I T A 
the other cities; whence the Italian proverb, Lingua Tof- 
cana in. bocca Romana. 
The Italians are in general well-proportioned, aftive, 
and comely, with fuch expreffive countenances as have 
greatly aftilted their painters in the delineation of real 
beauty on the canvas. “I imagine,” fays an entertaining 
and accurate obferver, “ that I perceive a great refemblance 
between many of the living countenances which I fee 
daily, and the features of' the ancient bulls and llatues ; 
which leads me to believe that there are a greater number 
of the genuine defcendants of the old Romans in Italy 
than is generally imagined. I am often (truck with the 
fine character of countenance to be feen in the ftreets of 
Rome. I never faw features more expreffive of reflection, 
fenfe, and genius; in the very lowed ranks there are coun¬ 
tenances which announce minds fit for the highefl and 
mod important fituations; and we cannot help regretting 
that thofe to whom they belo.ng have not received an 
education adequate to the natural abilities which they 
feem certainly to poffefs,- and placed where thofe abilities 
could be brought into adtion. Hence, in no country is the 
pride of birth more perceptible; for the prefent inhabitants 
generally confider themfelves as the reprefentatives of the 
once-celebrated Romans.” 
With refpedt to their genius and tafle in architecture, 
painting, fculpture, and mufic, they are thought greatly 
to excel all the other nations of Europe: but their mufic 
feems too foft and effeminate to deferve all the praife be¬ 
llowed on it; and their houfes are far inferior in refpedt 
of convenience to thofe of fome other countries. Italy, 
the cradle of the modern arts and fciences, has, fince their 
revival, produced politicians, hiftorians, poets, painters, 
and fculptors, who have not been excelled, or perhaps 
equalled, by thofe of any nation in the world. 
The Italians move in a flow compofed pace, and have, 
in their external deportment, a folemnity of manner which 
is fometimes thought to arile from gloominefs of difpo- 
lition. Though in the pulpit, on the (tage, and even in 
common converfation, they make ufe of a great deal of 
adtion, yet Italian vivacity differs much from French ; 
the former proceeding from fenfibility, the latter from ani¬ 
mal fpirits. 
The modern Italians are celebrated for their extreme 
fobriety, the immoderate ufe of (trong liquors being al- 
moft unknown among them. Under every form of go¬ 
vernment they feem to make themfelves contented, or at 
lead they conceal their fentiments, by obferving a llridt 
filence on political fubjedts. In their difpofitions they 
are rather vindidtive than brave; fuperftitious than de¬ 
vout. The middling claffes are (trongly attached to ori¬ 
ginal habits and cuftoms, and feem averfe to every idea of 
improvement. Subfifting chiefly on vegetable diet, their 
fpirits are feldom fubjedt to thofe depreflions which an- 
animal diet is thought frequently to occafion. 
In their drefs, the Italians obferve a due medium be¬ 
tween the modes adopted by the French and the Spaniards ; 
and their difpofition is generally confidered as equally re¬ 
mote from the volatility of the one, and the affedted gravity 
of the other. By fome travellers, they are characterized 
as a grateful obliging people, extremely affable to ltrangers, 
and nice in all the punctilios of civility ; but too reten¬ 
tive of injuries, which leads them fometimes to the com- 
miflion of adts of treachery, and even aflaflination. The 
nobility and gentry lavifli their money on fine houfes and 
paintings, beautiful gardens, grottoes, fountains, and caf- 
cades, rather than in keeping fplendid tables and indulg¬ 
ing in the luxuries common in other countries of Europe. 
One of the molt remarkable peculiarities of the Italians 
is, that they reckon the commencement of their day from 
the fun-fet, and fome of their clocks (trike all the hours 
from one to twenty-four: few however go farther than 
twelve, and others not beyond fix, and then begin again ; 
which, to thofe not accuftomed to this method, mult be 
produdtive of confiderable confufion. See the article Ho¬ 
rology, vol. x. p. 392, 
I T A 46 7 
The Roman-catholic religion is univerfally eflablifiied 
throughout Italy; but perlons of all religions may live 
unmolefted in the country, provided they behave with 
circumfpedtion. 
The principal commodities and manufadtures for ex¬ 
portation, are wine, oil, perfumes, fruits, and liIks, in 
which an extenfive trade is, or at lead Was, carried on in 
many of the fea-port towns, efpecially- Leghorn, Genoa, 
Bologna, Venice, and Naples. It cannot however be fup- 
pofed, that the new order of things ellabiifhed in Italy, has 
by any means promoted her indultry and commercial re¬ 
lations. 
For a more particular account of the hiftory, natural 
and artificial produdtions, and character, manners, and 
cuftoms, of the inhabitants of Italy, fee the articles Sar¬ 
dinia, Savoy, Piedmont, Milan, Genoa, (vol viii. 
325.) Venice, Tuscany, Lucca, Parma, Mantua, 
Modena, and Naples, Rome. 
ITAMARA'CA. See Tamaraca. 
ITANBPRA, a town of Brafil, in the government of 
Minas Geraes: thirty-fix miles weft of Villa Rica. 
ITANHA'EM, a river of Brafil, which runs into the 
Atlantic in lat. 17.40. S. 
ITANHAM', river of Brafil, which runs into the At¬ 
lantic in lat. 24. 15. S. 
ITAN'NA, or Estanna, a kingdom of Africa, on the 
Slave Coaft, fubjedt to Benin. 
IT'APE, a town of South America, in the province of 
Paraguay; ninety miles fouth-eaft of Affumption. 
ITAPU'A, a town of South America, in the province 
of Paraguay, on the Parana : 170 miles fouth-eall of Af¬ 
fumption. 
ITA'TA, a town of South America, in the country of 
Chiii, on a river of the fame name : thirty-two miles 
north-north-eaft of Conception. 
ITA'TI, a town of South America, in the province of 
Buenos Ayres, on the Parana : thirty-five miles north- 
eaft of Corrientes. 
ITCH,/ [gicha, Sax.] A cutaneous difeafe, extremely 
contagious, which overfpreads the body with (mail puf- 
tules filled with a thin ferum, and railed, as microfcopes 
have difcovered, by a (mail animal. It is cured by ful- 
phur.—The Lord will finite thee with the (cab and with 
the itch, whereof thou can’d not be healed. Drat, xxviii. 27. 
Luft and liberty 
Creep in the minds and marrows of our youths, 
That ’gainft the (tream of virtue they may drive, 
And drown themfelves in riot, itches, blains. Sh-akcfpeare, 
The fenfation of uneafinefs in the (kin, which is eafed by 
rubbing. A conftant teazing defire.—From fervants’ com¬ 
pany a child is to be kept, not by prohibitions, for that 
will but give him an itch after it, but by other ways. 
Locke. 
At half mankind when gen’rous Manly raves, 
All know 'tis virtue, for he-thinks them knaves: 
When univerfal homage Umbra pays, 
All fee ’tis vice, and itch of vulgar praife. Pope r 
Petrarch, the lover of Laura of Avignon, the author of 
thofe enchanting fonnets which firft exalted Italian poe¬ 
try to clafiic fame; the great reftorer, by whole cares, the 
remains of Greek and Roman literature were refeued from 
among the ruins of time; Petrarch, as if he had been a 
Scotchman, has not difdained to write upon the itch. It 
is in his excellent ethical work, De Remcdiis v.lriufque For¬ 
tune, that he treats upon this ftrange topic. That work 
confifts of two books, written in the form of dialogue. 
Of thefe books, the firft is direfted to temper and mode¬ 
rate the infoler.ee of joy, by means of confiderations drawn 
from reafon and philoiophy. In the fecond book, he en¬ 
deavours to multer the whole holt of human woes, and to 
prefent fuch confolations as may ftrengthen and bear up 
the weaknefs of humanity under every one of them.. The 
itch is one of the ills for which lie oilers conlolation. 
Som^ 
