1805. ] 
the greateft part of them returned to Rome 
with malignant fevers, of which a con- 
fiderable number died. According to the 
opinion of intelligent men, this evil might 
not only be mitigated, but foon entirely 
removed, and the Campagna di Roma 
might not only be rendered habitable but 
might be converted into ore of the moft 
fertile and delightful diffricts in Italy, by 
the cultivation of the foil, and the.ereétiqn 
of villages, by draining off the ftagnated 
walers, and planting trees around the 
houles and between the fields; but how 
can fuch an undertaking be thought of, 
under fuch a government as that of the 
: Pope? and fhould it even be induced by 
the gradually augmenting evil to com- 
mence fuch an enterprize in good earnett, 
it would foon be at a lofs for the means to 
profecute the defign. 
For fear of the infalubrity of the air, 
foreigners on their travels generally leave 
Rome at the commencement of the hot 
feafon ; particulaily asthe grand feftivals, 
which ufually prolong their refidence till 
St. Pcter’s day, are then cver.. The 
climate of Rome has, however, no preju- 
dicial influence over foreigners ; they mutt 
only oblerve moderation in eating and 
drinking, particularly during the hot 
feafon, and fhun exceffes of every kind ; 
go abroad bur little in the heat of the day, 
refrain from all arduous mental exertions 
after meals, and avoid fleeping with the 
windows open. I:regularities are ever 
where pernicious to heaith ; but here they 
are doubly injurious, on account of the 
great relaxation of the body during the 
long feafon of fammer, and efpecially on 
account of the Sirocco wind, which fre- 
quently prevails, and whofe operation is 
particularly detrimental to the organs of 
digeftion, By obferving thefe precautions, 
and by regulating his mode of lite accord- 
ing to the climzte, a foreigner may live 
many years at Rome, wi hout foltaining 
the imaileit injury in his healrch. 
Character of the People. 
Though it may be eafy to difcover the 
peculiar character cf a nation from the 
conduét of individuals, yet it is extremely 
aificult.to feleét its effential traits and to 
form a correct reprefentation of them 
as awhole. But it appears to be a much 
move dificult tafk, to analyfe the compo- 
neat parts of fuck a charatter, drawn on 
a large {cale, and to delineate the particu- 
lar character, and the diftinguifhing traits 
of the different tribes of which a nation is 
compoled, with fuch precifion, as, out of 
the generic features of the general national 
Prefent State of Society and Manners in Rome, 
113 
character, to produce the fpecific charac- 
ter of eacn. The moft ftriking objects, 
the ptyfiognomy, dialect and drefs are not 
fufficient for this purpofe. The character 
can be painted only in the manners, and 
thefe again originate in the local fituatioa, 
in the religion, in the civil conftitution, 
in the manner of life of a people, either 
natural or modified according to the arti. 
ficial means of fubfiltence, and in fill more 
remote caules. All thefe things require 
long and profound ftudy and obfervation. 
On a near acquaintance with the Italian 
nation, it is eaiy to difcover that greater 
inrenfenefs and irritability of fenfual fy. 
tem, a more tender organization, a more 
lively and more profound fenfibility, a 
warmer temperament, a more fertile and 
more enthufaftic imagination, and in con- 
fequence of this natural difpofition, a 
greater pliability of the body and mind, a 
quicker apprehenfion, a more lively expref 
fion by words, tone and geilure, a more 
Jotty underftanding, a more tender fufcep- 
tibility of beauty, a greater tafte for mutic 
and poetry, and more natural humanity ; 
but at the fame time a ftronger propenfity 
to voluptuouliels, jealoufy, revenge, fu- 
peritition and indolence; on the covtrary, 
lefs found reafon, lefs fteadinefs and ener- 
gy for cool, folid_refleQion and invettiga, 
tion, than the norihern nations of Europe 
pollefs, are the diftinguifhing chara&teril- 
tics of an Italian ; for thefe qualities are 
found in every province cf that country. 
It would not be fo eafy to delineate the 
particular charaGters of the Venetian, the 
Genoefe, the native of Lombardy, the 
_Yufcan, the Roman, the Neapolitan, in 
fuch a manner, that each of thefe different 
divifions of the Italian nation fhouid be 
completely recognized in the defcription. 
We therefore, cheerfully leave the pro- 
duétion of fuch a mafter-piece to fome 
more expert artift, who poffefles fuperior 
talents and more profound knowledge of 
the fubject; and finall content ourtelves 
with depifting the charaéter of the people 
of Rome, in their manners, as it appeared 
tous after long obfervaiion. We firlt in- 
treat the reader’s indulgence a few mo- 
ments, while we give a {ketch of the exte- 
rior of the Roman and of his natural 
qualities. 
An expreflive phyfiognomy, regular 
features, a large, handfome, black eye, 
in which glows the fire of fenfibility, are 
the charatteriftics of the Italian nation in 
general. In Rome, thefe exterior qualifi- 
cations are found more frequently, and in 
a higher degree of perfetion, than in Wy 
shin other 
ead 
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