*22] 
required that we should not subject 
Bonelli and his friends to such un- 
necessary fatigue ; and the change- 
ableness of the weather, a con- 
tinual varition of sun-shine and 
cloudiness, the solemnity of dark 
magnifying vapours, together with 
the velocity of drizzly or gleamy 
showers, produced such unusual ac- 
cidents of light and shade, in this 
mountain scene, as often suspended 
the motion ot our limbs, and fixed 
our eyes in astonishment. From 
the highest top of St. Marino we 
beheld the bright submit of another 
and far loftier mountain, towering 
above and beyond a dark cloud, 
which by contrast threw the conical 
top of the hill to such a distance, 
that it seemed to rise from another, 
world. The height of St. Marine 
(we were told) had been accurately 
measured by father Boscovich, and 
found to be nearly half a mileabove 
the level of the neighbouring sea. 
Almost immediately after return- 
ing from our walk, dinner was 
served at the convent ; forthe po- 
liteness of father Bonelli had pro- 
longed his stay abroad far beyond 
‘his usual hour of repast. Speedily 
after dinner we were conducted, by 
the good father, to the conversazione 
ef another lady, also his relation, 
where we had the honour of meet- 
ing the capitaneos, or consuls, the 
commissareo, or chief judge, and 
several distinguished members of the 
senate. Recommended only by our 
youth and curiosity, we spent. the 
evening most agreeably with those 
respectable magistrates, who were 
as communicative in answering as 
inquisitive in ashings questions, ‘The 
company continually increasing,and 
father Bonelli carefully addressing 
all new comers by the titles of their 
respective offices, we werg surprised, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
‘ 
towards the close of the evening, 
and the usual hour of retirement, 
that we had:not yet seen 2 signor 
dottore end-il pedagogo publico, the 
physician and sehoolmaster, whom 
Mr. Addison represents as two of 
the most distinguished dignitaries 
in the commonwealth. <A short 
acquamtance .is_ sufficient, to in- 
spire confidence between congenial 
minds. We frankly testified our 
surprise to the father, He laughed 
heartily at our simplicty, and 
thought the joke, too good not to 
be communicated to the company, 
When their vociferous mirth had 
subsided, an old gentleman, who 
had been repeatedly invested with 
the highest honours of his country, 
observed that he well knew Mr. 
Addison’s account of St. Marino, - 
which had been translated more 
than once into the French and 
Tralian languages. Remote and in- 
considerable as they were, his an- 
cestors were highly honoured by 
the notice of that illustrious travel- 
ler, who, he understood, was not 
oaly a classic author in English, but 
an author who had uniformly and 
most successfully employed his pen 
in the cause of virtue and liberty. 
Yet, as must often happen to travel- 
lers, Mr. Addison, he continued, 
has, in speaking of this little repub- 
lic, been deceived by first appear- 
ances. Neither our schoolmaster 
nor physician enjoy any pre-emi- 
nence in the state. They are main- 
tained indeed by public salaries, as 
in several other cities of Italy ; and, 
there is nothing peculiar in their 
condition here except that the 
schoolmaster has more, and the phy- 
sician less, to do than in most other 
places, because our diseases are few, 
and our children are many. ‘This 
sally having beén received with ap- 
probation 
