174 The Austrians in Italy. [Feb. 



I am truly grieved to find that Maria Louisa is foremost in this race 

 of rapacity. Tlie tliick German blood has been irreclaimable in her. 

 She seems to forget that she was the wife, and is the widow of great- 

 ness ; and to assimilate herself to her own stupid, and evil-hearted race. 

 The Parmesan is the beau, or i-ather the laidciir ideal of Austrian 

 government in Italy. The vexatious impediments to internal intercourse, 

 the mean and petty exactions to which it is subject, seem to be in noble 

 emulation with those in the Pontifical states : and, in one respect, 

 these exactions are more severely felt, for a large proportion of their 

 produce is sent out of the country. The clouds suck the vivifying 

 moisture from the earth, and then sail on to other lands before they let 

 fall their showers. The Modenese is similarly circumstanced ; and the 

 country about Massa and Carrara is almost a burlesque upon the 

 system. This principality belongs to the mother of the Duke of 

 Modena, an old -woman of eighty, who resides entirely at Vienna, and 

 has her Italian revenues sent to her there. The consequence is, that 

 her territory resembles the estate of Castle Rackrent : every thing 

 shews neglect and rapid decay. The road across these states, though 

 part of one of the principal lines of road in Italy, is very, very nearly 

 impassable. The frontiers are duly marked by the change. 



In the Milanese itself, matters are not quite in this state ; but if they 

 do not throw these physical impediments in the way of intercourse^ 

 they amply make up for it by rules, regulations, passports, tariffs, carte 

 di sicurezza, and other such gear, which render it an affair of some time 

 and excessive trouble, either to get into or out of their dominions. In 

 persons who travel merely for their pleasure, this is of comparatively 

 slender importance ; but, strange to say, merchants are still more 

 vexatiously visited than travellers of any other description. It is 

 scarcely to be credited, indeed, that merchants are allowed to remain 

 ■only fourteen days in Milan, to sell and buy their goods, and settle all 

 their affairs ! The inquisitorial minuteness of their police, also, is 

 something which is really ruinous. The English do not feel it much, 

 for they are not suspected of travelling with political views, though 

 even they, upon occasion, are made to know what sort of a government 

 it is they are under. For instance, when we entered the Austrian 

 territory (at Sesto Calende), the courier of the friend with whom I 

 was travelling, had not his passport en regie : he was, therefore, as it 

 was natural to expect, not permitted to proceed ; but when we arrived 

 at Milan, and my friend applied for a passport for the man again to join 

 him, it was with the greatest difficulty and entreaty that this was 

 ■granted, without his being sent back to Berne, as we had come from 

 Switzerland I But, with the French, they are particularly suspicious and 

 strict. Several refugee officers are known to be in Italy, and are sus- 

 pected of carbonaroism, and all similar iniquities. A French gentle- 

 man whom I met, told me that he had been sent for to the police, and 

 subjected to the minutest examination. Among other queries, they 

 asked him who his father was? whether he had a mother? and whether 

 he was married ? of what religion he was ? and whether he was a Bo- 

 tiapatiist ? 



Every now and then, persons suspected of holding obnoxious opinions 

 disappear. They vanish from among their friends, who dare not say a 

 word concerning them, even though they know tliat they are in the state 

 dungeons ; and this occurs with regard even to some of the highest 



