A Tour Through Sicily and Malta  

• . Dextrum Scylla latns, Isevom impiacata Charybdis

Oblidet, atqae imo barathri itt gargite vaUos . Sorbet in abroptum fltt6ttts» rttifafqae Tub aara» Erigit ahernos, et fidera verberat onda,

cavtfrnd

8tf A fcrUR TriROlifek

caverri§ thif hive bfeijh, Id a gf^at iriJi- fiire, filled li^ in pl;6cef8 oi tlitrfe, isf tti^*" itomfefife quantities of Tiitltiy find, grjt^li ^c. tint ^ak ptr^ktMly carfied ip. hy M fot6e of ttre ctffrcfeif?^! dwn I alfa tidif qnite fatlificfl i^Hh this fbliftibfl, biit Sf Jtffcfeftt I Cannot tfiittk 6^ a Ktftfer :— tKfc' fadti howevef," h tcftaiitf, tKat H muft HkVe beeti d (freSflfiil j)^ftofee:ri6W ekrf Iti VJf- gil*g tifhi6f, elft he n*evef ii^ould nkifi mide JEnfeas afid hi^ Aeet pefcilve hs iffoas' ai G) ^ha.k 1 diftan6e, and imniedijlfely ftfrf oat fd feaf k> iifbid ri; titk wdiM' hW htte HiiAk rfttfeftiis' it fifcK f)aitfs to caiifltftf Bifti? agaSriff that inH^rbiii ^iilphi- afed ddvi© him rnufch rath^ to ra^e th'6 Whole !6ur of Sr6ify' fhaA attem']^ to paffe ft. Indeed/ it i«f to often aflnehtjblnid both iA the voy- ag6^ of MHaa nM Ulyffcsi arM iftw^s' ift fodi frightful ternts', that we cknikrf dbuht* 6^ its l&aviftg bfcetf a- very terrible bbjedt. Seneca gives the following account of it in a letter to Lucillus : '^ l^cyllam faxum eflfe,

• » et qvidem terribite navigaatrbtiff optime
• ♦ fcio I Charybdis ah fcfpomf^at fabirfis

• • perfgribi

SICILY AND MALTA. 8i

^^ perfcribi mihi defidero, fac iios certiores,

• ' utriiiii uno tantum vento agatur in vor-
• ^ tices, an omnis lempeftas, ac mare illud

" contorqueit, €t an verum fit quidquid

• ' ijlo freti turbine arreptunx eft.

And Strabd has the following paflage, li. 6; ^

" Ante tirbem Paiilulum in trajefitu Cha- " rybdis oftenditur: Profundum quideiii

• ^ imtbenfiirti t Quo inundationes freti 1
  • miruni in riiodum navigia detrahunt 2
  • niagnas pef circumdudioncSj et Vortices
• ' ptecipitata, quibus abforptis> ac diffo-»
• ^ lutis ; naufragiorutii fragmenta ad Tau-
  • romitanum lidus attrahuntur, &c/*

Salluft fays,

• ^ Efl: igitur Chary bdis, rnare peficulofum
  • naiitis; quod contrariis fluftuum cur-
• ^ fibus, coUifionem facit^ et rapta quoque
  • abforbet/'

But thefe are moderate indeed when coni- pared to the defcriptions of the poets 1 Vol. I. G That

82 A tpUR THROl/GH

That realm of old, a ruin huge was r^nt. In length of ages from the continent. With force convulfive burfl: the ifle away; Through the dread opening broke the thundering fea. At once the thundering fea Sicilia tore. And funder'd frorii the fair Hefperian fliore; And ftill the neighbouring coafts and towns divides With fcanty channels and contrafted tides. Fierce to the right tremendous Scylla foars, Charybdis on the left the flood devoar$ : Thrrce fvf allow'd in her womb fubfides the fea. Deep, deep as hell ; and thrice (he fpouts away From her black bellowing gulphs difgorg'd on high- Wa^es after waves, that daib againft the fky. ' ^

Pitt.

After feeing the beautiful harbour of Meflina, we have found nothing much worthy of notice in the city. Some of the churches are very well, and there are a few tolerable paintings* One ceremony, from the account they give of it, I IhauM like much to have feen : The celebration of the feaft of the Vara. It appears, indeed, to.be-a very fingular exhibition, and I ani' heartily forry it does not happen at this' feafon.-^— In order to the more dignified'

appearanct *

SieiMV AND MALTA. 83

Jippearance of tlie Virgin Mary pii this ^ccafion, they have iavented a very curipiis machine, which I am told reprefent^ heaven, of* at lead ^ fmall portion of iu It id of a huge fi^e, and moves through the ftreet with vaft pomp and ceremony. In the center is the principal figure, which reprefenls the Virgin ; and, a little higher, •there are three others to denote the Trinity. Round thefe, there are a number of wheels, faid to be of a very curious conftru£tion.— Every wheel contains a legion of angels, according to their different degrees of pre*- cedency; feraphims, cherubims, and powers, Thefe are reprefented by a great number of beautiful little children, all glittering in clothes of gold and filver tiffiie ; with large wings of. pain ted feathers fixed, to tlieir Ihoulders. — When the machine is fet Iq motion, all thefe wheels move round, and the different choirs of angels continue in ia conflant flutter finging. Hallelujahs round the Trinity and the Virgin during the whole of the proceffion, and are faid G 2 to

84 A TOUR THROUGH

to make a mod beautiful appearance. This is all I could learn of this fingular Ihew, neither were we adniittcd to fee the ma;- chine ; eonfcfous, I fuppofe, of the ridi- cule of which it is fufceptible, they did not chufe to unveil fo facred kn objed to the eyes of heretics. — This ifland has ever been famous for the celebration of its feaftS) even in antient as well as modern times. They fparc no expence ; and as they have a very large ihare both of fuper- ftition and invention, they never fail to produce fomething either exceedingly fine» or exceedingly ridiculous. The feaft of St* Rofolia at Palermo is laid to be the fineft ihew in Europe, and cofts that city every year a vaft fum of money. They affure us there are much more tafte and mag- ttlficence difplayed in it, than in any thing of the kind in Italy; and advife us1)y all means to attend it, as rt happens fome time near the middle of fummer, when we ftiall probably be in that end of the ifland. If you plcafe we fliall now take

leaVe

SICILY AND MALTA. 85

ittve of Mefiina;-~I did not expeft to jaake fo mtich out of it.-— Bat it would not be fait neither j without at ieaft putting you in mind of the great veneration it has ever bfieii held in by the reft of Sicily, for . the afllftanee it gave to Count Rugitro in fjredng the ifland from the yoke of the Sseraccns ; in confidcration of which, great privileges were granted it by the fucceeding kings J fprnc of which are faid ftill to re- main. — It was here that ' the Normans landed ; and this city, by the policy of fpme of its own inhabitants,/ was the firft iconqueft they made; after which their viftorious arms were foor> extended over the wl>ole ifland; and a final period for ^ver put to the Saracen tyranny. Count Rugiero fixed the feat of empire at Paler- mo; and put the political fyftem of the ifland upon a folid bafis ; the form of which (and the form alone) ftill remains to this day. He divided the whole ifland into three parts ; one he gave to his officers, another to the church, and a third he re- served foj: himfelf. Of thefe three branches Q3 hp

86 A TOUR THROUGH

he compofed his parliament> the fkeletoti of which ftill exifts ; but it has long ago loft all its blood, nerves, and animal fpi-* rits ; and for many ages paft has been reduced to a^perfefl: caput mortuum : The fuperftitious tyranny of Spain, having not' only blafted the national fpirit of its own inhabitants, but likewife that of every other people, who have come within xeach of its contagious and peftilential breath*— But I mull beware of thefe fubje£ts, otherwife my correfpondence may fwell to .too great a fize. Adieup

Ever your's, . P. B.

P. S. Apropos— There is one thing I bad almoft forgot,— and I oever Ihould have forgiven myfelf. Do you know, th^j moft extraordinary phoenpmenpn in..t;he^ world is often obferved near^to thJs place ?- -rl laugh'd at it,, at firfl;, as you will do ;, but I am now thoroughly convinced of itiJr rpality J and am perfuaded too, that if every it; had, beea thoroughly examined hy a^

phi-*

SICILT AND MALTA, i^ philofophical eye, the natural caufc nrnft long a^ have been affigiied.

It has often been remarked, both by the antients an^ moderns, that in the heat of ftrmmer, after the fea and air have been greatly agitated by winds, and a perfeft' calm fucceeds, there appears, about the t^me of dawn, in that part of the heavens over the Straits, a vaft variety of fiiigular forttis, fome at reft and fome moving about with great velocity. Thefe forms', in proportion as the light increafes, feem to become more aerial ; till at laft^ fome time before fun-rife, they entirely dif- appear.

Some of the Sicilian authors reprefent this a^ the moft beautiful fight in nature ; Leanti, one of their lateft and beft writers^ came here on purpofe to fee it: He lays, the heavens appear crowded with a variety of beautiful objeds : He mentions palaces, woods, gardens, &c. befides the figures of men, and other animals, that appear in G 4 motion

88 A TOUR THROUGH

m,otion amon^ tbefe obj><Sts, — Ho doubt the imagination m^ft b$, gircatly aiding^' in forming this aerial creatioii; 1)ut a*. Hioft of the^ir amhors,. both antient. ^ncl, modern, agree in the fadl, and many giv^v an account gf ,it from their own pbfer- , Tation, there certainly muft be fomc qo»t fiderable foundation for the ftory* Thqt^ )S a Jefuit, ofie Giardina, that has lately, writ a treatife on this phoenomenon, but \ have not been able to find it ; The eekr, brated Mjeffinefe jGallo has likewife pufeTt liflied fomething on this Angular fubjeft)^ ,if I can procure them in the, iijand, yoij. ihall have a more perfedl account of if. The common people, according to cuftom|. give the whole merit of it to the devil; and indeed it 19 by much the {horteft and jtafieft way of accounting for it: Thofo who preteod to b^ philofophcrs, and refofq him this honour, are greatly puzzled what to make of it. They think it may be >dw?t ing to fome uncommon' refradfcion, oc refkdion of the ray?, from the water of the Straits ; which, as it is .at . that time 6 parrie4

SICILY AND MALTA. 89.

carried about in a^amty df eddies and vortexes, muft dP confequence, fay they, malde a variety of appearances on any piedium where 4t is refleded. — ^This, I, think, is nonfenfe; or at leaft very near it; and till they can fay more to the pur- pofcj I think they had much better have left it in the hands of the old gentleman. I fufpe£t it is fomething in the nature of pur Aurora Borealis; and, like many of the great phoenomena of nature, depends ppon electrical caufes; which, in future ages, I have little doubt, will be found ta be as powerful an agent in regulating the ' uniVcrfe, as gravity is in this ajge, or as th^ fiibtile fluid was in the Uft. .

Eledrical vapour, in this country of

volcanos, is certainly produced iri much greater quantity- th^n in any other. The air ftrdngly impregnated with this matter^ and confined betwixt two ridges of moun- tains; at the fame time, exceedingly agi- tated from below, by the violence of the pijrreat, and the ixnpetuous whirling of the

e waters;

90 : A td01l rHu^ri/GH-

waiters J may it ftof be Ibppbfiid to p^^ a Variety df appearances ? And may hdt tiiS^ lively Sicifian imaginations, animated Tiy^'^ belief in daeitions, and all thef wild'offiSpmig"" of fbperftition, give thefe appearances* laif^ great a 'variety of forms? HRememberi-^r^ do not fay it is fo; and hope yet to liaVft^ it in my power to give you a better account of it. However, if you fhould fuppofe me in this ftbry, or in any future one I may tell you, to be inclined to the fabulo^s^ - you will pleafe to remember, that I am now J in the country of fable ; this ifland having^, given rife to more perhaps, except Greece, than all the world befide. You have^ therefore, only to fuppofe that thefe regions are ftill contagious ; and call to mind that mount iEtna has ever been the great mother of monfters and chimeras both in the an- tient and. the modern world. However, I fliall, if poflible, keep free of the infedion, and entertain you only with fuch fubjeds as fall under my own' obfervation. But indeed, from what I have already heard of

that

SECJI^Y AND MALTA. 5, tiiat wonderful xBou^tain, the moft mode- rj^tCj accouat of, it would appear highly ffbulpns to all fuch a§ are unacquainted wirib pfejeds of, this kind* Adieu. We thini; . of, felting oflF to-morrow by day- bjreak. I am forry it has not been a ftorm, t^^ we might have had a chance of feeing Pandemonium reared over our heads,, and all the devils at work around it^

'■ I fliall leave this to be fent by the firft pbft, and fliall write you again from Cat- tania, if we efcape unhurt from all the petiis of iEtna.

Adieu !

P.B,

^> A TOUR THROUGH LETTER V-

I Qiardina, o^ar Taunnino, Majr ti4.

TIT'E have had a dclightfid journey, im^ if all Sicily is but aa agreeable^ :w«  ihall not repent of our expedition. "^ icft Mefiina early this morning, v^lthf fm mules for ourfelyes and fervants, and two for our baggage. This train, I s^\e, you, makes no contemptible appearance; particularly when you call to mind our front and rear guard ; by much the nsoft confpicuous part of it. Thefe are two great drawcanfir figures, armed cap-a*pie, with a broad hanger, two enormous piftols, and a long arquebufe; This they kept cock'd and ready for adion in all fufpicioiis places; where they recounted us abundance of wonderful ftories of robberies and murr ders ; fonje of them, with fuch very minute circumftances, that. I am fully perfuaded they thejrifelves were the principal adtors. However, I look upon our fituation as perfectly fecure ; they pay us great refpedt, find take the utmofl: pains that we fhall not

bp

SICILY AND MALTA. ^3

be impofed upon* Indeed, I think they impofe upon every body elfe, except us; for they tax the bills according to their pleafure ; and fuch cheap ones I never paid before. To-day's dinner for eleven men (our three muleteers included), and feeding for ten mules and horfesi did not amount to half a guinea. And, although we pay them high, (an ounce a day each) yet I am perfuaded they fave us at leaft one half of . it on our bills^— They entertained us with ilbme of their feats, and make no fcrupic of owning their having put feveral people to death ; but add, " Mas tutti, tutti ho-

• ^ norabilmente,'* — That is to fay, that

they did not do it in a daflardly manner, nor without juft provocation.

The fea coaft of Sicily is very rich ; the fides of the mountains are highly cul- ^ tivated, and prefent the moft agreeable ^alpcfl: that can be imagined ;— corn, wine, oil, and filk, all mixed together, and in the greateft abundance : However, the wil- tivated part is but fmall in proportion t(»

what

4 A 'f atJR 'f JHRbtJGHt

what 18 lying -wafte, and only fcrvcS tb' fecw the inamcnfe fertility of this ifland, were It peopled, and in induftrious hands. Tlic fide of the road is covered with a variety of flowers, and of flowering flirubs; fbme of them exceedingly beautiful. The" ihclofures are many of them fenced with' hedges of the Indian fig, or prickly pear •; as in Spain and Portugal ; and our guides aflure us, that in many of the parched" ravines round -Etna, there are plenty of trees which produce both cinnamon and pepper; not fo ftrong, they allow, as thgfe of the fpice iflands, but which are fold to. the merchants at a low price, by a fet of banditti, who drefs themfelves like her-', mits : Thefe fpiqes are mixed with the true , pepper and cinnamon from the Indies, and fmt through all Europe.

Tfce road from Meffina to this place, is extremely romantic. It lies the whole way . along the coaft, and commands the view of Calabria, and the fouth part of the Straits ; covered with chebecks, galleys, galliots, 8 ^ and

^nd^rquaotLtypoEi^ing: J*c>ate View

oo.tke right haijd h coc^^d by high njSpuntam?, pn tb? very fumioaits of which tijiey b?tve built feveral qcmjStderable towiif and villages, which with their churchea an^^ fteeples make a very pifturefque ap- pearance. They have chofen this elevated fituation, 1 fuppofe, with a double view; boib to protect them from their enemies^ apd frdm the violent heat of the climate: This forenoon we found it exceflEve, but had. the fineft fwimiiiing in the world before dinner; which kept us cool and frefh for all the reft of the day. — ^We have likewife provided ourfelves with excellent umbrellas, without which, at this feafon, travelling would be abfolutely imprac- ticable.

Betwixt this and Meffina, ' a little to the right, lie the mountains, formerly called the Nebrodes; and likewife the mountain of Neptune, which is reckoned the higheft of this ridge. It is celebrated for a vaft gulph or crater on its fummit, from whence, at

particular

^6 A TOUR ttiROUGII

partidtilar times there iflfues an exceedin|f cold wind, with fuch tiolehce that it is difficult to approach it. I was fbrry to paft this fingular mountain^ hut it would have delayed us a day or two ; and we are haft«^ «iing with impatience to a much greateif objed : It is now named II monte Scuderio^ and is faid to be fo high that the Adriatic can be feen from its (ummit. From th<f defcription they give of it, it^ appears evi-* dently to be an old volcano* The riv^r Niffo takes its rife from this mountain ; it was renowned in antiquity for the gold fbund in its channel ; for which f cafon, it was by the Greeks called Chryfothoas. It is faid^ the remains of the antient gold mines are ftill to be feen near the fource of this river; but the modern riiafters of Sicily have never been enterprifing enough to explore them. It was on this beautiful toaft> where the famous flocks of Apollo? were kept by his two daughters, Phaethufe and Lampetie ; the feizing of vv^hich by Ulyffes^ companions, proved the caufe of their deaths; and of all his fubfequent

misfortunes.

SICILY AND MALTA:' j;

^$fortttnes. ;The mquntaiaof Tauro- ^iiaa is very high. and ileep, and the road Up iKif it i& estccedingly rugged.

This famous city is now reduced to an jnlignificant burgh; yet even thefe fmall remains give a very high idea of its former magnificence. The theatre, I think, is fuppbfed to be the largeft in the world. It appears to me greatly fuperior to that of Adrian's villa, near Rome. It is entire enough^ to give a very tolerable idea of the Roman theatre, and indeed aftonifhes by its vaftnejTs ; nor can I conceive how any .voice CQuld extend through the prodigious crowd it muft have contained. I paced about one quarter of it ; over the \^Qxes that, were intended for the women, which is not near the outward circle of all; (the reft is . fo broken, that I could get no far* ther.) It meafured about 120 ordinary fteps, fo that you may conceive the.ii^- menfity of the whole. The feats exadly front mount ^na, which makes a glorioles appearance from this place ; aiid no doubt

Vol. L H ha»

98 A ITOUR tHROUGrt

has often diverted their attention from the feene. — It arifcs from an immenfe bafe, and mounts equally on a^l fides to ite fummit : It is juft now throwing out vo- lumes of white fmoak, which do not rife in the air, but feem to roll down the fide pf the mountain like a vaft torrent. The afcent of -Sltna on each fide is reckoned about 30 miles, and the circumference of its bafe has been computed at 150 ; I thinjc it doesi not appear to be fo muchi but I fliall probably be enabled ta give you a fuller account of it afterwards.

After admiring the great theatre of Tau- rominum, we went to examine the Nau- machia, and the refervoirs for fupplying it with water. About 150 paces of one fide of the wall of the Naumachia remains; but as this is not compleat, there is no judging of its origmal magnitude. This is fiippofed to have been a large fquare, inclofed with ftrong walls, and capable of being filled with water en occafioh; in- tended for the exhibition of fea^fights, and

all

SICILY Al^D MALTA. 99 all naral exercifes. There were four refer- voirs for fupplying this with. water*. All are upon tlie fame grand fcale. One of ihefe is almoft entire ; it is fupported by a vaft number of ftrong pillars, in the fame manner as thofe of Titus* baths at Romej and feveral others you may have fecn in Italy. — ^I would dwell longer on objeds of this kind; but I am perfuadcd dcfcriptions can give but a very impcrfed idea of them ; and tp mirk out the precife dimenfiont with a mathematical eXadnefs, where there is nothing exceedingly remarkable^ muft furely be a very dry work, both to the writer and reader. I ihall therefore con- tent myfelf (I hope it will content you too) with endeavouring to communicate, as en- tire as pioffible, the fame imprefSon I myfelf Ihall receive, without dcfcending too much to particulars ; or fatiguing my- felf or you with the menfuration of antique walls, nverely becaufe they are fuch, ex- cept where there is indeed fomething very ftriking ; and different too, from what has already been defcribed in Italy.

H 2 ' I own

lOO A tOUR THROUGH

I own I defpair of fuccefs : — Few things I believe in writing being more difficuh than thus " s'emparer de ^imagination" to feize, — to make ourfelves matters of the reader's imagination, to carry it along with us through every fcene, and make it in a manner congenial with our own ; every profpeft opening upon him with the fame light, and ariiing in the fame colours, and at the fame inftant too, as upon us : For where defcriptions fail in this, the pleafure of reading them "muft be very trivial. Now, perhaps, this fame journal ftile is the mdft favourable of any, to produce thefe cffeds. — It is at leaft much the moft agree- able to the writer; who never has his fubjeft to feek, but needs only recoiled what has pafled fince he laft laid down the pen, and travel the day over again ; and if* he travels it to good purpofe; it ought to be equally agreeable to the reader too, who thereby becomes one of the party y and bears a fhare in all the pleafures of the journey without fuffering from the fatigues of it ; or either lofing his temper by the - 4 badnefs

SICILY AND MALTA. lot

badnefs of the roads, or his Ikin by the badnefs of the faddles ; which misfortunes fome of us already labour under ; and you will probably be the only one in the party exempted from them*

One of my greateft difficulties, I fee, will be the finding proper places to write iut for the inns are altogether execrable, and there is no fuch thing as getting a room to one^s felf : — I am juft now writing on the end of a barrel, which I chofe rather than the table, as it is farther removed from noife. I muft therefore intreat, once for all, that you will excufe incorreftnefs and want of method. How can one be methodical upon a barrel; — It has ever been the moft 'de- clared enemy to method. — You might as well expert a fermon from Bacchus, or a coherent fpeech from our friend lord > > ". after he has finilhcd the third bottle. You will be pleafed then juft to take things a& they occur. — ^Were I obliged to be ftriilly methodical, I fliould have no plea- H 3 lure

jM A TOUR THRO.UGK

iure in writing you thefe letters ; and then if my pofition is juft, you could have no pleafure in reading them.

Our guards have procured us beds; though not in the town of Taurominum, buf in Giardini, a village at the foot of the mountain on which it ftands. The people are e:;^tremely attentive, and have produced us an excellent Tapper and good wine, which now waits — but fliall wait no longer. Adieu. To-morrow we intend to climb mount -ZEtna on this (its eaft) lidei if we find it pradicable.

Ever your'fi

SJCILY AND MALTA. 103

LETTER VI.

Cattama, May 24tli*

T AM already almoft two days in arrears. Yefterday ire were fo much fatigued with the abominable roads of niount iEtna, that I was not able to wield a pen ; and to- day, I aflure you, has by no means been a day of reft ; however, I muft not let it run on any farther, otherwife I fliall never be able to make up my lee w^y. I am afraid you will fuffer more from the fa- tigues of the journey than I at firft ap- prehended!

We left Giardini at five o'clock. About half a mile farther the firft region of mount -^tna begins," and here they have fet up the ftatue of a faint, for having prevented the lava from running up the mountain of Taurominum, and deftroying the adjacent country ; which the people think it certainly «iuft have done, had it not been for this H 4 kin4

t04 A TOUR THROUGH

kind interpofition ; but hq very wifely, as well as humanely, conducted it down a

low valley to the fea.

»

We left the Cattania road on the left, and began to afccnd the mountain, in order to vifit the celebrated tree, known by the name of // Caftagno de Cento Cavalli (The chefnut tree of an hundred horfe ;) which for fome centuries pad has been looked upon as one of the greateft wonders of JEtna. We were likewife determined (if poffible) to gain the fummit of the moun^ tain by this fide, and to defcend by the fide of Cattania; but we were foon convinced of the impoffibility of this, and obliged, though with a good deal of reliidance, to relinquifh that part of pur fcheme.

As we advanced in the firft region of jEtna, we obferved that there had been violent eruptions of fire all over this country at a very great diftance from the fummit, or principal crater of the mountain. On our road to the village of Piedmonte,

I took

I^CILY AND MALTA. 105

I took' notice of feveral very confidcrable craters; and ftones of an immenfe fize, fcattered all around, that had been dif- charged from them. Thefe ftones are pre- cifely fuch as are thrx)wn out by the crater of mount Vefuviusj and indeed, I think» the lava too feems to be exactly of the fame nature, though rather more porous.

The diftance from Giardini to Piedmontc is only ten miles, but as the road is ex- ceedingly rough and difHcult, it took us near four hours to travel it. The barometer, which at Giardini (on the fea fide) flood at 29 inches, 10 lines, had now fallen to 27 : 3. Farenheit's thermometer (made by Adams in London) 73 degrees. We found the people extremely curious and incjuifitive to know our errand, which when we told, many of them offered to accompany us. Of thefe we chofe two; and after drinking our lea, which was matter of great fpeculation to the inhabi*- tants, who had never before feen a break- faft of this kind, wp bigan tp climb the mountain.

We

iq6 a tour through

W« were direaj^ii for five or fix miles of our road by an aquedudt, which the prince of Palaigonia has made at a great expcnce, to fttp|)l7 Piedmonte with water. Aftcir we left the aquedudt, the afccnt became a good deal more rapid> till we anriyed at the beginning of the fecon^ region, called by the natives II Regionc Sylvofa^ or the woody region j becaufe it is compofed of one vaft foreft, that extends all around the mountain. Part of this was deftroyed by a very fingular phocnomenon, not later than the year I75jr. — During an eruption of the volcano, an immenfe torrent of boiling \yater iffued, as is imagined, from the great crater of the mountain ; and in an inflant poured down to its bafe; overwhelming and ruining ^vcry thing it met with in its courfc. Our conductors fliewed us the traces of this torrent, which are ftill very vifible; but ar^ now beginning to recover verdure and vegetation, which for fome time appeared to have been annihilated. The track it has left, feems to be about a mile and 8 ahalf

SICILY AND MALTA: H^ a half broad ; and ki ibnae places fiUl more.

The common received opiqioa^ I find» is^ that thi« water was r^ifed by the power of fudion, through fome communication betwixt the volcano and the fea ; the ab- furdity of which is too glaring to need a refutation. — The power 6£ fuftion alone> even fuppofmg a perfe<a vacuum, could never raife water to more thara thirty-three cm: thirty-fomr feet, which is equal to the w.iright of a column of air the whole height of the atmofphere. But this phoe- noHveuKwa, I fhould imaginCj might be very cafiiy accounted for ; either by a ftream of lava falling fwidenly into one of the vallies of fiaow, that occupy the higher regions of the mountain, aaod melting it down; or, what I tfoink is flill more probable, that the roelted foow, finding vaft caverns and re- fervoirs in tfac mountain, where it is Jodged fcr fome time, till the exceflive heat of the lava below burfts the fides of Xk^ cav^96, aad prtfduces this phoeiK)^

menotl,

m A TOUR THROUGH

menon, which has been matter of great fpeculation to the Sicilian philofophers, and has employed the pens of feveral of them. The fame thing happened in an eruption of Vefuvius laft century, and in an inftant fwept away about 500 people, who were marching in proceffion at the foot of the mountain, to implore the me- diation of St.- Januarius.

Near to this we pafled through fome beautiful woods of cork and ever-greeA oak, growing abfolutely out of the lava, the foil having as yet hardly filled the cre^ vices of that porous fubftance ; and not a great way farther, I obferved feveral little mountains t^at feemed to have been formed by a late eruption. I difmounted from my mule, and climbed to the top of them all. They are feveh in number ; every one of them with a regular cup or crater on the top, and in fome the great gulph or (as they call it) Voragine^ that difcharged the burnt matter of which thefe little mountains are formed, i^ ftill^pen.^ I tumbled d^wn

large

SICILY AND MALTA. 109 large ftones into thefe gulphs, and heard the noife for a long time after. — ^AU the fields round, to a confiderable diftance, are covered with large burnt ftones difcharged from thefe little volcanos.

From this place, it is not lefs thaa five or fix miles to the great chefnut- trees, through forefts growing out of the Java, in feveral places almoft im* paflable. Of thefe trees there are many of an enormous fize ; but the Caftagno de Cento Cavalli is by much the moft cele- brated. I have, even found it marked in an old map of Sicily, publifhed near an hundred years ago ; and in all the maps of iEtna, and its environs, it makes a very confpicuous figure. I own I was by no meiaris flxuck with its appearance, as it does not feem to be one tree, but a bufh of five large trees growing together. We com- plained to our guides of the impofition ; when they unanimoufly aflured us, that by the univerfal traditipn and even teftimony of the coujitry, all thefe w^i^ once, united

ia

tia A TOUR THROUGH

in one ftcm ; that their grandfethers re- membered thisi when it Was looked upon as the glory of the foreft, and tifited from all quarters j that for many years paft it had been reduced to the venerable ruin we beheld. We began to examine it with more attention, and found that there is an appearance that thefe five trees were really once united in one. The opening in the middle is at prefent prodigious} and it does indeed require faith to believe, that fo vaft a fpace was once occupied by folid tim- ber. — But there is no appearance of bark ' on the infide of any of the flumps, nor on the fides that are oppofite to one another* Mr. Glover and I mejifured it feparately, and brought it ^xaSly to the fame fize; viz. 204 feet round. If this was once united in one folid flem, it muft with juf- tice indeed have been looked ujpon as a very wonderful phenomenon in the vegetable world, and was defervedly ftiled, the glory of the foreft.

I have fince been told by the Canopnico Recupero, an ingenious ecclcfiafti: of this

place,

SICILY AND MALTA. Ml place, that he was at tBe expedce of ear-^ Tying up peafatita wkh IqqU to dig yp^act the Caftagno de Cepto CmMir apd he aflures me, upon his honour^ th^t hg found all thefe ftems united below ground ii>/pijiR root. L alleged that fo extraordmsytT; dia objea: muft have been celebrated by ipaay; of their writers, — IJe told me that it had, and produced feveral examples.; Phiioteo, Carrera, and foroe others. Catrera begs to be excufed from telHng its dimenficNds, but he fays, he is fure there was wood enough in that one tree to build a larg» palace. Their poet Bagolini too has cele- brated a tree of the fame kind, perhaps the fame tree * ; and Mafla, one of their moft efteemed authors, fays he has fee» folid oaks upwards of 40 feet round ; but adds, that the fize of the chefnut trees was beyond belief, the hollow of one of which^ he fays, contained- 300 fheep; and 30

' f ' - ■ ■• I. ■ ! ■■-■ ... 1^ ■ I » I l< . ■»■» »» I t I .i« 

• Supremos inter montes monllrofior omni

MpnArofi fstum lipids Etna dedit. ^

CaHaneam genuit, cujas modo concava cortex Turmam equicam haud parvam continet, atqtie greges^ &c*

people

112 A TOUR THROUGH people had often beeti in it oh hotfebacL I fliall not pretend to fay, that this is the latne tree he means ; or whether it ever was one tree or not* There are- many o- thets that are well deferving the curiofily of travellers. One: of thefe, about a mile and a half higher on the mountain, is called // Cajiagno del Galea \ it rifes from one folid ftem to a confiderable height, after which it branches out, and is a much finer objed than the other. I meafured it about two feet from the ground; it was 76 feet round. There is a third calJed // Caf^ tagno del Nave^ that is pretty nearly of the fame fize. All thefe grow 6n a thick rich foil, formed originally, I believe, of aflies thrown out by the mountain. ,

The climate here is much more tem- perate than in the firft region of -/Etna, where the exceffive heats mull ever prevent a very luxuriant vegetation. I found the barometer had now fallen to 26 f 5tj which announces an^ elevation of very near 4000 feetj. equivalent in the

opinion

SICILT AND MALTA. J13

tTpinioh bf fbme of the Freach acade- micianS) to iB or 20 degrees of latitude ia the formation of a climate.

The vaft qtiantity of nitre contained in the hihes of ^tna^ plrobsibly contributes greatly to iacreafe the luxuriance of this vegetation ; and the air too, firongly impregnated with it from the fmoke of the volcano, muft create a conftant fupply of this fait, termed by fome, not without reafon, the food of vegetables^

There is a houle built in the infide of the great chefnut tree for holding the fruit it bears, which is ftill very confiderable ; here we ^ined with excellent appetite, and being thoroughly convinced^ that it was in vain to attempt getting up the mountain on that ixici we began to defcend; and after a very fatigi^ing journey over old lavas, now become fertile fields and rich vineyards, .we arrived about funfet at yaci Reak^ where* with the utmoft difficulty, we at laft got lodging in a convent of Dominicans. -

The laft lava we croffed before our arrival

there, is of a vaft extent, I thought we never

Vol. L I ftiould

ii4 A TOUR THROUGH> fbould have had done with it ; it certainly, i$ not lefd than Hx or feveii miles broad> and appears in many places to be of aa^ enormous depth.

When we came tiear the fea^ I was defir** mis to fee what form it had afiumed in meet^ ing with the water, l went to examine it, and ft^und it had drove back the waves for up«> Wards of a mile, and had formed a large black high promontory, where before it was deep water. This lava, I imagined, from its barren- liefs, for it is as yet covered with a very fcanty foil, had run from the mountain but a few ages ago ; but was furprifed to be informed by Signor Recupero, the hiftoriographer of -Stna, that this very lava is mentioned by Diodorus Siculus to have burft from JEtna in the time of the fecond Punic war, when Syracufe was befieged by the Ro- man^. — A detachment was fent from Tauro- tainum to the relief of the befieged. They ivere flopped on their march by this ftrean\ of lava, which had reached the fea before their arrival at the foot of the mountain, and entirely ctit off their paflfage; and

obliged

iSICtLt ANt) MALTA. u$ ipbUged them to return by the b^ck of ^tna, upw^rdft of loo miles about, Hia authority for thjU* he tells me, wa$ takea from infcriptioQS on Roman monuments foimd on thi^ lava, and that it was likewife well afcertained by many of the old Sicilian authors. Now as this i& about 2000 years ago, one would have imagined, if lavas have a regular progrefs in heconaing fertile fields, that this muft long ago have beeomp ^t leaft arable : this however is not the cafe^ and it is as yet only covered with a very fcanty vegetation, being incapable either of producing corn or vines. There are indeed pretty large trees growing in the crevice§, which are full of a very rich earth j but in all probability it will be fome hundred years yet, before there is, enough of this to ren- der it of any ufe to the proprietors.

It is curious to conlider, that the furface of this black and barren matter, in procefs of time becomes, without exception, the mofl: fertile foil upon earth : But what time muft it require to bring it to its utmoft perfec- yon, whea after 2000 years it is ftUl in moft I 2 ' > places

tt6 A rOUR THRdUGKt

places but a barren rofck ? — Its progrefs is |K>ffibly as follows, 'the lava being a very pofous fiibftance, eafily catchesr the duft that is carried about by the wmdj which, at firft, I obferved, only forms a kind of mofs; this, by degrees, increafing fhe foil, fmall meagre vegetables are pro- duced, which rotting in their turn, arc fikewife converted into foil. But this pro- grefs, I fuppofe, is often greatly accelerated by fhowers of afhes from the mountain, as t have obferved in feme places the richeft foil, to the depth of 5 or 6 feet and up- wards; and ftill below that, nothing but rocks of lava;^ It is in thefe fpots that the frees arrive at fuch an immenfe fize. . Their roots (hoot into the crevices of the lava, and lay fuch hold of rt, that there is no inftance of the wind's tearing them up ; though there are many^ of its breaking off their

imnienfe branches. A branch of one of

the great chefnut trffes^ where we pafled yefterday, has fallen exadlly.over a deep gully, 'where there is a pretty large rivutet, and formed a very commodiouB bridge* The people fay it was done by St. Agatha, 3 t^

SICILY AND MALTA. 117

thcgJjar(Jian faint of the njount?iiii, whoh»s the jCuperintendance of all its oper^tionis^

In t}ie Ipwefl: part of the firfl regioa of v3Etn», the harveft is almoftover; but in the upper parts of the fajpe region, near the confines of the Regione Sylvofa, it yvlll no tbegin yet for feveral weeks,.

The reapers, as we went along, abufed us 6'om all quarters, and more excellent blacks guards I have neirer met with ; though in- deed, in geQer(al)<»ur guides were a full match for them. They began fo foou as we were within hearing, and did not finifh till we were got quite without reach of their voices; which they extended as much as they pof- fibly could. As it was all in Sicilian, we eould make v-ery little of it, but by the in-^ terprctatio© of our guides; however we could not help admiring the vaft volubility and natural elocution with which they fpoke. This cuftom is as old as the time of the Romans, and probably much oldert as it is mentioned by Horace, and others, of Jheir authors. It is ftill in vogue here as I ^ muck

' *».

U9 A TOtTR THROUGll

Auch as ever ; the roifters encourage it ; they think it gives thetn fpirlts, and $ptake$ the work go on more chearfuUy; stnd I believe they are right, for it is amazing what pleafure they feemed to tal?e in it, and what laughing and joy it occafioncci*

I forgot to mention that we pafle4 the fource of the famous cold river //7 fume Freddo.) This is the river ib celebrated by the poets in the fable of Acis and Galatea. It was here that Acis was fuppofed to have been killed by Poliphemus, and the gods out of ^ompaffioTi converted him into this river; which ftill retaining the ter- rour infpired by the dreadful voice of Poli-* phemus, runs with great velocity, and sbout a mile from its fource throws itfelf into the fea. It rifes at once out of the earth ^ large ftream. Its water is remarkably pure, apd fo exceffively cold, that it is reckoned dangerous to drink it; but I am tol4 it has likew;fe a poifonous quality, which proceeds from its being ftrongly im- ipregnated with vitriol j to fuch a degree,' fh^tt cattle have often been killed by it*

SICILY AND MALTA. 119

It never freezes ; but, what is remarkable, it often contrads a degree of cold fupcrior to that of ice.

Thefe particulars I was informed of by the priefts at Aci ; which place, antiently called Aci Aquileia, and fevcral others near it, Aci Cafieilo, Aci Terra, &e. take their names from the unfortunate fhepberd Acis.

A little to the eaft of the river Acis, is the mouth of the river Alcantara, one of the. moft confiderable in the ifiand. It takes its life on the north fide of mount i&tna, and marks out the boundary of the moun-^ tain for about 60 miles. Its courfe has been flopped in many places, by the erup- tions of the volcano j fo that ftriftly fpeak- ing, the flcirts of iEtna extend much beyond it; though it has generally been confidered as the boundary. We paffed it on our way to Piedmonte, over a large bridge Ijuilt entirely of lava ; and near to this the bed of the river is continued for a great way, through one of the moft remarkable, and probably one of the xnoft antient lavas I 4 that

no A TOUR THROUGH

that ever run from Mins^. I^ tn^ny places the current of the rivejr, which is extremely rapid,. has worn down the fol^d lava to the depth of 50 or 60 fept, Recupero^ the gentleman I have menttOQed) who is en* gaged in writing the natural hiftory of ^tna, tells me, he had eiuimined this lava with great attention, and he thinks that it& courfe, including all its windings, is not lefs than 4a miles. It ifliied froni a large mountain on the north fide of i^na, and finding fome valleys that lay to the eaft, it took its courfe that way ; interrupting the river Alcantara in many places, and at; lad arrived at the fea not far froga the mouth of that river.

The city of Jaci, or Api, and indeed all the towns qri this cpafl:, are founded on immenfe rocks of lava, heaped oc^e above another, in fome places tp an amazing height ; for i^ appears tliat tl\efe flaming torrents, fo foon as they arrived at the fea, were hardened into rock, which not yield-* ing any longer to the preflure of the liquid iire behind ; that continuing to accumulate,

SICILY AND MALTA. 12%

formed a dam of fire, vrhich, in a Oxptf, time, run over the foli(i front, pouring a, fecond torrent into the ocean: this was^ immediately poafolidat^d, »nd fucceeded by ^ third) ai|d fo oq.

Many of the places on this coaft ftilj retain their antiept Qamps ; but the pro-? perties afcribed to them by the antients are now no more. The river 'Acis, whieh is now fo poifonous, was celebrated for the fweetr nef? and falubrity of its waters*; which Thebcritus fays, were ever held facred by thp Sicilian fhepberdgt

We were furprifed to find ihs^t fo many places retained the name of this fwain, who I imagined had never exifted» but in the imagination of the poets : But fhe Sicilian authors fay, that Acts was the name of a king who reigned in this part of the ifland, in the time of the moft remote antiquity j \ti cop^rmatlon of whicht > I _ .■■'.,, '■ ..."■ " ' ^

f Quiquc; per Etna£o$ Acis petit aequora finesj $t dulce gratam Ncreide perluit unda. Sil. It a l.

122 A TOUR THROUGH

Mafia gitcs the tranflatioa of an infer Iptlon Ibitiid nctr Aci<3afl?ellat* He is (aid to hat« been flaifl in a dgt of jealoufy by Pbli-* . phemHSi one of the giants of i£tna ; which . gave rife to the fable. — AngoiUar a, a Sicilian poet, in relating this ftory gives a tremen- dous idea of the voice of Poliphemus; the paflage has been greatly admired.

^ Trchab per troppo honrore Etna; e Tifeo ^ Fece maggior la fiamma ufcir del monte • « E PacchinQ, e Pcloro, e Lilibeo

• « Quafi attufFar ncl mar Paltera fronte j

' •« Cadde il martel di man ncl monte Etneo, «« All Re di Lenno, a Sterc^e, e a Bronte j

• • Fugir fiere & augei di lor ricetto

« E fi ftrinfe ogni madre il figUo al Petto/'

You will eafily obferve, however, that the S^iaa po^t cannot in juitice claim the

OGNI/B. SATUKNI/B, Mt^MJE,

DEORVM»

MARTI, ?ILI-«i UXORI,

IN PORTU

S£Py(.C){RUM, TEMPLUM» £T ARC£M

A C I S,

FAVNI FILIUS, PICI KEPOS,

SATURNI PRONEPOS,

LATINI PRATER.

entire

SICILY AND MALTA, ttj

dEidre merit of tfiefe lipes, as they are tfKdiSitly taken frbm Virgil's defcripdon of Ac (bund of the fury Aie^'is born> in the 7th Eneid. The kft liti^, perhaps the moft beautiful oi^ the vrhole, is almoft word for word.

^* Et trepidag matres preflcre acj pedora natos.'*

It has been obferved too, by fome critics, that even this defcription of Virgil is not his own, but copied exadly from the account that ApoUonius Rhodius gives of the roaring of the dragon that guarded the golden fleece ; fo that you fee there is no- thing new under the fun. Rhodius pro- bably ilole it from fomebody elfe, and fb onii— Poets have ever been the greateft of all thieveS) and happy it is, that poetical theft is no felony; othefwife, I am afraid, Parnaflus would have been but thinly peopled.

W<? are now going to deliver our creden- tials, and make fome great vifits :~I wifli tJiey were overj for of all occupations in

lif^,

124 A TOUR THROirOH

Kfe, this is furelf the moft tedious and irkfome, when we are not lucky enough to meet with people of fenfe :— For we have ever found) that the ihalloweft, and . leaft worth the knowing, are thofe of the moft difEcuIt accefs,— Fools of rank, generally make a fcreen of their dignity, to conceal their emptinefs. Wft have met with ftrong inftances of this, in the courfe of our peregrinations :— Whereas, men of real parts, and liberality of fentiment, fcorn to make ufe of thefe fpecidus and impofing advantages that rank beftows : — ^and never think of fculking behind their nobilityV which they confider as a fpecies of cow» ardice, and unbecoming the charader of a gentleman. — I remember a great German baron, who was likewife commandant of a frontier townj one of the dulleft, and proudeft fallows upon earith. — Whenever the company were getting into fpirits, h? conftrued it as a want of deference to his dignity; and never failed to throw a damp on their mirth, either by putting them ia prind tjiat he wa§ bjiroQ of G— ? pr com:.

mandant

SICILY ANDr MA^TA. 125

mandant of the city.— Sometimes he fent for the officer of the guard, and made him ftand bowing an hour in ' his prefence : — Sometimes his agent came in loaded with parchments^ and talked to him of his lands, his caftles, and his manors ; during which ^me the beft part of the company generally ilipped off, curfing the pride and fiupidity of. thek entertainer, and wifhing him buried under his lands, his caftles, and his manors. — If the commandant of Cattania is of this flamp, we ihall make him but a ihort vifit.— Farewel ; to-morrow I ihall en- deavour to bring you up with us ; for at •prcfentyou will pieafe to obferve, that you have got no farther than the city of Jaci; and have tdll many extinguifhed volcano^ to pafs before your arrival here.

JEver yours, &c»

ii6 A TOUR THROUGH

L E T T E R Vn^

npHE road from J^ci to this city is ei>- ^ tirdy over lava, afi4 ooakqmn^y Viwy fetiguing and tximhkbxae. Within 4 fyw miks of that place, wq counted eight tiHmtt^ tains formed by ensption» with every pnc its cr^oter, from wheoce the burnli johatkr was difcharged. Sotjo^e of thefts arfe H^crjr faigh» and of a great compafs. It appie^rP evidently^ that the eruptions o( niouivt Jttna have formed the whd^ dF this cpaft, and in roaay places have driven back jJlC iea for feveral miles from its antient bcHnfir- dairy. The accoimt the Sicilian anther^ give of the confii£fc betwixt thefe twp ^dr verfe elements is truly tremendous I jud in relating it, they feem to have been fhook with horror. Conceive the front of a tor- rent of fire, ten miles in breadth, and heaped up to an enorjnous height, rolling down the mountain ; and at once pouring its flames into the ocean ? — The noife, they aflure us, is infinitely more dreadful

than

SICILY AWP MALTA* 1^7

than the loudeft thunder; and ia heard tibrough the whole ccHintry to an imqieQie diilanbe* The vw^t: feemed to retire and diminiih before the fire^ and to ^nfefa its^ Aiperiority; yiehUng up its ]^0bflk>ns, and >c9ntra&ing its bank$, to iqakQ rooia foT' it» imperious mailer, who commanda it:i" Thus far fhalt thou . come^. and na

• • farther.'!^The doud? of fait vapour

darken the face oft the fun^ covering up this fcene, under a veil cf horror ;and oi^ night i and, laying .wade every field and vineyard in thefe regions of the,, iflund^ The whole fifh on the coaft are.deftrpyed^ the colour of th^ fe^ itf^lf is chapgi;d» ^n^ the tranfparency of its waters loft for man^f months.

There, are three rocks of lava at fame little diftance from fliorci which Pliny takes frequent notice of, and caliii them the Three Cyclops. It is pretty fingnlar^ thai they are ftill diftinguiihed by the fame name..

The fate of Cattania'has been very remarkable, and will ever appear fabulous.

It

ti8 A tOUk tHkOtJGtt

It is fituated immediately at the foot of this great volcano, and has been ifeveral times deftroyed by it : That indeed h hot extraordinary; it Would have been much more fo if it had fcfcapcd; but what I am going to relate, is k Angularity that pro-* bably neVef happened to any city btit itielf* It Was always in great w^nt of a port, till by an eruption in, the i6th cen- tury; and no doubt, by the interpbfition of St. Agatha, what was denied them by nature, they received from the generofity t£ the mountain, A ftreatti of laVa, nin- ning into the Tea, form'ecl a mole which no expetice could have given them. UbiS lafted for fome time a fafe and commodious harbour, till at laft, by a fubfequent erup- tion, it was entirely filled up and dcnio- lifhed ; fo that probably the poor iaint had much funk^in her credit. — For at this un-^ fortunate period, her miraculous veil, looked , upon as the greateft treafure of Cattania» and efieemed an infallible remedy againft earthquakes and volcanos, feems to have 4oft its virtue. The torrent buril over the

wa^S|

SIClLf AND MALTA. 129

'tfralisi (Weeping away the images of everjr Ifaiht that were placed there to oppofe it ; and layihg walle great part of this beautiful city, poured into the fea. Howerer, the people fay> that at that time they had givdn their faint very juft jjrorocatioiii but that (he has long ago been reconciled to them i and hafe promifeid hever to allow the moiinUiii to get the tettei* of theiii for the fiittird Many df theiii are fo tho- roughly convinced bf this (for they ire exfreinely fiipef ftitioiib) that I really . be* lieve if the lava was at their walls, the^ would hot be at the pains to remove their effeds. . Neither is it the Veil of St Agathi alone< that they thiiik pdfieiSedi of this v^onderful doihitiioii dv6r the mountain i but every thing ttat ha& totiched it^ they ifuppofe is imptegiiated iii a iefle'r de- jgree with the iatrie miraculous properties. Thus there are a liumbeir df Httle bits df bottdti and linen that are fixfed to the' Veil ; whichj after being , bleflfed by the bifhop^ ire fuppofed to have power enough to fave any perfon's houfe or garden ; and where- VoL. I. K ever

i^o A TOUR THROUGH ever this expedient has failed, it is always afcribed to the want of faith of the perfon, not any want of efficacy in the veil. How- ever, they tell you many ftories of thefe bits of cotton being fixed to the walls of houfes and vineyards, and preferving them entirely from the conflagration.

On onr arrival at Cattania, we were amazed to find, that in fo noble and beaq- tiful a city, there was no fuch thing as aa |nn. Our gitideg, indeed, conducted lis to a houfe they called fuch; but it was fa wretchedly mean and dirty, th^it we imme- diately determined to look out for other lodg- ings ; and by the affiftance of the Cannonica Recupero, for whom we had letters, we foon found ourfelves comfortably lodged in a coo- vent. The prince of Bifearis (the governor of the place) a perfon of very great merit and di(lin<aion^ returned our vifit this forei>oo», and made us the moft obliging offers.

Signor Recupero, who engages to be our Cicerone, has fhewn us fome curious Jemains of antiquity ; but they have been

all

StciLt ANfi MALtA. isi

k\\ (o fhaken and fhattered by the mounts tain, thlt hardly any thing is to be fotind tcntire*

Near td 1 vdtilt, which is now thirty feet i?eIow ground, and has probably becti a bu- Hal place, therie is a draw-well,, where ther^ 'are feVeral ftrata of lavas, with earth to i tonfitderable thickiiefs oter the furfece of fcacii ftratum. Recupero has itiade iife of this as an argument to prove the vaft antiquity of the eruptions of his mountaiiii For if it requires two thoUfaild years or Upwards, to fortn but a fcarity foil oil thd fufface of a lava^ there muft have been hiore than that fpace of time betwi:^t each of the eruptions that has formed thefe ftrata. Biit what fhall v^e fay of a pit they funk hear to jaci, of a great depth. They pierced through fevto diftindt lavas bne dvet* the other, the furfaces of which were pa- rallel, and inoft of them covered with a thick bed of fine rich earth. ^ Now, fays he, the eruption that formed the loweft of ihefe lavas, if we may be allowed to reafoil

Kfc 2 fron*

132 A TOtrR TttROt/GH-

from analogy, muft have flowed from thtf mountain at lead 14,000 years ago.

Recupero tells me he is exceedingly cmbarraffed, by thefc difcoTcrits', ra writ- ing the hiftory of the mountain. — ^That Mofes hangs like a dead weight! upon hin>, and blunts all his zeal for inquiry; for, that really he ha& not the confcience to make his mountain fo young, as that prophet makes the world.— What do yott think of thefe fentiments from a Roman Catholic divine ? — The biihop, who is ftre- tiuoufly orthodox — for it is an excellent fee -—has already warned him to be upon his guard ; and not to pretend to be a better na- tural hiftorian than Mofes ; nor to prefumc to urge any thing that may in the fmalleft degree be deemed contradiftory to hie facred authority. Adieu,

Ever your*.

SICILY AND MALTA. 133 LETTER VIIL

Cattania, May 2€ik»

HP HIS morning we went to fee the houfe and mufeum of the prince of Bifcaris ; which, in antiques, is inferior to none I have ever feen, except that of the king of Naples at Portici. What adds greatly to the value of thefe is, that the prince him- felf has had the fatisfadion of feeing moft of them brought to light. He has dug them ©ttt of the ruims of the amient theatre ef Cattania, at an incredtble expence and trouble; but happily his pains have been limply repaid, by the number and variety of curious obJ€(£ls fee has difcovered. It would be endlefs to eater into aa enume* ration of them; even during our fbort ftay, we had the fatisfaiJiion of feeiag part of a rich Corinthian <:ornice, and feveraJ pieces of ftatues, produced again to the light of the fun, after lying for fo many ages in darknefs and oblivion. The colledion of medals, cameios, and intaglios are likewife very princely, and fo are the articles in i:4j»tural hiftory : but the polite and amiable J^ 3 bjp^-

7J4 A TOUR THROUGH -

behaviour of the owner, gives more ple^fur^ than all his curiolities. IJe did not, oftentar? tiottfly, like the prince of Villa Franca, teU us^ ih^t his boufe ^nd carriages were at our pommandj — but, without any hint being given of it, we found his coach waitings $t our door; ^nd we ihall probably be obliged to make ufe of it during our* ftay, His family confifts of the princefs his wife, ft fon, and a daughter, who feem to emulate eacl^ other in goodnefs and benignity.—They put me in mind of fome happy families I have feen in our own country, but refemble no^j thing we have yet met with on the continent* He is juft now building a purioqs villa o^. 9, promontory formed by the lava of i669. The fpot where the houfe ftands, was for-? ijierly at leaft 50 feet deep of water ; and the height of the Java above the prefent level of the fea,, is not lefs than 50 more.

This afternoon I walked out alo^e to examine the capricious forms and fingular appearances that this deftrudiYe branch has afibmed in laying wafte the country, I had not ffCHic far when I fpded a magni<^

ficent

SICILY' AND MALTA. 1^3$

ficent building at -feme diftance, which Teemed to be founded on the higheft part of it. My curiofity led me on, as I had heard no mention of any palace on this fide of the city. On entering the great gate, my aftonifliment was a good deal increafed on obferving a facade almoft equal to that of Verfailles ; a noble ftair- cafe of white marble, and every thing that announced a royal magnificence. I had never heard that the kings of Sicily had a palace at Cattania, and yet I could not ac^,. count for what I faw in any other way, I thought the vaft front before me had been the whole of the palace ; but conceive my amazement, when on turning the corner I found another front of equal magnitude; and difcovered that what I had feea Wa«. only one fide of an imm^nfe fquarc.

I was no longer in doubt, well knowing that the church alone could be miftrefs of fuch magnificence. I haftened home to communicate this difcovery to my friends ; when I found the Canonico Recupero al^ ready with them. He abufed me. exceed- K 4 ingly

13^ A TOUR THROUGH

jngly for prefuming to. go out without ow (Giccrone, and declared he had never beea fo much difappointed in his life ; as he had fx>ine on purpofe to carry us there, and ta enjoy our furprife and aftonifliment. He told us (what I welt knew before) that i^ was no other than a convent of fat Bene-: fliainc monks; who were determined ta make fure of 4 paradife, at leaft in this world, if not in the other. He told us they were worth about 1 5,000 /; a year ; aa inamenfe fum indeed for this ?ouqtry^,

, We went with Recupero to pay our re- fpeds to thefe fons o^ humility, temperance, and mortification ; and we mud own, they received and entertained us with great fivility and politenefs, and even without, pftentation. Their mufeum is little infe- riour to that of the prince of Bifcaris, anc| the apartment^ that ponlain it are infi- nitely moire magnificent But their garden is the gres^tcft cqriofity: — Although it is formed on the rugged and barren furface of the lava, it has a variety and a neatnefs that is feldom to be met with. THe walks

are

SrCILY AND MALTA. 13JF

jire Jarge, and paved with flinty ; and the jrees and hedges, (which by the by are ia a bad tafte, and cut into a number of very ridiculous (hape«) thrive exceedingly. The whole of the foil muft have been brought from a great diftance, as the furface of this |ava (only 150 years old) is as hard and ^are as a piece of iron. The church be? longing to this convent, were it finifhed, will be one of the fineft in Europe ; but as it is entirely founded on the furface of the porous and brittle lava, part of this foundation has given way to the immenfe prefiure of fo huge a fabric ; and feveral of the large arches that were intended to form the different chapels, have already fallen down. Only the weft limb of the cirofs (not a fifth of the whole) is finiflied ; and even this alone makes a noble' and magnificent church. Here they have the fineft organ I ever heard, even fuperiour, I jhink, to the fanaous one at Harleni.

We went next to examine where the lava had fcaled the walls of Cattania* It |nuft have been a noble fight. The walls

are

ijs A Tou^ through:

are 64 palms high, {hear 60 feet) and of a great ftrength ; otherwife they muft have been borne down by the force of the. flaming matter which rofe over this height, and feems to have mounted confiderably above the top of the wall before it made its entry ; at laft it came down, fweeping be- fore it every faint in the calendar, who were drawn up in order of battle on pur-p pofe to oppofe its paflage ; and marching on in triumph, anmhilated, in a* manner, every objed: that dared to oppofe \U Amongft other things it covered up fome fine fountains ; one of whifh was. fo much efteemed, that they have at a great expence pierced through the lava, and have now recovered their favourite fpring. This excavation is a very curious work, and worthy of the attention of travellers,

Cattania is looked upon as one of the moft antient cities in the-ifland, or indeed in the world. — Their legends bearj that it was founded by the Cyclops, or giants of jEtna, fuppofed to have been the firft in- Jjl^bitaats of bicily j^ftey the delude j an4

fome

SICILY AND MALTA: 139

fome of the Sicilian writers pretend that it was built by Deucalion and Pyrrha fo foon ^s the waters fubfided, and they had got down again to the foot of the mountain. Its antient nan^e was Catetivi, or the city

of ^tna.

It is now reckoned the third city in the kingdom; though fince Meffina was de- stroyed by the plague, it may well be Jooked upon as the fecond. It contains upwards of 30,000 inhabitants; has an '^uniyerfity, the only one in the ifland ; and ^ biflioprick. The bifliop's revenues are yery confiderable, and arife principally from the fale of the fnow on mount jEtna, One fmall portion of which, lyijig on the north of the mountain, is faid to bring }iim in upwards of 1000 /. a year ; for jEtna furnifhes fnow and ice, not only to the whole ifland of Sicily, but likewife to ]Malta and a great part of Italy, and^makes p, very confiderable branch of commerce j for even the peafanta in thefe hot countries* fegale thepif^lvea with ices during the

" fummer

14^ A TOUR THROUGH

fiimmer heats ; and there is nd entertain^ jnent given by the nobility, of which thefe do not always make a principal part: a famine of fnow, they thetnfelvcs fay, would be more grievous, than a famine of either corn or wine. It is a common obfervation amongft them, which I have often heard repeated, that without the fnows of mount ^tna, their ifland could not be inhabited ; fo effential has this article of luxury be- come to them. But iEtna not only keeps them cool in fummer, but likewife keeps them warm in winter; the fuel for the greateft part of the ifland being carried from the immenfe and inexhauftible fo- refts of this volcano, and conftitutes too, a very large branch of commerce.— But this amazing mountain perpetually carries me away from my fubje^l ; I was fpeaking of this city. — What of it was fpared by the eruption i66^, was totally ruined by the '^tal earthquake 1693 ; when the greateft part of its inhabitants were buried under the walls of their houfes and churches: yet* after fuch repeated, and fugh difmal

difaflefs,

SICILY AND MALTA. t4t

difafters, fo ftrange is their infatuatiori^ that they liever could be prevailed upon tp change their fituation. The whole city was foon rebuilt, after a new and an elegant plan, and is now much handfomer than ever. There is not a (hadow of a doub^ that in fome future commotion of the onouiitaitl, it wilt be again laid i|x aSies. But at prefent they are in perfedt fecurity : The Virgin and St Agatha have both en* gaged to protect them ; and they . hold iEtna, with all the devils it contains^ a£ .defiarice.

There are many remains of antiquity io: this city, but indeed moft of them are in a very ruinous ffate. One of the moft temarkable is an elephant of lava, wit^ an obelifk of Egyptian granite on his back. There are likewxfe confiderable remains of a great theatre, befides the one belonging, to the prince of Bifcaris; a large bath almoft intire; the ruins of the great aqueduct, l8 miles long;, the ruins of feveral temples, one of Ceres, another of Vulcan J — The church called jBocca di

FuQCO

t4t A TOOR tHRGtJGH

Fuoco Was likewife a tctnple. But thu tnoft entire df all» is a fmall totutidof vrhich, as well as the pantheon at Rome^ unci fome others to be met with iti Italy^ in my opinion, demonftrates that form to be the mod durable of all« 

It has now been purged and ptirified fjronT all the infection contracted from the heatheii ritesy and is become a chriftiati thiirch, dedir cated to theblcffed Virgin; who has long b^en conftituted univerfal legatee^ and exe<^ eutrix to all the antient goddefles, celeftiaU. terreftrial, and infernal : and, indeed, little more than the names arc changed j thc5 things continue pretty much the fame as ever. — The Citholicks themfclVes do not attend to it i but it is not a little curious to eonfider, how fmall is the deviation inaimoft every article of their prefent rites from thofe of the ancients. I have fomewhete feen an obfervation which fecms to be a juft one j That during the long reign of heathenifinj fuperftition had altogether exhaufted her talent for invention; and when a fuper- itttiou's ipirit feized chriftians, they werd i tondei^

SICILY AND MALTA. 143

under a neceffity of borrowing from their predeceffors, and 'imitating forae part of their idolatry. This appeal's to be literally the cafe. I took notice of it to Signor R— — ^, who is not the moft zealous fedary in the world, and who frankly gwhed the truth of the obfervatio».

In fome jplaces the very fame Images ftiU remain : They have only chriftened them 5 and what was Venus or Proferpipe, is now Mary Magdalene, or the Virgin. The fame ceremofii^§ are daily performed before thefe images; in the fiimp jsuiiguage, and nearly in the faihe matiner. The faints are per^* petually conjing down in perfon, ajid work- ing, miracles, as the heathen gods did of old. The walls of the templea ar? covered over with the vows of pilgrim's, as they were formerly* The holy water, w&ich was held in fuch deteftation by the firft chri^ians, is again revered, and fprinkled about with the fame devotion als in the, time^ of paganifm* The fame incenfe h h^urncd, by priefts arrayed in the lame

manner^

144 A tOUR THROUGH tnaiinef^ with the fame grimaces and gentis fledions^ before the fame images, and iti the fame temples too. — ^In fliort, fo nearly do the rites coincide^ that were the pagan high prieft to cbme back, and re-aiTume his fundHons, he would only have to learn a few new names } to get the Mafs, the Paters, ahd the Ares by heart ; which would be much ealier to himi a^ they are in a language he underftands^ but which his modern fiicceiToirs aire often ighorant ofr Some things, to be fure^ would puzzle him ; arid he would fwear that all the myf- teries of Eleufis were nothing to the amaz- ing myftery df tranfubftantiatlon j — the only one that ever attempted to fet both bur underftandirig and our fenfes at defiance, and baffles equally all the faculties, both of the foul and body. •—He would, lik^wife, be a good deal at a lofs to account for the ftriinge metaraor- phofis of fome of his old friends. That (he would fay) I can well remember, was the ftisitue of Veiius Meretrix, ahd wa^ only worflxippcd by the loofe and volup'-

tuoutf

3ICILY ANt) MALtA; 145 tuous. She feems to be wonderfully improved fince you made her a chriftian { for I find (he is now become the great pro* teftrefs of fandity and of virtue. — Juno too, who was fo implacable ^ and fo re^ vengeful, you have foftened down into a very moderate fort of deity} for I ob^ ferve you addrefs her with as little fear or ceremony as any of the reli of therti;*-^ I wife you would make the Furies chrif-* tians too, for furely they would be muth the better fof it. — But obferving the figure of St. Anthony, he would exclaim with aftoniftiment.— But what do I behold!-^ Jupiter,— the fovereign of gods iind men, with a ragged cloak over his ftioulders I--^ What a humiliating fpeftacle! — Well do I remember, with what awe we bent before that once refpedable image. — But what has become of the thunderbolt, which he held in his hand to chaftife the world i and what 18 that he has got in its Jplace,?— His con-* du6lor would tell him, that it was only a piece of rope, with knots upon it, to chaf- tife himfelf; — adding^ that he was now Vt>L. L L doing

146 A tOUR THROUGri

doing penance for his long ufurpation ;-*«  and that the thunder had Ibng ago becil put into much better hands. — However, h6 would foon find, that even thefe faints very often change their names, according to the enthufiaftic caprice of the people ; and^from this verfatility, he would ftill be in hopes, in procefs of time, to fee his friend Jupiter re-affume his bolt and his dignity.

Do you remember oldHuet, — the greatefl of all originals ? One day, as he pafled the ftatue of Jupiter in the capitol, he pulled off his hat, and made him a low bow. — ^A Jacobite, gentleman, who obferved it, afked' him why he paid fo much refpeft to that old gentleman.— -For the fame reafon, replied Huet, that you pay fo much refpedl to the Pretender. Befides, added he, I think, there is rather a greater probability that, his turn will come round again, than that of your hero;— I fhall therefore endeavour to keep well with him, and hope he will never forget that I took notice of him m the time of bis adverfity.

Indeed^

SICILY AND MALTA. 147

Iiideed, within the courfe of iiiy own. bbfervatibn, I can recoiled fome of -the moft capital faints in the kaleiidar, who ^ have been difgraced by the people^ and new names given to their ftatues. — ^When we were in Portugal laft war, the people of Gaftel Branco were fo enraged at St. Ari- tonioi for allowing the Spaniards to plun- der their town, contrary, as they affirmed, to his exprefs agreement with them, that they broke many of his ftatues to pieces ; and one that had been more revered than the reft, they took the head off, and clap- ped on one of St. Francis In its place; Whofe name the ftatue eVer after retained. —Even the great St. Januarius himfelf, I am told, was in very imminent danger duriiig the laft famine at Naples. — A Swifs gentleman affured me, that he had heard them load him with abufe and invedive ; and declared point blank, that if he did not procure thetn corn by fuch a time, he fhpuld^. no longer be their faint. — However, fuch, 4nftances are but rare ; and in general the poor catholics are fully indemnified for L 2 theffe

148 A TOUR THROUGH

thefe fudden fits of paflion and refentmentf from the full perfuafion of the immediate prefence and protedion of thek beloved patrons*

I have obferved, "with pleafure, thaC glow of gratitude and afFedion that has animated their countenances ; and am per- fuaded that the v\rarmth of enthufiaftic devotion they often feel before their fa- vourite faints, particularly their female ones, muft have fbmething extremely de- lightful in it; — refembling', perhaps, the pare and delicate fenfations of the moft refpedful love. I own I have fometiities envied them thdr feelings; and in my heart curfed the pride of reafon and phi- lofophy, with all its cool and taftelefs triumphs, that lulls into a kind of ftoical apathy thefe moft exquifite fenfations of the foul. — Who would not chufe to be deceived, when the deception raifes in him thefe delicious paffions, that are fo worthy of fhe human heart ; and for which, of all othersr it feems to be the moft fitted? — But if once you have fteeled it over with the hard

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 149

aiid impenetrable temper of philofophy; thefe fine-fpun threads of weakneis and affedion, that were fo pliable» and fo eafily tied) become hard and inflexible ; and for ever lofe that delicate tone of fenfibility that put them into a kind of unifon and vibration with every obje£l: around us : For it is certaiqly true, what has been faid of .one part of our fpecies, and may almofl: with equal juftice be applied to the whole,

• • Tftat to their weaknefa half their charms we owe/*

I remember Poijlor Tlflbt told me, he* had a patient tha^adually died of Iqve for Chriftj and when in (be laft extremity, feemed ftill to enjoy the greateft happi- nefs J calling upon him with all the fond- nefs of the mpft enthufiaftic paffion. And from what I hsive often pbferved before the

• ftatues of the Virgin and St. Agatha, I am

perfuaded, they have many inamoratos that would willingly lay down their lives for them.

. Now, pray, don't you think too, that

tbis perfonal kind of worfhipis much better

h ^ adapted

iS6 A TOUR THROUGH acjapted to the capacities bf the viilgar, than the more pure and fublioate modes of it ; which would only diftra€l and confound their fimple underftandings, unaccuftomed to fpeculation; and that certainly require fomething grofs and material, fome objefk pf fenfe to fix their attention ?-— This even feems to have been the opinion of fome of the facred writers, who often reprefent God undcK fome material form.

Were you to attempt to give a country-: fellow an idea of the deity ; — Were you to tell him of a l)eing that is immaterial, and yet whofe effence penetrates all matter ; — Who has exiftcjd from all eternity, and whofe extenfion is equally bbundlefs with his duration;— Who iBlls and pervades mil- lions of worlds, and animates every obje<9C they contain ; and v^ho-^ iqi the fublime language of our poet,

• f Tbo* changed thro* all, is yijt in all the fame,

«^ Great in the earth, as in th* astl^erial frame: <* Warms in the fim, .refrelhes in the breeze, f^ Glovvrs in the ftars, and blgjUomsin the trees 3^

" Live^

SICILY AND MALTA. 151

^* Lives thro' all life, extends thro' all extent j ^^ Spreads undivided, operates unfpent.

• • To him no high, no low, no great, no fmall ;

^' He fills, he bounds, connefts and equals all.'*

Now, what do you imagine he would think of fuch a beirjg? I am afraid his unde^rftanding would be fo bewildered that he could not think at all. — Biit, fet up before him the figure of a fine woman, with a beautiful child in her arms ; and tell him that fhe can procure him every thing jhe wants ;— He know§ perfectly what he 19 about; feels himfelf animated by the objea:, and prays to her with all his plight.

Adieu — ^We are going to be very b^ufy ; and arc preparing every thing for one of the greateft objeds of our expedition;— The examination of mount JEtna. Indeed, We have received very bad encouragement ;— and are beginning to doubt of the poffibility of fuccefs. Recupero tells us, that the feafon is not far enough advanced yet, by fome months ; and that he does niot think it will L4 bc>

j|a A TOUR THROUGH

be poffible to get near the fummit of th<j mountain* The laft winter, he fays, waslQ uncommonly fevere, that the circle of fnov^r extended much nearer the foot of the mountain than ufual; that although this circle is now greatly conti-a£ted, it ftill reaches at leaft to the diftance of nine o;r tep mile$ around the crater. — He advifes us to return this way it\ the month of Auguftj and, if poffible, make -£tna the Jaft part of pijr expedition, — If we do not fucceed to-^morrow, we {hall probably foU lo\y his advice ; but we are all determined to m?ike 9, bold pufh. for it. — The weather is the moft favourable that can be imagined; —Here is a delightful evening ; and by the Oar-light we cap obferve the ftpoak rolling down th? fide of the mauntaia like 9 y^ft torrent* Recupero fays, this is z, fui^e ipf dication of the violence of the cold in thef? exalted regions of the atmofphere, which condenfes the vapour, and makes it faji down, the moment it ifTues out of the crater. He advifes ^us, by all means, to pro- y\i^c |>lenty of li^ueurs^ warm fur cloaksi,

^a4

SICILY AND MALTA. 15$

lind hatchets to cut wood ; as we fliall prcK bably be obliged to pafs the night in the open air» in a climatei he aflqres uS) a^ cold as that of Greenland. It is very fin- ^ular if this is true ; for at prefent we are jnelting with heat, in thin fuits of taffeta* —Adieu. You fhall know it all on our return, if we do not ihare the fate of Jlmpedocles^

Ever yours.

igl A TOUR SFHROUdfl

jLEtTER IX,

^ Cattania, May 29t]i.

/^N the 37th, by day-break, we fet o^ to vifit mount -ffitna, that venerable ^nd refpe<3:able father of mountain?. Hi§ bafe, and hia immepfe declivities, ^re co- vered OTCf wiih & numerous progeny of his own: For every great eruption pro- duces a new mountain; and perhaps, by the number of thefe, better than by any other method, the number of eruptions, and the age of ^tna itfelf might be 2ifce|;- ^ainedy

The whole mountain is divided into three diftindt regions, called La Regione Culta^ or .Piedmont efe^ The Fertile Region ; // Re^ gtone Syl'vofa^ or Nemorofa^ The Woody Region; and // Regione Defertai or Sco- f^rta^ The Barren Region.

Thefe

SICILY AND MALTA. 155 Thefe three are as <ii£Ferent, both in cIi-< inate and prpdudions, as the tbrise zpne^ pf the earth ; and perhaps, with equal pro- priety, might have been ftiled the Torrid, the Temperate, and the Frigid zone. The $rft region furrounds the foot of the moun-^ tain, and forms the moft fertile country in the world on all fide$ of it, to the height of about fourteen or fifteen miles ; (where |:he woody region begins.) It is compofed almoft entirely of lava, which, after a great number of ages, is at laft converted into the moft fertile of all foils. At Nicolofr, which is twelve miles up the mountain, we found the barometer at 27 : if ; at Catta- liia it flood at 29 : 8t ; although the former elevation is not very great, probably not exceeding 3000 feet, yet the climate was totally changed. At Cattania the harveft was entirely over, and the heats were in- fupportable ; here they were moderate, and in many places the corn is as yet green. The road for thefe twelve miles is the worft I ever travelled; entirely over old laTas and the mouths of extiuguifhed vol-

canos^

156 A TOUR THROUGH

canos, now converted into corn fields, vineyards, and orchards.

The fruit of this region is reckoned by much the fineft in Sicily, particularly the figs, of which they have a vaft variety. One of thefe of a very large fize, efteemed fuperior in flavour to all the reft, they pretend is peculiar to -^tna alone.

The lavas, which as I have already faid form this region of the mountain, take their rife from an infinite numbed of the moft beautiful little mountains on earth, which are every where fcattered about on the immenfe declivity of -^tna, Thefe are all, without exception, of a regular figure; cither that of a cone, or a femifpherej and ^11, but a very few, are covered with the moft beautiful trees, and the richeft ver- dure ; Every eruption generally forms one of thefe mountains. A§ the great crater of Mtn^ itfelf is raifed to fuch an enormous height above the lower regions of the mountain, it is not poflible, that the i»- 4 . ternal

SICILY AND MALTA, t^f

ternal fire raging for a vent, even round the bafe, and no doubt vaftly below it, fhould be carried to the height of twelve or thirteen thoufand feet, for probably fo high is the fummit of -£tna. It has therefore generally happened, that after (baking the mountain and its neighbourhood for fome time, it at lail burfts open its fide, and this is called an eruption. At firft it only fends forth a thick fmoke and ihowers of afhes that lay wafte the adjacent country : Thefe are foon followed by red hot ftones, and rocks of a great fize, thrown to an im- menfe height in the air. The fall of thefe ftones, together with the quantities of aflies difcharged at the fame time, at laft form the fpherical and conical mountains I have ipentioned. Sometimes this procefs is finilhed in the courfe of a few days, fonie- times it lafts for months, which was the cafe in the great eruption 1663. In that cafe, the mountain formed is of a great fize ; fome of thefe are not lefs than feven or eight miles round, and upwards of 1 000 feet in perpendicular height ; others of them are

not

i^i A tOUR THROUGH

not more than two or three miles roiihd^ and 3 or 400 feet high.

After this mountain is formed^ tke lavd generally burfts out from the lower fide of it ; and bearing eVery thing before it, is for the moft port terminated by the fea* This is the common procefs of an eriiption} however, it fometimes happens, though rarely, that the lava bUrik at once from the fide of the mountain, without all thefe attending circumftances ; and this is com- monly the cafe with the eruptions of Ve- fuvius, where the elevation being fo much finaller, the melted matter is generally catried into the crater of the tnountaiil^ which then exhibits the {)haenottiena I havd defcribed; difcharging fhowers of fiones and, aihes from the mouth of the volcano, without farming any new mountain, but only add- ing coijfiderably to the height of the old one; till at laft the lava, rifing.neat the fummit of the mountain, burfts the fide of the crater, and the eruption is declared. This has literally been the cafe with two

eruptions

sjcitY And liiAttVA. i.^

eruptions I have been an attentive Hvitnefs of in that mountain; but iEtna ikupon an infinitely greater fcale, and one cfater i9 not enough to give vent to fttch.octana of fire.

Reeupero afiures me^ he f^w^in an erup- tion of that mountain large ro^$:of fire difcharged to the height of in^ny ^houfand feet, wth a noife infinitely more terriblef than that of thunder. He meafiired from the time of their greateft elevation till they reached the ground^ and found they took twenty-one feconds to defcend ; which, according to the rule of the fpaces, being a$ the fquares of the times, amounts, I think, to upwards of 7000 feet. A moft aftonifh- ing height fureJy, and requiring a fojrce of ]^roje£tion vaftly beyond what we have any. conception of. I meafured the height of the explofions of Vefuvius by the fame rule, and never obferved any of the ftone^ thrown from it to take more than nine feconds to defcend, which amounts to little more than 1 200 feet.

6 Our

1^ A TOUR THkOlKJM

Our landlord at Nicolofi gaVe'us an ad-* count of the lingular fate of the beautiful country near Hybla, at nd great diftance from thi$. It was fo celebrated for its fertility, and particularly for its honey^ that it was called Mel Pafli, till it was overwhelmed by the lavi of JEtfta; ahd haying then become totally barren, by a kind of pun its name was changed to Mai Pafli. In a fecond eruptioti, by a fhowef of afhes from the mountain, it foon re* aflumed its antient beauty and fertility $ and for many years was called Bel P^ffii Laft of alU in the unfortunate aera of 1669, it was again laid under an ocean of fire, and reduced to the moft wretched fterilityj fince which tlime it is known again by its fecond appellation of Mai Pafli* How- ever, the lava, in its courfe over this beau* tiful country, has left feveral little iflands or hillocks ; juft enough to fhew what it formerly was. Thefe make a fmgular ap- pearance, in all the bloom of the moft luxuriant vegetation, furrounded and ren- dered *almoft inacceflible by large fields of

black

SICILY AND MALTA. i6t

black and rugged lava. The mountain from whence the firft eruption iflued, that covered the Mel Paffi, is known by the name of Monpelieri; I was ftruck with its beautiful appearance at a diflance, and could not refift the defire I had of examin- ing it minutely^ as well ajs of obferving the effedis of the two eruptions that over- whelmed this celebrated country*

Moripelieri is rather of a fpherical than a conical fhape, and does not rife in per- pendicular height above 300 feet, but it is fo perfectly regular on eVery fide, and to richly overfpread with fruits and flowers, that I could not leave fo heavenly a fpot, without the greateft regret. Its cup or crater is large in proportion to the moun- tain, and is as exadtly hollowed out as the beft made bowl. I walked quite round its outward edge, and think it is fomewhat upwards of a mile.

This mountain was formed by the firft

eruption that deftroyed the country of Mel

Vol. I. M P^ffi,

4^affi, ahd Is of a ^tf did date, & Varied a gresit riihribcr '<tf tillages «itt toUritfjr houfes ; knfi'pslrtidilarijr t\to noble •chtirclW^*, tvbich are more regrched *(telh %11 the reft, on account of three ^Mx}iHy 'reckoned 'at 'thit time the nkift pcrfedllh 'the ifiahd. They have littiihpted, miSt ^in vain, Xb recover thefe -ftatues; as the fpot where tfe churclies flood could nevfr be juftly afeertained. Indeed it is al- together impofSble it fhould; for thefe .churches were built of lava, wHch it is well known is immediatety meUed, when it comes into contact with a torrent oFnew erupted matter : — And Maffa lays, that in £>me eruptions <^ iBtna, the lava has poured down with fuch a fudden impe- , tuofity, that in the courfe of a few hours, churches, palaces, and villages, have bean , entirely melted ^own, and the whole run off in fufion, not leaving the leaftmark of their exiflence. But if the lava has had any conliderable time to cool, this fihgffiJar ef- fdft never happens.

The

SidLY AXD MALTA. |.6j

Thcgrqayt emptipa of i6^j »ft« &gb»

Jog the whqle co)uxtry aroun^ iipr no Iqil^

tbaxifpur ^months, and forming a v^^rgf

mountain c^ ftoyae^ and aihes, :bviril guC

about a jpik^ftbpve MonpeUer.!, and 4er

iqcuding; li^e a ;torrent, hit ^xaaiy ag^mft

the middle qf^th^t ,|nc)untain, and , (they

pretend) has perforated it frpin fide tp

iide j fhowever ,$hi^ I doubt, A3 it imi^ ,havp '

,tfrpke tjie regplar form of the ipoupt^in,

rwhich is .not the ?afe. yowever, it is cer^

tain that it jpioroetf it Xo a very^gre^t depth.

Jt then ,diyided into two branches ; and

^reundjifg 4his beautiful n^puptaiut joinefi

,j^iQ on its :^uth iidie; and lading Wd^

t^ipJ»rhole <:pw|itryhet^ixt that audrCIaJr

ftj»|ua, Xfff^lt^ the ^alls of that citjT) Jiff^

poured its^jEl^ii^g .tqxant ^ipto jthe pcgilP-

In its way, h ip ij^i^to^lj^ve d^rcy^^t^

poffeflions of near 36,000 people, and re-

'duced4h§si to beggary. It formed fererat

lull8 iivhere there were formerly valky«,

and filled up a large deep lake, of which ^

.tliese is tjtot ^i^ow the ileaft «efUge to be

ife?ji.

M z As .

t64 A TOUR through:

As the events of this eruption are better khown than any other, they tell a great many fmgular ftories of it; one of which, however incredible it may appear, is very- well afcertained, and is a moft undoubted fadt. A vineyard, belonging to a convent of jefuits, lay exadlly in its way. This vineyard was formed on an antient lava, probably a thin one, with a number of caverns and crevices under it. The liquid lava entering into thefe caverns, fbon filled them up, and by degrees bore up the vine- yard ; and the jefuits, who every moment cxpedked to fee it buried, beheld with the utmoft amazement the whole field begin to move off. It was carried on the furface of the lava to a confiderable diftance; and though the greateft part was deftroyed, yet fome of it xemains to this day.

W^ went to examine the mouth from yfihenec this dreadful tprreot i^Qted, and were furprifed to find it only a fmall hole, of .about three or four .yard«: diameter. The mountain from whioce it Iprung, I . • - think.

SICILY AND MALTA, t^f?

ihink, is very little lefs thau the conical part of Vefuvius.

There is a vaft cavern on the oppofite fide of it, where people go to fhoot wild pigeons, which breed there in great abuiv dance. The innerpioft parts of this cavern are fo very difmal and glooray, that pur landlord told us fome people had loft their fenfes from having advanced too far, imagining that they faw devils and the fpirits of the damned ; for it is ftill very generally believed here; that -ZEtna is the mouth of helL

We found a degree of wildnefs and fe- rocity in the inhabitants of this mountaioi that I have not - obfervfed any where elfe. It put me in mind of an obfervation the Padre della Torre (the hiftoriograpber of mount Vefuvius) told me that he had often made in the confines of Naples ; that in the places where the air is moft ftrOngly impregnated with fulphur and hot exha- lations^ the people were always moft wicked M 3 ?od

t6e A TOtJK THROUGH

ite8 vfcioiist. VjThatcver trutb there may be in the obfervation, the people about Nicololi at leaft feem to confirm it. The ^hal^ village flockM fouild us, sind the ^orAen in parricufar abufe<Jirs Exceedingly; tfie caufe of which vtre at laft found was, uiat f ■ *8 blooming complexion and white {kin had ihade theni take him for 6ne of f heir own fex. The clamour was Exceedingly Toud, ancf it was with the ut- nioft difficulty we cduld .appeafe them. The perfon whom Recupero had appointed to accompany us, known by the name of the Cyclops, (the man in the ifland that is bcft acquainted with mount- iEtna) was abfplujtely ordered by them not to go with us ; and if we had not at laft obtained their confcnt by foothing and flattery, the only method with women, he durft not have jdifobliged them. At firft we had been ebliged to fliirt the gate of the court, they "*ere fb very noify and tumultuous,; but when ouf landlord (a pri^eft) for whom wq l»d letcersfrom Gatt^nia^ ^Sured them that

x^^p^ chriftiai^, aqd c^xne lyith ^ ba4 iot<»tip?!j?, tl^ey becam? naot^ mpderate, and M[e,. veiiitured^ Qut ajfn<;M3gft them.^— This cpftficknce (opfi acquired theirs > and in ^. jO^Q^t tio^ w.e becamp good friends^ and hia4 a grc%t deal of converfatioii.

. It w^s with much difEtuity I could per- fu^de them thajt we were not come to fearch for hiddea treafures^ a great quantity of whi<;b they believe is to be fonod in Mon- pelieri ; and when I went to that mountaia they were then fully convinced that this Mjf^i our intention. Ipvro oi^ tl^em. followed me, ^d kept a clpfe eye on every flep that I took; and when I lifted any bit pf ^va, or pumice, they camp running up, thinks ifug it was fometh^ing very preciopsi ; but iffhen they o^fejrved they were oijly bits of fto^e, and th^t I put them into my pocket, , they laughed very heartily, talking to one another in their mountain j^gon, wbich ia UpiiiteJJigiWe even to Italians, However, as moft of them fpe^jf: Itali^ fo as to be un* derftood) they aiked me what I was going M 4 to

i68 A TOUR THROUGH

to make of thefe bits of ftone ? I told them that they were of great value in our coun^ try J that the people there had a way of making gold of them : At this they both feemed exceedingly furprifed, and fpoke ag^in ip their own tongue. However* I found they did pot believe me; one of t]bcm told me, if that had been true, I certainly would not have been fo ready in telling it:; But, faid he, if it is fo, we will fcrve you for ever, if you will teach us that art ; for then we fhall be the richeft jpeople on earth. I affured them that I had not yet learned it myfelf, and that it was. a fecret only known tct very few. They were likewife greatly furprifed to fee me pull out of my pocket a magnetical needle and a fmall eledrometer, which I had pre- pared at Gattania to examine the elee- trical ftate of the air; and I was at firft afraid they Ihould have taken me for a conjurer (which you know, already hap- pened amongft the Appenines) but luckHy tjiat idea did not ftrike them.

0|^

SICILY AND MALTA. 1^9

' On our way back to Nicolofi wt were joined by three or four more, with their wives. I began to be a little afraid of myfelf, left they ihould infift on knowing the fecret. However, I took out my bits of lava, and told thetn they were at their fervice, if they had any occafioh for them. But they refufed them, faying, they wifhed to the Virgin, and St. Agatha, t;hat I could take away the whole of it ; as it had ruined the fineft country in all Sicily.

One fellow, who affumed an air of fu- perior wifdom arid dignity to the reft, made them form a circle round him, and began to interrogate me with great gravity j^nd cbmpofure. It was with difficulty J could keep my countenance ; but as I was alone with them, at fome diftance from the village, I was afraid of oflFend- ing.— He delired me to anfwer him with truth and precifion, what were the real motives of our coming fo fatiguing and difagreeable a journey ? I told him, on my word, tl^at we had no other motive but

(fuxioiity

iy0 A TdtJK THROUGH

conafity" to. examine Bioimt iEtna. On ^hicl^y laughing to one another with gceat cbotempt;— «{7ir: kel ragione ^Jloj nam ^v^w, feid they; (a very pretty reafiwt trvUf.) The old i^llow then a&ed me what couotrf we were of.-^I tdd hmiy we were Jugkfe^—e^ dov^ i loro faejhj £|ld^ hrj wher^bcMits does their country lie?r-p< L told him it was a great way dff, on the other fide of the world. Da ^ero^ — ^laid the fellow,—^ credom in Chrifio quelli Itir: glefe? — ^I told him (laughing) that they did. — ^Ah, {ziA he, fcal^ng his head, mi pare che nan cr^dono trqppo. — One of the. cpmpany then oblierved, tb^^t he remem-? her«4 ibveral of thefe Inglefe, that^ at different time$» had p^d vif^s to njoi^at; jiEtna, Md th»t they never yet could Bn^ out their motive; but that he recollefitpd, very weU> tp have heard many of their old people fay, that the Ingleie had 4 queeo that had burnt in the n»ojlintaii];i.

fer many years paft; and that theyfup^

poled thefe yifits were made from fomia devotion^; rc^a:to hfir mqpQry* J s^f* . . w fured

SICFLY AND MALTA; t.r$

fuf dd tlieiki^ tbat th£ Inglefe bad l>ut 1»6> Iktltf refpe^ for their qtietua, cYen befoie tiiej. were deady ktul that they neyer trouUsd. tiieir heads about tbenqp after: however^ a!S all the otlverK cDnfiniied this teftiinony^ I fhdt^ht ft waa bdft to fay litde agannft it; but I was extremely curious to know whcv this queen might be. They alleged that I knew tttTOth better thait they ; tmt added, that htr tKttnti #M AbAa.

I eovM n6t coiicdve what quoeai Anne htkt done to bfi&g het fbers; and wai Imizling lAfMf to find it out, ^N'lKm one of them footi cleared up the flt4tttr; lie told me ihe #a» wife to i ling that hiad beeti a chriftian, and that flie had madft hitn in fteretle, i^ was m coftfequeaoc eb^emned to biffti for evar ia taoQiK JUtna. In flirty I founid it wiis ao (sdxt than p0O» Aftne B«>loytie« So foott a» I siiemkMied the name, SH ^^nat^ iaid ^ fellow, nje/a, riftijfa, h cmu^em^ih che not. I alked, if her h^dlttUd Wtts 4here too, for that he deferved it much better

than

17* A tOUR THROUGH

than Qicijicurot faid he, and all his he- retic fabje^ too; and if you are of that number, you need not be in fuch a hurry to get thither, you will be fure of it at laft. I thanked him, and went to join our company, not a little amufed with the converfation, ,

. We foon after left Nicolofi, and in an hour and an half's travelling, over barren afhes and lava, we arrived on the confines of the Regione Sylvofa, or the Temperat^^ Zone* So foon as we entered thefe delight- ful forefls, we feemed to have got into another world. The air, which . before was fultry and hot, was now cool and refrefliings and every breeze was loaded with a thoufand perfumes, the whole ground being covered over with the richeft aromatic plants* Many parts of this region are really the moft heavenly fpqts upon earth; and if ^tna refembles hell within, it may with equal juftice be faid to refemble paradife without.

It

SICILY AND MALTA, tfs

It is indeed a curious confideration, that this mountain fliould reunite every beauty and every horrour ; and, in fhort, all the moft oppofite and diffimilar objeds in nature. Here you obferve a gulph, that formerly threw out torrents of fire and fmpke, now covered with the moft luxuriant vegetation; and from an objed5; of terrour, become one of delight. Here you gather the moft delicious fruit, rifing from what was but lately a black and barren rock. Here the ground is covered with ^very flower ; and we wander over thefe beauties, and contemplate this wildernefs of fweets, without confidering that hell, with all its terrours, is immediately under our feet ; and that but a few yards fepa- rates us from lakes of liquid fire and brimftone.

But our aftoniftiment ftill increafes, on cafting our eyes on the higher regions of the mountain. TThere we behold, in per- petual union, the two elements that are at perpetual war j an immenfe gulph of fire,

for

,74 A TOUR r«.R0UGit^ iarevfix -cadftitig in tbff roidft of ^fijowsthat it Jos AQt; powpr to .xxifilt ; ^nd immenfe £elds of fnovv- and ict for revcii: iivi^qvi^diBg this -gulph of firc^ .wlwch tbfij rh?!ve i*M. |K>wer to jextiqguifii*

The woody region of ^^tna^cpdsfqr at)OUt eight qr ,nine miles, ap.4 /orfps a^^ exaCt zope or girdle, of the brighteft green, all around .the mountain. Tbi^ night we pafled through Jittle more Jhw the half of it; arriving fome -time be- fore funfet ^t our lo(jlgipg§, ^Ji«Ji JWS ^o other than a large cj^ye, fprpied hy Qi*e of the mod antient and yenerable Uyas. \t is called Lfl Spelonca dal CqprMk^ ox»tfec goats jcavern, hec^ufe fregijented Igr tfeefe 1 animals; who |(ake refugj: Jth^re in \^ weather*

Here we were (Jelighted by tbe.cojj^m- plation of manygreftt and,beau$ifjjli?JjjeSs. the proipedlon all iid^^s iip^^pj^^; ^and we already feem to be Jiffcd up froQi.^hc earthy and to have got into jt.new ,wp4d* 2 Our

SrCILY AND -MALTA. n7§ Our caveFii^e fur^Qunded by ihe moft ftately and to^jeftic oaks j of the dry loivcs of 'Tvhich, ^€ made tety comfortable beds^ tand ^ith our batchets> 'which we had brought on [purpofe, we cut dcfwn great !bran<{b6s, ^nd, in a (hort time, had a i^fire jbrge '«iioi;^h 'to roaftan ox, I obferved ^my*thcrmoroeteir, Snd found, froWa 71 st iNJcodofi, it had 'now foUen below 6o« The 'birometer flood at 24 : 2. In one end of .^©urcave wfe fBIl fouiri a great quantity (^rf' i&ow, which 'ieenied to be ifedt thare <m <puopofe fbT'US) aa tbere was ao water Co ^be \lbttnd* With this we^fili€d 'Our tea^* rltettlei ^ a3 tea and* bread and butter was the ^0Bly fupper we had >provided; and ^pro- 4>ably thebeftx>ne to, prevent us from being overcome by fleepor fatigue.

- -Ndta gi^eat way frdm this davera, theee

-%»c^tMy 6f'ihe"ni0ft bcaittifiil mduntains

6{ di fhSt^l&iUCttifer^mi^ ;that fpriag

fromiEtna. IIi^kMUilt^ iMeci^f «i^

mules, and with a good deal of difficulty

-arrtVed at the- feifttolt *f the^iiightft of

'thefe, jtfft a Kttle ^'before ftmifet. -The

^f rafp(iCt of 8ici!y,^rth the furroUnding i^

and

176 A TOtJR THROUGM

and all its iflands, was wonderfully noble. The whole courfe of the river Semetus, the ruins of Hybla, and feveral other andent .towns ; the rich cOrn-ficlds and vineyards on the lower region of the mountain, and the amazing quantity of beautiful mountains below, made a delightful fcene«  The hollow craters of thefe two mountains are each of them confiderably larger than that of Vefuvius, They are now filled with ftately oaks, and covered to a great depth with the richeft foil. I obferved that this region of ^tna, like the former, is compofed of lava; but this is now co- vered fo deep with earth, that it is no where to be feen, but in the beds of the torrents. In many of thefe it is worn down by the water to the depth of fifty or fixty feet, and in one of them ftill con- fiderably liiore.— What an idea does hot this give of the amazing antiquity of the eruptions of this mountain ! ;

So foon as it was dark we retired to our c^ve, and took pofleflion of our bed of leaves. Our reft, however, was fomewhat

difturbed

SICILY AND MALTA; 17;

liifturbed by the noife of a mountai|;i that lny n good way ofF on our right. It dif- diarged great quantities of fmoke, and xnade feveral explofions like, heavy cannon at a diftance; but what is fingular, we could oMcrve no appearance of fire.— ^This UoufMain was formed by an eruption iii 17665 now upwards of four years ago; ttbe fire of which is not yet extinguifhed* neither is the lava by any means cold* This fava fpcnt its fury on a beautiful Forefti which it laid wafte to the extent o£ a good many milcB* In many places it has twi iltto gullies of a great depths which it has filled up to the height, we are told, of 200 feet. It is in thefe places whtre it i^eitaiios the greateft heat. On our road to- day "we Scrambled up this lava, and .went » iowrfijerable way over its furface, which lipfKSirc^ perfeftly cold ; but it is certain, 4i]^t in ii3tany places it ftill emits great vo* 4uoaes pf fmpfce, particularly after rain; and the people fay, what I can readily believe, that this will probably he ftill the jcfife zfor fome years, where the lav^ is Vou I. N thickeft,.

178 A TOUR THROUGH

thickeft. A folid body of fire of fome hundreds of feet thick, and of fo great an extent, muft certainly retain its heat for many years, — The furface indeed foon be- comes black and hard, and inclofes the liquid fire within, in a kind of folid box, excluding all impreffions from the external air or from the weather. Thus I have- feen, many months after eruptions of mount Vefuvius, a thin bed of lava of a few feet, has continued red hot in the center long after the furface was cold ; and on thrufting a ftick into its crevices, it inftantly took fire, although there was no appearance of external heat.

MafTa, a Sicilian author of credit, fays, he was at Cattania eight years after the great eruption in i66g, and that he flill found the lava in many places was not cold: But there is an eafy method of calculating the time that bodies take to cool: — Sir Ifaac Newton, I think, in his account of the comet of 1680, fuppofea the times to be as the fquarcs of theli: diameters ; and

finding

Sicily AnB mAl^A; lyj

fiiiding that a folid ball of metal of twa inches^ made red hot» required upwards o^ tm hour to become perfectly cold, inadci the calculation from that to^a body of thd faihe dknieter as our earthy and found it would require Upwards of twenty thbulandl years. If this rule is juft, you may eafily compute the time that the lava will take to become thoroughly cold ; and that you may have time to do fo^ I flxall here break off my letteri which I am obliged to writtf in bed, in a very aukward and difagre^abld pofture; the caufe of which fhall be ex^ l^laincd to you in my next* Adieu,

Ever your^s.

Nil

>>8o -k TGUR tUkOtSGH

1 E T T E R 1.

Cattania, May 29th, at night;

IL FTER getting i comfortable mp o» our bed of leaves in the Spelonqg det Capriole, we awoke about eleven o'clock ; and melting dotvrn a fufficient quantity of &0W9 we boiled our tea-kettle, ajad made' 21 ^hearty mealy to prepare us for the re^- ihainihg part of our expedition, Wp were aine in number; for we had bur three fervants^ the Cyclops (our condudtor) and two men to take care of our mules. The Cyclops now began to difplay his greafe knowlege of the mountain, and we followed him with implicit confidence* He con^ du£ted us over " Antres vaft, and Defarts-

• ' wild,*' where fcarce human foot had

ever trod. Sometimes through gloomy forefts, which by day- light were delight-^ ful ; but now, from the univerfal darknefs^ the ruftling of the- trees ; the heavy> dull,, bellowing of the mountain j. the vail: ex-*

panfe

SICILY AND MALTA, iSi panfe of ocean ftretched at an immenfe diftance below us;, infpired a kind of awful horror. Sometimes we found our^ felves afcending great rocks of lava, where if our mules ihould make but a falfe ftep, we might be thrown headlong over th?' precipice. However, *y the affiftance of the Cyclops, we overcai»e ajl thefe diffi- culties ; and he managed matters fo well, that in the fpace of two hours w:e found we had got above the regions of vegetation; and that we had left the forefts of iEtnai far behind. Thefe appeared now like ai dark and gloomy gulph below us, that furroaQde4 tfcie mountain.

The profpcd before us was of a very different nature ; we beheld an expanfe of fnow and ice that alarmed ,us exceedinglyi^ jand almoft daggered our refolution. Iii the center of this, but ftill at a great dif- tance, we obferved the high fummit of the piountain, rearing its tremendous head, gnd vomiting out torrents of fnxoke. It indeed appeared totally inacceffible from ' ' N 3 th(j

|82 A TOUR THROUGH

the vaft extent of the fields of fnow and ice that furrounded it. Our diffidence waa ftill increafed by the fentiments of the Cyclops. He told us, that it often hap- pened, that the furface of the mountain being hot below, melted the fnow in par- ticular fpots, and formed pools of water, where it was impoflible to forefee our danger; that it likewife happened, that the furface of the water, a? well as the fnow, was often covered over with black afhes, that rendered it exceedingly treacherous; that however, if we thought proper, he fhould lead u$ on with as much caution as poflible. Accordingly, after holding a council of war, which you know people generally do when they are yery much afraid, we fent our cavalry down to the foreft below, and prepared to climb the fnows. The Cyclops, after taking a great draqght of iDrandy, defired us to be of good cheer ; that we had plenty of time, and might ts^ke as many refts as we pleafed. That: the fnow could be little more tbaa feven miles, and that we certainly ihoul4 >

SICILY AND MALTA. 183

be able to accomplifli it fome time before fun-rife. Accordingly,, taking eaph of us a dram of liqueur, which foon removed every objection, vee began our march.

The afcent for fome time was not rapid; and as the furface of the fnow funk a little, we had tolerable good footing ; bjiit as it footi began to grow fteeper, we found our labour greatly increafed : however we de- termined to perfevere, remembering in the midft of our fatigue, that the emperox: Adrian and the philofopher Plato under- went the fame ; and from the fame motive too, to fee the riling fuij from the top of jflEtna. After incredible labour and fatigue, but at the fame time mixed with a great deal of pleafure* we arrived before dawn ajt the ruins of an antient ilrudure, called // Torre del Pbilofopbo^ fuppofed to have been built by the philofopher Empe- docles, who took up his habitation here the better to ftudy the nature of mount JEtna. By others, it is fuppofed to be the rwi»s of a temple of Vulcan, whofe fhop, N 4 aU

i84 A TOUR THROUGH

all the world knows (where he ufed to make excellent thunderboits and celeftial armour, as well as nets to catch his wife when fhe went aftray). wa« ever kept in nwunt -Stna* -Here we refted ourfelves for fbme time, and made a frefii application to onr liqueur bottle, which I am perfuaded, both Vulcan, and Empedocles, had they been here, would, have greatly approved (^ after fuch ^ march.

I' found the mercury had fallen to 20 : 6.. We, had now time to pay our adorations in a filent contemplation of the fublime ob- jects of nature. The fky was perfedly clear, and the immenfe vault of the heavens appeared in awful majefly and fplendpur. We found that it ftruck us much mor,e forcibly than below, and at firft were at a lofs to know the caufe; till we obferved with aftonifliriient, that the number of the. ftars feemed to be infinitely increafed, and that the light of each of them appeared brighter than ufual. The whitenefs of the milky way was like a pure flame that fiiot acrofs the helavens j and with the naked eye

3 w^'

SICILY AND MA.Lt A. 1%

we coiild cMer^t^ ckifteis ei ftar& that were ^ally iirwfible inihc regions belpw^ Wc ^id pot a| fi^ft 4Meild to t&e qaufe, aor re* (:Qlled that we had now paffed through tea qr tweive thoufand feet of grofe tapourj^ that Wunts and<:onfofes every ray, before it readties the forfk* of the earthii Wtf were amazed a?^ the dtftinanefs <£ vifion^ and exclaimed together, What a* glorioiif fitua,tioB; fdr a^^ obfervatory ! Had JEmpe-*, ^ocles had the eyes of Gallileo w^iat dii* foverks muft he not have madel W^ regretted 4bd.t Jupiter waa not vifible, as | really believe we ihight have difcovered fome of his fatellite^ with the naked tfe^-^ or at leaft with a fmall glafs which I had in mjr pocket. We obfervcd a light a great Way below us on the mountaint which- feemed ^o move amongft the fbrefts, but whethar it Was an Ignis fattms, or what it was, i ihall not pretendto fay. Wc lifcewife took police of fcverp of thcfe mcteots calkdl Falling Stars, which ftill appeared to be equally elevated above 'us, as when feen ftom the plain : So that in 411 probability ' thefe

i86 'A TOUR THROUGH

thefe bodies move in regions much more remote than the bounds that fome philo- fophers have prefcribed to our atmofphere.

After contemplating thefe objects for, fome time, we fct off, and foon after ar- rived a^t the foot of the great crater of the mountain. This is exaftly of a conical figure, and rifes equally on all fides. It; is composed folely of aflies and other burnt materials, difcharged from the mouth of the volcano, which is in its center. This, conical mountain is of a very great fize ; its circumference cannot be lefs than ten miles. Here we took a.fecond reft, as the moft violent part of our fatigue ftil remained. The mercury had fallen to !2o:4t»— We found this mountain excef- fively fteep ; and although it had appeared black, it was likewife covered with fnow, the furface of which (luckily for us) was fpre^d over with a pretty thick layer of afhea thrown out from the crater. Had it not been fpr this, , we never fliould have becft ab^e io get to the top j as ;he fnow ' ^ I was

SICILY AND MALTA. iS;

'was every where froze hard and folid from the piercing cold of the atmofphere.

In about an hour's climbing^ we arrived at a place where there was no fnow, and a warm comfortable vapour iffued from the mountain, which induced us to make another halt. Here I found the mercury at 19 : 6t. The thermometer, to my amazement, was fallen three degrees below the point of congelation ; and before we left the fummit of -^tna, it fell two degrees more, viz. to ay^-^From this fpot it was only about 300 yards to the higheft fuminit of the mountain, where we arrived in full time, to fee the moft wonderful and moft fublime fight in nature.

But here defcription muft ever fall fhort ; for no imagination has dared to form an idea of fo glorious and fo magnificent a fcene. Neither is there on the furface of this globe, any one point that unites fo many awful and fublime objefts.-^The ^mmenfe elevation^ from the furface o£

the

i8« ATOUR THROUGH

the earth, drawn as it were to a fingle point, without any neighbouring inoun<i» tain for the fenfes and imagination to reft upon ; and^reoover from their aitonifhrneht in their way down to the worlds ^^is point or pinnacle, raifed on the brink of 4 bottomle& gulph, as old as the world^ often difcharging i^ivers of fire, and throwing out burning rocks, with 2 noife thatihakea the whole ifland^ Add to this, the un-^ bounded extent of the profpeft, compre-^ bending the greateft diverfity and the moft^ beatttifut fijcnery in nature ; with the rifing ion, advancing in tl|e i^| tQ iU\|iniaatQ the wdnldroiqs icene^

The whole atmofphere by degrees kin^ died up, and fhewed dimly and faintly the boundlefs jux^fpeft around.— -Both fca and land looked dark and cpnfufed, as if only ^5fnerging frqm their original chaos; and lighf ?^nd darkoefs feemed ftill u^divided j till the mprning by degrees advancing, completed the feparatjon,^The ftars are cstinguiflicd, and the ;ftia4es .dilappear^ - The

SICILY AND MALI* a: i8^

The forftfts, Trhieh but now feeihed black and bottomlefa gulphs, from Whence no lay was refledied to fliew their form or ^lours^ appears a new crcatidn rifing to the fight; catching life and beauty front every increaikig beam. — The faene ftHl en-f Urges^ add the horizon feems tQ widen and expind itfelf on all fides; tiil thefun^.liko the great Creator, appears in thie feaft, and with his pliaftic. ray completes the mighty fane.— r AH appears enchantment; aiwl it is wirii diflSculty we cm believe we are ft3i on earth. The fenfcs^ amaccHftoraed to fiichiofcjeds, are: bewil4ered and con- founded ; and it is not till after jome time that they are. capable of fe^arating and Judging of them.— The body of the fun ijS k&ii riiing from the ocean, immenfe tracke both ^c^ fea ifcnd land intervenii^j tb^ ifland^c^ Li^ri, P^tniri^ Alicadit ^trom-^ bdo, and Volcano, with their fttioking fumljiitsi appear undet your feet j and you iodk dpwn on the whole of Sieily a« oh a map; a*}4 ^ar» ttace every river through all. k% t^iadin§^, from its fQurce to it;s

mouth.

ipo A TOUR THROUGH mouth. The view Is abfolutcly boundldfi on every fide ; nor is there any one objefti within the circle of vifionj to interrupt it j fo that the fight is every where loft in the immenfity ; and I am. perfedly convinced that it is only from the imperfedtion of our organs^ that the coafis of Africa, and even of Greece, are not difcovered, as they are certainly above the horizon. The cir-* cumferencc of the vifible horizon on the top of ^tna cannot be lefs than 2000 miles i at Malta, which is near 200 miles diftant^ they perceive all the eruptions from the fecond region; and that iiland is often difcovered from about one half the ele-* vation of the mountain; fo that at the whole elevation the horizon muft extend to near double that diftatice, or 400 miles^ which makes 800 for the diametef of the circle, and 2400 for the circumference* But this is by much too vaft for our fenfes, not intended to grafp fo boundlefs a fcene. I find, indeed, by fevefal of the Sicilian authors, particularly Maflk, that the African coaft) as well as that of Naples^ with many

SICILY AND MALTA: i^i

of its iflands, have often been difcovered from the top bf uEtna. Of this, how- ever, we cannot boafti though we can very well believe it. Indeed, if we knew €9cadly the height of the mountain, it would be eafy to calculate the extent of its vifible horizon ; and (vice verfa) if its , vifible horizon was exa^ly afcertained, it would be an eafy matter to calculate the height of the mountain* — ^But the moft beautiful part of the fcene is certainly the mountain itfelf ; the ifland of Sicily, and the numerous iflands lying round it. All thefe, by a kind of magic in vifion, that I am at a lofs to account for, feem as if they were brought clofe round the Ikirts of l£tna; the difiances appearing reduced to nothing. — Perhaps this lingular efied is produced, from the rays of light paffing from a rarer medium into ^ denfer ; which (from a well known law in optics) to an obferver in the rare medium, appears to lift up the objedts that are at the bottom bf the denfq onej as a piece of money

placed

placed In a baibd ii|ipear» lifted upi to &d||[ as the baiba is filled witii inrater.

The Rtgione Deferiai 6v tiie ifrigicJ zpim^ of ^tiia, is thefirftobjcft that tall* yoaif attention. It is markod oist bjr a circte o£ faow and ice, which extetids on ill lides to the difiance of about ^ight mlkl^ la th^ i^nter of this circie, thf great cirater of tbd inountain rears its burning liead, dnd the jregions of iatenie cold 4nd of ihtenfe Jbucat feem for eVipr to be united iii tbe fame point* —On. the north fide cf the fiaowy arfjgion* they adTure us, there are feveral finall lakei that iare never thawed ; and that in rxisaxf Jplaces, the fnow, mixed with the afhes and falts of the mountain^ is, accumulated io an immenfe depth : And indeed I fuppofe the t^uantity of falt& contdbed in this moun^ tain, is one great reafon of the prefervatioa of its fnows.— The Regione Diferta is im- mediately fucceeded by the Sylvofa^ or the woody region ; which forms a circle or girdle of the moll beautiful green, which ^ furrounds

SICILY AND MALTA. 193

lurrounds the mountain on all fidee, and is certainly one of the moft delightful fpots on earth. ThU fcMrms a remarkable c6n«  trafi with the defert region* It is not fmooth and even like the greateft part of the latter ; but is finely variegated by an infinite number of thefe beautiful little mountains that have been formed by the different eruptions of Jitna. All thefe have now acquired a Wonderful degree of fertility, except a very few that are but hewly formed ; that is, withiii thefe five or fix hundred years: For it certainly requires . fome thoufands to bring them ' to their greatefl: degree of perfection. We looked down into the craters of thefe, and attempted, but in vain, to number them.

The circtimfef ence of this tone or great circle on -^tna is not lefs than 70 or 80 miles. It is every where fucceeded by the vineyards, orchards, and corn-fields that compofe the Regione CuItUj or the fertile region. This zone is much broader than the others, and extends on all fides to the

Vol. L O foot

194 A tOUR tHROUGH ftx)t of tht mottiitflm. Its whole circumfb-^ rence, accdrding to Recufpero, i« 183 mikis. It is likewife eov^recb wrtk » numbap of little comcalr 2md fyhericdH moQniaind, and' exhibits a wonderful varkly of f 6nn& dnd colours, and rilake» a deligtrtfu) con-r fraft with ihe other two regionss. It ia ouuded by th^i fea to the fbuJii and Icmth-^ caft, and on all its other fides bjr the rivers Semetus and Alcan^tarJht which almoft^ rua round it. The whole courfe of thefe river* are feen al once, and all their beautiful windings through thefe fertile valleys^ looked upon as the favourite poffeffion of Ceres herfelf, and the very fccnc of d» rape of htr daiaghtcr Firoferpiuev

Cafl: your eyes a little farther, and you embrace the whole ifland, and fee all its^ cities, rivers, and mountains, delineated in.. the great chart of Nature : All the adjaceuC iflands, the whole eoaft of Italy, as far as your eye can reach ; for it is no where bounded, but every where loft in the Ipace.

• On tlfc fun*s firft rifing, the fhadow of

the

StClLY AKD MALTA. 195

tke mottntain e&tends acrds the whold ifla&dy uid iliakes t large track vifible evea in the fea and in tke ain By de^^rees thia b ihbrteMd, audi in a little time, ta con* fined only to the neighbourhood of Mtnsu

We iiow had time to examirie a fourth fegion of -^tna, rtry difFeFent, indeed* from the others, and produifJive oJF very different fcnfotions 5 but which has, un- doubtedlyf given being to all the reft; I ine4n the region of fire*

The prefent crater of thid immenfe ful- eano is a circle of about three miles and a half in circumference. It goes (helving down On each fide, and forms a regular hollow like a vaft amphitheatre. From many places of this fpace, iffue volumes of fulphureous fmoke, which, being much heavier than the circmnambient air, iiiftead of rifing in it, as fmoke generally does, immediately on its getting out of the cra- ter, rolls down the fide of the motrntain like a torrent, till coming to that, part of O 2 the

196 A TOUR THROUGH ^

the atmofphere of the fame fpecific gtz.^ vity with itfelf, it fhoots off horizontally) and forms a large track in the air, ac«  cording to the diredlion of the wind; which, happily for us, carried it exadly in the oppofite fide to that where we were placed. The crater is fo hot, that it is very dangerous, if not impoiTible, to go down into it j befides, the fmoke is very incommodious, and, in many places, the furface is fo foft, that there have been in- ftances of people fmking down in it, and paying for their temerity with their lives. Near the center of the crater is the great mouth of the volcano. That treipendous gulph fo celebrated in all ages, looked upon as the terror and fcourge both of this and another life ; and equally ufeful to an- , cient poets, or to modern divines, when the Mufe, or when the Spirit infpires. We beheld it with aWe and with horror, ahd were not furprifed that it had been . confidered as the place of the damned. When we think of the immenfity of its depth, the vaft cells and caverns whence fo

many

SICILY AND MALTA, x^^

many lavas have iffued j the force of its internal fire, to raife up thefe lavas to fp yaft a height, to fupport it as it were in the air^ and even force it over the very fummit of the crater, with all the dreadful accom- paniments; the boiling of the matter, the fliaking of the mountain, the explofions of flaming rocks, d^r. we muft allow, that the. raoft enthufiaftic imagination, in the midft of all its terrors, hardly ever formed ,fin idea of a hell more dreadfuU

. It was with a mixture both of pleafure and pain, that we quitted this awful fcenc. But the wind had rifen to a violent degree, ?ind clouds began to gather round the mountain. In a fliort time thefe formed like another heaven below us, and we were in hopes of feeing a thunder- ftorm under our feet: A fcene that is not uncommon in thefe exalted regions, and which I have al- ready feen on the top of the high Alps : But .the clouds were foon difpelled again by the force of the wind, and we were difap- pointed in our expedtations,

O 3 , Ihad

f9« A TOUR THROUQK

I had often been told of the great dM[ ]pro4uced by difchargiiig a: gua on the t<xf ef high mountains. I tried it here> wl^t, V9€ were a good deal fiirpriied jto find, that indead of incr^afing the ibund, it was alv moft reduced to nothings The report was not equal to that of a fiuall pocket-piftol : We compared it to the ftroke of a flick tm a door ; and furely it is confiftefxt with reafon, that the thinner the air is, the lefs its impreifion muil be on the ear ; for in ^ vacuum there can be no noife, or no iqa^ prcflion can be made ; and the nearer tl^e approach to a vacuum, the impreflion mu^ always be the fmallcr. Where thefe grea^ effeds have ^en produced, it mtift have been amongft a number of mountains^^ where the found |s reverberated from one to the other.

When ^e arrived at the foot of the 6one, we obferved fome rocks truly of la inoft incredilfle f^ze, fh^t have lieen dift charged from the crater. The largeft tJ^at has been pbfejryec} froiji Vefiiyius, is a 7 round

SICILY AND MALTA. 199

round <mc of about twelve feet diameter. Thefe arc of a xnucii greater fize ; indeed almpil in proportion of the laaountains to each other.

Oa our arrival at the Torre del Philolb- pho, we could not help admiring, that the ruins of this ftrudi^re have remained un- covered for fo many ages, almoft on the fummit of ^tna, when thoufands of places (ftt ft great diftanQe froui it, have been re- f^Htdiy btjiied by its lavas, ia a much Shorter time. A proof that few eruptions iiave rifea fo high in the mouataia.

Empcdoq:lfis vra« a native of Agrigentiim, and is fiippofed to have died 400 years be- fore the Chriftian sera. Perhaps his vanity more than }iis philofophy led him to this elevated fitwation } nay, it is faid to have carried hia ftill much farther : — That he might be looked upon as a god, and that the people might fuppofe he was taken up to heaven, he is recorded to have thrown bimfelf headlong into the great gulph of 4 mount

floo A TOUR THROUGH

jjiount -ffitna, never fiippofmg that his death could be difcovered to mankind ; but the treacherous mountain threw out his flippers, which were of brafs, and an- nounced to the world the fate of the phi- lofophcr, who, by his death, as well as life, only wanted to impofe upon mankind, and make them believe that he was greater than they.

However, if there is fuch a thing as philofophy on earth, furely this ought to DC the feat of it. The profpefl: is little inferior to that from the fummit ; and the mind enjoys a degree of ("erenity here, that even few philofophers, I believe, could ever boaft on that tremendous point. — AU Nature lies expanded below .your feet, in her gayeft and moft luxuriant drefs, and you ftill behold uiiited under one point of view, all the feafons of the year, and all the climates of the earth ; with the whole variety of their produftions, — ^The medi- tations are ever elevated in proportion to the grandeur a^d fiiblimity of the objeds

SICILY AND MALTA, aoi

ttat furround us; and here, where you have all Nature to aroufe your admiration, what mind can remain inadlive ?

It has likewife been obferved, and from experience I can fay with truth ; that on the tops of the higheft mountains, where the air is fo pure and refined ; and where there is not that immenfe weight of grofs vapours prefling upon the body; the mind a£ts with greater freedom, and all the fundions both of foul and body are performed in a fuperior manhen It would appear, that in proportion as' we are raifed above the iiabitations of men, all low and vulgar fentiments are left behind; and that the foul, in approaching the aethereal regions, fliakes off its earthly affedtions, and al- ready contrads fomething of their invari- able purity. — Here, where you ftand un- der a ferene (ky, and behold, with equal ferenity, the tempeft and ftorm forming below your feet : The lightning, dart- ing from cloud to cloud., and the thunder folliqg roiind the mountain, ^nd threaten- ing

2oa A TOUR THROUGH

ing with deilrudion the poor wrctche* below; the mind Confiders the little fiorms and thunder of the human pafiions u equally below her notice.— Surely the fitu- ation alonet is enough to inipire philofo- phyi and Empedocles had good reafon for chufing it.

But, alas ! how vain are all our rea- fonings ! In the very midft of thefe meditations^ my philofophy was at once overiet, and in a moment I found myfelf relapfed into a poor miferable mortal |^ wa(fe obliged to own, that pain was the greateft of all evils ; and would have given the world to have been once more arrived at thefe humble habitations^ which but this moment I looked down upon with fuch contempt. — ^In running over the ice, my leg folded under me, and Lreceived fo vio- lent a fpraidy that in a few minutes it fwelled to a great degree, and I found my- felf totally incapable of putting my foot to the ground. Every mufcie and fibre was at that time violently chilled and froze;

the

SICILY AND MALTA; so| the thermometer continuing ftill below the point of congelation. It was this» I fup^ 'pofo, that made the pain fa violent; for I lay a condderable time on the ic? in the utmoft agony: However, in thefc exaltecj regions, it was impoflible to have a horfct or a carriage of any kind ; and your poor philofophcr was obliged to hop on one leg, with two men fupporting him, for feveral miles pver the ihow; and our wags here fiUege, that he left the greateft part of his philofophy behind him, for the ufe of Em- pedocles's heirs and fucceflbrs. When I at Idft got on my mule, I was happy beyond meafure ; but when I once more found my-* felf on our bed of leaves in the Spelodcadel Capriole, I thought I was in Paradife : So true it is, that a diminution of pain is a re4 pleafure. The agony I fuffered, had thrown me into a profufe fweat and a fe- ver; however, in an inftant I fell fafl: ^eep, and in an hour and a half, awaked in perfed health. We had an excellent difli of tea, the mbft refre(hing and agree- able I ever drank in all my life.

204 A TOUR THROUGH

We left the fummit of the mountain about fix o^clock, and it was eight at night before we reached Cattania.— We obferved, both with ipleafure and pain, the change of the climate as we defcended.— From the regions of the moft rigid winter, we foon arrived at thofe of the moft delightful (pring. On firft entering the forefts, the trees were ftill bare as in December, not a fingle leaf to be feen ; but after we had defcended a few miles, we found ourfelves in the mildeft, and the fofteft of climates; the trees in full verdure, and the fields covered with all the flowers of the fum- mer; but fo foon as we got out of the woods, and entered the torrid zone, we found the heats altogether infupport- able, and fuffered dreadfully^ from them before we reached Cattania. On the^ 'road I faw many mountains which I in- tended to have vifited, but my fprain put it out of my power. One of the moft remarkable of thefe is called the Monte Pellufe^ the lava of which deftroyed the great aquedu^ of Cattania for eighteen

miles,.

SrCILY AND. MALT a; 205

miles. It :ha3' here and there left a few arches ; but nothing of any confequence*

Not far from this mountain Hands thjs Monte ViSioria^ one of the .moft beautiful of all the numerous family of JEtna. It is of. a pretty large fizci and perfedlly re- gular, and feems to be in the gayeft drefs of all: Many of its trees, which, at a di- ftance, we took to be oranges and citrons, appeared to be in full blow. It was the lava of this mountain t}iat is faid to have covered up the port of Ulyffes, which is now three miles diftant from tlje fea ; but I fhould fiippofe this mountaia to be muc^ older th^n either Ulyffea or Troy.

On our arrival at Cattania, we went immediately to bed, being exceedingly op- prefled by the fatigue of our expedition ; but more ftill by the violent heat of the day : A day, in which, I think, I have enjoyed a greater degree of pleafure, and fufFered a greater degree of pain, than in any other day of my life.

As

ic6 A TOUR THROUGtt

As my leg cobtlnucs rdty much fweUed^ I am ftill Gonfificd to my loom^ $xA xaoffiy^

indeed, to my bed, from \vhence I have writ you the greateft part of thefe twd monftrous epiitiea, tlie enorn^oui length of which I am aibamed of. Howerer, as I have fiill omitted fcveral ariklea, that I intended to take notice of, I ihall said a fequel to-morrow; ai>d fo conclude my account of mount JEtna» Had it not been for this abominable fprain, that holds me faft by. the foot, you probably (houJd not have got off To eafily ; but i am obliged to drop all farther thoughts of climbing «K>ufitains, though there are many things I ftill wanted to examine. Adteu.

Ever youra.

SJCILY ANP MAJ-TA. !»o9t

LETTER XI.

Cattama* May 30tb,

\I7E took catfC to regulate two barome- ters at the foot of the mountain. One of whkA was left with the: Canonico Recmj^rOft and the other we carried aiong Vith tis. That whkh we left, llecupero aiTur^s U6, had no fenfible variation during our abfence. We both left it and found it at 29 inches 8 lines and a half, £ngli(h mea&re* Oa our axriTal at Qattania> we found the one we had carried up with uf €xadly at the iame piMnt.

I hare likewife a very good quick«4ily«f thermomet»r» wh^ch I boirrowed fron th€ Neapolitan philofopher^ the Padre della Torre» who fumiChed us with letters for this placcy and would have Accompanied «8» if he could have obtained leave of d« k»g» It is made Iq^ Adanw at Lon- don, and (as I myfe^ proved) exa£tiy grar dmted from ^ twQ pO«ita of freeing

and

io8 A tOU& THUO^UGtl

and boiUng water. It is , according to Fareflt* heit's fcale. I fhall mark the heights in the different regions of JEtila, with the rules for eftimatiilg the elevation of mountains by the barometer, which, I am forty to fay, are fo very ill afcertained. Caffini, Bo-^ guer, and the others who have writ on the fubjeft, to the reproach of fciehce, dif- fering fo much, amorigft themfelves^ that It is with difficulty we can come near the truth*

JEtna has been often meafured; but I believe never with any degree of accuracy ; and it is really a fhame to the academy efla- blifhed in this place, called the iEtnean 'academy, whofe' original intention was to ftudy the nature and properties of this aftonifhing mountain. It was my full in- tention to have meafured it geometrically ; but I am forry to fay, although this is both the feat of an academy and univer- iity, there was nl> fuch thing as a quadrant to be had. It is the mountain I have ever fcen that would be ihe eafiefl to meafure,

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 209

ahd with the greateft certainty, and per- haps the propereft place on the globe to eftablifli an exad riile of menfuration by the barometer. There is a beach of a vaft eJttent, that begins exadly at the foot of the mountain, and runs for a great m^ny miles along the coaft. The fea-mark of this beach forms the meridian to the fummit of the mountain. Here you are fure of a perfect level, and may make the bafe of your triangle of what length you pleafe. , But unfortunately this menfura*- tion has never been made, at leaft with any tolerable degree of precifion,

^Kircher pretends to have meafured it, and^to have found it 4000 French toifes ; which is much more than any of the Andes, or indeed than any mountain upon earth. The Italian mathematicians are ftiU xnore abfurd. Some of them make it eight miles, fotne fix, and fomefour. Amici, the laft, and I believe the moft accurate that" ever attempted it, brings it to three jniles, 264 paces} but even this muft be

Vol. I. P ' exceed-

2IO A TOUR THROUGH

exceedingly erroneous ; and probably the height of iEtna does not exceed 12000 feet, or little more than two miles. I fhall mark the different methods of deter-; mining heights by the barometer; and you may chufe which you pleafe. I believe the allowance in all of them, particularly in great elevations, where the air is exceed-, ingly thin and light, ia vaftly top fmall. Mikeli, whofe menfura!;ions are cfteemed more exad, has ever found it fo. Caffini allows, I think, ten French toife^ of ele- vation, for every line of mercury, adding one foot to the firft ten, two to the fecond, three to the third, and fo on : But furely the weight of the air diminiihes in a much greater proportion.

Boguer takes the drfFerence of the loga- rithms of the height of the barometer in lines (fuppofing thefe logarithms to con- fift only of five figures) ; from this differ- ence he takes away a 30th part, and what remains he fuppofes to be the difference of elevation. 1 own 1 do not recoiled hia

reaiba

SIClLir AND MALTA. 211

feafon for this fuppofition ; but the rule feeins to be ftill more erroneous than the other, aftd has been entirely laid afide. I am told, that accurate experiments have been rriade at Geneva^ td eftablifh the meii*- furation with the barometer; but I have not as yet been able to procure them% Mf. de la Hire allows twelve toifes, four feel for the line of mercury : And Picart, probably the moft exa£t of all the French academi- cians, fourteen toifes, or abt)ut ninety Eng* lifh feet. The palpable difference amongft thefe philofophers, muft ever be a reproach to fcience.

Height of Fafenheit^s Thermometer*

At Gattania, May 26, at mid-day 76 Ditto, May 27, at five in the

morning ^ * *• .*• yz At Nicolofi, 1 2 miles up the lAoun-

tain, mid-day - - - 73 At the cave> called Spelonca del

Capriole, in the fecond region,

where there was ftill a con*

P 9 fiderable

212 A TOUR THROUGH

. fiderable qnantity of fnow, at

feven at night • - - 6i In the fame cave at half an hour

paft eleven - - - 52

At the Torre del PhilofophOj in the

third region, at threein the morning 347 At the foot of the crater of iEtna - 33 About half way up the crater - 29 On the fummit of -flEtna, a little . before fun-rife - - - 27

Height of the barometer in inches and lines.

At the fea-fide at Cattania - - S9 8t At the village of Piedmonte, in the

firft region of ^tna - - 278 At Nicolofi, in the fame region 27 17 At the Caftagno de Cento Cavalli,

in the fecond region - - 26 5^ At the Spelonca del Capriole, in

the fecond region - - 24 2 At the Torre del Philofopho, in the

third region - - - 20 5

At the foot of the crater ^ . 20 4t

Within

SICILY AND MALTA. 213

Within about 300 yards - of" the

furamit - - - 19 6t

At the fummit of ^tna (fuppofed to be about) - - - ^9 4

The wind at the fummit was fo violent that Icould not make the obfervation with perfect exadnefs; however, I am pretty certain that it is within half a line.

I own I had no conceptiou of this im- menfe height of mount -/Etna. I had heard it aflerted that it was higher than any of the Alps, but I never gave credit' to it :— How great then was my.aftonifhment to find that the mercury fell almoft two inches lower than I had. ever obferved it on the ^ very higheft of the acceffible Alps ; at the fame time I am perfqaded there are many inacceffible points of the Alps, (particularly the Mont Blanc) that are ftill much higher tha.n JEtna.

I found 'the magnetical needle greatly

agitated near the fummit of the mountain ;

P 3 (the

114- A TOUR THROUGH (the Psidre della Torre told me, he had made the fame obfervation on Vefuvius) however, it always fixed at the point of north, though it took longer time in fixing than belpw. But what Recupero told me happened to him, was very fingular.— Soon jifter the eruptioa 17 SS^ ^^ placed hisi compafs on the lava. The needle, he fays, to his great aftonifhment, was agitsitec} with much violence for fome cohfiderable time, till at laft it entirely loft its mag- netical power, ftanding indifcriminately at every point of the compafs ; and this i^ never after recovered, till it was agaiq touched with the loadftone.

The wind, and my unfortunate fpraiq together^ in a great meafure- prevented pur eleftrical experiments, on which we ha4 built very much ; however, I found that round Nicolofi, and particularly on the top of Monpelieri, the air was in an exceed- ing favourable ftate for eledirical operations^ Here the little pith balls, when infolated^ V^ere fenfibly afftdcd, and repelled each othep 4 Vpw%rd5i

SICILY AND MALTA. 2^5

upwards of an inch. I expeded this eledrical ftate of the air would have in- creafed as we q.dvanced on the mountain ; , but at the cave where we flept, I could obferve no fuch .efFed, Perhaps, it was owing to the exhalations from the trees and vegetables, which are there exceed- ingly luxuriant; whereas about Nicololi, and round Monpelieri, there is hardly any thing but lava and dry hot fand. — Or per- haps it might be owing to the evening being farther advanced, and the dews be*^ ginning to fall. However, I have no doubt^ that upon thefe mountains formed by erup^ tion, where the air is ftrongly impregnated with fulphureous effluvia, great eledrical difcoveries might be made. And perhaps, of all. the reafons affigned for the wonder- ful vegetation that is performed on this mountain, there is in fad: none that con- tributes fo much towards it, as this con- ftant eledrical ftate of the air ; For from a variety of experiments it has been found, that an increafe of the eledrical matter in-- tireafes the progrefa of all vegetation. Jt P 4 probably

2i6 A TOUR THROUGH

probicbly ads there in the fame manner as on the animal body; — the circulation we know is performed quicker; and the juices are driven through the fmall veflels with more eafe and celerity. This has often been proved from the immediate re^ moval of obftrudlions by eledricity ;— and probably the rubbing with dry and warm flannel, efteemed fo efficacious jin thefe cafes, is doing nothing more than exciting H greater degree of eleCtricity in the part . but it has^ likewife bf en demonftrated, by the common experiment of making water drop through a fmall capillary fyphon, which the moment it is electrified runs in a full ftream. — I have, indeed, very little doubt, that the fertility of our fea- fons depends as much on this quality in the air, as either on its heat or moifture*

Eledricity will probably foon be conr- fidered as the great vivifying principle of pature, by which flie carries on moft of her operations.— It is a fifth element, perfedly ^ifliii^;, and of a fuperiqr nature to the

cth[e|'

9

SICILY AND MALTA. 217

other four, which only compofe the cor- poreal parts of matter : Butjhis fubtile and adive fluid is a kind of foul that pervades and quickens every particle of it. — When an equal quantity of this is diflFufed through the air^ and over the face of the earth, every thing continues calm and quiet; but if by any accident one part of matter has acquired a greater quantity than an- other, the mod dreadful confequences oftea enfue before the equilibrium can be re- ftored. — Nature feems to fall into con- vulfions, and many of her works are deftroyed : - AH the great phaenomena are produced ; thunder, lightning, earthquakes, and whirlwinds: For, I believe, there is little doubt, that all thefe often, depeqd on this fole caufe. And again, if we look down from the fublime of nature to its minutiae, we fhall ftill find the fame power a£ting ; though perhaps in lefs legible cha- racters j for as the knowlege of its ope- rations is 2^s yet* in its infancy, they ara generally mifunderftood, or afcribed to ^fp? other caufe. However, I have no

^owbt|

ziZ A TOUR THROUGH

doubt, that in procefs of time thcfc will be properly inveftigated ; when mankind will wonder how much they have been in the dark. It will then poflibly be found, that what we call fenfibility of nerves, and many of thofe difeafes that the fa- culty have as yet only invented names for, are owing to the body's being pof- fefled of too large or too fmall a quantity of this fubtile and adive fluid j that very fluids perhaps, that is the vehicle of all our feelings ; and which they have Co long • fearcbed for in vain in the nerves ; For I have ibmetimes been led to think, that this fenfe was nothing elfe than a flighter kind of eledric effed, to which the nerves ferve as conductors;. and that it is by the rapid circulation of this penetrating and aniiiiat- ing fire that our fenfations are performed. /We all know, that in damp and ha?y weather, when it feems to be blunted and abforbed by the humidity; when its ac- tivity is loft, and little or none of it can be €olle<9:edj we ever find our fpirits 'more languid^ and our fenfibility lefs atute: but '-' ^ ^' " ih

SICILY AND MALTA. 919

in the Sirocc wind at Naples, when the air feems totally deprived of it, tibe whole fyftem is unftrung, and the nerves fcem to Jofe both their tenfion and elailicity, till the, north or weft "wind awjikens thtf adivity of this animating power, which foon reftores the tqne, and enlivens aH nature, which feemed to droop and laa-^ guifh during its abfence,

It is likewife well known, that there have been inftances of the human body becoming eleftric without the mediation of any elec- ric fubftance, and even emitting fparks of fire with ^a difagreeable fenfation, and aa extreme degree of nervous fenfibility*

About {even or eight years ago, a iady in Switzerland was afFefted in thi§ manner, but I was not able to learn all the pai^ ticulars of her cafe; however feveral Swifs gentlemen have confirmed to me the truth of the ftory, — She was uncommonly fufcep- tible of every change of weather, and had ^er eledrical feelings ftrongeft iri a clear i^ji o^ during ,tlve paffage of thunder-

^ cloudsji

220 A TdUR THROUGH

clouds,, when the air is known to be rcpletie with that fluid. Her difeafe, like all others which the dodors can make nothing of, ^was decided to be a nervous one; for the real fignification of thefe words I take to be only, that the phyfician does not underftand what it is.

Two gentlemen of Geneva had a fliort experience of the fame fort of complaint, though ftill in a mtich fuperior degree. — Pro- fefTorSauffure and young Mr. Jalabert, when travelling over one of the high Alps, were caught amongft thunder-clouds ; and to their utter aftonifhment, found their bodies fq full of electrical fire, that fpontaneou^ flaflies darted from their fingers with a crackling noife, and the fame kind of fen- fation, as when ftrongly eledrified by art. — - This was communicated by Mr. Jalabert to the Academy of Sciences at Paris, I think, in the year 1763; and you will find it recorded in their memoirs,

' It feems, pretty evident, I think, that thefe feelings were owing to the bodies being poffefled of tod' great a fhare.of

SICILY AND MALTA; 221

cledric fire. This is a very uncommon cafe J but I do not think it at all irhpro- bable, that many .of our invalids^ par- ticularly the hypochondriac people, and thofe , we call Malades . Imaginaires, owe their difagreeable feelings to the oppofife caiife, or the bodies being poffefled of too fmall a quantity of this fire; for we find that a diminution of it in the air feldom fails to increafe thefe feelings, and vice verfa.

Perhaps it might be of fervice to thefe people to wear fome electric fubftance next their fkin, to defend the nerves and fibres from the damp, or non-ele£lric air. — I would propofe a waiftcoat of the fineft flannel, which lliould be ke^t perfed:ly clean and dry; for the efiluvia of the body, in cafe of any violent perfpiratiqn, will foon deftroy its elediric quality : iTiis fhould be immediately covered by another of the fame fizc of filk, but without being fewed together. The animal heat, and the fri^ion that exercife muft occafion betwixt

thefe

^%2 A TOUR THROUGH

tlicfe two fubftances, produce a powerful cledtridty ; and would form a kind of etec-* trie afmofphcre around the body, that might poffibly be one of the beft prefer- vatives agaiaft the effect of damps,

A^ for our Swifs lady, I have little doubt that her complaints Were owing in great . part, perhaps entirely, to her drefs; and diat a very fmall alteration, almoft in any part of it, would efFedlually have cured her. A lady who has her head furrounded with a wire cap, and her hair ftuck full of metal pins, and who at the fame time (lands upon^dry filk, is to all intents and purpofea an eledrical condu£lor infolated, and pre- pared for colleding the fire from the at- raofphere : And it is not at all furprizing, tha:t during thunder-ftorms, or when the air is extremely replete with eledrical matter, fhe fhould emit fparks, and ex- hibit other appearances of eleftricity- — I imagine a very trifling change of drefs, \vhich from the conftant verfatility of their modes may feme day take place,

woul4

SICILY AND MALTA. 2x3

xrauld render this lady's difeafe altogether; epidemical amongft the fex.— Only let the foles of their ihoes be made of an electric fubftance, and Jet the wires of their caps, and pins of their hair, be fomewhat length- ened and pointed outwards; and I think there is little doubts that they will oftea find themfclves in an eledrified ftate:— But, indeed, if they only wear filk, or evea worfted ftockings, it may fometimes prove fuffieient; for I have often infolated elec- trometers as perfe6lly by placing them oa. a piece of dry filk or flannel, as on glafs^^

How little do our ladies imagine, when- they furround their heads with wire, the moft powerful of all conductors ; arid at the fame time wear ftockings, flioes, and gowns of filk, one of the moft powerful repellents, that they prepare their bodies la the fame manner, and according to the fame principles as eleiSricians prepare their condudors for attracting the fire of light- ning. If they cannot be brought to re- linquifh their wire caps and their pins, might they not fall upon fome filch pre-

fervative

224 A TOUR THROUGH

fervativp as thofe which of late years havC been ^ppUed to objeds of much lefs con-* fequcnce.

Suppofe that every lady fliould provide lierfelf with a fmall chain or wire, to be hooked on at pleafure during thunder- ftorms. This Ihould pafs from her cap over the thickeft part of her hair, which will . prevent the fire from being commu-* nicated to her head ; and fo down to the ground. — It is plain that this will a£t in the fame manner as the conduftors on the tops of fteeples, which from the metal fpires that are commonly placed there, analogous to the pins and wires, were fo liable to accidents. You may laugh at all this ; but I afTure you I never was more ierious in my life. A very amiable lady of my acquaintance, Mrs. Douglas, of Kelfo, had almoft loft her life by one of thofe caps mounted on wire. She was Handing at gn open window during a thunder-ftorm : The lightning was at- tracted by the wire, and. the cap was burnt

to

SICILY AND MALTA. 225

to athes ; happily her hair was in its natural ftate, without powder, pomatum, or pins ; and prevented the fire from being con-* du£ted to her h^ad, for as fhe felt no kind of fhcck, it is probable that it went oflF from the wires of the cap to the wall, clofe to which fhe then flood. If it had found any condixSor to carry it to her head or body, in all probability fhe muft have been killed,— A good ftrong head of hair, if it is kept perfectly clean and dry, is probably one of the beft prefervatives againfl the fire of lightning. But fb foon as it is fluffed full of powder and pomatum, and bound together with pins, its repellent force is lofl, and it becomes a con,du(3;or*. ~But I beg pardon for thefe furmifes:

I throw

• Since the writing of thefe letters, the author has made

fbme experiments on the eledlricity of hair, which tend itill to convince him the more of what he has advanced* A lady had told him, that oq combing her hair in froft/ weftthcr, in the dark, ihe had fometimes obferved fparks ♦f fire to iflue from it. This made him think of attempt- ing to colled the eledrical £re from hair alone^ without ' the affiftance of any other eledlrical apparatus. To this «nd, he defired a young lady to, dand on a cake of bees- Vol, I. Q^ wix^

226 A TbUR THROUGH

1 throw them iri your way only for you to improve upon at your leifure : For we have it ever in our power to be making expcr riments in eledrkity. And although this fluid is the mofk fubtile and a(3ive of any that we know, we can command it on aH occafions ; and I am now fo accuftomed to its operations, that I feldom comb my hair, or pull off a fteeking, without obferving them under fome form or other. How fur- prifing is it then, that mankind fhould have lived and breathed in it for fo many thoufand years, without almoft ever fup^

, i * , a ..^a f . ■ . I . a 1 ■ . ■ ■ ■ II r ■>,

wax, and to comb hef fiQer's hair, who was fitting on a chair before her. — Soon after fhe began to comb, the young la^y on the wax was. greatly adonifhed to findhtr Vfholt body electrified ; darting out fparks of fire againft every objefl that approached her. The hair was cx- Ircriicly ele^Vrical^ and aifedled an ele^rometef at a very great diftance : He chzrgtd a ttieCal conductor from it with ^at eafe; add in the fffaceof a few minutes colledled as much fire immediately from the hair, as to kindle commdn fpirits ; and by means Of a fmall phial gave many fman ihocks to all the company. A fall account of thefe expe- riments was lately read before the Royal Society, 'i'hcy were made during the tiittc of a very hard froft, and on a ftrbhg Head of hair, where no powder Or pomatum had leen Kfed^or many months.

4 pofiitg

SICILT AND MALtA. iif

pofing that it exifted! But to return to out mountain*

Recupfefo told me tie had obferved th<f fame phaenomenon here that is common iti the eruptions of mount Vefuvius, viz, red br bUieilh lightning darting frbihthe fnidkcj without being followed by the lioife of thuhden The reafoh poflibly is, that thd ^hole cratii' arid fmoke is at that tiitie fd highly ekaHcal, thkt like a cyliiider or globes heated by fridioii, it thrdws off Ipon* tarieoiis flafliefe intd the air, Without bein^ brcSught ihto the attradion of dfay cdhdua-J- or, 6t body kfs dedric than itfelf ; (indeed the fpontaneotis dlfthasges from a good electrical globfe, often bear a perfed re^ •feiiiblance to this kind of lightriihg i) How- ever, if a iloh-eledricj clotid wd4 to pafs hear the crater at that tinie, the crafhdf thun^ Uef would probably be Very violent, whicK irideed ife often the cafe wheti the air iS full of Wet clouds in the time of aft crujJ-s tion; but when this does not happen, th^ jts^uilibrium is probably reftored by degrees/ 0^8 wi

128 A TOUR THROUGH

and without any flhock, from the furplus of eledrical matter being gradually com** municated to the earth and fea all around the mountain ; the itnmenfe lavas that have Ti]n from it) ferving aa condudors.

So highly ele<arlc is the vapour of vol- cano$9 that it has been obferved in fomc eruptions both of -£tna and Vefuvius:, tha| the whole track of fmoke, which fometiraes extended for upwards of loo mile», pn> duced the moft dreadful tStcStSr*, killing ihepherds and flocks on the mountains^ bUfliQg trees, and fetting f^rg to houfes; wherever it met with them oa a» elevated fituation. Now probably the flying of a kite, with a tvire found its ftring, would foon have difarmed this formidable cloud. Thefe effefts, however, only happen when the air is dry and little agitated, but when it is full of xiK)ift vapour, the great rarefadion from the heat of the Java generally brings it down in violent torrputs of rain, which focKi xonveys the eleftrical matter from the clouds to the earth, and reftores the e^librium« 

As

SICILY AND MALTA, ^29

As Recupero, who i$ a facetious and an agreeable companion» was kind eaough to (it a good deal with m^ during my coafiae- meat, I have gathered many remarks from his converfatioi^, that may perhaps be wor* thy of your attentipn.

The variety of waters about Mtn^^y he tells me, is altogether aftonifhing. I have already mentioned the Fiume Freddo, or the river of Acis : Recupero confirms what I hjid been told of it. There is a lake oa the north of the mountain^ of about three miles in circumferencet which receives feveral confiderable rivers ; yet, although there is no apparent outlet, it nev^r overflows its banks* I fuggefted that there might probably be a fubter- raneous communication betwixt this and the Fiume Freddo. He faid there was no refemblance in the quality of their waters; however, I think it is probabk, that in a courfe of fo many miles, through the caverns of ^tna, full of (alts and of mine* rals, it may both acquir<( its cpid and its vitriolic qualities.

0^3 There

130 A TOUR TttRbUGH

There is another lake on the top of H mountain to the weft of ^tna, the bot- tom of which could nev^r be found. It is obferved never either to rife or fall, but always preferves the fame level. It is undoubtedly the crater of that moun- taiq (wl^ich is all of burnt matter) con- verted into a lake. The river which fup- plies the baths pf Cattania is of a very different nature: It n^ver continues the fame, but is perpetually changing. Ita^^ current is for the moft part confined under ground by the lavas; but fometimes Ifr burfts out with fljch violence that the city has fufFered greatly frona it ; and what 1$ ftill more unfortunate, thefe eruptions are generally followed by fome epidemical diftemper. It has now been conftantly di- minifhihg for thefe two years paft, and ia at prefentalmoft reduced to npthrng. They lire in perpetual dread pf its breaking out, and laying wafte their fields, as it has fo often done before. What is exceedingly fmgular, it generally burfts out after a long tra(3: of the* drieft arid warmeft* weathen "^hc MtntSLti Acfvdem^ have- never beet^

li

SICILY AND MALTA. 231

able to account for this fingular phaeno- menon. I think it is moft probable that it arifes from the melting of the fnows on ^tna, but I fhall not pretend to fay how. Thefe, perhaps, over-filling the caverns • that ufually receive their v^rater, the fur- plu3 is carried off into this river.

The river of Alcantara certainly takes its rife from the melting of thefe fnows. Its waters, I obferved, are cxadly of the fame whitifh colour as all the rivers are, that run from the Glaciers amongft the Alps. There are feveral periodical fprings on* JEtna, that flow only during the day, and (lop during the night. Thefe too, are na- turally and eafily accounted for from the melting of the fnows ; for they melt only during the day, being hard froze every night, even in the hotteft feafon. There are likewife a variety of poifonous fprings, fome of fo deadly a quality, that birds and beafts have often been found lying dead on their banks, from having drank of their lifater. But (what is perhaps ftill more 0^4 fiogular^

asa A TOUR THROUGH

lingular) Recupero -told me, that about twenty years ago, there opened a rent in the mountain, that for a confiderable time fent forth fo ftrong a vapour, that like the lake Avernus, birds were abfolutely fuffo^ catgd in flying over it.

There are many caverns where the air is fo exceflively cold, that it is impoffible to fupport it for any time. Thefe the pea- fants make uf^ of as refervoirs for thei fnow; and indeed they make the fineft ice-houfes in the world, prefervihg it hard froze' during the hotteft fummers. It would be endlefs to give an account of all the caverns, and other fingular phsenomena about ^tna, Kircher fpeaks of one which he faw, capable, he fays, of containing 30,000 men. Here, he adds, numbers of people have been loft from their temerity in going too fan One of thefe cavern^ ilill retains the name of Proferpine, fron^ its being fuppofed by the ancipnts, tjiat il# was by this entry that Pluto conveyed her . fgtQ his domiflioi^sj on wljich occafioa

- Ovid

SICILY AND MALTA. ^33

Ovid defcribes Ceres, as fearching for her daughter, with two trees which fhe had plucked from the mountain^ by way of torches.^ * Thefe trees he calls Teda, which is ftill the name of a tree, I have never feen any where but on mount -ffitna. It produces great quantities of a kind of rpfin, and was the very propereft tree Ceres could have pitched upon for her pur- pofc. This.rofin is called Catalanch suid is eileemed a cure for forest

I have mentioned the vaift variety of flowers, trees, &c. on mount jEtna. I have found a long lift of them in Maffa ; but as I am not acquainted with their Sici- lian names, I can make little out of it. I have ecigaged a perfon here to proture me 9 cdleftion of their feeds in the feafon. I find of the number, the cinnamon, faflapa-? rilla, fa0afras, rhubarb, and many others that I thought had only been found in the Indies. The Palma Chrifti too, that plant fo much celebrated of late^ from the |ee4 pf which the caftor oil is made, grows both

here

1^4 A TOUR THROUGH

here aad in many other places of Sicily, in the greateft abundance. Our botanifts have denominated it Refinus Americanus, fup- pofmg it only to be produced in that part of the world. A Bath phyfician, L re- member, has lately wrote a treatife on this plant, and the virtues of the oil fextraded from its feed, which he makes to be a per- fe£t Catholicon. You may believe we (hall not leave Sicily without providing ourfelves with a quantity of this precious feed* '

Mount -£tna, I find, is as much cele- brated by the ancients as the moderns, for the variety of its odoriferous produdions. Plutarch fays, their fmell was fo ftrong, that on many places of the mountain it was impoffible to hunt. I fliall tranfcribe the paffage as it is before me ii^ an old ^ranflation I have borrowed:

" Circum -^tnam in Sicilla neminem fe- ".runt cum canibus venatum iri; quia " enim multos perpetuo illic ut in viri- <* dario prata, coUefque flores mittunt a

^^ fragrautia^

SICILY AKt) MALTA. iiS

^ fragrantia, quas £am oram occupatt obr> ^* fufcarc ferarum anhelationes, &c.*' *Arl-* ftotte has likewife a paffage to the very, fame purpofe J l?ut this may^ fuffice.

There were formerly a variety of wil4 beafts in the woody regions of JEtna ; but tiotwithftanding this advantage they had over the dogs an4 hunters, the number of thefe is now greatly reduced. — They have ftill wild boars, roebucks, and a kind of wild goat ; but the race of flags, Ayhich was miich celebrated, as well as that of bears, is thought to be extind. Several places of the mountain are ftill named from thefe animals.

The horfed and cattle of mount -£tna were efteemed thp heft in Sicily. The cattle are ftill of a very large fize, and bave horns of fo prodigious a length, that they are preferved as curiofities in fome jnufeums. The horfes, I am afraid, bavq degenerated.

Theri

t|6 A TOUR THROUGH

. Th?re are faid to be quaatitie$ of porcu- pines and land tortoifes on fome parts of iEtna; \pvLt we had not the good fortune to meet wijh any of them. Neither did we fee any eagles or vultures, which are likewife faid to be inhabitants of this mountain.

The accounts given of mount iEtna by the old Sicilian authors, (feveral of whom I have borrowed from. Recupero) is very various. Some of them defcribe the hollow of the crater as being feven or eight miles in circumference, fome make it five, and others make it only three : And probably all of them are ri^bt; for I find, by all their accounts, that generally once in about I GO years, the whole crater has fallen down into the bowels . of the mountain : That in procefs of time, a new crater is feen peeping out of the gulph ; which, perpetually encreafing by the matter thrown up, is by degrees raifed again to its ancient height, till at laft becoming too heavy for the hollow foundations that fup- port it, it again gives way, and at once t fmks

SICILY AND. MALTA. 13;^

finks down into the mountain. This hap- pened about 100 years ago, in the year 1669, as recorded by Borelli, whofe ac- count of it I have before me. He fays,

• • Univerfum cacumen, quod ad inftar

" fpeculae, feu turris, ad ingentem altitur

• • dinem elevabatur, quod una cum vafta
• ^ planitie arenofa deprelfa^ atque abforpta
  • eft in profundam voraginem, &c. Th^

fame likewife happened in the year I536^ as. recorded by Fazzello and Filoteo ; and iii the years 1444, 1329, and 1157. Of all thefe I have read an account ; but pro- bably, betwixt the twolaft mentioned, there has bden another that is not recorded^ a» the intervals betwixt all the reft are pretty nearly equal.

Some of them give a dreadful account of it, Folcandoi one of their hiftoriansi, fays it fhook the whole ifland, and refound- ed through all its ftiores. And their cele- brated poet Errico fays, on the fame occa- fion :

i38 A TOUR THROUGH

• ' S^ode ilfuo gran mugiio

• ' Per milk piagge e Hdi.*-

^* The bellowing dire a thoufand lapds refound; •^ Whofe trembling (hores return the dreadful found."

In all probability, this finj^ulaf event will Very foon happeft, as the circumfereiice of ih6 ctatci: h fao-wherfe recorded to have been reduced to lefs than three miles. And Recupero.fays, it is at prefent only three toiles and a half; "befides, loo year^, the coitirtion period^ has ndw elapfed lifiice its laftfalU

There are mkny ftories of people periiH- ing by their temdrity, in being too curiou^ fpedators of the eruptions of this moilnv tain; but there are ftill many itiore, of thofe that have been mifaculoufly faved by the iiiterpofition of fome faint or the Vir- gin, who are fuppofed to be in a f)erpetual Hate of warfare with the devifs in mount JEtna. That part of the ifland wherfe iEtna ftands, has ever been named il Vdl - Demouh from the frequent apparitions df

thefi^

SiCILt AND MALTA, aj^

th^fe devils. This conftitutes one third of the ifland. The other two are named the Val di NotOy and the Val di Mazzara.

There is one ftory that is ftill celebrated at Cattania, though it is a very ancient one. It is taken notice of by Seneca, Ariftotle^ Strabo, and other ancient authors. In the time of one of the eruptions that deftroyed Cattania, when the fire was pouring down upon the city, and every one was carrying off his moft valuable efFeds, two rich bro- thers, named Anjinomu^ and Anapias^ ne- gleding all their wealth, efcapied from the conflagration with their aged parents on their backs. Thefe authors add, that the fire, refpeding fuch filial piety, fpared them, whilfl many others that took the iame road were confumed.

Thisflory has b^en wonderfully extolled, and proves, I think, that adions of this kind were by no means common in thofe days.— Now, pray, don't you think,, in the world at prefent, bad as it is fuppoferf |o be, there are very few fons, that would

BOt

240 A TOUR THROUGH

not have adled in the fame manner ? and fore I am, the reft of mankind would not have made fuch a fufs about it. Huma- nity and natural aflPedlion, I believe, in thofe ages we are inclined to extol fo much, were not by many degrees fo powerful as they are at prefent.— r-Even the pious iEneas himfelf,. the mod celebrated of all their heroes, was at the beft but a fav^ge, not- withftanding all that Virgil fays to per- fuade us to the contrary ; for you find him facrificing his weak and qaptive enemies,^ at the fame time that he is canting and preaching up piety.

Thefe two brothers were fo celebrated for this adion, that there was a diipute betwixt Syracufe and Cattania, which of thefe cities had given them birth; and temples were erected in both thefe places, dedicated tp Filial Piety, in memory of the event.

In the accounts of the more recent de- ftruftions of Cattania, there occurs no

inftance

ji^hce df this fort.— We find ik«m ottly Iamentii% the l6fb df jprielb and dfuoiv and very touch out of humour at iheiif iaints) ifor alldwing the devih to get the- better of them. I haVe be^ik a good deid entehained with fom^ of thefd authbrs;-— Selvag^gio, ohe of their (loiets^ fpeaMag 6t tjbe terrible earthqtlalce in the jreai^ i^^» that i^eft^pyed Gattahtd, and buried toul^ dtiides i!)f pe(^ple in the ruins, dcfci^MM it in tiie Mo^ihg thAnft'er, whifih liiajr fervd as a/fpecimeii 6? the f<Jeiry ibf "that time}

• • Cattaniam d(Aitf, dddr «A fhifei«bife4iftUf :

Clara potens amiqua^c } glebe) mitttei dtfOi -DmdiS) auFO) fpecH vlmtie, oianli|>ku< 'Hc^ terts DioijtlrtiitiJia|»iiidi«|ftj^ji:i^ \

hikxtc im jiU9«nifi^ PW^itur ?^k„ ;%K)i^at m^cus»,

' tJn4e-A<i^rb>ic,h^o i DeVu^.yni. 4i^.it ,|i^9J[a Turres, b^natus, v^ftes) cUmStofque pai^atviS. )in taftUG^ gen^jpd^itgava iifiiu^ina .j^dtis, ]_Bcohdo|dFl, ttjn<)nachi ^^jra^inta quatubret

ph»f

i^t pefiit pa^or patri*; pater ipfe Jdijifinef Pphtificalis honor, iuk'ftgiir fie pe^ierc*" .

t^ot. I* R But

242 A TOUR THROU13H But another fellow, Guftanavilla, one of their hiftorians, gives a very different account of this affair; as it is likewife fomewhat curiouB in its way,^ I fldall copy it for your amufement : •

••In omnem terram, et in fines orbi*

•• terrsB jam exiit plaga ilia, qua nuper ia

• • Sicilia percuffi funt Catanenfes in yigilia

.*• B. Agathae ; cum efpifcopus ille damna-

^•* tiflimus, qui, ficut fcitis, fibi fumpfit

•• honorem, non vocatus a Domino, tan-*

•• quam Aaf6n, et qui ad fedem illam,

" non eledtione canonica, fed Giezitici

•• venalitate intravit ; cum, inquam abo-

. •• minationis offerret incenfum, intonuit de

. •• ccelo Dominps, et ecce terrae motus fadlus

•• eflmagnus; angelus enim Domini per-

•• cutiehs epifcopum in furore Domini cum

•• pppulO) et unlverfa civitate fubvertitJ

)>

He adds, that if St. Agatha^s veil had not been produced, the angel of the Lord was in fuqh a fury, that he ^would not have left one foul ^live.

There

SICILY AND MALTA. 24.3

• There is a curious painting of the great

Eruption 1 669, in the cathedral of this place. It is but indifferently painted, but gives. a dreadful idea of that event. Borrelli, who was upon the fpot, defcribes- it. — He fay5, on the nth of March, fometime before the lava burft out, after violent earth- quakes and dreadful fubterraneous bellow- ing, a rent was opened in the mountain twelve miles long; in fome places of which, when they threw down flones, they could'not hear them ftrike the bottom. He fays, that burning rocks, fixty palms in length, were thrown to the diftance of a mile; and that the giants, fuppofed to be ■ buried under mount -/Etna, feemed to have renewed their war againft heaven : That ftones of a leffer fize were carried upwards of three miles ; and that the thunder and lightning from the fmoke, was fcarce lefs terrible than the noife of the mountain. He adds, that after the moft violent ftrug- gles and fhaking of the whole ifland, when the lava at laft burft through, it iprung up into the air to the height (£ R 2 fixty

244 A TOUR THROUOH

fixty palms.— In fhortf he defcribes that events as well as the univerfal terror and confternation it occafioned, in terms full of horror. — For. many weeks the fun did not appear, and the day feem^ to be changed into night. — Soon after the lava got vent, which was not till four months from the tinre that the mountain began to throw> all thefe dreadfiil fymptoms abated,, and It was foon after perfectly quiet.

He fays, this deluge of fire, after dte- ftroying the fineft country in Sicily, and fweeping away churches, villages, an^ convents before it, burft over the lofty walls of Cattania, and covered up five oi its baftions with the intervening curtains. From thence pouring down on the city, it laid wade every objeQ; it met with, over- whelming and burying all in one promiir cuous ruin.

What he regrets moft, was fome preci;^ ous remains of antiquity ; the names, the fituation, and even the memory of whqfe

exiftencet

SICILY AND MALTA. 245

exiftence, Is now loft in the place. He mentions an amphitheatre, which he calls Colli/ho^ the Circus Maximus,' the Nau^ machia^ and feveral temples.

An account of this great eruption wa* fent to Charles II. by Lord Winchelfeat who was then on his return from an em«> bafly at Conftantinople, and ftopped at Cattania on purpofe to fee fo remarkable a phaenomenon ; but his lordfhip has not been at that pains to examine it we could have wifhed. IJis curiofity was fatisfied in onQ day ; and he feems to have been contented only to look at the lava at a great diftance ; but did not think of examining its fource, or afcending the mountain, al^ though at that time all the moft formidable fymptoms of the eruption were already over.

I fhouLd not finifh this account of mount

J£xmy without faying fomething of the

various fables and allegories to which it

has given ri^ ; but it would probably lea4

R 3^ WMS

2^6 A TOUR THROUGH

me into too vaft-a field, and give this more the air of a diflertation than a letter or a journal. Thefe you will eafily recoi- led They have afforded ample employ- ment for the mufe, in all ag«, and -in all languages ; and indeed the philofopher and natural hiftorian have found, in the real properties of this mountain, as ^mple a fund of fpeculation, as the poets have done in the fiSitious. — It is fo often men- tioned by the ancient writers, that it has been faid of i^tna as well as of Greece :

"^ Nullum eft fine nomine faxum."

Indeed) I am afraid this faying was much more applicable to it formerly than it is at prefent ; for we even found feveral large mountains that had no name ; and it does not at all appear, that the number of phi- lofpphers in Sicily have by any means in- crcafcd in the later ages. Their ambition is now changed ; and if. they can get a faint to keep the devils of ^tna in order, they trouble themfelves yery little about the caufe of its operations j and do not

"9 T^^^?

Sicily and malta. 247

value their ifland half fo much for having given birth to Archimedes or Empedocles, . i^s St. Agatha aad St. Rofolia,

The ancients, as well as the moderns, feem ever to have confidered iEtna as one of the higheft mountains on the globe. There are many paflages in their authors that fliew this ; though, perhaps, none more ftrongly than their making Deuca- Jiojtji a»d Pyrrha take refuge on the top of it, to fave theajfelve? from the univerfal deluge *,

I fh^ll now conclude this long accoi^nt of xpount jflEtna with Virgil's celebrated dei^riptiop of it ixx tlie jthird ^neid, which has been fo much admired. You may compare it ivitji the fQllowing defcription of the famous poet Raitano, held, I af-

• Cataclyfmus, quodnos dilavium dicitnus, cumfadlas'

eftf omne genus humanum interiit praeter Deucalionem et Pyrrham, qui in montem iBtnaia qui altilTimtts in Sicilia |?i{p dicitur fugerunty Sec. HiGinvu

^ i f fwr« 

J

SicUiaast , : : ; ^/

• «f Ndtrhczzq terib l^tfie^^ avvicci^a

•iEtiu h fronte fua ^irita di ttrrori^^ ^

>E co,ii Sf|>^yacitpevQ|le' toyini ' ' - >- '

1 |t,J9i|:)04Jiba) c coii orribiH^ifiragot^; Soventt fijegfi n^bi 4 ckl dteftitia ^ J^umaiiltt (ii iitri^ uj(rbine^ e di ^rdo^j[

' Er^.g^tM:>l di ^acnftia, e fu Umlbifce ^

Scoglij^ c divfltc vifccrc di monce .^rri^cuqido tal yolta avidq ^ftoll^ ;. E cdh gcmiti yoinita^ e con on^e Liqui£it^^ mac^ni, ^ in fqn^o bolle/'

So r^a^tl^SiciUaqrti&ure ;^y6uWill^ hefitate to giye thier prefet-cnce to the Lat^q pmCf althoujgjh the fortocr is pyidently i[tel<5 from Jb^i^r.

V ■ Horrificis juxta tonat Mtn^ niipUt ^ntcrdumquc atramprorumpit td asthera rxubem^ Tu^biiie fumaiitem picieo et cand?i)?C(p fayilla, AttxjlKtqtie glObos flammarum, et fidera lambit, ^ntcrdumqu^ fcopulos, avolfaque yifcei*^ morAisL Er^giterjudtans, liquefadaque faxa tub aiiras ^urpgenaitu glomcrat, fundoqv.'e^xaBft\iat iroo.**

SICILY ANB MAJ-TA 249

But both thefe hav6 betia greatly ont^ done by the wonderful iihaginiitioQ of out g;reat countryman Sir Rieh^d j^acbmore | who accounts at once foi^ the wbole" pbas^ pomena of Mtt^y by the p\mi and fimpler idea q£ giving the ibounuin a fit odF the pholic : A thought that had efc^ped all the poet8 and philoTophers of adtiqulty, 9nd ieems for ever to have been refisrved for the profoqnd genius of this great inafter 4pd father of the Bathos.*^! have forgot the paflage ; but y6u wiU fiad it, I think* in pritice Arthur-

The phikfophical poet, LuCteiitiib ha* |ikewife mentioned the eruptions of mount ^tna; but Pindar is the oldeft poet we know of, that has taken any nbtiee of them. His defpription is, I think, by much the moft fatisfaflory of all, and con- veys a clearer idea both of the mountain itfelf, and an eruption of the mountain, than either the Latin or Sicilian poet, thongii it is not near fo much laboured, mw wtftked* \ip \vith ail that v^iety of <:i3:(:iuni&moea^

that

250 A TOUR THRdUGH that thejr h^ve found tneans to introduce^ Its greatttft fault is, that Pindar had ftill jtept in view that abfurd and ridiculous ; idea of the ancients, that Jupiter had buried the giants below mount -£tna ; and that theif ftruggling to get loofe, was the caufe of its eruptions j But even this he touches but flightly, as if he was aftiamed ' to give fuch a reafon. The paffage is tran-? dated into ^Englifh by Mr. Weft.

^^ Now under fmok|ng Cuma^s fulph'rous co^ft And vaft Sicilia, lies his tortured bre^ft. By fnowy ^tna, nurfe of cndlefs froft. The mighty prop of heaven for ever preft. Forth fn[>ni whofe flaming caverns iffuing rife Tremendous fountains o$ pure liq^uid fjre, \yhich veil in rviddy raifts the noop-day Ikies While wrapt iT\ fmoke the edging flames afpire -^ ' Or gleaming thro' the night with hideous roar, par o'er the red'ning main huge rocky fragments

noi

lur,

This paffage of Pindar fhews to a de-f monftration, what has been much difputed, ^hat jEtna was in thefe early ages, of as

gre^t;

SICILY AND MALTA; 231

great an elevation* as it \s kt prefect. 1% has • been alleged, that voicanos^ always in-, cteafe in height till they are Textinguiihedy^ when they are fuppofed to moulder down; and by degrees fink into, the caverns 'that are below them, like the aftruni, 'and the. folfaterra at Naples i — But. this puts it out. of difpute: We find that iEtoa was then, asi.. it is now,, covered with etfi;i;nal fnows, and. was fuppofedt like At^s, to |)e one of the great props of hpayen. Bqt whatpleafes me the moft in this defcripton is, that it prove^ beyond the poflRbility of a doubt, that ip Ihefe very remote eruptions, it was cqm- mon for the lavas of j£tna,to run a great jvay out to fea.-^Tbe conclufion, I think, is futly as juft, and perhaps npt lefs fu* blime, than the " avolfaque vifcera montis

• • erigit eru£tans of Virgil, which, I muft

O^n, I think rather comes too near Sip Jlichard's fit of the cholic,

Thucydides fpeaks of three eruption? of ^his mountain ; but is not fo partiqulv as . we could have wifhed. .He doe$ not men- tion

1^ > TOV&L THR04JQH

tioa Hoe date of the firft} but &y8t it wa» the earlkft aifter the arrival of the Greeks ill ffidijv Tile lecond JUppcoti about the time of the 77th OlymfMad, aind the laft in that of tkie 89di, which wjto nearly

teui tfM^^fimod- when Kndar' wrote; &>.

tkit we ttkaSi/t dcMibt iSat his* defcription ir- fidl«A 'IVbn(-#e atcounts^ he had heard ti flMki of thefc eruptions, the drcum-v ftinceft of ^#liich, no doubt, at that time, Bid atlbriSidt iasttcr ci eonveriation all

OTcr vjrreccc.

.-tt, ' . - . ■ -

" I Amfe ^ liiay rioW tty to tsake leave of jStha, tljotigh I am afVaid, clttring the re^ AiSttiAtt of otAr ^pedittoii, ^ (halt meet iHth nbthnijg^ at alF worthy ttf fuceced to it r^^e ^ail fill fitto this to-lthorto^ i&ora-* ihgfy aiKreipe6l; tofleej) atSyra'ctife, as it h mj about iSfty miles diffaiit. t' fliafl v/ntt yoa again from the ndjtis of that celebra^ (ity. Farewell.

Eyer yoq?:?.

StCILY AND MAtTA^ «^

L^ T IP B a 3tn. ^« 

■ - u-i ' ■■ t-.ttJ

r\N the 31ft 06 ^7 iffe.fiiBbai^bed'**

bbaid a feU^Qca, an4 ii^-filll ^ IbfJt^

migibty Syraieiill»,-rThe v««Bd. inin* ^^^Dipnrn

abl^, aod forfbme time we ,wei9^xa.|in%r)

digbus xate. The v^w of aimmt :j|&o«»

for the whole of this Uttle yaf^ifgtm.m!99tT

derfully finet and the Iiold l^l^df; <;9aft

formed, for near thirty miles, of ^ lava

of diat.immenievokaao, giyet^^ ml^

awful idea of its ert^ai^gir^TlMfe -is

np part «^ t|iis coaft neuM^ tJumHiitty

miles to its fiimmit ; aod yet^ttbMe 4u»

har4^ heen aqy great ensptioir, wherecilie

lava his iijQtt rea9^ed tlie fea, aoi^^doiaa

'bae^ its wmers to;« grea^-4ifiance,.:leiuidag

■iu^rdckfr and fifotnoatonee* than&r Mfr.

iet its wates at defiancey and prefcribe. their

>iJitflGioft' limits. What'a treflKiidoas foeoe

the meeting heewisf tl^ adrerib ekmfiitf s

«aMft hav&foiiaedv

■ 'We

l54 A TOUR THROUGH

We may eafily conceiva the vaft variety

of changes this coaft has undergbhe in the

fpace of fome thoufands of years, as every

"confiderAle eruption muft have made a

' Tbateml%iflFferencc.---Virgil is wonderfully

minute :aiid/exaft in; his geography of

iSigily'; fafid'thiss is , the only part of the

ifiind "that '&eiAs to; be materially altered

•finde -his^ timei : He lays there was a large

fine port it the foot of. JStna, where fliips

were* fccurefrom eviery wind j

<«' Portus ab accelTu ventorum immotus et ' « ingens/*

of which, at prefent, there is not the leaft

vcftige or remains. It is probably the fame that was denominated by the Sicilians the

port of Ulyffes, and is often mentioned by

their writers.— The place of its exiftence Js

• ftill fhewn betwixt three and four miles up the country, amongft th^ lavas of -£tna*

' However, I can fee no fort of reafon why they have called this the port of Ulyffes : For furtly Homer does not bring his hero near the precin£ts of mount ^tna. Indeed I think it is altogether evident, that that

volcano

SI^eiLY AND. MALTA- 25^

volcano did not burn during the age of Homer, nor for fome ages preqedittg it# otherwife it is not pofiible, that he wxndd have faid fo much of Sicily, without taking any nbtice of fo great and capital anobjed; The one in the world, that tl^e daring and fublioie imagination of Homer would hav? hc&a the moft eager :to, grafp al>-^It is evi^ dent, from his account, that UlyfTes land^ ed at the weft end of Sicily, c^pofite tdthe ' ifland of Lachaea, now Favignana,^ iljlaoft two hundred miles difta^jt from ^d^ii^ port. >

Virgil, with more judgment, lands his hero at the foot of iEtna, which gives hitn an opportunity of introducing fome of the fineft defcription in the ^neid. However, it is fomewhat fingular, that here he makes JEhcas find one of Ulyffes's companions^ who had efcaped the rage of Polyphemus, and hid lived for feveral months in the woods and caverns of this mountain.— Virgil muft have been veiy feufible p^ this impropriety, as he well knew, that Homer had landed UlyiTes, and placed the cave, .of

Polyphe-

^s9 A took THkotrdtt

t^olyphemus at the moft diftant poim of tliC IQzni. But he Could not (MreVail on hinl* fclf to t>afs mount Mtnz.^^Jit vr?^ fo tho*- fOttghiy convinced, that this wab the moil proper landing»pkce for an epic hetD> ajl Well as the moft proper habitation for the pfclops: That, bj a bold poetical Itceiicei be has fairly takisn it for granted, that Homar re^ly made it fo.-^lodeed^ in this paflage, the f^eafiu^ he affords to the ima^- gtfiation of his feAdtt, makes an ample amends Ibr his ^ving impofed on hW judgments But to return to our voyage.

The view of ihe motititaln from the fea is mych more, complete and fatisfaftory than any wher^ on th6 iffand. The eye takes in a greater portion ^pf the circle, an A yoU Obferve, with more diftinanefs, how It lifes eqvally on a1Mi*(}es, from its. imnienfd bafe, ovarfjpread with the beautiful littfe mountaljis I have metitloned } .and at bncd can twee jthe progirpfs 6f vegetation from . its utmfift; luxuriance, to ^vh^FC, ft is checked 1^ thp cwra extremes of hekt and of c6fd.~

The

The'tJIfFereDt regbn« of the moimtawara 5 diftindlyimaVkediqut, by their different fco^ ::' lourr, aiid differfciit prodthaioao ; expofiog. - at once td the ra^ftied eye C2?fery climat^v— 2ivsi every feafan, with all tljieir variety j . t

^* Wliere bloflbms, fitiirs, and flowers toother rife^- "^

• ' Ahd the whole year in gay confuffion lies/*

The firfli regioh exhibits. fevery^tibje€t tibit i charafierfzes* fummer and aiittainn ; the fe- cond/ Ihofe of the moft ddighlful fpring; n the third, an etSSrnal and nnrclien ting win- ter; and the fourth, to complete th6 con-- , traft, the regions of unextinguifhable fire.

The circamf^encq of the great ^ bafe of iEtna, RecupQTo jtold ,mc, bye. had been at ^ a good deal of» p^i^ to have p^c^Qly fbfcer- ; tained ; as it h^4 generally been computed only at a huadired milesi or little jnore> " although the radii. of that circle had pvet ^ been efteemed at thirty of thefe 9xiks ; ian>-i abfurdity in compulation that had jput him , upon making this enquiry; the refult of ^, which was, that taking the iuppofed^djif-yf tances of one place from anQth^r> all the

Vox-* U S. way,

^58 A tOUR THROUGH

way round, the fum of the whole amount- ed to one hundred and eighty-three miles t an immenfe circle, furely, and which i& flill increafed by every confiderable erup- tion. The whole of this circle is formed of lava and burnt matter ; and I have ob- ferved, that near the very outermoft Ikirts of It, there have been many little eruptions that have pierced through fome of the thickeft lavas of -Stna. Thefe fmall erup- tions, at fo vaft a diftance from the great furnace of the mountain, are probably oc- cafioned by the intenfe heat of the lava, (which continues for many years) rarifying the air, in the caverns it has run over, which burfting forth from its prifon, the lava finks down, and kindling the fulphur and nitre with which thefe caverns are filled, exhibits ipi miniature the phaenome- na of a great eruption.

There is a large fandy btach, that extends . from the m^uth of the river Simetus, a great way to the fbuth of Cattania, and was certainly continued the whole way to' the foot of the mountain of Tauromipum,

(where

SICILY AND MALTA. 259

(where there is ftill fome remains of the eaft end of it) till it was broke in upon^ many thoufand years ago, by the lavas of ^tna ; which, from a lowfandy fhore, have now converted it into a highj bold, black iron coaft. What is a ftrong proof of this; — in many places where they have fiink deep wells ; after pjercing through the la- va, they have at laft come to beds' of fliells and fea fand.

There is nothing elfe that is very inte- refting in the voyage from Cattania to Sy- racufe. If you will read the conclufion of the third book of the -Sneid, you will find a much better defcription of it than any I can give you. The coaft lies low, and ex- cept -£tna, there are no very ftriking points of view. .

We paffed the mouth? of feveral rivers : The firft and moft confiderable is the Giarretta or river of St. Paul, formerly the Simetus; and under that name cele- brated by the poets. The nymph, Thaliat S 2 after

ff6o A TOUR THROUGH

after her* amour with Jupiter, is {\ippdidi to have been converted imb this ftreattty which, to avoid the rage of Juno, futtfc under ground near mount jEtna, and con- tinued this fubterrantous courfe to the fea. This river was navigable in the time of the RotiianSy and MaSk fajs, the only one in the ifland» that was fo.-^It takes its rife on the north fide of <iEtna, and fur- rounding the weft fkirts of the mountaitt^ falls iilto the fea near the ruins of the an- tient Morgantio. It no longer finks under ground as it did formerly ; but it is- ndvt celebrated fot a quality that it does not appear to have pofFeffed in the times of antiquity, as none of the old writers take notice of it. It throws up near its mouth, great quantities of very fine amber ; This is carefully gathered by the peafants in the neighbourhood, and brought to Catta- nia, where it is inanufadured into the form of crofTes, beads, feints, i&c. and is fold iat very high prices to the fu'perfkitiou? people on the Q)ntinent. Wc bought fo- vferal of thefc refpedable figures, and found

them

SICILY AND MALTA, 2'^

them eledricai in a. high degree; at trad- ing feathers, ftraws, and other light bo- dies, with great force, fomewhat emblema- tical, you will fay, of what they reprefent. —Some pieces of this amber are full of flies and other infers, curioufly preferved in its fubftance ; and we were not a little entertauied with the ingenuity of one of the ar lifts, who has left a large blue.bot tie- fly with its wings expanded, exadly oyer the head of a faint, to reprefent, he told us, lofpirito fanto coming down upon him. I have got fome very fine pieces of this amber, jPfiuch more eledric, I think, and emitting a Wronger fmellf than that which comes from, the Baltic. The generation of this fubftaiice has long been a controverted point amongft naturalifts ; nor do I believe that it is as yet perfedly afcertained, whether it is a fea or a land prpdudion.-r^Though it is generally fuppofed to be a kind of gum or bitumen, that iflues from the earth in a liquid ftate, at which time the flies and other infefts that light upon it are caught, and by their ftruggles to get loofe, foon work themfelves S 3 into

262 A TOUR THROUGH

into its fubftance, which hardening round them, they are for ever preferved in the great- eft perfeSion. Large fine pieces are con- ftantLy found at the mouth of the Simetus, fuppofed to have been brought down by the river ; but it is Angular, that none of it is ever found inland, but always on the fea- fliore: They have like wife here a kind of ar- tificial amber, made, I am told, from cobalt; but it is very different from the natural.

Not far from the mouth of this river there are two of the largeft lakes in Sicily ; the Beviere, and the Pantana ; the firft of which is fuppofed to have been made by Hercules ; in confequence of which it was held facred by the antients. They lire full pf a variety of fifli ; one fpecies of which, called MoUetti, is greatly efteeftied. The faking and manufacturing of thefe confti-r tutes a very confiderable branch of com- inerce at the city of Leontini, which is in that neighbourhood. This city is 6ne of (he moft antient in the ifland, and is fuppofed to b^ye bcf q the l^abitatiou of t^c Leftrigons,

The

i SICILY AND MALTA. 263

The Leontine fields have been much ce- lebrated for their fertility : Both Diodorus and Pliny affert that they yielded wKeat aa^ hundred-fold, and that grain grew fponta- neoufly here without culture : But this was only during the reign of Ceres, and is not now the cafe.

In a few hours failing we came in fight of the city of Augufta, which is beautifully fituated in a fmall ifland, that was formerly a peninfula : It was called by the Greeks Cherfonefus, becaufe of its fuppofed refem- blance to theMorea. Both the city and for- tifications feem confiderable, and are faid to contain about 9000 inhabitants. The ruins of the Little Hybla, fo celebrated for its honey, lie within a few miles of this place.

Some time before our arrival at Syracufc, it fell a dead calm, and we fpi^d a fine turtle faft afleep on the furface of the waten Our pilot ordered a profound filence, and only two oars to row very gently, that if poffible we might furprize him,— Every S4 thing

a64 A TOUR THROUGH thing was put in order,- and two men were placed ready at the prow to fecure the prize. — We were all attention and expefl:- ation, and durft hardly breathe for fear c^ didurbing him.

We moved flowly on, and the turtk lay ftone-ftill; the two men bent down their bodies, and had their arms already in the water to feize him.— No ald^rman^ with all deference be it fpoken, ever beheld his turtle upon the table with naore pleafure and fecurity; nor feafted his imagination more lufcioufly upon the banquet. — He was already our own in idea, and we were only thinking of the various ways in which he fhould be dreflcd. — When — how vain and tranfitory all human pofleffions ! the turtle gave a plunge; flipped through their £ngers« and difappeared in a moment; and with him all our hopes.— We looked very fooliflh at each other, tvithout uttering a word ; till FuUarton afked me in the moft provoking manner in the world, whether 1 would chufe a little of the callipaflb or

the

SICILY AND MALTA, 2^5

the callipee.-rThe two men flirugged up- their flioulders, and faid Pazienzay buf Glover told them in a rage, that all the. pazienza on earth was x^t equal to a good

turtle.

Soon after this, the remains of the

great Syracufe appeared ; the remembrance

of whofe glory and magnificence, and il-

luftrious deeds both in arts and arms^

made us for fome time even forget our

turtle. But alas! how arc the mighty

fallen! This prouS city, that vied wi&

Rome itfelf, is now reduced to a heap of

rubbiih; iR)r what remains of it. does not

deferve the name of^a city. We rowed

round the greateft part of its walls withoiit

feeing a human creature ; thofc very walli

that were the terror of the Roman arms ;

from whence Archimedes battered their

fleets, and with his engines lifted up their

Veflels out of the Tea, and- daflied theoi

againft the rocks. We found the interidt

part of the city agreed hai too well with

its eKtemal appearance. There was not ml

z66 A TOUR THROUGH

inn to be found; and after vifiting all the monafteries and religious fraternities in fearch of beds, we found the whole of them ib wretchedly mean and dirty that we pre- ferred at laft to fleep on ft raw ; but even this we could not have clean, but are eat up with Tcrmin of every kind,

Wc had letters for the Count Gaetano^ who made an apology that he could not lodge us, but in other refpeds (hewed us many civilities; particularly in giving u& the ufe of his carriage, in explaining the ruins, and in pointing out every thing that was worthy of our attention ; and likewife in giving us letters of recommendation for Malta. He is a fenfible man, and has writ feveral treatifes on the antiquities of Sicily^

Of the four cities that compofed the antient Syracufe, there remains only Or- tigia, by much the fmalleft, fituated in the ifland of that name. . It is about two miles rounds and fuppofed to contain about 14000 whabitaAts. The ruins of the other threbt

£ ' Tych^i

, SICILY AND MALTA. 2^7

Tycha, Acradina, and Neapoli, are com- puted at twenty-two miles in circumferencCf but almoft the whole of this fpace is now converted into very rich vineyards, or- chards, and corn-fields ; the walls of thefe are indeed every where built with brokea marbles covered over with engravings and infcriptions, but moft of them defaced and fpoiled. The principal remains of antiquity Sire a theatre and amphitheatre ; many iepulchres, the Latomie^ the Catacombs, and the famous ear of Dionyfius, which it was impoffible to deftroy. — The Latomie now form a noble fubterraneous garden, and is indeed one of the moil beautiful and romantic fpots I ever beheld. Mpft of it is about one hundred feet below the level of the earths and of a moft incredible extent. The whole is hewn out of a rock ^s hard as marble, compofed entirely of a concretion of (hells, gravel, and other ma- rine bodies. The bottom of this immenfe quarry, from whence probably the greatefi: part of Syracufe was built, is now covered Vir^^h ^U .^^cee4ing rich foil ; and as no

wind

26$ A TOUR THROUGH

wind from any paint of the compafs can pofitUy touch it, it is filled with an infinite variety c£ the very fineft fhrubs and fruit- trees, which bear with vaft luxuriance^ and ure never blafted. The oranges, ci- trons, bergamots* pomegranates, figs, &c. are all of a remarkable large fize and fine quality. Some of thefe trees, but more particularly the olives,, grow out of the hard rock ; where there ia no mark of any foil ; and exhibit a very uncommon appearance.

There is a variety of wild and romantic fcenes in this curious garden ; in the midi): of which we were furprifed by the appear- ance of a 6gure under one of the caverns, that added greatly to the dignity and fo- lemnity of the place. — It was that of an aged man, with a long flowing white beard that reached down to his middle. His old wrinkled face and fcanty grey locks pro- nounced him a member of fome formeip age as well as of this. His hands, which vwere fliook by the palfy, held a fort of pilgrim's ftafFj and about his neck there

waa»

SICILV AND MALtA/ 4«^

Was a ftfing of large beads with A crudfkt hanging to its fend.— Had it not been fdr thefe marks ^ his later cxiftence, I dwi'C know but I fhould hatre aflted hinft, whe«  ther, in his youth, he had not beett acquainted with Theocritus atod Archi*- medes, and if he did not renaember the reign of Dionyfius the tyrant* But he faved us the trouble, by tellifiig us he wa* the hermit of the place, and belonged to A conveht of Capuchins on the rock above ; that he had now bid adieu to the vipper world, and was determined to fpend thifi re&i of his life in this folitude, in prayet fot thfi wretched mortals that inhabit it.

This figure, together with the fceiie it appears in^ arc indeed admirably weif adapted, land refieft a mutual digiiit)r upoti each otheir. We left fome money upon the rock :— For the Capuchins, who are the gfeateft beggats on earth, nievet touch tttoney, but fave their too tender con* fciences, and preferve their vows umhorobcn^ by ih€ fim^e device of lilting it with jl 8 pair

\

t^b A TOUR THROUGH

pair of pincers^ and carrying it to marked in their fack or cowl. This I have ken more than once. — ^We were much delighted •with theLatomie, and left it with regret? It is the very fame that has been fd much celebrated by Gicero about 1800 years ago > ^* Opus eft ingens (fays he) magnificum

• • r£gum, ac tyrannorum. Totum ex faxo

•* in mirandam altitudinem depreffo, &c.'* A little to the weft of it is fuppofed to have flood the country-houfe, the fale of which you will remember he gives f6 lively and plealant an account of; by which a gold- imith (I have forgot his name) cheated a Ro<» man nobleman in a very ingenious manner.

The ear of Dionyfius is no lefs a monu- ment of the ingenuity and magnificence^ than of the cruelty of that tyrants It is a huge cavern cut out of the hard rock, exadtty in the form of the human ear. The perpendicular height of it is about 80 feet, and the length of this enormous ear is not lefs than 250. The cavern was faid to be fo contrived^ that every found made in

it, 9

SICILY A?*D MALTA. 471

it^ was coUeded and united into one point, as into a focus ; this was called the Tympa- num ; and exadly oppofite to it the tyrant had made a fmallhole> which communicated with a little apartment where he ufed to conceal himfelf. He applied his own ear to this hole, and is faid to have heard diflin^y every word that was fpoken in the cavera below. This apartment was no fooner finifh-^ ed, and a proof of it made, than he put to death all the workmen that had been em- ployed in it. He then confined all that he fufpefted were his enemies ; and by overhear- ing their converfation, judged of their guilt, and condemned and acquitted accordingly.

As this chamber of Diohyfius is very high in the rock, and now totally in- acceffible, we had it not in our power to make proof of this curious experiment, which our guides told us had been donefome^ years ago by the captain of an Englifh fhip.

The echo in the ear is prodigious j much fuperior to any other cavern I have yet

feen.

ifi A TOUR THROUGH

fccn. The holes id the rock, to which the prifoners were chained, ftill remain, and even the lead and iron in feveral of thefe holes. We furprifed a poor young por- cupine who had come here to drink, of whom our guides made lawful J)rize.— ^ Near to this there are caverns of a very- great extent, where they carry on a large manufaftory of nitre, which isv found in vaft abundance on the fides of thefe caves.

The amphitheatre is in the form of a very excentric ellipfe, and is much ruined ; but the theatre is fo entire, that moft of the gradini or fe2*s ftill remain. Both thefe are in that part of the city that was called Neapoli, or the New City. " Quarta autem eft urbs (fays Cicero) quae ^ quia poftrema aedificata eft, Neapolis

• ^ noniinatur, quam ad fummam theatrum
  • eft maximum, &c.'* However, it Is but

^ fmall theatre in comparifon of that of Taurominum^ We fearched amongft the

• fq;)ulchre«, feveral of which are very ele-

^4nt| for that of Archimedes j but could

fee

SICILY AND MALTA. 293

fee nothing refembling it.— At his own deilre it was adorned with the figure of a fphere infcribed in a cylinder, but had been loft by his ungrateful countrymen, even before the time that Gcero was quasftor of Sicily* It is pleafant to obferve, with what eagernefs this great man undertakes thefearch of it, and with what exultation he defcribes his triumph on the difcovery*

• • Ego autem cum omnia coUuftrdrem ocu-

" lis (eft enim ad portas Agragianas magna

• • frequentia fepulchrorum) animadverti

^^ columnellam. non multum edumis emi-^

• • nentem, in qu* in erat fphaerae figura et

" cylindri. Atque ego ftatim Syracufanis

• • (erant aUtem principes mecum) dixi,

•* me illud ipfum arbitrari efle quod .qu3B-

• • rerem. Immifli cum falcibus multi

" purgarunt, et aperuqrunt locum; qua " cum patefaftus eflet aditus ad, adverfam

baflm ticceffimus ; apparebat epigramtna •' exefis pofterioribus partibus verficu-t

• • iorum' dimidiatis fere: Ita nobiliffima
  • Graecias ciyitas, quondam vero etiam.
  • doQaffima fui civis unius acutiffimi mo-

yoi^. I. T **nuinentua>

jic

274 A TOUR THROUGH

• • numentum ignoraflet, nifi ab fa6iaii:ii^

14

Arpinate didiciffet, &c."

The Catacctobs aire a great workj; Hot inferior either to thofe of Rom^ or Naples, and in the fame ftile. — There are niariy remains of temple^/ The Dukfe of Moht- albano, \^ho has wrote on the dhtltiuitiei of Syrdcnfe, reckons near twenty; but there id hardly any of thefe thatare now diftingiiifhable. A few fine coltimiis of that, of Jupiter Olympus ftill remain ; and the temple of Minerva (now converted into lEhe cathedra! of the city, and dedicated to the Virgin) is almoft entire* They have lately built a new fa9ade to it j but I am afraid they have not improved on the lim- plicity of the antique. It is full of broken pediments, and I think in a bad ftile.

- Ortigia, the only remaining part of Syracufe, was antiently an ifland; it is eften den6minated fuch by Virgil, Cicero, and many of the Greek and Latin hif- torians. In latter ages, and probably hf

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 275

the ruins of this mighty city, the- ftrait that feparated it from the cotititieM, was filled up ; and it had noW been a peninful^ for many ages;» till the prefent kihg of Spaiiii lita vaft ^penc*,,cut through thfe neck of land that joined it to Sicily, anld hai again reduced it to^its primiti\ce ftate.

Here he has raifed a noble fortifications which appears to be almoft impregnable. There are four ftrong gates, one within the other, with each a glacis, coveted way, fcarp and counterrcarp, and a broad (ie6p ditch filled with fda water, and defended by an immenfe number of— embrafures i —but not fo much eis one fingl6 piece o£ artillery. This you will ho doubt think ridiculous ehough, but the ridicule is ftill heighteiied> when I affure you there is liOt a cannon of any kind belonging to this noble fortrefs, but one fmall battery of fix pounders for faluting fiiips tha^t go in and out of the port. If you are at a lofs to account for this, you will pleafe^ remember that it is a work of the king of Spain.

^^6 A TOUR THROUGH

However, the ditches are very ufeful ; thejr are perpetually covered with fifhing boats; and they can ufe their nets and lines here' with the greateft fuccefs, even in the moft ftormy weather; though I dare lay this was none of the motives that induced his majefty to make them. The nobility" of the place have likewife barges here, for their amufement.

As the celebrated fountain of Arethqfii has ever been looked upon as one of the greateft curiofities of Syracufe, you may believe we were not a little impatient to examine it: And indeed only by obferving Cicero's account of it*, we foon found it out.--^It ftill anfwers exadly the defcription he givesj except with regard to the; great quantities of fifli it contained, whicjifefem now to have abandoned it.

TJie fountain of Arethufa was dedicated to' Diana, who had a magnificent temple near its

• In hac inftfla extremaeft fons aquae dukis, cut nomet

Arethufa eft» incredibili oiagnicudine plenifiimus pifdum^ qui fluftu tottts operirctur^ nifi munitionc, ac mole lapi- doin a marl disjunftus effet, &c. CiCr

banks^

SICILY AND MALTA. 277

banks, where great feftivals were annually celebrated in honour of the goddefs. We found a number of nymphs, up to the knees in the fountain, bufy wafhing their garments, and we dreaded the fate of Adseon and Alpheus : But if thefe were of Diana's train, they are by no means fo coy as they were of old ; and a man would hardly chufe to run the rilk of being changed either into a ftag or a river for the beft of them.

It is indeed an aftonilhing fountain; and rifes at once out of the earth, to the fize of a river.—The poetical fiftions con- cerning it are too well known to require that I fhould enumerate them. *Many of the people here believe to this day, that it is the identical river Arethufa, that fxnks under ground near Olympia in Greece, and continuing its courfe for five or fix hundred miles below the ocean, rifes again in this fpot.

It, is truly aftonifhing that fueh a ftory as

this (hould have gained fuch credit amongft

T 3 the

278 A TOUR THROUGH

the antientS) for it is not only their poeti, but natural hiAoriafns and philofophers too, that take notice of it. Pliny mentions if inore than once ; and there are few or none of the Latin poets that it has efcaped.

This ftfange belief has been commu- nicated to the Sicilian author?, andi what is amazing, there is hardly any d[ them th4t doubts of it*-^Pomponius Mela, P^uf^niaSt Maffa, and Fazzello, are all of the fame fentiments ; to fupport which they tell you the old ftory of the golden cup won at the Olympic games, which was thrown into the Grecian Arethufa, and was foon after tail up again by the Sicilian one.

They likewife add, that it had, always been obferved after the great lacrifices at Olympia, the blood of which fell into that river; that the waters of Arethufa rofe for fcveral days, deeply tinged with bloods

/

This, like many modern miracles, was pjobably a* trick of the priefts.— Thofe of Diana had the charge of the fountain of

Arethufa,

SICILY AND MALTA. 279

Arcthufa, and no doubt were much in- terefted to fupport the credit of the ftory ; for it was that goddefs that converted the nympK Arethufa into a river, and con- duced her by fubterraneous paflages from Greece to Sicily, to avoid the purfuit of Alpheus, who underwent the fame fate.

At a little diftance from the fountain of Arethufa, there is a very large fpring of frcfh water, that boils up from a confider- ablc depth in the fea. It is called Occhio di Zilica, and by fome Alpheus, who is fuppofisd by the poets to have purfued Arethufa thrbugh below the fea to Sicily.

As this fpring is not taken notice of by any of the great number of the antients that fpeak of Arethufa, it it moft probable that it did not then exift ; and is a part of that fountain that has fince burft out before its arrival at the ifland of Ortigia. Had it been vifible in the time of the Greeks, there is no doubt that they would have made ufe of this, as a ftrong argii- p T 4 ment

28o A TOUR THROUGH

ment to prove the fubmarine journey of Arethufa j as it in fa£t rifea at fbme diftance in the fea, and pretty much in the lame diredlion that Greece lies from Ortigia. It fometimes boils up fo ftrongly, that after piercing the fait water, I am told it can be taken up very little afFe£bed by it,

Syracufe has two harbours ; the largeft of which, on the fouth weft fide of Ortigia, is reckoned fix . miles round, and waa cfteemed one of the beft in the Mediter- ranean. It is faid by Diodorus ta have run almoft into the heart of the city, and was called Marmoreo, becaufe entirely fur- rounded with buildings of marble ; the entry into this harbour was ftrongly fortified, and the Roman fleets could never penetrate into it.

The finall port h on the north eaft of Or- tigia, and is likewife recorded to have been highly ornan\ented. Fazzello fays, there is ftill the remains of a fiibmarineaquedud, that runs through the middle of it, which

Wat

SICILY AND MALTA; 28/

was, intended to convey, the water from the fountain of Arethufa to the other parts of the city.

Near this port, they (hew the fpot where Archimedes' houfe flood; and likewife the tower from whence he is faid to have fet fire to the Roman galleys with his burning glaffes ; a ftory which is related by feveral authors, but which is now almoft univer^ Jally exploded, from the difficulty to con- ceive a burning-glafs, or a concave fpe- culum, with a focus of fuch animmenfe length as this muft have required.

However, I fhould be apt to imagine if this is not entirely a fiftidh (of which there is fome probability) that it was neither performed by refraSing burmng-glaffes nor fpeculums, but only by means of -common looking-glafles, or very clear plates of metal. Indeed, from the fituation of the place it muft have been done by refledion ; for Archimddes* tower flood exadly on the nor^h of the little port where the Roman

fleet

2St A TOUR THROUGH

iieet are faid to have b^en moored ; fo that their veffels lay in a right line betwixt him and the fun at noon j and at a very fmall diftance froih the wall of the city where this tower ftood. But if you will ^fuppofe this to have been performed by ^common burning-glaflcs, or by thofe of the parabolical kind, it wHl be neccflary to raife a tower of a moft enormous height on the ifland of Ortigia, in order to inter- pofe thefe glaffes betwixt the fun and the Roman gallies; and even this could not have been done till late in the afternoon^ when hie rays are exceedingly weak. But I have very little doubt that common looking-glafles would be found all-fufficient to perform thefe eflFe£ts,

Let us fuppofe that a thoufand of thefe were made to rcfled the rays upon the fame point : The heat, in all probability, muft be increafed to a greater degree than in the focus of moft burning-glafles ; and abundantly capable of fetting lire to every combuftible fubftance.— This experiment

might

SICILY AND MALTA. 283

might be cafily made by means of a bat- talion of men, arming each with a looking- glafs inftead of a firelock ; and fetting up a board at two or three hundred yards diftance for them to fire at. I fuppofe it would take a confiderable time before they were expert at this exercife ; but, by prac* • , tice, I have no doubt that they might all be brought to hit the mark inftantaneoufly at the word of command; like the lark- catchers in fome countries, who are fo ^ dextrous at it, that with a fmall mirrour they throw the rays of light on die lark, let her be ever fo high in the air; which by 9 kind of fafcination, brings down the, poor animal to the fiiare.

You may laugh at all this ; but I don't think it is impoffible that a looking- glafs may one day be thought as ne- ceflary an implement for a foldier as at prefent it is for a beau. I am very apprehenfive the French will get the ftart .of us in this fignal invention; as I have - bepi affured long ago, that few of their 8 men

a8+, A TOUR THRQUGH

men ever gt> to the field, without firft providing themfelves with one of thefe little warlike engines, the true ufe of which happily for us they are as yet unacquainted with. — You will eafily perceive, that if this experiment fucceeds, it muft alter the whole fyftem of fortification, as well as of attack and defence ; for every part of the tity that is expofed to the view of the befiegers, may be eafily fet in a flame; and the befieged would have the fame ad- vantage over the camp of the befieging army*t

We are already completely tired of Syracufe, which of all the wretched places we have yet met with, is by many degrees the moft wretched: For befides that its

• Since the writing of thefe letters the author has been

informed, that Mr. BufFon a^laally made this experiment. —He conftrafked a kind of frame, in which were fixed four hundred fmall mirrours, difpofcd in fuch a manner, that the rays rcflefted from each of them fell exactly oa the fame point. By means of this, he melted lead at the finance of 1 20 feet, and fet fire to a hayfiack at a mach greater diftance.

inha« 

' SICILY AND MALTA: 2S5

inhabitants are fo extremely poor and beg- garly, many of them are.fo overrrun with the itch, that we are under perpetual ap'- prehenfionsy and begin to be extremely well fatisfied that we could not procure beds.— It 18 truly melancholy to think of the difmal contrail that its former mag- nificence makes with its preferit mearinefs. The mighty Syracufe, the moft opulent and powerful of all the Grecian cities, which, by its own proper ftrength alone, was able,i. at different times, to contend agairift all the power of Carthage and of Rome: - — ^Which is recorded, (what the force of united nation^ is now incapable of) to 'have repulfed fleets of two thoufand fail, and armies of two hundred thoufand men ; and contained within its own walls, what no city ever did before or fince, fleets and armies that were the' terror of the world. This haughty and magnificent city, reduced even below the confequence of the moft infignificant burgh. — ** Sic tranfit gloria " mundi/'— I have not even been able to procure a table to write upon, but by way ©f fuccedaneum am obliged to lay a form.

over

2;86 A TOUR THROUGH

over fhe back of two chair8**-*Wc hai?c got lata the mofl: wretched hovel you caa cohcdive, and the moft dirty ; but xfrhat is ftill worft of all> we can find nothing to eat ; and if we had not brought fbme cold fowl^ along tvifh lis^ We might hav6 ftarved* Glover is lamenting fa^y fdjr th«  lofs of our turtle* and fwears our Cattania iailors ought to be hanged« 

The heat has been confiderably greater tere than at Cattania. The thermometer is juft now at 78.— There is an old remark made on the climate of this place by fome of the antients ; which is ftill faid to hold good ; That at no feafon, the fun has evei; been invifible during a whole day at Syra- cufe. I find it mentioned by feveral Sicilian authors, but Ihall not vouch for the truth of it.— Adieu.-^My next will probably be from Malta; for we ihall fail to-mo]:row if it 19 poffiHe ,to procure a v^ffeh '

Ever youfa.

SICILY AND MALTA. 287

• ■

J.ETT ER XIIl

Capo ?aflfero, Jrine 3*

AS we found the mighty city of Syra- ctife fo reduced, that it cotild not afford beds and lodging to three weary travellers, we agreed to abridge our ftay in it J and accordingly hired a Maltde Spa- ronaro to carry us to that ifland : This is a fmall fix-oar*d boat, made entirely for fpeed, to avoid the African Pirates, and other Barbarefque veflels, with which thefe feas are infefted; but fo flat and fo narrow, that they are not able to bear any fea, and of confequence keep always as near fhe coaft as poflible^

" On (he 2d of June, by day-break, we left the Marmoreo, or great port of Sy- racufe ; and although the wind was exactly contrary and pretty ftrong, by the force of their oars, which they manage with great dexterityv we got on at the rate of four miles an hour. They do not puU,

their

jtSi A TOUR THROUGH

their oars as we do, but pufh them like the Venetian Gondoliers; always fronting the prow of the boat, and feldom or never iit down while they row; allowing the whple weight of their bodies to be ev- erted every ftroke of the oar. This gives a prodigious momentum, and is certainly much more forcible than a fimple exertioa of the mufcles of the arm*

About ten o'clock the wind became fa- vourable, when we went indeed at an im- menfe rate. At twelve it blew a hurricane, and with fome difficulty we got under fhore, but the wind was To exceedingly violent that even there we had like to have been overfet, and we were obliged to run aground to fave us from this difafter* Here we were a good deal annoyed by the ftind carried about by the wind; however, the hurricane was foon over, and we again put to fea with a favourable gale, which in a few hours carried us to Capo Paffero.

In this Kttle ftorm we were a good deal dHiilfeci with the behaviour of our Sicilian

fervant>

SiClLY ANfi MALTA, 289

Servant, who iat land is a fellow of un- daunted tourage, of which we have had many proofs ; but here (I don't know why) It entirely forfook him, although there was in fact no real danger, for we never were more than 160 yards from the fhore. He gave himfelf up to defpair, and called upon all his faints for protection: And never again recovered his confidence all the reft of this little voyage ; perpetually wifhing himfelf back at Naples, and fwearing that ho earthly temptation fhould ever induce him to go to lea again. The fame fellow, but a few days ago, mounted a moft vicious horfe, and without the leaft fear or concern galloped along the fide of a precipice, where every moment we expedted to fee him dafh- ed to pieces ; fo lingular and various are the different modes of fear and of courage.

Cipo Paifero, indi&ntly called Pachinus, is the remoteft and moft foutherly point of Sicily, It is not a penihfula, as repre- fented in all the maps, but a wretched barren ifland, of about a mile round; with

Vol. I. U a fort

490 A TOUR THitOtJGtl

a fort and a fmall garrifon to pjroted tti«t fieighbouring country from the incurfion«  of the Barbary Corfairs, who are, often yevf troublefome on this patt of the coaft. This little ifland and fort lie about a mile? and a half diftant from the fmall creek df* which we have taken poffeffion ; and are feparated from the reft of Sicily by a ftrait of about half a taile broad.

Our pilot told us that we liiuit riot think cf Malta, which is almoft loo miles off, till there were more fettled appearances of good weathei^f

As there is no habitation here of any kind* we fearched about, till at . laft we found a fmall cavern, where we made a very comfortable dinner. We then fallied forth to examine the face of the country, as well as to try if we could flioot fome- thing for our fuppet. — We found that we liadnow got into a very different world , from any thing we had yet feen. The country here is exceedingly barren, and to

a con^

SICILY AND MALTA, igt

a confiderable diftance produces neither corn nor wine : But the fields are covered over with an infinite variety of flowers and of flowering Ihrubs, and the rocks ar6 every where entirely covered with capers^ which are juft now fit for gathering. If we had vinegar we could foon have pickled hoglhcads of them.

We found here in the greateft perfediont that beautiful fhrub called the Palmcta, re- fembling a fmall palm-tree; with an elegant fin6 flower : But, to our great mortifica- tiop, the feed is not yet ripe. We likewifc found great quantities of a blue everlafting flow^er, which I don't remember to have feen in Millar, or any of our botanical books. The Hem rifes about a foot high, and is crowned with a large clufter of fmall blue flowers, the leaves of which are of a dry fubftance like the Elychryfum, or globe Amaranthus. Some of thefe are of a pur- ple colour, but moft of them blue. I have gathered a pretty large quantity for the fpeculation of the botanifts on our return. U 8 We

292 A TOUR THROUGH

We found a good fwimming-place, which is always one of the firft things We look out for, as this exercife conftitutes one of .the principal pleafures of our expedition*

So foon as it was dark, we got on board our little boat^ and rowed about a hundred yards out to fea, where we call anchor; oup pilot afluring us that this was abfolutely ne- ceflary, as the people in this part of the country are little better than favages ; and, were we to ftay at land, might very pofGbly come down during the night, and rob and murder us.

He likewife told us, that the Turks had made frequent invalibns upon this point of the ifland, which, of all others, lay moft expofed to their depredations : That lately three of their chebecks ran into a fmall harbour a few miles from this, and carried off fix merchant fhips ; and that very of- ten, fome of their light veflels were feen hovering off the coaft : That the only way to be in perfed fecurity from thefe two

enemies

SICILY AND MALTA. 293

enemies by fea and land, was to chufe a place on the coaft fo deep, that the ban- ditti by land could not wade into us; and at the fame time fo fhallow, as to be equal- ly inacceffible to the banditti by fea.

When we found ourfelves thus in fecu- rity on both hands, we wrapt ourfelves up in our cloaks, and fell afleep : however, we had but a very uncomfortable night ; the wind rofe, and the motion of pur little bark was exceeding difagreeable, and made us heartily fick, . As foon as day began to appear, we made them pull into fhore; when we were immedi^tdy cured of our ficknefs; and as the wieather continues ftill unfavourable, we have fallen upon a vari- ety of amufements to pafs the time.

We have been thrice in the water, which is warm and pleafant ; and in the intervals, I have writ you this letter on the top of a large balket, in which we carry our fea-ftore. We have likewife gathered Ihells, pieces of ^or^l^ of fpwnge, and feveral beautiful kinds

U 3 of

294 A TOUR THROUGH

of fea-weed. The rock? here are all of petrified fand aad gravel run together, and become as hard as granite. There are many fliells and other marine fubftanceg mixed in their compofition, which render* them objeds of curiofity in the eye of 2^ Baturalill.

This morning we ms^de ^ kind of tent of a fail, drawn over the point of a rock, and fixed with an oar, by way of pole. Here we breakfafted moft luxurioufly on excels lent tea, and honey of Hybla.

I was interrupted in this part of my letter, by an officer from the fort of Capq Paffero- He tells us, that we xtizj give ove? all thought^ of getting farther for thefe fix ^ays.— What do you think is his ^-eafon ?— ^I own I was in fome pain till he mentioned it.-— 'This wind fet in exa(aiy as; the moon entered her fecond qiiarter, and it will cer- tainly continue till flie is full. There is a^ rafcal for you !— If he is telUng truth, I ihall ??f tifioly ftudy aftyology • |Je Hkewifei

SICILY AND MALTA. 295

fold us, that two. galliots had been feien off the coaft ; and defied us to be Upon our guard; but I own, the moon, together with other circumftances, h?L8 confiderably Vjreakened his evidence with iqc»

We have learned from his converfatibn, that the fort of Capo Plaffero is made ufe of as a place of exite for the delinquents iii the army J of which number I hkve not the leaft^ doubt that he is one. He told t^s th^rfe v^fere two near relations of the viceroy^ that ha4 been lately fent there for mifdemeandrs | that for his part, he belonged to a very agreeable garrifon j but as he love4 retire- ment, he chbfe to accompany them. How-? ever, his countenance told a very different flory; and faid, in ftrong language, that he was a ttes niduvms fujct. Befidcs, he is a ftupid fellow, and has tired qoc. I could learn nothing from him*

It muft be owned, thi* is an ekcelleat

place of exile for a young rake, who wants

to ihpW 2^way in the beau mpndc* It isi

V 4 not

29$ A TOUR THROUGH

not within many milesf of any rtowipj op village ; fo that the gentlemen may eqjoy retirement ip its utijipft per|e<3;ion.

We were Airprifed to find qn this coaft, quantities of the true pumice-ftone, which at firft we fuppqfed to have been brought by the fea from ^tn?^, till we likewife dif- covered many large pieces of lava, which makes us imagine there mnft have been fome eruption of fire in this part pf the ifland ; yet I fee no conical mountain, or any other indication of iu

If our officers prognoftications prove true, and we are detained here any longer, I fhall examine the country to a much greater diftance. The wind continues di- redly contrary ; the fea is very high in the canal of Malta, and our Sicilian fer- vant is in a fad trepidation. — 5ut I fee Olover and FuUarton coming for their din- ner J fp, I ftall be obliged to give up the bafket. — This fea-air gives one a monftrous appetite; and, it is with grief I mention I it.

SICILY AND MALTA. 297

it, we are already brought to fliort allow-* ance : — Only one cold fowl amongft three of us ; all three pretty fharp fet, I affure you. — Thefe infamous rafcals to lofe our turtle !— They haveTpied a fifliing-boat, and Glover is haling her as loud as he can roar, -T-but, alas! fhe is too far off to hear him.-r They have juft fired a gun to bring her to, and happily fhe obeys the fignal, fo there is ftill hopes; otherwife we fhall foon be re- duced to bread and water. Our tea and fugar tQO, are juft upon a clofe, which is the cruelleft article of all j but we have pjenty of good bread and Hybla honey ; fo we are in no danger of ftarving.

We have likewife made an admirable and a very comfortable difpofition for oUr flight's lodging. The Sparonaro is fo very narrow, that it is impoflible for us all to lie in it ; befides, we are eat up with ver- min, and have nothing but the hard boards to lie on : All thefe confiderations, add- pd to the curfed fwinging of the boat, apd the horrid ficknefs it occafions, have

deter-

t^n A TOUR THROUGH

determined us rather to truft ourfelves tci ^he mercy of the banditti, than to lie jmo^ thcr night at fea i Befidcs, we have made the h^ppieft difcovery in the world ; a great quantity of fine, foft, dry fea-wced^ lying under the flieher of a rock, and feem? deftined by Providence for our bed : Over this we are going to ftretch a fail, and ex-? ped to fleep moft luxurioufly ; but to pre-? vent all danger from a furprife, we have agreed to ftand fentry by turqs, with Fulr larton's double barrelled gun, we|l primed and loaded for the reception of the enemy J at the firft difcharge of which, and not be- fore, the whole guard is to turn out, ivith all the remaining part of our artillery, ^and fmall arms ; and as our fituation is a very advantageous one, I think we ihall \k ^h]^ Xo make a ftout defence.

As we are fix in number, three mafters and three fervants, the duty, you fee, will be but trifling ; and five of us will always fleep in fecurity. Our guard, to be fure, might have been ftronger j but our Sparor

naurq

SICILY AND MALTA; 299

jjaro men have abfolutely refufed to be of the party, having much more CQnfideiv:e in their own element j however, they have promifpd, in cafe of an attack, immediately to come to our affiftance* I tbiQk the di£i* pofition i$ ifar from beiag a bad pne, and yic arc not a little vain of our gene^ajfhip*

The fifhing-boat is now wrived, and they have bought fome excellent little fiflieg, which are already on the fire, Adieti. Tbefe fellows are roaring for their cold fowl, an4 I pai^ command tl^e bail^ec • jao longe^*

pyey yours.

3P0 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XIV.

Malta, June 4th*

TN fpite of appearances, and our officer's wife prognoftications, the wind changed at night, and we got under fail by fix o'clock; We paifed the ftraits, and coafted along till eight, when we landed to cook fome maca- roni we had purchafed of our failors, and try if we could flioot fomething for fea-ftore, as wp have ftill a long voyage before us,

We came to the fide of a fiilphureous lake, the fmcll of which was fo ftrong, that we perceived It upwards of a mile diftant We found the water boiling up with great violence in many places, though the heat at the banks of the lake is' very inconfiderable. However, this, added tq the pumice and lava we found i^ear Capo Paflero, tenths greatly to confirm us in the opinion, that this part of the ifland, as well as about ^tna, has, in former ages, been fubje£t to eruptions of fubterraneous fire,

I think

SICILY AND MALTA. 30^

I think it is moire than probable, that this is the celebrated Camerina, which jEneas faw immediately after his pafiing Pachynus, {or Capo Paffero) which, Virgil fays, the Fates had decreed fhould never be drained :

^^ Hinc altas cautes projeftaque faxa Pachyni " Radimus ; et fatis nUnquam conceffa moveri •' Adparet Camarina procul.**

Virgil had good reafon to fay fo ; for the level of the lake or marfh, (it being fome- thing betwixt the two) is at leaft as low as that of the fea, and confequently never could be drained.

It is furrounded with a variety of very fine evergreens and flowering fhrubs, of which the palmeta, and the arbutus or ftrawberry tree, are tlxe moft beautiful. We faw a great many wild-fowl; but, what fur- prifed me, in fo unfrequented a place, they were fo (hy, that there was no getting near them : There was one kind, in particular, that attraded our attention ; it was of the fize and form of a grey plover, and flew . in

|l»t A tOUR THRdtTGH

In the fame manner^ bm had a tail of agrealt kngtiiy whi€h feemed to bs ebrnp^fed otlly of two (mail flexible fe^cthers, that made a very ulicomiiMiii; a];>f>€9iran(:e in the air. Af^ t§s utiu^ all .&M an to fhoot O0e of them^ we wete obliged to give up the attempt.

Here we killed a /mall black fnakc, which, 1 thinks anfwers the defcription I have feen of the ^j^. . We difib<Q:ed out its toagiie, the e&d of which appears^ fkirp like a &mg$ mid I fttppofe i» Otoe/ af& k davted it out with great vic^Ace ai^nft our ftickd, wheA we prefented them to it. Mow as all ani* xnals, when attacked, make ufe of thofc weapons^ that Natni^e his antted theM With fbr their defence, it appeared evidenf ta TtBf (fuppofing this rule a juft one) that this alfintaldl ieemed ^dnfcious of a power €£lmttkig in its tongue; and we have been more fuUy cidiavinced cf k from di& fedion. The- fting appears confiderablj^ krger than that of a bee. We fou^d a little bag at the other end of the tongue, and probably, if we had had a microfcopey

Should

L.

SICILY AND MALTA. 30!

ihould have found the tongue perforated. This fnake had no teeth j but very hard guma* I have taken care to preferve the tongue for your in^£lion.

As I think it has always been fuppofcd, tJiat ferpents hurt only with their teeth, I thought this might be worthy of your no- tice. It is true, that the darting out of the tongue is a trick of the whole ferpent tribe ; but this animal fecmed to do it with peculiar ferocity,, and to hit it with violence againft our, fticks. It was this that put us uponr the examination.

I don*t recoiled that this fingularity is iiaentioned. in any book of natural hiftory, but poffibly I may be miftakea; nor in^ deed do I remember either to have feen or heard' of any animal armed in this ttiaaines :^-Unlefs yoa will fuppofe me to adopt the fentiments of poor Mr. S— — ^ who, ever fince his marriage, alleges that the tongues of many females, are formed after this fingujlar manner; and remarks

one

if

364 A TOUk ttlkOUGH

one peculiarity, that the ftibg feldom of Aevdr appears till after irtatrimotiy. — He is very learned on this fubjedJ:, and thinks it may pofEbly have proceeded from their originaLconnedion with the ferpent.— Let this be as it may, I fiilcerely hope that you and 1 fhall never have fuch good reaibn fot adopting that opinion.

A little after nine ^6 embarked. The night was delightful; but the wind had died away about fun-fet, and we Were ob- liged to ply our oars to get into the canal of Malta. The coaft of Sicily began td recede; and in a fhort time, we found our* felves in the ocean. There was a profound filence, except the noife of the waves breaking on the diftant fhore, which only ferved to render it more folemn. It was ti dead calm, and the moon ihone bright ori the waters: The waves, from the late ftorm, were ftill high; but fmodth and even, and followed one another with a flow and an equal pace. — ^The fcene had naturally funk us into meditation ; we had remained

near

Sicily and Malta. 305

heaf-an hour without fpeaking a word, when our lailors began their midnight hymn to the Virgin. The.mufic was fimjplc^ fo^ lemn, and melancholy, and in perfedl har- mony with the fccne^ and with all our feelings. They beat exa£t time with their oars, and obferved the harmony s^nd the cadence with the utmoft precifion. We liftened with infinite pleafure to this me* lancholy concert, and felt the vanity of operas and oratorio's. — There is often a folemnity and a pathetic in the modular tion of thefe fijoiple produdtions, that caufe* a much ftronger efFedlj than the compofi* tion of the greateft mailers, aflifted by all the boafted rules of eounter-point*

At laft they fung us zAtep, dncl we awoke forty miles diftant from Sicily. We were oow on the main ocean, and faw no land but mount jEtnaj which is the perpe- tual polar ftar of thefe feas. We had ^^ fine breeze, and about two o'clock we dif* covered the ifland 6£ Malta ; and in lefs than three hours more, we reached the city

Vou t % of

3o6 A TOUR THROUGH

of Valletta, The approach of the ifland is very fine, although the fliore is rather low and rocky. It is every where made inacceffiblc by an infinite number of forti- fications. The rock, in many places, has been flexed into the form of a glacis, with ftrong parapets and intrenchm6nts running behind it, fo as to render a landing altoge- ther impra^icable.

The entry into the port is very nSstrrdwv and is commanded by a ftrbng caftle oil either fide. We were haled from each of •thefe, and obliged to give a ftriO: account of ourfelves ; and on our arrival dt the fide of the key, we were vifited by an officer from the health-office, and obliged to give oath with regard to the circumftances of our voyage. — He behaved in the moft polite manner, and immediately feiit us Mr. Rtitter, the Englifh coiiful, for whom we

had letters of recommendation.

-•

On getting to land, we found ourfelves in a new world indeed.— The ftreets crowd- ed

fed with weil-drefTed people, who have all the appearance of health and ^affluence j

• ^hereas At Syracufe, there wais fcarce i

creature to be feen; and even thofe had the appearance [of difeafe and wretchednefs.-r- Mr. Rutter immediately conduced us to an inn5 which ^had more tlie aj)pearance of a palace. We iiaVe had an excellent fup* per, and good Burgundy ; and as this i«  tlie 'king's ^birthtday, we have almoft got tipfey to his health. We are now going into clean, comfortable beds, in e;spe£tation of the fweeteff flumbers.-^Think of the lux- ury of this, after being five long days with- out throwing off our cloaths. — Good night. 1 would not Idfe a moment of it for the world.—People niay fay what they pleafe, but there is ho enjoyment in living^in per- petual eafe and affluence, and the true luxury is only to.be attained by undergo- ' ing a few hardlhips^-i-But this is no time to philofophize. So adieu*

Yours, &c*

X 2

30» A TOUR THROUGH

L E T t E II XV.

Malu, June 5tlu /*\tJR banker, Mr. Poufilach, was here before we were up, inviting us to dine with him at his country-houfe, fron^ whence we arerjuft now returned. He gave us a noble entertainment, ferved on hand- fome plate, with an elegant defert, and a retj great variety of wines. ,

After dinner we went to vifit the prin^ cipal villas of the ifland j particularly thofe of the grand mafter, and the general of the gallies, which lie contiguous to each other. Thcfe are nothing great or magnificent; but they are admirably contrived for a hot climate, where, of all things, fhade is the moft defirable. The orange groves are in- deed very fine, and the fruit they bear are fuperior to any thing I have ever feen, ei- ther in Spain or Portugal.

The afpe£t of the country is far from being pleafing: the whole ifland is a great

rock

Sicily and malta; 309

rock of very white free ftone, and the foil that covers this rock> iii xnoft places, is not more than five or fix inches deep j yet, what is very extraordinary, we found their crop in general was exceedingly abundant. They account for it from the copious dews that fall during the fpring and fummer months ; and pretend likewife, that there is a moifture in the rock below the foil ; that is of great advantage to the corn and cotton; keeping its roots perpetually moift and cool; without which fingular quality, they fay, they could have no crops at all, the heat of the fun is fb e:^ cecdingly violent.

Their barley harveft has been over fome timie ago; add they are juft now finifliing that of the wheat. The whole ifland only produces corn fufijcient to fupport its inha- bitants for five months, or little more; but the crop they moft depend upon, is the cotton. They began fowing it about three weeks ago, and it will be finilhed in a week more. The time of reaping it is in the month of Qdober and begianiog of November.

X 3 Tlwjy

310 A TdUR THROUGH

They pretend that the cotton produced from this pUnt, Tfhich is fown and reape4 \a four iiiionthS) is of a much fuperioi? quality to that of the cotton-tree. I conlr pared them, but I cannot fkj I found it foj this iB indeed the fineft, but that of the cotfon-tree is by muck the ftrongeft texture. The plant rifes to the height of ^ foot and a half, and is covered with a num- ber of nuts or pods full of cotton: Thefe,- l?fhen ripe, they are at great pains to cut ofF, every riiorning before fun-rife ; for the heat of the fun immediately turns the cot- ton yellow : which^ indeed) vfre faw from |;liofe pods they fave for feed.

They manufadure their fcotton into 4 great variety of ftuffs.' Thfeir flocking^ are exceedingly fine. Some of them, they aflured us, had been fold for ten fequiils a pait. Their coverlits a:nd blan- kets are ffteemed all ovei: Europe. Of thefe the principal manufaftures are efta^ blifhed in the Httle ifland of Gozzo, where thte people ^xi^ faid to be motTe induf-

triou^

SICILY AND MALTA. 311

trious than thofe of Malta, as they are more excluded from th? world, and have fewer inducements to idlenefs. Here the fugar-cane Is ftill cultivated with fuccefs, though not in any confiderable quantity. .

The Maltefe oranges certainly deferve the charadler they have, of being the fined in the world. The feafon continues for upwards of feven months; from November till the middle of June. During which time, thefe beautiful trees are always co- vered with great abundance of this delici- ous fruit. Many of them are of the red kind, muclj fuperior, in my opinion, to the others, which are by far. too lufcious. They are produced, I am told, from the common orange bud, engrafted on the pomegranate ftock. The juice of thefe. oranges is red as blood, and of a fine fla- vour. The greateft part of their crop is fent every year in prefents to the different courts of/ Europe, and to the relations of the chevaliers. It was not without a good deal of difficulty that we procured a few chefts for our friends at Naplesji

% 4 The

|i2 A TOUR THROUGH

The induftry of the Mahcfe In cultiva- ting their little ifland, is altogether incon^ ceivable« There is not an inch of ground loft in any part of it; and where ther^ was not foil enough, they have brought over fliips apd boat? loajJed with it froiji Sicily, ' where there is plenty ^n^ to fp^re. Thq whole ifland is full of inclofures of free? ilone, which gives the country 9, very un- ^ooth apd a very barren afped; ^ndj in fummer, reflpi^s fuch a light and he2^t, that it is exceedingly difagree^ble and offenfive \o the eye§. The inflofures are very fmall find irregular, according to the inclination of the ground. This, tbey fay, they are obliged to obfcrve, notwithftanding the de- formity it occafions j otherwife the floods^ to which they a^-e foon fubjed, yiovld carry pff their foil,

The ifland is covered over with country houf^s ^nd villages, befide^ feyen pities, fox fo they term theni j but there are only two^ the VaUetta and the Citta Vecchia, that by finy Hi^an^ d^fepre Xh^\ appellation.

SICILY AND MALTA. 313

Every little village has a noble churchy elegantly finifhed and adorned with ftatues of marble, rich tapeftry, and a large quantity of filver plate. They are by much the handfomeft country churches I have ever feen. — But I am interrupted in iny writing, by the beginning (I am told) of a very fine fliew. If it is fo, I fhall give you fome account of it by and by*

Eleven at night. The fliewis now finiflied, and has afforded, tis great entertainment. It was the departure of a Maltefe fquadron to affift the Frepch againft the Bey of Tu- nis, wjio it feems has fallen under the dif^ ple^fure of the grand monarque, becaufe he refufed to deliver yp without ranfom, the Corfjcan (laves that were taken before the French were in poifeffioji of that illand. The fquadron cqnfifted of three gallies; the largeft v^ith piqe hundred men, each of the others with feven hundred j three galliots, 2Lnd kvcral fcampavias^ fo called from their exceeding fwiftnefs. Thefc ifflfl^eiife Mk% v^ere all workccj hj oars,

»a4

314 A TOUR THROUGH and maved with gteat regularity. The admiral went £ril| and the leff: in order, according to their dignity. The fea was crowded with boats, and the ramparts and fortifications were filled with cotnpany. The port refounded on all fides by the dif- charge of heavy artillery, which was an- fwercd by the gallies and galliots as they left the harboun As the echo is here fur- prifingly great, it produced a very noble effea.

There were about thirty knights in each galley, making fignals all the way to their miftrefles, who were weeping for their departure upon the baftions; for thefe gentlemen pay almoft as little regard to their vows of chaftity, as the priefts and eonfeflbrs do. After viewing the fhew ^ from the ramparts, we took a boat and followed the fquadron for.fome time, and did not return till long after fun-fet.

We have been admiring the wonderful ftrength of this place, both by nature and art.— It is certainly the happieft fituation

that:

SICILY AND MALTA. 3«i^

Ithat can be imagined. The city ftands upon a p^ninfula, betwixt two of the fineft ports in the world, ' which are defended by almoft impregnable fortifications. That on the fouth-eaft fide of the city is the* largefl. It runs about two milea inte the heart of the ifland, and is fo very deep, and furrounded by fuch high grounds and for- tifications, that they affurcd us, the largeft ihvpB of war toight ride in it in the moft ilormy weatber> ftlmoft without a cable.

This beautiful bafbn is divided into five diftinft harbours, all equally fafe, and each capable of containing an immenfe number of flijipping. The mouth of the harbour is fcarcely a quarter of a mile broad, and is commanded on each fide by batteries that would tear the ftrongeft fliip to pieces be- fbr-eihe could poffibly enter. Befides thist it is fronted by a quadruple battery, one above the other : The largeft of which is a ^eur d'eau^ or on a level with the water. Thefe are mounted with about 8.0 of their Jieavieft artillery : So that this harbour, I jhink, may really be confidered as impreg- nable;

3i6 A TOUR THROUGH

nable; and indeed the Turks have ever found it, and I believe ever will.

The harbour on the north-fide of the city, although they only ufe it. for fiihing, and a9 a place of quarantine, would, in any other part of the world, be confidered as ineftimable. It is likewife defended by very ftrong fortifications ; and in the center of the bafon there is an ifland on which they have bulk a c^ftle, and a lazaret.

The fortifications of Malta are indcecl a moft ftupendous work. All the boafted catacombs of Rome and Naples are a trifle to the immenfe excavations that have been made in this little ifland. The ditches, of a vafl: fize, are all cut out of the folid rock, Thefc extend for a. great many miles; and raife our aftonifli-^ ment to think that fo fmall a nation ha$ ever been able to execute them.

One fide of the ifland is fo completely fprtjfied by nature, that thei:e wa^ nothing If ft for art. The rock ig of 4 gresit height,

4 anci

SICILY AND Malta; 317

and abfolutely perpendicular from the fea for . feveral miles. It is Very fingular, that on this fide there are ftill the veftiges of feveral antient roads^ with the tracks of carriages worn deep in the rocks: Thefe roads are now terminated by the precipice, with the fea beneath ; and Ihew to a dc- monftration that this ifland has in former ages been of a much larger fize than it is at prefent; but the convulfion that oc- eafioned its diminution is probably much beyond the reach of any hiftory or tra- dition. It has often been obferved, not- withftanding the very great diflance of mount iEtna, that this ifland has generally been more or lefs afFe£ted by its eruptions, and they think it probable, that pn fome of thefe occafions a part of it may have been (haken into the fea.

We have now an opportunity of obferv- ing that one half of mount JEtna is clearly difcovered from Malta. They reckon the diflance near soo Italian miles. And the people here afTure us, that in the great

erup-

5i« A TOUR tHROV^it

eruptions of that mountain, their whold iiland is illamioated,; and from the xc^ fle&ioa sin the water, there appears a great iraok of fire in the fea all the way from Malta to Sicily. The thundering of thc^ mountaui is likewife diftinifltly heard. — XSood night.^— I am fatigued with this day's expedition, and fhall finiih my letter to- morrow*

June 6th. As the city of Valetta is built upon a hill, none of the ftreets except the key are level. They are all paved with white -free-ftone, which not only creates a great duft, but from its colour is likewife fo offenfive to the eyes, that moft of the ^people here are remarkably weak-fighted. The .principal buildings, are the palace of the grand mafter, the infirmary, the arfe- nal, the inns or hotels of the Seven Tongues, -and the great church of St. John. The palace is a very noble though a plaia ftru£ture, and. the grand mafter (who ftudies conveniency more than magnifi- cence) is more comfortably and comrao* 'dioufly lodged than any prince in Europe,

the

SICILY ANIJ MALTA. 319

AeMng of Sardinia pferhaps only excepted* The great ftair is by much the eafieft and bcft I ever faw*

St. John's is a very magnificent church. iThe pavement, in particular, rs reckoned the richeft in the world. It is entirely compofed of fepulchral monuments^ of lihe fineft marbles, porphyry, lapis lazuli, and a variety of other valuable ftones ; admirably joined together, and at the mofk incredible expence; reprefentihg in a kind of Mofaic the arms, infignia, &c. of the perfons v^rhofe names they are intended to commemtorate. In the magnificence of thefe monuments, the heirs of the grand mafter^ and commanders have long vied with each other.

We went this day to fee the celebration of their' church fervice/' It feems to be .more overcharged with parade and cere- mony than what I ,have ever oMerved even in any other catholic country. The number of genufledtions before the altar, ,the fcifiing of the prior's hand, the hold- I > ing

S4d A TOUR THROUGH'

iiig up of his robes by the fubaltci'tt |)rieft8, the ceremony of throwing incenfc . upon all the knights of the great croft, apd negleding the poorer knights, with many other articles, appeared to lis highly ridiculous ; and moft eflentially different indeed from that purity and fiihplicity of worihip that conftitutes the very eflence of true phriftianity; and of which the great pattern they pretend to copy, fet fo very noble an example.

This day (the 6th of June) is held as a folemn thankfgiving for their deliverance from a terrible confpiracy that was formed about twenty-one years ago, by the Turk«- iih flaves, at one ftroke to put an end to the whole order of Malta. All the fountains of the place were to be poi- foned ; and every flave had taken a folemn oath to put his mafter to death.

It was difcovered by a Jew, who kept a^ cofFee-hdufe. He underftood the TurkijSi language, and overheard fome difcourfe that he thought fufpicious* He went imme- diately

SICILY AND MALTA; 321

diately and informed the grand mafter* The fufpeded perfons were inftantly feized and put to the torture, and foon confeffed the whole plot. The executions were very- terrible* One hundred arid twertty-five were put to death by various torments* Some were burned alive^ fome were broke on the wheel, and fome were torn to pieces by the four galleys rowing different ways^ and each bringing off its limb. Since that time they have been much more ftridly watched, and have lefs liberty than for- • merly. Adieu. I fliall write you again before we leave Malta.

Yoursj &c.

Vk

Vol. t. Y (LeT^

\

jaa A TOUR THRODGSl LETTER XVI.

' Malta, June -j^

nPHf S day we made an expedition thro^ the ifland in coaches drawn by one mule each; the only kind of vehicle the place affords. Our conductors could fpeak nothing but Arabic, which is ftill the lan- guage p£ the common? people of Malta ; fo that you may believe we did not reap much benefit from their converfation^ We went firft to the ancient city of Melita,* whiah. is near the center of the ifland, and com- mands a view of the whole ; and in clear weather, they pretend, of part of Barbary and of Sicily. The city is ftrongly for- tified, and is governed by an officer called the Hahem, He received us very politely^ and fhewed us the old palace, which is not kideed much worth the feeing. The ca- thedral' is a very fine church*; and although? of an exceeding large fize, is at prefent en- tirely hung with crimfon damafk richly laced With gold.

Th(£

SICILY AND MALTA. 323

The catacombs, not far from this city, are a great work. They are faid to extend for fifteen miles under ground ; however, this you are obliged to take on the credit of your guides J as it would rather be riiking too much to put it to the trial. Many peo- ple, they aflure us, have been loft from ad- vancing too far in them; the prodigious number of branches making it next to im- ipofTible to find the way out again.

trpm this we went to fee the Bofquetta, where the grand rnafter has his country palace; by the accounts we had of it at Valetta, we expeded to find a large foreft well ftored with deer and every kind of game, as they talked much to us of the great hunts that were made every year in thefe woods. — ^We were not a little fur- prized to find only a few fcattered trees, and about half a dozen 'deer; but as this is the only thing like a wood in the iflind, it is efteemed a very great curiofity. The palace is as little worth feeing as the foreft; thougi;i indeed the profpedt from the top of it is very fine. The furniture is three X 9 or

^24 A TOUR tntovau

or four hundred years old, and in the ftioH Gothick ftile that can be imagined: But indeed the grand mailer fe)dom or nevei' refides here.

The great fource df ttrater that fupplies the city of Valetta, takes its rife near to? this place ; aftd there is an aqiledu£t com- jfofed of fome thoufarid arches, that coft- ireys it from thence to the city. The whole of this immenfe work w^s fifiifli6d at the( private expence of ode of the grand mailers.

Not far froitt th^ old city there is a fmall church, dedicated to St. Paul ; and juil by the church, a miraculous ilatuc of the faint with a viper on his hand; fuppofed tdbe placed on the very fpot on Which the houfe ilood where he was received after his ihipwreck on this ifland, and where he (hook the viper off his hand into the fire Without being hurt by it At which time the Maltefe affure us the faint curfed all the venomous aitiimah of the iilandy and baniihed them for ever; juft as St. Patrick treated thofe of his fa^ tourite ille. Whether th» be the caufe o£

it

SICI]LY AND MALTA. 325

it or not, we fliall leave to divines Jo de- termine, (though if it had, I think St. Luke would have mentioned it in the Adts of the, Apoftles) but thefa£t is certain, that there are pLO venomous animals in Malta. They aflure4 us that vipers had been brought from Sicily, ^nd died almod immediately on their arrivalf

Adjoining to the church there is the cele^ f^rated grotto in which the faint was impri^ foned. It is looked upon with the utmoft reverence and veneration ; and if the ftories they tell of it be true, it is we}l intitled to it all. It is exceedingly datppi aixfi produces (I believe by a kind of petrifailion from th^ water) a whitifli kind of ftone, which they ^ffure us, when reduced to powder, is a fo-? vereign remedy in many difeafes, and faves the lives of thoufands every year. There is not a houfe in the ifland that is not provided with it : And they tell us there are many t)oxe8 of it fent annually r>ot only to Sicily find Italy, but likewife to the Levant and the Eaft-Irjdies : and (what is confidered as a ^aily ftandipg iniracle) notwjthftanding thig Y 3 per^

326 A TOUR THROUGH

perpetual confumption, it has never beea exhaufted, nor even fenfibly diminilhed ; the faint always taking care to fupply them with a frefh quantity the day following.

You may be fure we 6^id not fail to fluff our pockets with this wonderful ftone ; I fufpeded they would have prevented us, as I did not fuppofe the faint wpyld l^ave worked for heretics; however, neither he nor the priefts had any objedion, and we gave them a few Pauls * more for their ci- vility. I tafted fome of it, and believe it is a very harmlefs thing. It taftes like exceed- ing bad Magnefia, and I believe has pretty much the fatne pfFed§. They give about . a tea-fpoonful of it to children in the fmallr pox and in fevers. It produces a copious fweat about an hour after, and, tjiey fay, never fails to be of fervice. It i§ likewife efteemed a certain repiedy againft the bite bf all venomous animals. There is a very fine'.ftatue of St. P<^ul in the middle of thi« 

grotto, tp which they afcribq great powers.

_ , J '- ' " " . ' I ■

• A {mall fiiver cola.

We

SfCILY AND MALTA- 327

We were delighted, on our way back to the city, with the beauty of the fetting^- fun; much liiperior, I think, to what I have ever obferved it in I<aly* The whole of the jeaftern part of the heavens, for half an hour after fun-fet, wa« of a fine deep purple, and made a beautiful appearance: This the Maltefe tell us is generally the^cafe every evening, at this feafon of the yean

I forgot to Ciy any thing of our pre- fentation to the grand mailer, for which I alk pardon both of you and him, — His name is Pinto, andof a Portuguefe family; He has now been at the head of this fm- gular little nation for upwards of thirty years* He received us with great polite- nefs, and was highly pleafed to 'find that fome of us had been in Portugal. He mentioned the intim9.te commercial con- nexions that had fo long fubfifted betwixt our nations, and exprefled bis defire of being of fervice to ys, and of rendering pur ftay in his iflar^d as agreeable as pofTible^ He is a clc^r-headed, fenfible, y 4 Uttle

i

I28 A TOUR THROUGH

little old man ; which^ at fo advanced a period of life^ is very uncommon. Al- though he is confiderably upwards of ninety, he retains all the faculties of bis mind in their greateft perfedion. He has no minifter, but manages every thing him- felf ; and has immediate information of the moft minute occurrences. He walks up and down flairs, and even to church, witb, out affiftance ; and has the appearance as if he would ftill live for a good many years* His houfhold attendance ^nd court are all very princely; and as grand mafter of Malta, he is more abfolute, and poffefleg more power than moft fovereign princes. His titles are Serene. Highnefs and Emi- nence; and as he has the difpofal of all lucrative ofKces, he makes of his council^} what he pleafes ; befides, in all the coun- cils that compofe the jurifdidion of this little nation, he himfelf prefides, and en^ joys two votes. Since he was chofen grand mafter, he has already given away J2(5 jcommanderies, fome of them wprth up- ^jurcjs of 2pQoh a j^earj befides priories

SICILY AND MALTA; 319

and other offices of prdSt.^ — He has the difpofal of twenty-one coramanderies an4 one priory every five years ; and as there

^re always a number of expedlants, he i$

exceedingly careffed and courtedt

He is chofen by a committee of twenty- one; which committee is nominated by the feven nations, three out of eaph nation. The cleftion muft be over within three days after the death of the former grand matter j and during thefe three days, there is fcarce ^ foul that fleeps at Malta : All is cabal and intrigue ; and moft of the knights are mafk-? ed, to prevent their particular attachment? and connections from being known: the moment the eledion is over, every thing feturns again to its former channel.

The land force of Malta is equal to the number of men in the ifland fit to bear »rms. They have about 500 regulars be- longing to the fliips of war ; and 1 50 comi? pole the guard of the prince. The twq jfja^ds Qf Malta aud Gozzo contain about

150,000

3J0 A TOUR THROUGH

15*0,000 inhabitants. The men are ex* cecding robuft and hardy. I have feen them row for ten or twelve hours without intermiffion, and without even appearing to be fatigued.

Their fea force confifts of four galleys, three galliots, four fhips of fixty guns, and a frigate of thirty-fix, befides a number of the qijick-failing little vefl^ls called Scam-i* pavias (literally, Runaways.) Their Ihips, galj^s, ^nd fortifications, are not only well, fupplied with excellent artillery, but they have likewife invented a kind of ord- nance of their own, unknown to all the world befides. For we found, to our ao fmall 9m^2;emeut, that the rocks were not only cijt into fortifications but likewife into artillery to defend thefe fortifications ; being hollowed out in many places into the form of immenfe mortars. The charge is faid to be about a barrel of gunpowder, over which they place a large piece of wood, made exadly to fit the raquth. of . the . ^hariiber. On this they Ijeap a. great

(juantity

SICILY AND MALTA. 331

•

quantity of cannon balls, fhells, or other deadly materials; and when an enemy's fliip approaches the harbour, they fire the whole into the ^ir; and they pretend it produces a very great efFe<3:, making a Ihower for two or three hundred yard^ round that would fink any veffeh

Nptwithftandin^ the fuppofed bigotry of the Maltefe, the fpirit of toleration is fo ftrong, that a mofque has lately been built for their fworn eiiemies the Turks. Here the poor flaves are allowed to enjoy their religion in peace. It happened lately that fome idle boys difturbed them during their fervicc ; they were immediately fent to prifon, and feverely puniflied. The po- lice indeed is much better regulated than in the neighbouring countries, and aflaffina- tions and robberies are very uncommpn; the laft of which crimes the grand mafter punifhes with the utmoft feverity. But he is faid, perhaps in compliance with the prejudice of his nation, to be much more jrelax with regard to the firft.

perhapn

>|;r A TOUR THROUQH,

Perhaps Malta is the oilly country in Jthp world where duelling is permitted by Jaw,— As their whole eftabli&ment is ori-? ginally founded on the wild and romantic priacipies of chivalry, they have ever found it tpo inconfiftent with thefe principle? to ^bolifli duelling; but they have laid it under fuch reftridions as greatly to reduce its dan- ger, Thefe are curious enough. — ^The duel-? lifts are obliged to decide their quarrel in one particular ftreetof the city; and if they prefume to fight any where elfe, they are liable to the rigour of the law. But what isi not lefs fingular, and much more in their fa- vour, they are obliged under the moft fevere penalties to put up their fword, when ordered fo to do, by a woman, a priejij or a knight^

Under thefe limitations, in the midft of ^ great city, one would imagine it almoft im-? poffible that a duel could ever end in blood j however, this is not the cafe;— A crofs is al- ways painted on the wall oppofite to the fpot where a knight has been killed, in com- memoration of his fall.-^We CQupted a^boui^ twenty of thefe croffes,

^ About

SICI^V AND MALTA. 333

Abdut three months ago, two knights had tt difpute at a billiard tabk.-^One of them^ after giving a great deal of abufive language, added a blow ; but to the aftonifhment of ^ all Malta (in whofe annals there is not a fimilar inftarice) after fo great a provocation, he abfolutely refufed to fight his antagdnift* — The challenge was repeated, and hfe had time to refle£t on the confequencesj biit ftill he refufed to enter the lifts.— He wis condemned to make amende honorable in the great church of St. John for forty-five days fuGceflively ; then to be confined in a dungeon without light for five years, after which he is to remain a^prifoher itt the caftle for life. The unfortunate young man who received the blow is like^ife in dif- grace, as he has not had an opportunity of wiping it out in the blood of his adverfary*

This has been looked upon as a very fmgular affair, and is ftill one of the principal topics of converfation. The fir ft part of the fentence has already been ex- ecuted, and the poor wretch is now lii hi^

dungeon.

334 A tOUR THROUGH .

dungeon. Nor is it thought, that knf abatenaent will be made in what remains.

If the legiflature in other countries pu- niflied with equal rigour thofe that do fight, . as it does in this thofe that do not j I believe we fhould foon have an end of duelling : But I fhould imagine the pUnifliment for fighting ought never to be a capital one, (but rather fomething ignominious;) and the punifhment for not fighting fliould always be fo, or at leaft fome fevere corporal puniQi- ment j for ignominy will have as little efFecS on the perfon who is willing to fubmit to the appellation of a coward, as the fear of death on one who makes it his glory, to defpife it*

The Maltefe ftlU talk with horror of a ftotm that happened here on the 29th of 0£);ober, 1757, which as it was of a very fmgular nature, I ihall tranflate you fome account of it from a little book they have given me, written on that fubjeCt.

About three quarters of an hour after midnight, there appeared to the fouth-weft

3 of

SICILY AND, MALTA. 335

ef the city a great black cloud, which, a9 it approached^ changed its colour, till at laft it became like a flame of fire mixed with black fmoak. A dreadful noife Was heard on its approach, that alarmed the whole city. It paffed over part of the port, and came firft upon an Englifli fhip, which in an inftant was torn to pieces, and nothing left but the hulk ; part of the maft&j fails, and cordage were carried along with the cloud to a confiderable diftance* The fmall boats and fellouques that fell in its way were all broken to pieces, ?ind funk* The noife increafed and became more frightful. A fentinel, terrified at its ap- proach, run into his box : Both he and it were lifted up and carried into the fea, where he perifhed. It then traverfed a confiderable part of the city, and laid in ruins almoft every thing that dared to op- pofe it. — Several houfes were laid level with the ground, and it did not leave one fteeple in its paffage. The bells of fome of them, together with the fpires, were carried to a confiderable diftanoe. The

roofs

i^S A tOVk THkOtJGii

jroofs of the churches were detnolifhed and beat down, which, if it had happened in the day- time, muft have occafioned a dread- ful carnage, as all the world would imme^ diately have run to the churches.

It went off at the north-eaft point of the city J and demolifliingthe light-houfe, is £dd to have mounted up into the air, with ft frightful noife ; and paffed over the fca to Sicily^ where it tore up foine trees, and did other damiige, but nothing coniider- able; as its fury had been moftly fpeftt Upon Malta; The number of killed aiid wounded amounted to near 2oo * and the lofs of fhipping, hoiifes, and churches, was very confiderabki

Several treatifes have been written to ac- count for this Angular phaenomenon, but I have found nothing at all fatisfadory. The fentiments of the people are concife and pofitive. They declare, with one voice, that it was a legion of devils let loofe to punifli them for their fins. There are a

thoufand

SiClLY, AND MALTA. 337

tiioufand people in Malta that will take their oath they faw them within .the cloud, all as blacrkas pitch, and btieiathing out fiire and brimftone. They add, that if there had not been a few godly people amongft them, their whole city would certainly have been involved in one ^niverfal de- Rrudion.

The horfe-races o^ Malta are o^ a very fingular kind. They are performed with- out either faddle, bridle, whip, or fpur ; and yet the horfes are faid to run full i^eed, and tb afford a great deal of diver- fion. They are accuftomed to the ground for fomfe weeks before ; and although it is entirely over rock and pavement, there are very feldom any accidents. They have races of affes and mules performed in th«  fame manner, four times every year. The rider is only furniflied with a machine like a flioemaker*s awl^ to prick on his courfer if he is lazyr

Vol. I. Z A»

338 A TOUR THROUGH

As Malta is an epitome of all Europe, and an affemblage of the younger brothers, which are' commonly the beft of its firft fa- milies, it is certainly one of the beft acade- mies for politenefs in this part of the globe j befides, where every one is entitled by law as well as cnftom, to demand fatisfa<3tiont for the leaft breach of it, people are under a neceffity of being very 6xa£t and cireum-' fpe(a^, both with. regard to their words and

adions.

1. •

All the knights and commanders have much the appearance of gentlemen, and men of the world. We met with no cha- radter in extreme. The ridicules and pre- judices of every particular nation, are by degrees foftened and wore off, by the fa^ iniliar intercourfe and collifion with each other. It is curious to obferve the effe£t it produces upon the various people thjtt compofe this little medley. The French fkip, the Germans ftrut, and the Spanifli ftalk, are all mingled together in fuch

fmalt

SICILY AND MALTA. 339

fmall proportions, that none of them ap- f)ear extreme j yet every one of thefe na-* tions ftill retain fomething of their origi- nal Gharafteriftic 1 It is only the exube-^ ranee of it that is wore off; and it is ftill eafy to diftinguifh the inhabitants of the fouth and north fide of the Pyrenees, as well as thofe of the eaft and weft fide of the Rhine; for though the Parifian has^ in a great meafure, loft his afluming air^ the Spaniard his taciturnity and folemnity» the German his ftubbornnefs and his pride j yet ftill you fee the German, the French- man, and the Spaniard : It is only the caricature, that formerly made them ridi- culous, that has difappeared.

This inftitution, which is a ftfange Com- pound of the military and ecclefiaftic, has now fubfifted for near feven hundred years; and though, I believe^ one of the firft-born, has long furvived every other child of chi- valry. It poflefles great riches in moft of the catholic countries of Europe ; and did Z 2 fo

340 A TOUR THROUGH

fo in England toOf before the time of Henry VIII. but that caprieious tyrant did not chufe that any inftitution, however antient or refpeSed, fhould remain in hi* dominions, that had any doubt of his fu- premacy and infallibility ; he therefore feized on all their pofleffions, at the fame time that he enriched himfelf by the plun- der of the church. It was in vain for them fo plead that they were rather a mili- tary than an ecclefiaftic order, and by their valour had been of great fervice to Europe^ in their wars againft the infidels : It was not agreeable to his fyftem ever to hear a reafon for any thin^ ; and no perfon could poflibly be right, that was capable of fup* pofing.that the king could be wrong.

Malta, as well as Sicily, was long tinder the tyranny of the Saracens ; from which they were both delivered about the middle of the eleventh century, by the valour of the Normans: After which time^ the fate of Malta commonly depended on that of

Sicily,

SICILY AND MALTA. 341

Sicily, till the emperor Charles V. about the year 1530, gave it, together with the ifland of Gozzo, to the knights of St. John of Jerufalem, who at that time had loft th* ifland of Rhodes. In teftimohy of this conceflion, the grand mafter is ftill obliged^ every y^ar, to fend a falcon to the king of Sicily, or his viceroy ; and on every new fucceffion, to fwear allegiance, and to re- ceive, from the hands of the Sicilian monarch, the inveftiture of tbefe two iflands*

Ever fmce our arrival here, the wea- ther has been perfei^ly* clear and ferene, without a cloud in the hemifphere; and for fome time after fun-fet, the heavens exhibit a moft beautiful appearance, which 1 don't recoiled ever to have obferved any where elfe. The eaftern part of the ho- rizon appears of a rich deep purple, and the weftern is the true yellow glow of Claud Lorrain, that you ufed to admire fo much. The weather, however, is not in- Z 3 . tolerably

34« A TOUR THROUGH

tolerably hot; the thermometer ftands |x>mmonl7 betwixt 75 and 76* Adieu* We are now preparing for a long voyage, $ind it is not eafy to fay from whence I QiaU write you next.

Ever yourSf

SICILY AND MALTA. 343 LETTER XVII.

Agrigcntum, June iith.

Y^E left the port of Malta in a fparo- naro which we hired to convey us to this city.

We coafted along the ifland, and went to take a view of the north-port, its forti- fications and lazaretto. All thefe are very great, and more like the works of a mighty and powerful people, than of fo fmall a ftate. The inortars cut out of the rock is a tremendous invention. There are about fifty of them, near the different creeks and landing-places round the ifland. They are diredted at the mod probable fpots where boats would attempt a landing. The mouths of fome of thefe mortars are about fix feet wide, 2ind they are faid to throw a hundred tantars of cannon-ball or ftones. A cantar is, I think, about a hundred pound weight ; fo that if they do take place, they muft Z 4 make

344 A TQUR THROUGH

make a dreadful havoc amongft a debarks ation of boats.

The diftancq of Malta from Gozzo ist not above four or five miles, and the fmall ifland of Commino lies betwixt them,. The coafts of all the three are bare and barren, but covered over with towers, re-:^ doubts, and fortifications of various kinds.

As Gozzo isfuppofed to be the celebrate^ ifland of Calypfo, you may believe we ex- peded fomething very fine ; but; we were difappointed. It muft either be greatly fallen off fince the time that fhe inhabited it, or the archbifhop of Cambray, as well as Homer, muft have flattered greatly in their painting. We looked, as we went along the coaft, for the g;oddefs's grottOj^ but could fee nothing that refembled it. Neither could we obferve thefe verdant .banks eternally covered with flowers,; nor thofe lofty trees for ever in bloflbm, that loft their heads in the clouds, and afibrded 9 fhade to the facred baths of the goddef^

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 345

^nd her nymphs. We faw, indeed, fome nymphs ; but as neither Calypfp nor Eu- charis feemed to be of the number, we paid little attention to them, and I was in no apprehenfion about my Telemachus : Indeed it would have required an imagina- tion as ftrong as Don Quixote's, to h^yc |)rou^ht about the metamorphofis.

Finding p^r hopes fruftrated, we ordered our failors to pull out to fea, and bid adieu to the ifland of Calypfo, concluding, either that our intelligence was falfe, or that both the ifliand and its inhabitants were greatly changed. We foon found ourfelycs onc^ more at the mercy of the waves : Night came on, and our rowers began their evening fong to the Virgin, and beat time with" their oars. Their offering was ac- ceptable; for we had the moft delightful weather. We wrapt ourfelyes up in our cloaks, and flept moft comfortably, having provided mattraffes at Malta. By a little after day-break, we found we had got with* out fight of all the iflands, anid/aw only a 5 part

'34<? A TOUR THROUGH

p^ft of mount ^tha fmoking above the waters. The wind fpruhg up fair, and by ten o'clock wft had fight dP the coaft of Sicily^

On confidering the fmallnefs of our boat, and the great breadth of this piflage, we could not help admiring the temerity of thefe people, who, at all feafons of the year, venture to Sicily in thefe diminutive yefiels; notwithftanding which, it is very feldom that any accident happens : They are fo pcrfedWy acquainted with the vfrea- ther, foretelling, almoft to a certainty^ every ftorm, many hours before it comes on. The failors look upon this paflage as one of the moft ftormy and dangerous in the Mediterranean. It is called the canal of Malta, and i« much dreaded by the Le- vant fhips; but indeed^ at this feafon, there is no danger.

We arrived at Sicily a little before fun- fet^ and landed oppofite to Ragufa, and not far from the ruins of the little Hybla ;

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 347 .

the third town of that name in the ifland, diftinguiihed by the epithets of the Great, (near mount JEtna) the Lefler, (near Au- gufta) and the Little (juft by Ragufa). Here we found a beautiful fandy beach, and whilft the fervants were employed in dreffing ouy fupper, we amufed our- felve« with bathing and gathering fllelIs^ of which there is a conliderablc variety. We were in expeftation of finding the nautilus, for which- this ifland is fa-* mous; but in this we did not fucceed. However, we picked up fome handfome fliells, though not equal to thofe that arc brought from the Indies.

After fupper, we again launched our bark, and went to fea. The wind was fa- vourable as we could wifli. We had our pightly ferenade as ufual, and the next day, by twelve o'clock, we reached the ce- lebrated port of Agrigentum.

The captain of the port gave us a polite ireception, ' $nd infilled on accompanying

us

348 A TOUR THROtJGH

m to the city, which ftands near the tnp of ^. moifntain, four m^es diftant from the harbour, and about eleven ' hundred feet above the leve} of the fea. Tfie rQa4 on each fide is l^ordered by a row of ex- ceeding large American aloea ; upwards of one-third of them being at prefent in full blow, and making the mpft beautiful apr- pearance that can be imagined. The flower-ftems of this noble plant are in gcr neral betwixt twenty and thirty feet high, (fome of them more) and are covered with flowers from top to bottom; which taper regularly, and form a beautiful kind of py- ramid, the bafe or pedeftal of which is the line fpreading leaves of the plant. As this is efteemed, in northern countries, one of ,the greateft curiofities of the vegetable, tribe, we were happy at feeing it in fo great perfcdlion; much greater, I think, than I had ever feen it before.

With us, I think, it is vulgarly reckon- ed, (though I believe falfejy) that they only flower once in a hundred years. Here I

was

SICILY ^AND MALTA. j4(j

was furprifed to be informed, that, at the lateft, they always blow the fixth year ; but for the moft part the fifth. — As the whole fubftance of the plant is carried into the ftem and the flowers, the leaves begin.to de- Cay fo foon as the blow is coiflpleted, aiid a numerous offspring of young plants arc produced round the root of the old one j thefe are flip'd off, and formed into new plantations, either for hedges or for ^venues to their country-houfcs*

The city of Agrigentum, now called Girgenth is very irregulfir iand ugly; though from a few miles diftance at fea, it makes a noble appearance, little inferior to that

• of Genoa.^ — As it lies on the flope of the

mountain, the houfes do not hide one an- other } but every part of the city is feen.

On our arrival, we found a great falling off indeed ; the houfes are mean, the ftreets dirty, crooked, and narrow. — It ftill con- tains near twenty thoufand people; a dreadful redudion from its antient gran- deur,

350 A TOUR THROUGH

deur, when it was faid to hold po lefs thad eight hundred thoufand^ being the next city to Syracufe itt the iflaiid.

The Canonico Spoto, from Mr. Ha- lniltOH*s letter, and from our former ac- quaintance with him at Naples, gave us a Very kind, and a very hofpitable reception* He infifted on our being his guefts; and we Jire now in his houfe, comfortably lodged, and elegantly entertained, which, after our crowded little apartment in the fparonaro, is by no means a difagreeable changer- Farewell-— I ihali write you again foon.

Ever yours.

SICIL"^ JIND l/lAhTA, 351

LETTER XVim .

Agngentumi Jujie T2th»

tlT^E are jtift how returned fi:0ia:e?;amih-i^

ing the antiquities of Agrigentuin,

the .inoft iconfiderable^ perhaps, of any in

Sicily*

The ruins of the antient city lie about a fhort mile from the mcdern one, Thefe^ like the ruips of Syracufe, are Jixpltiy, con- verted into corn-fields^ vineyards^ and.orch- ards } but the remains of tlje temples here, are infinitely mpre cgnfpicuous than thofe of Syracufe. Four of thefe ha^je flood, pretty much in a right line, near the.fouth, wall of the city. The firft they . call the . temple of Venn?.; almpft one half of which., ftill remains. The fecond is. that . of Coo-fi v prd : It may be coijfidercd as. entirej, not . one column having as yet.. fallen.* It i$ } precifely of the fahie diiaenfion^. ^jad.fame I architedure as that of Venus, whid^ had ;

probably 7

|5i A tOUR tHRdU6M

probably ferved as the model for it. By ttift following infcription, found on a large piece of marble, it appears to have been built at the expence of the Lilibitani ; probably After having been defeated by the peopte of Agrigentum.

CONCORDIiE AGRIGENTINORCM SACRUM*

RESPUBHCA LILIBITANORUM,

DEDICANTIBUS M. ATTERIO CANDIDO

PROCOS. ET L. CORNELIO MAR'-

CELLO, Q:^ P. R. P. R.

Thefe temples are Supported by thirteen krgc fhitcd Doric columns on each fide ; arid fix at each eAd. ' All their bafes, capi* tals, eiltattatures, &c. ftill remaiti entire; and as the architedure is perfeftly fimple, without any thing affefted of ftudied, the whole ftrikes the eye at oiice, and pleafes very much. The columns are, indeed, fhorter than the common Doric proportions ; and they certainly are not fo elegant as fpme of the anticnt temples that are to be feea about Rome^ and in other places in Italy.

The

Sicily aNd maLta. ssi

.The third temple- is that of Hercules^ Altogether in ruins ;.' but appears to have been of a much greater fize than the former two. We meafured fome of the broken Columns, near feVen feet in dia- meter* It was here that the famous ftatuc of Hercules flood, fo much celebrated by Cicero; which the people of Agrigentunl defended with fuch bravery, againft Ver-- res, who attempted to fcize it. You will find the whole ftory in his pleadings againft that infamous praetor*

Thete was Hkewife ifi this temple i, fa^ mous pi(3:ure by Zeuxis. Hercules was reprefented in his cradle killing the two ferpents : Alcmena and Amphitrion having juft entered the apartment, were painted with every mark of terror, and aftonilh** ment. Pliny fays, the paintet looked up^ on this piece as invaluable ; and therefore could never be prevailed on to put a price Upon it, but gave it as a prefent to Agri-* geiitutti, to be placed in the temple of Hercules. Thefe two great mafler-pieceft

Vol. I. A a have

354 A tdtJk ftiROVQU have been loft. We thought of them witfe regret, whilft we trod on thefe venerablef ruins.

Near to this lie the ruins of the enor-a .•moustefnple of Jupiter Olympus, fuppofed, by the Sicilian authors, to have been the largeft in the heathen world* It is now called il tempio de^ gigantij 6r the Giants Temple, as the people cannot eonceivei that fuch maffes of rock coiild ever be put together by the hands of ordinary men. The fragments of columns are in- deed enormous, and give us a vaft idea of this fabric. It is faid to have ftood till the year iioo ; but is now a perfect ruin. Our Cicerones affured us, it was exadly the fame dimenfions with the church of St* Peter at Rome: But in this they are egre- gioufly miftaken.-— St. Peter's being infi- nitely greater than any thing that eter the heathen world produced.

There are the remains of many more temples, and other great works ; but thef^,

I think,

iSlClLt AND MALTA. 355

1 think, are the moft confpicuous. They ihew you that of Vulcan, of Proferpine, of Caftor and Pollux, and a very remarkable one of Juno. This too was enriched by one of the moft fdmous pidurcs of antiquity; which is celebrated by many of the antient Writers. — Zeuxis was determined to excel every thing that had gone before him, and to form a model of human perfedion. To this end, he prevailed on all the fineft wo- men of Agrigentum, who were even ambi- tious of the honour, to appear naked before him. Gf thefe he chofe five for his models, and moulding all the perfedions of thefe beauties into one, he compofed the pidure of the goddefs. This was ever looked up- on as his mafter-piece ; but was unfortu- nately burnt when the Carthaginians took A^rigentum.— Many of the citizens retired into this temple as to a place of fafety; but as foon as they found the gates attacked by the enemy, they agreed to fet fire to it, and chofe rather to periflx in the flames, than fubmit to the power of the conquer- ors. However, neither the deftru£tion of A a 2 the

356 A TOUR THROUGH

the. temple, nor the lofs of their, lives, ba* been fo much regretted by pofterity, a» the Jofs of this pidurc

The temple of Efculapius (the ruins of which are ftill to be feen) was not left celebrated for a ftatue of Apollo, It was taken from iheth by the Carthaginians^ att the fame time that the temple of Juno was burnt. It was carried off by the con- querors, and continued the greateft orna- ment of Carthage for many years, and was at laft reftored by Scipio, at the final deftruc- tion of that city. Some ot the Sicilians allege, I believe without any ground, that it was afterwards carried to Rome, and ftiU remains there, the wonder of all ages; known to the whole world under the name of the Apollo of Belvidere ; and univerfally allowed to be the higheft pitch of perfe£kloa that ever human art has attained to.

I fhould be very tedious, were I to give you a minute defcription of every piece of antiquity. Indeed, little or nothing is to be

learned

SICILY AND MALTA. 357

learned from the grcateft part of them. The antient walls of the ' city are moftly ciit out of the rock ; the catacombs and fepulchres are all very great : One of thcfe is worthy of particular notice, becaufe it is mentioned by Polybiiis, as being oppo- lite to the temple of Hercules, and to have been ftruck by lightning even in his time. It remains almoft entire, and anfwers the defcription he gives of it: The infcrip- tions are fo defaced, that we could make nothing of them« 

This is the monument of Tero king of Agrigentum, one of the firft of the Sicilian tyrants. The great antiquity of it may be gathered from this, that Tero is not only mentioned by Diodorus, Polybius, and the more modern of the antient hiftoriaas ; but ^ likewife by Herodotus, and Pindar, who dedicates two of his Olympic odes to him : So that this monument muft be greatly upwards of two thoufand years old. It is a kind of pyramid, one of the moft durable of all forms.

Aa 3 All

35« A TOUR THROUGH

All thefe mighty ruins of AgrigMltum^ and the whole mouatain on which i% fliands, ia compofedof an iromertfe concre- tioa of fea-ihcUs, run together, and ce-? mcntcd by a kind of fand or gravel, and now become as hard, aad perhaps more durable than even marble itfelf. Thi«. ftone is white before it has been expofed to the air j but in the temples and other ruins, it is become of a very dark brown^ I fhall bring home fame pieces of it for the infpedtion of the curious, I found thefe ihells on the very fummit of the moun- tain, at leaft fourteen or fifteen hyndred feet above the level of the fea. They are of the commoneft kinds, cockles, muffelsi oyfters, &e.

^ The things -^t know are neither rich ^or rare j " But wonder how the devil they got there."

Popjs.

By what means they have been lifted up to this vaft height, and fo intiipa^tely mix- ed with the whole fubftance of th'iB rock, I

leave 5

SICILY AND MALTA. 3^^

leave to you and your philofophical friends to determine. — This old battered globe of ours, has probably fufFered m^ny convul- fions that are not reporded ia any hiftory.— - You have heard of theyaft Stratunn of bones that was ^tely difcovered in Iftria and Offero j —part of it runs below rock§ of marble that are upwards of forty feet in thicknefs, ar^4 they have not yet been able to s^fcertain it^ extent : Something pf the fame kind has been foun(i in r^lmqiti^, ip t^ie ifla,p4§ of the Archipelago ; and, lately, T am told^ in the rock of Gibraltar. — Now, tbie de? luge recorded in Scripture, ^ill hardly ac^ count fufficiepitly for all the ph^uQmena of this fort that are to be met with, almoft in every country in the world. — B^t | am interrupted by vifitors ; — which, I thinkf is a very lucky circurnftance, both for you and me ; for I was juft going to be exceed- ingly philofophical, and confequently ex- peedingly dulU—Adieu.

Aa 4

36q a tour through I- E T T E R XIX.

•Agrigcn;uxp, June 13th,

'TPHE interruption in my laft, was a de-» ^

putation from the bifhop, to invite us to a great dinner to-morrow at the port j fo that we fliall know whether this place Hill deferves the character of luxury, it al- ways held amongft the antients : We have great reafon to think, from the politenefs and attention we have met with, that it has never loft its antient ' hofpitality, for which it was Jikewife fo nauch celebrated.

Plato, when he vifited Sicily, was fo much ftruck with the luxury of A^grigcti' turn, both in their houfes and their tableai that a faying of his is ftill recorded : That , they built as if they were never to di^, and eat as if they had not an hour to live. It is preferved by Elian, and is juft noW-^ hefoye we. The wo^rds in tl^is authctf aye,

SICILY AND MALTA. 561

• ' Agrigentinos ita edificare, ac fi pcrpe-

♦* tuo viduri, ita convivari, ac fi poflridie ^* morituri forent,"

He tells a ftory by way of illuftration,

which Ihews a much greater conformity

of manners than one could have expedled,

, betwixt the young nobility amongft the aa-^

tients, and our own at this day.

He fays, that after a great feaft, where there were a number of young pegple of the firft fafhion, they got all fo glorioufly drunk, that from their reeling and tum- bling upon one another, they imagined they were at fea in a florm, and began to think themfelves in the moft imminent danger ; at laft they agreed, that the only way to fave their lives was to lighten the Ihip, and with one accord began to throw the rich furniture out of the windows, to the great edification of the mob below ; and did not flop till they had entirely cleared fhe houfe of it, which, from this piece of foUy, was ?ver after deiiominated the tri^

rcmes^

3$3| A T^U'R THROUGH rcms^ on the fib-ipp He fays it was one of tke piiin^cip^Ll palaces, of the city, apd re- tained this name for ever after. |fi Pub^ lin, I h^ve been told, there are more than one triremes ; and that this frolic, which they call throwing the houfe out of the- i|?ii;idow, is by no means uncommon.

At the farpe time that Agrigeritum i^ abufed by the antient authors for its drunk-? cnnefs, it is as much celebrated^ for its hof- pitality ; and I believe, it will be found^ that thi$ virtue, and this vice, have eve? had a fpirt of fneaking kindnefs for eaclj other^ and have generally gone h^nd i^ hand, both in antient and iii modern time^. The S^ife, the Scotch, and the Irifh, who are at prefent the moft drunken people in Europe, are likewife, in all probahility> the inp(l hofpit^ble ; whereas, in the very fo- ber countries, Spaip, Ifortuga^, and Italy, hpfpit^lity is a virtue very little known ; or indeed any other virtue, except fobyifty; which has been produced, probably a good

• de^l from the tyranny of their government,

and

SieiLY AND MAIitA. 363

and thck 4read of the inquifition ;, for where evejry perfon is ia fe^r, left his real fentimeflts (hottld be known, it would be ■vfery dfsingerpus to utilpck bis heart ; but . ift countries where there gife neither civil nor ecclgfiafticftl tyrants to lay an embargo on our thoughts, people are under no apf prehenfion left they fhould be l^nown.

However, thefe are not the only reafons. The moral virtues and vices, I am perfuad- cdv v^5y often depend upon natural caufes* •--Thf very elevated fituatipn of this city> ^herft the air is exceedingly thin aqd €^> fe^ifr. prol?ably been one great, reafon thiirt; its iijtiaj?itapt? have becppie greater druftkstfds %^m th^ir neighbours in the. yalleys-v

• The fame may be faid. of the three

nations I have mentioned; the greateft part of their countries lying amongft hills and mountains, where the climate render^ ftrong liquors much more n^qeflary; or at leaft, much lefs detrimental, than in low

places.

364 A TOUR THROUGH

places.^ — It is not furprifing, though it is greatly to be lamented, that this pradice, probably begun amongft the mountains, where the air is fo keen, has by degrees crept down into the valleys, and has » at laft become almoft. epidemical in thofe countries.

Fazzello, after railing at Agrigentum for its drunkennefs, adds, that there was no town in the ifland fo celebrated for its hofpitality. He fays that many of the nobles had fervants placed at the gates of the city, to invite all ftrangers that arrived to their houfes. It is in reference to. this probably, that Empedocles fays, that even the gates of the city proclaimed a welcome to every ftranger. From our experience we are well intitled to fay, that the people 6f Agrigentum ftill retain this antiquated ^rtue, fo little known in polite countries. To-morrow We Ihall have a better oppor- tunity of judging whether it is ftill accom- panied by its {ifter vice*

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 365

The- accounts that the old authors give of the magnificence of Agrigentum arc truly amazing ; though there are none of them, indeed) that proclaim it in flronger terms than the monuments 6f it that ftill remain. — ^Diodorus fays, the great veffels for holding water were commonly of filver, and that their litters and carriages were for the moft part of ivory* richly adorned. He mentions a vaft pond made at an im- menfe expence, full of fifh and of water- fowl, that in his time was the great refort of the inhabitants, on their feftivals ; but he fays, that even then (in the age of Au- guftus) it was going to ruin, requiring too great an expence to keep it up. There is not now the fmalleft veftige of it remain- ing: But there is ftill to b^ feen a curious fpring of water that throws up a kind of oil that floats on its furface, and is made ufe of by the poor people in many difeafes. This is fuppofed to mark out the place of this celebrated pond ; which is recorded by Pliny and Solinus to have been flxongly impregnated with tl^is oiL

DiodoruS)

§66 A tOUfe THROUGH

Diodorus, ff^ekking of tte ricbes 'of AgrU l^entum, mentidas orie of its citizens itr* luriaing Viaorious from the Olympic games, and entering his city, attended by three hundred chariots, drawn each by fotrr white horfee, richly caparifoned ; and gives many other inftances of their vaft profufion and luxury.

Thcfe horfes, he fays, were ^greatly deemed all over Greece, for their bfeauty and fwiftnefs. — Their race is t:elebrated by many of the antient authors.

• ' Arduus inde Agragas oftentat maxima longe
  • Mocnia, magnanimlim quondam generatoi"
• ' equorum;**

Says Viigil in the third -iSneid; and Pliny acquaints Us, that thofe which had ^en often vidorious at the gained were not only honoured with burial "rites, but that magnificent monuments were buik, to eternize their memory. This Timeus con- firms : He tells us that he faw at Agri- gentum fevcral pyramids built as fepulchral

monu-

^iCiLt A*KD MALtA. 367

^hbriuments to celebrated liorfes ; lie idd* that When tliefe Mnirhals btcfaftie dd anii incapable 6f fafrthei* feyvice^ they were ^Iwkys t&teii dre ofi and fpent the rfe- toainder of their lives in eafe and jplenty,. -—I could wifli that our countrymen would inaitate ihe gratitude and humanity of the Sicilians in this article ; at leaft, the latter part of it. I don't know that our nation can fo juftly be taxed with cruelty or in- gratitude in any other article as in their treatinetit of horfes, the animfeil that d( all others i« the njoft intitled to our care* It is really lamentable on many of your great roads, to fee the fineft old hunters?, that were once the glory of the chace, con- tiemned) in the decline of life, to the ty- ranny and brutality of the moft cruel op- preflbrs; in whofe hands they fufFer the moft extreme mifery, till they at laft fink tinder the grievous talk that is affigned them. The fufFerings of thefe noble but unfortunate [animals I have ever looked upon as the moft difagreeable circumftance attending our travelling in England, which

would

368 A TOUR tHRODGM

would otherwife be the pleafanteft in thu world. — I am called away to fee fome more antiques, but fhall finifh this letter to«  night, as the poft goes off for Italy to-mor* row morning,

13th ; Afternoon. We have feen a great many old walls and vaults that little or no- thing can be made of. They give them names, and pretend to tell you what they were, but as they bear not the leaft refem- blance to thefe things now, it would be no lefs idle to believe them than to trouble you with their nonfenfe. We have indeed feen' one thing that has amply repaid us for the trouble we have taken. It is the reprefen* tation of a boar-hunting in alto relievo, on white marble ; and is at leaft equal, if not fupcrior, to any thing of the kind I have ever met with in Italy. It confifts of four different parts, which form the hiftory of this remarkable chafe and its confequences.

Thefirft is the preparation for the hunt.

There arc twelve hunters, with each hi« 

4 lance.

\siCILY AND MALTA. 3^9

lance, and a fhort hanger under his left arm of a very lingular form. The dogs ekadly refemble thofe we call lurchers. The horfes are done with great fire an^d fpirit, and are perhaps a better proof of the excellence of the race, than even- the teftimony of their authors; for the.artift that formed thefe muft certainly have beea »ccuftomed to feg very fine horfes.

The fecond piece reprefents the chace.^ — The third the death of the king, by a fall from h}s horfe. — And the fourth, the de- fpair of the queen and her attendants, on rcjceiving the news. She is reprefented as falling down in a fwoon, and is fupported hy her woijien, who are all in tear§t

It is- executed in the mod mafterly ftilc, and is indeed one of the fineft rerifaLtns of antiquity I have ever feen. It is preferved in the great church, which is noted through all Sicily.for a remarkable ec ho; ibniething in the fame ftile of our whifpering gallery at jSt.-Pstui^,': though .much more diffitult to be accounted for. .> /'- \ ^

. ry^OL, I, Bb If

ifo A TOtfR THROUGH

If one perfon ftands at the weft gaite, tod another places himfelfonthecornice^at the moft diftant point of the churchy C?*ftly behind the great altar, they can hold la eollVerfation in very low whifpers with the Utmoft diftindnefs*

For many years this fingularity was not generally known J and feveral of the coti- feffing chairs being placed near the great altar, the wags, who were in the fecret, ufed to take their ftation at the door of the cathedral; and by this me^ns hear4 diftinftly every \srord that paffed betwixp the confeflbr and his penitent; of which|, you may believe, they did not fail to make their own ufe when occafion ofFered.7— Th<5* moft fecret intrigues were difcovered ; and every woman in Agrigentum changed either her gallant or her confeflbr. Yef ftill ij: ^^a« the fame. — At laft, however, the caufe was fouad out; the chairs were rejnoycd, and other precautions were taken, to pre^ vent the difcovery of thefe facrcd myfteries ; and a mutual amfiefly pafied amongft all the offended parties.

AgtH

SICILY AND MALTA. 371

Agffgentum, like Syracufe, was long fiilijefl: to the yoke of tyrjtnts. Fazzello gives fome account of their cruelty, but I Jiave no intention of repeating it: One ftory, however, pleafed me; it is a well knov<rn one, but as it is fl>ort, you Ihaljl Iiave it.

PeriUo, a goldfmith, by way of payiiig court to Phalaris the tyrant, made him a l^refent of a brazen bull, of admirable work- manfhip; hollow within, and fo contrived that the voice of ^ perfon fhut up in it^ appeared exadtly like the bellowing of a yeal bulL The artift pointed out to the tyrant what an admirable efFe£l this muft produce, would he only fhut up a few cri- ]^inal$ i^ it, and make a fire under them*

Phalaris, ftruck with fo horrid an idea, and perhaps curious to try the experiment, told the goldfmith that he himfelf was the only perfon worthy of animating his bull ; that he muft have ftudied the note that made it roar to the greateft advantage, and that it would be unjuft to deprive him Bb 2 " of

37a A TOUR THROUGH

of any part of the honour of his invention. Itpon which he ordered the goldfmith to he ihut up, and made a great fire around the bull ; which immediately began to roar, to the admiration and delight of all Agrigentum. Ciceto fays this bull was carried to Qtr*' thage at the taking of Agrigentum; and was reftored again by Scipio after the de* ftrudlion of that city,

Fazzella adds another ftory, which is ftill mere to the honour' of Phalaris. Two friends, Melanippus and Caritohj had con-* • fpired his death. Cariton, in hopes of faving his friend frota the danger of the cnterprize, determined to execute it alone^ However, in his attempt to poignard the tyrant, be was feized by the guards, and immediately put to the moft dreadful tor- tures, to make him confefs his aecomplice ; thefe he bore w4th the utmoft fortitude^ refufing to make the lead difcovery ; 'till Melanippus, informed of the fituation of his friend, ran to the tyrant, affuring him that he alone was the guilty perfoti ; that

it

. SICILY AND MALTA; 373

it was entirely by his inftigation that Cariton had ai^ed ; and begged that he might be put on the rack in the place of his friend. Phalaris, ftruck with fuch heroifm, pardoned them both.

Notwithftanding this generous adion, he was in many refpeds a barbarous tyrant* Fazzello gives the following account of his death, with which I fhall conclude this letter, for I am monftroufly tired, and, t dare fay, fo are you. Zeno, the phild* fopher, came to Agrigentum, and being admitted into the prefence of the tyrant, advifed ^lim for his own comfort as well aa that of his fubjeSs, to refign his power, and to lead a private life. Phalaris did n6t relifh thefe philofophical fentiments; and fufpeding Zeno to be in a confpiracy with fome of his fubjeds, ordered him to be put to the torture in prefence of the citizens of Agrigentum.

Zeno immediately began to reproach them with cowardice and pufilanimity in fub- mitting tamely to the yoke of fo worthlefs

a tyrant;

^74 A tOUR THROUGH, &c,

a tfrafrt ; aftd ift st fhort ,tinie tilkd tuth a flame that tHey defeated the guards, arid' flontd Phalaris to death.— I dare fay yott arc glad they did it fa quickly.— ^Well, 1 ihall not write fuch long letlicrs for thff future ; for I affure you it is at leaft asi Iroublefome to the writer as t"he reader. Adieu. We fhall fail to-morrow or next morning for Trapani, from whence you jnay expe<St to hear from me. We ar6 now going out to examine more antique wall^ l)Ut I ihall not trouble you with them.

Farewell j evei^ ybtir^,

P, B,

END OF THE FIRMT VOtUMB,

ERRATA.

VOL. I. Page 20. line 16, read Phlegrti.-^"?. 1^4. Iine$ 13 and 15. for ii rtsid /a. — P. 1^7. line 21. for 1663, read 1669.— P. 250. line 18. for edging read edyhg. — P* '3 1 2. line 1 8* dele /oom.

VOL. IL Page 8. line i. read maxm.-^?. iSj, line t^^ for 'wbo like %imf reaa like bim luho.

Several citations from Latin authors that were intended for notes, have t>y miftake been pat into the text.

Full text, vol 2

TOUR

THROUGH

8 I C I L Y AND M A L TA,

VOL. It

A

TOUR

THROUGH

SICILY AND MALTA.

I N A

SERIES OF LETTERS

T O

WILLIAM BECKFORD, ESQ,,

OF SOMERLY IN SUFFOLK; FROM

P. B R Y D O N E, F. R. S.

A N E W-E D I T I O N. VOL. II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR W. STRAHAN; AND T. CADELL, IN THE STRAND. LXXFI.

be

V.X 844104

2.2. to. 56

CONTENTS

O F T H E

SECOND VOLUME,

LETTER XVII. p. i.

C>AIL for Agrigentum. I/land of Gozzo. Coaft of Sicily. American aloes. City of Agrigentum.

LETTER XVIII. p. 10.

Antiquities of Agrigentum. Temples of Venus Of Concord Of Hercules Of Ju- piter Olympus^ &c. Celebrated picture of Zeuxis Statue of Apollo. Catacombs andfepulchres. Mountain of Agrigentum.

LET-

ti CONTENTS,

LETTER XIX. p. 20.

Luxury of the ancient Agrigentini. Hofpi- tality. Anecdote. Humanity and grati- tude to their borfes.dgrigenturft long

fubjefl to tyrants. Phalaris, anecdote of him. Melanippus and Cariton> their

friendship. Death of Ph alar is.

LETTER XX. p. 36.

Country around Agrigentum. A feajl*~~ Hofpitality of the Agrigentini. Their character. The bifhop. Departure for Trapani. Sea Jlorm. Driven back to Agrigcntum. Journey by land to Pa- lermo. Richnefs and beauty of the* country. Poverty and opprejfion of the feafants.

LETTER XXL p. 59.

Conclufion of the journey to Palermo. Con- tfajl bet'wixt Sicily and Switzerland Inns, &c.

L E T-

CONTENTS, vii

LETTER XXII. p. 73. City of Palermo Marino. Conv erf ations 'where held. Sicilian ladies. Refections.

LETTER XXIII. p.. 84.

The viceroy His table Nobility. Their temperance Gallantry . Young ladies Their education.

LETTER XXIV. p. 93.

Bagaria Palace of the Prince Patagonia*

LETTER XXV. p. 104.

Sirocc *wind. Convent of capuchins Their burial place. Method of preferring the dead. Anecdote Addrefs of a Sicilian fervant.

LETTER XXVI. p. 140. Account of a comet. Reflections.

2 LET-

viii CONTENTS;

LETTER XXVII. p. 168.

Cathedral of Palermo Jefuits church. * Cathedral of Monreale. The archbifhop* Preparations for a fejlival. Super- Jilt ion of the people.

LETTER XXVIII. p. 180.

St. Rofolia. Subject of an Epic poem. Some account of her. St. Viar* Re~

factions.

LETTER XXIX. p. 190.

Sirocc 'wind. Review of a Swift regiment. Entertainment. Difference of educa- tion here and on the continent. Prince of Refuttana.

LETTER XXX, p. 209. Feajl of St. Rofolia.

LET-

CONTENTS. &

LETTER XXXI. p. 241. 'Antiquities Camefena. Temple of Ceres at Enna. Temple of Venus Erecina. Dif- ference of Homer and Virgil in their ac- counts of Sicily.

LETTER XXXII. p. 256.

Monte Pelegrino. St. Rofolia. Ancient fortrefs. Situation of Palermo. Anti- quity of that city. Infcriptions,

LETTER XXXIII. p. 272.

Utility of ices in a hot climate. Sicilian ffheries.The Tunny ffh.The Pefce Spada, or SwordfJIo. Method of fiflnng in the night. Coral ffoing. OfpreJJion of the government. Foundation of the feudal fyjtem in Sicily. Parliament. In- quijition. Power of the viceroy. Mili- tary force* Sandier e men.

I LET-

x CONTENT S,.

LETTER XXXIV. p. 297.

Sicilian titles. Luxury of the Sicilians in their carriages. Ridiculous prejudice.

LETTER XXXV. p. 306.

Sicilians animated in c GUV erf at ion. Mar- riage ceremonies. Beauty of the ladies. -Anecdote. Poetry the univerfalpqffion of the Sicilians.

LETTER XXXVI. p. 318.

The opera. Gabrieli, her wonderful per- formance Her caprice. Ballet of the opera. Englifh characters taken off.-*- 'Enmity betwixt the Sicilians and Nea- politans.

LETTER XXXVII. p. 337.

Remarkable fprings in Sicily. Sulphureous

baths. Springs of warm water in the

fea> Gigantic bones. Crops of wheat.

Method

CONTENTS. xi

Method of preferring their grain.~-Com- modities of Sicily. Soda. Wild honey. Sugar. Liquorice. Oranges. Piftachio 'nuts. Manna. Cantharides. Marbles. Pietra Saponaro. Mufhroom Jlone, &c. Mount IE.tna Advantages refulting from it.

LETTER XXXVIII. p. 35*.

Return to Naples.

A TOUR

TOUR

THROUGH

g I C I L Y AND M A L TA.

LETTER XVIL

DEAR BECKFORD, Agrigentum, June 1 1 th.

W r E left the port of Malta in a fpa- ronaro which we hired to convey us to this city.

We coafted along the ifland, and went to take a view of the north-port, its forti- fications and lazaretto. All thefe are very great, and more like the works of a mighty and powerful people, than of fo fmall a

VOL. II. B ftate.

2 A TOUR THROUGH

ftate. The mortars cut out of the rock are a tremendous invention. There are about fifty of them, near the different creeks and landing-places round the ifland. They are directed at the moft probable fpots where boats would attempt a landing. The mouths of fome of thefe mortars are about fix feet wide, and they are faid to throw a hundred cantars of cannon-ball or ftones. A cantar is, I think, about a hundred pound weight ; ib that if they do take place, they muft make a dreadful havock amongft a debark- ation of boats.

The diftance of Malta from Gozzo is not above four or five miles, and the fmall ifland of Commino lies betwixt them. The coafts of all the three are bare and barren, but covered over with towers, re- doubts, and fortifications of various kinds.

As Gozzo is fuppofed to be the celebrated ifland of Calypfo, you may believe we ex-

pe&ed

SICILY AND MALTA; 3

peted fomething very fine ; but we were difappointed. It muft either be greatly fallen off fince the time fhe inhabited it, or trie archbifhop of Cambray, as well as Homer, muft have flattered greatly in their painting. We looked, as we went along the coaft, for the grotto of the goddefs, but could fee nothing that refembled it* Neither could we obferve thofe verdant banks eternally covered with flowers 5 nor thofe lofty trees for ever in bloflbm, that loft their heads in the clouds, and afforded a {hade to the facred baths of her and her nymphs. We faw, indeed, fome nymphs ; but as neither Calypfo nor Eucharis feemed to be of the number, we paid little atten- tion to them, and I was in no apprehenfion about my Telemachus : Indeed, it would have required an imagination as ftrong as Don Quixote's, to have brought about the metamorphofis.

Finding our hopes fruftrated, we ordered

our failors to pull out to fea, and bid adieu

B 2 to

4 A TOUR THROUGH

to the ifland of Calypfo, concluding, either that our intelligence was falfe, or that both the ifland and its inhabitants were greatly changed. We foon found ourf elves once more at the mercy of the waves : Night came on, and our rowers began their evening fong to the Virgin, and beat time with their oars. Their offering was ac- ceptable ; for we had the molt delightful weather. We wrapt ourfelves up in our cloaks, and flept moft comfortably, having provided mattraffes at Malta. By a little after day-break, we found we had got with- out fight of all the iflands, and faw only a part of mount ./Etna fmoking above the waters. The wind fprung up fair, and by ten o'clock we had fight of the coaft of Sicily.

On confidering the fmallnefs of our boat, and the great breadth of this paflage, we could not help admiring the temerity of thefe people, who, at all feafons of the year, venture to Sicily in thefe diminutive

veffels ;

SICILY AND MALTA. 5

veflels ; yet it is very feldom that any acci- dent happens; they are fo perfectly ac- quainted with the weather, foretelling, almoft to a certainty, every ftorm, many hours before it comes on. The failors look upon this paflage as one of the moft ftormy and dangerous in the Mediterranean. It is called the canal of Malta, and is much dreaded by the Levant mips ; but indeed, at this feafon, there is no danger.

We arrived at Sicily a little before fun- fet, and .landed oppofite to Ragufa, and not far from the ruins of the little Hybla ; the third town of that name in the ifland, diftinguiflied by the epithets of the Great (near mount JZtna), the Lefler (near Au- gufta), and the Little (juft by Ragufa). Here we found a fine fandy beach, and whilft the fervants were employed in dreffing fupper, we amufed ourfelves with bathing and gathering mells, of which th^re is a confiderable variety. We were B in

6 A TOUR THROUGH

in expectation of finding the nautilus, for which this ifland is famous ; but in this we did not fucceed. However, we picked up fome handfome fhells, though not equal to thofe that are brought from the Indies.

After fupper, we again launched our bark, and went to fea. The wind was fa- vourable as we could wifli. We had our nightly ferenade as ufual, and the next day, by twelve o'clock, we reached the ce- lebrated port of Agrigentum.

The captain of the port gave us a polite reception, and infifted on accompanying us to the city, which ftands near the top of a mountain, four miles diftant from the harbour, and about eleven hundred feet above the level of the fea. The roacl on each fide is bordered by a row of ex- ceeding large American aloes : upwards of one third of them being at prefent in full blow, and making the moft beautiful ap- pearance

SICILY AND MALTA, 7

pearance that can be imagined. The flower-ftems of this noble plant are in ge- neral betwixt twenty and thirty feet high, (fome of them more) and are covered with flowers from top to bottom ; which taper regularly, and form a beautiful kind of py- ramrd, the bafe or pedefb) of which is the fine fpreading leaves of the plant. As this is efteeme'd, in northern countries, one of the greateft curiofities of the vegetable tribe, we were happy at feeing it in fo great petfffe$ii(&*J much greater, I think, than I had ever feen it before.

With us, I think, it is vulgarly reckon- ed, (though I believe falfely) that they only flower once in a hundred years. Here I was informed, that, at the lateft, they always blow the fixth year ; but for the mod part the fifth. As the whole fub- ftance of the plant is carried into the ftetn and the flowers, the leaves begin to de- cay as foon as the blow is completed, and B 4 a nu-

8 A TOUR THROUGH

a numerous offspring of young plants are produced round the root of the old one ; thefe are flip'd off, and formed -into new plantations, either for hedges or for avenues to their country-houfes.

The city of Agrigentum, now called Girgcntiy is irregular and ugly ; though from a few miles diftance at fea, it makes a noble appearance, little inferior to that of Genoa. As it lies on the flope of the, mountain, the houfes do not hide one an- other ; but every part of the city is feer\.

On our arrival, we found a great falling off indeed ; the houfes are mean, the ftreets dirty, crooked, and narrow. It ftill con- tains near twenty thoufand people; a fad reduction from its ancient grandeur, when it was faid to confift of no lefs than eight hundred thoufand, being the next city to Syracufe for numbers.

SICILY AND MALTA; $

The Canonico Spoto, from Mr. Hamil- ton's letter, and from our former acquaint- ance with him at Naples, gave us a kind and a hofpitable reception. He infifted on our being his guefts ; and we are now in his houfe, comfortably lodged, and ele- gantly entertained, which, after our crowded little apartment in the fparonaro, is by no rneans a difagreeable change. Farewell. I fliall write you again foon.

Ever yours .

io A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XVIII.

Agrigentum, June 1 2th.

E are juft now returned from examin- ing the antiquities of Agrigentum, the moft confiderable, perhaps, of any in Sicily.

The ruins of the ancient city lie about a fhort mile from the modern one. Thefe, like the ruins of Syracufe, are moftly con- verted into corn-fields, vineyards, and orch- ards ; but the remains of the temples here, are much more confpicuous than thofe of Syracufe. Four of thefe have flood pretty much in a right line, near the fouth wall of the city. The firft they call the temple of Venus ; almoft one half of which flill remains. The fecond is that of Con- cord : It may be confidered as entire, not one column having as yet fallen. It is 2 precifely

SICILY AND MALTA. ix

precifely of the fame dimenfions and fame architecture as that of Venus, which had probably ferved as the model for it. By the following infcription, found en a large piece of marble, it appears to have been built at the expence ,of the Lilibitani ; probably after having been defeated by the people of Agrigentum.

CONCORDLE AGRIGENTINORUM SACRUM,

RESPUBLICA LILIB1TANORUM, DEDICANTIBUS M. ATTERIO CANDIDO PROCOS. ET L, CORNSLIO MAR- CELLO. Q^ ?. R. P. R.

Thefe temples are fupported by thirteen large fluted Doric columns on each fide; and fix at each end. All their bafes, capi- tals, entablatures, &c. ilill remiia entire; and as the architecture is perfectly fimple, without any thing affected or ftudied, the whole ftrikes the eye at once, an<j pleafes very much. The columns ar<... indeed, Shorter than the common Doric proportions;

and

i2 A TOUR THROUGH

and they certainly are not fo elegant as fome of the ancient temples near Rome, and in other places in Italy.

The third temple is that of Hercules, altogether in ruins ; but appears to have been of a much greater fize than the former two. We meafured fome of the broken columns, near feven feet in dia- meter. It was here that the famous ftatue of Hercules flood, fo much celebrated by Cicero; which the people of Agrigentum defended with fuch bravery, againft Ver- res, who attempted to feize it. You will find the whole ftory in his pleadings againft that infamous prsetor.

There was likewife in this temple a fa- mous picture by Zeuxis. Hercules was reprefented in his cradle killing the two ferpents : Alcmena and Amphitrion having juft entered the apartment, were painted with every mark of terror and aftoniih-

ment

SICILY AND MALTA. 13

ment. Pliny fays, the painter looked upon this piece as invaluable; and therefore could never be prevailed on to put a price upon it, but gave it as a prefent to Agri- gentum, to be placed in the temple of Hercules. Thefe two great matter-pieces have been loft. We thought of them with regret, whilft we trod on thefe venerable ruins.

Near to this lie ruins of the temple of Jupiter Olympus, fuppofed by the Sicilian authors to have been the larger! in the heathen world. It is now called il tempio de gigant : ^ or the Giants Temple, as the people cannot conceive that fuch mafles of rock could ever be put together by the hands of ordinary men. The fragments of columns are indeed enormous, and give us a vaft idea of this fabric. It is faid to have flood till the year 1 1 oo ; but is now a perfect ruin. Our Cicerones allured us, it was exactly the fame dimenfions with i the

i 4 A TOUR THROUGH

the church of St. Peter at Rome : But id this they are egregioufly mifiaken. St. Peter's being much greater than any thing that ever the heathen world produced.

There are the remains of many more temples, and other great works; but thefe, I think, are the moft confpicuous. They Ihew you that of Vulcan, of Proferpine, of Caftor and Pollux, and a very remarkable one of Juno. This too was enriched by one of the moft famous pictures of antiquity ; which is celebrated by many of the ancient writers. Zeuxis was determined to excel every thing that had gone before him, and to form a model of human perfection. To this end, he prevailed on all the finer! wo- men of Agrigentum, who were even ambi- tious of the honour, to appear naked before him. Of thefe he chofe five for his models, and moulding all the perfections of thefe beauties into one, he compofed the piclure of the goddefs. This was ever looked up- on

SICILY AND MALTA: 15

on as his mafter-piece ; but was unfortu- nately burnt when the Carthaginians took Agrigentum. Many of the citizens retired into this temple as to a place of fafety ; but as foon as they found the gates attacked by the enemy, they agreed to fet fire to it, and chofe rather to perifh in the flames, than fubmit to the power of the conquer- ors. However, neither the deftrudion of the temple, nor the lofs of their lives, has been fo much regretted by pofterity, as the lofs of this picture.

The temple of JEfculapius (the ruins of which are ftill to be feen) was not lefs celebrated for a ftatue of Apollo. It was taken from them by the Carthaginians, at the fame time that the temple of Juno was burnt. It was carried off by the con- querors, and continued the greateft orna- ment of Carthage for many years, and was at laft reftored by Scipio, at the final deftruc- tion of that city. Some of the Sicilians

allege,

t6 A TOUR THROUGH

allege, I believe without any ground, that it was afterwards carried to Rome, and ftill remains there, the wonder of all ages; known to the whole world under the name of the Apollo of Belvidere ; and allowed to be the perfe&ion of human art.

I fhould be very tedious, were I to give you a minute defcriptiori of every piece of antiquity. Indeed, little or nothing is to be learned from the greateft part of them. The ancient walls of the city are moftly cut out of the rock; the catacombs and fepulchres are all very great : One of thefe is worthy particular notice, becaufe it is mentioned by Polybius, as being oppo- fite to the temple of Hercules, and to have been {truck by lightning even in his time. It remains almoft entire, and anfwers the defcription he gives of it: The infcriptions are fo defaced, that we could make nothing of them.

This

SICILY, AND MALTA; 17

This is the monument of Tero king of Agrigentum, one of the firft of the Sicilian tyrants. The great antiquity of it may be gathered from this, that Tero is not only mentioned by Diodorus, Polybius, and the later of the ancient hiftorians ; but like- wife by Herodotus, and Pindar, who dedi- cates two of his Olympic odes to him : So that this monument muft be more than two thoufand years old. It is a kind of pyramid, probably one of the moft durable forms.

All thefe mighty ruins of Agrigentum, and the whole mountain on which it ftands, are compofed of a concretion of fea- {hells, run together, and cemented by a kind of fand or gravel, and now become as hard, and perhaps more durable than even marble itfelf. This ftone is white before it has been expofed to the air ; but in the temples and other ruins, it is become of a dark brown. I (hall bring home fome ., VOL. II. G pieces

,8 A TOUR THROUGH

pieces of it for the infpedion of the cu- rious. I found thefe {hells on the very fummit of the mountain, at leaft fourteen or fifteen hundred feet above the level of the fea. They are of the commoneft kinds, cockles, muflels, oyfters, &c.

" The things we know are neither rich nor rare 5 " But wonder how the devil they got there."

POPE.

By what means they have been lifted up to this vaft height, and fo intimately mixed with the fubftance of the rock, I leave to you and your philofophical friends to de- termine. This old battered globe of ours, has probably fuffered many convulfions not recorded in any hiftory. You have heard of the vaft Stratum of bones lately difcovered in Iftria and Oflero ; part of it runs be- low rocks of marble, upwards of forty feet in thicknefs, and they have not yet been able to afcertain its extent : Something of the fame kind has been found in Dalmatia,

in

SICILY AND MALTA. 19

in the iflands of the Archipelago 5 and lately, I am told, in the rock of Gibraltar.- Now, the deluge recorded in Scripture, will hardly account for all the appearances of this fort to be met with, almoft in every country in the world. But I am interrupted by vifitors ; which is a lucky circumftance, both for you and me ; for I was juft go- ing to be very philofophical, and confe- quently very dull. Adieu.

C 2

ao A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XIX.

Agrigentum, June

HP H E interruption in my laft, was a de- putation from the bifhop, to invite us to a great dinner to-morrow at the port; fo that we ihall know whether this place ftill deferves the character of luxury, it al- ways held amongft the ancients : We have great reafon to think, from the politenefs and attention we have met with, that it has never loft its ancient hofpitality, for which it was likewife fo much celebrated,

Plato, when 'he vifited Sicily, was fo much ftruck with the luxury of Agrigen- tum, both in their houfes and their tables, that a faying of his is ftill recorded : That they built as if they were never to die, and eat as if they had not an hour to live.

It

SICILY AND MALTA. 21

It is prefer ved by ^Elian, and is juft now before me.

He tells a ftory by way of illuftration, which {hews a much greater conformity of manners, than one could have expeded, betwixt the young nobility amongft the an- cients, and our own at this day.

He fays, that after a great feaft, where there was a number of young people of the firft fafhion, they got all fo much in- toxicated, that from their reeling and tum- bling upon one another, they imagined they were at fea, in a ftorm, and began to think themfelves in the moft imminent danger : at laft they agreed, that the only way to fave their lives was to lighten the fhip, and with one accord began to throw the rich furniture out of the windows, to the great edification of the mob below; and did not flop till they had entirely cleared houfe of it, which, from this exploit, C 3 was

22 A TOUR THROUGH

was ever after denominated the triremes^ or the Ihip. He fays it was one of the principal palaces of the city, and retained this name for ever after. In Dublin, I have been told, there are more than one triremes ; and that this frolic, which they call throwing the houfe out of the window, is by no means uncommon.

At the fame time that Agrigentum is abufed by the ancient authors for its drunk- ennefs, it is as much celebrated for its hof- pitality ; and I believe, it will be found, that this virtue, and this vice, have ever had a fort of fneaking kindnefs for each other, and have generally gone hand in hand, both in ancient and in modern times. The Swifs, the Scots, and the Irifh, who are at prefent the moft drunken people in Europe, are likewife, in all probability, the moft hofpitable ; whereas in the very fo- ber countries, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, hofpitality is a virtue very little known, or

indeed

SICILY AND MALTA. 23

indeed any other virtue, except fobriety ; which has been produced, probably a good deal from the tyranny of their government, and their dread of the inquifition ; for where every perfon is in fear, left his real fentiments fhould appear, it would be very dangerous to unlock his heart; but in countries where there are neither civil nor ecclefiaftical tyrants to lay an embargo on our thoughts, people are under no appre- henfion left they fhould be known.

However, thefe are not the only reafons. The moral virtues and vices may fometimes depend on natural caufes. The very ele- vated fituation of this city, where the air is exceedingly thin and cold, has perhaps been one reafon why its inhabitants are fonder of wine than their neighbours in the valleys.

The fame may be faid of the three

nations I have mentioned; the greateft

C 4 part

24 A TOUR THROUGH

part of their countries lying amongft hills and mountains, where the climate renders ftrong liquors more neceflary; or, at lead, lefs pernicious, than in low places. It is not furprifing, that this practice, probably 4 begun amongft the mountains, where the air is fo keen, has by degrees crept down into the valleys, and has at laft become al- moft epidemical in thofe countries.

Fazzello, after railing at Agrigentum for its drunkennefs, adds, that there was no town in the ifland fo celebrated for its hof- pitality. He fays that many of the nobles had fervants placed at the gates of the city, to invite all ftrangers to their houfes. It is in reference to j:his probably, that Em- pedocles fays, that even the gates of the city proclaimed a welcome to every ftranger. From our experience we are well entitled to fay, that the jfeople of Agrigentum ftill retain this antiquated virtue, fo little known in polite countries. To-morrow we fhall

have

SICILY AND MALTA. 25

have a better opportunity of judging whe- ther it is ftill accompanied by its fitter vice.

The accounts that the old authors give of the magnificence of Agrigentum are amazing; though indeed there are none of them, that proclaim it in ftronger terms than the monuments that ftill remain. Diodorus fays, the great veflels for hold- ing water were commonly of filver, and the litters and carriages for the moft part were of ivory richly adorned. He men- tions a pond made at an immenfe expence, full of fifti and of water- fowl, that in his time was the great refort of the inhabitants, on their feftivals ; but he' fays, that even then (in the age of Auguftus) it was go- ing to ruin, requiring too great an expence to keep it up. There is not now the fmalleft veftige of it : But there is ftill to be feen a curious fpring of water that throws up a kind of oil on its furface, I which

26 A TOUR THROUGH

which is made ufe of by the poor people in many difeafes. This is fuppofed to mark out the place of the celebrated pond ; which is recorded by Pliny and Solinus to have abounded with this oil.

Diodorus, fpeaking of the riches of Agri- gentum, mentions one of its citizens re- turning victorious from the Olympic games, and entering his city, attended by three hundred chariots, each drawn by four white horfes, richly caparifoned ; and gives many other inftances of their vaft profufion and luxury.

Thofe horfes, according to that author, were efteemed all over Greece, for their beauty and fwiftnefs ; and their race is cele- brated by many of the ancient writers.

• c Arduus inde Agragas oftentat maxima longe

cc Moenia, magnanimum quondam generator " equorum,"

fays

SICILY AND MALTA. 27

fays Virgil in the third ^Eneid ; and Pliny acquaints us, that thofe which had been often victorious at the games were not only honoured with burial rites, bufe had magnificent monuments ereded to eter- nize their memory. This Timeus con- firms : He tells us, that he faw at Agri- gentum feveral pyramids built as fepulchral monuments to celebrated horfes ; he adds that when thofe animals became old and unfit for fervice, they were always taken care of, and fpent the remainder of their lives in eafe and plenty. I could wifh that our countrymen would imitate the grati- tude and humanity of the Sicilians in this article; at leaft, the latter part of it. I don't know that our nation can fo juftly be taxed with cruelty or ingratitude in any other article as in their treatment of horfes, the animal that of all others is the moil entitled to our care. How piteous a thing it is, on many of your great roads, to fee the fineft old hunters, that were once the

glory

• g A TOURTHROUGH

glory of the chace, condemned, in the de- cline of life, to the tyranny of the mod cruel oppreflbrs; in whofe hands they fuffer the moft extreme mifery, till they at laft fink under the tafk that is affigned them. I am called away to fee fome more antiques, but fhall finifh this letter to- night, as the poft goes off for Italy to-mor- row morning,

13th; Afternoon. We have feen a great many old walls and vaults that. little or no-> thing can be made of. They give them names, and pretend to tell you what they were, but as they bear no refemblance to thofe things now, it would be no lefs idle to trouble you with their nonfenfe than to believe it. We have indeed feen one thing that has amply repaid us for the trouble we have taken. It is the reprefentation of a boar-hunting, in alto relievo, on white marble ; and is at leaft equal, if not fupe- rior, to any thing of the kind I have met

with

SICILY AND MALTA. 29

with in Italy. It confifts of four different parts, which form the hiftory of this re- markable chace and its confequences.

The firft is the preparation for the hunt. There are twelve hunters, with each his lance, and a fhort hanger under his left arm of a very fingular form. The dogs refemble thofe we call lurchers. The horfes are done with great fire and fpirit, and are perhaps a better proof of the excellence of the race, than even the teftimony of their authors; for the artift that formed thefe muft certainly have been accuftomed to fee very fine horfes.

The fecond piece reprefents the chace. The third the death of the king, by a fall from his horfe. And the fourth, the de- fpair of the queen and her attendants receiving the news. She is re P re ^ e p av ; n2: falling down in a fwoon, andj dc him a her women, who are JJf admirable work _

manfhipj

3 o - A TOUR THROUGH

It is executed in the moft mafterly ftyle* and is indeed one of the fineft remains of antiquity. It is preferved in the great church, which is noted through all Sicily for a remarkable echo ; fomething in the manner of our whifpering gallery at St. Paul's, though more difficult to be ac- xrounted for.

If one perfon ftands at the weft-gate, and another places himfelf on the cornice, at the moft diftant point of the church, exactly behind the great altar, they can hold a converfation in very low whifpers.

For many years this fingularity was little known ; and feveral of the confeffing chairs being placed near the great altar, the wags,

ttia 10 were * n ^ e ^ ecret > u ^ to we ha? at t ' ie door of tne cathedral; and by a boar-hu ns ^ ear ^ diftindly every word marble; and I^ ixt the confeffor and hia

rior, to any thing ot T ou ? believe ' the y

did

SICILY AND MALTA. 31

did not fail to make their own ufe when occafion offered. The moft fecret intrigues were difcovered; and every woman in Agrigentum changed either her gallant or her confeflbr. Yet ftill it was the fame. At laft, however, the caufe was found out ; the chairs were removed, and other precautions were taken, to prevent the dif- covery of thefe facred myfteries ; and a mutual amnefty pafled ainongft all the offended parties.

Agrigentum, like Syracufe, was long fubjecl: to the yoke of tyrants. Fazzello gives fome account of their cruelty, but I have no intention of repeating it: One ftory, however, pleafed me; it is a well known one, but as it is (hort, you fhall have it.

Perillo, a goldfmith, by way of paying court to Phalaris the tyrant, made him a prefent of a brazen bull, of admirable work-

manfhipj

5 a A TOUR THROUGH

manfhip ; hollow within, and fo contrived that the voice of a perfon fhut up in it, founded exactly like the bellowing of a real bull. The artift pointed out to the. tyrant what an admirable effecl: this mufl produce, were he only to fhut up a few criminals in it, and make a fire under them.

Phalaris* ftruck with fo horrid an idea, and perhaps curious to try the experiment, told the goldfmith that he himfelf was the only perfon worthy of animating his bull : that he muft have fludied the note that made it roar to the greateft advantage, and that it would be unjuft to deprive him of any part of the honour of his invention. Upon which he ordered the goldfmith to be fhut up, and made a great fire around the bull ; which im mediately began to roar, to the admiration and delight of all Agrigentum. Cicero fays, this bull was carried to Car- thage at the taking of Agrigentum ; and

was

SICILY AND MALTA. 33

Was reftored again by Scipio, after the dc- flru&ion of that city.

Fazzello adds another ftory, which is (till imore to the honour of Phalaris. Two friends, Melanippus and Cariton, had con- fpired his death. Cariton, in hopes of faving his friend from the danger of the enterprife, determined to execute it alone. However, in his attempt to poignard the tyrant, he was feized by the guards, and immediately put to the torture, to make him confefs his accomplice : this he bore with the utmoft fortitude, refufing to make the difcovery; 'till Melanippus, in- formed of the fituation of his friend, ran to the tyrant, alluring him that he alone was the guilty perfon ; that it was entirely by his inftigation that Cariton had ated ; and begged that he might be put on the rack in the place of his friend. Phalaris, ftruck with fuch heroifm, pardoned them both.

VOL. II. D Not-

34 A TOUR THROUGH

Notwithftanding this generous aftion, he was in many refpe&s a barbarous tyrant. Fazzello gives the following account of his death, with which I fhall conclude this letter, for I am monftroufly tired, and, I dare fay, fo are you. Zeno, the philo- fopher, came to Agrigentum, and being admitted into the prefence of the tyrant, advifed him, for his own comfort, as well as that of his fubjecls, to refign his power, and to lead a private life. Phalaris did not relifh thefe philofophical fentiments ; and fufpecting Zeno to be in a confpiracy with fome of his fubjeds, ordered him to be put to the torture in prefence of the citizens of Agrigentum.

Zeno immediately began to reproach them with cowardice and pufillanimity in fub- mitting tamely to the yoke of fo worthlefs a tyrant ; and in a fhort time railed fuch a flame, that they defeated the guards, and Honed Phalaris to death. I dare fay you 2 are

SICILY AND MALTA. 35

are glad they did it fo quickly. Well, I fhall not write fuch long letters for the future; for I allure you it is at leaft as troublefome to the writer as the reader. Adieu. We fliall fail to-morrow or next morning for Trapani, from whence you may expert to hear from me. We are now going out to examine more antique walls, but I fhall not trouble you with them.

Farewell.

A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XX.

June i6th. '

WH EN I have nothing elfe to do, I generally take up the pen. We are now on the top of a high mountain, about halfway betwixt Agrigentum and Palermo. Our fea expedition by Trapani has failed, and we are determined to put no more con- fidence in that element, happy beyond mea- fure to find ourfelves at a diftance from it, though in the moft wretched of villages. We have travelled all night on mules ; and arrived here about ten o'clock, overcome with fleep and fatigue. We have juft had an excellent dim of tea, which never fails to cure me of both ; and I am now as frefh as when we fet out. It has not had the fame effect on my companions : they have thrown themfelves down on a vile ftraw- i bed

SICILY AND MALTA. 37

bed in the corner of the hovel; and in fpite of a parcel of ftarved chickens, that are fluttering about and picking the flraws all round them, they are already fail afleep.

I fhall feize that time to recapitulate what has happened fmce my laft.

The day after I wrote you, we made fome little excurfions round Agrigentum. The country is delightful ; producing corn, wine, and oil, in the greateft abundance : the fields are, at the fame time, covered with a variety of the fineft fruits ; oranges, le- mons, pomegranates, almonds, piftachio- nuts, <&c. Thefe afforded us almoft as agreeable an entertainment as the confi- deration of the ruins from whence they fpring.

We dined with the bifhop, according to

agreement, and rofe from table, convinced

that the ancient Agrigentini could not pof-

D 3 fibly

3 8 A TOUR THROUGH

fibly underftand the true luxury of eating better than their defcendants, to whom they have tranfmitted a very competent portion both of their focial virtues and vices. I beg their pardon for calling them vices, I vvifh I had a fofter name for it ; it looks like ingratitude for their hofpitality, fpr which we owe them fo much.

We were juft thirty at table, but, upon my word, I do not think we had lefs than an hundred diihes of meat. Thefe were drefled with the richeft and moft deli- cate fauces ; and convinced us that the old Roman proverb of " Siculus coquus et Si- cula menfa,'* was not more applicable in their time, than it is at prefent. Nothing was wanting that could be invented to fU- mulate and to flatter the palate ; and to create a falfe appetite as well as to fatisfy it. Some of the very difhes fo much re- lifhed by the Roman epicures made a part pf the feaft ; particularly the morene, which

is

SICILY AND MALTA, 39

fo often mentioned by their authors : it is a fpecies of eel, found only in this part of the Mediterranean, and fent from hence to feveral of the courts of Europe. It is not fo fat and lufcious as other eels, fo that you can eat a good deal more of it : its flefli is as white as fnow, and is indeed a very great delicacy. But a modern refinement in luxury has, I think, ftill produced a greater : By a particular kind of manage- ment they make the livers of their fowls grow to a large iize, and at the fame time acquire a high and rich flavour. It is in- deed a moft incomparable dull ; but the means of procuring it is fo cruel, that I will not even truft it with you. Perhaps, without any bad intention, you might mention it to fome of your friends, they to others, till at laft it might come into the hands of thofe that would be glad to try the experiment; and the whole race of poultry might ever have reafon to curfe me : Jet it fuffice to fay, that it occafions a pain- P 4 ful

40 A TOUR THROUGH

ful and lingering death to the poor animal S that I know is enough to make you wifh never to tafte of it, whatever effect it may have upon others.

The Sicilians eat of every thing, and at-? tempted to make us do the fame. The company was remarkably merry, and did by no means belie their ancient character, for moft of them were more than half fea over, long before we rofe from table ; and I was fomewhat apprehenfive of a fecond edition of the Triremes fcene, as they were beginning to reel exceedingly. By the bye, I do not doubt but that phrafe of Halffeas over, may have taken its origin from fome fuch flory. They begged us to make a bowl of punch, a liquor they had often heard of, but had never feen. The ma- terials were immediately found, and we fucceeded fo well, that they preferred it to all the wines on the table, of which they had a great variety. We were obliged to

replenifh

SICILY AND MALTA; 4*

replenifh the bowl fo often, that I really expected to fee moft of them under the table. They called it Pontio, and fpoke loudly in its praife ; declaring that Pontio (alluding to Pontius Pilate) was a much better fellow than they had ever taken him for. However, after dinner, one of them, a reverend canon, grew excef- fively fick, and xvhile he was throwing up, he turned to me with a rueful coun- tenance, and making his head, he groan- ed out, " Ah, Signer Capitano, fapeva fempre che Pontio era un grande tra~ ditore- <c I always knew that Pontius was a great traitor." Another of them overhearing him, exclaimed " Afpet- tatevi Signer Canonico. 5 ' " Not fo faft (faid he) my good Canon." " Niente al pregiudizio di Signor Pontio, vi prego, Recordate, che Pontio v'ha fat to un cano- nico ; et Pontio ha fatto fua eccellenza uno Vefcovo Non fcordatevi mai di voftri

amicL"

Now

42 A TOUR THROUGH

Now what do you think of thefe reverend fathers of the church ? their merit, you will eaiily perceive, does not confift in fail- ing and prayer. Their creed, they fay, they have a good deal modernized, and is much fimpler than that of Athanafius. - One of them told me, that if we would but flay with them for fome little time, we fhould foon be convinced that they were the happieft fellows on earth. u We have ex- ploded (faid he) from our fyflem every thing that is difmal or melancholy; and are perfuaded, that of all the roads in the uni- verfe, the road to heaven muft be the pleafanteft and leaft gloomy : If it be not fo, (added he) God have mercy upon us, for I am afraid we (hall never get there." I told him I could not flatter him ; " That if laughing was really a fin, as fome people taught, they were certainly the greateft of all finners." " Well (faid he) we {hall at leaft endeavour to be happy here; and that, I am perfuaded, is the beft of all prepa- rations

SICILY AND MALTA. 43

rations for happinefs hereafter. Abftinence (continued he) from all innocent and law- ful pleafures, we reckon one of the greateft fins, and guard againft it with the utmoft care : and I am pretty fure it is a fin that none of us here will ever be damned for.'* "He concluded by repeating two lines, which he told me was their favourite maxim ; the meaning of which was ex-*- actly thole of Mr. Pope,

" For God is paid when man receives, u To enjoy is to obey."

This is not the firft time I have met with this libertine fpirit amongft the Roman Ca- tholic clergy. There is fo much nonfenfe and mummery in their wormip, that they are afraid left ftrangcrs fhould believe they are ferious; and perhaps too often fly to the oppofite extreme,

We were, however, much pleafed with the bifhop ; he is greatly and defervedly re-

fpeded,

44 A TOUR THROUGH

fpe&ed, yet his prefence did no wife dimi- nifli, but rather increafed the jollity of the company. He entered into everyjoke, joined in the repartee, at which he is a great proficient, and entirely laid afide his epifcopal dignity ; which, however, I am told, he knows very well how to affiime when it is neceffary. He placed us next to himfelf, and behaved indeed, in every refpect, with the greateft eafe and polite- nefs. He is one of the firft families of the ifland, and brother to the Prince

of . I had his whole pedigree pat,

but now I have loft it ; no matter : he is aq honeft, pleafant little fellow, and that is of much more confequence. He is not yet forty ; and fo high a promotion in fo early a period of life, is reckoned very extra- ordinary, this being the richeft bifhoprick in the kingdom. He is a good fcholar, and very deeply read, both in ancient and modern learning ; and his genius is in no degree inferior to his erudition. The fimi-

larity

SICILY AND MALTA. 45

larity of character and circumftances ftrucfc me fo ftrongly, that I could fcarce help thinking I had got befide our worthy and

refpedable friend, the b p of D y,

which, I affure you, ftill added greatly to the pleafure I had in his company. I told the bifhop of this ; adding, that he was

brother to 1 d B 1 : he feemed much

pleafed, and faid, he had often heard of the family, both when lord B- was am- bafiador in Spain, and his other brother commander in the Mediterranean.

We found in this company a number of Free Mafons, who were delighted beyond meafure, when they difcovered that we were their brethren. They prefled us to fpend a few more days amongft them, and offered us letters to Palermo, and every other town we fhould think of vifiting ; but the heats are increafmg fo violently, that we were afraid of prolonging our expedition, left we fhould be caught by the

Sirocc

4 6 A TOUR THROUGH

Sirocc winds, fuppofed to blow from the burning deferts of Africa, and fometimes attended with dangerous confequences to thofe that travel over Sicily.

But I find I have omitted feveral circum- fiances of our dinner. I fhould have told you, that it was an annual feaft given by the nobility of Agrigentum to the bifhop. It was ferved in an immenfe granary, half full of wheat, on the fea (hore, chofen on purpofe to avoid the heat. The whole was on plate : and what appeared fingular to us, but I believe is a much better method than ours ; great part of the fruit was ferved up with the fecond courfe, the firft dih of which that went round was flrawberries. The Sicilians were a good deal furprifed to fee us eat them with cream and fugar, yet upon trial they did not at all diflike the compofition.

The defert confifted of a great variety of fruits, and ftill a greater of ices : thefe

were

SICILY AND MALTA. 47

were fo difguifed in the fhapes of peaches, figs, oranges, nuts, &c. that a perfon un- accuftomed to ices might very eaiily have been taken in, as an honeft fea-officer was lately at the houfe of a certain minifler of your acquaintance, not lefs diftinguifhed for the elegance of his table, than the exact formality and fubordination to be obferved at it. After the fecond courfe was re- moved, and the ices, in the fhape of various fruits and fweetmeats, advanced by way of rear-guard; one of the fervants carried the figure of a fine large peach to the captain, who, unacquainted with deceit of any kind, never doubted that it was a real one ; and cutting it through the middle, in a moment had one large half of it in his mouth ; at firil he only looked grave, and blew up his cheeks to give it more room; but the vio- lence of the cold foon getting the better of his patience, he began to tumble it about from fide to fide in his mouth, his eyes rufhing out of water, till at laft, able to hold

no

4 8 A TOUR THROUGH

no longer, he fpit it out upon his plate^ exclaiming with a horrid oath, " A painted fnowball, by G d!" and wiping away his tears with his napkin, he turned in a rage to the Italian fervant that had helped him, with a " D n your maccaroni eyes, you fon of a b , what did you mean by that ? Ji The fellow, who did not underftand a word of it, could not forbear fmiling* which ftill convinced the captain the more that it was a trick; and he was juft going to throw the reft of the fnowball in his face, but was prevented by one of the com- pany ; when recovering from his paffion* and thinking the objecl: unworthy of it, he only added in a fofter tone, " Very well* neighbour, I only wifh I had you on board fhip for half an hour, you fhould have a dozen before you could fay Jack Robinfon$ for all your painted cheeks/'

I aik pardon for this digreffion, but as it is a good laughable ftory, I know you

will

SICILY AND MALTA. 49

excufe it. About fix o'clock, we took a cordial leave of our jolly friends at Agri- gerttum; and embarked on board our Sparonaro at the new port. I fhould have told you, that this harbour has lately been made at a very great expence ; this city having always been one of the principal ports of the ifland, for the exportation of grain. The bifhop and his company went into a large barge, aad failed round the harbour, we faluted them as we went out ; they returned the compliment, and we took a fecond leave. The evening was fine, and we coafted along for a good many miles; we pafled feveral points slnd little promontories, that were exceedingly beau- tiful and pidturefque, many of them were covered with noble large aloes in full blow. In one place, I counted upwards of 200 of thofe fine majeftic plants all in flowery a fight which I imagined was hardly to be met with in the world. After fun-fet, alas, fain would I conceal v^hat happened VOL, II. J after

5 o A TOUR THROUGH

after fun-fet ! but life you know is che- quered with good and evil, and it would have been great preemption to receive fo much of the one, without expecting a little dafh of the other too, Befides, a fea expedition is nothing without a ftorm. Our journal would never have been readable, had it not been for this, Well, I affure you, we had it. It was not indeed fo vio- lent as the great one off Louifburgh, or perhaps even that defcribed by Virgil ; the reading of which is faid to have made people fea-fick ; but it was rather too much for our little bark. I was going to tell you that after fun-fet the fky began to over-caft, and in a fhort time the whole atmofphere appeared fiery and threaten- ing. We attempted to get into fome creek, but could find none. The wind grew loud, and we found it was* in vain to proceed ; but as the night was dark and hazy, we were dubious about the pofiibi- lity of reaching the port of Agrigentum. i How-

SICILY AND MALTA. 51

However, this was all we had for it, as there were none other within many miles. Ac- cordingly we tacked about, and plying both oars and fail, with great care not to come amongft the rocks and breakers, in about two hours we fpied the light-houfe ; by which we directed our courfe, and got fafely into port, betwixt one and two in the morning : we lay down on our mattrafs, and flept found till ten, when finding the falfity of our hypothefis, that there could be no bad weather in the Mediterranean at this feafon, we unanimoufly agreed to have nothing more to do with Sparonaros, and fent immediately to engage mules to carry us over the mountains to Palermo. The fiorm continued with violence the whole day, arid made us often thank heaven that we had got fafely back. It was not till five in the afternoon that we had mules, guides, and guards provided us ; when we fet ofF, pretty much in the fame order, and in the fame equipage as we had done about three E 2 weeks

5 2 A TOUR THROUGH

weeks ago from Meffiria. Our guards at* tempted to fill us with the mod dreadful apprehenfions of this road, fhewing us every mile, where fuch a one was robbed, fuch another was murdered; and enter- tained us with fueh melancholy ditties the greateft part of the way. Indeed, if one half of their ftories be true, it is certainly the moft dangerous road in the world ; but I looked upon moid of them as fi&ions, invented only to increafe their own con- fequence, and to procure a little more mo- ney. There is, indeed, fome foundation for thefe ftories ; as there are numbers of gib- bets creeled on the road in terrorem ; and every little baron has the power of life and death in his own domain. Our bifhop's brother, whofe name I have forgot, feized lately four and twenty of thofe defperate banditti, after a ftout refiftance, where fe- veral were killed on both fides ; and not- withftanding that fome of them were under the protedion of the nobility, and in their

fervicc.

SICILY AND MALTA; 53

fervice, they were all hanged. However, this has by no means rooted them out. Our guards in the fufpicious places went with their pieces cock'd, and kept a clofe look- out to either fide of them ; but we faw nothing to alarm us, except the moft dread- ful roads in the world ; in many places worfe than any thing I ever met with the Alps.

After travelling about twenty miles, we arrived by two in the morning at the mod wretched I don't know what to call it there was not any one thing to be had but a little ftraw for the mules. However, af- ter a good deal of difficulty, we at laft got fire enough to boil our tea-kettle, and having brought bread from Agrigentum, we made an excellent meal. Our tea-table was a round ftone in the field, and as the moon {hone bright, we had no occafion for any other luminary. You may believe gur flay here was as (hort as poffible; the E 3 houfc

54 . A TOUR THROUGH

houfe was too dreadfully nafty to enter it, and the ftable was full of poor wretches, fleeping on the bare ground. In fhort, I never faw in any country fo miferable an Inn, for fo it is ftyled. We mounted our cavalry with all expedition, and in a very fhort time got into the woods, where we were ferenaded by the nightingale as we went along, who made us a full apology and atonement for the bad cheer we had met with. In a fhort time it was day, and then we had entertainment enough from the varied fcenes of the moft beautiful, wild, and romantic country in the world. The fertility of many of the plains is truly afto- nifhing, without inclofures, without ma- nure, and almoft without culture. It is with reafon, that this ifland was ftyled <; Roman! imperii horreum, the granary of the Roman Empire. Were it cultivated, it would ftill be the great granary of Europe. Pliny fays, it yielded a hundred after one ; and Diodorus, who was a native of the

ifland,

SICILY AND MALTA. 55

ifland, and wrote on the fpot, affures us that it produced wheat and other grain fpontaneoufly ; and Homer advances the fame fad in the Odyfiey :

The foil untiird, a ready harveft yields, With wheat and barley wave the golden fields; Spontaneous wines from weighty cluflers pour, And Jove defcends in each prolific (hower.

POPE.

Many of the mountains feemed to be formed by fubterraneous fire ; feveral of them re- tain their conical figure and their craters, but not fo exacl: as thofe on Mount ^tna, as they are probably much older. I like- wife obferved many pieces of lava on the road, and in the beds of the torrents ; and a good deal of the ftone called tufa, which is certainly the production of a volcano ; fo that I have no doubt, that a great part of this ifland, as well as the neighbouring ones of Lipari, &c. has been originally formed by fubterraneous fire: we like- E 4 wife

5 6 A TOUR THROUGH

wife paffed fome quarries of a kind of talc; and alfo of a coarfe alabafter ; of this they make a fort of ftucco or plaifter, refembling that of Paris ; but what I much regretted, \ve miffed feeing the famous fait of Agri- gentum j found in the earth, about four or five miles from that city. It has this re- markable property different from all other fait, that in the fire it prefently melts ; but in the water it cracks and fplits, but never diffolves. It is celebrated by Pliny, Ariftptfe, and others of the ancient, as well as modern naturalifts. Fazzello, whom I have brought along with me to read by the road, fays, he has often experienced this ; he adds from the authority of thefe ancient authors, that they formerly had mines of this fait, fo pure and folid, that the ftatuaries and fculptors preferred it to marble, and made various works of it.

The poor people of the village have found us out, and with looks full of mifery

have

SICILY AND MALTA; 57

furrounded our door. Accurfed ty- ranny, what defpicable objects we beeojne in thy hands ! Is it not inconceivable, how any government fhould be able to render poor and wretched, a country yrhich pro- duces almoft fpontaneoufly, every tiding that qyeu luxury can defire ? But al^s ! poverty and wretchednefs liaye ever attend- ed the Spanifli yoke, both on this, and on t'other fide of the globe. They make; it their boaft that the fun never fets on. tjieir dominions, but forget that fince they became fudfi, $iey have left him nothing to fee in his courfe but d^fertedl fields, barren wilderneffes, opprefled pe^fanta, and lazy, lying, lecherous monks. Such are the fruits of their boafted conquefts. They ought rather to be afhamed that ever the fun fhould fee them at all. The fight of thefe poor people has filled me with indig- nation. This village is furrounded by the fined country in the world, yet there was neither bread nor wine to be found in it,

and

58 A TOUR THROUGH

and the poor inhabitants appear more than half ftarved.

" 'Mongft Ceres' richeft gifts with want opprefs'd, J c And 'midft the flowing vineyard, die of thirft,"

I fhall now think of concluding, as I do not recoiled: that I have much more to fay to you. Befides, I find myfelf exceeding fleepy. I fincerely wifh it may not be the fame cafe with you, before you have read thus far. We have ordered our mules to be ready by five o'clock, and fliall again travel all night ; the heats are too great to allow of it by day; adieu. Thefe two fellows are ftill found afleep. In a few minutes I fhall be fo too, for the pen is almoft drop- ping out of my hand. Farewell.

SICILY AND MALTA. 59

LETTER XXI.

%

Palermo, June 15.

117 E are now arrived at the great capi- tal of Sicily, which in our opinion iii beauty and elegance is greatly fuperior to Naples. It is not, indeed, fo large, but the regularity, the uniformity and neatnefs of its ftreets and buildings, render it much more pleafing ; it is full of people, who have moftly an air of affluence and gaiety* And indeed we feem to have got into a new world. But flop not fo fait. I had forgot that you have ftill 50 miles to travel on a curfed ftubborn mule, over rocks and precipices ; for I can fee no reafon, why we fhould bring you at. once into all the fweets of Palermo, without bearing at leaft fome little part in

the

60 A TOUR THROUGH

the fatigues of the journey. Come, we fhall make them as fhort as poffible.

We left you, I think, in a little village on the top of a high mountain. We Jhould indeed ufe you very ill, were we to. leave you there any longer ; for I own it is the very worn; country quarter, that ever fell to my lo{. However, we got a good comfortable fleep in it, the only one thing it afforded us; and the fleas* $e bugs, and chickens, did all that lay in their power even to deprive us of that, but we defied them. Our two leaders c^me to awake us before five, apoftrophy- ing their entry with a detail of the horrid jobberies and murders that had been com- mitted in the neighbourhood ; all of them, you may be fure, on the very road that w$ were to go.

Our : whole fquadron was drawn out, and we were ranged in order of battle, by

five

SICILY AND MALTA; 6*

five o'clock, when we began our march, attended by the whole village, man, wo- man, and child. We foon got down amongft the woods, and endeavoured to forget the objects of mifery we had left behind us. The beauty and richnefs of the country increafed in proportion as we advanced. The mountains, although of a great height (that we have left, is near 4000 feet, the mercury (landing at 26 inches 2 lines), are covered to the very fummit with the richeft pafture. The grafs in the valleys is already burnt up, fo that the flocks are all upon the mountains. The gradual feparation of heat and cold, is very vifible in taking a view of them. The valleys are brown and fcorched, and fo are the mountains to a confiderable height ; they then begin to take a {hade of green, which grows deeper and deeper, ancj covers the whole upper region ; however, on the fummit, the grafs and corn are by no means fo luxuriant as about the middle.

We

ff* A TOUR- THROUGH

We were amazed at the richnefs of the crops, far fuperior to any thing I had ever feen either in England or Flanders, where the happy foil is affifted by all the arts of cultivation ; whilft here, the wretched hufbandman can hardly afford to give it a furrow ; and gathers in with a heavy heart, the moft luxuriant harveft. To what purpofe is it given him ? only to lie a dead weight upon his hand, fometimes till it is entirely loft; exportation being prohibited to all fuch as cannot pay exor- bitantly for it to the fovereign.^-What a contraft is there betwixt this, and the little uncouth country of Switzerland ! to be fure, the dreadful confequences, of oppref- fion can never be fet in a more {hiking . oppofition to the bleffings and charms of liberty. Switzerland, the very excrefcence of Jlurope, where Nature feems to have thrown out all her cold and ftagnating humours; full of lakes, marfhes, and woods, and furrounded by immenfe rocks,

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 6$

and everlafting mountains of ice, the bar- ren, but facred, ramparts of liberty. Swit- zerland, enjoying every bleffing, where every bleffing feems to have been denied 5 whilft Sicily, covered by the moll luxuriant hand of Nature ; where Heaven feems to have fhowered down its richeft bleffings with the utmoft prodigality ; groans under the moft abjed: poverty, and with a pale and wan vifage, ftarves in the midft of plenty. It is liberty alone that works this ftanding miracle. -Under her plaftic hands the mountains fink, the lakes are drained ; and thefe rocks, thefe marflies, thefe woods, become fo many fources of wealth and of pleafure. But what has temperance to do with wealth ?

• c Here reigns Content,

" And Nature's child Simplicity ; long fmce " Exii'd from polifhed realms."

" Tis Induftry fupplies " The little Temperance wants 5 and rofy Health <* Sits fmiling at the board."

You

$4- A TOUR THROUGH

You will Begin to think I am in dahgelr of turning poetical in thefe claflic fields;-' I am fure I neither fufpeded any of the mountains we have paffed to be Parnaflus; nor did I believe any one of the nine foolifh enough to inhabit them, except Melpo- mene perhaps, as fhe is fo fond of tragi- cal faces : however, I fhall now get you out of them as foon as poflible, and bring you once more into the gay world; I affure you, I have often wilhed that you could have lent me your mufe, on this expedi- tion ; my letters would then have been more worth the reading; but you muft take the will for the deed.

After travelling till about midnight, we arrived at another miferable village, where we flept for fome hours on ftraw, and con- tinued our journey again by day-break* We had the pleafure of feeing the rifing fun from the top of a pretty high moun- tain, and were delighted with the profpecT:

of

SICILY AND MALTA. 69

of Strombolo, and the other Lipari iflands, at a great diftance from us. On our defcent from this mountain, we found ourfelves on the banks of the fea, and took that road, preferable to an inland one, although feve- ral miles nearer. We foon lighted from our mules, and plunged into the water, which has ever made one of our greateft pleafures in this expedition ; nobody that has not tried it, can conceive the delight of this ; after the fatigue of fuch a journey, and paffing three days without undreffing. Your friend Fullarton, though only feven- teen, but whofe mind and body now equally defpife every fatigue, found himfelf flrong as a lion, and fit to begin fuch another march. We boiled our tea-kettie under a fig-tree* and eat a breakfaft that might have ferved a company of ftrolling players.

The approach to Palermo is fine. Thg alleys are planted with fruit-trees, and large American aloes insfull blow. Near

VOL. II. F the

66 A TOUR THROUGH

the city we paffed a place of execution, where the quarters of a number of robbers were hung up upon hooks, like fo many hams ; fome of them appeared newly exe- cuted, and made a very unfightly figure. On our arrival, we learned that a prieft and three others had been taken a few days ago, after an obftinate defence, in which feveral were killed on both fides ; the prieft, rather than fubmit to his con- querors, plunged his hanger into his breaft, and died on the fpot : the reft fub- mitted and were executed.

As there is but one inn in Palermo,- we were obliged to agree to their own terms (five ducats a day). We are but indif- ferently lodged ; however, it is the only inn we have yet feen in Sicily, and indeed, may be faid to be the only one in the Jfland. It is kept by a noify troublefome French- woman, who I find will plague us j there is no keeping her out of our rooms, and

fee

SICILY AND MALTA; e 7

Ihe never comes in without telling us of fuch a prince and fuch a duke, that were fo fuperlatively happy at being lodged in her houfe : we can eafily learn that they were all defperately in love with her ; and indeed fhe feems to take it very much amifs, that we are not inclined to be of the fame fentiments. I have already been obliged to tell her, that we are very retired fort of people, and do not like company : I find fhe does not efteem us the better for it ; and this morning* (as I pafled through the kitchen, without fpeaking to her) I overheard her exclaim* " Ah mon Dieu ! comme ces Anglois font Cc fauvages." I believe we muft take more notice of her, otherwife we fhall certainly have our rent raL r ed ; but fhe is as fat as a pig, and as ugly as the devil, and lays on a quantity of paint on each of her fwelled cheeks, that looks like a great plaifter of red Morocco. Her picture is hanging in the room where I am now writing, as F 2 well

68 A TOUR THROUGH

well as that of her hufband, who, by the bye, is a ninny : they are no lefs vile cu- riofities than the originals. He is drawn with his fnuff-box open in one hand, and a difh of coffee in the other ; and at the fame time, fait F aimable a Madame. I took notice of this triple occupation, which feemed to imply fomething particular. She told me that the thought was her's ; that her hufband was exceedingly fond of fnuff and of coffee, and wanted by this to fhew that he was ftill more occupied with her than with either of them. -I could not help applauding the ingenuity of the con- ceit. Madame is painted with an immenfe bouquet in her breaft, and an orange in her right-hand, emblematic of her fweet- nefs and purity ; and has the prettieft little fmirk on her face you can imagine. She told me that fhe infifted on the painter drawing her avec le fouris fur k vifage, but as he had not efprit enough to make her fmile naturally, {he was obliged to

force

SICILY AND MALTA. 69

force one, " qin n'etoit pas tout a fait rc fi jolie que le naturel, mais qui vaudroit " toujours mieux que de parroitre fombre." I agreed with her perfectly ; and affured her it became her very much, <c parceque " les dames grafTes font toujours de bonne " humeur.'* I found, however, that {he would willingly have excufed me the latter part of the compliment, which more than loft all that I had gained by the former. <{ II eft vrai" (faid fhe, a good deal piqued) " jai un peu de Tern bon point, mais pas " tant graffe pourtant." I pretended to excufe myfelf, from not underftanding all the finefle of the language ; and allured her, that de Pern bon point was the very phrafe I meant to make ufe of. She accepted the apology, and we are again reconciled ; for, to give the devil his due, they are good-humoured. She made me a curtfey, and repeated, " Oui, Monfieur,

• • pour parler comme il faut, il faut dire

F 3 dt

7 o A TOUR THROUGH

de fern ton point. On ne dit pas graffe." I affured her, bowing to the ground, that the word ihould for ever be rafed from my vocabulary. She left me with a gracious fmile, and a curtfey much lower than the firft ; adding, " Je fcjavois bien que Mon- " fieur etoit un homme comme il faut ; n at the fame time tripping off on her tipr toes, as light as a feather, to fhew me how much I had been miftaken. This woman made me recollect (what I have always obferved) how little the manners of the French are to be changed by their connexion with other nations ; allowing none to be in any degree worthy of imi- tation but their own. Although fhe has now been here thefe twenty years, fhe is flill as perfectly French, as if fhe ha4 never been without the gates of Paris; and looks upon every woman in Palermo with the utmoft contempt, becaufe they never feen that capital, nor heard

the

SICILY AND MALTA, 71

the fublime mufic of its opera. She is like wife (allowing for the difference of rank) an admirable epitome of all French women, whofe univerfal paffion has ever been the defire of admiration, and of ap- pearing young : and ever would be, I believe, were they to live to the age of a thoufand. Any perfon that will take a look of the withered death's heads in their public places, covered over with a thick mak of paint, will be convinced of this. Now, our old ladies, when they get to the wrong fide of fixty, generally take a jump up to the borders of four- fcore, and appear no lefs vain of their years than ever they were of their youth, I know fome of them, that I am fure are not lefs happy, nor lefs contented, nor (I might almoft add) lefs admired with their wrinkles, than ever they were with their dimples. I do not know whether a cheerful old woman, who is willing to appear fo, is more refpeftable, F 4 or

72 A TOUR THROUGH

or more eftimable ; or a withered witch, who fills up every wrinkle with varnifh, and at fourfcore attempts to give herfelf the bloom of four-and-twenty, is ridi- culous and contemptible : but as dinner is on the table, I {hall leave it to you tq determine. Adieu.

SICILY AND MALTA. 73

LETTER XXII.

Palermo, June 23^.

T SHALL have a great deal to write you about this city ; we are every day more delighted with it, and fhall leave it with much regret. We have now de- livered our letters, in confequence of which we are loaded with civilities, and have got into a very agreeable fet of acquaintance. But I fhall firfl attempt to give you fome little idea of the town, and then fpeak of its inhabitants. It is by much the moft regular I have feen, and is built upon that plan, which I think all large cities ought to follow. The two great ftreets inter- feel: each other in the centre of the city, where they form, a handfome fquare, called the Ottangolo, adorned with elegant uni- fprm buildings. From the centre of this

fquare,

74 A TOUR THROUGH

fquare, you fee the whole of thefe noble ftreets, and the four great gates of the city which terminate them; the fymmetry and beauty of which produce a fine effect, The whole of thefe are to be magnificently illuminated fome time next month, and muft certainly be the fineft fight in the world. The four gates are each at the diflance of about half a mile (the diameter of the city being no more than a mile) : thefe are elegant pieces of architecture richly adorned ; particularly the Porta Nova and Porta Felice, terminating the great ftreet called the Corfo, that runs fouth weft and north eaft. The lefTer flreets in general run parallel to thefe great ones ; fo that from every part of the city, in a few minutes walking, you are fure to arrive at one of the capital ftreets. The Porte Felice (by much the handfomeft of thefe gates) opens to the Marino, a delight- . ful walk, which conftitutes one of the great pleafures of the nobility of Palermo,

It

SICILY AND MALTA. . 75

It is bounded on one fide by the wall of the city, and on the other by the fea, from whence, even at this fcorching feafon, there is always an agreeable breeze. In the centre of the Marino they have lately ere&ed an elegant kind of temple, which, during the fummer months, is made ufe of as an orcheftra for mufic ; and as in this feafon they are obliged to convert the night into day, the concert does not begin till the clock ftrikes midnight, which is the fignal for the fymphony to ftrike up 2 at that time the walk is crowded with car- riages and people on foot ; and the better to favour pleafure and intrigue, there is an order, that no perfon, of whatever quality, fhall prefume to carry a light with him. The flambeaux are extinguish - ed at the Porta Felice, where the fervants wait for the return of the carriages ; and the company generally continue an hour or two together in utter darknefs ; except when the intruding moon, with her horns

and

76 A TOUR THROUGH

and her chaftity comes to difturb them. The concert finifhes about two in the morning, when, for the moft part, every hufband goes home to his own wife. This is an admirable inftitution, and never pro- duces any fcandal : no hufband is fuch a brute as to deny his wife the Marino ; and the ladies are fo cautious and circum- fpecT: on their fide, that the more to avoid giving offence, they very often put on jnafques.

Their other amufements confift chiefly in their Converfaziones, of which they have a variety every night. There is one general one, fupported by the fubfcription of the nobility, which is open every even- ing at fun-fet, and continues till midnight, when the Marino begins. It better deferves the name of a converfation than any I have feen in Italy ; for here the people really come to converfe, whereas in Italy, they only go to play at cards and eat ices*. I

have

SICILY AND MALTA. 77

have obferved, that feldom or never one half of the company is engaged in play, nor do they either play long or deep. There are a number of apartments belong- ing to this converfation, illuminated with wax lights, and kept exceedingly cool and agreeable ; and it is indeed altogether one of the moft fenfible and comfortable infti- tutions I have feen : befides this, "there are generally a number of particular con- verfations every night, and what will a good deal furprife you, thefe are always held in the apartments of the lying-in ladies ; for in this happy climate, child- bearing is diverted of all its terrors, and is only confidered as a party of pleafure. This circumftance we were ignorant of till t'other morning. The duke of Verdura, who does us the honours of the place, with great attention and politenefs, came to tell us, we had a vifit to make, that was indifpenfable. " The Princefs Paterno

" (faid

7 8 A TOUR THROUGH

" (faid he) was brought to bed laft night $ " and it is abfolutely incumbent on you

• • to pay your refpe&s to her this even*

tc ing." At firft I thought he was in joke, but he affured me he was ferious, and that it would be looked upon as a great unpolitenefs to neglect it. Accord- ingly we went about fun-fet, and found the princefs fitting up in her bed, in an elegant undrefs, with a number of her friends around her. She talked as ufual, and feemed to be perfectly well. This converfation is repeated every night during her convalefcence, which generally lafts for about eleven or twelve days. This cuftom is univerfal, and as the ladies here are very prolific, there are for the moft part three or four of thefe aflemblies going on in the city at the fame time ; poffibly the Marino may not a little contribute towards them.

The

SICILY AND MALTA; 79

The Sicilian ladies marry at thirteen or fourteen, and are fometimes grandmothers before they are thirty. The Count Stetela prefented us a few days ago to his coufin, the Princefs Partana, who he told us had a great number of children, the eldeft of which was a very fine girl of fifteen. We talked to the princefs for half an hour, not in the leaft doubting all the time that fhe was the daughter, till at laft the young lady came in ; and even then, it was not eafy to fay which appeared the handfomeft or the youngeft. This lady has had twelve children, and is ftill in her bloom ; ihe aflured me that fhe never enjoyed more perfect health than when fhe was in child- bed ;that during the time of her pregnancy fhe was often indifpofed, but that imme- diately on delivery fhe was cured of all her complaints, and was capable of enjoying the company of her friends even more than at any other time. I exprefled my furprife at this very fingular happinefs of their cli- 2 mate

8o A TOUR THROUGH

mate or conftitutions ; but fhe appeared ftill more furprifed when I told her that we loft many of our fineft women in childbed, and that even the moft fortunate and eafy de- liveries were attended with violent pain and anguifh. She lamented the fate of OUF ladies, and thanked Heaven that fhe was born a Sicilian.

What this fingularity is owing to, lei the learned determine ; but it is furely one of the capital bleflings of thefe climates, where the curfe that was laid upon mother Eve feems to be entirely taken off : I don't know how the ladies here have deferved this exemption, as they have at lead as much both of Eve and the ferpent as ours have* and ftill retain their appetite, as ftrong as ever, for forbidden fruit. It feems hard, that in our own country, and in Switzer- land, where the women in general are the chafteft in Europe, that this curfe fhould fall the heavieft : it is probably owing to' I the

SICILY AND MALTA. 81

the climate : In cold, but more particu- larly in mountainous countries, births are difficult and dangerous ; in warm and low places they are more eafy ; the air of the firft hardens and contracts the fibres, that of the fecond foftens and relaxes them. In ibme places in Switzerland, and amongft the Alps, they lofe almoft one half of their women in childbed, and thofe that can ^afford it, often go down to the low coun- tries fome weeks before they lie in, and find their deliveries much eafier* One may eafily conceive what a change it muft make upon the whole frame, to add the preflure of a column of air of two or three thoufand -feet more than it is accuftomed to : and if mufcular motion is performed by the preffure of the atmofphere, as fome have alleged, how much muft this add to the action of every mufcle ! However, if this hypothefis were true, our ftrength ihould have been diminished one third on the top of jEtna, which did not appear to be the VOL. II. G cafe;

82 A TOUR THROUGH

cafe ; as we had paffed through one third of the quantity of air of the whole atmo- fphere. I have often thought that phy- ficians pay too little attention to thefe con- iiderations ; and that in fkilful hands they might be turned to great account, in the cure of many difeafes : they only fend their patients to fuch a degree of latitude, but never think of the degree of altitude in the atmofphere. Thus, people with the fame complaints are fent to Aix and to Marfeilles, although the air in thefe two places muft be effentially different. Marfeilles is on the level of the fea, and Aix (as I myfelf meafured it) is near 600 feet above it. Now I am perfuaded, that in fuch a coun- try as Switzerland, or on fuch a mountain as JEtna, where it is eafy at all times to take off a preffure from the human body of many thoufand pounds weight, that an ingenious phyfician might make great dif- coveries ; nor indeed would thefe difcoveries be confined to the changing of the quantity

of

SICILY AND MALTA. S$

of air that prefles on the body, but would likewife be extended to the changing of the quality of the air we breathe; which, on the fide of ^Etna, or any very high moun- tain, is more varied than in travelling through fifty degrees of latitude. I beg pardon for this digreffion; the only amends I can mate, is to put it out of ciy power to trouble you with any more, and thus abruptly afiiuie you how much, &c.

84 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXIII.

Palermo, June 26th,

/~\UR fondnefs for Palermo increafes every day, and we are beginning to iook forward with regret to the time of our leaving it, which is now faft approaching. We have made acquaintance with many fenfible and agreeable people. The Sici- lians appear frank and fincere ; and their politenefs does not confift in fhow and grimace, like fome of the polite nations of the continent. The viceroy fets the pat* tern of hofpitality, and he is followed by the reft of the nobles. He is an amiable* agreeable man, and I believe is as much beloved and efteemed as a viceroy to an abfolute monarch can be. He was in England in his youth, and is ftill fond of many of our authors, with whom he feems

to

SICILY AND MALTA. 85

to be intimately acquainted ; he fpeaks the language tolerably well, and encourages the learning of it amongft his people. He may be confidered with regard to Naples, as what the lord lieutenant of Ireland is with regard to England, with this trifling difference, that, like his matter, he is in- vefted with abfolute authority ; and keeps his parliament (for he has one too) in the mod perfect fubjeclion. The patriots here, although a very numerous body, have ne- ver been able to gain one point, no nor a. place, nor even a penfion for a needy friend. Had lord Townfhend the power of the mar- quis Fogliano, I fuppofe your Hibernian fquabbles (of which we hear fo much, even at this diftant corner) would foon have an end. Notwithftanding this great authority, he is affable and familiar, and makes "hi% houfe agreeable to every body. We gq very often to his affemblies, and have dined with him feveral times ; his table is ferved with elegance and magnificence, much fu-r G 3 perior

86 A TOUR THROUGH

pet ior indeed to that of his Sicilian majefty, who eats off a fervice of plate, at lead 300 years old, very black and rufty in- deed : I heard a gentleman afk one day, Whilft we were ftanding round the table, if it had not been dug out of Herculaneum. That of the viceroy is very elegant, and indeed the whole of his entertainments cor- refpond with it ; though we have as yet feen nothing here, to be compared to the luxury of our feaft in the granary at Agri- gentum.

The Sicilian cookery is a mixture of the French and Spanifh ; and the Olio ftill preferves its rank and dignity in the centre of the table, furrounded by a numerous train of fricaflees, fricandeaus, ragouts, and pet de loups ; like a grave Spanifh Don, amidft a number of little fmart marquis. The other nobility, whom we have had occafiou to fee, are likewife very magnificent in their entertainments j but moft particularly % ia

SICILY AND MALTA. 8?

in their deferts and ices, of which there is a greater variety than I have feen in any other country. They are very temperate with regard to wine ; though, fince we have taught them our method of toafting ladies they are fond of, and of hob and nobing with their friends, ringing the two glafles together ; this focial pradice has animated them fo much, that they have been fometimes led to drink a greater quan- tity than they are accuftomed to ; and they often reproach us with having made them drunkards. In their ordinary living they are very frugal and temperate ; and from the fobriety we have feen here, we are now more perfuaded that the elevated fituation of Agrigentum muft be one great caufe of its drunkennefs.

The Sicilians have always had the cha*

racier of being very amorous, and furely

not without reafon. The whole nation are

poets, even the peafants ; and a man ftands

04 a poor

83 A TOUR THROUGH

a poor chance for a miftrefs, that is not capable of celebrating her praifes. I believe it is generally allowed that the paftoral poetry had its origin in this ifland; and Theocritus, after whom they ftill copy, will ever be looked upon as the prince of paftoral poets. And indeed in mufic too, as well as poetry, the foft, amorous pieces are generally ftyled Sicilians ; thefe they ufed to play all night under their miftrefles* windows, to exprefs the delicacy of their. paffion ; but ferenading is not now fo much in fafhion, as it was during the time of their more intimate connexion with Spain, when it was faid by one of their authors, that no perfon could pafs for a man -of gal- lantry that had not got a cold ; and was fure never to fucceed in makipg love, un-^ lefs he made it in a hoarfe voice. The la- dies are not now fo rigid, and will fome- times condefcend to hear a man, even al- though he mould fpeak in a clear tone. Neither do they any longer require the J prodigious

SICILY AND MALTA. 89

prodigious martial feats, that were then neceffary to win them. The attacking of a mad bull, or a wild boar, was reckoned the handforneft compliment a lover could pay to his, miftrefs ; and the putting thefe animals to death foftened her heart much more than all the fighing love-fick tales that could be invented. This has been hu- moroufly ridiculed by one of their poets. He fays that Cupid's little golden dart was now changed into a mafly fpear, which an- fwered a double purpofe; for at the fame time that it pierced the tough bull's hide, it likewife pierced the tender lady's heart. But thefe Gothic cufloms are now confined to Spain, and the gentle Sicilians have re- aflumed their foftnefs. To tell you the truth, gallantry is pretty much upon the fame footing here as in Italy, the eftablifhment of Ciccifbees is pretty general, though not quite fo univerfal as on the continent. How- ever, a breach of the marriage vow is no Ipnger looked upon as one of the deadly fins ;

and

90 A TOUR THROUGH

and the confeffors fall upon eafy and plea- fant enough methods of making them atone for it. The hufbands are content ; and like able generals, make up for the lofs of onefortrefs, by the taking of another. How- ever, female licentioufhefs has by no means come to fuch a height as in Italy. We have feen a great deal of domeftic hap- pinefs ; hufbands and wives that truly love one another, and whofe mutual care and pleafure is the education of their children. I could name a number; the Duke of Verdura, the Prince Partana, the Count Bufcemi, and many others who live in the moft facred union. Such fights are very rare on the continent. But indeed the ftyle that young people are brought up in here, feems to lay a much more folid foundation for matrimonial happinefs, than either in France or Italy. The young ladies are not fhut up in convents till the day of their marriage, but for the moft part live in the houfe with their parents, where

they

SICILY AND MALTA. 9 r

they receive their education, and are every day in company with their friends and relations. From what I can obferve, I think they are allowed almoft as much liberty as with us. In their great aflemblies we often fee a club of young people (of both fexes) get together in a corner, and amufe themfelves for hours, at crofs pur- pofes or fuch like games, without the mo- thers being under the leaft anxiety ; indeed, we fometimes join in thefe little parties, and find them extremely entertaining. In general, they are quick and lively, and have a number of ihokjeux feffrit^ which I think muft ever be a proof, in all coun- tries, of the familiar intercourfe betwixt the young people of the two fexes ; for all thefe games are infipid, if they are not feafoned by fomething of that invifible and fubtile agency, which renders every thing more interefting in thefe mixed focieties, than in the lifelefs ones, compofed of only one part of the fpecies. Thus, in Italy,

Spain,

9 2 A TOUR THROUGH

Spam, and Portugal, I have never feert any of thefe games ; in France feldom, but in Switzerland, (where the greateft liberty and familiarity are enjoyed amongft the

young people) they are numberlefs.

But the converfation hour is arrived, and pur carriage is waiting.

Adieu.

SICILY AND MALTA. 93 LETTER XXIV.

Palermo, June 28th* 1

npHERE are two fmall countries, one to the eaft, the other to the weft of this city, where the principal nobility have their country palaces. Both thefe we have vifited; there are many noble houfes in each of them. That to the eaft is called La Bagaria, that to the weft II Colle. We are this inftant returned from La Bagaria, and I haften to give you an account of the ridi- culous things we have feen, though perhaps you will not thank me for it.

The palace of the Prince of Valguanera is, I think, by much the fineft and moft beau- tiful of all the houfes of the Bagaria ; but it is far from being the moft extraordinary : were I to defcribe it, I fhould only tell you of things you have often feen and heard of

in

94 . A TOUR THROUGH

in other countries, fo I fliall only fpeak of one, which, for its fingularity, certainly is not to be paralleled on the face of the

earth ; it belongs to the prince of P- ,

a man of immenfe fortune, who has de- voted his whole life to the ftudy of mon- fters and chimeras, greater and more ridi- culous than ever entered into the imagi- nation of the wildeft writers of romance or knight-errantry.

The amazing crowd of ftatues that fur- round his houfe, appear at a diftance like a little army drawn up for its defence ; but when you get amongft them, and every one affumes his true likenefs, you imagine you have got into the regions of delufion and enchantment ; for of all that immenfe group, there is not one made to reprefent any objecl: in nature ; nor is the abfur- dity of the wretched imagination that cre- ated them lefs aftonifliing than its wonder- ful fertility. It would require a volume

to

SICILY AND MALTA. 95

to defcribe the whole, and a fad volume indeed it would make. He has put the heads of men to the bodies of every fort of animal, and the heads of every other ani- mal to the bodies of men. Sometimes he makes a compound of five or fix animals that have no fort of refemblance in nature. He puts the head of a lion to the neck of a goofe, the body of a lizard, the legs of a goat, the tail of a fox. On the back of this monfter, he puts another, if poffible ftill more hideous, with five or fix heads, and a bum, of horns, that beats the bead in the Revelations all to nothing. There is no kind of horn in the world that he has not collected ; and his pleafure is to fee them all flourishing upon the fame head. This is a ftrange fpecies of madnefs ; and it is truly unaccountable that he ha^s not been fhut up many years ago; but he is perfectly innocent, and troubles nobody by the indulgence of his phrenzy ; on the

contrary,

96 A TOUR THROUGH

contrary, he gives bread to a number of fta- tuaries and other workmen, whom he re- Wards in proportion as they can bring their imaginations to coincide with his own ; or* in other words, according to the hideouf- nefs of the monfters they produce. It would be idle and tirefome to be particular in an account of thefe abfurdities. The ftatues that adorn, or rather deform the great avenue, and furround the court of the palace, amount already to 600, notwith- ftanding which, it may be truly faid, that he has not broke the fecond commandment ; for of all that number, there is not the likenefs of any thing in heaven above, in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. The old ornaments which were put up by his father, who was a fenfible man, appear to have been in a good tafte. They have all been knocked to pieces, and laid together in a heap, to make room for this new creation.

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 97

The infide of this inchanted caftle corre- iponds exadly with the out ; it is in every irefpecT: as whimfical and fantaftical, and you cannot turn yourfelf to any fide, where you are not flared in the face by fome hide* ous figure or other. Some of the apart- ments are fpacious and magnificent, with high arched roofs 5 which inftead of plaifter or ftucco, are compofed entirely of large mirrors, nicely joined together. The ef- fect that thefe produce (as each of them make a fmall angle with the other) is ex- actly that of a multiplying glafs ; fo that when three or four people are walking be- low, there is always the appearance of three or four hundred walking above.. The whole of the doors are likewife covered over with fmall pieces of mirror, cut into the moft ridiculous fhapes, and intermixed with a great variety of cryftal and glafs of different colours. All the chimney- pieces, windows, and fide-boards are crowd- ed with pyramids and pillars of tea-pots,

VOL. II. H caudle-

9 S A TOUR THROUGH

caudle- cups, bowls, cups, faucers, &c. ftrongly cemented together ; fome of thefe columns are not without their beauty : one of them has a large china chamber-pot for its bafe, and a circle of pretty little flower-pots for its capital ; the fhaft of the column, upwards of four feet long, is compofed entirely of tea-pots of different fizes, diminifhed gradually from the bafe to the capital. The profufion of china that has been employed in forming thefe columns is incredible ; I dare fay there is not lefs than forty pillars and pyramids formed in this ftrange fantafttc manner.

Moil of the rooms are paved with fine marble tables of different colours, that look like fo many tomb-ftones. Some of thefe are richly wrought with lapis lazuli, por- phyry, and other valuable ftones ; their fine polifh is now gone, and they only appear like common marble ; the place of thefe beautiful tables he has fupplied by a

new

SICILY AND MALTA. 99

fiew fet of his own invention, fome of which are not without their merit. Thefe are made of the fineft tortoife-fhell mixed with mother of pearl, ivory, and a variety of metals ; and are mounted on fine ftands of folid brafs,

The windows of this inchanted caflle are compofed of a variety of glafs of every different colour, mixed without any fort of order or regularity. Blue, red, green, yellow, purple, violet. So that at each window, you may have the heavens and earth of whatever colour you chufe, only by looking through the pane that pleafes you.

The houfe-clock is cafed in the body of a ftatue ; the eyes of the figure move with the pendulum, turning up their white and black alternately, and make a hideous ap- pearance.

H 2 His

loo A TOUR THROUGH

His bed-chamber and drefling-room art like two apartments in Noah's ark ; there is fcarce a bead, however vile, that he has not placed there ; toads, frogs, ferpents, lizards, fcorpions, all cut out in marble, of their refpecUve colours. There are a good many bufts too, that are not lefs fin- gularly imagined. Some of thefe make a very handfome profile on one fide ; turn to the other, and you hare a fkeleton ; here you fee a nurfe with a child in her arms ; its back is exadly that of an infant ; its face is that of a wrinkled old woman of ninety.

For fome minutes one can laugh at thefe follies, but indignation and con- tempt foon get the better of your mirth, and the laugh is turned into a fneer. I own I was foon tired of them ; though fome things are fo ftrangely fancied, that it may well excufe a little mirth, even from the moft rigid cynic.

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 101

The family ftatues are charming ; they have been done from fome old pictures, and make a mod venerable appearance ; he has drefled them out from head to foot, in new and elegant fuits of marble ; and in- deed ihe effect it produces is more ridiculous than any thing you can conceive. Their flioes are all of black marble, their ftock- ings generally of red ; their clothes are of different colours, blue, green, and varie- gated, with a rich lace of gialf antique. The periwigs of the men and head-drefles of the ladies are of fine white ; fo are their fliirts, with long flowing ruffles of alabafter. The walls of the houfe are covered with fome fine baffo relievos of white marble, in a good tafte ; thefe he could not well take out-, or alter, fo he has only added immenfe frames to them. Each frame is compofed of four large marble tables.

The author and owner of this fmgular

collection is a poor miferable lean figure,

H 3 fhivering

102 A TOUR THROUGH

fhivering at a breeze, and feems to be afraid of every body he fpeaks to ; but (what furprifed me) I have heard him talk fpecioufly enough on feveral occafions. He is one of the richeft fubjedts in the ifland, and it is thought he has not laid out lefs than 20,000 pounds in the creation of this world of monilers and chimeras. He certainly might have fallen upon fome way to prove himfelf a fool at a cheaper rate. However it gives bread to a number of poor people, to. whom he is an excellent mailer. His houfe at Palermo is a good deal in the fame flyle ; his carriages are covered with plates of brafs, fo that I really believe fome of them are mirfket proof.

The government have had ferious thoughts of demolifhing the regiment of monfters he has placed round his houfe, but as he is humane and inoffenfive, and as this would certainly break his heart, they have as yet forborne. However, the feeing of them

by

SICILY AND MALTA, 103

by women with child is faid to have been already attended with very unfortunate cir- cumftances ; feveral living monfters having been brought forth in the neighbourhood. The ladies complain that they dare no longer take an airing in the Bagaria ; that fome hideous form always haunts their imagination for fome time after : their hufbands too, it is faid, are as little fatisfied with the great variety of horns. Adieu. I fhall write you again by next poft, as matter multiplies fail upon me in this metropolis.

Ever yours.

H 4

A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXV.

Palermo, June

account the people here give of the Sirocc, or South-eaft wind, is truly wonderful ; to-day, at the viceroy's, we were complaining of the violence of the heat, the thermometer being at 79. * They affured us, that if we ftaid till the end of next month, we fhould probably look on this as pleafant cool weather ; adding, that if we had once experienced the Sirocc, all other weather will appear temperate, I aiked to what degree the thermometer commonly rofe during this wind ; but found to my furprife, that there was nofuch inftrument in ufe amongft them : however, the violence of it, they aflure us, is incredible ; and that thofe who had remained many years in Spain

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 105

and Malta, had never felt any heat in thofe countries to compare to it. How it happens to be more violent in Palermo than in any other part of Sicily, is a xnyftery that ftill remains to be unfolded. Several treatifes have been written on this fubjecl, but none that give any tolerable degree of fatisfadion. As we fhall ftay for fome time longer, it is poffible we may have an opportunity of giving you fome account of it.

They^have begun- fome weeks ago to make preparations for the great feaft of St. Rofolia j and our friends here fay they are determined that we fliall not leave them till after it is over; but this I am afraid will not be in our power. The warm feafon advances, and the time we appointed for our return to Naples is already elapfed ; but indeed, return when we will, we fhall make but a bad ex- change ; and were it not for thofe of our

own

106 A TOUR THROUGH

own country whom we have left behind us, we certainly fhould have determined on a much longer flay. But although the fociety here is fuperior to that of Naples, yet, call it prejudice or call it what you will, there is zje ne f$ai quoi, a certain confidence in the character, the worth and friendHiip of our own people, that I have fcldom felt any where on the continent, except in Switzerland. This fenfation, which conftitutes the charm of fociety, and can alone render it fup- portable for any time,- is only infpired by fomething analogous, and fympathetic, in our feelings and fentiments ; like two inftruments that are in unifon, and vibrate to each other's touch : for fociety is a concert, and if the inftruments are not in tune, there never can be harmony ; and (to carry on the metaphor) this har- mony too muft fometimes be heightened and fupported by the introduction of a dif- cord i but where difcords predominate,

which

SICILY AND MALTA. 107

which is often the cafe between an Eng*- lifh and an Italian mind, the mufic muft be wretched indeed. Had we but a little mixture of our own fociety, how gladly fliould we fpend the winter in Sicily ; but we often think with regret on Mr. Hamil- ton's and Mr. Walters families ; and wifh again to be on the continent. Indeed, even the pleafures we enjoy here, we owe principally to Mr. Hamilton : his recom- mendations we have ever found to be the beft pafiport and introduction ; and the zeal and cordiality with which thefe are always received, proceeds evidently not from motives of deference and refpecl: to the minifter, but of love and afFedtion to the man.

This morning we went to fee a cele- brated convent of, Capuchins, about a mile without the city ; it contains nothing very remarkable but the burial-place, which indeed is a great curiofity. This is a

vaft

io8 A TOUR THROUGH

vaft fubterraneous apartment, divided into large commodious galleries, the walls on each fide of which are hollowed into a variety of niches, as if intended for a great colleclion of ftatues; thefe niches, inftead of ilatues, are all filled with dead bodies, fet upright upon their legs, and fixed by the back to the infide of the nich : their number is about three hundred : they are all d re fled in the clothes they ufually wore, and form a moil refpedable and venerable aflembly. The fkln and mufcles, by a certain preparation, become as dry and hard as a piece of ftock-fim ; and although many of them have been here upwards of two hundred and fifty years, yet none are reduced to fkeletons ; the mufcles, indeed, in fome appear to be a good deal more ihrunk than in others ; probably be- caufe thefe perfons had been more extenu- ated at the time of their death*

Here

SICILY AND MALTA. 109

Here the people of Palermo pay daily vifits to their deceafed friends, and recal with pleafure and regret the fcenes of their paft life : here they familiarize them- felves with their future Hate, and chufe the company they would wifh to keep in the other world. It is a common thing to make choice of their nich, and to try if their body fits it, that no alterations may be neceflary after they are dead ; and fome- times, by way of a voluntary penance, they accuftom themfelves to ftand for hours in thefe niches.

<f>

The bodies of the princes and firft no- bility are lodged in handforne chefts or trunks, fome of them richly adorned : thefe are not in the fhape of coffins, but all of one width, and about a foot and a half, or two feet deep* The keys are kept by the neareft relations of the family,

who

no A TOUR THROUGH

who fometimes come and drop a tear over their departed friends.

I am not fure if this is not a better* method of difpofing of the dead than ours. Thefe vifits muft prove admirable leflbns of humility ; and I aflure you, they are not fuch objects of horror as you would imagine : they are faid, even for ages after death, to retain a ftrong like- nefs to what they were when alive ; fo that, as foon as you have conquered the firft feeling excited by thefe venerable figures, you only confider this as a vaft gallery of original portraits, drawn after the life, by the jufteft and moft unpre- judiced hand. It muft be owned that the colours are rather faded ; and the pencil does not appear to have been the moft flattering in the world ; but no mat- ter, it is the pencil of truth, and not of a mercenary, who nly wants to pleafe. i We

SICILY AND MALTA. in

We were alleging too, that it might be made of very confiderable utility to fo- ciety; and that thefe dumb orators could give the moft pathetic lectures upon pride and vanity. Whenever a fellow began to ftrut, like Mr. B. or to affect the haughty fupercilious air, he fhould be fent to converfe with his friends in the gallery ; and if their arguments did not bring him to a proper way of thinking, I would give him up as incorrigible.

At Bologna they {hewed us the fkeletqn of a celebrated beauty, who died at a period of life when fhe was ftill the object of univerfal admiration. B,y way of mak- ing atonement for her own vanity, fhe bequeathed herfelf as a monument, to curb the vanity of others. Recollecting on her death-bed the great adulation that had been paid to her charms, and the fatal change they were foon to undergo, fhe

ordered

A TOUR THROUGH

ordered that her body fhould be diflededj and her bones hung up for the infpetion of all young maidens who are inclined to be vain of their beauty. However, if fhe had been preferved in this moral gallery* the leflbn would have been ftronger ; for> thofe very features that had raifed her; vanity would ftill have remained, only di- vefted of all their power, and difarmed of every charm.

Some of the Capuchins fleep in thefe galleries every night, and pretend to have many wonderful vifions and revelations ; but the truth is, that very few people believe them.

No woman is ever admitted into this convent either dead or alive; and this interdiction is written in large characters over the gate. The poor indolent Capu- chins, the fraileft of all flefh, have great % need

SICILY AND MALTA. 113

need of fuch precautions : they have no occupation from without, and they have no refources within themfelves, fo that they muft be an eafy prey to every tempt- ation : Bocaccio, and all the books of that kind, are filled with ftories of their frailty. Yefterday, dining at the Prince of Sperlinga's, and talking on this fub- jed, the Abbe T gave us an anec- dote of a friend of his, who was formerly a brother of this convent. He is known by the name of Fra Pafqual, and has pafled through many fmgular fcenes of life, which it would be too long to re- count. His laft migration, or, if you will, tranfmigration, was from one of the banditti of this kingdom, in which ca- pacity, he had been enrolled for fome time ; but, tired of the danger and fatigue to which he was perpetually expofed, he at laft determined to exchange the character of the hero, for that of the faint, and try VOL. II, I if

n 4 A TOUR THROUGH

if it was not both fafer and furer, to rely on the weaknefs of others, than on our own ftrength.

Fra Pafqual pretended a ftrong com- pundion for the tranfgreffions of his pail life, and made a promife to the Virgin, that the remainder of it fhould be fpent in mortification and penance, to atone for them. To this end, Pafqual, took the vows of poverty and of chaftity, and entered into all the rigours of the monadic life. For fome weeks he behaved in a moft ex- emplary manner ; he went barefooted, wore a large rofary, and a thicker cord of difcipline than any monk in the convent ; and his whole deportment gave teftimony of the moft unfeigned repentance ; how- ever, the devil was ftill at work in the heart of Pafqual, and all thefe external mortifications only made him work the harder; in fhort, he found it impoffible to drive him out: Pafqual was fenfible of

this;

SICILY AND MALTA. 115

this ; and afraid left the enemy fliould at laft get the better of him, he thought it advifeable to leave at Palermo the character of fanclity he had acquired, and begin fomewhere elfe upon a new fcore* He embarked for Naples, where he was foon admitted into a capuchin convent.

As Pafqual knew from experience that the dull uniformity of the monaftic life required fome little amufements to ren- der it fupportable, the firft thing he fet about was to find a miftrefs. He made love to a lady of eafy virtue, who foon admitted his addrefles, but at the fame time informed him that he had a for- midable rival, who was jealous as a tiger, and would not fail to put them both to death, fhould he difcover the intrigue. This was no other than a lifeguard-man, a fellow of fix feet two inches, with a vaft fpada, like that of Goliah, and a monftrous pair of curled whifkers, that would have I 2 caft

u6 A TOUR THROUGH

caft a damp on the heart of any man but Fra Pafqual ; but the monaftic life had not yet enervated him ; he was accuftomed to danger, and loved a few difficulties : however, as in his prefent character he could not be on a footing with his rival, he thought it beft only to make ufe of prudence and ftratagem to fupplant him : thefe are the ecclefiaftical arms, and they have generally been found too hard for the military.

The lady promifed him an interview as foon as the court fhould go to Portici, where the lifeguard -man's duty obliged him to attend the king. Pafqual waited with impatience for fome time ; at laft the wifhed-for night arrived ; the king fet off, after the opera, with all his guards, Pafqual flew like lightning to the arms of his miftrefs ; the preliminaries were foon fettled, and the happy lovers had juft fallen afleep, when they were fuddenly 2 alarmed

SICILY AND MALTA. 117

alarmed by a rap and a well-known voice at the door. The lady fbrted up in an agony of defparr, afTuring Pafqual that they were both undone; that this was her lover ; and if fome expedient was not fallen upon, in the firft tranfports of his fury, he would certainly put them both to death. There was no time for reflection ; the lifeguard -man demanded entrance in the mott peremptory manner, and the lady was obliged to infiant compliance. Paf- qual had juft time to gather his rags together, and cram himfelf in below the bed; at that inftant the door opened, and the giant came in, rattling his arms and ftorming at his miftrefs, for having made him wait fo long ; however, he foon pacified him. He then ordered her to ftrike a light, that he might fee to undrefs : this (truck Pafqual to the foul, and he gave himfelf up for loft; however, the lady's addrefs faved him, when he lead expected it. In bringing the tinder, fhe I 3 took

ii8 A TOUR THROUGH

took care to let fall fome water into box ; and all . the beating fhe and her lover could beat, they could not produce one fpark. Every ftroke of the flint found- ed in Pafqual's ears like his death-knell ; but when he heard the lifeguard-man fwearing at the tinder for not kindling, he began to conceive fome hopes, and blefled the fertile invention of woman. The lady told him he might eafily get a light at the guard, which was at no great diftance. Pafqual's heart leaped with joy; but when the foldier anfwered that he was abfent without leave, and durft not be feen, it again began to flag ; but on his ordering her to go it died within him, and he now found himfelf in greater dan- ger than ever. The lady herfelf was dif- concerted; but quickly recovering, fhe told him, it would be too long before fhe could get drefTed ; but advifed him to go to the corner of a neighbouring flreet, where there was a lamp burning before

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 119

the Virgin Mary, who could have no objection to his lighting a candle at it. Palqual revived ; but the foldier declared he was too much fatigued with his walk, and would rather undrefs in the dark ; he at the fame time began to grope below the bed for a bottle of liqueurs, which he knew ftood there. Pafqual (hook like a quaker, however, ftill he efcaped. The lady obferving what he was about, made a fpring, and got him the bottle, at the very inflant he was within an inch of feizing Pafqual's head. The lady then went to bed, and told her lover, as it was a cold night, me would warm his place for him. Pafqual admired her addrefs, and began to conceive fome hopes of cfcaping.

His fituation was the moft irkfome in

the world ; the bed was fo low, that he

had no room to move ; and when the

great heavy lifeguard-man entered it, he

I 4 found

A TOUR THROUGH

found himfelf fqueezed down to the ground. He lay trembling and ftifling his breath for fome time, but found it abfolutely im- poflible to fupport his fituation till morn- ing ; and indeed, if it had, his clothes, which were fcattered about, muft infal- libly difcover him : he therefore began to think of making his efcape ; but he could not move without alarming his rival, who was now lying above him. At firft he thought of rufhing fuddenly out, and throwing himfelf into the ftreet ; but this he difdained, and, on fecond thoughts, determined to feize the lifeguard-man's fword, and either put him to death, or make an honourable capitulation both for himfelf and the lady. In the midft of thefe reflections, his rival began to fnore, and Pafqual declares that no mufic was ever fo grateful to his foul. He tried to ftir a little, and finding that it did not awake the enemy, he by degrees worked himfelf out of his prifon. He immediately laid

hold

SICILY AND MALTA. 121

hold of the great fpada; when all his fears forfook him, and he felt as hold as a Hon. He now relinquiftied the daftardly fcheme of efcaping, and only thought how he could heft retaliate on his rival, for all that he had made him fuffer.

As Pafqual was ftark naked, it was no more trouble to him to put on the foldier's clothes than his own ; and as both his cloak and his cappouch together were not worth a fixpence, he thought it moil eli- gible to equip himfelf a la militaire, and to leave his facerdotal robes to the foldier. In a fhort time he was dreffed cap-a-pie. His greafy cowl, his cloak, his fandals, his rofary, and his rope of difcipline, he gathered together, and placed on a chair before the bed ; and girding himfelf a great buff belt, inftead of the cordon of St. Francis, and grafping his trufty Toledo inftead of the crucifix, he fallied forth into the ftreet. He pondered for

fome

122 A TOUR THROUGH

fome time what fcheme to fall upon ; and at firft thought of returning in the cha- racter of another lifeguard-man, pretend- ing to have been fent by the officer with a guard in queft of his companion, who not being found in his quarters, was fuppofed to have deferted : and thus, after having made him pay heartily for all that he had fuffered under the bed, to leave him to the enjoyment of his pannic, and the elegant fuit of clothes he had provided him. How- ever, he was not fatisfied with this re- venge, and determined on one Hill more folid. He went to the guard, and told the officer that he had met a Capuchin friar, with all the enfigns of his fanclity about him, fculking through the ftreets, in the dead of night, when they pretend to be employed in prayer for the fins of mankind. That prompted by curiofity to follow him, the holy friar as he ex- pected went ftraight to the houfe of a celebrated courtezan, that he faw him

admitted,

SICILY AND MALTA. 123

admitted, and liftened at the window till he heard them go to bed together : that if he did not find this information to be true, he fhould refign himfelf his prifoner, and fubmit to whatever punifhment he fhould think proper.

The officer and his guard delighted to have fuch a hold of a Capuchin, (who pretend to be the very models of fandtity, and who revile in a particular manner the licentious life of the military) turned out with the utmoft alacrity, and, under the conduct of Pafqual, furrounded the lady's houfe. Pafqual began thundering at the door; and demanded entrance for the officer and his guard. The unhappy fol- dier waking with the noife, and not doubt- ing that it was a detachment fent to feize him, gave himfelf up to defpair, and in- ftantly took fhelter in the very place that Pafqual had fo lately occupied , at the fame time laying hold of all the things he

found

i2 4 A TOUR THROUGH

found on the chair, never doubting that they were his own clothes. As the lady was fomewhat dilatory in opening the door, Pafqual pretended to put his foot to it, when up ic flew, and entering with the officer and his guard, demanded the body of a Capuchin friar, who they were in- formed lodged with her that night. The lady had heard Pafqual go out, and having no fufpicion that he would inform againft himfelf, fhe protefted her innocence in the moft folemn manner, taking all the faints to witnefs that ihe knew no fuch perfon : but Pafqual fufpe&ing the retreat of the lover, began groping below the bed, and foon pulled out his own greafy cowl and cloak; " Here (faid he to the officer) " here are proofs enough : I'll anfwer for " it, Signor Padre himfelf is at no great " diftance." And putting his nofe below the bed ; " Fogh (fay he) I fmell him ; 4t he ftinks like a fox. The fureft method "of finding a Capuchin, is by the nofe;

" you

SICILY AND MALTA. 125

<c you may wind him a mile off. 5 ' Then lowering their lanthorn, they beheld the unfortunate lover fqueezed in betwixt the bed and the ground, and almoft ftifled. - " Ecco lo y (faid Pafqual) here he is, with " all the enfigns of his holinefs ;" and pulling them out one by one, the crucifix, the rofary, and the cord of difcipline, " You may fee (faid he) that the reverend <e father came here to do penance :" and taking up the cord, " Suppofe now we u fhould affift him in this meritorious " work. AndiamO) Signor Padre^ an* " diamo. We will fave you the trouble of " inflicting it yourfelf ; and whether you ic came here to fin, or to repent, by your

• • own maxims, you know, a little found

<{ difcipline is healthful to the foul." The guard were lying round the bed, in con- vulfions of laughter ; and began breaking the moft galling and moft infolent jokes upon the fuppofed padre. The lifeguard- man

J2 6 A TOUR THROUGH

man thought himfelf enchanted, He at laft ventured to fpeak, and declared they were all in a miftake : that he was no Capuchin : upon which the laugh re- doubled, and the coarfeft jokes were re- peated. The lady, in the mean time, with the beft diflembled marks of fear and aftonifhment, ran about the room, ex- claiming " Oime Siamo ferduti^ Siamo <c incantati) Siamo inforcelati" Pafqual delighted to fee that his plan had taken its full effect, thought it now time to make his retreat, before the unfortunate lover could have an opportunity of examining his clothes, and perhaps detecting him : he therefore pretended regimental bufmefs, and regretting much that he was obliged to join his corps, took leave of the officer and his guard ; at the fame time recommending by all means, to treat the holy father with all that reverence and refped that wa& due to fo facred a perfon.

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 127

The lifeguard-man, when he got out from below the bed, began to look about for his clothes ; but obferving nothing but the greafy weeds of a Capuchin friar, he was now perfectly convinced, that Heaven had delivered him over, for his offences, to the power of fome daemon ; (for of all mortals, the Neapolitan foldiers are the moft fuperftitious) The lady too, adted her part fo well, that he had no longer any doubt of it. " Thus it is (faid he in a penitential voice) to offend heaven ! I <{ own my fin. I knew it was Friday, and " yet O, flefh, flefh ! Had it been any " other day, I flill fhould have remained

" what I was. O, St. Gennaro ! I pafs'd

(t thee too without paying the due

" refpeft : thy all-feeing eye has found

<c me out. Gentlemen, do with me what " you pleafe ; I am not what I feem to

• A celebrated ftatue of St. Januarius, betwixt

Portici and Naples.

i "be."

i2& A TOUR THROUGH

be." " No, no, (faid the officer) we

" are fenfible of that. But, come, Signor u Padre, on with your garments, and " march ; we have no time to trifle. <e Here, Corporal (giving him the cordon) " tie his hands, and let him feel the weight tc of St. Francis. The faint owes him that, " for having fo impudently denied him for " his mafter." The poor foldier was per- fectly paffive; they arrayed him in the fandals, the cowl, and the cloak of Fra Paiqual, and put the great rofary about his neck ; and a moft woeful figure he made. The officer made him look in the glafs, to try if he could recollect himfelf, and afked if he was a Capuchin now or not. He was fhocked at his own appear- ance; but bore every thing with meeknefs and refignation. They then conducted him to the guard, belabouring him all the way with the cord of St. Francis, and afkr ing him every ftroke, . if he knew his mafter now ?

In

SICILY AND MALTA. 129

In the mean time, Pafqual was fnug in his convent, enjoying the fweets of his adventure. He had a fpare cloak and cowl, and was foon equipped again like one of the holy fathers : he then took the clothes and accoutrements of the lifeguard- man, and laid them in a heap, near the gate of another convent of Capuchins, but at a great diftance from his own, referving only to himfelf a trifle of money which he found in the breeches pocket, juft to in- demnify him for the lofs of his cloak and his cowl ; and even this, he fays, he fhould have held facred, but he knew whoever (hould find the clothes, would make law- ful prize of it.

The poor foldier remained next day 'a fpeclacle of ridicule to all the world ; at laft his companions heard of his ftrange metamorphofis, and came in troops to fee him : their jokes were perhaps ftill more galling than thofe of the guard, but as he

VOL. II. K thought

J3 o A TOUR THROUGH

thought himfelf under the finger of God, or at lead of St. Januarius, he bore all with meeknefs and patience ; at laft his clothes were found, and he was fet at liberty ; but he believes to this day, that the whole was the work of the devil, fent to chaftife him for his fins ; and has never fmce feen his miftrefs on a Friday, nor pafled the ftatue of St. Januarius without muttering a prayer. Fra Pafqual has told the ftory to feveral of his moft intimate friends, whom he can depend on, amongft whom is the Abbe T-t-i, who has often had it from his own mouth.

I beg pardon for this long ftory ; had I fufpedted that it would have run out to half this length, I affure you, I fhould not have troubled you with it. Perhaps, however, you will think this apology pre- cifely the moft unneceflary, and moft im- pertinent part of it all. This is often the fate of apologies, particularly for long let- ters;

SICILY ANt> MALTA, t 3 i

ters ; Firft, fcecaufe it always makes them longer ; Secondly, Hey-day ! where are we going now ? To return then to our fubjed. We had no fooner left the Capu- chin convent, than our carriage broke down, long before we reached the city t and as walking (at Palermo as well as Naples) is of all things the mod difgrace- ful, we rifked by this unfortunate acci- dent to have our characters blaited for ever. However, Philip, our Sicilian fer- vant, took care to make fuch a noife about it, that our dignity did not much fuffer. He kept a little diftance before us, pefting and blafting all the way at their curfed crazy carriages ; and fwearing that there never was any thing in the world fo in- famous : that in a city like Palermo, the capital of all Sicily, Signori of our rank and dignity mould be obliged to walk on foot; that it muft be an eternal reflec- tion againft the place, and bawled out to every perfon he met, if there was no K 2 coaches

A TOUR THROUGH

coaches to be had ; no, carriages of any kind, either for love or money. In fhort, we had not got half through the ftreet, be- fore we had feveral offers from gentlemen of our acquaintance, who lamented exceed- ingly the indignity we had fuffered, and wondered much, that we did not rather fend forward a fervant for another coach, and wait (in the heat of the fun) till it arrived.

This is not the only time that Philip's wits have been of fervice to us on fuch oc- cafions. A few nights ago, we had a dif- pute with our coachman ; turned him off, and had not provided another. We were unfortunately engaged to go to the great converfation. What was to be done ? No fuch thing as walking. Should we be caught in the fad:, we are difgraced for ever It would be worfe than to be caught in that of adultery No alternative, however. There was not a coach to be

had,

SICILY AND MALTA. 133

had, and our old coachman would not ferve us for one night only. Philip made fad wry faces, and fwore the coachman ought to be crucified ; but when he faw us bent on walking, he was ftill more di- flrefled ; and I really believe, if we had been difcovered, that he would not have ferved us any longer. He therefore fet his wits to work, how he ihould preferve both his mailer's honour and his own place. He at firil hefitated, before he would take up the flambeau ; but he would by no means be prevailed on to light it,-*-" What, <c (faid Philip) do you think I have no " more regard for you, than to expofe you <c to the eyes of the whole world ? No, no, <c Gentlemen ; if you will bring yourfelves <c to difgrace, you fhall not at leail make " me the agent of fhewing it : but remem-

• • ber, if you are obferved walking, no

ic mortal will believe you keep a coach ; " and do you expect after that to be re- s' ceived into company ?" " Well, well, K 3 " Philip,

134 A TOUR THROUGH

ct Philip, do as you pleafe, but we muft go < c to the converfation."- Philip (hrugged up his fhoulders. " Diaboloche faremo ! c< Andiamo dunque Signori andiamo" So faying, he led the way, and we fol- lowed.

Philip had ftudied the geography of the town ; he conduced us through lanes only known to himfelf, and carefully avoided the great flreet ; till at laft we arrived at a little entry, which leads to the converfation rooms; here the carriages ufaally flop. We flipped up the entry in the dark ; when Philip, darting into a fhop, lighted his flambeau in an inftant, and came rufhing before us, bawling out, " Piazza fer gli " Signori forreftieri-" when all the world immediately made way for us. After we had got into the rooms, he called fo loud after us, afking at what time he fhould order the coach to return; that, overcome partly by rifibility, and partly by a con-

fcioufnefs

SICILY AND MALTA, 135

fcioufaefs of the deceit, not one of us had power to anfwer him. Philip, however, followed us, and repeated the queftion fo often, that we were obliged to give him a reply, " a mezzo notte" At midnight he came to tell us that the coach was ready. We were curious to fee how he would be- have on this occafion ; for it was not half fo difficult to get in imcbferved, as- to get out : however, Philip's genius was equal to both. As fpon as we got into the entry, he run to the door, bawling out Antonio, as hard as he could roar. No Antonio an- fwered ; and unfortunately, there was a number of gentlemen and ladies going away at the fame time. They begged of us, as ftrangers, to ftep firft into our car- riage, and abfolutely refufed to go out be- fore us. Philip was fadly puzzled. He firft ran up the ftreet, then he ran down, and came back all out of breath, curfing Antonio. c< That rafcal (faid he) is never in the way, and you muft turn him off. K 4 " He

1:6 A TOUR THROUGH

" He pretends that he could not get up his " coach to the door, for the great crowd of <c carriages ; and is waiting about fifty " yards below. Voftri Eccellenzi had better " ftep down (faid Philip) otherwife you <c will be obliged to wait here at lead half <c an hour." We took leave of the com- pany, and fet off. Philip ran like a lamp-lighter, till he had almoft paffed the carriages, when dafliing his flambeau on the ground, as if by accident, he extin- guifhed it, and getting into a narrow lane, he waited till we came up ; when he whif- pered us to follow him, and conducted us back, by the fame labyrinth we had come ; and thus faved us from eternal infamy. However, he affures us, he will not vep- ture it again for his place.

Now, what do you think of a nation where fuch prejudices as thefe prevail ? It is pretty much the cafe all over Italy. An Italian nobleman is afhamed of nothing fo

much

SICILY AND MALTA. 137

much as making ufe of his legs. They think their dignity augments by the repofe of their members ; and that no man can be truly refpedable, that does not loll away one half of his time on a fofa, or in a car- nage. In fhort, a man is obliged to be indolent and effeminate, not to be defpifed and ridiculous. What can we exped: of fuch a people ? Can they be capable of any thing great or manly, who feem almoft afhamed to appear men ! I own, it furpaffes my comprehenfion ; and I blefs my ftars every time that I think of honeft John Bull, even with all his faults. Will you believe ine, that, of all that I have known in Italy, there are fcarce half a dozen that have had fortitude enough to fubdue this moft con- temptible of all human prejudices ? The Prince of Campo Franco too in this place, is above it. He is a noble fellow, and both in his perfon and character, greatly re- fembles our late worthy friend, General pr*iiifurd. He is a major-general too, and

always

138 A TOUR THROUGH

always dreffes in his uniform, which flill increafes the refemblance. Every time I fee him, he fays or does fomething that re- calls ftrongly to my mind the idea of pur noble general. He laughs at the follies of his country, and holds thefe wretched pre- judices in that contempt they deferve. " What would the old hardy Romans think

• ' (faid he, talking on this fubjedt) were

" they permitted to take a view of the oc-

• • cupations of their progeny ? rl fhould
• < like to fee a Brutus or a Caffius amongft

" us for a little ; how the clumfy vulgar " fellows would be hooted. I dare fay ci they would foon be glad to return to the " fliades again."

Adieu ; for fome nights part we have been obferving the courfe of a comet ; and as we were the firft people here that took notice of it, I affure you, we are looked upon as very profound aftronomers. I fhall faymor, :ext letter. We have now

3 got

SICILY AND MALTA. 139

got out of our abominable inn, and have taken a final leave of our French landlady. The count Bufliemi, a very amiable young man, has been kind enough to provide us a lodging on the fea fhore ; one of the cooled and moil agreeable in Palermo.

Ever yours, &c.

HO A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXVI.

Palermo, July zd

/*\ U R comet is now gone ; we firft

ferved it on the 24th. It had no tail, but was furrounded with a faintifh ill de- fined light, that made it look like a bright ftar finning through a thin cloud. This, in all probability, is owing to an atmofphere, around the body of the comet, that caufes a refraction of the rays, and prevents them from reaching us with that diftindlnefs we obferve in bodies that have no atmofphere, -We were ftill the more perfuaded of this two nights ago, when we had the good for* tune to catch the comet juft pafling clofe by a fmall fixed ftar, whofe light was not- only considerably dimm'd, but we thought we obferved a fenfihle change of place in the ftar, as foon as its rays fell into the I [atmo-

SICILY AND MALTA,

atmofphere of the comet ; owing no doubt to the refradion in paffing through that atmofphere. We attempted to trace the line of the comet's courfe, but as we could find no globe, it was not poffible to do it with any degree of precifion. Its direction was almoft due north, and its velocity alto- gether amazing. We did not obferve it fo minutely the two or three firft nights of its appearance, but on the 3oth it was at our zenith here, (latitude 38 10' ; longitude from Lond. 13) about five minutes after midnight, and laft night, the firft of July, it parled four degrees to the eaft of the polar ftar, nearly at 40 minutes after eight. So that, in lefs than 24 hours, it has de- fcribed a great arch in the heavens, up- wards of 50 degrees ; which gives an idea of the moft amazing velocity. Suppofing it at the diftance of the fun, at this rate of travelling, it would go round the earth's orbit in lefs than a week. Which makes, I think, confiderably more than fixty mil- lions

1 4 2 A TOUR THROUGH

lions of miles in a day; a motion that vaftly furpafies all human comprehenfion. And as this motion continues to be greatly accelerated, what muft it be, when the comet approaches ftill nearer to the body of the fun ! Laft night a change of place was obfervable in the fpace of a few mi- nutes, particularly when it pafled near any of the fixed ftars. We attempted to find if it had any obfervable parallax, but the vail rapidity of its motion always prevented us ; for whatever fixed ftars it was near in the horizon, it had got fo far to the north of them, long before it reached the meri- dian, that the parallax, if there was any, entirely efcaped us.

I fhall long much to fee the obfervations that have been made with you, and in other diftant countries, on this comet ; as from thefe, we fhall probably be enabled to form fome judgment of its diftance from the earth : which, although we could obferve

no

SICILY AND MALTA. 143

no parallax, I am apt to believe was not very great, as its motion was fo very per- ceptible. We could procure no instruments to meafure its apparent diftance from any of the fixed ftars, fo that the only two ob- fervations any thing can be made of, are the time of its paffing the polar ftar laft night, its diftance from it, and the time of its arrival at our zenith on the 3oth; this we found by applying the eye to a ftraight rod, hung perpendicularly from a fmall thread. The comet was not in the exar. point of the zenith, but to the beft of our obfervation, about fix or feven minutes to the north of it. Laft night it was vifible almoft immediately after fun-fet ; long be- fore any of the fixed ftars appeared. It is now immerfed in the rays of the fun, and has certainly got very near his body. If it returns again to the regions of fpace, it will probably be vifible in a few days, but I own I fhould much doubt of any fuch return, if it is really by the attractive force

of

144 A TOUR

of the fun, that it is at prefent carried with fuch amazing celerity towards him. This is the third comet of this kind, whofe re^ turn I have had an opportunity of watch- ing ; but never was fortunate enough to find any of them after they had pafled the fun ; though thofe that do really return, appear at that time much more luminous than before they approached him.

The aftronomy of comets, from what I can remember of it, appears to be clogged with very great difficulties, and even fome feeming abfurdities. It is difficult to con- ceive, that thefe immenfe bodies, after be- ing drawn to the fun with the velocity of a million of miles in an hour ; when they have at laft come almoft to touch him, ftiould then fly off from his body, with the fame velocity they approach it ; and that too, by the power of this very motion that his attraction has occafioned. The demonftration of this I remember is very

curious

SICILY AND MALTA; i 45

fcurious and ingenious; but I wim it may be entirely free from fophiftry. No doubt, in bodies moving in curves round a fixed center, as the centripetal motion increafes, the centrifugal one increafes likewife ; but how this motion, which is only gene- rated by the former, fhould at laft get the better of the power that produces it ; and that too, at the very time this power has acquired its utmoft force and energy ; feems fomewhat difficult to conceive. It is the only inftance I know, wherein the effect ihcreafing regularly with the caufe; at laft whilft the caufe is ftill acting with full vigour ; the effect entirely gets the bet- ter of the caufe, and leaves it in the lurch. For, the body attracted, is at laft carried away with infinite velocity from the attract- ing body. By what power is it carried away ? Why, fay our philofophers, by the very power of this attraction, which has now produced a new power fuperior to itfelf, to wit, the centrifugal force. How- VOL, II. L ever,

146 A TOUR THROUGH

ever, perhaps all this may be reconcilable to reafon ; far be it from me to prefume attacking fo glorious a fyftera as that of attraction. The law that the heavenly bodies are faid to obferve, in defcribing equal areas in equal times, is fuppofed to> be demonftrated, and by this it would ap- pear, that the centripetal and centrifugal forces alternately get the maftery of one another.

However, I cannot help thin-king it fomewhat hard to conceive, that gravity fhould always get the better of the centri- fugal force, at the very time that its action is the fmalleft, when the comet is at its- greater! diftance from the fun; and that the centrifugal force fhould get the better of gravity, at the very time that its action is the greateft, when the comet is at its neareft point to the fun.

To a common obferver it would rather appear, that the fun, like an electric

body*

SICILY AND MALTA. 147

body, after it had once charged the objects that it attracted with its own effluvia or atmofphere, by degrees lofes its attraction* and at laft even repels them ; and, that the attracting power, like what we likewife ob* ferve in electricity, does not return again till the effluvia imbibed from the attracting body is difpelled or diffipated ; when it is again attracted, and fo on alternately. For - it appears (at leaft to an unphilofophical obferver) fomewhat repugnant to reafon to fay that a body flying off from another body fome thoufands of miles in a minute, fhould all the time be violently attracted by that body, and that it is even by virtue of this very attraction that it is flying off from it. He would probably afk, What more could it do, pray, were it really to be repelled ?

Had the fyftem of electricity, and of

irepulfion as well as attraction, been known

and eftablifhed in the laft age, I have little

L 2 doubt

148 A TOUR THROUGH

doubt that the profound genius of Newtori would have called it to his aid ; and per- haps accounted in a more fatisfactory man- ner, for many of the great ^phaenomena of the heavens. To the beft of my remem- brance, we know of no body that poffefles, in any confiderable degree, the power of attraction, that in certain circumftances does not likewife pofTefs the power of re-

pulfion. The magnet, the tourmalin,

amber, glafs, and every electrical fubftance. Now, from analogy, as we find the fun fo powerfully endowed with attraction, why may we not like wife fuppofe him to be pof- feffed of repulfion ? Indeed, this very power feems to be confefled by the Newtonians to refide in the fun in a moft wonderful degree ; for they aflure us he repels the rays of light with fuch amazing force, that, they fly upwards of 80 millions of miles in feven minutes. Now why fhould we confine this repulfion to the rays of light only ? As they are material, may not

other

SICILY AND MALTA, 149

other matter brought near his body, be affected in the fame manner ? Indeed one would imagine, that their motion alone would create the moft violent repulfion ; and that the force with which they are perpetually flowing from the fun, would moft effectually prevent every other body from approaching him; for this we find is the conftant effect of a rapid flream of any other matter. But let us examine a little more his effects on comets. The tails of thefe bodies, are probably their atmofpheres rendered highly electrical, either from the violence of their motion, or from their proximity to the fun. Qf all the bodies we know, there is none in fo conftant and fo violent an electrical ftate, as the higher regions of our own atmofphere. Of this* I have long been convinced ; for, fend up a kite with a fmall wire about its firing, only to the height of 1 2 or 1300 feet, and at all times it will produce fire, as I have found by frequent experience j fometimes L 3 when

I 5 o A TOUR THROUGH

when the air was perfectly clear, without a cloud in the hemifphere ; at other times, when it was thick and hazy, and totally unfit for electrical operations below. Now, as this is the cafe at fo fmall a height, and as we find the effecl: ftill grows ftronger, in proportion as the kite advances, (for I have fometimes obferved, that a little blaft of wind, fuddenly raifing the kite about a hundred feet, has more than doubled the effed:) what muft it be in very great ele- vations ? indeed we may often judge of it from the violence with which the clouds are agitated, from the meteors formed above the region of the clouds, and parti- cularly from the aurora borealis, which has been obferved to have much the fame co- lour and appearance as the matter that forms the tails of cornets,

Now what muft be the effecl: of fo vaft a body as our atmofphere, made ftrongly eledrical, when it happens to approach any

other

SICILY AND MALTA. 151

other body ? It muft always be either vio- lently attracted or repelled, according to the pofitive or negative quality (in the language of electricians) of the body that it approaches.

It has ever been obferved that the tails of comets (juft as we fhould expect, from a very light fluid body, attached to a folid heavy one) are drawn after the comets, as long as they are at a diftance from the fun ; but as foon as the comet gets near his body the tail veers about to that fide of the comet that is in the oppofite direction from the fun, and no longer follows the comet, but continues its motion fideways, oppo- fing its whole length to the medium through which it pafles, rather than allow it in any degree to approach the fun. Indeed, its tendency to follow the body of the comet is ftill obfervable, were it not prevented by fome force fuperior to that tendency ; for the tail is always obferved to bend a little L 4 to

152 A TOUR THROUGH

to that fide from whence the cornet is fly-, ing. This perhaps is fome proof too, that it does not move in an abfolute vacuum.

When the comet reaches its perihelion* the tail is generally very much lengthened, perhaps by the rarefaction from the heat ; perhaps by the increafe of the fun's repulfion, or that of his atmofphere. It ftill continues projected, exadly in the op- pofite direction from the fun ; and when the comet moves off again to the regions of fpace, the tail, inftead of following it, as it did on its approach, is projected a vaft way before it, and ftill keeps the body of the comet exactly oppofed betwixt it and the fun; till by degrees, as the diftance increafes, the length of the tail is dimi- nifhed; the repulfion probably becoming weaker and weaker.

It has likewife been obferved, that the length of thefe tails are commonly in pro- portion

SICILY AND MALTA. 153

portion to the proximity of the comet to the fun. That of 1680 threw out a train that would almoft have reached from the fun to the earth. If this had been attracted by the fun, would it not have fallen upon his body ? when the comet at that time was npt one-fourth of his diameter diftant from him ; but inftead of this, it was darted a\vay to the oppofite fide of the hea- vens, even with a greater velocity than that of the comet itfelf- Now what can this be owing to, if not to a repulfive power in the fun, or his atmofphere ?

And, indeed, it would at firft appear but little lefs abfurd, to fay that the tail of the comet is all this time violently at- tra&ed by the fun, although it be driven away In an oppofite direction from him, as to fay the fame of the comet itfelf. It is true, this repulfion feems to begin much fooner to affecT: the tail, than the body of the comets which is fuppofed always to I ' pals

I 5 4 A TOUR THROUGH

pafs the fun before it begins to fly away from him, which is by no means the cafe with the tail. The repulfive force, there- fore, (if there is any fuch) is in a much lefs proportion than the attractive one, and probably juft only enough to counterbalance the latter, when thefe bodies are in their perihelions, and to turn them fo much afide, as to prevent their falling into the body of the fun. The projectile force they have acquired will then carry them out to the heavens, and repulfion probably dirniniming as they recede from the fun's atmofphere, his attraction will again take place and retard their motion regularly, till they arrive at their aphelia, when they once more begin to return to him.

I don't know how you will like all this : Our comet has led me a dance I very little thought of; and I believe I fhould have done better to fend it at once into the fun, and had done with it: and that,

indeed,

SICILY AND MALTA. 155

indeed) I am apt to believe, will be its fate. For as this comet has no tail, there is, of confequence, no apparent repulfion, If it was repelled, its atmofphere like the others, would be driven away in the op- pofite direction from the fun ; I therefore do not fee any poflible method it has of efcaping.

Thefe comets are certainly bodies of a very different nature from thofe with tails, to which indeed they appear even to bear a much lefs refemblance than they do to pla- nets : and it is no fmall proof of the little progrefs we have made in the knowledge of the univerfe, that they have not as yet been diftinguimed by a different name.

This is the third kind of body that has been difcovered in our fyliem, that all appear eflentially different from each other, that are probably regulated by different

laws,

i- A TOUR THROUGH

laws, and intended for very different pur* pofes. How miich will pofterity be afto- nifhed at our ignorance, and wonder that this fyftem ihould have exifted for fo many thoufand years, before we were in the leaft acquainted with one half of it, or had even invented names to diftinguifh its dif- ferent members !

I have no doubt, that in future ages, the number of the comets, the form of their orbits, and time of their revolutions, will be as clearly demonftrated as that of the planets. It is our countryman, Dr. Halley, who has begun this great work, which may be confidered juft now as in its earlieft infancy. Thefe bodies, too, with thick atmofpheres, but without tails, will likewife have their proper places afcertain- ed, and will no longer be confounded with bodies to which they bear no refembjance or connexion.

Comets

SICILY AND MALTA. 157

Comets with tails have feldotn been vi-* fible, but on their recefs from the fun. It is he that kindles them up, and gives them that alarming appearance in the heavens, On the contrary, thofe without tails have feldom, perhaps never, been obferved, but on their approach to him. I don't recol- lect any whofe return has been tolerably well afcertained. I remember, indeed, a few years ago, a fmall one, that was faid to have been difcovered by a telefcope, after it had pafled the fun, but never more became vifible to the naked eye. This afiertion is eafily made, and nobody can contradict it ; but it does not at all appear probable, that it fhould have been fo much lefs luminous after it had pafled the fun, than before it approached him ; and I will own to you, when I have heard that the return of thefe comets had efcaped the eyes of the moft acute aftronomers, I have beea tempted to think, that they did nonreturn at all, but were abforbed in the body of

the

I 5 3 A TOUR THROUGH

the fun, which their violent motion to-* wards him feemed to indicate. Indeed, I have often wimed that this difcovery might be made, as it would in fome meafure account for what has as yet been looked upon as unaccountable : that the fun, not- withftanding his daily wafte, from enlight- ening the univerfe, never appears dimi-* nimed either in fize or light. Surely this wafte muft be immenfe, and were there not in nature fome hidden provifion for; fupplying it, in the fpace of fix thoufand years, fuppofing the world to be no older, the planets mud have got to a much greater diftance from his body, by the vaft diminution of his attraction ; they muft likewife have moved much flower, and confequently the length of our year muft have been greatly increafed. Nothing of all this feems to be the cafe : the diameter of the fun is the fame that ever it was : he neither appears diminifhed, nor our di- flance from him increafed ; his light, % heat*

SICILY AND MALTA. 159

heat, and attra&ion feem to be the fame as ever; and the motion of the planets round him is performed in the fame time ; of confequence, his quantity of matter ftill continues the fame. How then is this vaft wafte fupplied ? May there not be mil- lions of bodies attracted by him, from the boundlefs regions of fpace, that are never perceived by us ? Comets, on their road to him, have feveral times been accidentally difcovered by telefcopes, that were never feen by the naked eye. Indeed, the num- ber of black fpots on the fun feem to in- dicate that there is always a quantity of matter there, only in a preparation to give light, but not yet refined and pure enough to throw off rays like the reft of his body. For I think we can hardly con- ceive, that any matter can remain long on the body of the fun without becoming luminous ; and fo we find thefe fpots often difappear, that is to fay, the matter of which they are compofed is then per-

fedly

160 A TOUR THROUG

fcdly melted, and has acquired the fafrie degree of heat and light as the reft of his body. Even in our glafs-houfes, and other very hot furnaces, moft forts of matter very foon acquire the fame colour and appearance as the matter in fufion, and emit rays of light like it. But how much more muft this be the cafe at the furface of the fun ! when Newton computes, that even at many thoufand miles diftance from it, a body would acquire a degree of heat two thoufand times greater than that of red hot iron. It has generally been under- ftood, that he faid the great comet really did acquire this degree of heat ; but this is certainly a miftake : Sir Ifaac's expreffion, to the beft of my remembrance, is, that it might have acquired it. And if we confider the very great fize of that body* and the fhort time of its perihelion, the thing will appear impoflible : nor indeed do I think we can conceive, that a body only as large as our Earth, and the fpots

on

SICILY AND MALTA. 161

on the fun are often much larger, could be reduced to fufion, even on his furface, but after a very confiderable fpace of time*,

Now, as it feems to be univerfally fup- pofed, that the rays of light are really particles of matter, proceeding from the body of the fun, I think it is abfolutely neceflary that we mould fall upon fome fuch method of fending him back a fupply of thofe rays, otherwife let his ftock be ever fo great, it muft at laft be ex- haufled.

I wifli aftronomers would obferve whe- ther the fpots on the fun are not increafed after the appearing of thefe comets ; and whether thefe fpots do not difappear again by degrees, like a body that is gradually melted down in a furnace. But there is another coniideration too, which naturally occurs : pray what becomes of all this vaft

VOL, IT. M quantity

162 A TOUR THROUGH

quantity of matter after it is reduced to light ? Is it ever collected again into folid bodies ; or is it for ever loft and diflipated* after it has made its journey from the fun to the objedt it illuminates ? It is fome- what flrange, that of all that immenfe quantity of matter poured down on us during the day, that pervades and fills the whole univerfe ; the moment we are de- prived of the luminous body, the whole of it, in an inftant, feems to be annihilated : in fhort, there are a number of diffi- culties attending the common received doc- trine of light ; nor do I think there is any point in natural philofophy the folution of which is lefs fatisfadory. If we fuppofe every ray to be a ftream of particles of matter, darting from the luminous body, how can we conceive that thefe ftreams may be interfered and pierced by other ftreams of the fame matter ten thoufand thoufand different ways, without caufmg the leaft ccnfufion either to the one or the

other ?"

SICILY AND MALTA. 163

other ? for in a clear night we fee diftindly any particular ftar that we look at, al- though the rays coming from that ftar to our eye is pierced for millions of miles before it reaches us, by millions of ftreams of the fame rays, from every other fun and ftar in the univerfe. Now fuppofe, in any other matter that we know of, and one would imagine there ought at lead to be fome fort of analogy ; fuppofe, I fay, we fhould only attempt to make two ftreams pafs one another; water, for in- ftance, or air, one of the pureft and the mod fluid fubftances we are acquainted with, we find it totally impoflible. The two ftreams will mutually interrupt and incommode one another, and the ftrongeft will ever carry off the weakeft into its own direction ; but if a ftream of light is hit by ten thoufand other ftreams, moving at the rate of ten millions of miles in a minute, it is not even bent by the impreffion, nor in the fmalleft degree diverted from its M 2 courfe;

1 64 A TOUR THROUGH

courfe ; but reaches us with the fame precifion and regularity, as if nothing had interfered with it. Befides, on the fuppofition that light is real particles of matter moving from the fun to the earth, in the fpace of feven minutes, how comes it to pafs, that with all this wonderful velocity, there feems to be no momentum ! for it communicates motion to no body that obftrucls its pafTage, and no body whatever is removed by the percuflion. Suppofmg we had never heard of this dif- covery, and were at once to be told of a current of matter flying at the rate of ten millions of miles in a minute, and fo large as to cover one half of our globe, would we not imagine that the earth muft in- ilantly be torn to pieces by it, or carried off with the moft incredible velocity ! It will be objected, that the extreme minute- nefs of the particles of light prevents it from having any fuch effecT: ; but as thefe particles are in fuch quantity, and fo clofe

to

SICILY AND MALTA. 165

to each other as to cover the furface of every body that is oppofed to them, and entirely to fill up that vaft fpace betwixt the earth and the fun, this objection I ihould think in a great meafure falls to the ground. The particles of air and of water are likewife extremely minute, and a fmall quantity of thefe will produce little or no effect, but increafe their number, and only give them the millionth part of the velo- city that is afcribed to a ray of light, and no force whatever could be able to with- ftand them.

Adieu. I have unwarily run myfelf into the very deeps of philofophy ; and find it rather difficult to ftruggle out again. I alk your pardon, and promife, if poffible, for the future, to fteer quite clear of them. I am fure, whatever this comet may be to the univerfe, it has been an ignis fatuus to me ; for it has led me ftrangely out of my road, and bewildered me amongft M 3 rocks

i66 A TOUR THROUGH

rocks and quickfands, where I was like to flick fifty times.

I have forgot whether or not you are a rigid Newtonian ; if you are, I believe I had better recant in time, for fear of acci- dents. I know this is a very tender point; and have feen many of thofe .gentlemen, who are good Chriflians too, that can bear with much more temper to hear the divinity of our Saviour called in queftion, than that of Sir Ifaac ; and look on a Cartefian or a Ptolomean, as a worfe fpecies of infidel than an atheifl,

I remember, when I was at college, to have feen a heretic to their dodrine of gravity, very fuddenly converted by being toiTed in a blanket ; and another, who de* nied the law of centripetal and centrifugal forces, foon brought to aflent, from having the demonftration made upon his fhoulders, by a (tone whirled at the end of a firing.

Thefe

SICILY AND MALTA. 167

Thefe are powerful arguments, and it is difficult to withftand them. I cry you mercy. I am without reach of you at pre- fent, and you are heartily welcome to wreck your vengeance on my letter.

M 4

i68 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXVII.

Palermo, July th.

TV/I ANY of the churches here are ex- tremely rich and magnificent. The cathedral (or, as they call it, Madre Chief a) is a venerable Gothic building, and of a large fize ; it is fupported within by eighty columns of Oriental granite, and divided into a great number of chapels, fome of which are extremely rich, particularly that of St.Rofolia, the patronefs of Palermo, who is held in greater veneration here, than all the perfons of the Trinity ; and, which is ftill much more, than even the Virgin Mary herfelf. The relics of the faint are preferred in a large box of filver, curioufly wrought and enriched with precious ftones. They perform many miracles, and are looked upon as the greateft treafure of the city.

They

SICILY AND MALTA. i

They are efteemed a moft effectual remedy againft the plague, and have often pre-r ferved them from that fatal diftemper. The faint gained fo much credit, in faving them from the laft plague of Meflina, although it was at two hundred miles diftance, that they have, out of gratitude^ erected a noble monument to her. St. Agatha did as much for Catania, but that city has not been fo generous to her. . Tfye other riches of this church confifl principally in fome bones of St. Peter, and a whole arm of St. John the BaptifL There is likewife a jaw-bone of prodi- gious efficacy ; and fome other bones of lefTer note. It contains fome things of fmaller confequence, which, however, are not altogether without their merit. The monuments of their Norman kings, feveral of whom lie buried here, are of the fineft porphiry, fome of them near feven hundred years old, and yet of very tolerable work- jnanlhip. Oppofite to thefe, there is a

taber-

I 7 o A TOUR THROUGH

tabernacle of lapis lazuli. It is about fif- teen feet high, and finely ornamented. Some of the prefents made to St. Rofolia, are by no means contemptible. A crofs of very large brilliants, from the king of Spain, is, I think, the moft confider- able.

The Sachriftie too is very rich : There are fome robes embroidered with Oriental pearl, that are near four hundred years old, and yet look as frefh as if done yefter-* day.

The Jefuits church is equal in magni- ficence to any thing I have feen in Italy.* The genius of thofe fathers appears ftrong in all their works ; one is never at a lofs to find them out. They have beea grofsly calumniated ; for they certainly had lefs hypocrify than any other order of monks.

The

SICILY AND MALTA. i

/

The Chiefa del Pallazzo is entirely en- crufted over with ancient mofaic ; and the vaulted roof too is all of the fame. But it is endlefs to talk of churches. Here are upwards of three hundred. That of Mon- reale, about five miles diftant from this city, is the next in dignity in the ifland, after the cathedral of Palermo. It is nearly of the fame fize, and the whole is encrufted with mofaic, at an incredible expence. Here are likewife feveral porphiry arid marble monuments of the firft kings of Sicily. This cathedral was built by King William the Good, whofe memory is ftili held in great veneration amongft the Sici- lians,

The archbimop of MonreaJe, is already looked upon as a faint, and indeed he deferves beatification better, I believe, than moft of thofe in the calendar. His income is very great, of which he referves to himfelf juft as much as procures him

clothes,

, 7 2 A TOUR THROUGH

clothes, and the fimpleft kind of food ; all the reft he devotes to charitable, pious, and public ufes. He even feems to carry this too far, and denies himfelf the moil common gratifications of life. Such as fleeping on a bed ; a piece of luxury he is faid never to indulge himfelf in, but lie$ every night on flraw. -He is, as you may believe, adored by the people, who crowd in his way as he pafies, to receive his bene- diction ; which they allege is even of more fovereign efficacy than that of the pope. And indeed fo it is, for he never fees an object in diftrefs, but he is fure to relieve him ; not trufting alone to the fpi- litual efficacy of the bleffing, but always accompanying it with fomething folid and temporal : and perhaps this accompaniment is not efteemed the worft part of it. The town and country round Monreale are greatly indebted to his liberality ; and in every corner exhibit marks of his munifi- cence. He has juft now made a prefent to

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 173

the cathedral of a magnificent altar; only about one half of which is finifhed. It is of maffive filver, exquifitely wrought, reprefenting in high relief, fome of the principal ftories in the Bible, and, I think, will be one of the fined in the world. But what is of much greater utility, he has at his own expence made a noble walk the whole way from this city to Monreale, which was formerly of very difficult accefs, as it ftands near the top of a pretty high moun- tain. The walk is cut with a great deal of judgment on the fide of this mountain, and winds by eafy zig-zags to the top of it. It is adorned with feveral elegant foun- tains of water, and is bordered on each fide with a variety of flowering fhrubs. The valley at the foot of the mountain is rich and beautiful. It appears one con- tinued orange garden for many miles, and exhibits an elegant piece of fcenery ; per- fuming the air at the fame time with the moft delicious odours, We were fo pleafed

with

A TOUR THROUGH

with this little expedition, that notwith- ftanding the heat of the feafon, we could not keep in our carriage, but walked almoft the whole of it.

The city of Palermo for thefe ten days paft has been wholly occupied in preparing for the great feaft of St. Rofolia. And if the fhow is in any degree adequate to the expence and trouble it cofts them, it muft indeed be a very noble one. They are erecting an incredible number of arches and pyramids for the illuminations. They are of wood ; painted, and adorned with artificial flowers. Thefe, they tell us, are to be entirely covered over with fmall lamps ; fo that when feen at a little di- ftance, they appear like fo many pyramids and arches of flame. The whole Marino, and the two great ftreets that divide th city, are to be illuminated in this magni- ficent manner. The number of pyramids and arches prepared for thefe illuminations, 2 we

SICILY AND MALTA. 175

Itfe are told, exceeds two thoufand. They are e reded on each fide of the ftreet, be- twixt the foot path and the pavement, and run in two right lines exactly parallel from end to end. Each of thefe lines is a mile in length, which makes four miles for the whole. The four gates are the viftas to thefe four ftreets, and are to be highly de- corated and illuminated. From the fquare in the centre of the city, the whole of this vaft illumination can be feen at once ; and they affure us the grandeur of it exceeds all belief. The whole of the Marino is to be dreffed out in the fame manner ; and for thefe three weeks paft, they have been em- ployed in erecting two great theatres for fireworks. One of thefe fronts the vice- roy's palace, and is almofl equal to it in fize. The other is laid on piles driven in the fea, exactly oppofite to the great

orcheftra in the centre of the Marino.

Befides thefe, they are building an enor- mous engine, which they call St. Rofolia's

triumphal

i;6 A TOUR THROUGH

triumphal car. From the fize of it, on would imagine it were for ever to remain in the fpot where it is ereded ; but they allure us, it is to be drawn in triumph through the city. It is indeed mounted upon wheels, but it does not appear that any force whatever can be able to turn them.

I own my curiofity increafes every day to fee the fingular exhibition. The car is already higher than mofl houfes in Pa- lermo, and they are ftill adding to its height. But the part of the fhow they value themfelves the moft on, is the illu- mination of the great church ; this they affirm is fuperior to any thing in the world; the illumination of St. Peter's itfelf not excepted. The preparations for it, are indeed amazing. Thefe were begun about a month ago, and will not be finimed till towards the laft days of the feaft. The whole of the cathedral, both roof and

walls,

SICILY AND MALTA. 177

walls, is entirely covered over with mir-' rour, intermixed with gold and filver paper, and an infinite variety of artificial flowers. All thefe are arranged and dif- pofed, in my opinion, with great tafte and elegance ; none of them predominate, but they are intermingled every where in a juft proportion.

Every altar, chapel, and column are finifhed in the fame manner, which takes off from the littlenefs of the particular or- naments, and gives an air of grandeur and uniformity to the whole. The roof is hung with innumerable luftres filled with wax candles, and, I am perfuaded, when the whole is lighted up, it muft be equal to any palace either in the Fairy Tales or the Arabian Nights Entertainment. Indeed it feems pretty much in the fame ftyle too, for all is gold, filver, and precious ftones. The faints are dreffed out in all their glory, and the fairy queen herfelf was

VOL. II. N never

i

i; J 8 A TOUR THROUGH

never finer than is St. Roiblia. The peo- ple are lying yonder in crowds before her> praying with all their might. I dare fay* for one petition offered to God Almighty, flie has at leaft an hundred,

We were juft now remarking, with how little refped they pafs the chapels dedicated to God ; they hardly deign to give a little inclination of the head j but when they come near thofe of their favourite faints, they bow down to the very ground : Ig- norance and fuperftition have ever been infeparable : I believe in their hearts they think he has already reigned long enough ; and would be glad to have a change in the government: and everyone of them (like the poor Welchman who thought he fhould be fucceeded by Sir Watkin Williams) is fully perfuaded, that his own favourite faint is the true heir apparent Indeed they already give them the precedency on molt occafions; not in proceflions and affairs

SICILY AND MALTA. 179

affairs of etiquette ; there they think it would not be decent 5 but in their more private affairs, they generally pay the com<- pliment to the faint: Yet in their infcrip- tions on churches and chapels, (which one would think are public enough) when they are dedicated to God and any particular faint, they have often ventured to put the name of the faint firft. Sandto Januario* et Deo Opt. Max. taking every opportu- nity of railing their dignity, though at the expence of that of God himfelf.

i8o A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXVIII.

Palermo, July 7th.

T HAVE been inquiring who this fame St. Rofolia may be, who has become fo very capital a perfonage in this part of the world ; but, notwithstanding their adoring her with fuch fervency, I have found none that can give any tolerable account of her faintfhip. They refer you to the moft fa- bulous legends, that even differ widely in their accounts of her. And, after all the offerings they have made, the churches they have built, and monuments they have raifed to her memory, I think it is far from being improbable, that there really never did exift fuch a perfon. I went through all the bookfellers' ihops, but could find nothing relative to her, except an epic poem, of which (he is the heroine. It is I in

SICILY AND MALTA. 181

in the Sicilian language ; and is indeed one of the greatefl curiofities I have met with. The poet fets her at once above all other faints except the Virgin, and it feems to be with the greateft reluctance, that he can prevail upon himfelf to yield the pas even to her. I find, from this curious compo- fition, and the notes upon it, that St. Ro- folia was niece to King William the Good. That fhe began very early to difplay fymp- toms of her fanctity. That at fifteen fhe deferted the world, and difclaimed all hu- man fociety. She retired to the mountains on the weft of this city; and was never more heard of for about five hundred years. She difappeared in the year 1159. The people thought fhe had been taken up to heaven; till in the year 1624, during the time of a dreadful plague, a holy man had a vifion, that the faint's bones were lying in a cave near the top of the Monte Pelegrino. That if they were taken up with due reverence, and carried in procef- N 3 lion

A TOUR THROUGH

lion thrice round the walls of the city, they fhould immediately be delivered from tjie plague, At firft little attention waa paid to the holy man, and he was looked upon as little better than a dreamer ; how- ever, he perfifled in his ftory, grew noify, and got Adherents. The magiftrates, to pacify them, fent to the Monte Pelegrino ; when lo the mighty difcovery was made ! -the facred bones were found, the city was freed from the plague, and St. Ro- folia became the greateft faint in the ca- lendar. Churches were reared, altars were dedicated, and minifters appointed to this liew divinity, whofe dignity and confe- quence have ever fmce been fupported at an incredible expence. Now I think it is more than probable that thefe bones, that are now fo much reverenced, and about which this great city is at prefent in fuch a buftle, belong to fome poor wretch that perhaps was murdered, or died for want in {he mountains. The holy man probably

could

SICILY AND MALTA. 183

could have given a very good account of them.

It is really aftonifhing to think, what animals fuperftition makes of mankind, I dare fay, the bones of St. Rofolia are juft as little entitled to the honours they receive, as thofe of poor St. 7iar, which were f&tmd fome where in Spain under a broken tolnb- ftone, where thefe were the only legible letters. The ftory I think, is told by Dr. Middleton. The priefts found that the bones had an excellent knack at working miracles, and were of opinion that this, together with the S. Viaron the ftone, was proof fufficient of his fan&ity. He continued long in high eftimation, and they drew no inconfider- able revenue from his abilities ; till unfor- tunately they petitioned the pope to grant him fome immunities. The pope (Leo the Tenth, I think), not entirely fatisfied with regard to his faintftiip, defired to be in- formed of his pretenfions, A lift of his N 4 miracks

184 A TOUR THROUGH

miracles was fent over, accompanied by the {lone with S. Viar upon it. The firft part of the proof was fuftained ; but the anti- quaries difcovered the fragment to be part of the tomb-flone of a (Roman) prtefeffius 'vlar um ^ or overfeer of the high roads ; to whofe bones they had been fo much in- debted ; and poor St. Viar, though probably aii^honefter man than moil of them, was ordered to be flruck out of the calendar.

The people of fafhion here hold the fu- perftition of the vulgar in great contempt ; and perhaps that very fuperflition is one principal caufe of their infidelity. Indeed I have ever found, that deifm is moft preva- lent in thofe countries where the people are the wildefl and mofl bigotted. A refined and cultivated underflanding, fhocked at their folly, thinks it cannot poffibly recede too far from it, and is often tempted to fly to the very oppofite extreme. When reafoq is much offended by any particular dogma of

faith

SICILY AND MALTA. 185

faith or ad; of worfhip, fhe is but too apt, in the midft of her difguft, to reject the whole. The great misfortune is, that, in thefe coun- tries, the moft violent champions for religion are commonly the moil weak and ignorant : And certainly, one weak advocate in any caufe, but more particularly in a myf- terious one, that requires to be handled with delicacy and addrefs, is capable of hurting it more, than fifty of its warmeft opponents. Silly books, that have been written by weak well-meaning men, in defence of religion, I am confident have made more infidels than all the works of Bolingbroke, Shaftefbury, or even Voltaire himfelf : they only want to make people believe that there are fome ludicrous things to be faid againft it ; but thefc grave plod- ding blockheads do all they can to perfuade us that there is little thing to be faid for it. The univerfal error of thefe gentry, is that they ever attempt to explain, and re- concile to fenfe and reafon, thpfe very myf-

teries

186 A TOUR THROUGH

teries that the firft principles of our religion teach us are incomprehenfible ; and of confequence neither objects of fenfe nor reafon. I once heard an ignorant prieft declare, that he did not find the leaf! diffi- culty, in conceiving the rnyftery of the Tri- nity, or that of incarnation ; and that he would undertake to make them plain to the meaneft capacities. A gentleman prefent told him, he had no doubt he could, to all fuch capacities as his own. The prieft took it as a compliment, and made him a bow. Now don't you think, that a few fuch teachers as this, muft hurt religion more by their zeal, than all its opponents can by their wit ? Had thefe heroes ftil! kept behind the bulwarks of faith and of myftery, their adverfaries never could have touched them ; but they have been foolifh enough to abandon thefe ftrong holds, and dared them forth to combat on the plain fields of reafon and of ferife. A fad piece of generalfhip indeed : fuch defenders muft

ever ruin the beft caufe.

But

SICILY AND MALTA. 187

But although the people of education here defplfe the wild fuperftition of the vulgar, yet they go regularly to mafs, and attend the ordinances with great refped: and decency ; and they are much pleafed with us for our conformity to their cuftoms, and for not appearing openly to defpife their rites and ceremonies. I own, this atten- tion of theirs* not to offend weak minds, tends much to give us a favourable opinion both of their hearts and underftandings. They don't make any boaft of their infi- delity; neither do they pefter you with it as in France, where it is perpetually buzz'd in your ears ; and where, although they pretend to believe lefs, they do in fad: be- lieve more than any nation on the conti- nent.

I know of nothing that gives one a worfe opinion of a man, than to fee him make a {how and parade of his contempt for things held facred : it is an open infult to the

judgment

i88 A TOUR THROUGH

judgment of the public. A countryman of ours, about two years ago, offended egregiouily in this article, and the people flill fpeak of him both with contempt and deteftation. It happened one day, in the great church, during the elevation of the hoft, when every body elfe were on their knees, that he flill kept ftanding, without any appearance of refpeft to the ceremony. A young nobleman that was near him ex- prefTed his furprife at this. * It is ftrange, " Sir, (faid he) that you, who have had " the education of a gentleman, and ought <e to have the fentiments of one, fhould " chufe thus to give fo very public offence." Why, Sir, (faid the Englifhman) I don't <c believe in tranfubftantiation." " Neither <c do I, Sir, (replied the other) and yet you " fee I kneel."

Adieu. I am called away to fee the pre- parations for the feaft. In my next I (hall probably give you fome account of it.

SICILY AND MALTA. 189

P. S. I have been watching with great care the return of our comet, but as yet I have difcovered nothing of it : I obferve too, with a very indifferent glafs, feveral large round fpots on the fun's difk, and am far from being certain that it is not one of them : but I lhall not alarm you any more with this fubjecl:.

jgo A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXIX.

Palermo, July ioth.

/"VN Sunday, the 8th, we had the long expeded Sirocc wind, which, although our expectations had been raifed pretty high, yet I own it greatly exceeded them. Ever fmce we came to our new lodging, the thermometer has flood betwixt 72 and 74; at our old one, it was often at 79 and 80 ; fo great is the difference betwixt the heart of the city and the fea-fhore. At prefent, our windows not only front to the North, but the fea is immediately under them, from whence we are conftantly re- fremed by a delightful cooling breeze. Fri- day arid Saturday were uncommonly cool, the mercury never being higher than 72^; and although the Sirocc is faid to have fet in early on Sunday morning, the air in our

apart-

SICILY AND MALTA. 191

apartments, which are very large, with high cielings, was not in the lead affe&ed by it at eight o'clock, when I rofe. I opened the door without having any fufpi- cion of fuch a change ; and indeed I never was more aftonifhed in my life. The firft blaft of it on my face felt like the burning fleam from the mouth of an oven. I drew back my head and fhut the door, calling out to Fullarton, that the whole atmofphere was in a flame. However, we ventured to open another door that leads to a cool plat- form, where we ufually walk ; this was not expofed to the wind ; and here I found the heat much more fupportable than I could have expected from the firft fpecimen I had of it at the other door. It felt fome- whftt like the fubterraneous fw^ating ftoves at Naples ; but ftill much hotter. In a few minutes we found every fibre greatly re- laxed, and the pores opened to fueh a de- gree, that we expected foon to be thrown into a profufe fweat. I went to examine

the

192 A TOUR THROUGH ,

the thermometer, and found the air in the room as yet fo little affe&ed, that it flood only at 73. The preceding night it was at 72 '-. I took it out to the open air, when it immediately rofe to no, and foon after to 112; and I am confident, that in our old lodgings, or any where within the city, it muft have rifen feveral degrees higher^ The air was thick and heavy, but the ba- rometer was little affected ; it had fallen only about a line. The fun did not once appear the whole day, otherwife I am per- fuaded the heat muft have been infupport- able ; on that fide of our platform which is expofed to the wind, it was with difficulty we could bear it for a few minutes. Here I expofed a little pomatum which was melted down, as if I had laid it before the fire. I attempted to take a walk in the ftreet, to fee if any creature was (lining, but I found it too much for me, and was glad to get up flairs again.

This

SICILY AND MALTA. 193

This extraordinary heat continued till 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when the wind changed at once, almoft to the oppofite point of the compafs, and all the reft of the day it blew ftrong from the fea. It is im- poflible to conceive the different feeling of the air. Indeed, the fudden change from heat to cold is almoft as inconceivable as that from cold to heat. The current of this hot air had been flying for many hours from South to North ; and I had no doubt, that the atmofphere, for many miles found, was entirely compofed of it ; however, the wind no fooner changed to the North, than it felt extremely cold, and we were foori obliged to put on our clothes, for till then we had been almoft naked. In a fhort time the thermometer funk to 82, a degree of heat that in England would be thought al- moft irifupportable, and yet all that night we were obliged, merely from the cold, to keep up the glafles of our coach ; fo much were the pores opened and the. fibres relaxed

VOL. II. O by

i 94 A TOUR THROUGH

by thefe few hours of the Sirocc. Indeed, I had expofed myfelf a good deal to the open air, as I was determined to feel what effect it would produce on the human body. At firft I thought it muft have been impof- fible to bear it; but I foon difcovered my miftake, and found, that where I was ihel- tered from the wind, I could walk about without any great inconveniency ; neither did it produce that .copious fweat I ex- pected; it occafioned indeed a violent per- fpiration, which was only attended with a flight moifture on the fkin ; but I fup- pofe, if I had put on my clothes, or taken the leaft exercife, it foon would have brought it on.

I own to you my curiofity with regard to the Sirocc is now thoroughly fatisfied ; nor do I at all wifh for another vifit of it during our ftay in Sicily. Many of our acquaintance who had been promifing us this regah, as they call it, game crowding

about

SICILY AND MALTA. 195

about us as foon as it was over, to know what we thought of it. They own it has been pretty violent for the time it lafted; but affure us they have felt it more fo, and likewife of a much longer duration ; how- ever, it feldom lafts more than thirty-fix or forty hours, fo that the walls of the houfes have not time to be heated throughout, other wife they think there could be no fuch thing as living; however, from what I felt of it, I believe they are miftaken. Indeed, had I been fatisfied with the firft blaft, (which is generally the cafe with them) and never more ventured out in it, I certainly fhould have been of their opinion. They laughed at us for expofing ourfelves fo long to it ; and were furprifed that our curiofity fhould lead us to make experiments at the expence of our perfons. They affure us, that during the time it lafts, there is not a mortal to be feen without doors, but thofe whom neceffity obliges. All their doors and windows are -fhut clpfe, tQ pre- O 2 vent

i 9 6 A TOUR THROUGH

rent the external air from entering ; and where there are no window-fhutters, they hang up wet blankets on the infide of the window. The fervants are conftantly em- ployed in fprinkling water, through their apartments, to preferve the air in as tem- perate a ftate as poffible ; and this is no difficult matter here, as I am told there is not a houfe in the city that has not a foun- tain within it. By thefe means the people of famion fuffer very little from the Sirocc, except the ftricl: confinement to which it obliges them.

It is fomewhat fingular, that notwith- ftanding the fcorching heat of this wind, it has never been known to produce any epi- demical diftempers, nor indeed bad confe- quences of any kind to the health of the people. It is true, they feel extremely weak and ' relaxed during the time it blows, but a few hours of the Tramontane, or North wind, which generally fucceeds it, foon

braces

SICILY AND MALTA, 197

braces them up, and fets them to rights again. Now, in Napl-es, and in many other places in Italy, where its violence is not to be compared to this, it is often at- tended with putrid diforders, and feldom fails to produce almoft a general dejedion of fpirits. It is true, indeed, that there the Sirocc lafts for many days ; nay, even for weeks ; fo that, as its effects are different, it probably proceeds likewife from a differ- ent caufe,

I have not been able to procure any good account of this very fingular objetl: in the climate of Palermo. The caufes they affign for it are various, though none of them, I think, altogether fatisfactory.

I' have feen an old fellow here, who has written upon it. He fays, it is the fame wind that is fo dreadful in the fandy defarts of Africa, where it fometimes proves mortal in the fpace of half an hour. He alleges O 3 that

i 9 3 A TOUR THROUGH

that it is cooled by its paflage over the fea, which entirely difarms it of thefe tremen- dous effects, before it reaches Sicily. But if this were true, we fhould expect to find it mod violent on that fide of the ifland that lies neareft to Africa, which is not the cafe : though indeed it is poffible that its heat may be again increafed by its paflage acrofs the ifland ; for it has ever been found much more violent at Palermo, which is near the moft northern point, than any where elfe in Sicily. Indeed, I begin to be more reconciled to this reafon, when I con- iider that this city is almoft furrounded by high mountains, the ravines and vallies betwixt which are parched up and burning hot at this feafon. Thefe likewife contain innumerable fprings of warm water, the ftreams of which muft tend greatly to in- creafe the heat, and perhaps likewife to foften the air, and difarm it of its noxious qualities. It is a practice too, at this feafon, to burn heath and brumwood on the moun- tains.

SICILY AND MALTA. 199

tains, which muft ftill add to the heat o the air.

Some gentlemen who were in the coun- try told me, that they walked out imme- diately after the Sirocc, and found the grafs and plants, that had been green the day before, were become quite brown, and crackled under their feet as if dried in an oven.

I fhall add for your amufement, a journal of the weather fmce we came to Palermo. The barometer has continued conftantly within a line or two of the fame point, 294. ; and the fky has been always clear, except the day of the Sirocc arid the 26th of June, when we had a pretty fmart fhower of rain for two hours ; fb that I think I have nothing farther to do, but to mark the heights of the thermometer.

Thermometer.

June 17 - 73^

18 74

O 4 June

200 A TOUR THROUGH

Thermometer.

June 19 - 75

20 . - - - 76

21 * - 75^

22 , 77

S3 7 6 ^

?4 - 77

25 - , - 77

z6 - 77^

27 - - 77

28 - ... 774.

89 77f

3 7T

July | , T - 79

2 - - - 80

3 - - 804.

4 At our new lodgings on the fea-fide fronting the North, 74

5 - T - - 73

6 * - r 724.

- 7 2 r

8 The Sirocc wind, - 112

In the afternoon, - 82

9 < 79 19 - - 78

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 201

The more I confider the extreme violence of this heat, the more I am furprifed that we were able to bear it with fo little incon-^ venience. We did not even feel that de^ preffion of fpirits that commonly attends very great heats with us. The thermo- meter rofe 40 degrees, or very near it ; and it happens fmgularly enough, that before the Sirocc began, it flood juft about 40 de- grees above the point of congelation ; fo that in the morning of the 8th of July, the heat increafed as much, almoft inftantane- oufly, as it generally does during the whole time that the fun moves from tropic to tro- pic; for the difference of 72 and 112 i& the fame as between the freezing point and 72 ; or between a cold day in winter, and warm one in fummer.

Yefterday we had a great entertainment in the palace of the Prince Partana, from the balcony of which the viceroy reviewed ^ regiment of Swifs, the beft I have yet

feen

202 A TOUR THROUGH

feen in the Neapolitan fervice. They are really a fine body of men, and, notwith- ftanding the violence of the heat, went through their motions with great fpirit. They had two field-pieces on each flank, which were extremely well ferved ; and the evolutions were performed with more pre- cifion and fteadinefs than one generally meets with, except in England or Ger-? many. The grenadiers were furnifhed with falfe grenades, which produced every effect of real ones, except that of doing mifchief. The throwing of thefe was the part of the entertainment that feemed to pleafe the moft ; and the grenadiers took care to di- reel: them fo, that their effect fhould not be loft. When a number of them fell to- gether amongft a thick crowd of the mo- bility, which was commonly the cafe, it afforded an entertaining fcene enough, for they defended themfelves with their hats, and threw them very dexteroufly upon their neighbours. However, we faw no da- i mage

SICILY AND MALTA. 203

mage done, except the fingeing of a few wigs and caps ; for the ladies were there in as great numbers as the gentlemen.

The company at the Prince Partana's was brilliant, and the entertainment noble. It confided principally of ices, creams, chocolate, fweet-meats, and fruit, of which there was a great variety. Not one half of the company play'd at cards ; the reft amufed themfelves in converfation and walking on the terras. We found the young prince and princefs, who are very amiable, with feveral of their companions, playing at crofs-purpofes, and other games of that kind. We were joyfully admitted of this cheerful little circle, where we amufed ourfelves very well for feveml hours. I only mention this, to {hew you the different fyftem of behaviour here and in Italy, where no fuch familiar intercourfe is al- lowed amongft young people before mar- riage. The young ladies here are eafy,

affable,

204 A TOUR THROUGH

affable, and unaffected ; and not (as on the continent) perpetually ftuck up by the fides of their mothers, who bring them into company, not for their amufement, but rather to offer them to fale; and feem mightily afraid left every one fhould fteal them, or that they themfelves fhould make an elopement ; which indeed I fhould think there was fome danger of, confidering the reftraint under which they are kept : for furely there is no fuch ftrong incitement to vice, as the making a punifhment of virtue.

Here the mothers mew a proper conrU dence in their daughters, and allow their real characters to form and to ripen. In the other cafe they have either no character at all, or an affected one, which they take care to throw off the moment they have got a hufband ; when they think it impoflible to recede too far from thofe rigorous max- ims of decorum and circumfpedtion, the

practice

SICILY AND MALTA. 205

practice of which they had ever found fo extremely difagreeable.

Were they allowed firft to fhew what they really are, I am perfuaded they would not be half fo bad ; but their parents, by the manner they treat them, fhew that they have no confidence in their principles ; and feem to have adopted the ungenerous maxim of our countryman,

" That every woman is at heart a rake."

Now in countries where this maxim be- comes of general belief, there is no doubt, that it likewife becomes true ; for the wo- men having no longer any character to fupport, they will even avoid the pretences to virtue, well knowing that thofe pretences are only looked upon as hypocrify and affe&ation. 1 dare fay, you will agree with me, that the better method to make them virtuous, is firft to make them believe that we think them fo ; for where virtue is really

efteemed,

206 A TOUR THROUGH

efteemed, there are none that would wil- lingly relinquifh the character 5 but where it requires a guard, (as parfon Adams fays) it certainly is not worth the centinel.

Some of the families here put me in mind of our own domeftic fyflem. The prince of Refuttana, his wife and daughter, are always together; but it is becaufe they chufe to be fo, and there appears the flrongefl affection, without the leaft diffidence on the one fide, or reftraint on the other. The young princefs Donna Rofolia is one of the moft amiable young ladies I have feen ; fhe was of our little party laft night, and indeed made one of its greateft ornaments. It would appear vain and partial, after this to fay, that in countenance, fentiment, and behaviour, fhe feems altogether Eng- lifh; but it is true: and this perhaps may have contributed to advance her ftill higher in our efteem ; for in fpite of all our philofophy, thefe unphilofophical pre- judices

SICILY AND MALTA. 207

judices will ftill exift, and no man, I be- lieve, has entirely divefted himfelf of them. We had lately a noble entertainment at her father's country-houfe, and had reafon to be much pleafed with the unaffe&ed hofpitality and eafy politenefs of the whole family. This palace is reckoned the mod magnificent in the neighbourhood of Pa- lermo. It lies about fix or feven miles to the weft of the city, in the country called II Colle; in the oppofite direction from the Bagaria, which I have already mentioned. The viceroy and his family, with the greateft part of the nobility, were of this party, which lafted till about two in the morning. At midnight a curious fet of fire- works were played off, from the leads of the palace, which had a fine effecl: from the garden below.

Farewell. I had no time to write yef- terday, and though we did not break up till near three this morning, I have got up

at

26S A TOUR THROUGH

at eight, I was fo eager to give you fomt account of the Sirocc wind.

We are now going to be very bufy : feaft of St. Rofolia begins to-morrow ; and all the world are on the very tip-toe of expectation : perhaps they may be difap- pointed. I often wifh that you were with us, particularly when we are happy : Though you know it is by no means feafts and (hows that make us fo. However, as this is per- haps the moft remarkable one in Europe ; that you may enjoy as much of it as po- iible, I fhall fit down every night, and give you a fhort account of the tranfadions of the day. We are now going to breakfaft ; after which we are engaged to play at Bal- lon, an exercife I fuppofe you are well ac- quainted with ; but as the day promifes to be extremely hot, I believe I fhall defert the party and go a fwimming. But I fee K and G. have already attacked the figs and peaches, fo I muft appear for my intereft. * Farewell,

SICILY AND MALTA, 209

LETTER xxx.

Palermo, July i2th.

ABOUT five in the afternoon, the feftival began by the triumph of St. Rofolia, who was drawn with great pomp through the centre of the city, from the Marino to the Porto Niiovo. The tri- umphal car was preceded by a troop of horfe, with trumpets and kettle-drums ; and all the city officers in their gala uni- forms. It is indeed a moft enormous ma- chine : It meafures feventy feet long, thirty wide, and upwards of eighty high ; and, as it pafled along, over-topped the loftieft houfes of Palermo. The form of its under- part is like that of the Roman gallies, but it fwells as it advances in height ; and the front affumes an oval fhape like an amphi- VOL. II. P theatre,

2IO

A TOUR THROUGH

theatre, with feats placed in the theatrical manner. This is the great orcheftra^ which was filled with a numerous band of muficians placed in rows, one above the other : Over this orcheftra and a little behind it, there is a large dome fupported by fix Corinthian columns, and adorned with a number of figures of faints and angels ;. and on the fummit of the dome there is a gigantic filver ftatue of St. Rofo- Ha. The whole machine is drefTed out with orange-trees, flower pots, arid trees of artificial coral. The car flopped every fifty or fixty yards, when the orcheftra performed a pkce of mufic, with fongs in honour of the faint. It appeared a moving caftle, and completely filled the great ftreet from fide to fide. This indeed was its greateft difadvantage, for the fpace it had to move in was in no wife proportioned to its fize, and the houfes feemed to dwindle away to nothing as it pafled along. This vaft fabric was drawn by fifty- fix huge

SICILY AND MALTA. ail

mtiles, in two rows, curioufly cajparifoned, and mounted by twenty-eight poftilions, drefTed in gold and filver fluffs, with great plumes of oftrich feathers in their hats. Every window and balcony, on both fides of the ftreet, were full of well-drefled people, and the car was followed by many thoufands of the lower fort. The triumph was finifhed in about three hours ; and was fucceeded by the beautiful illumination of the Marino.

1 believe I have already mentioned, that there is a range of arches and pyramids extending from end to end of this noble walk : thefe are painted, and adorned with artificial flowers, and are entirely covered with lamps, placed fo very thick, that at a little diftance the whole appears fo many pyramids and arches of flame. The whole chain of this illumination was about a mile in length, and indeed you can hardly Conceive any thing more fplendid. There P 2 was

212 A TOUR THROUGH

was no break or imperfection any where ; the night being fo ftill that not a fingle lamp was extinguifhed.

Oppofite to the centre of this great line of light, there was a magnificent pavilion erecled for the viceroy and his company, which confided of the whole nobility of Palermo : and on the front of this, at fome little diftance in the fea, flood the great fire-works, reprefenting the front of a palace, adorned with columns, arches, trophies, and every ornament of archi- tecture. All the chebecks, galleys, gal- liots, and other fhipping, were ranged around this palace, and formed a kind of amphitheatre in the fea, inclofing it in the centre. Thefe began the fhow by a dif- charge of the whole of their artillery, the found of which, re-echoed from the moun- tains, produced a very noble effed ; they then played off a variety of water rockets, and bombs of a curious conftrution, that

often

SICILY AND MALTA. 213

often burft below water. This continued for half an hour, when in an inftant, the whole of the palace was beautifully illuminated. This was the fignal for the fhipping to ceafe, and appeared indeed like a piece of enchantment, as it was done altogether inftantaneoufly, and without the appearance of any agent. At the fame time the fountains that were reprefented in the court before the palace, began to fpout up fire, and made a reprefentation of fome of the great jet deaus of Verfailles and Marly. As foon as thefe were extin- guiflied, the court aflumed the form of a great parterre; adorned with a variety of palm-trees of fire, interfperfed with orange- trees, flower-pots, vafes and other ornaments. On the extinguifhing of thefe the illumination of the palace was likewife extinguifhed ; and the front of it broke out into the appearance of a variety of funs, ftars, and wheels of fire, which in a fhort time reduced it to a perfect ruin. P 3 And

214 A TOUR THROUGH

And when all appeared finifhed, there burft from the centre of the pile, a vaft explofion of two thoufand rockets, bombs, ferpents, fquibs, and devils, which feemed to fill the whole atmofphere : the fall of thefe made terrible havoc amongffc the clothes of the poor people who were not under cover, but afforded admirable enter- tainment .to the nobility who were. Du-? ring this exhibition we had a handfome entertainment of coffee, ices, and rweet-? meats, with a variety of excellent wines, in the great pavilion in the centre of the Marino; this was at the expence of the Duke of Caftellano, the prsetor (or mayor) of the city. The principal nobility give thefe entertainments by turns every night during the feftival, and vie with each other in their magnificence,

As foon as the fireworks were finifhed, the viceroy went out to fea in a galley illuminated. We chofe to ftay on

fhore,

SICILY AND MALTA. 215

fliore, to fee the appearance it made at a diftance. It was rowed by feventy-two oars, and indeed made one of the moft beautiful objects you can imagine; flying with vaft velocity over the waters, as fmooth and as clear as glafs, which {hone round it like a flame, and reflected its fplendour on all fides. The oars beat time to the French-horns, clarionets, and trumpets, of which there was a numerous band on the prow.

The day's entertainment was concluded by the Corfo, which began exactly at mid- night, anti lafted till two in the morning.

The great ftreet was illuminated iii the fame magnificent manner as the Marino. The arches and pyramids were erected at little diftances from ach other, on both fides of the ftreet, betwixt the foot-path and the fpace for carriages ; and when feen from either of the gates, appeared to be P 4 two

2i6 A TOUR THROUGH

two continued lines of the brighteft flame, Indeed, thefe illuminations are fo very different, and fo much fuperior, to any I have ever feen, that I find it difficult to give any tolerable idea of them. Two lines of coaches occupied the fpace betwixt thefe two lines of illumination. They were in the greateft gala ; and as they open from the middle, and let down on each fide, the beauty of the ladies, the xichneft of their drefs, and brilliance of their jewels, were difplayed in the moft advantageous manner.

This beautiful train moved flowly round and round for the fpace of two hours; and every member pf it feemed animated with a defire to pleafe. The company appeared all joy and exultation ; Scarce two coaches pafled without fome mutual acknowledg- ment of affeclion or refpecT:; and the pleafure that fparkled from every eye feemed to be reflected and communicated J by

SICILY AND MALTA. 217

by a kind of fympathy through the whole.

In fuch an affembly, it was impoffible for the heart not to dilate and expand it- felf 5 I own mine was often fo full, that I could hardly find utterance ; and I have feen a tragedy with lefs emotion than I did this fcene of joy. I always thought thefe affections had been ftrangers to pomp and parade; but here the univerfal joy feemed really to fpring from the heart : it brightened up every countenance, and fpoke affection and friendfhip from every face. No ftately air, no fupercilious look ; all appeared friends and equals. And fure I am, that the beauty of the ladies was not half fo much heightened either by their drefs or their jewels, as by that air of complacency and good humour with vrtiich it was animated.

We

A TOUR THROUGH

We were diftributed in different coaches amongft the nobility, which gave us a better opportunity of making thefe obferva- tions. I will own to you, that I have never beheld a more delightful fight : and if fuperftition often produces fudh effects, I fincerely wifh we had a little more of it arnongft us. I could have thrown myfelf down before St. Rofolia, and blefled her for making fo many people happy.

We retired about two o'clock ; but the variety of glittering fcenes and gaudy ob- jects ftill vibrated before my eyes, and prevented me from fleeping ; however, I am alrnoft as much refrefhed as if I had : but I really believe four more fuch days will be too much for any of us. Indeed, I am fure that it is impoffible to keep it up, and it muft neceiTarily flag. I think, from what I can obferve, they have already exhaufted almoft one half of their prepa-*

rations ;

SICILY AND MALTA. 219

rations ; how they are to fupport the other four days, I own, I do not comprehend j however, we fhall fee.

I thought to have given you an account of every thing at night, after it was over, but I find it impoffible : the fpirits are too much diflipated, and exhaufted, and the imagination is too full of objects to be able to feparate them with any degree of regu- larity. I fhall write you therefore regularly the morning following, when this fever of the fancy has had time to cool, and when things appear as they really are. Adieu then till to-morrow. Here is a fine fhower, which will cool the air, and fave the trouble of watering the Marino and the great ftreet, which is done regularly every morn- ing when there is no rain. The thermo- paeter is at 73.

1 3th. I thought there would be a fall- ing off.- Yefterday's entertainments were 2 not

230 A TOUR THROUGH

not fo fplendid as thofe of the day before. They began by the horfe-races. There were three races, and fix horfes ftarted each race. Thefe were mounted by boys of about twelve years old, without either faddle or bridle, but only a fmall piece of cord, by way of bit, in the horfe's mouth, which it feems is fufficient to flop them. The great flreet was the courfe ; and to this end it was covered with earth to the depth of five or fix inches. The firing of a cannon at the Porto Felice was the fignal for ftarting : and the horfes feemed to underftand this, for they all fet off at once, full fpeed, and continued at their utmoft ftretch to the Porto Nuovo, which was the winning poft. It is exactly a mile, and they performed it in a minute and thirty- five feconds, which, confidering the fize of the horfes, (fcarce fourteen hands) we thought was very great. Thefe are gene- rally Barbs, or a mixed breed betwixt the Sicilian and Barb. The boys were gaudily

drefled,

SICILY AND MALTA. 221

drefled, and made a pretty appearance. We were furprifed to fee how well they fluck on ; but indeed, I obferved they had generally laid faft hold of the mane.

The moment before ftarting, the ftreet appeared full of people ; nor did we con 7 ceive how the race could poffibly be per- formed. Our furprife was increafed when we faw the horfes run full fpeed at the very thickeft of this crowd, which did not begin to open, till they were almoft clofe upon it. The people then opened, and fell back on each fide, by a regular uni- form motion, from one end of the ftreet to the other. This fingular manoeuvre feem- ed to be performed without any buftle or confufion, and the moment the horfes were paft, they clofed again behind them. How- ever, it deftroys great part of the pleafure of the race ; for you cannot help being under apprehenfions for fuch a number of people, whom you every moment fee

in

222 A TOUR THROUGH

ft

in imminent danger of being trod to death $ for this muft inevitably be their fate, were they only a fecond or two later in retiring. Thefe accidents, they allow, have often happened ; however, yefterday every body efcaped.

The victor was conducted along the ilreet in triumph, with his prize difplayed before him. This was a piece of white filk embroidered and worked with gold.

Thefe races I think are much fuperior to the common flyle of races in Italy, which are performed by horfes alone with- out riders ; but they are by no means to be compared to thofe in England.

The great ftreet was illuminated in the fame manner as on the preceding night $ and the grand converfation of the nobles was held at the archbifhop's palace, which was richly fitted up for the occafion.

Th*

SICILY AND MALTA. 223

The gardens were finely illuminated ; and put me in mind of our Vauxhall. There were two orcheftras (one at each end) and two very good bands of mufic. The entertainment was fplendid, and the archbifhop {hewed attention and politenefs to every perfon of the company.

About ten o'clock the great triumphal car marched back again in proceflion to the Marino. It was richly illuminated with large wax tapers, and made a moft for- midable figure. Don Quixote would have been very excufable in taking it for an inchanted caftle, moving through the air. We did not leave the archbifhop's till midnight, when the Corfo began, which was precifely the fame in every refpect as the night before, and afforded us a delight- ful fcene.

1 4th. Laft night the two great ftreets and the four gates of the city that ter- minate

A TOUR THROUG&

minate them, were illuminated in the moft fplendid manner. Thefe ftreets crofs each other in the centre of the city, where they form a beautiful fquare, called La Piazza Ottangolare^ from the eight angles they form. This fquare was richly ornamented with tapeftry, ftatues, and artificial flowers $ and as the buildings which form its four fides are uniform, and of a beautiful archi- tecture, and at the fame time highly illu- minated, it made a fine appearance. There are four orcheftras erected in it : and the four bands of mufic are greater than I had any conception this city could have pro- duced.

From trie centre of this fquare you have a view of the whole city of Palermo thus drefled out in its glory ; and indeed, the effect it produces furpaffes belief. The four gates that form the viftas to this fplendid fcene are highly decorated, and lighted up in an elegant tafte j the illu- minations

SICILY AND MALTA; 225

urinations reprefenting a variety of trophies, the arms of Spain, thofe of Naples, Sicily, and the city of Palermo, with their guar- dian geniufes, &c.

The converfation of the nobles was held in the viceroy's palace ; and the entertain- ment was flill more magnificent than any of the former. The great fireworks oppo- fite to the front of the palace began at ten o'clock, and ended at midnight ; after which we went to the Corfo, which lafled, as ufual, till two in the morning. This part of the entertainment flill pleafes us the moft ; it is indeed the only part of it that reaches the heart ; and where this is not the cafe, a puppet-fhow is juft as good as a coronation. We have now got ac- quainted almoft with every countenance ; and from that air of goodnefs and benig- nity that animates them, and which feems to be mutually reflefted from one to the other, we are inclined to form the

VOL. II. moft

22 6 A TOUR THROUGH

moft favourable opinion of the peo- ple.

Our fireworks lad night were greater than thofe of the Marino, but their effect did not pleafe me fo much ; the want of the fea and the {hipping were two capital wants. They likewife reprefented the front of a palace, but of a greater extent. It was illuminated too as the former, and the whole conducted pretty much in the fame manner. We faw it to the greateft advantage from the balconies of the ftate apartments, in the viceroy's palace, where we had an elegant concert ; but, to the no fmall difappointment of the company, Ga- brieli, the fineft finger, but the moft ca- pricious mortal upon earth, did not chufe to perform^

1 5th. Three races, fix horfes each, aa

formerly. , They called it very good fport.

I cannot fay that I admired it. A poor

i creature

SICILY AND MALTA. , 227

creature was rode down, and I believe killed ; and one of the boys had likewife a fall.

The great aflembly of the nobility was held at the Judice Monarchia's, an officer of high truft and dignity. Here we had an entertainment in the fame flyle as the others, and a good concert. At eleven o'clock the viceroy, attended by the whole company, went on foot to vifit the fquare and the great church. We made a pro- digious train ; for though the city was all a lamp of light, the fervants of the viceroy and nobility attended with wax flambeaux, to {hew us the way. As foon as the vice- roy entered the fquare, the four orcheftras ftruck up a fymphony, and continued play- ing till he left it.

The crowd around the church was very great, and without the prefence of the viceroy, it would have been inipoflible for

U*

228 A TOUR THROUGH

us to get in: but his attendants foon cleared the paffages ; and at once entering the great gate, we beheld the moft fplendid fcenc in the world. The whole church appeared a flame of light; which, reflected from ten thoufand bright and fhining fur- facss, of different colours and at different asgles, produced an effect, which, I think, exceeds all the defcriptions of enchantment I have ever read. Indeed, I did not think that human art could have devifed any thing fo fplendid. I believe I have already mentioned that the whole church, walls, roof, pillars, and pilafters were entirely covered over with mirror, interfperfed with gold and filver paper, artificial flowers, &c. done up with great tafte and elegance, fo that not one inch either of ftone or plaifter was to be feen. Now, form an idea, if you can, of one of our great ca- thedrals dreffed out in this manner, and illuminated with twenty thoufand wax tapers, and you will have fome faint notion

of

SICILY AND MALTA. 229

of this fplendid fcene. I own it did greatly exceed my expectations, although, from the defcriptions we had of it, they were raifed very high. When we recovered from our firft furprife, which had produced, un- known to ourfelves, many exclamations of aftonifhment, I obferved that all the eyes of the nobility were fixed upon us ; and that they enjoyed exceedingly the amazement into which we were thrown. Indeed this fcene, in my opinion, greatly exceeds all the reft of the fhow.

I have often heard the illumination of St. Peter's fpoken of as a wonderful fine thing : fo indeed it is ; but it is certainly no more to be compared to this, than the planet Venus is to the fun. The effecls indeed are of a different kind, and cannot well be compared together.

This fcene was too glaring to bear any confiderable time > and the heat occafioned

230 A TOUR THROUGH

by the immcnfe number of lights, fooa became intolerable. I attempted to reckon the number of luftres, and counted up- wards of five hundred ; but my head became giddy, and I was obliged to give it up. They afTure us that the number of wax tapers is not lefs than twenty thoufand. There are eight-and-twenty altars, fourteen on each fide; thefe are dreffed out with the utmoft magnificence ; and the great altar is ftill the moft fplendid of all.

When you think of the gaudy ma- terials that compofe the lining of this

church j it will be difficult to annex an

j

idea of grandeur and majefty to it: at leaft, fo it ftruck me, when I was firft told of it ; yet, I affure you, the elegant fimplicity and unity of the defign prevents this effect, and gives an air of dignity to the whole.

It

SICILY AND MALTA. 231

It is on this part of the Ihow the people of Palermo value themfelves the moft ; they talk of all the reft as trifling in com- parifon of this ; and indeed, I think it is probable, that there is nothing of the kind in the world that is equal to it. It is ftrange they fhould chufe to be at fo great an expence and trouble, for a Ihow of a few hours only ; for they have already be- gun this morning, to ftrip the church of its gaudy drefs, and I am told it will not be finiihed for many weeks.

From the church we went immediately to the Corfo, which concluded, as ufual, the entertainments of the day.

l6th. Laft night we had the full illu- mination of all the ftreets. The aflembly was held at the praetor's, where there was an elegant entertainment and a concert. Pacherotti, the firft man of the opera, 4iftinguihed himfelf very much. I think CL4 I*

2 3 a A TOUR THROUGH

he is one of the moft agreeable fingers I have ever heard ; and am perfuaded, that in a few years, he will be very celebrated. Campanucci, the fecond foprano, is, I think, preferable to moft that I have heard in Italy; and you will the more eafily believe this, when I inform you, that he is en- gaged for next winter, to be the firft finger in the great opera at Rome. Is it not ftrange, that the capital of all Italy ; and, for the fine arts, (as it formerly was for arms) the capital of the world, fhould condefcend to chufe its firft opera-perfor- mer from amongft the fubalterns of a re- mote Sicilian ftage ?

You will believe, that with two fuch fopranos as thefe, and Gabrieli for the firft woman, the opera here will not be a defpicable one. It is to begin in a few days, notwithftanding the extreme heat of the feafon ; fo fond are the people here of thefe entertainments.

Their

SICILY AND ,

Their opera dancers are thofe you hau laft year at London : they are juft arrived, and the people are by no means pleafed with them. We faw them this morning at the rehearfal ; and, to their great fur- prife, addre-ffed them in Englifli. You cannot imagine how happy they were to fee us. Poor fouls ! I was delighted to hear with what warmth of gratitude and affection they fpoke of England. There is a mother and two daughters; the youngeft pretty, but the eldeft, the firft dancer, appears a fenfible, modeft, well- Behaved girl ; more fo than is common with thefe fort of people. Speaking of England, fhe faid, with a degree of warmth, that her good treatment in gene- ral could hardly infpire, that in her life fhe never left any country with fo fore a heart; and had fhe only enjoyed her health, all the world Ihould never have torn her away from it. She feemed af- fected when fhe faid this. I acknowledged

the

H ROUGH

.e honour me did the Englifh nation ; but alleged that thefe fentiments, and the manner in which they were uttered, could fcarcely proceed from a general love of the country. She anfwered me with a fmile, but at the fame time I could obferve the tear in her eye. At that inftant we were interrupted ; however, I mall endeavour, if poffible, to learn her ftory; for I am perfuaded there is. one : perhaps you may know it, as I dare fay it is no fecret in London.

But I have got quite away from my fubjed, and had forgot that I fat down to give you an account of the feaft. Indeed, I will own, it is a kind of fubjecl: I by no means like to write upon ; I almoft repent that I had undertaken it, and am heartily glad it is now over. It does very well to fee mows ; but their de- fcription is of all things on earth the moft infipid : for words and writing convey

ideas

SICILY AND MALTA. 235

ldea;s only by a flow and regular kind of progrefs ; and while we gain one, we ge- nerally lofe another, fo that the fancy feldom embraces the whole ; but when a thoufand objects ftrike you at once, the imagination is filled and fatisfied.

The great proceffion that clofes the fef- tival began at ten o'clock It only differed from other proceflions in this, that befides all the priefts, friars, and religious orders of the city, there were placed at equal diftances from each other ten lofty ma- chines made of wood and pafteboard, orna- mented in an elegant manner, reprefenting temples, tabernacles, and a variety of beau- tiful pieces of architecture. Thefe are fur- nifhed by the different convents and re- ligious fraternities, who vie with each other in the richnefs and elegance of the work. Some of them are not lefs than

fixty feet high, They are filled with

figures

236 A TOUR THROUGH

figures of faints and of angels, made of waXj fo natural and fo admirably well painted, that many of them feemed really to be alive. All thefe figures are prepared by the nuns, and by them drefled out in rich robes of gold and filver tifiue.

We were a good deal amufed this morn- ing to fee them returning home in coaches to their refpedlive nunneries. At firft we took them for ladies in their gala drefs, going out to vifit the churches, which we were told was the cuftom, and began to pull off our hats as they went paft. Indeed, we were led into this blunder by fome of our friends, who carried us out on purpofe ; and as they faw the coaches approach, told us, This is the Princefs of fuch a thing : there is the Dutchefs of fuch another thing ; and, in fhort, we had made half a dozen of our beft bows, (to the no fmall entertainment of thefe wags)

before

SICILY AND MALTA; 237

before we difcovered the trick. They now infift upon it, that we are good Catholics, for all this morning we had been bowing to faints and angels.

A great filver box, containing the bones of St. Rofolia, clofed the proceffion. It was carried by thirty-fix of the moil re- fpedable burgefies of the city, who look upon this as the greater! honour. The archbifhop walked behind it, giving his benediction to the people as he pafled.

No fooner had the proceffion finifhed the tour of the great fquare, before the praetor's palace, than the fountain in the centre, one of the largeft and fined in Europe, was converted into a fountain of fire ; throwing it up on all fides, and making a beautiful appearance. It only lafted for a few minutes, and was extin- guifhed by a vaft explofipn, which con- cluded the whole. As this was altogether 5 unex-

A TOUR THROUGtl

unexpe&ed, it produced a fine effect, and furprifed the fpedators more than any of the great fireworks had done.

There was a mutual and friendly con- gratulation ran through the whole af- fembly, which foon after parted; and this morning every thing has once more reaflumed its natural form and order ; and I allure you, we were not more happy at the opening of the feftival, than we are now at its conclufion. Every body was fatigued and exhaufted by the perpetual feafting, watching, and diffipation of thefe five days, However, upon the whole, we have been much delighted with it, and may with truth pronounce, that the enter- tainments of the feafl of St. Rofolia are much beyond thofe of the holy week at Rome ; of the Afcenfion, at Venice ; or, indeed, any other feftival we have ever been witneis of.

I believe

SICILY AND MALTA. 239

I believe I did not tell you, that about ten or twelve days ago, as the time we had appointed for our return to Naples was elapfed, we had hired a imall vefiel, and provided every thing for our depar- ture : we had even taken leave of the viceroy, and received our paflports. Our baggage and fea-ftore was already on board, when we were fet upon by our friends, and folicited with fo much earneftnefs and cordiality, to give them another fortnight, that we found it impoffible to refufe it ; and in confequence difcharged our veflel, and fent for our trunks. I fhould not have mentioned this, were it not to fhew you how much more attention is paid to ftrangers here than in moft places on the continent.

We reckon ourfelves much indebted to them for having obliged us to prolong our ftay ; as, independent of the amufements of the feftival, we have met with fo much

. hofpi-

I 4 o A TOUR. THROUGH

hofpitality and urbanity, that it is now with the moft fmcere regret we find our felves obliged to leave them. Indeed, had we brought our clothes and books from Naples, it is hard to fay how long we might have flayed.

We have fent to engage a veflel, but probably {hall not fail for five or fix days* Adieu.

SICILY AND MALTA. 241

LETTER XXXI.

Paleriro, July igth* '

\\7 E, have now had time to inquire a little into fome of the antiquities of this ifland, and have found feveral people, particularly the prince of Torremuzzo, who have made this the great object of their ftudy. However, I find we muffc wade through oceans of fiction, before we can arrive at any thing certain or fatif- factory.

Moft of the Sicilian authors agree in deriving their origin from Ham, or as they called him, Cham, the fon of Noah, who, they pretend, is the fame with Saturn. They tell you that he built a great city/ which from him was named Camefena. There have been violent difputes about the

VOL. II. R fituation

2 4 2 A TOUR THROUGH

fituation of this city : Berofo fuppofes it to have flood, where Camarina was after- wards founded, and that this was only a corruption of its primitive name. But Guarneri, Carrera, and others, combat this opinion, and affirm, that Carhefena flood near the foot of JEtna, between Aci and Cat- tania, almoft oppofite to thefe three rocks that ftill bear the name of the Cyclops. In- deed Carrera mentions an infcription that he had feen in a ruin near Aci, fuppofed to have been the fepulchre of Acis, which he thinks puts this matter out of doubt. Thefe are his words : <c Hgec eft infcriptio vetufte cujufdam tabella* repertse in pyramide fe- pulchri Acis, ex fragmentis vetuftiflimse Chamefenae, urbis hodie Acis, conditas a Cham, gigantum principe, etiam nuncupate* Saturno Chamefeno, in promontorio Xi- phonio, ubi adhuc hodie vifuntur folo sequata antiqua veftigia, et ruinse didse urbis et arcis in infula prope Scopulos

Cyclopum^

SICILY AND MALTA. 243

Cyclopum, et retinet adhuc fincopatum nomen La Gazzena."

This fame Cham they tell yoii was a very great fcoundrelj and that efenus, which fignified infamous, was added to his name, tinly to denote his character. Faz- zello fays, he married his own lifter, who was called Rhea ; that Ceres was the fruit of this marriage ; that fhe did not inherit the vices of her father, but reigned over Sicily with great wifdom and moderation. That fhe taught her fubjecls the method of making bread and wine, the materials for which their ifland produced fpontaneoufly in great abundance. That her daughter Proferpine was of equal beauty and virtue with herfelf. That Orius king of Epirus had demanded her in marriage, and on a refufal, carried her off by force ; which gave occalion to the wild imagination of Greece to invent the fable of the rape of Proferpine by Pluto king of Hell, this R 2 Orius

244 A TOUR THROUGH

Orius being of a morofe and gloomy dif- pofition.

Ceres has ever been the favourite deity of the Sicilians. She chofe her feat of empire in the centre of the ifland, on the top of a high hill called Enna, where fhe founded the city of that name. It is ftill a ccnfiderable place, and is now called Caftragiovanni ; but little or nothing re- main of the ruins of Enna.

Cicero gives a particular account of this place. He fays from its fituation in. the centre of the ifland, it was called Umbilicus Sici/ite 9 and defcribes it as one of the mod beautiful and fertile fpots in the world. The temple of Ceres at Enna was renowned all over the heathen world, and pilgrimages were made to it, as they are at prefent to Loretto. Fazzello fays, it was held in fuch veneration, that when the city was fur-, prifed and pillaged by the flaves and bar-

barians 3

SICILY AND MALTA, 245

barians, they did not prefume to touch this facred temple, although it contained more riches than ail the city befides.

There have been violent difputes amongft the Sicilian authors, whether Proferpine was carried off near the city of Enna, or that of jEtna, which flood at the foot of that mountain, but it is of mighty little con- fequence, and more refpeft, I think, is to be paid to the fentiments of Cicero, who gives it in favour of Enna, than the whole of them. Diodorus too is of the fame opinion, and his defcription of this place is almoft in the very words as that of Cicero. They both paint it as a perfect paradife ; abounding in beautiful groves, clear fprings and rivulets, and like ^Etna, covered with a variety of flowers at all feafons of the year. To thefe authorities, if you pleafe you may add that of Milton, who compares it to pa- radife itfelf :

R Nor

246 A TOUR THROUGH

. Nor that fair field

Of Enna, where Proferpine gathering flowers, Herfelf a fairer flower, by gloomy Dis Was gathered.

If you want to have a fuller account of this place you will find it in Cicero's plead- ings againft Verres, and in the fifth book of Diodorus- I have converfed with feveral gentlemen who have been there : they allure me that it ftill anfwers in a great meafure to the defcription of thefe authors. Medals, I am told, are ftill found, with an elegant figure of Ceres, and an ear of wheat for the reverfe ; but I have not been, able to procure any of them.

There was another temple in Sicily not lefs celebrated than this one of Ceres. It was dedicated to Venus Erecina, and, like the other too, was built on the fummit of a high mountain. The ancient name of this mountain was Eryx, or as the Si-

SICILY AND MALTA. 247

Lilians call it Erice, but it is now called St. Juliano. Both mountain and temple are often mentioned by the Greek and Latin hiftorians, and happily the Sicilian ones have no difpute about its fituation or origin, which they make to be almoft as ancient as that of Ceres. Diodorus fays, thatDedalus, after his flight from Crete, was hofpitably received here, and by his wonderful fkill in architecture added greatly to the beauty of this temple. He enriched it with many fine pieces of fculpture, but particularly with the figure of a ram of fuch exquifite workmanfhip that it appeared to be alive. This, I think, is likewife mentioned by Cicero.

./Eneas too in his voyage from Troy to Italy, landed in this part of the ifland, and according to Diodorus and Thucydides, made rich prefents to this temple; but Virgil is not fatisfied with this ; he muft raife the piety of his hero ftill higher, and, R 4 i

2 4 S A TOUR THROUGH

in oppofnion to all the hiftorians, makes yneas the founder of the temple *. Its fame and glory continued to increafe for many ages ; and it was ftill held in greater veneration by the Romans, than it had been by the Greeks. Fazzello fays, and quotes the authority of Strabo, that feventeen cities of Sicily were laid under tribute, to raife a fufficient revenue to fup- port the dignity, and enormous expences of this temple. Two hundred foldiers were appointed for its guard, and the num- ber of its priefts, prieftefTes, and minifters male and female, were incredible.

At certain feafons of the year, great numbers of pigeons, which were fuppofed to be the attendants of Venus, ufed to pafa betwixt Africa and Italy ; and reding for.

• Turn vjcina aftris Eryeino in vertice fede,

Fundatur Veneri Idalias, tumuloque face.'dos Et lucus late facer additur Anchifaasp.

fome

SICILY AND MALTA. 249

fome days on mount Eryx, and round this temple, it was then imagined by the people that the goddefs herfelf was there in perfon ; and on thefe occafions, he fays, they worshipped her with all their might. Feftivals were inftituted in honour of the deity, and the moft modeft woman was only looked upon as a prude, that re- fufed to comply with the rites. However, there were not many complaints of this kind ; and it has been alleged, that the ladies of Eryx were fometimes feen looking out for the pigeons long before they arrived; and that they ufed to fcatter peas about the temple to make them flay as long as pof- fible,

Venus was fucceeded in her pofleflions of Eryx by St. Juliano, who now gives his name both to the city and mountain ; and indeed he has a very good title, for when the place was clofely befieged, the Sicilians tell you, he appeared on the walls armed

cap-

250 A TOUR THROUGH

cap-a-pie, and frightened the enemy to fuch a degree, that they inftantly took to their heels, and left him ever fince in quiet pofleffion of it. It would have been long before Venus and her pigeons could have done as much for them.

Many medals are found in the neigh- bourhood, but there is not the leaft veftige of this celebrated temple. Some marbles with infcriptions and engravings that have been found deep below ground are almoft the only remaining monuments of its ex- iftence. Suetonius fays, that it had even fallen to ruins before the time of Tiberius ; but as Venus was the favourite divinity of that emperor, he had ordered it to be magnificently repaired : however, it is fomewhat difficult to reconcile this with Strabo*s account ; who tells us, that even before his time it had been totally aban- doned ; and indeed this feems moll pro- bable, as every veftige of it has now difap-

peared,

SICILY AND MALTA. 251

peared, which is not commonly the cafe with the great works of the age of Ti- berius.

landed at the port of Drepanum, at the foot of this mountain. Here he loft his father Anchifes ; in honour of whom, on his return from Carthage about a year after, he celebrated the games that make fo great a figure in the .ZEneid, which Virgil introduces with a good deal of addrefs as a compliment to the piety of Auguftus, who had inftituted games of the fame kind in honour of Julius Csefar, his father by adoption,

It is fingular, that Virgil's account of this part of Sicily fhould be fo very differ- ent from that of Homer, when there was fo fhort a fpace, only a few months, be^ tween the times that their two heroes vi- fjted it. Indeed, Virgil feems to have fol-

Jpwfd

252 A TOUR THROUGH

lowed the hiftorians, in his conduct of this: part of his poem, more than the fentiments of Homer ; who makes this very country where jEneas was fo hofpitahly received, the habitation of Polyphemus and the Cyclops, where Ulyfles loft fo many of his compa- nions, and himfelf made fo very narrow an efcape. The ifland of Licofia where he moored his fleet, lay very near the port of Drepanum, and Homer defcribes the ad- venture of Polyphemus to have happened en the fhore of Sicily, oppofite to that ifland. Virgil has taken the liberty to change the fcene of action, as he was bet- ter acquainted both with the geography and hiftory of the country than Homer ; and perhaps with a good deal of propriety places it at the foot of mount JEtna. I am afraid there is not fo much propriety in his changing the action itfelf, and contradict- ing the account that Homer gives of it. For Ulyfles fays that Polyphemus devoured four.

of

SICILY AND MALTA. 253

of his companions ; but that he, by his addrefs, faved all the reft, and was himfelf the laft that efcaped out of the cave. Now Virgil makes UlyiTes to have told a lie, for he affirms that he left Achemenides behind him ; and Achemenides too gives a different account of this affair from Ulyffes : he affures /Eneas, that Polyphe- mus devoured only two of his companions ; after which they put out his eye, (acuto telo) with a fharp weapon ; which rather gives the idea of a fpear or javelin, than that of a great beam of wood made red hot in the fire, as Homer defcribes it. But there are many fuch paflages. Don't you think they feem either to indicate a negligence in Virgil ; or a want of deference for his maf- ter ? neither of which, I believe, he has ever been accufed of.

The Sicilian- authors are by no means pleafed with Virgil for making ./Eneas the

founder

A TOUR THROUGH

founder of this temple of Venus Erecina 1 * They will only allow that the colony which he was obliged to leave there, after the burning of his fhips, did, in honour of his mother Venus, build the city of Eryx around her temple : but they all infift upon it, that the temple was built by Eryx, or as they call him Erice, another fon of Venus* but much older than JEneas ; the fame that was found to be fo equal a match for Her- cules, but was at laft killed by him, at a boxing match near the foot of this moun- tain. The fpot where this is fuppofed to have happened, flill retains the name of (il campo di Hercole) the field of Hercules. Through the whole fifth book of the ./Eneid, this Eryx is ftyled the bro- ther of tineas ; and, in his account of the games, Virgil introduces thofe very gauntlets with which he fought with Her- cules, (in hoc ipfo littore) in this very field. The fight of which , from their* 2 enormoud

SICILY AND MALTA. 255

enormous fize, aftonilhes the whole hoft, and frightens the champion Dares fo much that he refufes to fight.

Adieu. The opera begins in two days ; after which, I think, we fhall foon take leave of Sicily.

Ever yours.

256 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXXII.

Palermo, July ZUt.

ESTER DAY we walked up to the Monte Pelegrino to pay our refpects to St. Rofolia, and thank her for the va- riety of entertainment fhe has afforded us- It is one of the moft fatiguing expeditions I ever made in my life. The mountain is extremely high, and fo uncommonly fteep, that the road up to it is very properly termed la Scala> or the Stair: before the difcovery of St. Rofolia, it was looked upon as almoft inacceffible, but they have now at a vaft expence cut out a road, over precipices that were almoft perpendicular- We found the faint lying in her grotto, in the very fame attitude in which fhe is faid to have been difcovered ; her head reclin- ing gently upon her hand, and a crucifix be- fore her. This is a ftatue of the fineft white

marble,

SICILY AND MALTA. 257

inarble, and of mofr exquifite workman- fhip. It is placed in the inner part of the cavern, on the very fame fpot where St. Rofolia expired. It is the figure of a lovely young girl of about fifteen, in an adt of devotion. The artift has found means to throw fomething that is extremely touch- ing, into the countenance and air of this beautiful flatue. I never in my life faw one that affected me fo much, and am not fur- prifed that it ihould have captivated the hearts of the people. It is covered with a robe of beaten gold, and is adorned with fome valuable jewels. The cave is of a confiderable extent, and extremely damp, fo that the poor little faint muft have had very cold uncomfortable quarters. They have built a church around it; and ap- pointed priefis to watch over thefe precious relics, and receive the offerings of pilgrims that vifit them.

An infcription graved by the hand of

St. Rofolia herfelf, was found in a cave in

VOL. II. S mount

258 A TOUR THROUGH

mount Quefquina, at a confiderable diftance from this mountain. It is faid that fhe was difturbed in her retreat there, and had wan- dered from thence to- mount Pelegrino, as a more retired and inacceffible place. I mail copy it exactly, as it is preferved in the poor little faint's own Latin.

EGO ROSOLIA SINIBALDI QJLJISQJJI-

NE ET ROS ARUM DOMINI FILIA AMORE DEI MEI JESU CHRISTI IN HOC

ANTRO HABIT A- RI DECREVI.

After St. Rofolia was fcared from the cave where this infcription was found, fhe was never more heard of, till her bones were found afeout five hundred years after, in this fpot.

A

The profpecl: from the top of mount Pe- legrino is beautiful and extenfive. Moft of the Lipari iflands are difcovered in a very clear day, and likewife a large portion of 2. mount

SICILY AND MALTA. 259

mount ./Etna, although at the diftance of almoft the whole length of Sicily. The Bagaria too, and the Colle, covered over with a number of fine country-houfes and gardens, make a beautiful appearance. The city of Palermo ftands within lefs than two miles of the foot of the mountain, and is feen to great advantage. Many people went to this mountain during the time of the great illumination, from whence they pre- tend it has a fine effecl; : but this unfor- tunately we neglected.

Near the middle of the mountain, and not far from its fummit, there ftill appears forae remains of a celebrated caftle, the origin of which the Sicilian authors carry back to the moil remote antiquity. Mafia fays, it is fuppofed to have been built in the reign of Saturn immediately after the flood ; for in the time of the eadieft Car- thaginian wars, it was already much re- fpeded on account of its venerable and- S 2 quity.

2 6o A TOUR THROUGH

qui ty. It was then a place of ftrength, and is often mentioned by the Greek hiftorians. Diodorus fays, in his twenty-third book, that Harnilcar kept poffeffion of it for three years, againft all the power of the Romans, who with an army of forty thoufand men attempted in vain to diflodge him.

The fitnation of Palermo is feen, I think, to more advantage from the monte Pelegri- no than from any where elfe. This beauti- ful city ftands near the extremity of a kind of natural amphitheatre, formed by high and rocky mountains ; but the country that lies betwixt the city and thefe mountains, is one of the richeft and moft beautiful fpots in the world. The whole appears a magnificent garden, filled with fruit-trees of every fpecies, and watered by clear foun- tains and rivulets, that form a variety of windings through this delightful plain. From the fingularity of this fituation, as well as from the richnefs of the foil, Pa- lermo

SICILY AND MALTA. 261

lermo has had many flattering epithets be- ftowed upon it; particularly by the poets, who have denominated it Conca d'oro. The Golden Shell, which is at once expreffive both of its fituation and richnefs. It has likewife been ftyled Aurea Valle, Hortus Si- cilitf, &c. and to include all thefe toge- ther, the lafting term of Felix has been added to its name, by which you will find it diftinguifhed even in the maps.

Many of the etymologifts allege, that it is from the richnefs of this valley that it had its original name of Panormus> which, in the old Greek language, they pretend, fig- nified All a garden : but others fay there i& no occafion for draining fignifications, and aifert, with more appearance of plaufibility, that it was called Pan-ormuS) from the fize and conveniency of its harbours ; one of which is recorded anciently to have extended into the very centre of the city. And this is the account Diodorus gives of it ; it was S 3 called

A TOUR THROUGH

called Panormus, fays he, becaufe its har- bour even penetrated to the very innermoft parts of the city. Panormus in the Greek language fignifying All a port. And Proco-* plus, in his hiftory of the wars of the Goths, affures us, that in the time of Be- lifarius, the port was deep enough for that general to run his {hips up to the very walls of the city, and give the aflault from them. It is not now fo well entitled to this name as it was formerly. Thefe harbours have been almoft entirely deftroyed and filled up; moft probably I think by the violent tor^ rents from the mountains that furround it ; which are recorded fometimes to have laid wafte great part of the city. Fazzello fpeaks of an inundation of which he was an eye-witnefs, that came down from the mountains with fuch fury, that they thought the city would have been entirely fwept away. He fays, it burft down the wall near to the royal palace, and bore away every thing that oppofed its paflage ;

churches,

SICILY AND MALTA. 263

churches, convents, houfes, to the number of two thoufand, and drowned upwards of three thoufand people. Now the frag- ments and ruins carried to the fea by fuch a torrent alone, would be fufficient to fill up a little harbour, fo that we are not to be furprifed, that thefe capacious ports, for which it had been fo much celebrated, no longer exift.

Next to Chamefeno, Palermo is gene- rally fuppofed to be the moft ancient city in the ifland. Indeed, there ftill remain fome monuments that carry back its origin to the times of the moft remote antiquity, A bifhop of Lucera has wrote on this fub- jecT:. He is clearly of opinion, that Pa- lermo was founded in the days of the firft patriarchs. You will laugh at this; fo did I; but the biihop does not go to work upon conjecture only : he fupports his opinion with fuch proofs, as I own to you, ftaggered me a good deal. A Chal- S 4 dean

264 A TOUR THROUGH

dean infcription was difcovered about fix hundred years ago, on a block of white marble; it was in the reign of William II. who ordered it to be tranilated into Latin and Italian. The bifhop fays, there are many fragments in Palermo with broken infcriptions in this language ; and feems to think it beyond a doubt, that the city was fourided by the Chaldeans, in the very early ages of the world. This is the literal tranf- lation : - -" During the time that Ifaac, " the fon of Abraham, reigned in the valley

• of Damafcus, and Efau, the fon of Ifaac,
  • in Idumea, a great multitude of Hebrews,

" accompanied by many of the people of " Damafcus, and many PhoenicianSj coming " into this triangular ifland, took up their " habitation in this moft beautiful place, " to which they gave the n^me of Panor-

mus."

The bifhop tranflates another Chaldean

infcription, which is indeed a great curio-

I fity.

SICILY AND MALTA. 265

fity. It is ftill preferved, though not with that care that fo valuable a monument of antiquity deferves. It is placed over one of the old gates of the city, and when that gate falls to ruin, it will probably be for ever loft. The translation is in Latin, but

I ihall give it you in Engliih : " There

u is no other God but one God. There is " no other power but this fame God. There " is no other conqueror but this God whom " we adore. The commander of this tower <; is Saphu, the fon of Eliphar, fon of Efau, " brother of Jacob, fon of Ifaac, fon of c6 Abraham. The name of the tower is " Baych, and the name of the neighbour- u ing tower is Pharat."

Thefe two infcriptions feem to reflect a mutual light upon each other. Fazzello has preferved them both, and remarks upon this laft, that it appears evidently from it, that the tower of Baych was built antece- dent to the time of Saphu, (or, as we tranf-

late

266 A TOUR THROUGH

late it, Zephu) who is only mentioned a$ commander of the tower, but not as its founder.

Part of the ruins of this tower ftill re~ main, and many more Chaldean 'infcrip- tions have been found amongft them, but fo broken and mangled, that little could be made of them. Fazzello is in great in- dignation at fome mafons he found demo- liming thefe precious relics, and complains bitterly of it to the fenate, whom he with juftice upbraids for their negligence and indifference.

Converfing on this fubjecT: t'other night with a gentleman who is well verfed in the antiquities of this place, I took the liberty of objecting to the Greek etymo-* logy, Pan-ormus, it appearing extremely abfurd to give a Greek name to the city long before the exiftence of the Greek nation: I added, that I was a good deal

furprifed

SICILY AND MALTA. 267

furprifed Fazzello had not attempted to account for this feeming abfurdity. He allowed the apparent validity of the ob- jection, and blamed Fazzello for his negli- gence; but affured me, that Pan-ormus, or fomething very nearly of- the fame found, fignified in the Chaldean language, and likewife in the Hebrew, a paradife, or de- licious garden ; and that the Greeks pro- bably finding it fo applicable, never thought of changing its name. This I was in no capacity to contradict. He added too, that Panormus was likewife an Arabic word, ^id fignified This water ; which probably was the reafon that the Saracens did not change its name, as they have done that of almoft every thing elfe j as this is as appli- cable and as expreffive of the fituation of Palermo, as any of the other etymologies ; it being furrounded on all fides with beau- tiful fountains of the pureft water, the na- tural confequence or the vicinity of the intains.

Pray

~

268 A TOUR THROUGH

Pray ihew this letter to our friend Mr. Crofts, and defire his fentiments on thefe etymologies and antiquities. Tell him I have not forgot his commiffion, and mall procure him all the oldeft and mod unintelligible books in Palermo; but I muft beg, for the repofe and tranquillity of mankind, that he will not republiih them. On thefe condi- tions, I fend him a moil valuable fragment : it is part of a Chaldean infcription that has been exactly copied from a block of white marble found in the ruins of the tower Baych. I own I mould like much to fee Jt tranflated : the people here have as yet made nothing of it : and we were in no ca^ pacity to affift them.

SICILY AND MALTA. 169

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On confulting the Bible, I find, that in our tranilation this fon of Efau is called Eliphaz, and Eliphaz's fon, who was cap- tain of this tower, Zepho. The variation of the names you fee is but trifling. It is not improbable that the other tower, Pha- rat, by a fmall variation of the fame kind,

has

SICILY AND MALTA. 271

has been named from their coufin, Pharez, the fon of Judah, who got the ftart of his brother Zarah. You will find the (lory at the end of the thirty-eighth chapter of Genefis. The thirty-feventh chapter will give you fome account of Eliphar and Saphu : but I can find no etymology for the name of the tower Baych. I dare fay Mr. Crofts can tell you what it means. Pharez fignifies a breach ; a very inaufpi- cious name one would think for a tower. Adieu. The weather has become exceed- ing hot. The thermometer is at 80.

Ever yours.

A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXXIII.

Palermo, July 24th*

IN the courfe of our acquaintance with fome gentlemen of fenfe and obfervation in this place, we have learned many things concerning the ifland, that perhaps may be worthy of your attention ; and as this day is fo hot that 1 cannot go out, I fhall en- deavour to recollect fome of them, both for your amufement and my own. The thermometer is up at 8i~. So you may judge of the fituation of our northern con- ftitutions.

There is one thing, however, that I have always obferved in thefe fouthern climates; that although the degree of heat is much greater than with us, yet it is not commonly attended with that weight

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 273

and oppreflion of fpirits that generally ac- company our fultry days in fummer. lam fure, that in fuch a day as this, in Eng- land, we fhould be panting for breath ; and no mortal would think either of read- ing or writing. That is not the cafe here ; I never was in better fpirits in my life : Indeed I believe the quantities of ice we eat may contribute a good deal towards it ; for I find, that in a very violent heat, there is no fu^ch cordial to the fpirits as ice, or a draught of ice-water: it is not only from the cold it communicates, but, like the cold bath, from the fuddennefs of that com- munication, it braces the ftomach, and gives a new tone to the fibres. It is ftrange that this piece of luxury (in my opinion the greateft of all, and perhaps the only healthy one) fhould ftUl be fo much ne* gleded with us.

I knew an Englifh lady at Nice, who

in a fhort time was cured of a threatening

VOL. II. T con-

27+ A TOUR THROUGH

confumption, only by a free indulgence in the ufe of ices ; and I am perfuaded, that in fkilful hands, few remedies would be more effectual in many of our ftomach and inflammatory complaints, as hardly any thing has a ftronger or more immediate effect upon the whole frame ; and furely our adminiftering of warm drinks and potions in thefe complaints tend often to nourifh the difeafe. It is the common practice here, in inflammatory fevers, ta give quantities of ice- water to drink ; nay, ib far have they carried it, that Dr. Sanghes, a celebrated Sicilian phyfician, covered over the breaft and belly of his patients with friow or ice; and they affure us, in many cafes, with great fuccefs. But, indeed, I ought in juftice to add, that this phyfician's practice has not been? generally adopted.

Perhaps it is from the prefent benefit I find from ice, that I have faid fo much in

favour

SICILY AND MALTA. 275

favour of it ; for I am fully perfiiaded that if I had not a quantity of it ftanding here below the table, I fhould very foon be obliged to give up writing, and go to bed; but whenever I begin to flag, an- other glafs is fure to fet me to rights again.

I was going to give you fome account of the fiiheries of this ifland.

The catching of the tunny-fim conftitutes one of the principal Sicilian amufements during thefummer months ; and the curing and fending them to foreign markets makes one of the greatefl branches of their com- merce. We were invited yefterday by the Prince Sperlinga to a party of tunny-fifh* ing; but the violence of the heat pre- vented it*

Thefe fifh do not make their appearance

in the Sicilian, feas till towards the latter

end of May ; at which time, the Tonnaros,

T 2 as

276 A TOUR THROUGH

as they call them, are prepared for theit reception. This is a kind of aquatic caftle", formed, at a great expence, of ftrong nets, fattened to the bottom of the fea by anchors and heavy leaden weights.

Thefe tonnaros are erected in the paf- fages amongft the rocks arid iflands that are moft frequented by tfoe tunny-fim. They take care to (hut up with nets tile entry into thefe paffages, all but one little opening, which is called the outward gate of the tonnaro. This leads into the fhft apartment, or, as they call it, the hall. As foon as the fiili have got into the hall, the fimermen, who ftand fentry in their boats during the feafon, fhut the outer door, which* is no more than letting down a fmall piece of net, which effectually pre- vents the tunny from returning by the way they came. They then open the inner door of the hall, which leads to the fecond apartment, which ^they call the anti- chamber^

SICILY AND MALTA, 277

chamber, and, by making a noife on the furface of the water, they fbon drive the tunny-fifh into it. As Toon as the whole have got into the antichamber, the inner door of the hall is again fhut, and the outer door is opened for the reception of more company.

Some tonnaros have a great number of apartments, with different names to them alj; the faloon, the parlour, the dining- room, &c. ; but the laft apartment is al- ways ftyled la Camera della Morte^ The chamber of Death : this is compofed of ftronger nets and heavier anchors than the others.

As foon as they have collected a fuf- ficient number of tunny-fifti, they are driven from all the other apartments into the chamber of death ; when the Daughter begins. The fifhermen, and often the gentlemen too, armed with a kind of fpear T 3 or

A TOUR THROUGH

or harpoon, attack the poor defencelefs animals on all fides ; which now giving themfelves up to defpair, dafh about with great force and agility, throwing the water over all the boats ; and tearing the nets to pieces,* they often knock out their brains againft the rocks or anchors, and fome- times even againft the boats of their ene- mies.

You fee there is nothing very generous Or manly in this fport. -/The taking of the Pefce Spada, or fword-fifh, is a much .more noble diverfion : no art is made life of to enfnare him ; but with a fmall har- poon, fixed to a long line, they attack him in the open feas, and will often ftrike him at a very confiderable diftance. It is exactly the whale-fifhing in miniature. The Sicilian fifhermen (who are abundantly fuperftitious) have a Greek fentence which they make ufe of as a charm to bring him near their boats, This is the only bait

3

SICILY AND MALTA. 279

they life, and they pretend that it is of wonderful efficacy, and abfolutely obliges him to follow them ; but if unfortunately he fhould overhear them fpeak a word of Italian, he plunges under water immedi- ately, and will appear no- more.

As thefe fifh are commonly of a great fize and ftrength, they will fometimes run for hours after they are {truck, and afford excellent fport. I have feen them with a fword four or five feet long, which gives them a formidable appearance in the water, particularly after they are wounded. The flefh cf thefe animals is excellent ; it is more like beef than fifh, and the common way of dreffing it is in fteaks.

The fifliing of the pefce^ Spada is moft

confiderable in the fea of Meffina, where

they have likewife great quantities of eels,

particularly the Morena^ fo much efteemed

T 4 arnongft

A TOUR THROUGH

amongft the Romans, which I think is indeed the fined fifh I ever e^t.

But it is not only their large fifh that they ftrike with harpoons ; they have the fame method of taking mullet, dories, a kind of mackarel, and many other fpecies ; but this is always performed in the night, As foon as it is dark, two men get into a fmall boat ; one of them holds a lighted torch over the furface of the water, the other (lands with his harpoon ready poized in his hand. The light of the torch foon brings the fifh to the furface, when the harpooner immediately ftrikes them. I have feen great quantities killed in this manner, both here and at Naples. A large fleet of boats employed in this kind of fifhing make a beautiful appearance on the water, in a fine fummer night.

The coral fifhery is chiefly praclifed at Trapani : they have invented a machine

there

SICILY AND MALTA. 2*1

there, which anfwers the purpofe much beyond their expectations. This is only a great crofs of wood, to the centre of which is fixed a heavy hard {tone, capable of car- rying the crofs to the bottom. Pieces of fmall net are tied to each limb of the erofs, which is poized horizontally by a rope, and let down into the water. As foon as they feel it touch the bottom, the rope is made faft to the boat. They then row about all over the coral beds : The confequenqe of which is, the great ftone breaks off the coral from the rocks, and it is immediately entangled in the nets. Since this invention the coral fifhery has turned out to considerable account.

The people of Trepani are efteemed the moft ingenious of the ifland ; they are the authors of many ufeful and ornamental inventions. Anartift there, has lately dif- covered a method of making Cameios, ^vhich are a perfect imitation of the ancient

ones

232 A TOUR THROUGH

ones engraved on the onyx. They are done on a Idnd of hard fhell from paftes of the beft antiques, and fo admirably exe- cuted, that it is often difficult to diflinguifh the ancient from the modern. Thefe fet in gold, are generally worn as bracelets, and are at prefent in high eftimation amongft the ladies of quality here. Mrs. Hamilton * procured a pair of them laft year, and carried them to Naples, where they have been much admired. Commiffions were immediately fent over, and the man has now more bufmefs than he can manage ; however, we have been fortunate enough to procure a few pairs of them for our friends. I have feen cameios that have coft two hundred guineas, that could fcarce be diftinguimed from one of thefe.

The difficulties under which the poor Sicilians labour, from the extreme oppref-

• Now lady Hamilton.

fiou

SICILY, AND MALTA. 283

fion of their government,, obliges them fometimes to invent branches of commerce that nature feems to have denied them, as they are not allowed to enjoy thofe (he has beftowed. The fugar-cane was very much cultivated in this ifland, but the duties impofed were fo enormous, that it has been almoft abandoned. But their crops of wheat alone, were they under a free government, would foon be fufficient to render this little nation one of the richeft and moft flouriftiing in the world ; for even in the wretched ftate of cultivation it is in at prefent, one good crop, I am told, is fufficient to maintain the ifland for feven years. You will be a good deal fur- prifed, after this, to hear that the expor- tation of this commodity has been pro- hibited for thefe feveral years paft ; at lead to all fuch as are not able to pay moft exorbitantly for that privilege. The con- fequence is, that corn has become a drug. The common price of the falma, which is

two

A TOUR THROUGH

two loads, was about thirty-one Shillings ; at prefent it is reduced to five fhillings and fix-pence, and there is a probability that it will jftill fall lower.

This crop, which has been very abun* <3ant, I am told, in many places they have hardly been at the pains to gather in, as there is little probability of this cruel pro- hibition being removed. The farmers are already ruined, and the ruin of their matters muft inevitably follow. This is the method the miniftry qf Naples, or rather that of Spain, has taken tp humble the pride of the Sicilian barons, whofe power they pretend is ftill very extenfive, and their jurifdiclion abfolute ; moft of them poflefling a right of life and death in their own domain. However, there is 3. probability that they will foon be obliged to relinquifh their privileges. The com- plaint is univerfal, and if the miniftry peiv fevere in thefe rigorous meafures, there

SlGILt AND MALTA. 2%

muft either be a revolt, or they muft foon 1> reduced to a ftate of poverty as well as of fervitude. I believe indeed moft of them would readily embrace any plaufible fcheme, to fhaike off their yoke ; as in general they appear to be people of great fallibility, with high notions of honour and liberty.

Talking of the natural riches of their ifland, Yes, fay they, if thefe were di- played, you would have reafori indeed to fpeak of them. Take a look of thefe mountains, they contain rich veins of every metal, and many of the Roman; mines ftill remain; but to what end fhould we explore them ? It is not we that ihould reap the profit. Nay, a dif- covery of any thing very rich might pof- fibly prove the ruin of its pofleffor. No, in our prefent fituation the hidden trea- fures of the ifland muft ever remain a profound fecret. Were we happy enough to enjoy the bleffings of your conftitution,

you;

A tOUR THROUGH

you might call us rich indeed. Many hidden doors of opulence would then be opened, which now are not even thought of, and we fhould foon re-aflume our ancient name and confeq.uence ; but at .prefent w are nothing.

This is the language that fome of the firft people amongft them hold with us. However, they ftill boaft that they retain more of the feudal government than any nation in Europe. The fhadow iadeed remains, but the fubftance is gone long ago. It has long been the object of the Bourbon miniftry to reduce the power of the barons in every kingdom. Richlieu began the fyftem in France, and it has ever fince been profecuted by his fuc- ceffors ; its influence has now fpread over the whole of their pofleffions in Europe ; of which, as this is the moft remote, it has likewife been the longeft in reaching it.

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 287

The foundation of the feudal fyftem was firft laid here by the count Rugiero, about the middle of the eleventh century, imme- diately after he had driven the Saracens out of the ifland. He divided Sicily into three parts ; the firft, by confent of hb army, was given to the church ; the fecond he beftowed upon his officers, and the third he refer ved for himfelf.

Of thefe three branches, or as they call them Bracelets (arms), he compofed his parliament, the form of which remains the fame to this day. The Bracclo Mill- tare is compofed of all the barons of the kingdom, to the number of two hundred arid fifty-one, who are ftill obliged to military fervice : their chief is the prince Butero, who is hereditary prefident of the parliament : for in conformity to the ge- nius of the feudal government fome of the great offices are ft ill hereditary. The three archbifhops, all the bifhops, abbes,

priors,

288 A TOUR THROUGH

priors, and dignified clergy, amounting to near feventy, form the Braccio EcelefiaJHco : The archbifhop of Palermo is their chief. The Braccio Demamale is formed by elec- tion, like our houfe of commons : there are forty-three royal cities, flyled Demaniale, that have a right to elect members. Every houfeholder had a vote in this election. Their chief is the member for Palermo ; who is likewife prastor (or mayor of the city). He is an officer of the higheft rank, and his power is very cxtenfive ; inferior only to that of the viceroy ;" iri whofe abfence, the greateft part of the authority devolves upon him. He has a company of grenadiers for his body-guard and receives the title of excellency.

The prsetor, together with fix fenators"* who are ftyled patricians, have the manage^ ment of the civil government of the city He is appointed every year, by the king* or by the viceroy, which is the fame

thing

SICILY AND MALTA. 289

thing ; for I don't find that the people any longer exercife even the form of giving their votes : fo that the very fhadow of liberty has now difappeared as well as the fubftance You may judge of the fituation of liberty in a kingdom, where all courts civil and criminal are appointed by regal authority, and where all offices are con- ferred only by the will of the fovereign, and depend entirely upon his caprice.

I own I feel moft fmcerely for the Sici- lians, who, I think, are poffefled of many admirable qualities. But the fpirit of every nation muft infallibly fink, under an op- preflive and tyrannical government. Their fpirit however has in a great meafure kept them free from one branch of tyranny, the moft dreadful of all, that of the inqui- fition. The kings of Spain wanted to eftablifh it in its full force ; but the barons, accuftomed to exercife defpotic government themfelves, could not bear the thoughts of

VOL. IT. U be-

290 A TOUR THROUGH

becoming flaves to a fet of ignorant Spanifh priefts : and, I believe, they took the only way that was left to avoid it. Every in- quifitor that pretended to more zeal than they thought became him, was immedi- ately aflaffinated ; particularly if he pre- fumed to interfere with the conduct or fentiments of the nobility. This foon took off the edge of their zeal, and reduced the holy office to a becoming moderation. However, they are extremely circumfpecl: in their converfation about religious mat- ters; and generally advife ftrangers to be on their guard, as the power of the in- quifition, although confiderably reduced, is by no means annihilated.

The laws of Sicily are fcattered in a great number of volumes ^ thefe the king of Sardinia intended to abridge, and col- lect into one code, but unfortunately he was not long enough in pofleflion of the ifland, to accomplifh this ufeful work. 2 But

SICILY AND MALTA. 291

But where there is an authority above all .laws, laws can be but of little fervice.

The power of the viceroy is very abfo- lute; he has not only the command of all the military force in the kingdom, but likewife prefides with unbounded authority in all civil tribunals ; and as he is alfo inverted with the legantine power, his fway is equally great in religious mat- ters.

He has the right of nominating to all the great offices in the kingdom ; and con-* firming of all dignities, both civil and ec- clefiaftical.

In vifiting the prifons, a ceremony which he performs with great pomp twice a year, he has the power of liberating whatever prifoners he pleafes ; of reducing or alter- ing their fentences, their crimes and accu- fations having firil been read over to him. U % Indeed,

292 A TOUR THROUGH

Indeed, that there may be fome appear- ance of a regard to law and juftice, his counfellor always attends him on thefe occafions, to mark out the limits of the law. This is an officer of very high rank, appointed to affift the viceroy in his de- cifions, where the cafe may appear intri- cate or dubious; and always is, or ought to be, one of the ableft lawyers in the ifland. For the mofl part, this office has been given to ftrangers, who are fuppofed to have no kindred or particular connec- tions here, that in giving their judgment they may be free from all prejudice and partiality. He has free admittance into all courts and tribunals, that he may be the better enabled to give the viceroy an ac- count of their proceedings.

The whole military force of Sicily, amounts at prefent, from what I can learn, to 9500 men, about 1200 of which are cavalry. Many of their cities and for- tifies

SICILY AND MALTA. 293

trefles would require a very numerous garrifon to defend them ; particularly Mef- fina, Syracufe, and Palermo: but indeed the ftate of their fortifications, as well as that of their artillery, is fuch, that (even if they were inclined) they could make but a fmall defence.

If this ifland were in the hands of a naval power, I think it is evident, that it muft command the whole Levant trade; there are feveral little ports at each end of it, befides the great ones of Trapani, Syracufe, and Meflina, which lie pretty near the three angles of the triangle. Whatever {hips had pafled either of thefe, the others could be apprized of in the fpace of half an hour, by means of fignal towers, which the Sicilians have ereded all around their ifland to warn them againft fudden invafions from the Barbary fide. Thefe towers are built on every little pro- montory, within fight of each other. Fires U 3 are

294 A TOUR THROUGH

are always kept ready for lighting, and a perfon is appointed to watch at each of them, fo that the whole ifland can he alarmed, they affure us, in the fpace of art hour.

By the bye, we have been witnefs here of a practice, that appears to be a very iniquitous one, and in the end, I fliould think, muft prove the deftruQion of our Mediterranean trade. Several fhips have put in at this port with Englifh colours, but to our furprife, not one Englifhman on board. Thefe, I find, they call Ban- diere men ; perhaps it is a known prac- tice, although, I own, I was an utter {hanger to it. They are very numerous in thefe feas, and carry on a considerable trade through the whole of the Mediter- ranean, to the great detriment of our own fhips. Moft of them belong to Genoa and Sicily, though they pafs under the of Minorquins, They purchafe

Medi-

SICILY AND MALTA. 295

Mediterranean paiTports, I am told, front fome of the governors of our garrifons, xvhich entitles them, during the term fpeci- fied in thefe paffports, to trade under Englifh colours. I am aflured that the number of thefe Bandiere men amounts to fome hundreds. They have often one or two Englim failors on board ; or at leaft fome perfon that fpeaks the language, to anfwer when they are challenged. Pray can you tell me, if this practice is known in England ?

Adieu. The heat has become intolerable, and I am able to write no more ; how- ever, I fhould not have given it up yet, but my ice is all melted, and I have not the confcience to fend out a fervant for more : I dare fay, you are very glad of it, and wimed it had been melted long ago. If this continues, I believe we ourfelves fhall be melted. The thermometer is above U 4 eighty-

296 A TOUR THROUGH

eighty-two, and the heat ftill feems to irn creafe. The fea has even become too hot for bathing ; and it does not at all refrefh us now as it did formerly.

t

Farewell.

SICILY AND MALTA, 297

LETTER XXXIV.

ft

Palermo, July 26th.

WE have now got every thing ready for our departure, and if the wind continues favourable, this is probably the laft letter I fhall write you from Sicily. However, I had ftill a great deal more to fay, both of the Sicilians and their ifland, and fhall leave them, I affure you, with a good deal of regret.

Two chebecks failed this morning for Naples. 'We had the offer of a paflage ; but had already engaged a little veflel for ourfelves. A young nobleman, the mar- quis of , was fhipped off in one of

them, with orders never more to fet his foot in Palermo. Indeed we are much furprifed that his fentence is fo mild, as he

has

298 A TOUR THROUGH

has been guilty of a crime which in catholic countries is generally punifhed with the greateft rigour ; no lefs than the debauch- ing a nun. He met with the young lady at a bathing-place, about thirty miles from this, where fhe had been fent from her con- vent for the recovery of her health ; her mother was along with her, but as the two young people were firfl coufins, and had lived together like brother and fitter, the old lady thought there could, be no rifk in allowing, them their wonted familiarity.

The nun foon recovered her health, grew fat, and returned to her convent. This is about fix or feven months ago ; and it is only a few days ilnce the fatal difcovery was made ; but alas, it would conceal no longer. He is baniflied Sicily for life ; and his eflate, or the greateft part of it, is confiscated. He may think himfelf happy they have treated him with fo much lenity: Had his jury been compofed of

priefts

SICILY AND MALTA, 299

priefts and confeffors, he muft have died r without benefit of clergy; for this is the firft mortal fin, for which there is neither atonement nor abfolution ; u to lie with a

• c nun, and yet not be in orders."

The puniihment of the poor unfortunate girl is not yet determined ; however, I am told, it will be a terrible one : probably con- finement in a dungeon for feven or eight years, without any company but afkull and a, crucifix \ and to live all that time upon bread and water. I faw a nun, at Portal- Jegre in Portugal, that had fuiFered this very punifhiaent for the fame crime.

This ftory has been kept a profound fe- cret, aad if we had not been on a very in- timate footing with forne people here, we never Ihould have heard of it.

The Sicilians ftill retain fome of the Bpanifh cuftoms, though nothing of their

gravuy

5 oo A TOUR THROUGH

gravity nor taciturnity : the younger fons of the nobility are ftyled Don by their chriftened names, and the daughters Donna; like our appellation of lord and lady to the fons and daughters of dukes. The eldeft fon has commonly the title of count or mar- quis, but they are not all counts as in Trance and Germany, where I have feen fix counts in one houfe, and very near twice the number of barons in another.

One of the moft common titles here, as well as at Naples, is that of Prince ; and although thefe were only created by Phi- lip II. of Spain, they take rank of all the other nobility, fome of whom, particu- larly the counts, carry their origin as far back as the time of the Normans, and look with great contempt on thefe upftart Princes. The dukes and marquifles are not fo old : the firft were created by Charles V, and the fecond, though an inferior title, by King Alphonfo, in the fifteenth century.

So

SICILY AND MALTA. 3 ot

So that the dignity of the Sicilian titles may be faid to be in the inverfe ratio of their antiquities.

The luxury of the people here, like that of the Neapolitans, confifts chiefly in their equipages and horfes ; but by a wife law of the King of Sardinia, which I am furprifed fhould ftill remain in force, the viceroy alone is allowed to drive in the city with fix horfes; the prsetor, the archbifhop, and prefident of the parliament with four ; all the reft of the nobility are reftri&ed to two. But this is only within the gates of Paler- mo; and when they go to the country, there is none of them that drive with lefs than four : befides, every family of diftinc- tion has at leaft two or three carriages in daily ufe ; for no man of famion is fo un- polite as to refufe his wife a chariot of her own, of which fhe has the entire com- mand; (without this the Marino could never fubfift) and the upper fervants of the firfl

families

3 o2 A TOUR THROUGH

families would be juft as much afhamed to be fecn on foot as their matters. We took the liberty to ridicule the folly of this prac- tice : they allow of its abfurdity, and wifli to break through it ; but who is to lead the way ? We even prevailed with fome of the young nobility, which I affure you was no finall condefcenfion, to walk the ftreets with us during the illuminations; but even this condefcenfion fhewed the folly of the prejudice in a Wronger light than if they had refufed us ; for they would not be pre- vailed oa to flir out, till they had fent their fervants about ten yards before them, with large wax flambeaux, although the whole city was in a flame of light. You may be- lieve we did not fpare them upon this oc- cafion ; but it was all to no purpofe. How- ever, it is poffible that we may overlook many cuftoms of our own, that are not lefs ridiculous ; for ridicule for the moft part is relative, and depends only on time and place. Perhaps you may remember the

Prince

SICILY AND MALTA; 303

$*

Prince of Anamaboo ; I ihould like to hear the account he would give of the Eng- lifh nation in his own country ; for fome of our cuftoms ftruck him in a ftill more

ridiculous light. -Walking out in St.

James's Park, in the afternoon, he obferved one of his acquaintance driving in a pha- eton with four horfes. The Prince burft into a violent fit of laughing: When they afked him, what was the matter ? <c Vat Cc the devil, (faid the Prince in his bad " Englifh) has that fellow eat fo much " dinner that now it takes four horfes to

" carry him ? 1 rode out with him this

• ' morning, and he was then fo light, that
• ' van little horfe ran away with him He

" muft either be a great fool or a great " glutton. Another time they infifted on the Prince going to the play, He went ; but he foon tired of it, and returned to his companions. * ( Well, Prince, (faid they)

• < what did you fee ?" " Vat did I fee,

6i (replied

TOUR THROUGH

u

(replied he, with the utmoft contempt) I " did fee fome men playing de fiddle and " fome men playing de fool."

I only infer from this, that it is with // fome degree of caution we mould ridicule the cuftoms of other nations : a Sicilian, perhaps, would laugh with as much juftice at many of our cuftoms ; that, for in- ftance, of obliging people to drink when they have no inclination to it ; that in the North, of eating Soland geefe before din- ner, to give them an appetite ; that of phyficians and lawyers wearing enormous wigs, and many others that will naturally occur to you, none of which appear in the leaft ridiculous to the people that pradife them ; who would no doubt defend them as ftrenuoufly as the Sicilians do the necef- fity of carrying flambeaux before them during the great illumination. Indeed* they have juft now given us an admirable i fpecimen

SICILY AND MALTA. 305

fpecimen of fome of our ridicules, in one of their opera dances, with which we have been a good deal entertained.

I believe I told you that the dancers are lately come from England : they have brought upon the ftage many of the capi- tal London characters : The bucks, the maccaronies, the prigs, the cits, and fome others ftill more refpeftable : thefe are well fupported, and afford a good deal of laugh- ing. But I am interrupted, otherwife I fliould have given you a more particular account of them. Adieu. The heat is intolerable ; and there is no poflibility of walking out We complain without reafon of our own climate ; and King Charles's obfervation I am perfuaded was juft ; " That there is hardly any climate, where, through- out the year, we can have fo much exercife in the open ain"

Ever yours. VOL. II. X

3 o6 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXXV.

Palermo, July 27th.

E Sicilians are animated in conver- fation, and their action for the moft part is fo juft and fo expreffive of their fen~ timents, that without hearing what is faid, one may comprehend the fubject of their difcourfe. We ufed to think the French and Neapolitans great adepts in this art ; but they are much outdone by the Sicilians, both in the variety and juftnefs of their gefticulation.

The origin of this cuftom they carry fo far back as the time of the earlieft tyrants of Syracufe, who, to prevent confpiracies, had forbid their fubjeds, under the moft fevere penalties, to be feen in parties talk- ing together. This obliged them to invent 2 a me*

SICILY AND MALTA. 307

a method of communicating their fenti- ments by dumb fhow, which they pretend has been tranfmitted from generation to generation ever fince.

I think it is not at all improbable that this cuftom too may have given the firft idea of comedy ; as we find, that fome fhort time after, Epicarmus, a native of that city, was the author of this invention.

The Sicilians till lately retained a great many foolifti and fuperftitious cufloms ; but particularly in their marriage and funeral ceremonies : it would be tedious to give you an account of all thefe; fome of them are ftill pradifed in the wild and moun* tainous parts of the ifland. As foon as the marriage ceremony is performed, two of the attendants are ready to cram a fpoon- ful of honey into the mouths of the bride and bridegroom ; pronouncing it emblema- tical of their love and union, which they X 2 hope

A TOUR THROUGH

hope will ever continue as fweet to the!? ibuls, as that honey is to their palates. They then begin to throw handfuls of wheat upon them, which is continued all the way to the houfe of the bridegroom. This is probably the remains of fome ancient rite to Ceres, their favourite divinity, and they think it cannot fail of procuring them a numerous progeny : however, the Sici- lian women have no occafion for any charm to promote this, as, in general, they are abundantly prolific even without it. Faz- zello gives an account of women having frequently upwards of forty children ; and Carrera mentions one who had forty-feverr.

The young couple 'are not allowed to tafte of the marriage-feafl ; this they pretend is to teach them patience and temperance; but when dinner is finifhed, a great bone is prefented to the bridegroom by the bride's father, or one of her neareft relations* who pronounces thefe words : " Rodi tu

SICILY AND MALTA, 309

t( offb, &c. Pick you this bone, for you have

• ( now taken in hand to pick one, which you

" will find much harder and of more di- " ficult digeftion." Perhaps this may have given rife to tbe common faying, when one has undertaken any thing arduous

or difficult, that " He has got a bone to

tt i

• pick,

The Sicilians, like moft other nations in Europe, carefully avoid marrying in the month of May, and look upon fuch mar- riages as extremely inaufpicious. This piece of fuperftition is as old, perhaps older than the time of tte Romans, by whofe authors it is frequently mentioned ; and by whom it has been tranfmitted to al.moft every nation in Europe. It is fomewhat unaccountable, that fo ridiculous an idea^ which can have no foundation in nature, fliould have ftood its ground for fo many 3ges. There are indeed other cuftoms ftill sinore trivial, that are not lefs univerfal. X 3 Thaj

3 io A TOUR THROUGH

That of making April fools on the firfi: day of that month ; the ceremony of the cake on Twelfth-night ; and fome others that \vill occur to you, of which, no more than this, I have ever been able to learn the origin.

The marriages of the Sicilian nobility are celebrated with great magnificence ; and the number of elegant carriages produced on thefe occafions is aftonifhing. I wanted to difcover when this great luxury in car- riages had taken its rife ; and have found an account of the marriage of the daughter of one of their viceroys to the duke of Bivona, in the year 1551. It is defcribed by one Elenco, who wa^s a fpedator of the cere- mony. He fays the ladies as well as gentle-* men were all mounted on fine horfes, fump- tuoufly caparifoned, and preceded by pages : that there were only three carriages in the city, which were ufed by invalids who were not able to ride on horfeback. Thefe

he

SICILY AND MALTA. 311

he calls Carette, which word now fignifies a little cart.

The Sicilian ladies marry very young, and frequently live to fee the fifth or fixth generation. You will expect, no doubt, that I fhould fay fomethingof their beauty : In general, they are fprightly and agreeable ; and in moil parts of Italy they would be efteemed handfome. A Neapolitan or a Roman would furely pronounce them fo. But a Piedmontefe would declare them very ordinary; fo indeed would moft Englifhmen. Nothing fo vague as our ideas of female beauty : they change in every climate ; and the criterion is no where to be found.

• 6 Afk where's the North ? at York, 'tis on

the Tweed,

• • In Scotland at the Orcades, and there,

At Nova Zembla, or the Lord knows where/'

X 4 No

3 i2 A TOUR THROUGH

No two nations, perhaps no two men, have affixed precifely the fame charadter^ iftics; and every one exalts his idea of it, according to the beauty of the women he is accuftomed to fee; fo that even the fame perfon may fometimes appear beautiful, fometimes ugly, juft in proportion as we have feen others that are more or lefs fo. : I remember, after making the tour of Savoy and the Lower Valais, every woman we met in Switzerland appeared an angel. The fame thing happens in travelling through ibme parts of Germany ; and you will eafily recollect the furprifing difference be- twixt a beauty at Milan and one at Turin, although thefe places lie adjacent to each other. It is a pity that the Juno of Zeuxis has been loft, if it were no more than to have fhewn us the notion the ancients had of a perfect beauty. Indeed, the Venus of Medicis has been confidered as a model of perfection, but it is furely abfurd j for

whQ

SICILY AND MALTA. 313

who ever heard of a perfect beauty of five feet high ! the very idea is ridiculous ; and whatever figure her goddefship might make amongft the ancient divinities, in the pan- theon at Rome, I am afraid fhe would cut but a forry one amongft the modern ones, in that of London. In fhort, I believe we may fafely conclude, that beauty is a rela- tive quality, and the To kalon is no longer

</

the fame, no more in a phyfical than a moral fenfe, in any two places on the globe.

The ladies here have remarkable fine hair, and they underftand how to drefs and adorn it to the greateft advantage. It is now only ufed as an embellifhment ; but in former times we are told, that, like that of Sampfon, it was found to be the ftrength and protection of their country There is a paradox for you, that all the wife men of the Eaft could hardly folve, Their hif- relate, (in wllofe reign I believe is

rather;

3H A TOUR THROUGH

rather dubious) that this city had fuffered a long fiege from the Saracens, and was greatly reduced by famine ; but, what di- itreffed them ftill more, there were no ma- terials to be found for making bowftrings, and they were on the point of furrender- ing. In this dilemma, a patriotic dame ftepped forth, and propofed to the women, that the whole of them fhould cut off their hair, and twift it into bowftrings : This was immediately complied with. The he- roifm of the women, you know, muft ever excite that of the men. The beileged, animated by this gallant facrifice of the fair, renewed their defence with fuch. vi- gour, that the affailants were beat off; and a reinforcement foon after arriving, the city was faved. The ladies ftill value them- felves on this ftory, which you may believe has not been forgotten by their bards. <f The hair of our ladies (fays one of their " quaint poets) is ftill employed in the

• { fame office ; but now it difcharges no

" other

SICILY AND MALTA. 31$

• c other (hafts but thofe of Cupid ; and the

only cords it forms are the cords of " love."

The Sicilians are much fonder of ftudy than their neighbours on the continent; and their education is much more attended to. We were a good deal furprifed to find, that inftead of that frivolity and nothing- nefs, which fo often conflitute the conver- fation of the Italian nobility, here their delight was to talk on fubjeds of literature, of hiftory, of politics, but chiefly of po- etry ; for the other branches of knowledge and fcience are only general : this is the only one that may be faid to be univerfal. Every perfon in fome period of his life, is fure to be infpired ; and a lover is ne- ver believed fo long as he can fpeak of his paffion in profe ; and, contrary to our way of reafoning, is only reckoned true in proportion as he is poetical. Thus, infpi-

ration,

A TOUR THROUGH

ration, you fee, has here become the teft of truth.

We were aftonifhed on our firft arrival at Palermo, to bear ourfelves addreffed in Engjiili, by fonie of the young nobility ; but flill more fb, to find them intimately acquainted with many of our celebrated poets and philofophers. Milton, Shake^ fpeare, Dryden, Pope, Bacon, Boling- broke we found in feveral libraries, not in the tranflation, but generally in the beft editions of the original,

Our language, indeed, has become fo much in vogue, that it is now looked upon as no immaterial part of a polite edu- cation : the viceroy, the Marquis Fogli- ano, a man of great merit and humanity, has made fome of our authors his favou*- rite ftudy, and greatly encourages the pro*- grefs it is making in his kingdom. Many

of

SICILY AND MALTA. 317

of the nobility fpeak it a little ; and ibme of them even with eafe and fluency, al- though they have never been out of their ifland. The Marquis Natali, the Counts Statela and Bufchemi, the Duke of St. Micheli, &c. ; in whofe company we have enjoyed a great deal of pleafure, and whofe knowledge and erudition is the lead part of their praife. Adieu.

Yours, &c.

S i8 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXXVI.

Palermo, July 28th.

T HAD almoft forgot to fay any thing of the opera: It would have been very ungrateful, for we have been much de- lighted with it. The firft and fecond man, are both admirable fingers, and I make no doubt you will have them in London in a few years ; neither of them are as yet known, and I dare fay at prefent they might be engaged for a very moderate price ; but in Italy they will foon be taught to eftimate their value. The name of the firft is Pa- cherotti ; he is very young, and an entire flranger in the mufical world ; yet I am perfuaded, that after he has been heard on the different theatres in Italy, he will be efteemed one of their capital performers. His excellence is the pathetic, at prefent

too

SICILY AND MALTA; 319

too much negleded on moft theatres ; and indeed, I think, he gives more expreflion to. his cantabile airs, and makes his hearers feel more, becaufe he feels more himfelf,, than any that I have feen in Italy. He in- deed addrefles himfelf to the heart, while moft of the modern performers fing only to the fancy.

The firft woman is Gabrieli ; who is certainly the greateft finger in the world : and thofe that fing on the fame theatre with her muft be capital, otherwife they never can be attended to. This indeed has been the fate of all the other per- formers, except Pacherotti ; and he too gave himfelf up for loft, on hearing her firft performance. It happened to be an air of execution, exadly adapted to her voice, which fhe exerted in fo aftonifhing a manner, that before it was half done, poor Pacherotti burft out a crying ; and ran in behind the fcenes ; lamenting that he

had

A TOUR THROUGH

had dared to appear on the fame ftage with fo wonderful a linger; where his fmall talents muft not only be loft, but where he muft ever be accufed of a prefumption, which he hoped was foreign to his cha* rafter.

It was with fome difficulty they could prevail on him to appear again, but from an applaufe well merited, both from his talents and his modefty, he foon began to pluck up a little courage ; and in the fmg- ing of a tender air, addrefled to Gabrieli in the character of a lover, even fhe herfelf, as well as the audience, is faid to have been moved.

Indeed, in thefe very pathetic pieces, I am furprifed that the power of the mufie does not fometimes altogether overcome the delufion of character; for when you are mafter of the language, and allow the united power of the poetry, the action, and

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 321

the mufic, to have its full force on the mind, the effect is wonderfully great. However I have never heard that this hap- pened completely but once ; and it was no lefs a finger than Farinelli that produced it. Reappeared in the character of a young captive hero, and in a tender air was foli- citing mercy for his miftrefs and himfelf of a flern and cruel tyrant who had made them his prifoners. The perfon that acted the tyrant was fo perfectly overcome by the melting ftrains of Farinelli, that iriftead of refufing his requeft as he ought to have done, he entirely forgot his character, burft into tears, and caught him in his arms,

The performance of Gabriel! is fo gene- rally known and admired, that it is need- lefs to fay any thing to you on that fub- ject. Her wonderful execution and vo- lubility of voice have long been the admi- ration of Italy, and has even obliged them to invent a new term to exprefs it ; and

Vol.. II. Y would

322 A TOUR THROUGH

would fhe exert herfelf as much to pleafe as to aftonifh, ihe might almoft perform the wonders that have been afcribed to Orpheus and Timotheus ; but it happens, luckily perhaps for the repofe of mankind, that her caprice is, if poflible, even greater than her talents, and has made her ftilf more contemptible than thefe have made her celebrated. By this means, her charac- ter has often proved a fufficient antidote* both to the charms of her voice and thofe of her perfon, which are indeed almoft equally powerful ; but if thefe had been united. to the qualities of a modeft and an amiable mind, fhe muft have made dreadful havoc in the world. However, with all her faults, fhe is certainly the moft dangerous fyren of modern times, and has made more eonquefts, I fuppofe, than any one woman breathing.

It is but juftice to add, that contrary to the generality of her profeffion, fhe is by no

means

SICILY AND MALTA. 323

tneans felfifli or mercenary ; but on the contrary, has given many fingular proofs of generofity and difmtereftednefs. She is very rich ; from the bounty, as is fuppofed, of the laft emperor, who was fond of hav- ing her at Vienna ; but fhe was at laft ba- nifhed that city, as fhe has likewife been moft of thofe in Italy, from the broils and fquabbles that her intriguing fpirit, perhaps ftill more than her beauty, had excited. There are a great many anecdotes concern- ing her, that would not make an unenter- taining volume ; and, I am told, either are, or will foon be published.

Although fhe is confiderably upwards of thirty, on the ftage fhe fcarcely appears to be eighteen ; and this art of appearing young, is none of the moft contemptible that fhe pofleffes. When fhe is in good humour, and really chufes to exert herfelf, there is nothing in mufic that I have ever Y 2 heard,

324 A TOUR THROUGH

heard, to be compared to her performance! for me fings to the heart, as well as the fancy, when me pleafes ; and fhe then com- mands every paffion with unbounded fway. But me is feldom capable of exercifing thefe wonderful powers ; and her caprice and her talents exerting themfelves by turns, have given her, all her life, the fingular fate of becoming alternately an objet of admiration and of contempt,

Her powers in acting and reciting, are fcarcely inferior to thofe of her fmging ; fometimes, a few words in the recitative, with a fimple accompaniment only, pro- duces an effecT:, that I have never been fen- fible of from any other performer ; and in- clines me to believe what Roufleau advances on this branch of mufic, which with us is fo much defpifed. She owes much of her merit to the inflru&ions me received from Meteftafio, particularly in acting and recit- ing;

SICILY AND MALTA. 325

ing ; and he allows that me does more juflice to his operas than any other a&refs that ever attempted them.

Her caprice is fo fixed and fo ftubborn, that neither intereft, nor flattery, nor threats, nor punifliments, have the lead power over it ; and it appears, that treating her with refpedl or contempt, have an equal tendency to increafe it.

It is feldom that fhe condefcends to exert thefe wonderful talents ; but mofl particu- larly if fhe imagines that fuch an exertion is expected. And inftead of finging her airs as other acTrefTes do, for the moft part fhe. only hums them over, a mezzavoce. And no art whatever is capable of making her fing, when fhe does not chufe it.

The moft fuccefsful expedient has ever

been found, to prevail on her favourite

Lover, for fhe always has one, to place him?-

Y 3 felf

326 A TOUR THROUGH

felf in the centre of the pit, or the front box ; and if they are on good terms, which is feldom the cafe, {he will addrefs her ten- der airs to him, and exert herfelf to the utmoft. Her prefent enamorato promifed to give us this fpecimen of his power over her ; he took his place accordingly ; but Gabrieli, probably fufpeding the conni- vance, would take no notice of him ; fo that even this expedient does not always fucceed.

The viceroy, who is fond of mufic, has tried every method with her to no purpofe. Some time ago he gave a great dinner to the principal nobility of Palermo, and fenc ?in invitation to Gabrieli to be of the party* Every other perfon arrived at the hour of invitation. The viceroy ordered dinner to be kept back, and fent to let her know that the company waited her. The meffenger found her reading in bed ; fhe faid fhe was forry for having made the company

wait,

SICILY AND MALTA. 327

wait, and begged he would make her apo- logy, but that really fhe had entirely for- got her engagement.

The viceroy would have forgiven this piece of infolence, but, when the company came to the opera, Gabrieli repeated her part with the moft perfect negligence and indifference, and fung all her airs in what they call fotto voce, that is, fo low, that they can fcarcely be heard. The viceroy was offended ; but as he is a good-tempered man, he was loth to make ufe of autho- rity ; but at laft, by a pcrfeverance in this infolent ftubbornneis, fhe obliged him to threaten her with punifhment in cafe fhe any longer refufed to fing.

On this fhe grew more obflinate than ever, declaring that force and authority ftiould never fucceed with her; that he might make her cry, but that he never could make her fing. The viceroy then Y 4 fent

328 A TOUR THROUGH

fent her to prifon, where fhe remained twelve days. During which time, fhe gave magnificent entertainments every day ; paid the debts of all the poor prifoners, and diftributed large fums in charity. The viceroy was obliged to give up ftruggling with her, and fhe was at laft fet at liberty amidft the acclamations of the poor. Luckily for us, fhe is at prefent in good humour, and fometimes exerts herfelf to the utmoft of her power.

She fays fhe has feveral times been on terms with the managers of our opera, but thinks fhe fhall never be able to pluck up refolution enough to go to England.

What do you think is her reafon ? It is

by no means a bad one. She fays fhe can- not command her caprice; but, for the moft part, that it commands her; and that there fhe could have no opportunity of in- dulging it : For, fays fhe, were I to take it into my head not to fing, I am told the

people

SICILY AND MALTA. 329

people there would certainly mob me, and perhaps break my bones ; now I like to fleep in a found fkin, although it fhould even be in a prifon. She alleges too, that it is not always caprice that prevents her from fmging ; but that it often depends upon phyfical caufes ; and this indeed I can rea- dily believe : for that wonderful flexibility of voice that runs with fuch rapidity and neatnefs through the mod minute divifions, and produces almoft inftantaneoufly fo great a variety of modulation, muft furely de- pend on the very niceft tone of the fibres. And if thefe are in the fmalleft degree relaxed, or their elafticity diminifhed ; how is it poffible that their contractions and expanfions can fo readily obey the will, as to produce thefe effects ? The opening of the glottis which forms the voice is ex- tremely fmall, and in every variety of tone, its diameter muft fuffer a fenfible change ; for the fame diameter muft ever produce the fame tone : So wonderfully

minute

330 A TOUR THROUGH

minute are its contractions and dilatations, that Dr. Keil, I think, computes, that in forne voices, its opening, not more than the tenth of an inch, is divided into upwards of 1 200 parts, the different found of every one of which is perceptible to an exact ear. Now, what a nice tenfion of fibres muft this require ! I fhould imagine every the moft minute change in the air, muft caufe a fenfible difference, and that in our foggy climate the fibres would be in danger of lofing this wonderful fenfibility ; or at leaft, that they would very often be put out of tune. It is not the fame cafe with an ordinary voice j where the variety of divi- fions run through, and the volubility with which they are executed, bear no propor- tion to thofe of a Gabriel i.

One of the ballets of our opera, is a re- prefentation of Vauxhall gardens, and this is the third time I have feen Vauxhall brought upon the Italian theatre j at Turin,

at

SICILY AND MALTA. 331

at Naples, and here. The gardens are well reprefented, and the idea muft have been given by fome perfon that had been on the fpot. A variety of good Englifh figures are brought in : fome with large frizzled wigs flicking half a yard out behind their necks ; fome with little cut fcratches, that look extremely ridiculous. Some come in cracking their whips, with buckfkin breeches and jockey caps. Some are armed with great oaken flicks; their hair tied up in enormous clubs, and flocks that fwell their necks to double the natural fize. But what affords the principal part of the entertain- ment is, three quakers who are duped by three ladies of the town, v ; n concert with three jack-tars, their lovers. Thefe cha- racters, as you may believe, are much ex- aggerated, though, upon the whole, they are fupported with humour, and have af- forded us a good deal of laughing ; how- ver we were hurt to fee the refpeftable 2 character

332 A TOUR THROUGH

character of quakers turned into fuch ridi- cule ; and as the people here were altoge- ther unacquainted with it, we have been at fome pains to explain to them the Cm- plicity and purity of their manners, and the incorruptible integrity of their prin- ciples.

Although the Sicilians in "general are a good fort of people, and feem to be endow- ed with a large {hare of philanthropy and urbanity ; yet it muft be owned they have no great affedion for their neighbours on the continent ; and indeed the diflike is altogether reciprocal. It is fomewhat fm- gular ; I am afraid not much for the ho- nour of human nature ; that through all Europe, the two neighbouring nations have a perpetual jarring with each other. I could heartily wifh that we had been an ex- ception from this rule ; but am forry to fee, from our news- papers, which are fent tq

the

SICILY AND MALTA. 333

the nobility of this city, that at prefent, we are rather the moft diftinguifhed for it ; at leaft our animolities, if there really are any, make by much the greateft noife of alL We have often been afked by foreign* ers, what was the ground of the mighty quarrel, that fuch torrents of the moft il- liberal abufe have been poured out by a people fo celebrated for liberality of fen- timent ; and it is with difficulty we can perfuade them, that although from the .papers, this fometimes appears to be the voice of the nation, yet in fact, it is only confined to a fet of the moft worthlefs and defpicable incendiaries ; like him who fet the houfe in a flame, on purpofe to pilfer during the conflagration. But the abufe that is levelled at the king, furprifes them, more than all the reft; and you cannot conceive their amazement and indigna- tion when we aflured them, that notwith- ftanding all this, he was the moft vir- I tuous

334 A TOUR THROUGH

tuous and benevolent prince on earth. - Then, exclaimed a Sicilian nobleman, you muft certainly be the moft damnable people on the globe. I was a good deal ftruck with the fuddennefs of the charge; and it was not without many explanations of the liberty of our conftitution, and particu- larly that of the prefs, that I could prevail with him to retract his fentiments ; and think more favourably of us. Still he in- filled, that fo egregious an abufe of this liberty, was only a farther proof of his po- fition ; and that there muft be fomething effentially wrong, in a nation that could allow of fuch abufe levelled at the moft facred of all characters : the higheft virtue united to the higheft ftation. We aflured him, that what he heard, was only the voice of the moft abandoned and profligate wretches in the nation ; who, taking ad- vantage of the great freedom of the prefs, had often made thefe news-papers the

vehiclea

SICILY AND MALTA;

vehicles of the moft deteftable fedition. That both the king and queen were be- loved by all their fubjeds, at leaft by all thofe of worth; that they never were fpoken of but as the moft perfect model of conjugal union and happinefs, as well as of every focial endowment; and that they could have no enemies, but the ene- mies of virtue.

However, after all, we could but patch up a peace with him. He could not comprehend (he faid) how the voice of a few incendiaries fhould be louder than the general voice of the nation. We told him, that people who were pleafed com- monly held their tongue; and that fedi- tion and libel ever made a greater noife than panegyric ; juft as the fire-bell is rung louder, and is more liftened to than the bell for rejoicing.

Adieu.

A TOUR THROUGH

Adieu. Our pilot fays the wind is not fair, fo that poflibly we may Hill ftay a day or two longer.

Ever yours*

SICILY AND MALTA. 337

LETTER XXXVII.

Palermo, July 29th 4

WE R E I to enter upon the natural hiftory of this ifland, it would lead me into a vaft field of fpeculation, for which I have neither time nor abilities : However, a variety of objects flruck us as we travelled along, that it may not be amifs to give you fome little account of. - There are a variety of mineral waters, al- moft through the whole of Sicily. Many of thefe are boiling hot ; others ftill more fmgular, are of a degree of cold fuperior to that of ice, and yet never freeze.

In feveral places, they have fountains

that throw up a kind of oil on their furface,

which is of great ufe to the peafants, who

burn it in their lamps, and ufe it to many

OL. II. Z other

338 A TOUR THROUGH

other purpofes ; but there is ftill a more remarkable one near Nicofia which is called // fonts Canalotto. It is covered with a thick fcum of a kind of pitch, which amongft the country people is efteemed a fovereign remedy in rheumatic, and many other complaints.

The water of a fmall lake near Nafb is celebrated for dying black every thing that is put into it ; and this it is faid to perform without the mixture of any other ingredient, although the water itfelf is remarkably pure and tranfparent.

They have a variety of fulphureous baths, like thofe near Naples, where the patient is thrown into a profufe fweat, only from the heat of the vapour. The moft celebrated are thofe of Sciaccia, and on the mountain of St. Cologero ; not in the neighbourhood of ^Btna, as I expeded,

but

SICILY AND MALTA. 339

but at a great diftance from that mountain. But indeed I am much inclined to believe, that not only mount ^Etna, but the greateft part of Sicily, and almoft the whole of the circumjacent iflands, have been originally formed by fubterraneous fire ; but I (hall have an opportunity of fpeaking more largely on this fubject, when I give you an account of the country round Naples.

I have obferved lava, pumice, and tufa in many parts of Sicily ; at a great diftance from JEtna ; and there are a variety both of mountains and valleys that ftill emit a hot vapour, and produce fprings of boil- ing water.

About a mile and a half to the weft of this city, at a fmall beach where we often go a fvvimming, there are many fprings of warm water that rife even within the Tea, at the depth of five or fix feet. We were at firft a good deal furprifed to find our- Z s felves

340 A TOUR THROUGH

felves almoft inftantaneoufly both in the hot and cold bath ; for at one ftroke we commonly pafled through the hot water, which only extends for a few feet around the fpring. It gave us a momentary glow, and produced a very odd, uncouth fen- fation, by no means an agreeable one. I mentioned this lingularity to feveral gen- tlemen here, who tell me they have ob- ferved the fame thing.

Not a great way from this is a cele- brated fountain, called // Mar Dolce, where there are fome remains of an ancient naumachia ; and in the mountain above it they fhew you a cavern, where a gigantic fkeleton is faid to have been found : however, it fell to duft when they attempted to remove it. Fazzello fays, its teeth were the only part that refifted the impreffion of the air; that he procured two of them, and that they weighed near two ounces. There are many fuch ftories

tc*

SICILY AND MALTA, 341

to be met with in the Sicilian legends, as it feems to be an univerfal belief, that this ifland was once inhabited by giants ; but although we have made diligent inquiry, we have never yet been able to procure a fight of any of thefe gigantic bones which are faid to be ftill preferved in many parts of the ifland. Had there been any foun- dation for this, I think it is probable, they muft have found their way into fome of the mufeums ; b,ut this is not the cafe ; nor indeed have we met with any perfon of fenfe and credibility that could fay they had feen any of them. We had been allured at Naples, that an entire fkeleton, up- wards of ten feet high, was preferved in the mufeum of Palermo ; but there is no fuch thing there, nor I believe any where elfe in the ifland. This mufeum is well furnifhed both with antiques and articles of natural hiflory, but is not fuperior to what we have feen in many other places.

Z 3 The

342 A TOUR THROUGH

The number of fouls in Palermo are computed at about 150,000. Thofe of the whole ifland, by the laft numeration, amounted to 1,123,163; of which num- ber there are about 50,000 that belong to the different monafteries and religious or- ders. The number of houfes are com- puted at 268,120, which makes betwixt five and fix to a houfe.

The great {landing commodity of Sicily, which has ever conflituted the riches of the ifland, was their crops of wheat ; but they cultivate many other branches of com- merce, though none that could bear any proportion to this, were it under a free government, and exportation allowed. Their method of preferving their grain will appear fomewhat fingular to our far- mers : inftead of expofing it, as we do, to the open air, they are at the greatefl pains to exclude it entirely from it. In many places, where the foil is dry, particularly i

SICILY AND MALTA. 343

near Agrigentum, they have dug large pits or caverns in the rock. Thefe open by a fmall hole at top, and fwell to a great width below ; here they pour down their grain, after it has been made exceedingly dry; and ramming it hard, they cover up the hole, to protect it from rain ; and they affure us it will pfeferve in this manner for many years.

The Soda is a plant that is much culti- vated, and turns out to confiderable ac- count. This is the vegetable, that by the action of fire, is afterwards converted into mirrors and chryftals. Great quantities of it are fent every year to fupply the glafs- houfes at Venice. They have likewife a confiderable trade in liquorice, rice, figs, raifms, and currants, the beft of which grow amongft the extinguifhed volcanoes of the Lipari Iflands. Their honey is, I think, the high eft flavoured I have ever feen j in fome parts of the ifland even Z 4 fuperior

344 A TOUR THROUGH

fuperior to that of Minorca : this is owing, no doubt, to the quantity of aromatic plants, with which this beautiful country is every where overfpread. This honey is gathered three months in the year ; July, Auguft, and October. It is. found by the peafants, in the hollows of trees and rocks ; and is efteemed of a fuperior quality to that produced under the tyranny of man. The country of the LeiTer Hybla is ftill, as formerly, the part of the ifland that is moft celebrated far honey. The Count Statela made us a prefent of fome of it, gathered on his brother the Prince of Spaccaforno's eftate, which lies near th ruins of that city.

Sugar is now no article of the Sicilian commerce, though a fmall quantity of it is ftill manufactured for home-confumption ; but the plantations of the fugar-cane, I am. told, thrive well in feveral parts of the

The

SICILY AND MALTA. 345

The juice of liquorice is prepared both here and in Calabria, and is fent to the northern countries of Europe, where it is ufed for colds. The juice is fqueezed out of the roots ; after which it is boiled to a confiftency, and formed into cakes, which are packed up with bay-leaves in the fame order that we receive them.

, In fome of the northern parts of the ifknd, I am told, they find the fhell-fifh that produces a kind of flax, of which gloves and (lockings are made; but thefe two are found in greater quantities in Ca- labria.

Their plantations of oranges, lemons, bergamots, almonds, &c. produce no in- confiderable branch of commerce. The piftachio-nut too is much cultivated in m*ny parts of the ifland, and with great fuccefs. Thefe trees, like many others, are

male

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male and female; the male is called Scor- nobeccoy and is always barren ; but unlefs a quantity of thefe are mixed in every planta- tion, the piftachio-tree never bears a nut. But of all the variety that is cultivated in Sicily, the manna-tree is efteemed the molt profitable ; it refembles the afh, and is I believe of that fpecies. About the begin- ning of Auguft, during the feafon of the greatefl heat, they make an incifion in the bark, near to the root of the tree ; a thidk whitifh liquor is immediately difcharged from the wound, which foon hardens in the fun, when it is carefully taken off and gathered into boxes. They renew thefe incifions every day during the feafon, ob- ferving, however, only to wound one fide of the tree ; the other fide they referve for the fummer following.

The cantharides-fly is a Sicilian commo- dity : it is found on feveral trees of jEtna,

whofe

SICILY AND MALTA. 347

whofe juice is fuppofed to have a corrofive or abfterfive quality, particularly the pine and the fig-tree ; and I am told the tharides of Mount jEtna are reckoned ferable to thofe of Spain.

The marbles of Sicily would afford a great fource of opulence, were there any encouragement to work the quarries : of thefe they have an infinite variety, and of the fineft forts. I have feen fome of them little inferior to the giall and verd antiqua, that is now fo precious. The beautiful yellow columns you muft have obferved in the royal chapel of Caflerto are of the firft kind. They have likewife fome that very much referable lapis lazuli and por- phyry.

At Centorbi they find a kind of foft ftone that diflblves in water, and is ufed in wafh- ing inftead of foap, from which property

it

348 A TQLJR THROUGH

it is called Pictra Saponaro. They likewife find here, as well as in Calabria, the cele- brated Hone, which, upon being watered and expofed to a pretty violent degree of heat, produces a plentiful crop of mufh- rooms : But it would be endlefs to give you an account of all the various com- modities and curious productions of this ifland ; ^Stna alone affords a greater num- ber than many of the moft extenfive king- doms, and is no lefs an epitome of the whole earth in its foil and climate, than in the variety of its productions. Befidesthe corn, the wine, the oil, the filk, the fpice, and delicious fruits of its lower region; the beautiful forefts, the flocks, the game, the tar, the cork, the honey, of its fecond ; the fnow and ice of its third ; it affords from its caverns a variety of mineral and other productions ; cinnabar, mercury, ful- pfeur, allum, nitre, and vitriol ; fo that this wonderful mountain at the fame time

produces

SICILY AND MALTA. 349

produces every neceffary and every luxury of life.

Its firft region covers their tables with all the delicacies thaf the earth produces; its fecond fupplies them with game, cheefe, butter, honey j and not only furnifhes wood of every kind for building their {hips and houfes, but likewife an inexhauftible ftore of excellent fewel ; and as the third region, with its ice and fnow, keeps them frefh and cool during the heat of fummer, fo this contributes equally to keep them warm and comfortable during the cold of winter.

Thus, you fee, the variety of climates is not confined to Jitna itfelf ; but, in obe- dience to the voice of man, defcends from that mountain ; and mingling the violence of their extremes, diffufes the moft benign influences all over the ifland, tempering

each

3^0 A TOUR THROUGH

each other to moderation, and fdftening the rigours of every feafon.

We are not then to be furprifed at thd obftinate attachment of the people to this mountain, and that all his terrors have not been able to drive them away from him : for although he fometimes chaftifes ; yet, like an indulgent parent, he mixes fuch bleffings along with his chaftifements, that their affections can never be eftranged ; for at the fame time that he threatens with a rod of iron, he pours down upon them all the bleffings of the age of gold.

Adieu. We are now going to pay our refpeds to the viceroy, and make ou* farewel vifits. This ceremony never fails to throw a damp on my fpirits ; but I have feldom found it fo ftrong as at prefent, there being little or no probability that we (hall ever fee again a number of worthy

people

SICILY AND MALTA. 351

people we arejuft now going to take leave of, or that we fhall ever have it in our power to make any return for the many civilities we have received from them.

Farewell. The wind we are told is fair, and I fhall probably be the bearer of this to the continent, from whence you may foon expert to hear from, &c.

352 A TOUR THROUGH

LETTER XXXVIII.

Naples, Augufl ill.

A FTER two days delightful failing, we have again arrived in this city ; where, to our infinite joy, we have found all the worthy friends we had left behind us. This indeed was neceflary, to wipe out the impreflions which the leaving of Sicily had occafioned. We {hall ftill remain here, at leaft for three months, till the feafon of the Mai Aria is entirely over. You know the danger of travelling through the Cam- pania during that feafon ; which although it is looked upon by many of our learned do&ors as a vulgar error, yet we certainly {hall not fubmit ourfelves .to the experi- ment.

2 ' We

SICILY AND MALTA. 353

We propofe to pafs the winter at Rome, Where we fhall probably find occupation enough for four or five months. From thence by Loretto, Bologna, &c. to Ve- nice; the old beaten track.- We fhall then leave the parched fields of Italy, for the delightful cool mountains of Switzerland ; where liberty and fimplicity, long fince banifhed from polifhed nations, ftill flourish in their original purity; where the tem- perature and moderation of the climate* and that of the inhabitants, are mutually emblematical of each other. For whilft other nations are fcorched by the heat of the fun, and the ftill more fcorching heats of tyranny and fuperftitioh; here the genial breezes for ever fan the air, and heighten that alacrity and joy which li- berty and innocence alone can infpire ; here the genial flow of the foul has never yet been check'd by the idle and ufelefs refinements of art ; but opens and expands itfelf to all the calls of affe&ion and bene-

VOL. IL A a volence*

A TOUR THROUGH

volence. But I muft flop. You know my old attachment to that primitive country* It never fails to ruii away with me. We propofe then, to make this the fcene of our fummer pleafures ; and by that time, I can forefee, we {hall be heartily tired of Art, and fhall begin again to languifh after Nature. It is {he alone that can give any real or lafting pleafure, and in all our pur- fuits of happinefs, if {he is not our guide, we never can attain our end.

Adieu, my dear friend. Ybu have been our faithful companion during this Tour, and have not contributed a little to its pleafure. If it has afforded equal enter- tainment to you, we {hall beg of you {till to accompany us through the reft of our travels. A man muft have a miferable ima- gination indeed, that can be in folitude, whilft he has fuch friends to converfe with ; the confideration of it foon removes the mountains and feas that feparate us,

and

SICILY AND MALTA. 355

and produces thefe fympathetic feelings, which are the only equivalent for the real abfence of a friend ; for I never fit down to write, but I fee you placed on the oppofite fide of the table, and fuppofe that we are juft talking over the tranfactions of the day. And without yoijr prefence to ani- mate me, how is it pbffible that I could have had patience to write thefe enormous epiftles? Adieu. We are foon going to make fome excurfions through the king- dom of Naples : and if they produce any thing worthy of your obfervation, we muft beg that you will ftill fubmit to be one of the party.

I ever am,

Moft fmcerely and affectionately, yours, PAT. BRYDONE.

FINIS.

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