All parts of Naples are copioufly fupplied with water by an ancient aqueduct which has more than once overbalanced its fervices, by affording a paffage for befiegers to enter the city through it Belifarius introduced foldiers that furprized the Gothic garrifon; Alphonfus the First repeated the ftratagem with fuccefs. Many fountains retail the fupply, fome few of which are decorated in a good ftyle.

The Neapolitan architects are too lavifh of ornament, and too frequently run into a falfe and barbarous tafte: the edifices of Rome have in general more grandeur and chastity of ftile, except thofe which have been executed upon the plans of Borromini and his fcholars; they indeed exceed in wanton violation of propriety all the flights of Gothic architecture. Moft of the churches of Naples are crowned with cupolas; a few flender steeples break the line, and add variety to the picture, but there is a want of fome venerable pile to tower above the reft; the cathedral is not fufficiently pre-eminent. I scarce know a church without fome good paintings, but very few in which the architect has fhewn a pure noble taste. Two columns of a temple dedicated to the Diofcuri and the city of Naples, are the only remarkable monuments of ancient architecture remaining. The portico to which they belonged was overturned by an earthquake in 1688; they ftand before the door of a church, confecreted to St. Peter and Paul, this temple was erected by Tiberius Julius Tarfus, and Pelago the freedman of Auguftus; the apostles, who were united in their miffion and martyrdom, have been fubftituted for the twin brothers Caftor and Pollux. Santa Chari, a rich monaftery of noble dames, founded by king Kobert, and the place of fepulture for the royal family, has a church repaired and painted by Conca, in fo gay and airy a file, that it exhibits more of the elegance of a ballroom than of the awful folemnity of a temple. The chancel of St. Philip Neri is the beft fample of ecclefiaftical architecture in Naples large columns of antique granite divide it from the ifles in a moft majeftic manner, though fome of the ufual proportions are not critically obferved. The Carthufian Convent of St. Martin, adjoining to the caftle of St. Elmoris, I believe the best fituated monafirey in Europe; every thing appertaining to it correfponds with the fublimity of the view; immenfe ranges of buildings, a ftately church, fuperb halls, and a noble collection of pictures. To fupport this great establishment, and a large family of afcetic members, that neither beg nor earn their livelihood, the fociety enjoys a moft princely income; the overplus of it is employed in the pernicious charity of feeding beggars, and the rational one of

portioning out the female relations of the monks; it is reported, that government intend fhortly to take upon itself the charge of appropriating this balance. The relics of St Januarius form the principal boaft of the cathedral. The Carmine calls to mind the bloody catastrophe of thofe royal youths Conradine and Frederick of Auftria, butchered before its door; whenever I traverfed that fquare, my heart yearned at the idea of their premature fate, and at the deep diftrefs of Conradine's mother, who, landing on the beach with her fon's ranfom, found only a lifelefs trunk to redeem from the fangs of his barbarous conqueror. In the cloyfter of the Carmine, Maffaniello was murdered by the companions of his revolt, a victim to his want of conduct.

The facred edifices of Naples abound with fepulchral monuments of diftinguished perfonages; the chapel of the San Severo family exhibits many very extraordinary ftatues; the art with which the fculptor has furmounted the difficulty of reprefenting human bodies wrapped up in clothes, or entangled in the methes of a net is truly wonderful; but the piece of ftatuary which appeared in my eyes to poffefs the moft real merit, is a Chrift in the fhroud, by San Martino, a living Neapolitan artift, undoubtedly a fine performance.

The dwellings of the nobility are grand. In 1597, when Morrifon travelled, there was no glafs in any windows of Naples, nor is it above forty years fince, the ufe of glafs became common. While the Neapolitans languifhed under the oppreffive and almoft hoftile government of a viceroy, they feem to have felt little for the honour of their country; the comforts of life were imperfectly known, and all emulation appeared dead among them; the revival of elegant arts, the introduction of numberlefs improvements in public and private life, the adorning of the city, and a more convenient mode of furnishing their dwel lings, all date from the era of the conqueft of Naples by don Carlos--a fovereign of their own then came to refide among them, they felt once more that they were a nation, and had a glory and interefts worth confulting.

The royal palace, begun in 1600 by the count of Lemos, after the defign of Fontana, prefents a very handsome front, a ftair-cafe in the nobleft proportions, and apartments fuitable to the rank of the inha bitants; these rooms have, however, loft fome of their splendour, by the removal of the Farnefian collection of pictures; thofe valuable paintings are now fhown at Capo dimonte, a palace erected upon the hills to the north of the city by the king of Spain, but left unfinished, from the difficulty of

procuring

procuring water; the ground upon which it ftands is undermined in various and numberlefs directions; these caverns were either left in the original formation of the hill, and chifelled into shape by the hand of man, or were quarries gradually extended as the materials were wanted for building; though we are not certain in what manner they were excavated, we know that they long ferved both heathens and chriftians as repofitories of the dead; they furpafs the catacombs of Rome in extent, but for many ages have feldom been used for funeral purposes; fimilar vaults under the churches in the town, being more at hand, are now the ufual places of Burial. It is a custom here, on All Souls day, to throw open the charnel-houfes, lighted up with torches, and decked out with all the flowery pageantry of May-day; crowds follow crowds through thefe vaults to behold the coffins, nay the bodies of their friends and relations; the floors are divided into beds, like a garden, and under thefe heaps of earth the corpfes are laid in regular fucceffion; the place is perfectly dry, for the foil is rather a pounded ftone than earth, and parches up the flesh completely in a twelvemonth; when that period is elapfed, the body is taken up, dreft in a religious habit and fixed like a ftatue in a niche; many retain a horrid refemblance to what they were when animated, and fome fhow ftrong marks of agony in their diftorted features. They are much better preferved than the mummies of Toulouse, which pass for fuch fingular curiofities.

The Albergo de Poveri, intended as a refuge for the poor from all parts of the king dom, is an extenfive hofpital, but,like moit works planned upon a fcale that ftrains the finews of the public revenue, remains unfinished.

The theatre of San Carlo is one of the moft capacious in the world; and when illuminated, the most magnificent.

• The Studii is a fhowy edifice decorated with ancient ftatues brought from Cuma. There is a plan under confideration at court, for removing the contents of the Museum hither from Portici, in order to place that ineftimable collection at a greater diftance from Vefuvius; the day may otherwife come when another ftream of fire fnall bury thefe treasures again for ages. But is Naples itself a place of fecurity? Its fafety depends upon the wind that blows during an eruption; if that fhould happen to direct the afhes to the North-Weft, Naples would be expofed to the fate of Pompeii; befides, its foundations reft on hollow ground, and earth quakes may deftroy the pillars that fupport them ; were I admitted to council on the occafion, I fhould prefer a removal to Caferta, but think it ftill more advisable to Gent. Mag. Nov. 1785.

leave the antiquities where there are. They would fuffer fo much damage and dérangement in the package, and remain for fo many years unopened and unclailed, that the prefent generation of learned and curious perfons would probably never be gratified with a fight of them.

Character of the Ancient and Modern Neapolitans.

(From the fame Work.)

FROM the few hints dropped by the claffic authors, we recollect that the ancient Neapolitans were a race of Epicureans, of a foft indolent turn, averfe to martial exercifes, paffionately fond of theatrical amufements and mufic, expert in all the refined arts that administer to the caprices of luxury, and extravagant in their expreffions and geftures, credulous, and dupes to fuperftitions of various forts. If we make allowance for a quantity of northern blood which has joined the original Grecian ftream by intermarriages with a medley of conquering nations, and has imparted a roughnef snot yet worn off by the mildnefs of the climate, we fall find the prefent citizens of Naples very like the former inhabitants of their city.

• Provifions are here plentiful and cheap, therefore the lower clafs of people work but little; their delight is to bask in the fun, and to do nothing. Perfons of a middle rank pafs too much of their time in coffeehoufes, and places of public refort; few pursue their callings with the zeal and activity we are wont to meet with in the profeflional men of colder countries. Gluttony is a much more predominant vice than ebri ety, of which inftances are extremely rare. In the female fex, the paffion for finery is aloft fuperior to all others, and notwithflanding any effect the genial warmth of the climate may have on the constitution of a Neapolitan woman, I doubt whether the would not nine times out of ten prefer a prefent to a lover; yet I apprehend chastity is not the characteristic virtue of this place, more than it is of any other populous metropolis; that furious jealoufy for which the nation was fo remarkable fome generations ago, is almost eradicated; the breach of the conjugal vow fometimes occafions quarrels and affaffinations among people of an inferior ftation, but the cafe is rare, and rivality between lovers is more frequently productive of fuch scenes.

Education was not heretofore fufficiently attended to, and youthful minds naturally warm and fufceptible of every impreffion, were unfortunately, left too much without proper guides to direct them in the paths of renown and useful learning. Few nobl men fuffered their children to frequent p Bece

lie fchools, and under the paternal roof, young people in this foft climate are but too proned to habits of indolence and effeminacy, which grow inveterate with age. But it is probable the pains and expence government has been at in establishing public feminaries upon a proper and refpectable footing, the patriotic efforts of the new Academy of Sciences, and Belles Lettres, and the fashion which begins to prevail among the nobility of vifiting foreign countries, will fpeedily work the happieft effects in the improvement of a people that wants nothing but activity and a sense of its own faculties to figure among the most confpicuous nations in Chriftendom.

The mufical-fchool of Naples is worthy of its ancient reputation, and Nero might ftill be proud of the applause of a Neapoli

tan audience.

6

Cicero, in giving an account to Marius of the fports exhibited before the Roman people, at the opening of Pompey's theatre, mentions the Ofcan farces, but adds that he need not regret being abfent during the reprefentation, as they were very bad, and he was already well acquainted with their nature, more especially as he might fee fimilar fcenes acted whenever he pleased in the fenatehouse of their native city Arpinum; no doubt every debate was there attended with expreffive and ludicrous gefticulations. In this art the modern Neapolitans are not inferior to their forefathers; though loud and loquacious by nature, they can, when they choofe, exprefs their thoughts by figns, fhrugs, and nods; they can even hold a converfation by the fimple motions of their eyes, with a degree of acutenefs fcarce to be credited. They have naturally a great fund of what we call humour, and heighten it with affected clownishnefs and rudeness of language; their jokes are rather coarfe, and their fatire, though well calculated for exciting laughter, has little of that keen penetrating flynefs which points the farcafms of

the more northern Italians.

Some malefactors were lately executed at Naples, three of whom being strangers, and unknown, were left all night on the gibbet; next morning they were found with hats and long periwigs on their heads, and pipes of tobacco in their mouths.

I once faw a fire-work played off before a church on the feftival of the patron, in which Punchinello was reprefented in pafteboard administering a clyfter to Scaramouch; at a fignal given the inftrument took fire, and both apothecary and patient blew up in a volley of crackers.

The ancient Neapolitans were more tenacious of their fuperftitions, and adhered to paganifm longer than any other Italians. The orders of Conftantine for the deftrue

tion of heathen temples and idols were dif obeyed or eluded at Naples with a degree of obftinacy that excited the admiration of Symmachus. This writer was ftrongly bigoted to the ancient faith, and therefore lavish of his encomiums on this moft religious city. So late as the fixth century, the hiftory of St. Benedict mentions feveral temples yet remaining in the kingdom, where heathen rites were performed, notwithstanding the almoft univerfal prevalence of Christianity, and the feverity of the imperial edict.

• It must be acknowledged that the Neapolitans of the prefent time are too apt to indulge notions that may juftly be taxed with fuperftition, and that fome practices in their religious worship appear extravagant and improper to Roman catholics of other corntries; but fuch is the violence of their paffions, and the enthusiasm of their character, that it is but natural they fhould be eafily feduced beyond the bounds of fober reafon in matters of myftery and metaphyfics. They balance this account by the vigorous and fuc cessful refiftance they have made against every attempt to introduce the inquifition among them. This tribunal is certainly unneceflary here, with regard to infidels and heretics, for none exift in the country; witches are, I believe, as rare here as elfewhere, and in that line alfo the holy office is not wanted: perhaps in fome other of its departments, it might find victims enough to burn. In the reign of Philip the Second the reformed doctrines had penetrated into the realm, and the number of profelytes were increafing very rapidly, when their progrefs was checked by the furious zeal of a baron of the house of Spinelli, who exterminated with fire and fword all his vaffale that had embraced the new mode of worship, and by this bloody example retained the remainder in the Roman communion: two men were burnt at Naples, notwithstanding a tumult of the people, who dreaded the introduction of the inquifition, and the proteftant religion has never had any partisans fince among the Neapolitans,

The Jews have often been banished, and afterwards fuffered to return. Their final expulfion was at the birth of Don Philip, firft male child of the king of Spain. Their defpair and rage were exceffive at being driven from the place of their nativity and fettlement; they filled the air with lamentations and curfes against the new born prince, and when he was known to be a perfect idiot, triumphed in what they called a judgment of God in honour of his old favourite people. Their abode was in the Giudeca, where the fame rag-fair is continued by Chriftians, who seem to have been infected by the air of the place; for they

have

have imbibed the fpirit, and practife the tricks of their Hebrew predeceffors.

'Men of obfervation have aflured me that within their memory, a very vifible diminution has taken place in the enthusiasm of the Neapolitans for St. Januarius, and other objects of their devotion, and that the power which the ecclefiaftical part of the nation had over the laical, has loft much ground fince the banishment of the Jefuits; but ftill great is the empire which zealous or artful men exercise over the minds of the populace, and fcarce any impofition is too grofs for the multitude.'

An Authentic Copy of the Preliminary Articles of Peace between their High Mightineffes the States General, and the Emperor of Germany, concluded under the Mediation of France.

ARTICLE I.

T is agreed, that the States General shall

Holland, for the indemnity of Macftricht and its Territory, the Ban of St. Servais included, as alfo the county Vroenhoven; and 500,000 florins, fame currency, for a compenfation of the damage caufed by the inundations. Three months after the ratification of the treaty, the States General fhall pay into the Imperial Cheft of Bruffels, the fum of 1,250,000 florins of Holland; fix months after, a fimilar fum; and thus, every fix months until the total extinction of the faid two fums, making together that of ten millions of florins, current money of Holland.

II. Their High Mightineffes fhall cede to his Imperial Majefly the Ban of Aulne, fitaated in Dutch Dahiem, and its dependencies, and the Lordship or Chief Ban of Bligny-leTrembleur, with St. Andre the Ban and Lordship of Bombay, the City and Castle of Dahlem with its appurtenances, except Ooft and Cadier; under a reserve that a compenfation shall be made for them in the exchanges of refpective conveniency to be made in the country of Outre-Meufe.

III. The limits of Flanders fhall remain on the terms of the convention of 1664, and if, through the lapfe of time, there should have been, or be now any of them obfcured, commiffioners fhall be appointed on one fide and the other to re-establish them.

IV. Their High Mightineffes fhall regulate, in the moit convenient manner, to the fatisfaction of the Emperor, the draining of the waters from his Majefty's country in Flanders, and on the fide of the Meufe, in order to prevent, as much as poffible, the inundations, by confenting for that end, that ufe fhall be made, on a reasonable footing, of the land neceffary, even under the dominion of their High Mightineffes. The

fhall be cut, as the yellow line S. T. indicafes, which falls back in T. on the limit of 1664, on the fide of Brabant; as is indicated by the Chart figned by the respective ambaffadors. The States General renounce, in confequence, the receiving and levying of any Toll and Impost in that part of the Efcaut, on any title, or under any form whatfoever; as alfo the obftructing in any manner the navigation and trade of his Imperial Majesty's subjects; nor shall the latter be permitted to extend it further than is granted by the treaty of Munfter of the 30th of January 1648, which shall, in that refpect, remain in full force and vigour.

VII. Their High Might ineffes fhall evacuate and demolish the forts of Kruis-Schand, and of Frederick Henry, and cede the foil to his Imperial Majefty.

VIII. Their High Mightineffes, willing to give to his Majefty the Emperor, a fresh proof of their defire to re-establish the most perfect harmony between the two States, confent to evacuate and give up to the difpofal of his Imperial Majelty, the forts of Lillo and of Liekenfhoek, with their fortifications, în the state they are now in; the States General referving to themfelves, to withdraw from them the artillery, and the ammunition of every kind.

IX. The execution of the two articles above mentioned, fhall take place fix weeks after the exchange of the Ratification.

X. The States General having yielded to the defire which the Emperor had intimated to them, of having the forts of Lillo and Liekenfhoek in their prefent ftate; their High Mightineffes expect from the friendship of his Imperial Majefty, that he will be pleafed to cede and give up to them, all the rights he may have formed on the villages, called of Redemption, other than those Eeee 2

whi