our friends at that place. tunately, all my letters were either for Leghorn or Naples. Thus I found myself without friends, without letters, with a scanty supply of money, in a foreign country, whose language I very imperfectly understood. I was compelled either to push on to Rome or to return to France. I determined on the former, were I shall remain till I can re ceive assistance from my friends.

Before I give you a detail of my interesting tour through the Papal dominions, and of the objects which have arrested our attention in Rome, I think it best to go back to Milan, to which place, if I recollect right, I had conducted you. Milan, the third city of Italy, in point of population and importance, is inferiour to none of them, except Rome, in antiquity. It has always been the capital of the Milanese, one of the richest parts of Lombardy, which is itself the garden of Italy, and indeed of Europe. It has successively been the prey of the various powers of Europe, and has followed the fate of the nations to which it has been subject. The house of Austria had however held it for three or four centuries past, until the French, in that revolution which has shaken Europe to its centre, wrested it from that ancient and powerful house, and, under the name of a new republick which it - has created in Italy, holds it in fetters the most ignominious. The Italian Republick, (for so it is called) consists of the fairest and finest portion of Italy, which, with the semblance of independence, is really a province of France. It is said, that its subsidy to France is 14,000,000 livres, and it is certain, that the General and Commander in Chief of the Italian Republick is at the same time a French General,

an is not an elegant or wai Pult city; it much resembles the cities of France, and has not at

of elegance and taste, for whi most of the cities of Italy are d tinguished; being situated m plain well watered with numerus rivers, they have been enabled to surround it with canals, which w ing a rapid current. contribute to its salubrity, and facilitate its com merce. Its theatres are vast and elegant, and the lovers of opera cclare, that the performances are de lightful. We went to the opera, twice; but not being virtuosos, after yawning and gaping for as hour or two, we retired, determined for the future to trust the judgmeat of the more enlightened as to the excellence of Italian.musick.

One thing I must commerd in the Italian opera houses, and which I think proves that even the remed Italians cannot endure forever the delights of their own musick, and that is, the convenient arrangen.ent of their own boxes. They have ele gant silk curtains in front, which they occasionally drop, and take a game of cards, conversation, supper or other refreshment, and only come forward when a favourite performer is upon the stage: thus there are thisty or forty different parties tals ing or supping at the same moment in the theatre, and it is only when some distinguished Eunuch or some accomplished female singer are per forming, that you find a general attention to the piece. There is one thing in the economy of the city of Milan peculiar to it and worthy of imitation. In the middle of the street, and also just at the ordinary distance of the wheels of a carriage, are neatly arranged flat pavements so that the two wheels constantly

run upon them without the least noise or jolting motion: a in Milan would last as long ain as in any other place, and the prasure of riding is infinitely increased. But the most interesting ob 1 in Milan is its Cathedral: it is, neat to St. Peter's at Rome, the largest in the world; it is wholly built within and without of white polished marble; it has been upwards of 300 years in building and is yet incomplete. Its chief peculiarity is the number of its statues. Mr. Addison, who saw it about a century ago, computes them at eleven thousand, and they have been adding to them ever since: some of them are celebrated and most of them of respectable workmanship. The bas reliefs relating chiefly to the different parts of ecclesiastical history are beautiful on the whole, the building is august and sublime; its size is imposing; the infinitude of the statues astonish you; and when you reflect, that, since successive generations have laboured in the erection of it, and now slumber in peace, while it is yet unfinished, it produces a combination of ideas and feelings, which approach to my notion of the sublime.

There is nothing else in Milan worth notice, except a number of fine churches, which you find in every city of Italy, and of the splendour of which I should vainly labour to give an American any idea.

The most magnificent architectural decorations of our country are insignificant, are mean, are truly despicable, compared to the sumptuous, and shall I say vain, extravagance of Italian architecture. The celebrated picture of Leonardo da Vinci of the last supper, the admiration of the world for four enturies, is now in its last stages.

am happy that I saw it even in these. The attitudes are fine,though the colours are almost effaced. But I find from my own experience, that a taste for the fine arts is not natural, it must be acquired, and it can only be obtained by studying the best models. I find myself frequently deceived, when judging according to what I thought a good natural taste.

From Milan we made a little detour to see Pavia, for many centuries, the residence of the Lombard Kings, who were the suecessors of the Roman Emperours, and of course, during that time, the capital of Italy. It has since been celebrated by the defeat of Francis I. who was here made prisoner; and by its University, one of the most famous in Europe.

It has all the marks of decayed grandeur; but it is now small and insignificant compared to its formes splendour. Its university is still respectable and well supported.-The buildings are large and elegant. Its anatomical school and collections are admirable, and its collections of natural history inferiour to very few in Europe. We passed some pleasant hours in viewing these curiosities, and I could not help reflecting, and blushing as f reflected, how much we are behind Europe in the fine arts, in the sciences, and in establishments which contribute to their perfection. There are nearly twenty Universities in Italy, and each of them has collec tions of natural history, superiour to all the publick and private collections in the United States.

In addition to which, in every great city here, there are twenty private collections shown for money, superiour to those of any of our publick seminaries. It is not that

they are so much richer or more populous, but we want the taste. Although I feel an ardent desire to arrive at the description of this most magnificent capital, as much distinguished by its present splendour as by its ancient greatness, this city, destined, I fully believe, from climate or some other unknown cause, to be the nusre of genius and the patron ess of the fine arts, yet I think it proper to detail my tour though Italy, because, although you may find this country better described by many writers, yet my self love flatters me with the belief that you have nev. er before been so interested in descriptions of this sort. There is some, thing in the recital of those whom we know intimately, that seems to bring objects nearer to us, and to make us in some degree spectators of the scene.

Parma, for many years the inheritance alone of the royal family of Spain, who exercised sovereignty under the title of Duke of Parma, is placed in that most beautiful of all plains, Lombardy, watered by the finest rivers in the world, intersected with canals which carry refreshment to every portion ofthis thirsty soil. It is not to be wondered at, then, that Parma should produce the finest cattle, and most delicious cheese, famed in every portion of the world. It is a fact which may be relied upon, though contrary to received opinion, that, as no country is richer, so none is better cultivated than this part of Italy. Because the Campania of Rome, and those parts of Italy most observed are now neglected and barren, unobserving or hasty travellers have represented Italy as being generally ill-cultivated, and the people as idle.

But I can positively state, from my own observation, that Lombardy, the largest portion of Italy, is the best cultivated of any

part of Europe, not excepting Great Britain, and that no people on the globe are more industrious. Why then are they not rich? The adswer must be sought, and will be found, in political causes. Fourteen millions paid to France, an expensive government at home, tameroUS and most extravagant ecclesiastical establishments: these are the causes. To which we may add, that the lands are owned by lords, or by religious houses, the rents spent in supporting persons in celibacy and idleness, or in useless decorations of churches, and the poor labourer receiving but the remnant after all these drains. These are the natural and obvious causes of the poverty of the inhabitants, notwithstanding the fertility of the soil and their extreme industry. It is generally supposed, that Buonaparte will establish in Italy the two brothers, whom he has not provided for in the Senatus Consultum; that he will make Jerome, Duke of Parma; and Lucien king of Lombardy. Time will shew.

Parma is a beautiful, and has been a magnificent city. Its theatre was the largest and noblest in Europe: Its remains which you now see, excite astonishment. It is three hundred feet long and proportionably wide. They were enabled to give naval combats on the stage with tol erable dignity. Its academy of sculpture and painting are still respectable, and its library is extensive and rare. A number of Fresco paintings of the great Correggio adorn this city. I cannot give you a better idea of the merit of one than by saying, that, having painted for his relation a picture of the Virgin, it became so celebrated among the Catholicks, that the presents made to the picture soon en bled them to buy the house in which it was placed, and to convert it into

a church, where we had the pleasure to visit this celebrated piece. If it had not acquired this reputation, I should not have thought it superiour to several which I have

seen.

From Parma you pass to Modena, through the plain of Lombardy, with the Appenine mountains on your right, in full view. Modena is also the capital of another little state of Italy, now amalgamated in. to the Italian Republick, one of the creatures of the late revolution. It has nothing at present worthy of notice. Soon after quitting Modena, you reach Bologna, once a part of the papal territory, but which this same revolution has wrested from the Pope, for the benefit eventually of Buonaparte's brother.

Bologna, next to Rome and Florence, is one of the most splendid cities of Italy, more especially in relation to the fine arts. But as I deferred my visit to these objects till my return from Rome, when I shall be obliged again to pass through this city, I shall only notice the celebrated fountains by John de Bologna, one of the few celebrated sculptors of the later ages. Let me here remark, that, whether from the heat of the climate or from some other cause, all the Italians are more attentive to the supply of their cities with water, than any other people in the world. As early as the time of the Romans, they were as much distinguished by those, as by their valour or success. The Appian, Titan, Agrippan aqueducts, have been for ages the wonder of the world. Wherever they extended their arms, you find traces of their magnificence in this respect. It is, to be sure, an inconceivable luxury in a hot climate, to have baths, fountains, lakes, jets d'eau of the purest water, murmuring, and

in some instances, rushing through the streets. These fountains are generally introduced in every publick square, have been ornamented and beautified at an incredible expense. The first artists have been employed in seconding the beauties of nature, shall I not say in rivalling them, by the wonders of art.

The fountain at Bologna, which one may gaze at for hours with delight, and which has delighted and ravished connoisseurs for ages, is a Neptune, in bronze, of dimensions larger than human, of a countenance and mien worthy of the ancient idea of a Sea Divinity, with one hand grasping the trident, the other outstretched, commanding the seanymphs, tritons, and other monsters of the vasty deep to pour forth their treasures, which they submissively obey. It is a noble exhibition of human talent.

Not being permitted to pass by the way of Florence, on account, as I now suppose, of the passage of the Pope, who has gone to crown his Most Christian Majesty, the Emperour of the French, we took the course of the Adriatick, and passed by Ancona. The first object worthy of our notice at this route was the celebrated river Kubicon, from which, and from the anecdote connected with it, has grown up an adage, he has passed the Rubicon. This very little river, now called the Pisatello, was the ancient boundary between Italy and Cisalpine Gaul, and the senate passed a decree," that any General, or armed man who should pass this river in arms, should be deemed an enemy to the Republick, and (what they considered the highest punishment) that his household goods should be removed." Cæsar, when he resolved to crush Pompey and the senatorial party, marched from Gaul,