: 
1805. | 
‘of limeftone, which lines the fhore nearly 
to the entrance of the bay; and the ro- 
mantic retreat called the Barbican, ia the 
e 
‘corner of a fmall bay ofthat name. Near 
this is a quarry, where very fine marble 
has within thefe few years been found and 
worked with great advantage by fome of 
the ftatuaries in-Exeter. Below are the 
inexhauftible rocks that fupply the eaftern 
part of Devon with lime for all the pur- 
pofes of building and agriculture. If a 
party land at. the termination of thefe 
rocks, and afcends one of them, they are 
eafily condufted to the famous cavern 
called Kent’s Hole, whofe fituation has 
long attracted the curious fubterraneous 
explorer, It is fituated at the foot of a 
rock, and has two entrances, around 
which grow various plants, and. among 
them the deadly night-fhade. The dargeft 
and beft entrance is about four feet high, 
and continuing about twelve feet, termi- 
nates in a chamber, with a defcent lead- 
mg on to the other vaults, fometimes the 
paflage being only high enough for a per- 
fon to creep along, fuddenly leading into 
an apartment fpacious enough to contain 
a hundred perfons. There are five of 
thefe, but the largeft is atthe end of an 
entrance two hundred feet long, which 
barely admits a perfon going through; 
this is called the Oven, and here we meet 
with a lake of water, which prevents a far- 
ther progrefs. The whole cavern is hung 
with pétrifaction, glittering with a beau- 
tiful appearance whén the party chances 
to difperfe and throw their lights in va- 
rious direétions in a place where’ darknefs. 
is truly vifible ; for it is neceflary that 
every one who ventures in fhould take a 
light to prevent accidents by foul air, &c. 
Attempts have been made to work the 
ftones and fpars, but they do not prove 
ornamental. 
The Thatcher and Axftone rocks, at 
the mouvth of the bay, command a fine 
view of the Channel, and afford rabbits 
and various birds for the amufement of 
the fportfman. From Teignmouth up 
the Channel is Dawlith, the Warren, Ex. 
mouth, Starcrofs, Powderham Cattle 
(the feat of Lord Viicount Courtenay), 
and a variety of places to diverfify the 
tedium of a refidence at a watering-place. 
The air of Teignmouth is ftrong, but 
more preferred for falubrity than the other 
towns on the coaft, needing no other proof 
than its increafing yearly in houfes and 
population, Iam, Sir, your's, &ec. 
- cd] 
Prefent State of Society and Manners at Rome. 
Or 
4,3 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
PICTURE of the PRESENT STATE Of SO~ 
CLETY and MANNERS 72 MODERN 
ROME. By M. FERNOW. (Continued 
Jrom page 114 of No. 126.) 
State of Religion and Morals. 
T might be imagined, that the inha- 
bitants of a city which has been for fo 
many ages the centre of the Catholic reli- 
gion, who are educated and governed by 
priefts, and nourifh at their own charge 
a hoft of monks, were either the moft re- 
ligious, devout, and moral, or the moft 
fuperititious, bigoted, and fanatical, peo- 
ple on the face of the earth ; but the fact 
is, that they are neither. ‘The populace 
are neither diftinguifhed by the piety nor 
the bigoted- fanaticifm which might be 
expected to refult from the beneficial ia- 
fluence, or from the abufe, of religion.—= 
Throughout all ranks and claffes, reli- 
gious fuperftition indeed reigns with de- 
fpotic power; but of late it has been de- 
prived of no inconfiderable portion of its © 
dominion, by the gradual incroachments of 
infidelity, of which the Revolution, when 
each individual durft venture to appear in 
his real character, afforded many ftriking 
inftances. Exceffive piety or bigotry is 
therefore fo far from being a diftinguifhed 
trait in the charaéter of the Roman peopie, 
that I fhould, on the contrary, maintain, 
that there are few Catholic countries 
where lefs rigid devotion and lefs bigotry 
prevail than at ‘Rome. The German 
Catholic, for inffance, the Bavarian or 
the Swabian, the Swifs, the Tyrolefe, are 
much more deeply interefted in the per- 
formance of their religious duties than 
the Romans; and the Neapolitan popu- 
lace have fhewn the effeéts of fanatical 
fary. The difturbances which its mo- 
mentary ebullitions have alfo excited at 
Rome, were infignificant, and were the 
unfuccefsful refults of the intrigues of the 
priefts, who were obliged to employ- all 
the arts they had at their command, in 
order to accompiifh their purpofe. If the 
French Government had entertained the 
defign of reforming the Catholic faith, 
or of prohibiting the free exercife of re-~ 
ligious worfhip, it would have met with 
lefs oppofition at Rome than in moft other 
Catholic countries, efpecially if it had 
taken care to gain over the people to its 
plan, by a fubftantial amelioration of 
their temporal condition. They beheld 
with indifference the removal of Pius VI. 
from Rome ; they joked at the confise- 
3K2 : “ment 
