ITALY (TRAVELS.) 



191 



inn without making a bargain ; for which very reason 

 they are regularly overreached. The same disposi- 

 tion makes many English travellers so troublesome in 

 Germany, where, the living being cheap, they expect 

 to pay next to nothing in the first hotels, so that 

 some hotels have actually refused to admit them. In 

 large cities, where the traveller expects to stay some 

 time, his best rule will be to make a fair bargain 

 after the first day, when he knows what he lias to 

 expect. Another great inconvenience for travellers 

 arises from the ciceroni or servitori di piazza. These 

 people, who liave a share of what the custodi and 

 the poorer possessors of some single curiosities re- 

 ceive from the travellers, have an interest in direct- 

 ing the traveller to every corner where an inscrip- 

 tion, a piece of a column, &c., is to be found. But 

 how avoid this, since a cicerone is indispensable ? 

 Two general rules may be found serviceable ; not to 

 attend, in Italy, to any thing but what is peculiar to 

 Italy; collections of minerals, Japan porcelain, &c., 

 are to be found in other countries ; and, secondly, to 

 prepare one's self for the journey, and to know be- 

 fbreliand, in general, what is to be seen. Of course, 

 these rules are only for those who do not stay for a 

 long time in a place, and have no time to make ac- 

 quaintances for themselves. Three nations, particu- 

 larly, have furnished descriptions of Italy, the Brit- 

 ish, Germans, and French. We recollect to have 

 seen a very old and curious little book, a Guide 

 through Italy for Pilgrims. The images of the virgin, 

 miraculous relics, &c. , of course formed the great mass 

 of the book; but antiques, columns, &c. had received a 

 Christian character, and were named after the apostles, 

 &c. The works of which we here speak, properly begin 

 toward the end of the seventeenth century, at which 

 time the descriptions of Italy assume a more inde- 

 pendent character. Since that time, the number has, 

 particularly of late, greatly increased, so that this 

 branch of literature, in Germany, is almost in disre- 

 pute. Among the earlier works in English, the most 

 esteemed are those of Burnet, Addison, and the 

 others mentioned below. Gilbert Burnet, bishop of 

 Salisbury, travelled, in voluntary exile, through 

 France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy, in 1685. 

 His observations relate principally to religion and 

 politics, on which subjects his views are those of a 

 zealous Protestant and Whig. His work was suc- 

 ceeded by that of Addison Remarks on several Parts 

 of Italy (1705), chiefly devoted to antiquity and the 

 less known works of John Breval (1726) and Edward 

 Wright (1727). The journal of the French emigrant 

 Blainville, who liad become naturalized in England, 

 appeared after his death, and was edited by Turnbull 

 and Guthrie in 1742. The remarks of these travel- 

 lers are chiefly directed to the classical antiquities of 

 Italy, and they therefore have been designated by the 

 name of classical travellers. Smollett's travels 

 treat chiefly of modern Italy and the inhabitants, and 

 are full of a morbid querulousness. The same is 

 true of Sharp's. Barretti defended his country from 

 the attacks of Smollett and Sharp, in his Account of 

 the Manners and Customs of Italy (1767).. John 

 Moore's View of Society and Manners in Italy is still 

 interesting, and is rich in characteristic anecdotes. 

 Patrick Brydone's picturesque description of Sicily 

 is too celebrated to be passed over in silence, though 

 it relates merely to that island. Among the numer- 

 ous recent publications on Italy, few have acquired 

 reputation in foreign countries. We may mention 

 Forsyth's Remarks on Antiquities, Arts and Man- 

 ners during an Excursion in Italy in 1802 3 (Lon- 

 don, 1813). Eustace's Classical Tour through Italy 

 (1802, in two vols., much enlarged in 1817, in four 

 vols.,) is prejudiced and inaccurate. Lady Morgan's 

 Italy betrays the novelist. It is not to be recom- 



mended as a guide through Italy. The Florentine 

 A. Vieusseux, who left his country in early youth, 

 and entered the British service, travelled through 

 Italy, and wrote Italy and the Italians in the nine- 

 teenth Century (London, 1824, two vols.). Among 

 the other English books of travels in Italy, which 

 have appeared within late years, may be mentioned 

 Bell's Observations on Italy. Simond's valuable 

 Tour in Italy and Sicily appeared in 1828 ; Narrative 

 of three Years' Residence in Italy appeared in Lon- 

 don, 1828; Lyman's Political State of Italy, Bos- 

 ton, 1820 ; Rembrandt Peale's Notes on Italy, Phila- 

 delphia, 1831 ; Bigelow's Tour in Sicily and Malta, 

 Boston, 1831. Of the French works on this subject, 

 we may cite first the work of Maximilian Misson, a 

 counsellor of parliament (in 1691), much read at the 

 time in England and Germany. The works of 

 Rogissart (1706), of Grosley (Memoires sur ritalie 

 par deux Gentilshomm.es Suedois, 1764), and of 

 madame du Boccage (1765), did not preserve 

 their reputation long. 1'he abbe Richard's Descrip- 

 tion de ritalie, &c. (1766, six vols.) was useful, as 

 was also the work of Lalande (most complete edition, 

 1767), written on the same plan. It is a systematic 

 description of a tour, and is the basis of the German 

 work of Volkmann. Dupaty's popular Lettres sur 

 ritalie (1788) are recommended by elegance of style 

 and warm feeling. Their matter is not important, 

 and affords little information to the traveller. The 

 Corinna of madame de Stael does not belong to this 

 branch of literature in form, but it does in substance. 

 It is a noble production throughout, and even where 

 the views are erroneous, they are nevertheless instruc- 

 tive. The Letters sur I' Italic, par A. L. Castellan 

 (Paris, 1819, three vols.), are entertain ing and instruc- 

 tive. Germany, which is fertile in every branch of 

 literature, is so in descriptions of Italy, or travels in 

 Italy. There are some excellent works in German, 

 treating of the scientific treasures of Italy ; but this 

 is not the place to enumerate them. The German 

 descriptions of Italy are often characterized either by 

 a minute collection of facts, without much attention 

 to agreeable arrangement, or a romantic exaggera- 

 tion, which arrays all Italy in heavenly colours, and 

 inhales fragrance from the \eryimmondezza. The 

 learned Keyssler, who wrote in 1740, complains of a 

 host of predecessors. His work (which was aug- 

 mented in 1751 and 1776) was followed by a number 

 of translations and rifacciamenti of English and 

 French works, particularly the excellent account of 

 Volkmann, already mentioned (in 1770 and 1771, 

 with additions by Bemouilli since 1777, six vols.). 

 A new continuation and correction of this work 

 would afford a very useful manual for travellers. 

 Archenholz's Italien (1785, augmented in 1787) repre- 

 sents the country according to English views. Jage- 

 mann opposed him in a vindication of Italy (Deutsches 

 Museum, 1786). To this class of works belong 

 Goethe's Fragments on Italy, published at the end of 

 the last century, and his Journal, published but a 

 few years since. Count Leopold von Stolberg (1794) 

 wrote a description of his journey. Frederica Brun, 

 Kuttner, (1796 and 1801), E. M. Arndt, Seume (his 

 Spaziergang nach Syrakus is a work fitted to gratify 

 a sound mind, and appears to advantage among the 

 host of sentimental publications, though it is by no 

 means a guide), Gerning, Benkowitz, and J. H. Eich- 

 holz, are among the legion of writers on Italy. Kot- 

 zebue poured his satirical spirit, also, on this coun- 

 try. P. S. Rehfues has, since 1807, published 

 several works on Italy. Madame von der Recke's 

 Journal was translated into French by Mad. de Mon- 

 tolieu, and is a compendious travelling library, which 

 touches on almost every th ing important to a travel- 

 ler. Kephalides (1818) unites much information with 



