ror. } 
other difagreeable confequences would 
have been the refult, had not his own 
death, that of the emperor Jofeph, and the 
exploding volcano of the French revolu- 
tion turned the minds of the European 
cabinets towards more ferious and alarm- 
img objetts. 
In the year 1785, his majefty and his 
queen made the tour of Italy. The re- 
moteft obje& of their journey was to fee 
the famous Giuoco del Ponte (The bridge- 
game) in Pifa. This is a public cere- 
‘mony performed every year in the month 
of May: it confifts of fomething like a 
pitched battle between two different ar- 
mies; and it isa mock imitation of the 
_ bloody contefts between the Guelphs and 
the Ghibellins, and other fubfequent fac- 
tions which defolated Tufcany in the mid- 
dle ages. The enthufiafm of the Tufcans 
for this diverfion is fuch as to render it a 
fabje& of every converfation a month be- 
fore the appointed time, and to engage 
individuals even in convents and nunneries 
to lay wagers on the contending par- 
ties. His majetty’s journey proved ex- 
tremely agreeable to himfelf, as he was 
received by every government and people 
with extraordinary marks of refpect and 
gratitude: it was alfo beneficial to the in- 
habitants of the different countries, who 
witneffed his virtuous chara&er, his affa- 
ble and condefcending behaviour, and his 
unexampled generofity. This laft virtue 
had already been extolled with praifes in 
all the Ttalian capitals where he ftopped. 
it was, among other things, reported, 
that on his vifiting the higheft court: of 
juftice of his Sardinian majefty, in Turin, 
and feeing a vaft number of prifoners con- 
fined for debts and bankruptcies, he made 
a point to inquire from one,of the magif- 
trates, who attended him, what was the 
money required for the purpofe of fetting 
thofe unfortunate men at liberty? Upon 
being informed that the whole amounted to 
a fum of many hundred thoufands, he im- 
mediately delivered a draft, and defired 
that the prifoners fhould be liberated. 
This uncommon aét of generofity was 
mentioned) in all the Italian newfpapers 
with due affection and gratitude. A re- 
gard, however, for hiforical truth compels 
us to ftate that it produced a difagreeable 
fenfation in Naples, where fome mauvais 
plaifansjuftly affirmed, in a- pulcinellefca 
fentence, that it Was abfurd for his majefty 
_ te goto Turin to exert his generofity on 
_ the Piedmontefe fwindlers, when he had 
pleatyof fuch people in his own dominions. 
~ Many important things took place in 
Menuirs of the profent King of the Two Sizilies, 
his majefty’s government from the year 
1785to 1790; fuch as the intended agree- 
ment with the court of Rome, the expul- 
fion of the Papal Nuncio from Naples, the 
fuppreffion of the ‘tribute of the White 
Horfe, and the reform in the Royal Fi- 
nances, the Army and Magiftracy. Of all 
thefe things little need to be faid here, as 
they will be fully detailed in the Arti- 
cles of Mr. Acton, Pignatelli, &c. 
In Auguft 1790, the two eldeft Neapo- 
litan princeffes, Mary Therefa, the pre- 
{ent emprefs, and Louifa Amelia, the pre- 
fent grand-duchefs of Tufcany, were mar- 
ried. His majefty availed himfelf of this 
opportunity to accompany his two daugh- 
ters to Vienna, and to make the tour of 
Germany and Hungary. He occafionally 
affited at the ceremony of Emperor Leo- 
pold’s coronation, in Francfort. A cu- 
rious and interefting anecdote occurred 
during his journey, which deferves pecu- 
liar notice, as tending to evince that even 
the mof unaffuming and modeft princes fall 
very often a prey to bafe flattery, and that 
no trifling opportunity ever efcapes art- 
ful fycophants to ingratiate themfelves 
with their mafters. A weak Neapoli- 
tan magiftrate of the name of Vecchioni, 
whofe fatuity had already become prover- 
243 
bial, and who, thinking to make amends ° 
for the want of fenfe by an extenfive and 
diforderly reading, and by an enormous 
collection of exotic books, had acquired 
a title more to be ridiculous, wrote on 
that occafion a pamphict to demonftrate 
that Ferdinand the Ift. of Arragon, juft 
three centuries back, had undertaken a fi- 
milar journey for the fame purpofe of ate 
tending two of his princefles, one of whom 
was married to Jolin Galeas Sforfa, duke 
of Milan, and the other to another pow- 
erful prince. 
with this hiftorical parallel as to grant, 
foon after, to the infufficient Vecchi- 
oni the honourable, important, and lu- 
crative place of comptroller of the cuftoms 
in Foggia. 
On his return to Italy, his majefty ftop- 
ped many days in Rome. © This was, per= 
haps, the belt employed part of his jour- 
ney. It produced, at’ leaft, an effect 
highly fatisfaétory to the moft fenfible of 
his fubjeéts, In his converfations with the. 
late Pius the VIth he was made fenfible of 
the ambition and rapacity of the crafty 
lawyers and turbulent clergymen in Na- 
ples, who had for many years pait foe 
mented the fcandalous contefs between 
the ecclefiaftical and royal authority. 
And fo convinced was he of the mifs 
Liz conduc 
His majeity was fo pleafed - 
= 
