468 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



is a great similarity in the'topicsof 

 vulgar credulity. 



The Sicilians have, certainly, a 

 very keen relish of humour; and, 

 now and then, one may perceive 

 in them a strong trait of peculiar- 

 ity, not individual but national, 

 which, notwithstanding their an- 

 cient proficiency, is an assurance 

 to think that they may yet attain 

 some literary superiority which 

 shall be regarded as original. A 

 description of manners and cus- 

 toms, by a genuine Sicilian, other- 

 wise properly qualified, would 

 equally surprise and delight. 



Sicilian Nobility. 

 From the same. 



Of the character and condition 

 of the Sicilian nobles I have uni- 

 formly received but one opinion. 

 The time of by far the greater num- 

 ber is spentin the pursuit of amuse- 

 ment, and of any other object than 

 the public good. The most of 

 them are in debt, and the incomes 

 of but few are adequate to their 

 wants : many are in a state of abso- 

 lute beggary. 



One evening, as I happened to 

 be returning home, I fell in with 

 a procession of monks and soldiers 

 bearing an image of St. Francis ; 

 and, not having seen any thing of 

 the kind before, i went with the 

 crowd into a church towards which 

 the procession whs moving. While 

 reckoning the number of the friars 

 as they entered, and having reached 

 a hundred and seventj^, all excel- 

 lent subjects for soldiers, a well- 

 dressed gentleman came up to me, 

 and, bowing, pointed to some of 

 the ornaments as objects worthy of 

 a stranger's curiosity ; but, per- 



ceiving me shy of entering into 

 conversation with him, and the 

 procession entering the church at 

 the same time, he walked, or was 

 forced by the current of the crowd, 

 away. 



The idol being placed near the 

 high altar, the crowd began to 

 chant a hymn. As they all fell on 

 their knees, and my tight preju- 

 dices and small clothes would not 

 permit me to do the same, I turned 

 into one of the side chapels, and, 

 leaning against the railing of the 

 altar, began to speculate on the 

 spectacle before me, when the 

 strangeragain accosted me. Some- 

 what disconcerted by the inter- 

 ruption, and by the forwardness 

 of the man, I abruptly quitted my 

 place. But, before I had moved 

 two steps, he approached, and, 

 bowing, said, 1 am the Baron 

 M , and my palace is just op- 

 posite. At this instant the wor- 

 shippers rose, and the procession 

 turning to go out at one of the side 

 doors near where we were stand- 

 ing, before I could retreat, I found 

 myself involved in the crowd, and 

 obliged to go with the stream. 

 When I reached the street, I found 

 the stranger again at my side. 

 This is very extraordinary, thought 

 I ; and, without seeming to notice 

 him, walked away. He followed ; 

 and when we had got out of the 

 nucleus of the throng, he seized 

 me firmly by the arm, and drew 

 me aside. Enraged and alarmed 

 at this mysterious treatment, I 

 shook him fiercely from me. For 

 about the time that one might count 

 twenty, he seemed to hesitate; 

 and then, suddenly coming back, 

 repeated, in Italian, with consider- 

 able energy, " I, I am the Baron 



M . This is my palace ; but I 



have nothing to eat !" I looked at 



the 



i 



