112 
at_ every ftep unites the enjoyment of the 
“‘prefent with the paft, and gives greater 
‘Importance to every part of this rich pa- 
noram2a. — 
Rome rather deferves the name of a 
magnificent than of ahandfomecity. The 
great number of fpiendid churches and 
palaces, richly decorated with all the em- 
bellifhments of medern architeS&ture; the 
many public. fountains ; the monuments 
and obelifks which adorn the fquares and 
market-places ; the numerous and vene- 
rable remains of ancient Roman architec- 
ture, f{cattered throughout the city, like 
the disjointed relics of feme gigantic 
body ; and even the extenfive vacant 
{paces in the uninhabited parts of the 
city, where the folitary wanderer tramples 
on the tomb of departed greatne’s, peavey 
an impreffion of grandeur and magnifi- 
cence, which no other large city is ca- 
pable of producing i in an equal degree, 
and which even the contraft of prefent 
roifery and degradation is not able to ef- 
face. To deferve the chara&er of a 
handfome city, the buildings of Rome 
cught to be more uniform, and its fitna- 
tion more regular. A great part of mo- 
cern Rome is compoted of fmall, crooked, 
and filthy ftreets ; and the magnificent 
temples and palaces form a contraft too 
glaring with the contiguous huts of po- 
verty and wretchedneis. Jt wants a union 
of the two extremes by means of build- 
ings of the middling clafs, which, with- 
cut being diftinguifhed by pomp or penu- 
ry, might, by their cleanlinefs, and the 
neatnefs of their archite&ture, afford a ju& 
jdea of the circumftances of their inhabi- 
tants. Ofthis ciafs cf houfes, Rome has 
propartiably much tco few, 
churches, palaces, and the abodes of po- 
verty, it’ bas far teomany. Thus the 
exterior of Rome is 2° faithtul delineation 
of the circumfances of the_ different 
claffes of iis inhabitants. Superfluity and 
poverty, luxury and wretchednefs, mag- 
nificence and we without any of the in- 
termediste gradations, form the mott 
itriking contralis. 
The climate of this city is in general 
regarded as not the mof& healthy ; but 
this gereral objeStion is fubjeét to great 
limitatiors. 
falubrious as the moft healthy towns of 
Ttaly ; but the whole city is not al:zke.— 
All the elevated parts, efpecially the Fli-. 
nian and Qoirinalia 0 VE ilii have a pure 
air and a very. whelefome fituation. The 
aria cattiva, to the account of which 
the inhabitants of Rome charge every 
difeale, is, in mest cales, a mere hobgcb- 
Prefent State of Society and Manners in Rome. 
and of 
Rome poficfles fitviations as - 
(March 1, 
lin, which they dread without the. leaft 
eccaficn. The fevers which in fummer 
are See at Rome, may, with much 
greater juftice, be afcribed to the want of - 
fufficient and nourifhing food, and the 
con{equent debility, than to the infalu- 
brity of the air. ‘Another caufe of thefé 
fevers, lefs generally known, and not 
willingly acknowledged, is undoub: edly 
- the churches, which are ex remely cool in 
fummer, and are infeéted with the pefti. ; 
lential efluvia of the bodies eee: in 
the fubrerraneous vaults. In thefe places 
the perfpivation p-oduced by the heat of 
the weather inthe fireetsis eafily checked ; 
the acta imbibes the putrid miafmata 
from the furrounding atmoiphe:e ; and 
thus wany carry home with thet the 
feeds of a malignant fever, which {con 
affociates anes with thofe by whom they 
were infected, when they likewile become 
new fources of infeétion to others... Dur- 
ing the republic, it was once in agitation 
to prohibic the pernicious cultom of bury- 
Ing in churches ; but now inveterate pre- 
judice fuper. Rition, and prieftcraft, which 
ear all innovations, will long ftand in 
the way of fuch a beneficial and dehrable 
alteration. 
Many parts of Rome are undeniably 
unhealthy i in fummer. The vicinity of the 
Vatican was netorious in ancient Rome, 
as at prefent, fur the infalubrity of the 
air. ‘Five fame charaéter is given, with 
equal jeftice, to a‘ her low fituations near 
the Tiber, ani to feme lefs populous por- 
tions of the city ; fo that the inhab‘tants, 
and the monks belongirg to the convents 
that happen to.be in thofe quarters, are 
obliged to leave their habitations during 
the hot months, that is, frem the end of 
June to the esd of September, and to re- 
more to more healthy parts. ‘I’his ac- 
knowledzed infalubrity of many quarters 
of Rome. gave rife to‘a law, which forbids 
a houfekee per to turn out any of his 
Isdgers during the hot feafon; exprrience 
having proved that the change of refidence 
curing that period is very often prejudi-— 
cial to the health. In the Campagna di 
Roma, which is, for the greateft part, un- 
cultivated, and infeed by the peltilen- 
tial exhalations frem the ftagnant waters 
and putrid vegetables, the airis in a much 
higher decree prejudicial. It is impof- 
fible to pafs the night there in the cpen 
air without danger. During the time of 
the iate republic, fome- hundreds of the 
Polifh legion were fent, cn account 
of the want of hands, imto the 
country, to afift in the harveft.— 
They flept, as ui! ‘ual, in the open air, he 
the 
