Retrofoect of French LiteraturemVayages, and Travels. 669 
deavour to employ thofe alone who 
are devoted to them. The Beys and 
the Mukbrefias purchafe white flaves 
and a few black ones; the Arabian 
Cheiks buy Negroes. Each chief 1s 
furrounded by a militia more or lefs 
powerful. Does one of thefe deem him- 
delf ftrong? he immediately _ makes 
war, either on his rivals or his oppref- 
fors. 
_ When the government is no longer 
in poffeffion of a degree of power ca- 
pable of impofing on all thefe divided 
forces, anarchy becomes complete, and 
the fpirit of faction and hereditary ha- 
treds, are added to thofe various caufes 
of difpute that occur daily. The la- 
bourer is almoft conftantly drawn into 
thefe quarrels ; but in whatever man- 
ner they may terminate, the produce of 
his harveft is always employed in feed- 
ing the combatants. It is he who fuf- 
fers by the profufion of the chiefs, and 
he is no more than the miferable in- 
ftrument of their will. Regulated ra- 
ther by the caprices of powerful men, 
than by fixed laws, he knows not whe- 
ther he ought to obey the government 
of Conftantinople, the Beys, the Mukh- 
tefims, or the Arabian Cheiks. Moral 
qualities and education (whigh occurt 
alfo fometimes among civilized nations, 
for extremes always touch) never con- 
duct the poffeffor to any employment. 
The fole ttudy is how to diffemble, and 
this is not only practifed by the bulk 
of the people, but is actually the bafis 
of the conduct of the government.” 
VOYAGES AND TRAVELS. 
“© Voyage en Italie,” &c.—A Jour- 
ney in Italy,by F. J, L. Meyer, x vol. 
8vo. 
Meyer travelled through Italy but 
avery fhort time before the French pe- 
netrated into that delicious country, 
and he gives an interefting account of 
Venice, Rome, and Naples, at that 
epoch ; in the courfe of which he de- 
feribes the politics of the governments, 
the {pirit and national character of the 
inhabitants, the beauties of nature, 
and the monuments of the arts. After 
mentioning the itate-inquifition at Ve- 
nice, the water-fall of Velino, near 
Terni, &c. &c., ancient Rome is paint- 
ed amidift her ruins, and modern Rome 
in the heightofherfplendor. Our tra-' 
veller’s defeription of one of tie. reli- 
gious ceremonies at which Pius. VI. 
prefided, affords a remarkable contraft 
to the exile which that Pontiff was af- 
MontTury Maa. No, 89. 
terwards doomed to experience at Va- 
lence. 
‘* The proceffion (fays he) had con- 
tinued during two hours, witha flow 
and pompous pace, when all of a fud- 
den, the ringing of bells, and che firing 
of cannon, announced the appearance 
of the head of the church, who at this 
moment left St. Peter’s by the great 
gate, feated on a magnificent platform. 
It is impoffible to convey an idea of 
either this groupe, or the picturefque 
effect produced by it. The majeltic 
old man ftill advanced, borne on the 
fheulders of his guards; perfons of the 
firft diftinétion fupported the canopy, 
and the pace of the bearers was fo flow, 
and fo equal, that the Pontiff ap- 
Widlags to foar above the aflem- 
y: 
With his body leaning forward, Pius 
fupported himfelf onan altar, on which 
was placed the holy facrament, inclofed 
in a covering fhining with precious 
ftones. Although he fat in a chair, 
yet he appeared to be on his knees. A 
flowing drapery cf white fatin, adorn- 
ed with embroidered crowns, envelop= 
ed him entirely ; nothing was feen but 
his hands placed upon thealtar, and his 
grey head wholly uncovered. The move-~ 
ment of his lips announced that he 
was praying ; his eyes, directed towards 
heaven, feemed to {wim in tears ; the 
moft fervent. piety was depicted on his 
phyfiognomy. 
Ic was impoffible to obferve, without 
emotion, the effect produced by this 
{cene on the multitude. It at firft ap- 
re 
peared to aftonifh and then to melt 
them. No fooner did the cannon and 
bells announce the approach of his 
Holinefs, and he was feen iffuing from 
the church, than ajl the peopie fell 
proftrate, as if ftruck with thunder. 
They beat their breaits with comprnc-~ 
tion, and then lifted up their eyes, 
bathed with tears, in a timid manner, 
towards the fovereign Pontiff, as he 
advanced with the holy facrament. 
They continued to furvey, with enthu- 
fiaim, this apparition, which they con- 
fidered as nearly divine, and never 
ceafed to gaze, untilit had entirely dif- 
appeared. At length, Pius afcended 
the prindipal altar, and terminated the 
ceremony, by conferring his apottolic 
benediction on a multitude eager to re~ 
celve 3t.”” } : 
M, Meyer appears to have but a very 
poor opinion of the morals of the mo- 
An ad ib Sl oO dera 
