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Air, Soil, and Productions.] Italy is the moft celebrated country in Europe, having been formerly the feat of the Roman empire, and is at prefent of the Pope. The country is fo fine and fruitful, that it is commonly called the garden of Europe. The air is temperate and wholefome, excepting the territory of the church, where it is very indifferent. The foil is fertile, and produces wheat, rice, wine, oil, oranges and all forts of fruits, flowers, honey, filk; and in the kingdom of Naples are cotton and fugar. The forefts are full of all kinds of game. On the mountains are fine paftures, which feed great numbers of cattle.

Inhabitants and Character.] Italy contains between 12 and 13 millions of inhabitants. The Italians excel in complaifant, obliging behaviour to each other, and affability to foreigners; obferving a medium between the levity of the French, and the ftarch'd gravity of the Spaniards, and are by far the fobereft people that are to be found in the chriftian world, though they abound in the choiceft of wines. Nothing of luxury is to be seen at the tables of the great. They are generally men of wit, and have a genius for the arts and fciences; nor do they want application. Mufic, poetry, painting, fculpture and architecture are their favourite ftudies, and there are no people on the face of the earth who have brought them to greater perfection. But they are amorous, and addicted to cri minal indulgences, revengeful, and mafters of the art of diffimulation. The women fay they only defire good features, they can make their complexion what they please.

Religion.] The Italians are zealous profeffors of the doctrine of the church of Rome. The Jews are here tolerated in the public exercise of their religion. The natives, either in reverence to the Pope, or by being induftriously kept in ignorance of the proteftant doctrines, entertain mon ftrous notions of all the diffenters from the church of Rome. The inquifition here is little more than a found. In Naples there are 20 archbishops, 107 bishops in Sicily 3 archbishops, and 8 bithops. In the year 1782 there were in Naples alone, 45,525 priefts, 24,694 monks, 20,793 nuns. In 1783, government refolved to diffolve 466 convents of nuns.

Chief City.] Rome, once the capital of the world, is now the chief city in Italy. It contained, in the year 1714, 143,000 inhabitants, and is fituated upon the river Tyber. It was founded by Romulus 750 years before Chrift, and was formerly three times as large as at prefent; and is now one of the largest and handfomeft cities in Europe.

Mountains.] Mount Vefuvius, in the kingdom of Naples, and Ætna, in Sicily, are remarkable for their fiery eruptions, which frequently bury whole cities in ruins.

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Government.] The government of Venice is ariftocratical, under a chief magiftrate called a Doge, who is faid to be a king as to robes, a fenator in the council-house, a prifoner within the city, and a private man out of it.

There are many different fovereignties in Italy. It is divided into little republics, principalities, and dukedoms, which, in fpiritual matters, are fubject to the Pope, who, like the ghoft of the deceafed Roman empire, fits crowned upon its grave.

Hiftory.] The era of the foundation of Rome begins April 20, 753 years before the birth of Chrift. Authors generally align the honour to Romulus its firft king, who was but eighteen years old. He was a wife, courageous and politic prince.

St. Peter is placed at the head of the popes or bishops of Rome, in the 33d year of the common æra. The prefent pope is Pius VI. elected February 15, 1775.

SWITZERLAND.

Miles.
Length 260 |

Between

Boundaries.] Bo

France.

6° and 11° Eaft Longitude. 45° and 48° North Latitude.

OUNDED north, by Germany; eaft, by Tirol,
Trent, and Lake Conftance; fouth, by Italy; weft, by

Cities.] BERN, on the river Aar, is the most confiderable city in Switzerland. BASIL, on the banks of the Rhine, contains 220 streets, and by fome is reckoned the capital of all Switzerland.

Rivers.] The principal rivers are the Rhine and Rhone, both of which rife in the Alps.

Air, Soil and Productions.] This country is full of mountains; on the tops of fome of them the fnow remains the year round; the air of confequence is keen, and the frofts fevere. In the fummer the inequality of the foil renders the fame province very unequal in its feafons. On one fide of the mountains, called the Alps, the inhabitants are often reaping, while they are fowing on the other. The vallies, however, are warm, fruitful, and well cultivated. The water of Switzerland is excellent, defcending from the mountains in beautiful cataracts, which have a moft pleafing and delightful effect. Its productions are, fheep, cattle, wine, flax, wheat, barley, apples, peaches, cherries, chefnuts and plums.

Population and Character.] For the number of inhabitants, fee table of Europe.

The Swifs are a brave, hardy, induftrious people, remarkable for their fidelity, and their zealous attachment to the liberties of their country. A general fimplicity of manners, an open, unaffected frank nefs, together with an invincible fpirit of freedom, are the most diftinguishing characteristics of the inhabitants of Switzerland. On the first entrance into this country,

travellers

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travellers cannot but obferve the air of content and fatisfaction which
appears in the countenances of the inhabitants. A tafte for literature is
prevalent among them, from the highest to the lowest rank. These are the
happy confequences of a mild republican government.

Religion.] The eftablished religions are calvinifm and popery; though, in fome doctrinal points, they differ much from Calvin. Their fentiments on religious toleration are much lefs liberal, than

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upon

civil

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Government.] Switzerland comprehends thirteen cantons, that is, fo many different republics, all united in one confederacy, for their mutual prefervation. The government is partly ariftocratical, and partly democratical. Every canton is abfolute in its own jurifdiction. But whether the government be aristocratical, democratical or mixed, a general spirit of liberty pervades and actuates the feveral conftitutions. The real interefts of the people appear to be attended to, and they enjoy a degree of happiness, not to be expected in defpotic governments.

Hiftory.] The old inhabitants of this country were called Helvetii; they were defeated by Julius Cæfar, 57 years before Christ, and the territory remained fubject to the Romans, till it was conquered by the Alcmans, German emigrants, A. D. 395; who were expelled by Clovis, king of France, in 496. It underwent another revolution in 888, being made part of the kingdom of Burgundy. In 1032, it was given, by the laft king of Burgundy, to Conrad II. emperor of Germany; from which time it was held as part of the empire, till the year 1307, when a very fingular revolt delivered the Swifs cantons from the German yoke. Grifler, governor of thefe provinces for the emperor Albert, having ordered one William Tell, an illuftrious Swifs patriot, under pain of death, to fhoot at an apple, placed on the head of one of his children, he had the dexterity, though the diftance was very confiderable, to ftrike it off without hitting the child. The tyrant perceiving that he had another arrow unfon.' der his cloak, afked him for what purpofe; to which he boldly replied, To have shot you to the heart, if I'd had the misfortune to kill The enraged governor ordered him to be hanged, but his fellow citizens, animated by his fortitude and patriotifm, flew to arms, attacked and vanquished Grifler, who was shot dead by Tell, and the independency of the feveral states of this country, now called the Thirteen Cantons, under a republican form of government, took place immediately; which, was made perpetual by a league among themselves, in the year 1315; and confirmed by treaty with the other powers of Europe 1649. Seven of these cantons are Roman catholics, and fix proteftants.

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TURKEY, in Europe.

Miles.

Length 1000 } Between

S170 and 40° Eaft Longitude.
36° and 49° North Latitude.

Boundaries.] BOUNDED north, by Ruffia, Poland and Sclavonia ;

eaft, by Circaffia, the Black Sea, the Propontis, Hellefpont and Archipelago; fouth by the Mediterranean Sea; weft, by the fame fea, and the Venetian and Auftrian territories.

Soil, Air and Productions.] Nature has been lavish of her bleffings upon the inhabitants of Turkey in thefe particulars. The foil, though unimproved, through the indolence of the Turks, is luxuriant beyond defcription. The air is falubrious and friendly to the imagination, unless corrupted by the neighbouring countries, or through the uncleanliness of its inhabitants. The feafons here are regular and pleasant, and have been celebrated from the remoteft times of antiquity. The Turks are invited to frequent bathings, by the purity and wholfomenefs of the water, in every part of their dominions. Raw filk, cotton, oil, leather, tobacco, cake-foap, honey, wax, manna, and various fruits and drugs, are here produced in plenty.

Chief Cities.] CONSTANTINOPLE, the capital of this empire, stands on the weft fide of the Bofphorus, in the province of Romania, was rebuilt by the emperor Conflantine in the fourth century, who transferred hither the feat of the Roman government; upon his death it obtained the name of Conftantinople.

It is of a triangular shape, washed by the fea on two fides, and rifing gradually from the fhore, in the form of an amphitheatre. The view of it from the harbour is confeffedly the fineft in the world, exhibiting a multititude of magnificent mofques or temples, with their domes and minarets, and the feraglio intermixed with gardens and groves of evergreens. The expectations excited by this profpect, however, are disappointed on entering the city, where we find the ftreets narrow, the houses of the common people low and built of boards, and the palaces of the great men concealed by high walls before them. The city is furrounded by a wall about twelve miles in circumference, and the fuburbs are very extensive. It contains 1,000,000 fouls, of which 200,000 are Greeks, 40,000 Armenians, and 60,000 Jews.

Mountains.] In Theffaly, befides mount Olympus, which the ancients efteemed one of the higheft mountains in the world, are those of Pelion and Offa, mentioned fo often by the poets; between these mountains, lie the celebrated plains of Tempe, represented by the ancients as equal to the Elyfian Fields.

Religion.] The established religion in this empire is the Mahometan, of the fect of the Sunnites. All other religions are tolerated on paying a certain capitation. Among the Chriftians refiding in Turkey, thofe of the orthodox Greeks are the moft numerous, and they enjoy, among other privileges, that of being advanced to dignities and pofts of truft and pro

fit. The Turkish clergy are numerous, being compofed of all the learn ed in the empire, and are the only teachers of the law, and must be confulted in all important cafes.

Government.] The Turkish emperor, who is ufually called the Grand Seignior, has an unlimited power over the lives and fortunes of his fubjects. But this he exercifes chiefly towards his minifters and officers of ftate. Their laws in general are equitable, if duly executed, but juftice is frequently bought and fold.

Character.] A Turk, or Perfian, contemplates his emperor with fear and reverence, as a fuperior being to whofe pleasure it is his duty to fubmit, as much as unto the laws of nature and the will of Providence.

Hiftory.] The Ottoman empire, or fovereignty of the Turkish empire, was founded at Conftantinople by Othman I. upon the total destruction of the empire of the eastern Greeks in the year 1300, who was fucceeded by a race of the most warlike princes that are recorded in hiftory. The Turkish throne is hereditary in the family of Ofman. The prefent Ottoman, or Turkish emperor, is ABDELHAMET, or ACHMET III. who had been in confinement forty-four years. He fucceeded his brother Mustapha III. January 21, 1774".

See the interefting Hiftory of the Turkish, or Ottoman Empire, by A. Hawkins, Efq. Printed for J. Stockdale.

HUNGARY, belonging to the House of Austria.

Miles.

Length 300

Breadth 200 } Between 170 and 23° Eaft Longitude. {450 and 43° For

Sq. M.

}36,060.

Boundaries.] B Wachia; fouth, by Sclavonia; weft, by Austria and

OUNDED north, by Poland; eaft, by Tranfylvania and

Moravia. Divided into Upper Hungary, north of the Danube; and Lower Hungary, fouth of the Danube.

Population.] See table of Europe.

Air, foil and produce.] The air in the fouthern parts of Hungary is very unhealthy, owing to ftagnated waters in lakes and marshes. The air in the northern parts is more ferene and healthy. The foil in fome parts is very fertile, and produces almoft every kind of fruits. They have a fine breed of mouse coloured horses, much efteemed by military officers.

Religion.] The eftablished religion in Hungary is the Roman Catho lic, though the greater part of the inhabitants are Proteftants or Greeks; and they now enjoy the full exercife of their religious liberties.

Government. By the conftitution of Hungary, the crown is ftill held to he elective. This point is not difputed. All that is infifted on is, that the heir of the houfe of Auftria thall be elected as often as a vacancy happens. The regalia of Hungary, confifting of the crown and fceptre of St. Stephen, the first king, are depofited in Prefburg. Thefe are carefully

Kk 4

fecured

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