Her attentions are fuch as I have never before experienced from any perfon in her fituation. In Ihort, I tell you I am charmed with this old Englifhwoman, and am forry it is not in our power to make a longer ftay at Florence than we propofe. Our apartment confifts of a large anti-chamber, an excellent bed- chamber within, and a room without a bed, which the French call uji cabinet de jour, for the anti- chamber is a dining-room ; from the former we have a door that opens upon a terrace, with a baluftrade round it, from whence is a fine view of the [ 3^3 ] the famous bridge with cycloid arches, the Arrio, the town, &c. The apartment is hung with crim- fon damafj^:, and ornamented with pidures. Our expences, as lodgings, firing (the wood is dear Expences here), lights, eating, wine, ^c, twenty-fix pauls ^^^* a-day ; a paul is ten fols French. Our remife is at a fixed price, ten pauls a-day, and two pauls for the coachman •, the I^quais de lounge the fame as at Bologna and other Italian towns. We quitted Bologna the 15th, but begun our journey too lace ; and WTre guilty of the fame im- prudence the next morning, which obliged us to lie two nights on the road, though the diftance is Road only fixty-thrce miles. The road from Bolop-na, , "^ ^°" ■' ■' & » logna to for about two or three miles, is through a culti- Florence, vated country ; the farmers and peafants appear Farmers rich and happy ; but the reft of the journey is ex- J" " tremeiy difagreeable, the mountains feeming as if they would never end -, the road, however, is fafe, and all the afcenrs paved; but Appenine on Ap-Appe- penine is repeated fo often, that, to gratify your "'""• cprioficy at our return, I drew upon a blank leaf of Lalande (which I held in my hand to fee what he fays of the route) the outlines of the fummits of the mountains as they appeared one above the ether. The higher they afcend, and feek to eafe Their wearied fteps, their labours ftill increafe : To one great height a greater doth fucceed. And every hill another feems to breed. Hence Hence all their toils and labours, v/bich before They had o'ercome, they tremble to explore ^ Objeds repeated, terrors new prefent. Whichever way their trembling eyes are bent ; The horrid face of winter hoary white Appearing, gives fad limits to the fight. So when the unlkill'd failor vent'rous leaves His fweet abode, for which too late he grieves. And the brifk gale no longer fwells the fails, Far as the view extends, the fea prevails, Tir'd with the boundlefs profpedt, then he tries To eafe his fight, and upwards cafl:s his eyes. ^rartjlation from Silius Itdicus, See Lives of the Roman Poets, by Cruftus, By the way, that I may not forget to mention ir, there was not the leaft appearance of flame or fmoke when we pafled by the ground near the pietraMa- village of Pietra Mala, where is a kind of volcano, Volcano!* ^^^ precifely defcribed by Lalande. The furface appears of calcined earth ;, there are various kinds of vitrified fubftances, refembling the drofs and alhes of a glafs-houfe (thefe are the true indications of volcanoes), accompanied with a black (hining fand mixed with the foil •, and this mixture is one of the marks by which they are traced and difco- vered. We regretted much that this fire did not fliew itfelf ; it is called hcrtfuoco di legno, proba- bly from its refemblance to the clear flame of lighted wood. At length, having traverfed a mod uncultivated, barren, and bleak waftc, fo thinly inhabited, [ 365 ] inhabited, as for many miles the country on each fide feems, as " where no human footfteps ever trod *." We gained Scaricalafmo ; it was be- Scarlcala- tween nine and ten o'clock when we arrived at the gate of the convent, not far from which is the wretched inn where we muft have fought fhelter, had it not been for the Cadinal Legate's kind man- date. The gate of the Convent was immediately Conven^ opened to us, after the porter had delivered the letter to the Superior, who very politely came out himfelf and conduced us in. We entered a large faloon ; there we found two Monks ; their order is of the White Benediflines, confequently are of white noble defcent, as this fraternity admits no others. ^^"^*C' The Superior is a hale, well-looking man, about forty years of age *, his behaviour was courteous, affable, and hofpitable : he feemed a man of un- common good fenfe, to have a great knowledge of the world, and was very good-humoured and con- verfible. There are but fix Monks here; they admit no Novices. They keep two fervants only, who are wcli-drefTed, and ferve as valeis de cham- Ire. The Monks themfelves take in turn the infpeflion of the kitchen. You know the church in all countries inclines to good fare, and this is not a rigid order. Two of the Monks did not appear; I fuppofe one was employed in the kitchen, and the other, perhaps, indifpoled. The Superior made us many excufes for the bad fare • The poft-houfes generally through Italy are i/det^ no other houfe being for the moft part near them, we We fiiOLiId have, and for our being obliged to wait for flipper; faying, they themfeives had already fupped, that they had fcarce any provifions in the houfe, and being a maigre day alfo (for it was Saturday), he hoped we would excufe, l^c. how- ever, we did not wait a quarter of an hour for fupper. They lamented much the not having pre- vious notice of our arrival, as they would have given us a better reception, and added many polite things; but before they had finifhed, the two fervants appeared v/ith a fmall table for M and me, and laid a cloth and a lay-over upon it, in our Englifh fafhion, of the finefl damafk I have ever feen -, it v/as calendered and pinchedj forming a Mofaic pattern •, the napkins were curioufly folded, the plates of the fineft old China; fpoons, knives, forks, i^c. fait- fellers of filver of the mod elegant fafhion, and fo clean^ that they appeared quite new ; they ferved one Supper at difh at a time; firft, an admirable gravy- foup^ vent &c. ^^ ^ beautiful terreen of the fame China as the great hof- pkites ; they removed this with a potdarde a la P"^ ' ^' hraife, as good as you ever fav/ from Brefie ; then a fry tres recherchie, after the Italian ecciefiaftical falhion ; then a pigeon patttie dont le ad etoit farcU garnifhed with fmall cakes, made of a kind of pafte, quite agreeable to eat with the pigeon. The defert confided of grapes fo well preferved, tnat they feemed as juft gathered, Burey- pears, fine chefnuts roafl:ed, and excellent Parmefan cheefe. They were quite teafing v/hiiil we fupped, with their t 367 ] their apologies for fuch rxiirerable fare, 4s they termed it. During our repaft, three cryftal car- rafFes were fee on the table, which held about a pint each ; one filled with an excellent red wine, another with white, and a third with water. At the defert a bottle of wine was produced, and the Superior prefled us to try it. M faid, it was the £neft Cyprefs he had ever tailed. Was not this an elegant fupper for a quarter of an hour's preparation ? They prefled us during the fupper to eat, and after fcemed uneafy that M did not finifh the bottle of Cyprefs ; infilling that he had commended it through compliment only. We fat together about an hour after fupper, and 1 have fcarce in my life pafled an evening more agree- ably ; the converfation was not only kept up with, life and fpirit by the Monks^ but the Superior in particular made many brilliant failies j he polTefles a native wit and humour, void of fatire or ill- nature ; v/as well verfed in the anecdotes and littk? events that formed the converfation of the day at Bologna ; had heard of moft of the Englifh of any confequence who had made the tour of Italy for years paftj knew their characters, their attach- ments, and even their perfons had been fo well defcribed to him, that we made feveral of them out. The Italians, in common with the French and other foreigners, are more at a lofs for Eng- liOi names and titles, than for any other circum-* ftancc that regards them. He feemed well ac- quaint!?d with political affairs, the intereH of* J Europe, C 368 ] feurbpe, the balance of power, the real priv'atc- charaders and manner of life of the potentates of Europe, the tradej commerce, and intereft of England^ the parties there, Cffc. &c. Now don't you want to know how the faloort was furniflied, and what fort of a room it was ? I know you do. Its dimenfions are about forty feet by twenty, and thirty high ; it was hung with gilc Turky-leather, which appeared at firft fight like a hair-coloured damafk with gold flowers : the ciel- ing Gothic arches in fedlions, like a church ; the windows placed very high, with iteps up to them j the fhutters painted and gilt in arahefque-^ the chairs exceedingly eafy, and covered with the fame materials with the walls j the chimney very large, projecting into the room, and a prodigious fire of excellent dnedfapin neatly clove -, a fine fix-leaved fcreen, which was drawn round us (by the way, the firft I have feen fince I left ) ; the faloon Ivas lighted by wax candles in magnificent filver candlefticks. Before we retired, we thanked the Superior in particular, for the hofpitable and ele- gant reception he had given us, and I could not avoid remarking how much it furprifed me to find fuch good cheer on the fummit of the Appenines ; he fhook his head, and faid their fituation was moft dreadful, that they depended entirely upon the muleteers who pafiled by, for their provifions 5 which, though purchafed from them at their own valuation, yet, from want of attention, thefe peo- {)le fupplied them frequently, but ill and fcantily ; that [ 3^9 ] that the climate is fo bad all the year round, and thefe barren Appenines fo bleak, that neither corn, wine, nor any kind of garden-ftuff can be pro- duced upon them ; even grafs is withered imme- diately in its attempting to fpring up, by the keen north-eaft blafts, which are almoft infufferable even in the month of Auguft, and frequently ac- companied with fnow ; that during part of June and July they have with difficulty raifed a little fallad. In every part eternally prevail The growing froft, and undifTolving hail. The aged ice endures •, each lofty brow Of thefe aerial hills is crovvn'd with fnow 5 Tho' Phoebus rifing, on their fummit play. The folid froft defies his fierceft ray : Far as the gloomy dwellings fink below Our furface, where the Stygian waters flow, So high above the vale the mountains rifc^. And with their iliadows intercept the ikies. Nor Spring nor Summer knows the gloomy year; Winter deform'd for ever fix.'d dwells here. And on thefe dreary cliffs her feat defends ; Whence all around fhe ftorms difpenfing fends ; Mad Boreas here, and all his boift'rous train. Have chofe their home, hence fcour the earth and main. The weaken'd eye grows dim to take the height. Which piercing thro' the clouds, eludes the dazzled fight. See Tranjlation from Silius Italicus. Crufms's Poets. Vol. I. B b I was [ Zio ] 1 was quite forry when the Superior propofed our retiring to reft ; he condufled us into a fpacious bed-chamber adjoining to the falcon, and retired, after he had with great politenefs apologized for the coarfenefs of the fheets (which were, however, of the fineft Holland). We thought it neceflary to make excufes in our turn for having kept them up fo late ; and I, who dreaded the tocfin^ added, that I feared it muft be particularly inconvenient to them, upon account of their early church- fervice \ he replied, that they were not novices, and never deprived themfelves of their natural reft for ceremonies, but always went to bed and rofe when agreeable to them. Happy Monks, thought I ! For you muft know I had been dreading all the evening fome holy vigil, at which perhaps our attendance might have been expected. An elegant lamp being placed in our chamber for the night, and a pair of wax candles, we went into as good a bed as, I believe, his Holinefs himfelf ever occupied : the curtains were of fine broad-cloth, the room wainfcoted with oak, and the cleanlinefs of the convent and its furniture was quite qua- kerly. We did not wake till nine o'clock next morning, and might have flept the four-and- twenty hours round from a cefiation of every kind of noife ; for excepting the wind, which was moderate, there reioined a quietude unknown but in a convent on the Appenines. Upon our enter- ing the faloon next morning 5 the Monks imme- diately joineil us ; breakfaft was ready, and con- fifted [ 37^ ] lifted of excellent Turin chocolate and fcorched bread. Ordering our horfes as foon as we had breakfailed, we quitted our kind hofts with regret. How delightful would the tour of Italy be, if the convents were permitted to entertain flrangers ! We were greatly diftrefied how to contrive to leave fome little acknowledgment with thefe Monks -, it was impoflible to offer them money, fo we em- ployed our own vdet de chamhre (who you knov/ is an Italian) to find out with delicacy from the fer- vants how that might be done •, but he told us they never took money, and the fer^ants refufed alfo : however, we really forced a feqiiin a-piece upon them, through our valet de chamhre^ and under a promife not to divulge it to the Monks. I forgot to mention that it appeared in the courfe of converfation, that no woman had ever been re- ceived into this convent befide myfelf, excepting Chriftina Queen of Sweden, the prefent Emprefs of Hungary, and the Qiieen of Naples ; and that only for one night's lodging each, on their jour- ney. Ought not I to be very proud to have the honour of forming a qiiartetto with this illuftrious trio F what pity it is that royalty is not catching, for we had all ilept on the fam.e bed. As I efteem this night's lodging a memorable epoch in my life, I hope you are not tired with the length of this relation : but to teach me humility, and dived me of all my royalty, I muil proceed to inform you, that after this delicious night paiTed at B b 2 Scarica [ 2>T^ ] Scarica rAfino, by our fetting out late in the morning, we were obliged to lie at a village called Mafchieri MafchieH, where, in the dirtieft of all pofiible j'^jj^S^* inns, and the mod miferable bed, " we courted fleep in vain," after having fupped upon, what think you ? a pork foup with the houlliie in it, namely, a hog's head, with the eye-lafhes, eyes, and nofe on ; the very food the wretched animal had laft eat of before he made his exit remained flicking about the teeth j we wanted neither " nofe of Turk, nor Tartar's lip," and had there been a tiger's chawdron for the ingredients of our caul- dron for fow (at leaft hog's blood was not want- Jng)> " fo make the gruel thick and flab," we ihould have been able to have raifed ghofts from the charmed pot. This foup was removed by a difh of broiled houfe-fparrows. Need I fay we went to bed fupperlefs ? I now return to the road : Pletra From Scarica I'Afino, we came to Pietra Mala, Mala. already mentioned in the former part of this letter, Fieren- leaving Fierengola on the left. They pretend that Ancient ^^^^ little towH was the ancient Fidentia. The Fidentia. river Santerno bathes its walls. The valley in river. which it is fituated is well cultivated, and clofely planted with olive and fruit trees, vines, rows of Campa- cyprefs, pines, and other firs. At Campagiuolo, gmolo. ^i;iich is about fourteen miles from Florence, is a pleafure-palace belonging to the Grand Duke; from thence to Florence the road is beautiful. St. Gallo yh^ entrance of this city is by the gate St. Gallo ; which I which is crowned by a laro;e ftatue of the late Em- 5,^^'"^. °f . , . ... Francis I. peror Francis the Firft. The origin of this city is Floreace. attributed to the Etrufcans, after whom the Phoe- nicians inhabited it, as Lami aflerts, in his work, intitled, Lczioni di Antichita Tofcanata ; others fay, the Lybjan Hercules was the founder. Thefefort of refearches are generally fo doubtful, and au- thors difpute and differ fo widely, that I fliall leave them to argue the matter with each other, and proceed to inform you of its prefent appearance. It is well built ; and the (Ireets in general fpa- cious. There are feveral palaces belonging to individuals, the architedture of which is in an ex- cellent tafte: their v/indows and doors remarkably well proportioned. Thofe virtuofi, who are vio- lent partizans of lightnefs, objeft to fome ruftic bafes, which they efteem too maflive and heavy; but, in my opinion, an appearance of ftrength is abfolutely neceiTary to give a noble air to a palace -, and a bafe and rez de chau(fe3 may eafily be built fo as to fhock the fpedator with an apparent weaknefs, although each member of the architec- ture be in reality fufficiently ftrong for the purpofe it is defigned to anfwer. The ftreets are well paved, and the broad pavement at the fides, for foot-paffengers, is extremely convenient; but there arc no piazzas or porticos ranging along the fronts of the houfes in a continued line, as at Bo- logna. This city is well fupplied with water; here are many fountains worth remarking, and B b 3 which [ 374 ] which I fhall mention more particularly in another letter; alfo four bridges. The river Arno runs through the town -, but is at prelent muddy, and by no means comparable to our Thames for beauty. The outfides of the churches make a fine appearance. But I muft haPcen to conclude this letter ; as our ftay here will be Ihort, I Ihall not be able to give you as much information as you may perhaps expedl from me. We Ihall begin to-morrow with the Grand Duke*s palace, &c. &c. and fee as many of the churches and palaces as the time we have deflined to this town can admit of. So adieu, for dinner is ferved, and excellent Britifh minced pies, compcfed hy Madame Vanini, fmoke upon the board. I am^ as ever. LET- [ ^n ] LETTER XXIX. Florence, Dec. 28, 1770. I Hope you have had no alarm from any newf- Earth- paper article relating to the fliock of an earth- ^'^^ ^' quake felt here yefterday morning at five o'clock. I happened to be awake, and heard a confufed noife, which at firfl: Teemed to be at a confiderable didance, but came rolling on, and was imme- diately followed by a fiiock, which feeming to proceed from the foundation of the houfe, af- cended to the very top. I do not know any thing it refembled lb much as that of a horfe fhaking himfelf when you are upon his back, with this difference, that this being the fliuddering of a houfe inftead of a horfe, the various moveables in the room balanced to one fide and the other, and fome light furniture fell down. The bedilead was lifted up a httle way from the ground, and came down ag;ain with a great fiiock. M waked, and perfuading me there was no danger, added to there not being any uncommon noife in the hotel, and Mrs. Vanini's keeping quiet, I was not alarmed, though an almoft infupportable clofe- nefs of air continued for more than a minute, as well as I could judge. All the bells in the churches were rung out, to warn the people to quit their B b 4 houfes. [ 3/6 ] hou fes. Many of the poorer fort fled from their habitations, and repaired to the churches. After fitting up about a quarter of an hour, and per- ceiving all to be flill, I went to fleep, and did not wake till nine o'clock. The earthquake had done no mifchief to any of the houfes in the town. This morning a violent clap of thunder fell on the Duomo^ and fplit fome of the pinnacles and other ornaments on the top, without further damage. Several rifible ftories have circulated in regard to the difturbances and difcoveries the earthquake occafioned, amongft fome polite focie- * * * * The famous Gallery at Florence, under which name I comprehend many rooms befides, called here gabbinettes^ has taken us up three whole days ; not but that two hours would have fufRced for thofe v/ho walk as faft as they can through this labyrinth of the powers of art ; but choofing to examine every particular objefl:, we had not allowed ourfelves more time than was abfolutely neceflary. I am forry to find fo frequent occafion to criti- cife Lalande, but one is under a kind of neceflity to expofe fuch grofs miftakes ; he obferves upon, and commends modern ilatues and buftoes for an- tiques, and 'vice verfa. This aflertion is not folely upon our own judgments, but from the mouth of the Abbe, who is Ciceroni to this collec- tion. This fuperb depofitory of curiofities was made chiefly by the Medici family ; the articles of it [ 377 ] it are fo numerous, that I fhall confine myfelf to thofe only v/hich appeared to us mod ftriking, fome flight defcriDtion of which may be brought within the compals of a long letter ; and fhall firft begin with the building, then proceed to the antique fculpture, cameos, ^c. and mention the pictures by themfelves. The approach is by a large court, which refemblcs a beautiful ftreet, with uniform fronts on each fide, and a piazza ranging along them. The entrance to this open place is by the piazza of the old palace ; the other extremity is terminated by a grand arc, reiling on two intercolumniations : this arc unites the two wings which form the ftreet, and from thence is a view of the Arno, The fronts of thefe wings prefent a rex dechaujfie^ from which fprings a Doric order of columns, bearing plat-bands, upon which the arches reft that cover the porticos ; under thefe arches people are permitted to walk. Over the entablature is an Attic, and windows which light the vaulted roof of the portico. Above this is a itory decorated with baluilrades and pediments, where are windows alfo, and where the artifts employed by the Grand Duke are conflantly at work. Over this again rifes the fa- mous gallery which contains the curiofities. This gallery is difpofed in much the fame tafte of archi- tecture as the rez-dechaiijfee, and between the in- tercolumniations are large windows. In that part at the end of the ftreet which looks on the Arno, the architedture changes, and pre- fents [ 373 ] Equeftri- an Statue of Cofmo the Firll. Veflibule, Emperor Nerva, Vafc-. Antique dogs. Pieratti. Antique Siacue. fents three great arcades ; in the center is placed an Equeftrian Statue of Cofmo the Firft, which when feen from a proper point of view, appears as in an opening fky. Immediately on the top of the ftaircafe which condufls to the gallery is a Veftibule, containing many fine antique fculp- tures, farcophagufes, bas reliefs, and antique infcriptions, which have been inferred in the walls, A beautiful oval vafe drav/s the attention of the fpedatcr on hi^ firft entrance ; this is a bas relief of the head of the Em>peror Nerva, and in the higheft prefervation. Two fine antique dogs, admirably well done. A Gladiator ; a fpirited athletic figure, holding a buckler in one hand, and grafping in the other two dagger- hilts, in the attitude of parrying a flroke from his adverfary. A Modern Statue, by Pieratti, a fcholar of Bernini's; it is a good thing in its way, yet re- tains too much of Bernini's ftyle, what the French call manieree -, {o that the contours are too flowing and twifled, the rage and fury exprefled in the face is quite terrific. A fine antique Statue of Juno ; the drapery noble and graceful : here are feveral farcopha- gufes worthy the attention of the curious tra- veller, for the beauty of the bas relievos on their fides : we particularly remarked two that are finely executed : the fubjecis, the expofition of C^far's bloody mantle to the Roman people ; and a child lying on a fofa, with other figures weeping J [ Z19 ] weeping near him. Here is a curious tablet, on which the names of the horfes who won the prizes in the Hyppodrome are entered, with the country where they were bred oppoftte the names, and the numbers of prizes they had won ; I give you a few of thefe illuftrious courfers names and coun- tries, copied from this clafiic Heber : Graphv, Sph. X. Balust, -af. xni. Memno, Lac^. XIII. Dromo, Hisp. Rapau, Af. Pardo, Af. Lupo, Af. They are about fifty in number. It is fingular that no writers of travels that we have read, take the leaft notice of this antique catalogue. Upon the bafe of a larcophagus are balTo relievos reprefenting tools of a mechanic, proba- bly a carpenter, in one compartment, and in the other, an eflence-bottle, a comb, a looking-glafs, a bodkin, a pair of fhoes (fabots), &c. which little reprefentations I copied on a leaf in my pocket-book, in order to fhew you how precifely this antique fur- niture of a toilette agrees with that of the prefent age : the refemblance of the figures on the man's fide is not fo correfpondent to the tools now in ufe ; the plummet is different; the rule for meafuring is about eighteen inches (Englifh) long; there are divifions [ SSo ] divifions marked on it about half-way of its whole length; each of thefe divifions are equal in them- felves, and want a line to make them as long as our inch. Whether this meafuring-rule is the Roman foot or not iliall we venture to decide ? the learned having already fo much difputed that Gallery, matter. From this veftibule you enter the Gal- lery ; it prefents iwo wings, each four hundred feet long, Paris meafure ; they are joined on the fouth fide, which looks upon the Arno, by a gal- lery about an hundred feet (of Paris) ; the ceil- ings are vaulted, and faid to be painted by the Scholars fcholars of RafFaello ; one fide reprefents, in fym- °„ ^' bolical fio-ures, the fciences and arts, v/ith the Clio. . . portraits of many learned and ingenious men, who flourilhed in this city; thofe of illuflrious ecclefiaftics, profeflbrs of philofophy, phyfic, jurifprudence, &c. On the other fide are the portraits of all the Princes of the houfe ot Medi- cis, fo that the ceilings form a kind of complete feries or hiftory of remarkable perfonages. Along the fides of thefe galleries are ranged with as much regularity as polfible, ftatues, and buftos ; this attention to fymmetry, intended to pleafe the eye upon entering the gallery, is rather teafing to thofe who mean to acquire knowledge in antiques, or to judge of the procefs and declination of fculpture in different ages, as they are not clafied agreeable to their order of time, nor the coun- tries from whence they came : here Greek remains and Etrufcan are confounded together ; and amongft [ 38i ] amongfl; a great number of marbles are many which do not merit a place in this colledlion, either by their antiquity or the merit of their workman- Ihip. I fhall mention only thole we particularly admired, and take no farther notice of the remain- der ; the whole colle6tion (excepting the contents of fome room.s v/hich are fhut up, and not Ihewn to flrangers in general) being enumerated in a trumpery- book fold at all the bookfellers fliops in Florence. To begin then according to the rule I have Antique, premifed, a group of Hercules combating the combat- Centaur Neffus ; it is antique, but not highly ing Ncf- fus. finiihed; the head of the Centaur appears to have been fupplied : the right foot of the Hercules defer ves admiration for the juftnefs of the ana- tomy. An Aggrippina fitting ; the attitude fimple and Agrippi- natural, the folds of the drapery very fmail, and ' '"^* numerous. Julius Cfcfar, a bufto of bronze: Cochin, in juiiasCe- noticing this buflo, afiercs it is of black marble, *^^* and having obferved it to be coarfely and (lightly finifhed, adds, " ce qiii ■pent venir de la nature de ce " marhre'^ A beautiful bufto of Cicero. Cicero. Sappho ; a bufto rather lefs than the life j highly Sappho. finiHied ; the air of the head very graceful. 1 he Mbbi who (hews the colleciion told me, that I might always know Sappho's buftos by the fingu- lar projedion of her chignon, which has the appearance [ 382 ] appearance of the narrow end of a fugar-loaf, placed horizontally at the back of her head. Statue. A Statue of a woman holding a bird againft her thigh i the head and the body antique, but the arms and feet have been fupplied •, the flefb, in particular that of the bofom, is finely executed ; the head is beautiful, the drapery treated in a large manner, the folds finely thrown, and the plaits broad. Bullos. The following Buftos are rare, and worthy of attention; Pertinax, D. Julianus, Herennius, a Roman bullo unknown, of black porphiry, Manlia Scantilin, Dedia Clara ; a group repre- Group, fenting Cupid and Pfyche. The attitudes of thefe PiVche. itatues are mofl: graceful, and the charafler and exprefiion amiable. Etrufcan An Etrufcan Chimera ; nothing can be more I'nera. j.gj.j.jf^(. j.}^2j^ j.j^g appearance of this moniler ; the creation of a difordered imagination. Famous The famous bufto of Alexander appeared to m.e Akxan- ^° exprefs more of the fentiment of indignation der dy- and reproach in the countenance, than of a fen- ^"^' fation proceeding from bodily pain, though it is here ftyled Alexander dying; the features are ex- tremely handfome, and v/onderfully interefting ; Statue, and the whole charader noble. Nymph wounded A Nymph wounded by a thorn. byathorn. , _,. . , Antique A Baccante and a Tiger, antique ; the group group. J3 jigj^j. ^^^ graceful ; the neck of the Baccante rather too long. A buflo [ 383 ] A bufto of Poppa i I mention this bud only on Poppa. account of the coiffeure, which is arranged in buckles, one under the other, and terminated with a drop-curl, much in the fadiion of three years paft. Galba, a bufto, treated in a great manner ; the Galba, a hair fingularly well done. ^ *^" An admirable bufto of Seneca. Seneca. A Veftal, antique, and finely fculptured ; the a Veftal. folds of the drapery beautiful. A Paris holding the apple ; part of the figure Pan's, has been well fupplied, A fine antique bufto of Caligula. Caligula, Antique. A Bacchus, by Michael Angeio; in a great A Bacchus manner, but not without many inaccuracies and ^^ ' even faults. A Pomona with fruit ; fhe appears to be in Pomona, motion, her drapery floats upon the wind. Julia (Titus's daughter) fa coiffeurs eji trop Julia, apretie^ and the tapk is too forward. An interefting ftatue of Endymion, who gazing Endymi- at the moon, has his hand raifed up to prevent °"' being dazzled by her light; a dog who ftands clofe by his mafter, is baying that luminary. A Victory and an Urania, both fine ftatues. A Viaory and an A Ceres, whofe drapery is fo ingenioufiy exe- Urania, cuted, that her figure appears as if covered with a * thin gauze. A fine Flora. Flora. A good bufto of Plotina. Plotina, 5 Another [ 384 ] Adrian. Anothar of Adrian of admirable fciilpture, par- ticularly the hair and beard. An Apol- An Apollo with one foot on a tortoife ; the trunk only is antique, and very fine. Antinoiis. A beautiful Antinoiis. Another admirable buito of Antinoiis. Marcus Marcus Aurelius; there is too great a flatnefs Aurehus. in this buflo, and too many exadl hollows formed by the curling of the beard and the hair. Statue of A graceful and well finifhed ftatue of a conful ; a Conful. great foftnefs and flexibility in the drapery. A young A young Marcus Aurelius j a bufto, and ex- Marcus tremely handfome. Aurelius. Bufto of Lucius Varus, a bufto finely fculptured. Lucius Varus. ^ group of Bacchus and a young fawn ; very pretty, though not entitled to the firft rank amongft the ftatues. Head of "^ large head of Sabina, the coiffeure has a good Sabine effed, though very Angular j her hair is drelfcd in a double tapce, A bufto of Bernini's miftrefs, by himfelf ; her head has a graceful and lively air. Brutus, by ^^^ famous fkctch of Brutus, by Michael M. Ange- Angelo i of the two infcriptions wrote under, I believe every native of the Britifh empire will prefer that by Lord Sandwich, to the lines of another ftranger. I think it evident that Michael Angelo did not find himfelf equal to the finifhing this bufto, agreeable to the great idea he had formed, fo left it purpofely in its prefent ft are ; and [ 385 3 and though but a mere fketch, yet it feems td breath, and conveys to the admiring fpedator's mind the charader that Anthony gives Brutus in Shakefpeare's Julius Casfar. This was the nobleft Roman of them all : All the confpirators, fave only he. Did that they did, in envy of great Csefar : He, only, in a general honeft thought And common good to all, made one of them. His life was gentle, and the elements So mix'd in him, that Nature might ftand up. And fay to all the world — This was a man ! A fine copy of the Laocoon ; the writhings and Laoccon* diftortions of the old man and the two youths are i-eprefented with a verity that ihocks humanity. * — r And firft around the tender boys they wind. Then with their Iharpen'd fangs their limbs and bodies grind. The wretched father running to their aid With pious halte, but vain, they next invade : Twice round his waift their winding volumes roli'd, And twice about his gafping throat they fold. The prieft thus doubly choak'd, their creft divide. And tow*ring o*er his head in triumph ride. With both his hands he labours at the knots, His holy fillets the blue venom blots j His roaring fills the flitting air around. See Dryden^s Virgil. Vol, L C 6 B«f [ 386 ] But confidered at fome diftance as a group, the old man appears of a fize gigantic, when com- pared with the two young ones ; and you would be apt to think them of a different fpecies or race of men. A fine antique wild boar, whofe bridles are wonderful ; yet the chifiei has been lefs employed in fculpting this favage animal than one could eafily believe without feeing it •, I own I felt fome- thing like fear when I approached him. I think I have not omitted any fculptures in the gallery that we particularly liked j therefore Tribune. I now proceed to the Tribune, which is a large oftagon room, lighted from the top, and glazed with oriental cryftal ; the ceiling is in the form of a cupola, and is incrufled with mother of-pearl ; the walls are hung with crimfon velvet, and the floor beautifully inlaid wich various forts of marble. The fix On entering, the fix famous Greek ftatues fix ^"^^^ the attention ; and it is not till after thefe have ftatues. ' had a full examination, that you can attend to the piflures and other curiofities with which this room abounds. Thefe ftatues are, the famous The Ve- Venus of Medicis, the celcftial Venus, Venus Viflrix, the Fawn, the Wreftlers, and the Aroo- tino. The fa- The Venus of Medicis exceeded in beauty nus of ' ^^'^ grace all the ideas we had formed of her ; Medicis. one cannot but regret that it is not yet decided who [ 3»7 ] who was the fculptor of this incomparable ftatue. Her flature, from a written paper communicated to us by the Abbe who fhews the collecTiion, is as follows ; Jltezza delta famofa Venere^ delto di Medici, fecondo k mefure di diverft Paefi : Braccia Fiorentine 2, foldi 1 1, den art b'. Palmi Romani 6, once 8, Minuti 4. Piedi Ingleft 4, pollici 11, linee 5. Piedi Parigini 4, follici 6, link 6. The above meafurement includes from the top of her hair to her heel ; w^e meafured her from the roots of her hair, or top of her forehead to her heel, and found her to be exadly four feet nine inches and three quarters, Englifh meafure. After having thus taken her height, we meafured her feparately, and I fhall here give you fome of her dimenfions : from the heel to the extremity of her great toe, eight inches and a half and half quarter; juft above her ancle-bone, five inches round; round her leg, immediately beneath her knee, eleven inches and an half; round her wrift, meafuring on the top of the round bone, fix inches ; the thickeft part of her arm below her clbov/, ten inches; round her wafte, two icQi ten inches and an half; round her fhoulders, palling the firing under her arms acrofs her breaft, three feet ; round her throat, at the thickeft part, twelve inches and an half; her face, from her chin- bone (not including her double chin) to the root of her hair, five inches and an half j her mouth (for (he C c 2 fmilcs) [ 388 ] fmiles) is one inch and an half from the extremi- ties-, her arms and hands are modern, and her fingers are too long : the reft is antique, and Ihe is compofed of forty two pieces, which are fo de- licately united that ic is fcarce poiTible to difcover the joinings ; her face is the prettieft I ever faw, and Ihe has a fweetnefs of countenance rarely feen in a living beauty: her hair is beautifully tied up in a knot on the back of the top of her head ; Ihe has a great quantity of it, and you may plainly perceive the feven points the French ladies are fo ardent to poflefs : her flefli feems flexible, and the foftnefs and tendernefs, yet julil- nefs of the mufcles, is truly admirable : fhe feems as if fpeaking in a fmile, her lips being a little divided. I think Ihe is placed on too high a pe- dcilal, as it makes her appear fhorter than Ihe would otherwife do. This chef d'aeuvre, or fland- ard for female beauty, was found in the villa Adriana, amongft more than thirty- eight Greek ftatues of admirable workmanihip : the infcription on the pedeftal importing her to have been formed by Cleomenes an Athenian, fon of Apollodorus, has been evidently inferted at the time her arms were fupplied. Whether Ihe was that Venus fculpted by Praxiteles, and which the inhabitants of Gnidos refufed to Nicomedes King of Bythi- nia, although he offered to pay all their debts in exchange for this marble lady j or whether fhe v/as the workmanfhip of Phidias, and the fame that in [ 389 ] in the time of Pliny was placed at Rome under the portico of OcStavia •, or whether fhe was the Venus of Alcamenes, and placed near Athens, ftill remains matter for controverfy to anxious an- tiquarians, who have never yet been able to agree upon this fubjeft. The next Venus is called Urania, or the Cclef- "^^^ ^^- leftial Ve- tial ; fhe appears to have juft quitted her bath -, n^s. one hand prefies the water out of her hair, while the other is employed in gathering up her dra- pery, with which Ihe is half- covered. The cha- radler of this ftatue is, no doubt, charming ; and fhe would appear to much greater advantage, had the Venus of Medicis flill remained undifcovered in the- villa of Adrian. Venus Vi5irice, who is in pofTcfTion of the apple, Venus is much larger than the others, and too haughty Viftnce. and magnificent to pleafe me. I do not queftion her making a fine appearance in a garden, but here fhe feenas to be mifplaced. The Fawn is a flatue of merit •, he is about The to flrike the cymbals, or crotoU^ together; one ^'^^"* of his feet is applied to another mufical inftru- ment, fhaped like a bellows j " Qi^ips and cranks and wanton wiles" appear in the mirthful phy- fiognomy of this creatiire. His whole figure feems in movement; yet the head and hands have been fupplied by Michael Angelo. The Wreillers are a group I could never fuf~ Th? ficiently admire ; I walked round and round them ^ ^^"' C c 2 until C 390 1 until I was quite weary. Their attitudes are fo amazing, fo regular an entanglement is mar- vellous ; the countenance of the vanquilhed ex- prefTes the feelings of his foul ; his humiliating fituation, difappointment, rage, and fhame fit on his brow: in the other's face, triumph, courage, a contempt of fatigue, with a commanding ex- preflion that fpeaks to the mind of the fpeiflator in a language that no words of mine can poffibly convey to you. Arroiino. Xhe Arrotino, or as it is here called, the Rota- torCy is evidently liftening, and ftruck with horror and difmay at what he overhears ; this flave's charadter is finely exprefied, and his face, though very ugly, feems as if worn by a cruel fervitude into the hard lines that mark his features ; his attitude is perfedcly natural, and this (tatue well deferves the great charader all connoijfeurs have given it. Lion and A fmall group of a lion devouring a horfe, eroup' which is well-known by the many prints, cafts, and copies taken of it ; but it has never been well copied, at lead all thofe we have feen fall very far fhort of the original. Table of In the middle of the tribune ftands a Table of tine work. ^^^ ^^^ beautiful Florentine work, as it is here called ; the defign is admirable ; it is a reprefent- ation of foliage, fruits, rows of pearl, (^c. ele- gantly intermixed. The incruftations, or fineer- ing, is for the moft part formed of the lowed order order of precious ftones, fuch as agates, corne- lians, jafpers, ^c. the pearl is fo well imitated, that at firfl: fight it deceives the eye. The Al?I;d told us, that fome few years ago the little daugh- ter of Lord B cried to have one of thefe firings of pearl, miftaking them for necklaces thrown carelefsly upon the table. The flone which imitates pearl lb well is, 1 think, the fpecies of onyx called chalcedony. Amongft many other curiofities this room con- Cabinet ,c T 1 • o X • "1 form of tains (tor I am not as yet come to the piclures) is ^ taber- a Cabinet, in the form of a Tabernacle, which "acle. is filled v/ith a variety of curious matters, mor rare for their coftly materials than workmanfhip ; the nails, on which are fufpended a great variety of thefe articles, are headed with rubies, emeralds, topazes, fapphires, amethyits, (^c. This Cabi- net is ornamented with fourteen pillars of lapis lazuli ; their bafes and capitals of maffive gold are well wrought, and bas relievos on the pedeltals, Cffc. highly executed. Here are a great colledion of antique gems in intaglio-, a canopus of agate, an epimacus of chalcedony ; a head of Tiberius of one fingle turquoife as large as a hen's egg, a very great curiofity : here is alfo a pearl as large as a chefnut, but not round J it is what the French call a i^ar- rocb, and the Italians a fcaramouche ; alfo feveral goblets and other vafes of rock-cryftal, Upis lazuli, ^c, with a great number of articles in gold fculpture, ^c, C c 4 I now f 392 ] I now come to the piflures in this room, but do not imagine that I have mentioned a third part of the curiofities to be found here-, it is not poffible I fhould, my time will not admit of the attempt. Ficiures. Here is a Mofaic in different gems, which fur- gems. pafTes a piflure ; it reprefents a variety of birds : the excellence of the workmanlhip renders this piece more valuable than the precious materials of which it is compofed. Wander- A pidure by Wanderwerf; the fubjedl the Adoration of the Shepherds : it is well executed, the defign uncommonly corre<5t for this mafter, but it is minutely finifhed, as are all his piftures, to a fault. Gherar- A Gherar-dow 5 a candle-light piece of admi- dow. j-^i^ig touch and expreflion ; the light rather too red. Another. Another of the fame mafter, reprefenting an old woman with other figures ; this is an exquifite performance. Holbeins. Two portraits by Holbeins ; one of Luther ; the drawing is corred but hard, and the colouring dry ; the whole is flat and void of relief. Rubens. The three Graces in Grifaille, by Rubens ; they are indeed all grace and elegance. Tiziano. A large Virgin with the Infant Jefusj finely coloured, by Tiziano. MIeris. A pidure by Mieris, reprefenting a mounte- bank exhibiting to a crowded audience; finely done. A fmall [ S93 ] A fmall pl(5lure by Rubens ; the fubjeft a Sile- Rubens nus drunk : nor greatly finifhed, but there is an cafe in the drawing, and a glow in the colours, for which this mafter is often commended. A fmall pidlure of the Nativity, by Rembrandt. Rem- The reprefentation in a mofl ignoble ftyle ; St. brandt. Jofeph is a common carpenter at work, behind him the Virgin nearly in the charader of a parilh girl, and St. Anne not unlike the miftrefs of a work-houfe ; yet this is a very good pidure. A portrait of Andrea del Sarto, by him- Andrea r 1 r del Sarto. A head, by Giorgione ; in a very good Gior^i- ftyle. ^''^' "^ A fmall piflure, but excellent, of the Virgin, Annibal by Annibal Carracci. Carracd. A Crucifixion, with a St. John and a Mary Magdalen ; the figures are about a foot high ; by Michael Angelo. It is in high prefervation, and Michael of a correct defign and execution. "^^ °' An excellent portrait, by Carracci, of his con- Carracd. feffor. A fmall piflure, by Mieris, a candle light rv'Ieris. piece ; the efFed is flriking, and the colouring ingenious. A portrait of Raffaello, by Leonardo da Vinci; Leonardo delicately defigned, and of a fine natLiral iiefh- *^^ ^^"^^* colour. A fine pidure rcprefenting a Madona admiring the Infant Jefus, who is lying upon a cufhion. This [ 394 ] Corregio. This painting is by Corrcgio ; it is highly finifhed, and in furprifing prefervation ; the Virgin's head is extremely graceful. Cochin thinks it too large for her body ; he admires the right-hand, and criticifes the left •, he alfo thinks the child fmall out of proportion. In all his aflertions with regard to this picture I am perfectly of his opinion ; nc- verthelels, the drapery is eafy and graceful, and it is a pidlure fo defervedly admired by all con- fjoijfeurs, as to have been frequently engraved from. Tiziano. An admirable portrait cf a cardinal, by Ti- ziano. Paul Ve- An old man's head, by Paul Veronefe ; a fine o-low and frefhnefs in the colouring. Annibal A motl ftriking picture in the grand ftyle, by arracci. ^j^j^jj^^j Carracci j the perfonages compofing the group are larger than life, but are only half- lengths ; the fubjed a Satyr offering a bafket of flowers and fruits to a nymph, whofe back is turned to the fpeftators. There is a verity in the drawing, in the anatomy, and in the colour- ing, worthy of the greateft admiration. The mufcles of the nymph's back are rendered with a delicacy never to be feen but in the molt beautiful nature ; her head is graceful, the hair is fantafti- cally drefTed, yet the invention has an elegant cfFefl; her hand is fine, and very exprefTive. The chara6ter of the fatyr rifes to the molt frenetic poet's idea 5 and one of the Cupids in particular is [ 395 ] is finely done. In this pidlure the tone of co- louring, or prevailing tint, is a kind of tanned Vermillion. Three piftures by Raffaello, in his firft, fecond, Raffadb. and third manner; the two firft reprefent a Virgin, the Infant Jefus, and a little St. John j there is great delicacy and grace in the heads, but the manner is rather dry and clear: the third appears to be exaftly parallel with that famous St. John that graces the colleftion of the Duke of Orleans in the Palais Royal^ and that I well remember you fo much admired. There exift three of thefe du- plicates (if I may be allowed the expreffion) one I already mentioned to you at Bologna, and it is impofTible to fay which is the beft, without feeing them ail together j yet if I might venture to de- cide from my memory, (and M is of the fame opinion) I fhould give the preference to that at Bologna in the Palazzo Publico. A beautiful Virgin by Tiziano. Tizlano. Another by Andrea del Sarto; great foftnefs, Andrea yet, as in all the pidures I have ever feen by this ^ ^"°* painter, the eyes feem as if the pencil he had ufed to them had been dipped in pounded charcoal ; and in tinting his flefh there is too much of a tan- colour or light bay. A pifture in a circular form, by Michael An- M. An- gelo ; St. Jofeph is placing the Infant Jefus on the ^ Virgin's Ihoulder ; in the back ground are feveral figures. This picture is one of thofe that are never Ihewn unlefs particularly afked for. The I drapery r 396 ] drapery is fine ; if there is any faulf, it is in the manner, which is rather dry : the drawing is fuf- ficiently corredt. Guido. A Virgin by Guido, in his laft manner; beau- tifully graceful, defigned with great delicacy, of a clear colour, the fhades tenderly given, which are in general of a grey tint. Same. A Cleopatra by the fame ; the fhadows black, the drapery corredt. Tintoret. A monkey combing a child, by Tintoret. This pidure is by the Italians faid to be in his terrible manner. It is painted with that boldnefs and freedom of touch common to all the works of this mafter. Jacopo A pidture by Jacopo BalTano, reprefenting ^ ^"°' himfelf and family performing a concert ; he holds a mufiC'book, one of the daughters plays upon an inftrument fomething like an harpfichord (I fup- pofe it is an old-falhioned inftrument called vir- ginals) ; the reft of the perfonages are alfo melo- dioufly occupied : the colouring is ftrong and mellow, but there is a great want of grace, which may be accounted for from its being a fa- mily-piece. Pietro di A pifture by Pietro di Cortona ; the fubjeft is Coftona. taken from the Book of Genefis : Hagar received again into Abraham's family ; his charafter is that of a venerable old gentleman. The draping is good ; he has an hofpitable countenance. Hagar feems delighted with the event; the angel has grace and dignity; the colours are finely melio- rated, [ 397 ] rated, but the painting upon the whole has top yellow a cafto A Notte di Nat ale ; the clair ohfcur finely con- traftedj the finifhing admirable. This pi6lure, whether confidered all together or in detail, is equally pleafing. The Virgin's hat, which lies on the ground, is fo well done, and the bright- nefs of the flraw (of which it is nnade) joined to the weaving it together, is fo corre6tly imitated, that it is almoU a deception. Need I fay that this exquifitely finilhed pi6lure is by Wanderwerf, Wander- that prince of Flemifh painters, unlefs this dig- ^^^' * nity maybe difputed by Gherar-Dow, his rival, Gherar- who has exerted himfelf in the reprefentation of an ^^* Old Woman, of whom a girl is purchafing fruit : the avaricious caution of the old woman, who doubts the goodnefs of the money, is incompa- rably well expreffed : the girl's charafler is as natural and as well done. This pidlure is highly finilhed. — I now come to two mofl famous and moft remarkable pidures, and which are the lalt I fiiall mention of thofe that adorn the Tribune. The Wife of Titian, by himfelf, large as the life. Titian. This woman appears very handfome ; and one cannot avoid obferving on her beauty and the glowing warmth of the colours, when, lo ! a cur- tain rifes and difcovers another beauty, placed below the firft, who is in truih tranfcendently handfome. All mankind feel with filent admira- tion the beauty of this lady, called Titian's Mif- trefs, but is more probably the portrait of a mif- trels [ 398 J trefs of one of the Medici family. She is reclined upon a fofa, fupported by pillows, covered with white linen : in one hand fhe grafps a mat of flowers, and has no other ornament than a ring on her fourth finger and a bracelet on her arm. She is in that ftyle of beauty the French call a claire hrun^ and appears languid, as if exhaufted by the heat of the weather: the colouring is as near that of the moft beautiful nature as can be imagined. The declinations of the (hading, the pafling from the fnadows to the demi-tints, which are united in a manner imperceptible with the chiaro-, can never be fufficiently admired. A little dog fleeps at her feet ; and in the back-ground are two figures who appear to be waiting-women ; one is on her knees, fearching for fomething in a large coffre j the other appears to be indefatigable in the pur- fuit of a flea on her own arm. Thefe figures are too fmall in proportion to their diftance from the fore-ground •, and, upon a ftrid fcrutiny, it muil appear that Titian has neglcded the rules of per- fpeflive in the back-ground of this pidure. Wander- I forgot to mention a very fine pi6lure of werf. Wander werf; the fubjeft, the Adoration of the JVlagi. 1 now take leave of the Tribune, and come to Cabinet- the GahiMtto oi Kvi\AQi^t%, Finding that I cannot, to of An- without perplexing you and myfelf, conform pre- cifely to the method I had intended to have ob- ferved, left it fhould occafion confufion if I take notice of fome of the antique gems, buftos, i^c. in C 399 ] in the remaining apartments, and return back again to thofe rooms to mention the pidlures, I Ihall particularize them now as they happen to occur in their different pofitions. Amongft the antiques with which this gahimtto abounds, thofe that appear to us the moft valuable and curious are as follows : A goddcfs Cibylle, in bronze ; the attitude, Antiques, drapery, and expreffion admirable. r-^^lf^^ A Juno Sofpita, very antique and curious. A Juno Roman Eagle in bronze, large as a fparrow- ^1°S^^^' hawk, appears evidently to have been ufed as a Eagle, military ftandard ; it is numbered, XXIillO, which figures mull have alluded to the legion or divifion it belonged to. An open hand; another Roman ftandard, called manipulus^ being the en- fign of a company, as M informs me. Several Etrufcan implements of facrifice, ufed E:rufcan. for the pouring out of libations, with figures and charaders engraved upon them. A Mural Crown in bronze, fo fmall that it Mural v/ouid icarceiy fit upon my head. Crown. The Emperor Tiberius, large as life, of bronze, Tiberius and nmch efteemed. ^"^P* Tickets of bronze, with infcriptions and num- Tickets, bers, for the moft part not legible, but fuppofed to have been for the admiffion of fpedlators into the theatres and other public amufements. A Collar to wear about the neck, probably as a mark of ignominy, or difgrace for ibidiers, ^c. ; the infcription is very legible, and runs thus : Miner- [ 400 ] MineruinusK fugh. MUk TesA CokA XII UrhAi Weights. A great variety of antique weights, reprefent- ing buds of warriors, with creded helmets, which have perforations in them to hook them upon fteelyards. Sybil. A Sybil in bronze, with a mod magical face; Ihe is only half-length, but is a fine antique. Cafque. A Votive Cafque, as green and fmooth as the darkeft green jafper. This kind of varnifli can be acquired by no other means than that of remain- ing very long in the ground. The Abbe aflerted that no chemical preparation can produce this efrc(fl •, nor is it by any means univerfal amongft the antique bronzes, depending as he fuppofes entirely upon a quality peculiar to the kind of earth with which they have been covered ; the bronze mull be of the very belt and hardeft kind to gain this appearance. Antoni- Two ftriking heads of Antoninus. nus, two ^ beautiful twifted Column of oriental alabaf- heads or. Column, ter-, it is confiderably above feven feet high, and one entire piece, the bafe and capital of African Four an- marble. Four antique buftos, reprefenting Ti- b?ilos berius, Antinous, Faudina, and Homer: they Tiberius, are of bronze of Greek fculpture, and were found FaTlUnal' i" the fca near Leghorn by fome failors, endea- Homer, vouring to recover certain bales of goods, part of the lading of a Hoop wrecked upon that coad. Vefta. Veda, a fine antique. Two Mi- Two Minervas: Minerva Salutare and Minerva servas. £i-gane, with their infignia, A Veftal [ 401 ] A Veflal bearing the vafe acerra. which con- A Veflal, tained the incenfe for facrifice. Several Houfehold Divinities. A great variety Houfe-^ of Jupiters and Venufcs, amongft which, one who vinities. ■is adorning herfelf with her ceftus, is worthy the attention of the curious vifitor. A beautiful head ^^^^ Juno, of Juno. A fmall head of Vefpafian. of Vefpa- A Tiberius, his Wife and Daughter ; both 'pj^erjus cameos, large and fine. and his An Etrufcan athletic figure with horns on hisj^^'^^.j^^g^ head. A figure of a woman, fuppofed to be an cameos. Amazon ; fhe is wounded under the lefc breaft, fjaure. extends her right arm towards heaven, and feems Amazon. to fufFer great agony of mind and body from her defeat and from her wound. Two figures reprefenting Vidory and Reputa- viflory, tion, the firfl: draped, the lad naked. A little Skeleton in bronze : as there is no skeleton, doubt of its originality, it is highly efleemed, bronze. being an evident demonftration of the knowledge of the ancients in anatomy. A very rare and curious figure, conjectured by fome to reprefent one of the Lamias of Africa ; her hair is difhevel- Lamia. led, her body naked to the wafte 5 the whole of her afpeft breathes ferocity, though her features are foft j the left arm wanting. Here are a pro- digious number of Egyptian Divinities in bronze, Fgvptian Serapis, Ifis, Ofiris, Anubis, Canopus, &c. and^*-''^^^- many of Greece and Rome, alfo talifmans, lamps, Grecian tripods, feveral pateras, on one of which is en- Roman, graved the Rape of Proferpine, inftruments of Vol. I. D d facri- [ 402 ] facrifice, and upon the whole, fuch a colleflion of idols, as I fhould imagine are no where elfe to be found within fo fmall a compafs. One of the tripods is fo conftrufted as to fold up, and there- fore convenient for moving from place to place; the other, which is differently fhaped, is fupported by feet in the form of ferpents, terminated by wo- men's heads veiled. Chriftian Here are alfo two Chriftian antiquities ; one tics. reprefents Mofes ftriking the rock, the other St. Peter and St. Paul in a Bark ; the former is at the helm as pilot, the latter preaching. Thefe antiques are rudely executed i but there have been drawings and engravings made from them by order of feveral cardinals and popes. Ano- TaWe. ther beautiful Table of Florentine work, as well executed as that in the Tribune. There are feveral piftures in this room ; thofe moil to our tafte are the following : Pi«ureby One by Pietro da Cortona, reprefenting the Pietro da ^j^g;ci fitting on the fepulchre of our Lord, and Cortona. . ... fpeaking to the three Pvlarys ; it is in a clear manner, and has the appearance of being left un- finilhed. Venus combing Love ; the colouring is frelh, but the demi-tints fail, lb that the degradation of the lights to the dark fliadows are too fudden ; G. Gio- this is by Gio. Giovani. Suterman ^ ^^^g^ pidure by Suterman -, it reprefents the Florentines performing an adt of fubn?jiiiion to a prince of the houfe of Medici ; he is feated be- 5 twecn [ 403 ] tween his mother and grandmother : the compoli- tion is noble, and the colouring vigorous. All the draperies are black ; and the heads being por- traits, make this an intcreiling pidlure. Two pidlures by Baflano •, one reprefents the Deluge, BafTano, the other Dives and Lazarus. A fine landfcape, by Salvator Rofa. Ro'nf '°'' Paul Veronefe's family, painted by himfelf : paul Ve- this has been a fine picture, but is now much'°°^^'^* decayed. A fine pidlure by Guido, the fubjcd taken Guido. from the ftory of Armida, in Taflb's Jerufalem Delivered. Before I quit this room, I muft men- tion a luftre wich figures, flowers, ^c. in bas ^mber ,. , ^ ° - , . Lullre, reliel", of grey amber, mlerted as ornaments to it. The Cabinet of Arts is a room containing a Cabinet great number of preifcs with glafs-doors, contain- ing very curious performances in ivory, ^c. Ivory. One prefs is filled entirely wich vafes, fmall ftatues, and crucifixes in Amber. Amongft the Amber. turned and carved ivory, thofe like (lair-cafes, in fpiral and perpendicular lines, are wonderfully curious ; for they are no more than from eight to twelve inches high, the latter in particular being almoit as fine as a hair; they fpring from a pede- ftal, and fuftain themflves upright, though ter- minated at top with mouldings, balls, i^c. Two vafes, containing upwards of a quart each, fo thin, as to be tranfparent like a dufty wine- glafs. D d 2 A com- i 404 ] A compafs, turned by the Czar Peter the Great ; his firft effay in the art of turning, and prefented by him to one of the grand dukes. A Curtius leaping into the gulph, v/ell carved. Here is an ingenious reprefentation in wax of the five flages of the plague ; it is terrifying to contemplate ♦, fuffice it to fay, that it is efteemed perfectly well done ; and was executed by one Gaetano Zummo, of Catane in Sicily •, alfo another piece of wax- work reprefenting a dead head, at- tended with circumftances and a variety that infpire horror. Several fine tables in precious flones ; one reprefents the port of Leghorn, with a view of the idand of Corfica in agate. Other tables in petri- fied woods. One a German landfcape, the bodies of the trees remarkably well done. Here are two great chairs, part of the old furniture of Cofmo I. and carefully preferved on account of their being exceeding fine old japan upon leather ; although their feats and backs are foft and flexible, yet the varnifli is not in the leaft cracked ; the ground of one is fcarlet, with figures in gold and filver ; the other black. A curious organ, ornamented with amber, and feveral paintings •, by Brughel. A pi(5ture, reprefenting a trophy, but when reflefted in a cylinder, becomes a portrait of one of the princes of the houfe of Medicis; by P- Niceron, Amongfi: [ 405 ] Amongft the plflures is a mod beautiful Pletrc pj^tre Nef, reprefenting the infide of a church illumi- ^^^• nated ; the effetSt of the lights and fhadows, and the truth of the perfpedive, cannot be fufficiently admired. A fine pidture by Nefcher (Cochin fays by Knel- Nefcher. ler, which is a miftake) •, the fubjeft, a woman prefenting an offering to Venus ; the head, hands, the fattin, and other fluffs, are admirable. A fine pidlure by Rubens, reprefenting Venus Rubens, and Adonis ; a Cupid endeavours to hold Adonis by the thigh -, the Graces difcover Venus : Envy and fome other Fury is dragging away Adonis by his drapery ; feveral Cupids are very bufy in coupling and fccuring his fporting dogs. Venus is delicately handfome. A pifture by the fame ; Hercules between Vice Same, and Virtue; it is fine, yet both Vice and Virtue have rather too much of the Flemilh coarfe- nefs. A Sybil in mofaic, after a piflure by Guido. Mofaic. Two other Saints in the fame workmanfhip, which far exceed any painting. Two pictures of great merit of Ifaiah and Job ; by the brothers Bartelemi, of the port. A head BartelemJ. of John Baptift ; by Leonardo da Vinci. A Pre- Leonardo fentation •, by Old Palma. Tobias, by Old Palma, ^* Vinci. A Drunken Woman, a very gox)d pidure, by T^'^^^r^' Terbourg, P d 3 A Wo. t 4c6 ] Bega. A Woman playing on a Lute, by Beo-a, Gherar- Another, tuning her Lute, by Gherar- Dow. Dow. A piflure pretended to be by Teniers, but un- worthy of him. Berghem. A picture by Berghem. Bam- Two figures painted on touch-ftone, by Bam- boche. boche. The Devil confined in a bottle, a very good MIeris. pi(f]:ure, by Mieris. Vandyke. A fine portrait, by Vandyke, of a very large man in black, half length. Rubens. The Graces, by Rubens. Cabinet ^" ^^^ middle of this room ftand^ a Cabinet, >ery fine, formed of ebony and a red wood, very hard and highly polifhed •, the workmanlhip exquifitely neat j this cabinet is divided into three-fcorc and ten pannels, formed of lapis lazuli, verd antique, jafper, and other precious ftones : on which are painted in oil, and in the moil diminutive minia- ture fize, mod^ of the principal events recorded in Brughel the Bible ; by Brughel de Velours and his Jo^urs!* fcholars. The Supper of Nebuchadnezzar pleafed me much ; there is an incredible number of figures, all amazingly well done, confidering how little place they occupy. In the infide is a reprefenta- tion of Mount Calvary, the apoflles, and many other perfons, all well done in amber. On the top a clock and an organ, both out of order at prefent ; [ 407 ] prefent : their movements are not conne(5led with each other, as Lalande afferts. There is alfo in this room two tables of oriental Table and alabafter, on one of which (lands an antique '^'^^^ a^ishaHer. of the fame materials, in the form of a little bark. The Chamber of Ailronomy and Phyfics Chamber contams many mathematical mitruments, with two nomy and globes, which meafure more than fix feet in dia- P'^)^^^^- meter each. A very large magnet, and other moveables proper for this room. The ceiling is painted by Ceiling. Zucchari. Zuccharl. In the Saloon of the Hermaphrodite (fo called Saloon from a ftatue which is draped with a lion's ikin. ^^''"^?- ^ phrodite. As there is another at Rome, which rivals this, I lliall fay no more of it at prefent, than that either I am no judge of its beauties, if it has any, or rather, that we think it has no beauty at all). Amongfl: other antique liatues, is a groupe of Antique Drufilla and Caligula ; they are well fculptured, ^^* and full of expreffion. A Satyr, very good. A Satyr. A Terme, or antique Hermes : the head coiffed Hermcj. like the flatues of Mercury, but the beard that of a Satyr. He holds a goat under^is left arm, under his right a vafe for water : the drapery on the fhoulders is in the ruftic taile. Here are a great colledtion of fine drawings by the moll celebrated Fine piafters. This feries commences with the defigns ^^^^^"S'* D d 4 of [ 4o8 ] of Michael Angelo and RafFaello, fome of whofe drawings and fKetches are fo great, as to be deemed ineftimablc. A large drawing of Michael Angelo, highly cfteemed •, it is a reprcfentation of the Lafl Judg- ment. There is a ridiculous flory related of this p:iinter and the organift of a chapel, by whofe order this drawing had been made, who afterwards difputing the price, Michael Angelo threw in this organift's own portrait, and placed him among the damned. The fisfures in this drawino- are about eight inches high, the contours fine, and the comr pofition ingenious. A drawing by Andrea Martinia of Judith and Holofernes, ^c. A fl'ietch, reprefenting the rape of the Centaurs, by Giordano; it is wafhed in bifta, and finely done. One of the Virgin, the Infant Jefus, and St. John ; by Andrea del Sarto : befides a vaft nurn- ber of curious drawings, which we had not time to examine. There is a fingular curiofity here, which is called the Portable Gallery ; it is a kind of cabi- net, and contains between three and four hundred fmall portraits in miniature. That which repre- fents the great Cofmo, furnamed the Father of his People, is remarkably well done. It was the Cardinal Leopold of Medicis, who collefled thefe portraits in the lafl century, and caufed this cabi- net to attend him, whenever he had occafioji C 409 'J to change place, and efpecially to the con- claves. The Cabinet of Medals, or medal-room, is Cabinetof Medals, furnifhed with the moil rare and valuable collec- tion of medals (as afTerted) in all Europe; amongft thefe are two Othos of bronze. This cabinet is faid to contain thirteen hundred antique gems, amongft which are fome of very fine workmanfhip, and many others very indifferent ; amongft thofe that are moft efteemed, is a head of Vefpafian : there is another, ftiewn principally on account of its variety, it rcprefents Tiberius and his wife. Here is a fine aflemblage of Natural Hiftory in all Natural its branches, plants included. Hiftory. There are fome good pidlures in this room. I Pidures. fliall mention but a few (my letter being already almoft a quire). A grand fketch, by Pietro da Pletro da Cortona ; the fubjefl, the 'Donne Sante going to °'''°"^' the Sepulchre. It is much to be regretted, that this great painter left it unfinilhed. A fine pic- ture upon the fubjecl of Render unto Cafar^ ^c, by Capucino of Genoa. A Magdalen, by Carlo Dolci, half length. Carlo highly finiftied, and in the fofteft and fweeteft ftyle of colouring imaginable. A pidlure, repre- fenting our Saviour about nine years old, with feveral angels, who bear the inftruments of the pallion : this piclure is by Albani. The Jefus is Albani. a moft amiable and beautiful child, full of grace and dignity. An [ 410 3 Leonardo An Adoration of the Shepherds, by Leonardo da Vinci, da Vinci. Though this pidure has fuffered, its remains are ftill eftimable. PaulVe- Four pidures by Paul Veronefe J the Tempta- /onefe. tjon, and three, whofe lubjcfts are Adam and Eve in Paradife, and their expulfion thence. In one of the former is a blafphemous reprefentation of God the Father in the garden of Eden, drefTed in a green coat. One of the moft curious colledions, which be- longs to the gallery, is a room filled with the por- Paintcrs' traics of the moft eminent painters, hy themfches, portraits. ^^ ^^^ amount of more than two hundred. The moft efteemed amongft them, are thofe of Van- dyke, Rubens, Rembrandt, Guido, Annibal Car- racci, Julio Romano, the great Raffaello, Luc. Giordano, Wanderwerf, Mieris, and fome others, which are not very valuable. Raffaello's portrait has the countenance of a mere fimpleton j his arched eye- brows, his frelli complexion, joined with a fooliih look about the mouth, is a proof that the face is not always the true index of the mind. Vanderwerf is finely done, and highly finilhed ; he holds in his hand the pidture of a woman and two children ; the woman is fuppoled to reprefent the fcience of painting. Portrait of Uumph^ 1646-, the defign very in- genious ; as there are three reprefentations of him, he is feen in the a6t of painting his own pidure ; his [ 4U 1 his face is reflefled in a looking- glafs, from which he has tranfmitted it upon the canvas fupportcd by the ezel. Guido's portrait is well done, and in his beft ftyle, which is more than can be faid of thofe of the Carraccis, Dominichino, and others of the Bologna fchool, which want expreffion, colouring, and keeping. Rembrandt, though reckoned good, is not equal to his Turkifh Rabbi (whom he refembles), in the Palazzo Durazzo at Genoa. The Saloon of Arms contains a great variety of Saloon of different kinds of armour, amongft which are feve- '^ " ral facks filled with iron fhirts ; and, confidering the materials, they are wonderfully flexible. They appear to have been knit with ftrong iron wire, though this cannot have been the method of ma^ nufadturing them ; as in that cafe the wire mud have been in an ardent ftate, to admit of its be- ing thus worked ; and if To, where Hiall we fuppofe the knitters could be procured ? I never heard nor read of any perfon capable of fuch a handicraft, unlefs you choofe to except Talus, Spenfer's Iron Man. In fhort, let your own imagination work out, if you will, how fuch Ihirts were made ; fuffice if for the prefent, that they appear evidently to have been worn. A (hield of iron, on which is a bas relief, tole- p^j rdjef. rably well executed ; it reprefents C^efar, to whom is prefented the head of Pompey: C^far turns away his face with great exprefllon of horror. The [ 412 ] Armour of a Sul- tanei's. firing. Saloon. Saminer and win- Kr rings The complete armour of a Sultenefs -, her vizor is coinpofed entirely of turquoifes, forming a Mofaic •, feveral pair of flippers made like thofe of the Chincfe ; they arc leather, and embroidered : her breaft-plate, fhield, ^c. are richly ornamented with chryfolite?, as large as beans, of an apple- green ; a faddle, maflTive gold enriched with varU oils precious (tones, but clumfily kt. Here is alfo a Turkifh Bow-ftring, the fort fo frequently uled for ftrangling ; it is rather thicker ;han a (lay lace, made of crimfon filk, and each end ornamented with a large taflel of pearl. In another Saloon are the magnificent ornaments deflined for the chapel of St. Laurence •, the altar is formed of a beautiful block of jafperj the tabernacle reprefents the model of a church, and is incrufted with precious Hones. As to the reft, church-ornaments and priefts veflments are no very agreeable objecls of contemplation, fo I fhall trouble you no farther with them. There are feveral other rooms belonging to this gallery, rarely (hewn to ftrangers: many of the articles contained in them are in diforder -, but from ampno-ft them mig-ht be formed a va(l collec- tion of (ine antiques. Here are a variety of fummer and winter rings worn by the ancient Romans-, that they changed their rings with the fc-afons is evident. Charg'd [ 413 ] Charg'd with light fummer-rings his fingers fvrear. Unable to fupport a gem of weight. Bryd. Juv. Sat. I. Several of thefe rings are entire, with the ftones ftill in their fetting : of thefe the greater part are intalios, but there are feme cameos •, many of the former 1 take to have been talifmans, amongfl: the latter, griffins and eagles are common. There are feveral which open, and the cavity under the gem is fiifficiently large to receive as much m.atter as might be contained in the bowl of a tea-fpoon ; probably thefe cavities were defigned to hold poifon. Some of the hoops of thefe rings are fo large as to admit with eafe four of my fingers. I ihall fay nothing of the Etrufcan vafes and fepul- chral lamps, of which there are a great abundance, having mentioned fuch before ; nor of the Egyp- tian idols, except that their number and variety is amazing. Here is a very curious filver vafe, Vafe, covered over with a plate of gold, pierced through, and defcribing various figures of men, beafts, ^c. in the bottom is an Infcription in the Etrufcan Rtrufcao language, which has not yet been explained. This I'l^crip"* tLOP vafe is about eight inches high, and mjghr, 1 judge, contain about two quarts. The Abbe told. us we Ihould fee the like in the cabinet of Portici, and of much more curious workmanfhio. An antique head of one entire gem, called Egiade, Egiade : this precious ftone is of a dufky pea- Antique green, [ 414 ] green, not quite opaque, nor yet tranfparent -, one of the eyes is formed by a cat's eye, as it is com- monly called, or belus, which is a kind of agate, or onyx, and refembles ftrongly the pupil of an eye-, it is tranfparent, and like a haze) eye. The ancients frequently inferted gems, to fupply the eyes, in their ftatucs and builosi and although there are but few now to be feen, yet the fockets which remain evidently prove the reality of the praftice. Here are various keys of v/himfical fliapes in bronze; alfo a variety of chirurgical inllriiments, bodkins, and other appendages of the toilette, of bronze, bone, and ivory ; the antique ftylus^ for writing on tablets of wax ; vafes for wine of Ter- racotta^ called Diata ; they finifii in a point, in order to be ftuck upright in the earth, to keep the wine cool. There are elegant figures on fome of thefe vafes, one of which I copied on the fpot, and (hall fend you inclofed in this letter. A Bronze Helmet, which they pretend to have Helmet, been worn by Hannibal, from being found near the lake of Thrafimene, as they aflfert, and having fome African characters infcribed on it ; but M — objected to the origin of this antiquity, alleging, that it was not probable that great general Ihould have loft his helmet either at Trehia^ Ihrajimene^ or Canna : had it been found upon the field of Zama, the conjc<5ture might have bore ftronger marks of probability. Here Bronze [ 415 1 Here is a fmall marble Venus, about the fize Venus. of a girl of thirteen years old ; Ihe is fuppofed to bejuft born from the fea j and is diftinguifhed by the name of the Crouching Vemis^ probably from her attitude. She is preffing the water from her hair, which is in beautiful diforder \ the drops trickle down her bread ; her features are charm- ing, her countenance cxprefles a mod innocent gaiety ; and the anatomy of her back is furpri- fmgly fine. A Greek flatue of Minerva, of bronze-, it ap- Greek pears to have fuffered by the fire at Rome \ one ^'^^'■^^* arm has been fupplied by plaifcer, and is very ill done ; the other app-ars through the drapery to be admirably proportioned. The drapery ieems tranfparent ; fo as to fhew the limbs and mufcles of the body : the foot and toes are plainly to be feen, though completely covered ; the gems that filled the empty fockets of the eyes have, pro- bably, been ftolen. Three Roman Infcriptions upon bronze, and Roman perfeftly legible, are highly eileemed by the 'P^<=^»P- curious ; the firfc is a declaration of the peo- bronze, pie of Fiorentino (a village which to this day preferves nearly its antique name), that they chofe for their protedor and patron, one named BaiTus, i£c. The other two are forms for the dif- charge of foldiers, who had ferved twenty cam- paigns, which were to be precedents for all fuch difcharges \ one in the reign of Domitian, the other [ 4J6 ] other of Nerva. Tou know to iiohom I am indeltel for the fubje^s of thefe infcriptions, as well as of many others of my claffical quotations and ohfer- 'vations. Statue of A fmall Greek flatue of Viclory; it is of very Viaory. f^^g fculpture, though only feven inches high. Antique At Volterne, about fixty miles from Florence, Urns. vvere found, on digging in the grounds of Cava- liere Galovvzi, twenty-four antique oblong urns, about fix inches broad, two feet long, and eighteen inches high each ; they have bas relievos in front, fome of them tolerably well executed. It is now forty years fmce they vvere difcovered, and were bought laft: year by the Grand Duke for about two hundred and twenty-five fequins, and now Hand in his gallery between the ftatues. A theft The Ahhe B , late guardian of thefe precious ^"^P"' depofits, and of this gallery, ftole and difpofed of antique idols, gems, &c. and twenty-four pounds weight of pure gold, the ornaments of columns, &c. of near the value of five thoufand pounds, to Jew brokers. He was taken, tried, and con- demned to be hanged and embowelled, yet after eight months imprifonment, hunranely pardoned, but banifhed the Grand Duke's territories, and is at this time faid to ferve as a private foldier in the Neapolitan troops. Miftakes Before I end this letter, I muft add two or three of Mr. obfervations in regard to fome aiTertions of Mr. Addiion. He lays, vol, iii. p. 207, *^ The brazen 6 figure [ 4>7 ] figure of the Conful, with the ring on his finger.** This ftatue is of an Etrufcan prieft in his proper habit, in bronze, and is a very great curiofity. Mr. Addifon, in his remarks on the Morpheus, appears to have been in a very great miftake : both M and I fufpect that want of time, ill health, or his opinion of others, had led him to truft tooi frequently to report, not only in this, but in a variety of inllances. As to the Morpheus, I think it a heavy, difproportioned lump, more charadler- iftic of dulnefs and ftupidity than of deep. The thighs and legs are much too large for the body, and feem as if they had been made feparately, and afterwards ftuck on to the hips. He does not feem to repofe, but to have been choaked by a repletion ; nor is there the leaft refemblance be- tween this Itatue and that of any Cupid we have ever (ccn, either in drawing, painting, or fculp- ture, though Mr. Addifon fays, " 1 at firit took it for a Cupid, till I had taken notice that it had neither a bow nor a quiver.*' He then quotes a Dr. Lifter, who in certain refle6lions that accurate gentleman had made, it feems, calls it " the fleep- ing Cupid, with poppies in his hands.'* Mr. Addifon afierts alfo, in a decifive manner, that the ftatue of the Hermaphrodite is a copy -, his words are, " A beautiful old figure, made after the cele- brated Hermaphrodite in the villa Borghefe.'* It is well knov/n by all the connoijfeurs that this ftatue is antique, and whatever may be faid of it,, Vol. I. E c the [ 4i8 ] the accufation of old age is certainly mifap- plied. At laft I think I may take leave of this vafl col- IcAion ; and truft that the fiibjedts this letter treats of, beguiled the time you bellowed upon its peru- fal; if it has procured you amufement, my end in writing is fully anfwered. I am, as ever, yours, iic. END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. \ fiOO -'^6' c^ V ww: ov' J* >■ > > AAAAvl.*.