1823.) Journal of recent 



svhicli our ChcRtcrftcld has so adtniia- 

 lily recommended, is eiK;otira5;ed by 

 easy poHteness aud unaffected compli- 

 ment. Stay in the country, my friend, 

 await the periodical joys of Italian 

 kindness,, and you will be even sur- 

 feited with a superabundance of that 

 sensualitj', of the want of which at 

 present you so much complain. Around 

 you you Mill sec collected, iu these 

 g;enial hours of unbiassed hilarity, a 

 variety, a fecundity, of natural intel- 

 lect, even admirable when unimproved 

 by the instructor's care ; you will see 

 that tlie animated vivacity of the Ita- 

 lians, the constant succession of ob- 

 jects, although trifling, which present 

 themselves to their ever-moving ima- 

 ginations, (however they may prevent 

 deep sensibility from taking root in 

 their miiids, and accord but little with 

 <he sedate and pathetic disposition of 

 the Englishman,) are still the effusions 

 from that parent stock of illumined, as 

 Mcll as of natural, talent, which 

 fereathe around us so many cliarms in 

 the plajful and fertile productions of 

 an Ariosto. 



It must be confessed, indeed, that 

 the heart of the Englishman, however 

 constant and excellent, for the most 

 part harbours melancholy and reflec- 

 lion ; and that his pensive habits are 

 but little calculated to keej) pace with 

 the thoughtless bustle of an Italian 

 iK'ad. All is rapid, vehement, and 

 momentary in Italy ; their anger, 

 though excessive while it lasts, is 

 never followed, as in England often, 

 <jy a perseverance in sulkiness and 

 gJoGui ; it arose at the sudden impulse 

 of an offending thought or object, and 

 dies with the first pleasing allurement 

 vhich meets the eye or imagination. 

 'I'here are, lioweveiT, numerous in- 

 stances of long-protracted attachments 

 in the illicit custom of cicisheisni; but 

 those attachuK'nts apjiearcd to be pro- 

 longed m(U'e from habit and desire of 

 appearance or ambition, than from solid 

 merit or affection which the parties 

 discover in each other: when broken 

 otr, they are rarely or never followed 

 by that jMitlu.'tie sentimental rcmcni- 

 bram^c which alllicts the natives of the 

 «;ountrics of the north, and which be- 

 comes <)ft(Ui so fatal to their future 

 Iranquillity. Oh that Italy could 

 wean herself from this most unnatural 

 of all customs! that a more noble 

 example in the illustrious iii'ads of a 

 rcMMisula t^-eming with all that na- 

 luiu Luu delight us willi, with all the 



Travels in Ilaltfi 307 



proud achievements of art, would give 

 her that decided abhorrence of what 

 is almost as barbarous as indecorous; 

 and which, to th« disgrace of huma- 

 nity, inclination appears to have sanc- 

 tioned into a law ! It is in vain to 

 adduce climate in excuse for immo- 

 rality ; it outrages the best feelings of 

 civilization to draw into the compari- 

 son the habits of less refined nations : 

 Italy has been great, and may be great 

 again; she is even at this moment 

 splendid in her ruins, and awaits, po- 

 litically speaking, only the call of 

 influence and preponderating com- 

 mand to obey every noble dictate of 

 reason, which slumbers indeed in her 

 bosom, but is not extinguished. 



And here I would fain give vent to 

 the feelings which the present govern- 

 ments of Italy call forth, would con- 

 trast the northern with the southern, 

 and eulogise her middle states, were 

 not the subject treated by abler pens ; 

 and the happier effusions of the pa- 

 triot, the man of feeling, and the clas- 

 sic scholar, been so often panegyrized 

 by the best of qualifications. Thus 

 much, however, may be added to the 

 subject: throughout her states there 

 is but one uniformity of feeling. How- 

 ever the ardent Neapolitan may eva- 

 porate only in idle vaunt, — the Roman, 

 full of slothful indifference, express 

 his wishes with a torpid expectancy, 

 — the Tuscan affect to feel a placid 

 composure amidst a constitution which 

 is somewhat sanctioned by time, and 

 which, however imperfect, Austrian 

 domination has rendered less grievous 

 to him than his less fortunate brethren, 

 — however the minor states of oppres- 

 sed and suffering Italy dare not raise a 

 look, or utter a voice, in favour of 

 groaning humanity, — they all bear one 

 common sentiment with the more vi- 

 gorous and energetic Italian of the 

 north, with the hardy Piedmontcse, 

 and the planning Lombard. "What 

 am I?" said an Italian one day to me: 

 " tell me I am a Russian, or a Swede, 

 that I am a niitive even of the hardy 

 mountains where the rein-deer consti- 

 tutes the happiness of man's pursuit, 

 I should still be something ; but what 

 is an Italian? In what corner of 

 Europe has my nau)e an inllucncc? 

 Where can I, whose forefathers once 

 governed the world, — I, who have 

 sjtrcad my laws, my arts, ami my insti- 

 tutions, throughout a civili/ed crea- 

 tion, — where can I assert a political 

 existence '." ThoB« cxprciMiions were 



given 



