510 _Defeription of the Ifland of Ichia, and its Inbabitants. [Nov ty 
her, thinking fhe was making game of 
me, but fhe was perfectly ferivus. 
They foon began to addrefs us with thee 
and thou.-' We atked them if they were 
accuftomed to do fo to every one. **No”’ 
they replied, ‘* only to thofe we love.” 
Friendfhip is fond of giving names. They 
had no reit till they bad found one for eaca 
of us. They afterwards called us by no 
other; it was areal pleafure tothem. The 
moit lufty of the two, was called Palloze, 
(the Bail) and the youngeft, and moft 
ruddy, Rofa di Maggie, (Rofe of May.) 
We frequently received fimilar teftimo- 
nies of good will from other inhabitants of 
the ifland. Our frequent excurfions on 
afles, each of which had a guide, made us 
acquainted with many of the poor vine- 
dreffers. As foon as they perceived us, 
they prefl)d us to enter their vineyards. 
** Come, come,” one day, cried a man, 
named Filippo, whofe invitation I had re- 
futed, ** I will give you the beft grapes; 
no one befides mylelf knows where to 
find them; I have not fhewn them even 
to my wife.” 
We frequently received civilities from 
perions who were perfe&t ftrangers. I was 
one day going to church, to be prefent at 
a confirmation; it was very warm ; an 
afs, remarkable for his beauty and his 
harnels, drew my attention ; I ftopped to 
Jook at him. ‘* Will you ride?” faid a 
well-drefied man, who, at the fame time, 
approached: ¢¢ the afs belongs tome.”” I 
refuled his offer, but he perfifted, continu- 
ed his route on foot, and, turning back to- 
wards the child who conducted the afs, he 
c2iled out to him to make hatte, and to wait 
tor me at the door of the church. I had 
never feen the man before, nor did I ever 
fee him afterwards. 
We fometimes, in the evening, afcended 
‘an eminence from whence we could view 
the fetting fun and the rifing of the moon. 
Nor far from the foot of the hill lived a 
woman called Giufeppe, who, the moment 
fhe perceived us, brought a napkin with 
fruit, fat down by us, in the moft famt- 
liar manner, and talked to us of her do- 
mettic affairs, the fpeedy return of her huf- 
band, what fhe intended to prepare to wel- 
“come him home, and of all her little con- 
cerns. 
Tt is true, they fometimes accept a re- 
muneration for their civilities. In this 
yfland, as well as in all the South of Italy, 
theré is more than one perfon greedy of 
money, but this avidity is that of a child, 
who wants every thing that is fhewn him, 
Without thinking of the value of money, 
they will afk an exorbitant fum for their 
articles, or their labour ; but in generai, 
they are fatisfied at firk with whatever 
you think proper to offer them. If you 
beftow charity on an indigent perfon, he * 
will receive it with apparent indifference, 
but not from ingratitude; it is only be- 
cauie they think it perfeétly natural that 
you fhould afford them relief: nor is it 
without great difficulty that the children 
learn to fay—* T thank you.” 
The inhabitants ‘of Ifehia, like thofe 
of all Italy, fearcely ever ufe the word 
man, that of Chriffian being fubftituted in 
its ftead, and with them Chriffian is fyno- 
nimous with Catholic. They, neverthelefs, 
took notice that we obferved none of their 
religious ceremonies, wituout giving them- 
felves the leaft uneafinefS on that account. 
Fortitude and content are all that they find 
in their faith. In their pious expreffions. 
they feldom foar higher than the Mother of 
God. It is to Our Lady that they recomi- 
mend you, when they leave you, and wifh 
you a holy night (fautifima notte.) It ts 
to her they apply when affliéted with dif- 
eafe. At the death of an adult they pray 
for the repefe of his foul. The death oF 
a child is regarded as a happy event. ** You 
are forrowful,”” faid Francefca, to me, ore 
day, when a child belonging to our little 
family had died ; ** you are forrowfal? - 
I know what you are thinking of : I, too, 
am thinking of the child, but Iam happy, 
for it isin Paradife.”’ 
Religious feitivals are to them days of 
rejoicing. As foon as we arrived they 
told us that we muft ftay in the ifland till 
the feftival of their patron, As we actu- 
aily prolonged our ftay, and began ourfelves 
to participate in their impatience, they 
gave us the life of their Saint to read, that, 
as they faid, we might likewife fee what 
kind of man he was. 
Il beato Giovanne (as he is called) was 
4 native of Ifchia, where feveral of his re- 
latives and acquaintance are ftill living. 
He refided in a cloyfter, at Naples. His 
reputation for fanctity was very great 
during his life. He was one day feen fol. 
lowing a procefiion while his feet never 
touched the ground. Another time he 
went through a heavy fhower of rain with- 
out being wet. On the day of St. Janu- 
arius, he, like many others, wifhed to ap- 
proach the high altar to pray before the - 
miraculous blood, but he loft his crutch 
in the crowd, and was obliged to fit down 
forrowfully at the door of the chureh. In 
‘a few moments, his crutch was feen flying 
through the air; it pafled over the — 
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