MANNERS IN ,ITALY. 55

the least regard, perhaps his greatest enemy, may be his immediate successor; to -which is added, the pain of seeing his influence, both spiritual and temporal, declining every day: and the mortification of knowing, that all his ancient lofty pretensions are laughed at by one half of the Roman Catholics, all the Protestants, and totally disregarded by the rest of mankind. I know of nothing which can be put in the other scale to balance all those peculiar disadvantages under which his Holiness labours, unless it is the singular felicity which he lawfully may, and no doubt does enjoy, in the contemplation of his own infallibility.

i

LETTER LI.

Rome.

Tn their external deportment, the Italians "~ have a grave solemnity of manner, which is sometimes thought to arise from a natural gloominess of disposition. The French, above all other nations, are apt to impute to melancholy, the sedate serious air which accompanies reflection, - Though in the pulpit, on the theatre, and even in common conversation, the Italians make use of a great deal of action; yet Italian vivacity is different from French; the former proceeds from sensibility, the latter from animal spirits.

The inhabitants of this country have not the brisk look, and elastic trip, which is universal in France; they move rather with a flow composed pace: their spines,

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pie of the most finished fashion, as well as the neglected vulgar, seem to prefer the unconstrained attitude of the Antinous, and other antique statues, to the artificial graces of a French dancing-master, or the erect strut of a German soldier. I imagine I perceive a great refemhlance between many of the living countenances I fee daily, and the features of the ancient busts and statues; which leads me to believe, that there are a greater number of the genuine descendants of the old Romans in Italy, than is generally imagined.

I am often struck with the sine character of countenance to be seen in the streets of Rome. I never law features more expressive of reflection, fense, and genius; in the very lowest ranks there arc countenances which announce minds fit for the highest and most important situations; and we cannot help regretting, that those to whom they belong, have not received an education adequate to the natural abilities we are convinced they posfels, and placed

Of all the countries in Europe, Swit> zerland is that in which the beauties of nature appear in the greatest variety of forms, and on the most magnificent scale; in that country, therefore, the young landscape painter has the best chance of seizing the most sublime ideas* but Italy 'is the best school for the history painter, not only on account of its being enriched with the works of the greatest masters, and the noblest models of antique sculpture; but also on account of the fine expressive style of the Italian countenance. Here you have few or none of those fair, fat, glistening, unmeaning faces, so common in the more northern parts of Europe. I happened once to sit by a foreigner of my acquaintance at the Opera in the Hay-market, when a certain Nobleman, who at that time was a good deal talked of, entered. I whispered him—

* * That is Lord "Not surely the

"famous Lord ," said he. "Yes,"

said I, " the very same." "It must be ** those who have had the care of his edu"cation." "How so?" rejoined I. "Be** cause," replied the foreigner, ** a coun"tenance so completely vacant, strongly "indicates a deficiency of natural abilities; "the respectable figure he makes in the "senate, I therefore presume, must be en** tirely owing to instruction."

Strangers, on their arrival at Rome, form no high idea of the beauty of the Roman women, from the specimens they fee in the fashionable circles to which they are first introduced. There are some exceptions; but in general.it must be acknowledged, that the present race of women of high rank are more distinguished by their other ornaments, than by their beauty. Among the citizens, however, and in the lower classes, you frequently meet with the most beautiful countenances. For a brilliant red and white, and all the charms of complexion, no women are equal to the English. If a hundreds or