264 Travels in Italy- 



barks, like the conieri, firing at all others that are seen on the 

 river. It is now an immense body of water, twice, and in some 

 places perhaps even thrice as broad as the Thames at London. 

 As to the face of the country, from the Lagunes to Ferrara, it is 

 everywhere nearly the same as what I have so often described; 

 whether grass or arable, laid out into rows of pollards, with vines 

 trained to them at various distances, but always near enough to 

 give the whole the appearance of a wood when viewed from the 

 least distance. It does not seem to want people; towns and 

 villages being numerous; and there are all the signs of a con- 

 siderable navigation ; every village being a port with abundance 

 of barges, barks, boats, etc. Coffee-houses remarkably abound 

 in the Venetian dominions; at all towns, and even villages, 

 where we passed they are to be found, fortunately for me, as they 

 were my resource to make amends for the dirty fingers and 

 beastly handkerchief of our Sign ore Padrone. Before I entirely 

 finish with Venice I shall insert a few circumstances with which 

 I was favoured by an Italian, who resided some time in that city, 

 and had abilities that would not allow me to doubt of his 

 capacity in forming a true estimate of any political circumstance 

 to which he directed his attention. His account of the principal 

 nobility of the republic is such as would explain much more than 

 I have seen or heard in their dominions. He says, " The educa- 

 tion of the great is the disgrace of Venice. Men of the first 

 families are not only ignorant to a degree shameful in so en- 

 lightened an age, but they are educated in a bad ton; with ill 

 manners, from ideas that are sufifered to be instilled by depend- 

 ents which do not quit them through life ; fixing from early habit 

 the taste forbad company; while a pernicious indulgence exempts 

 them from all learning: that this is so general, and is so exten- 

 sive in its influence, that had the interior organisation of this 

 government been less admirable it would, from this very cause, 

 have mouldered to nothing long ago: that the pride of which 

 they are accused is owing equally to bad company and to ignor- 

 ance; the first gives them vague and improper ideas of their 

 own importance, and the second inspires them with reserve to 

 conceal their want of that knowledge which others, and especially 

 foreigners, possess : that the ill effects of this bad education will 

 be seen more and more; the governments of Europe being at 

 present infinitely more enlightened than in times past; and 

 improved considerably even in the last twenty years. There is, 

 of necessity, a struggle among all nations, emulous to make the 

 greatest progress in useful knowledge and to apply all knowledge 



