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from our first furprife, which had produced, unknown to ourselves, many exclamations of aftonifhment, I obferved that all the eyes of the nobility were fixed upon us; and that they enjoyed exceedingly the amazement into which we were thrown. Indeed this fcene, in my opinion, greatly exceeds all the rest of the fhew.

I have often heard the illumination of St. Peter's fpoken of as a wonderful fine thing: fo indeed it is; but it is certainly no more to be compared to this, than the planet Venus is to the fun. The effects indeed are of a different kind, and cannot well be compared together.

This scene was too glaring to bear any confiderable time; and the heat occafioned by the immenfe number of lights, foon became intolerable. I attempted to reckon the number of luftres, and counted upwards of five hundred; but my head became giddy, and I was obliged to give it up. They affure us that the number of wax tapers is not less than twenty thousand. There are eight-and-twenty altars, fourteen on each fide; these are dreffed out with the utmost magnificence; and the great altar is still the most fplendid of all.

When you think of the gaudy materials that compose the lining of this church, it will be difficult to annex an idea of grandeur and majesty to

it: at least, so it ftruck me, when I was firft told of it; yet, I affure you, the elegant fimplicity and unity of the design prevents this effect, and gives an air of dignity to the whole.

It is on this part of the fhew the people of Falermo value themselves the moft; they talk of all the rest as trifling in comparison of this; and indeed, I think it is probable, that there is nothing of the kind in the world that is equal to it. It is ftrange they should chufe to be at fo great an expence and trouble, for a fhew of a few hours only; for they have already begun this morning, to ftrip the church of its gaudy drefs, and I am told it will not be finished for many weeks.

From the church we went immediately to the Corfo, which concluded, as ufual, the entertainments of the day.

16th. Last night we had the full illumination of all the streets. The affembly was held at the prætor's, where there was an elegant entertainment and a concert. Pacherotti, the first man of the opera, diftinguished himself very much. I think he is one of the most agreeable fingers I have ever heard; and am perfuaded, that in a few years, he will be very celebrated. Campanucci, the fécond foprano, is, I think, - preferable to moft that I have heard in Italy;

and you will the more eafily believe this, when 1 inform you, that he is engaged for next winter, to be the first finger in the great opera at Rome. Is it not strange, that the capital of all Italy; and, for the fine arts, (as it formerly was for arms) the capital of the world, should condefcend to chufe its first opera performer from amongst the fubalterns of a remote Sicilian ftage?

You will believe, that with two fuch fopranos as thefe, and Gabrieli for the first woman, the opera here will not be a defpicable one. It is to begin in a few days, notwithstanding the extreme heat of the feafon; fo fond are the people here of these entertainments.

'Their opera dancers are thofe you had last year at London; they are just arrived, and the people are by no means pleafed with them. We faw them this morning at the rehearsal; and, to their great furprise, addressed them in English.You cannot imagine how happy they were to fee Ls. Poor fouls! I was delighted to hear with what warmth of gratitude and affection they fpoke of England. There is a mother and two daughters; the youngest pretty, but the eldeft, the first dancer, appears a fenfible, modeft, wellbehaved girl; more fo than is common with thefe fort of people. Speaking of England, the faid, with a degree of warmth, that her good

treatment in general could hardly inspire, that in her life the never left any country with so sore a heart; and had the only enjoyed her health, all the world fhould never have torn her away from it. She feemed affected when the faid this. I acknowledged the honour she did the English nation; but alleged that these fentiments, and the manner in which they were uttered,could fcarcely proceed from a general love of the country. She answered me with a smile, but at the fame time I could obferve the tear in her eye. At that inftant we were interrupted; however, I fhall endeavour, if poffible, to learn her story; for I am perfuaded there is one perhaps you may know it, as I dare fay it is no fecret in London.

But I have got quite away from my subject, and had forgot that I fat down to give you an account of the feast. Indeed, I will own, it is a kind of fubject I by no means like to write upon; I almoft repent that I had undertaken it, and am heartily glad it is now over. It does very well to fee fhews; but their defcription is of all things on earth the most infipid: for words and writing convey ideas only by a flow and regular kind of progrefs; and while we gain one, we generally lofe another, fo that the fancy feldom embraces the whole; but when a thousand objects ftrike you at once, the imagination is filled and fatisfied.

The great proceffion that clofes the feftival began at ten o'clock. It only differed from other proceffions in this, that befides all the priests, friars, and religious orders of the city, there were placed at equal diftances from each other ten lofty machines made of wood and pasteboard,ornamented in an elegant manner, representing temples, tabernacles, and a variety of beautiful pieces of architecture. These are furnished by the different convents and religious fraternities, who vie with each other in the richness and elegance of the work. Some of them are not less than fixty feet high. They are filled with figures of faints and of angels, made of wax, so natural and fo admirably well painted, that many of them feemed really to be alive. All these figures are prepared by the nuns, and by them dreffed out in rich robes of gold and filver tissue.

We were a good deal amused this morning to fee them returning home in coaches to their respective nunneries. At first we took them for ladies in their gala drefs, going out to vifit the churches, which we were told was the custom, and began to pull off our hats as they went paft. Indeed, we were led into this blunder by fome of our friends, who carried us out on purpose; and as they faw the coaches approach, told us, This is the Princess of fuch a thing; there is the Dutchess of fuch another thing; and, in short, we had made half a dozen of our best bows, (to