‘those who exercise boisterous occu- 
pations, or pursue dangerous amuse- 
ments; and if the modern Italians 
are less addicted to excess in wine 
than the Greeks and Romans in an- 
cient, orthe English and Germans 
in modern times, their temperance 
may fairly be ascribed to the indo- 
lent monotony of their listless lives ; 
which, being never exhausted by 
fatigue, can never be gladdened by 
repose; and being never agitated 
by the terrors of danger, can never 
be transported by the joys of deli- 
verance. « 
From these airy speculations, by 
which we fancied that we stripped 
Italy of what some travellers have 
too hastily concluded to be the only 
virtue which she has left, we were 
awakened by the appearance of a 
venerable person, ina bag wig and 
sword, cautiously leading 4is Bour- 
rique* down the precipice. He 
returned our salute wich an air of 
courtesy bespeaking stch affability, 
that we quickly entered into con- 
versation with him, and discovered 
to our surprise md joy that we 
were in company with a very res- 
pectable personmige, and one, whom 
Mr. Addison 14s dignified with the 
appellation /f the “ fourth man in 
the state.”, The stipendiary physi- 
cian of St Marino (for this was the 
person ith whom we were con- 
yersing” told us, that we might be 
accopmodated with good lodging in 
the onvent of Capuchins; and as 
we Were strangers, that he would 
pturn, shew us the house, and pre- 
ent us to father Bonelli. ‘We ex- 
he hill; 
eply-wrinkled mountaineer made 
© Fa 
CHARACT ERS. 
[rig 
light, and we yielded to his propo= 
sal with only apparent reluctance ; 
since, to the indelicacy of introduc- 
ing ourselves, we preferred the in- 
troduction of a man whom we had 
even casually met with on the road. 
To the convent, we were admitted 
by a frate servente, or lay friar, and 
conducted to the Padre Maestro, the 
Prior Bonelli, a man sixty years old, 
and, as we we were told by the physi- 
cian, descended from one of the no= 
blest families in the commonwealth. 
Having received and returned such 
compliments as are held indispensi- 
ble in this ceremonious country, 
the prior conducted us above stairs, 
and shewed us two clean and com- 
fortable chambers, which, he said, 
we might command, while we 
deigned to honour the republic (such 
were his expressions) with the fa- 
vour of our residence. As to our 
entertainment, he said, we might, 
as best pleased us, either sup apart 
by ourselves, or in company with 
him and his monks. We told him 
our happiness would be complete, 
were we permitted to enjoy the ad- 
vantage. of his company and con- 
versation. My conversation! You 
shall soon enjoy better than mine ; 
since, within half an hour, T shall 
have the honour of conducting you 
to the house of a ‘charming young 
lady, sol must call her, though my 
own kinswoman, whose Coviver'sa- 
ztone assembles this evering. “Dur 
ing this dialogue @ servant arrived; 
bringing our portmanteau from Ri- 
mini, and thereby enabling us, with 
more deceticy of Appearance, to 
pay our respects to the lady, in 
company with ‘the’prior, her: uncle. 
The signora P——received ‘us ‘po- 
litely in an innér ‘Apartment, after 
[*B' a} LES GDI gi we 
ny ; 
Ass. 
