Some gentlemen who were in the country told me, that they walked out immediately after the Sirocc, and found the grafs and plants that had. been green the day before, were become quite brown, and crackled under their feet as if dried in an oven.

I fhall add for your amufement, a journal of the weather fince we came to Palermo. The barometer has continued conftantly within a line or two of the same point, 29; and the sky has been always clear, except the day of the Sirocc and the 26th of June, when we had a pretty fmart fhower of rain for two hours; fo that I think I have nothing farther to do, but to mark the heights of the thermometer,

4 At our new lodgings on the fea-
fide, fronting the North,

80

74

The more I confider the extreme violence of this heat, the more I am surprised that we were able to bear it with fo little inconvenience. We did not even feel that depreffion of spirits that commonly attends very great heats with us. The thermometer rofe 40 degrees, or very near it; and it happens fingularly enough, that before the Sirocc began, it stood just about 40 degrees above the point of congelation; fo that in the morning of the 8th of July, the heat increased as much, almost instantaneously, as it generally does during the whole time that the fun moves from tropic to tropic; for the difference of 72 and 112 is the fame as between the freezing point and 72; or between a cold day in winter, and a warm one in fummer.

Yesterday we had a great entertainment in the palace of the Prince Partana, from the balcony of which the viceroy reviewed a regiment of Swifs, the best I have yet feen in the Neapolitan fervice. 'They are really a fine body of men, and, notwithstanding the violence of the heat, went through their motions with great spirit. They had two field-pieces on each flank, which were extremely well ferved; and the evolutions were performed with more precision and steadiness than one generally meets with, except in England or Germany. The grenadiers were furnished with falfe grenades, which produced every effect of real ones, except that of doing mifchief. The throwing of these was the part of the entertainment that seemed to please the most; and the grenadiers took care to dire&t them fo, that their effect should not be loft. When a number of them fell together amongst a thick crowd of the nobility, which was commonly the cafe, it afforded an entertaining fcene enough, for they defended themfelves with their hats, and threw them very dexterously upon their neighbours. However, we faw no damage done, except the fingeing of a few wigs and caps; for the ladies were there in as great numbers as the gentlemen.

The company at the Prince Partana's was brilliant, and the entertainment noble. It confifted principally of ices,creams, chocolate, fweet

meats, and fruit, of which there was a great variety. Not one half of the company played at cards; the reft amufed themselves in converfation and walking on the terrace. We found the young prince and princess who are very amiable, with feveral of their companions playing at cross-purpofes, and other games of that kind. We were joyfully admitted of this chearful little circle, where we amused ourselves very well for several hours. I only mention this, to fhew you the different fystem of behaviour here and in Italy, where no fuch familiar intercourfe is allowed amongst young people before marriage. The young ladies here are eafy, affable, and unaffeced; and, not (as on the continent) perpetually ftuck up by the fides of their mothers, who bring them into company, not for their amusement, but rather to offer them to fale; and feem mightily afraid left every one should steal them, or that they themselves fhould make an elopement; which indeed I fhould think there was fome danger of, confidering the restraint under which they are kept for furely there is no fuch strong incitement to vice, as the making a punishment of virtue.

Here the mothers fhew a proper confidence in their daughters, and allow their real chara&ers to form and to ripen. In the other cafe they have either no character at all, or an affected one, which they take care to throw off the moment

they have got a husband; when they think it impoffible to recede too far from those rigorous maxims of decorum and circumfpection, the practice of which they had ever found fo extremely difagreeable.

Were they allowed first to fhew what they really are, I am perfuaded they would not be half fo bad; but their parents, by the manner they treat them, fhew that they have no confidence in their principles; and seem to have adopted the ungenerous maxim of our countryman,

"That every woman is at heart a rake."

Now in countries where this maxim becomes of general belief, there is no doubt, that it like, wife becomes true; for the women having no longer any character to fupport, they will event avoid the pretences to virtue, well knowing that those pretences are only looked upon as hypocrify and affectation. I dare fay, you will agree with me, that the better method to make them virtuous, is first to make them believe that we think them fo; for where virtue is really esteemed, there are none that would willingly relinquish the character; but where it requires a guard, (as parfon Adams fays) it certainly is not worth the centinel..