although they are not the moft industrious people in the world, yet, having fome degree of occupation, and their time being divided between bufinefs and pleafure, they probably have more enjoyment than thofe, who, without internal refources, or opportunities of active exertion, pafs their lives in fenfual gratifications, and in waiting the returns of appetite around a gaming table. In the moft refpectable clafs of citizens, are comprehended the lawyers, of whom there are an incredible number in this town. The most eminent of this profeflion hold, indeed, a kind of intermediate rank between the nobility and citizens; the reft are on a level with the phyficians, the principal merchants, and the artifts; none of whom can make great fortunes, however industrious they may be; but a moderate income enables them to fupport their rank in fociety, and to enjoy all the conveniences, and many of the luxuries, of life. England is perhaps the only nation in Europe where fome individuals, of every profeflion, even of the loweft, find it poffible to accumulate great fortunes; the effect of this very frequently is, that the fon defpifes the profeffion of the father, commences gentleinan, and diffipates, in a few years, what coft a life to gather. In the principal cities of Germany and Italy, we find, that the ancestors of many of thofe citizens who are the moft eminent in their particular bufineffes, have tranfmitted the art to them through feveral generations. It is natural to imagine, that this will tend to the improveiment of the art, or icience, or pro feffion, as well as the family for tune; and that the third generation will acquire knowledge from the experience, as well as wealth from the induftry, of the former two; whereas, in the cafes alluded to above, the wheel of fortune moves differently. A man, by affiduity in a particular bufinefs, and by genius, acquires a great fortune and a high reputation; the fon throws away the fortune, and ruins his own character by.extravagance; and the grandion is obliged to recommence the bufinefs, unaided by the wealth or experience of his ancestors. This, however, is pointing out an evil which I thould be forry to fee remedied; because it certainly originates in the riches and profperity of the country in which it exists. The number of priests, monks, and ecclefiaftics of all the various orders that fwarm in this city, is prodigious; and the provifion appropriated for their ufe, is as ample. I am affured, that the clergy are in poffeffion of confiderably above one-third of the revenue of the whole kingdom, over and above what fome particular orders among them acquire by begging for the ufe of their convents, and what is gotten in legacies by the addrefs and affiduity of the whole. The unproductive wealth, which is lodged in the churches and convents of this city, amounts alfo to an amazing value. Not to be compared in point of architecture to the churches and convents of Rome, thofe of Naples furpafs them in riches, in the value of their jewels, and in the quantity of filver and golden crucifixes, veffels, and implements of various kinds. This wealth, whatever 'it amounts amounts to, is of as little ufe to the kingdom, as if it ftill remained in the mines of Peru; and the greater part of it, furely, affords as little comfort to the clergy and monks as to any other part of the community; for though it belongs to their church, or their convent, yet it can no more be converted to the use of the priests and monks of fuch churches and convents, than to the tradefmen who inhabit the adjacent streets. For this reafon I am a good deal furprised, that no pretext, or fubterfuge, has been found, no expedient fallen on, no treaty or convention made, for appropriating part of this at leaft to the ufe of fome fet of people or other. If the clergy were to lay their hands on it, this might be found fault with by the king; if his majefty dreamt of taking any part of it for the exigencies of the ftate, the clergy would undoubtedly raise a clamour; and if both united, the Pope would think he had a right to pronounce his vote but if all these three powers could come to an understanding, and fettle their proportions, I am apt to think a partition might be made as quietly as that of Poland. Whatever fcruples the Neapolitan clergy may have to fuch a project, they certainly have none to the full enjoyment of their revenues. No clafs of men can be lefs difpofed to offend Providence by a peevish neglect of the good things which the bounty of heaven has beftowed. Self-denial is a virtue, which I will not fay they poffefs in a smaller degree, but which, I am fure, they affect lefs than any other ecclefiaftics I know; they live very much in fociety, both with the nobles and citizens. All of them, the monks not excepted, attend the theatre, and feem to join moft cordially in other diverfions and amusements; the common people are no ways offended at this, or imagine that they ought to live in a more reclufe manner. I am informed, that a very confiderable diminution in the number of monks has taken place in the kingdom of Naples fince the fuppreffion of the Jefuits, and fince a liberty of quitting the cowl was granted by the late Pope; but ftill there is no reafon to complain of a deficiency in this order of men. The richest and most commodious convents in Europe, both for male and female votaries, are in this city; the moft fertile and beautiful hills of the environs are covered with them; a small part of their revenue is spent in feeding the poor, the monks diftributing bread and foup to a certain number every day before the doors of the convents. Some of the friars ftudy phyfic and furgery, and practise these arts with great applaufe. Each convent has an apothecary's fhop belonging to it, where medicines are delivered gratis to the poor, and fold to those who can afford to pay. On all these accounts the monks in general are greater favourites with the common people than even the fecular clergy. The lazzaroni, or black-guards, as has been already obferved, form a confiderable part of the inhabitants of Naples; and have, on fome well-known occafions, had the government for a fhort time in their own hands. They are computed at above thirty-thoufand; the greater part of them have no C 2 dwelling. dwelling houfes, but fleep every night under porticos, piazzas, or any kind of shelter they can find. Thofe of them who have wives and children, live in the fuburbs of Naples near Paufilippo, in huts, or in caverns or chambers dug out of that mountain. Some gain a livelihood by fishing, others by carrying burdens to and from the fhipping; many walk about the ftreets ready to run on errands, or to perform any labour in their power for a very small recompence. As they do not meet with conftant employment, their wages are not fufficient for their maintenance; the foup and bread diftributed at the door of the convents fupply the deficiency. The lazzaroni are generally represented as a lazy, licentious, and turbulent fet of people; what I have obferved gives me a very different idea of their character. Their idlenefs is evidently the effect of neceffity, not of choice; they are always ready to perform any work, however laborious, for a very reasonable gratification. It must proceed from the fault of government, when fuch a number of ftout active citizens remain unemployed; and fo far are they from being licentious and turbulent, that I cannot help thinking they are by much too tame and fubmiflive. Though the inhabitants of the Italian cities were the firft who thook off the feudal yoke, and though in Naples they have long enjoyed the privilege of municipal jurifdiction, yet the external fplendour of the nobles, and the authority they ftill exercise over the peafants, impose upon the minds of the lazzaroni; and however bold and refentful they may be of injuries offered by others, they bear the infolence of the nobility as paffively as peafants fixed to the foil. A coxcomb of a volanti tricked out in his fantastical drefs, or any of the liveried flaves of the great, make no ceremony of treating these poor fellows with all the infolence and infenfibility natural to their mafters; and for no vifible reason, but because he is dreffed in lace, and the others in rags. Inftead of calling to them to make way, when the noise in the ftreets prevents the common people from hearing the approach of the carriage, a ftroke across the shoulders with the cane of the running footman, is the ufual warning they receive. Nothing animates this people to infurrection, but fome very prefling and very univerfal caufe; fuch as a scarcity of bread: every other grievance they bear as if it were their charter. When we confider thirty thousand human creatures without beds or habitations, wandering almost naked. in fearch of food through the streets of a well built city; when we think of the opportunities they have of being together, of comparing their own deftitute fituation with the affluence of others, on cannot help being aftonished at their patience. Let the prince be diftinguished by fplendour and magnificence ; let the great and the rich have their luxuries; bat, in the name of humanity, let the poor, who are willing to labour, have food in abundance to fatisfy the cravings of nature, and raiment to defend them from the inclemencies of the weather! If their governors, whether from weakness or neglect, do not fupply them with thefe, they certainly have have a right to help themselves. Every law of equity and common fenfe will justify them, in revolting against fuch governors, and in fatisfying their own wants from the fuperfluities of lazy luxury. the ftanza by his voice, which he could modulate to the key of any paffion, from the boisterous bursts of rage, to the foft notes of pity or love. But, when he came to defcribe the exploits of Orlando, he trufted neither to the powers of his own voice, nor the poet's genius; Of the poetical Rehearfers and Im- but, throwing off his cloak, and prouvifatori. S I fauntered along the Strada Nuova lately, I perceived a groupe of people liftening, with much attention, to a perfon who harangued them in a raifed, folemn voice, and with great gefticulation. I immediately made one of the auditory, which increased every moment; men, women, and children bringing feats from the neighbouring houfes, on which they placed themselves around the orator. He repeated ftanzas from Ariofto, in a pompous, recitativo cadence, peculiar to the natives of Italy; and he had a book in his hand, to affift his memory when it failed. He made occafional commentaries in profe, by way of bringing the poet's expreflion nearer to the level of his hearers' capacities. His cloak hung loofe from one fhoulder; his right arm was difengaged, for the purposes of oratory. Sometimes he waved it with a flow, smooth motion, which accorded with the cadence of the verses; fometimes he preffed it to his breaft, to give energy to the pathetic fentiments of the poet. Now he gathered the hanging folds of the right fide of his cloak, and held them gracefully up, in imitation of a Roman fenator; and anon he fwung them acrofs his left fhoulder, like a citizen of Naples. He humoured grafping his cane, he affumed the warlike attitude and ftern coun-> tenance of that hero; reprefenting, by the moft animated action, how he drove his fpear through the bodies of fix of his enemies at once; the point at the fame time killing a feventh, who would alfo have remained transfixed with his companions, if the fpear could'. have held more than fix men of ant ordinary fize upon it at a time. Il Cavalier d'Anglante ove pui fpeffe I must however do this audience the juftice to acknowledge, that they seemed to feel the pathetic and fublime, as well as the ludicrous, parts of the ancient bard. force; and had actually begun the horrid attempt, when the thrieks of this chafte maiden reached the ears of the Venetian hero; who, ever ready to relieve virgins in diftrefs, rufhed into the apartment from whence the cries iffued. The brutal ravisher, alarmed at the noife, quits the ftruggling lady, at the very inftant when her ftrength began to fail; draws his flaming fword; and a dreadful combat begins between him and the chriftian knight, who performs miracles of courage and addrefs in refifting the blows of this mighty giant; till, his foot unfortunately flipping in the blood which flowed on the pavement, he fell at the feet of the Saracen; who, immediately feizing the advantage which chance gave him, raifed his fword with all his might, and Here the orator's hat flew to the ground, open to receive the contributions of the lifteners; and he continued repeating, "raifed "his fword over the head of the "chriftian knight,"-" raised his This practice of rehearfing the verses of Ariofto, Taffo, and other poets, in the ftreet, I have not obferved in any other town of Italy; and I am told it is lefs common here than it was formerly. I remember indeed, at Venice, to have frequently feen mountebanks, who gained their livelihood by amufing the populace at St. Mark's Place, with wonderful and romantic ftories in profe.-" Liften, "gentlemen," faid one of them, "let me crave your attention, ye "beautiful and virtuous ladies: I "have fomething equally affecting "and wonderful to tell you; a "ftrange and ftupendous adven"ture, which happened to a gal"lant knight."-Perceiving that this did not fufficiently intereft the hearers, he exalted his voice, calling out that his knight was uno Cavalliero Cristiano. The audience feemed ftill a littlebloody, murderous brand, to fluctuating. He raifed his voice a note higher, telling them that this chriftian knight was one of their own victorious countrymen, "un' "Eroe Veneziano." This fixed them; and he proceeded to relate how the knight, going to join the chriftian army, which was on its march to recover the fepulchre of Chrift from the hands of the infidels, loft his way in a vaft wood, and wandered at length to a castle, in which a lady of tranfcendent beauty was kept prifoner by a gigantic Saracen, who, having failed in all hendeavours to gain the heart of this peerlefs damfel, refolved to gratify his paffion by "destroy your noble, valiant coun tryman." -But he proceeded no farther in his narrative, till all who feemed interested in it had thrown fomething into the hat. He then pocketed the money with great gravity, and went on to inform them, that, at this critical moment, the Lady, feeing the danger which threatened her deliverer, redoubled her prayers to the Bleffed Mary, who, a virgin herself, is peculiarly attentive and propitious to the prayers of virgins. Juft as the Saracen's fword was defcending on the head of the Venetian, a large bee flew, quick as thought, in at the window, ftung the 1 |