ITALY. 



the country. It was denominated " Hefpcria," on account 

 of its weiiern ficuation in refpect to Greece ; " Satiirnia," 

 from Saturn ; " Latium," from the Latiiii ; << Aufonia," 

 from the A'jfones ; " Oeiiotria," from a tribe feilled be- 

 tween Picllum and Tarentum. Thefe names were originally 

 appropriated to particular provinces, but in procefs of 

 time they were applied to the whole country, wliich has 

 been denominated the garden of Europe. The ancient in- 

 habitants called thcmfelves aborigines, offspring of' the foil ; 

 and the country was, at a very vaily period, peopled by 

 colonies from Greece. The Peiafgi and Arcadians made 

 fettle:iients there, and the whole country was divided into 

 35 many ditfercnt governments as there were tow!i<!, till 

 the rapid increafe of the Roman power changed the fai;c 

 of Italy, and united all the ftates in fupport of one com- 

 mon caufe. (See RovF. ) Under the dominion of the 

 Gauls and Greeks, Italy, in reference to its inhabitants, 

 was divided into " Gallia Cifalpin.i," " Italia Propria," 

 and " Grecia Magna:" the lirft comprehended the pro- 

 vinces lying^ between the Alps, and the Rubicon ; the 

 fecond included the intermediate provinces ; and the third 

 thofe adjacent to Sicily and Greece, and inhabited chiefly 

 by Grecian colonies. It was divided into eleven fmail pro- 

 vinces or regions by AuguRu": ; but according to the com- 

 mon and moil approved divifion, ancient Italy conCiitcd of 

 two parts, viz. " Gallia Cifalpina," and " Italia Propria :" 

 the former, likewife called " Gallia Italica," and foine- 

 times " Galiia," was bounded on the N. by Rhastia, and 

 on the S. by the finns Ligufticus, or gulf of Genoa. This 

 province, while under the Roman dominion, contained le- 

 veral tribes, which will be noticed in their places. Italia 

 Propria was on all fides furrounded by the fca, except on 

 the N. where it was bounded by an imaginary line, extending 

 from the mouth of the Macra to that of the Rubicon. 

 It contained, among others, the following provinces, -viz. 

 Etruria, Sabinsm, Latium, Campania, Samnium, Apulia, 

 MeiTapia, Lucania, and Brutium. During the middle ages 

 Italy underwent many revolutions, and frequently changed 

 its mailers. In the reign of Honorius the Viligoths, under 

 the command of Alaric, penetrated into that fertile coun- 

 ry, which they plundered from the foot of the Alps to the 

 ftrait of Sicily. The reign of the Goths in Italy ended in 

 Tela, Totila's fon, who was defeated and .lain by Narfes 

 in the year ^^^. Italy now became a province of the 

 Greek empire. The I..ombards were a fierce nation, firft 

 difcovered between the Elbe and the Oder, from thence 

 they defcended to the fouth and the Danube. They after- 

 wal-ds palTed the Danube, wandered along the coall of the 

 Adriatic, and in the year 566, aided by the Avari, a 

 Scythian horde, they undertook the conquell of Italy. 

 Many provinces were added to their dominions, as a large 

 portion of the Venetian territory, Tyrol, Milanefe, Pied- 

 mont, the coall of Genoa, Mantua, ]?arma, and Modena, 

 the grand duchy of Tufcany, together with a confiderable 

 portion of the ecclefiallical llate. 



Italy, in the modern acceptation of the word, includes 

 both main land and iilands. The former, by geographers, 

 is commonly divided into upper, middle, and lower. 

 Upper Italy, called Lombardy, contains foven duchies, 

 ten fmall principalities, and two republics. Middle Italy 

 confifls of the grand duchy of Tufcany, the ecclefiallical 

 ftate, and two republics. Lower Italy includes a part of 

 ancient Italia Propria, and the kingdom of Naples. The 

 chmate of this country differs with its different dirifions. 

 In mountainous dillricts the air is keen and piercing ; the 

 provinces, north and eaft of the Apennines, are mild and 

 u-mperate ; thofe on the S. of that chain are warm, fnltry, 

 ■ Vol. XIX. 



and liable to torrents o.^ rain. An account of the motm- 

 taiiis, rivers, and lakes, belonging to Italy, or dividing ic 

 from other countries, will be found in the alphabetical 

 Older of this woilc. (See Alp.3, Apennines, Po, &c.) 

 There is a very confiderable divcrfity in the foil as well as 

 the climate. The northern divifion exhibits the grand 

 fcenery of the Alps, contraftcd v\ith delightful vallies and 

 plains, watered by many ttreams which run towards the 

 fouth to augment the Po. In the central parts are marfiies, 

 flagnant waters, and fruitful diihi'^ns. A great proportion 

 of the kingdom of Naples (which fee) is hilly, but many 

 traits, though fubjeft to inconveniencios, are uncommonly 

 fertile. Italy has been denominated the parent of plenty, 

 and each province has its peculiar excellence and commo- 

 dity ; and, taken together, they all yield the comforts and 

 luxiiriosof life in great abundance. In thetimeof Pliny, Italy 

 was faid to contain 14,000,000 of inhabitants. This was 

 probably an exaggerated account. The prel'ent popula- 

 tion, though not eafy to be got at, cannot, with the ifiands. 

 of Sicily and Sardinia, be cilimated at more than 13,000,000. 

 Naples and Sicily are fuppofed to contain 6,ooo,coo ; the 

 central part about 3,000,000 ; and the northern about 

 4,000,000. The manner.s and cuiloms of the natives are 

 various and difcordant. The real Italians are in general 

 well proportioned, affable, polite, piofufe in their compli.. 

 mei-.ts, and nice in all punCtdios of civility, obferving, i'. 

 is faid, a due medium between the levity of the French and 

 the gravity of the Spaniards. They are impetuous in th-ir 

 temper, keen in their refentments, revengeful in their man- 

 ners, and fuperilitious in their religion. " Attached," fays 

 Mr. Playftiir, " to ancient culloms, they apprehend no 

 occafion for improvement. Conceiting themfclves to be the 

 conquerors of the world, they look on the rell of mankind 

 with contempt. Out of a vain otlentatton, they lavilb their 

 money on paintings, gardens, and (latues, on coflly equi- 

 pages, and a numerous retinue of fervants ; but this pro- 

 fufion does not feem to interfere with the economy of their 

 tables, which are neither fpleiidid nor expeniive. Their 

 dinner, confiding prinsipally of roots and vegetables, is a 

 flight m.eal compared with their fupper ; but at all lin-.es 

 they eat and drink fparingly. Their houfes, furniture, and 

 entertainments, are a compofition of magnificence and mean- 

 nefs. While they deliglit in outv.ard iliow, they beilow httle 

 attention on the comforts of life. Mafquerading, gaming, 

 converfations, mufic, and religious exhibitions, are their 

 chief amufements." The drefs of the Itahans is not ma- 

 terially different from that of the inhabitants of the neigh- 

 bouring countries ; and it has been obferved, with much 

 juflice, that Italy, inftead of being vifited by travellers for 

 the fake of its inhabitants, is vifited only for the fake of 

 the places which they inhabit. There are fom.e remains 

 of forells am.ong the Apennines ; but the early civilization 

 of Italy has been difadvantageous to the growth of tmiber. 

 The botanical produfts of Italy are fuppofed to be equal 

 to thofe of any European country, on account of the great 

 variety of its foil, the irregularity of its furface, and the 

 genial benignity of its climate. In tlie fouthern parts, cotton, 

 nee, and the fugar-cane, indicate the ferliHly of the foil, 

 and the warmth of the climate; ajid the field.s and the 

 pafturcs bear a linking refemblancc, in their nativi.- pro- 

 duels, to thofe found in the fouthern piovinces of Spain. 

 The Italian liorfes are of little reputation, and the cv^»'»' 

 from which tlie noted Parmefan clieefe is made, are rff- 

 fcrihcd as of a deep red colour, long, lank, and ill made. 

 In Tufcany the art of faltening cattle is well underltood. 

 Vhe buflalo is, in Europe, almoll peculiar to Italy. Tliis 

 animal in fome rcfpeCts reiembles tlic h)g, .being fond uf 

 4 C vvalluvwng 



