In the cave nothing has been altered, as before obferved; but, as the rock is always dripping with water, it was neceffary to keep the place dry. This has been effected by means of leaden pipes, conducted along the ridges of the rock, and connected artificially together. As these are broad at top, and run to a point below, and are neatly painted of a green colour, it looks as if the infide of the cave was grown over with the Indian fig. The water is conducted partly fideways, partly hindwards, into a clear refervoir, from whence the faithful take it in veffels, and use it against all dif, eafes. While I was viewing thefe objects with attention, an ecclefiaftic came up, and asked me, whether I was a Genoefe, and would have fome maffes faid? I replied, that I was come to Palermo in company with a Ge, noefe, who would come up the mountain to-morrow, which was a church holiday. As one of us muft remain at home, I was come out to-, day for the purpose of looking about me. He complaifantly faid, that I was at liberty to amufe myself as I pleafed, and to perform my devo tions. To this end he fhewed me an altar to the left hand in the cave, as 'a fhrine of peculiar holiness, and then left me to myself. I faw through the apertures of a large brafs fcreen of foilage work, feveral lamps gleaming under the altar; upon this I knelt down clofe before it, to get as good a view of it as I could through these interftices. Within was till another lattice of fine brass wire curiously wrought, fo that the object behind it could only be diftinguished as through a tranfparent gauze. I perceived a beautiful lady, by the folemn light of the lamps. She lay as if in a kind of trance, the eyes half fhut, the head negligently reclining on the right hand, which was ornamented with feveral rings. I could not be fatisfied in contemplating the figure; it feemed peculiarly charming. Her drefs, compofed of gilt metal curioully wrought, was a clofe imitation of cloth of gold. The head and hands are of white marble; I cannot take upon me to fay, in a high ftyle, but yet fo naturally and agreeably carved, that it is impoffible not to believe that they breathe and move. A little angel flands near her, and feems to fan her with a bunch of li. lies. While I was thus employed in confidering the figure, the ecclefiaftics came into the cave, placed themfelves in their flalls, and fung vefpers. I feated myfelf on a bench facing" the altar, and heard them for a while. I then repaired again to the altar, knelt down, ftrove to get a fuller and plainer fight of the beautiful image of the faint; and refigned my foul to the ravishing illufion of the figure and the place. The choral fymphonies of the ec." clefiaftics now refounded thro' the cave; the water falling from the various pipes into the refervoir close by the altar; the overhanging rock of the forecourt; the glimmering light of the body of the church, added greatly to the awfulness of the scene. The univerfal filence of the defart around, the perfect neatness of this fylvan cave; the gaudy decorations of the popish, particularly the Sici lian, worship; the illufion produced by the figure of the fleeping beauty, charming even to a skilful eye-fuf fice, it was with great difficulty that I could refolve on quitting this in chanting chanting place; and it was not till late in the night that I got back to Palermo. I have many times fince laughed at myself on this fubject; and thought to attribute the pleafure I felt there to the humour of the moment, and a glafs or two of good Sicilian wine, more than to the objects themselves: but, in my vindication, I found in the Voyage Pittorefque de la Sicile, the following paffage:" La ftatue "eft de bronze doré, avec les mains "et la tete en marbre blanc, mais fi "parfaitement fculptée et dans un "pofition fi naturelle, que l'on ferait 46 tenté de la croire vivante." So that, after this teftimony, I need not be ashamed at the impreffion this lifeless image made upon me. By the fide of the church and the little cloister adjoining to it, are feveral other caverns, nearly equal in magnitude to that I have been defcribing, which ferve for the protection, and as the natural falls, of the numerous herds of goats with which thefe parts abound. NAPLES. Lazaroni. In Naples, there are between thirty and forty thousand idle people, who have no ftated business to follow, and likewife require none.They need only a few ells of linen for all their cloathing, and about fixpence a day for their fupport. For want of beds, they fleep every night upon benches; and are thence called, in derifion, Banchieri or Laza. roni. With a ftoical indifference, they defpife the conveniences of life. Such a number of vagrants must always be a great nuifance in a flate; but, at the fame time, it is very dif ficult to alter the genius and temper of a nation, and to give a spirit of induftry to people who have fo ftrong a propenfity to idleness. It requires time and unwearied application, in order first to roufe them to a kind of emu. lation, and a king who refides in the country, who is loved and feared by his fubjects, and is capable of boldly profecuting a prudent and judicious plan to that effect. Naples in that cafe might become a far more power ful kingdom than it is. Its maritime fituation prefents the faireft occafion for giving employment to fo many thoufand hands by manufactures, commerce, and navigation. Among fuch a multitude of idle vagabonds, there muft neceffarily be many loose and diforderly perfons, by whom the nation is brought into difcredit, though in fact it is worfe than the reft of Italy." I have taken the above extract from the third volume of Hiftorical and Critical Accounts of Italy, by Folkman. Indeed I could not but obferve at Naples, a very great number of illcloathed people; but I faw hone that were unemployed. I accordingly inquired of feveral of my friends, after the forty thoufand idlers, whom I wanted to be acquainted with; and as they could give me no information on the fubject, I went in purfuit of them myfelf; as a strict examination into the matter was fo neceffary for forming a notion of the ftate of the government. For gaining fome knowledge then of the confufed mafs of people that are feen in the streets and public places, I began by judging and claffifying the various figures according to their drefs, their afpect, their behavi our, and their occupation. I found this operation much eaffer here than any where elfe; as the people are more left to themselves, and their outward appearance fhews their station. I entered on my obfervations early every morning; and all the men I faw here and there ftanding ftill, or repofing themfelves, I found to be people whofe callings neceffarily im plied fuch momentary fituations: The The porters, who have their fetled stations in various parts of the city, and were only waiting till fomebody wanted their fervice: The calleffari, the fellows and lads, who ftand in the great fquares with caleshes, looking after their horfes, and ready to attend any body that calls them out : Sea-faring men, fmoaking their pipes in the molo: Fishermen, who lie basking in the fun, because perhaps the wind is unfavourable for putting off to fea. I remarked likewife numbers, paffing and repaffing, but most of them bore with them the tokens of their activity. Of beggars there were none to be feen, except fuch as were complete cripples, or rendered infirm by age, or impotent by difeafe. The more I looked about me, the more accurately I obferved, the fewer I could perceive, either of the lower or of middling claffes, either in the morning or thro' the greater part of the day, of any age, or of either fex, that could properly be called idle vagabonds. But, for rendering what I advance more credible and apparent, I muft enter a little into particulars. The very children are bufied in various ways. A great number of them bring fish for fale to town from Santa Lucia; others are very often feen about the arfenals, or wherever carpenters are at work, employed in gathering up the chips and pieces of wood, or by the fea-fide picking up fticks and whatever elle is drifted afhore; which, when their basket is full, they carry away. Children of two or three years old, who can scarcely crawl along the ground, in company with boys of five or fix, are employed in this petty trade. From hence they proceed with their baskets into the Leart of the city, where, in feveral places, they form a fort of little market, fitting round with their ftock of wood before them. La Ed. Mag. May 1796. bourers and the lower orders of citizens buy it of them, to burn in the tripods for warming themfelves, or to use it in their fcanty kitchen. Other children carry about for fale the water of the fulphureous wells; which, particularly in the spring feafon, is drank in great abun-, dance. Others again endeavour to turn a few pence, by buying a small matter of fruit, of preffed honey, cakes, and comfits, and then, like little pedlars, offer and fell them to other children; always for no more profit than that they may have their fhare of them free of expence. It is really curious to fee, how much an urchin, whofe whole ftock and property confifts in a board and knife, will carry about a water melon, or a half roafted gourd, collects a troop of children round him, fets down his board, and proceeds to divide the fruit into fmall pieces among them. The buyers keep a fharp look out to fee that they have enough for their little piece of copper; and the lilliputian tradefman acts with no lefs caution as the exigencies of the cafe may require, that he be not cheated out of a morfel. I am convinced, that during the courfe of a longer ftay in this place, many more examples of fuch childish trafficking might be collected. A vast number of perfons, partly of the middle ages, and partly boys," that are, generally speaking, very badly cloathed, employ themfelves in bringing dung to town upon thebacks of affes. The country lying close about Naples is one continued kitchen garden; and it is a pleasure to fee what an inexpreffible quantity of greens are brought hither every market day; which again employs the induftry of mankind in carrying back again the wafte and refufe of the kitchens, for accelerating the cir cle of vegetation. From the incredible confumption of vegetables, the ftalks and leaves of cauliflowers, bro U u coli, coli, artichokes, cabbages, fallad, garlic, really make a great part of the Neapolitan compoft, all this is therefore carefully looked after. Two large pliant panniers hang across the afs, and are not only filled quite to the top, but are piled up with great art till the heaps meet over the back of the beait. No garden can fubfift without one or more of these ufeful animals. A fervant, a lad, and frequently the mafter himself, go backwards and forwards as often as they can in the day, as they find the city at all hours a mine of wealth.How attentive thefe collectors are to the dung of horfes and mules, may eafily be imagined. Very reluctantly do they leave the ftreets at the coming on of night; and the gentry who return from the opera after midnight, little think, that already before day-break, fome diligent man is carefully tracing the steps of their horfes. I have been credibly affured, that a couple of thefe people, who, joining together to buy an afs, hire themselves to a capital proprie tor of cabbage-grounds, by perfevering industry in this happy climate, where vegetation is never interrupted, will foon be in a condition to purchafe a confiderable poffeffion for themselves. It would lead me too far out of my way, were I here to fpeak of the various wares and commodities, and, the different kinds of traffic, that are feen with fatisfaction in Naples as well as in other places; but I must take notice of the venders that ply the streets, as it particularly relates to the inferior clafs of the people. Some go about with glaffes of ice water, and lemons, for making lemonade for their customers; a drink, which even the very loweft perfons cannot do without; others, with handwaiters on which are fet flasks of various liquors with drinking-glaffes broke in the fhank and ftuck in pieces of wood to keep them from fal ling; others carry baskets of all kinds of pastry, fweetmeats, lemons, and different fruits; and it seems as though every one was inclined to indulgence and to augment the grand feftival of enjoyment which is every day kept at Naples. As thele peripatetic dealers are always occupied, fo there are likewife. a great number of petty tradefmen who carry on an ambulatory trade in the fame way, and offer their trifling commodities, without ceremony, on` boards or in open boxes; and, in the fquares fpread forth their whole fhop on the even ground. We are not here fpeaking of wares, that are to be found in the more refpectable fhops; but merely of the fripperies, Not a particle of iron, leather, cloth, linen, thread, that is not brought again to market as frippery, and that is not again bought and fold by others. There are again numbers of the lower orders of people who act as runners and labourers to tradesmen and mechanics.. It is true, that one cannot advance many fteps without meeting with an ill-dreffed, or even a ragged fellow; but this poor fellow is not therefore a vagrant or a scoundrel. Nay, I might almost venture to affirm, what will appear a paradox; that at Naples, there is proportionably, perhaps even the most industry to be found in the very loweft claffes. This induftry, indeed, is not to be compared with that of the northern countries; which has to provide, not only for the present day and hour, but, on fair and fine days, for the dark, and rainy, in fummer for winter.Hance the Northlander is compelled by nature to make particular provifions and arrangements; the houfewife muft look after her faltings, her dryings and finockings, that the kitchen may be supplied in the winter; the hufband muft fee to the cutting. down of wood for firing, to the laying up a flore of fruits of the earth, get getting proper fodder for the cattle, &c. All this robs them of the enjoyment of the finest days and hours, which are neceffarily devoted to labour. A great part of the year, a man chufes to keep himfelf at home, as the air without is unpleasant and rude; he is obliged to thelter him. felf from the form, from the rain, from the fnow, from the froft: the feafons are inceffantly fucceeding each other, and every man who will not come to ruin must be a good economift. For the question here is not, whether he will difpenfe with all this. It does not depend upon his choice to difpenfe with it: it would be needless to refolve to difpenfe with it, for he cannot if he would; nature herfelf compels him to provide work for himfelf. Certainly thefe natural effects, which remain unaltered for thousands of years, have determined the character of the northern nations, which is fo refpectable in fuch a variety of regards. On the other hand, we judge of the fouthern nations, which have the benefit of fo mild and benign an atmof phere, with too much feverity from the point of view in which we behold them. What M. de Paw, in his Recherches fur les Grecs, takes occafion to advance, when fpeaking of the Cynic philofophers, fuits perfectly well with the fubject we are upon. We do not form juft ideas, he thinks, of the wretched condition of fuch men; their maxim of difpenfing with all things was favoured by a climate that fupplied them with all things. A man, in our opinion, poor and wretched, could in thofe countries, not only fatif fy the neceffary and firft wants of life, but might enjoy the world to the best advantage; and fo may a prétended Neapolitan beggar look down with contempt on a viceroy of Norway, and reject with disdain the government of Siberia, if the Em prefs of Ruffia were difpofed to make him the offer of it. e; Certainly, a Cynic philofopher would fare but badly in our northern countries; while, in the fouthern climes, he is invited, as it were, by nature to embrace that fyftem. The man in tatters is yet not naked there he who has neither a houfe of his own, nor money to hire one, yet in fummer paffes the night under fplendid roofs, in the porches of palaces and churches, and in bad weather can find fhelter for his head by means of a very trifle of money, is there. fore not yet a forlorn and outcast being; a man is not yet poor becaufe he has not provided for atother day. If we do but confider what a quantity of nourishment is afforded by a fea that abounds in fifa, and on the produce whereof every man is obliged by law to live for fome days in the week; how all kinds of fruits and garden-ftuff is to be had at every feafon of the year in abundance; how the country where Naples ftands has merited the name of Terra di Lavoro, (not the land of labour, but the land of tillage,) and the whole province the honourable title of the Happy Country, Campagna Felice, which it has borne for hundreds of years; and it will be immediately conceived how easy it must be to live there. In general, the paradox which I hazarded above, would give rife to numberlefs reflections if any one should undertake to compofe a circumftantial picture of Naples; to which indeed no inferior talents and the obfervations of many years would be requisite. It would then perhaps be remarked, that the Lazaroni, as they are called, are, on the whole, not a jot more inactive than the other claffes of people. But it would likewife be remarked, that all in their feveral ways do not work merely that they may live, but that they may enjoy; and that they may find U u 2 plea |