Among the Neapolitans the upper ranks are ignorant, licentious, dissipated, and inveterately addicted to the most ruinous gallantry ; the gentlemen of the church and the law tolerably well educated ; the middle class possessed of considerable worth ; and the lower populace good humour ed, open-hearted, passionate, but not malicious, and so fond of drollery, that a juke will Frequently serve to check their most violent fits of anger.
The Tuscans arc, in every view, the most worthy and in dustrious part of the nation. The wealthier individuals are fond of learning, and friendly to strangers. The peasantry sober in their manners, and even distinguished above the other Italians in respect of their personal appearance.
The Romans possess neither the worth of the Tuscans, nor the good-natured buffoonery of the Neapolitans. The nobles are polite to foreigners, but the trades-people and populace are savage and fraudulent, retaining much of the ancient haughty character, and proud of their descent from the conquerors or the world.
The higher ranks throughout Italy are extremely hos pitable, so that a good letter of recommendation may carry a traveller from house to house all over the country. Per sons of rank among themselves, usually pass in their jour nies front one villa to another without making uSe of the inns, which arc consequently possessed of very inferior ac commodations. The inhabitants, in general, are full of civi lity to strangers ; and are remarkable for honesty to one another, so that, even in Calabria, the houses are left en tirely open during the absence of the family on their daily avocations. The Italians, in general, are described as dirty in their dress, cookery, and persons.
" The Italians," says Semple, referring to the country between Leghorn and Naples, " are a singular mixture of eagerness and cunning, of mildness and violence, of super stition and irreligion. They are vehement in their gestures on trivial occasions ; but, at the very time that they appear absorbed in the violence of passion, they are full of dupli city, and grow cool in a moment, if they see any advantage in doing so. They affect to speak with great mildness and appearance of regard, even to an absolute stranger, and yet suddenly break out into violent fits of passion. They will talk lightly of the church, and turn their priests into ridi cule ; but, after uttering an irreligious jest, a sacred awe seems to drive them to the altar, where they receive the sacrament from the very hand which they have ridiculed. No people that I have yet seen descend so low in order to excite compassion. If they gain their object by any means, they are satisfied ; and, in order to effect this, they fawn upon strangers in a manner which quickly becomes tedious, and even disgusting. They feel with greater accuracy than they reason ; and are more apt to mislead themselves when they take time to deliberate, than when they act from the impulse ofithe moment. The mildness of their climate inspires them with cheerfulness, and they give themselves up with ardour to every pleasure, even the most trifling ; yet their looks are composed, and even grave, and their walk has nothing in it which indicates levity. In the ob
servance of the matrimonial engagements, no people can be more lax ; nor is there any country where jealousy is so little known, • nor indeed where it would be so very useless." A more favourable view is conveyed by the following sketches of Dr. Moore. " In the external deportment, the Italians have a grave solemnity of manner, which is some times thought to arise from a natural gloominess of disposi tion. Though, in the pulpit, or the theatre, and even in com mon conversation, the Italians make use of a great deal of action ; yet Italian vivacity is different from French ; the former pi occeds from sensibility, the latter from animal spirits. The inhabitants of this country have not the brisk look and elastic trip which is universal in France ; they move rather with a slow composed pace ; their spines. never having been forced into a straight line, retain the natural bend ; and the people of the most finished fashion, as well as the neglected vulgar, seem to prefer the uncon strained attitude of the Antinous, and other antique statues. to the artificial graces of a French dancing master, or the erect strut of a German soldier. I imagine I perceive a great resemblance between many of the living countenances I sec daily. and the features of the ancient busts and sta tues ; which leads me to believe that there are a greater number of the genuine descendants of the old Romans in Italy than is generally imagined. I am often struck with the fine character of countenance to be seen in the streets of Rome. I never saw features more expressive of re flection, sense, and genius ; in the very lowest ranks there are countenances which announce minds fit for the highest and most important situations ; we cannot help regretting that those to whom they belong have not received an educa tion adequate to the natural abilities we are convinced they possess, and placed where these abilities could be brought into action." '• The present race of women of high rank are more dis tinguished by their other ornaments, than by their beauty. Among the citizens, however, and the lower classes, you frequently meet with the most beautiful countenances. I will give you a sketch of the general style of the most beautiful female heads in this country. A great profusion of dark hair, which seems to encroach upon the forehead, rendering it short and narrow ; the nose generally either aquiliin, or continued in a straight line from the lower part of the brow ; a full and short upper lip; the eyes are large, and of a sparkling black, and wonderfully expressive. The complexion, for the most part, is of a clear brown, some times fair, but very seldom florid, or of that bright fairness which is common in England and Saxony.