But All These Objects Having
Been Circumstantially Described By Twenty Different Authors Of
Travels, I Shall Not Trouble You With A Repetition Of Trite
Observations.
That part of the city which stands on each side of the river,
makes a very elegant appearance, to which the four bridges and
the stone-quay between them, contribute in a great measure.
I
lodged at the widow Vanini's, an English house delightfully
situated in this quarter. The landlady, who is herself a native
of England, we found very obliging. The lodging-rooms are
comfortable; and the entertainment is good and reasonable. There
is a considerable number of fashionable people at Florence, and
many of them in good circumstances. They affect a gaiety in their
dress, equipage, and conversation; but stand very much on their
punctilio with strangers; and will not, without great reluctance,
admit into their assemblies any lady of another country, whose
noblesse is not ascertained by a title. This reserve is in some
measure excusable among a people who are extremely ignorant of
foreign customs, and who know that in their own country, every
person, even the most insignificant, who has any pretensions to
family, either inherits, or assumes the title of principe, conte,
or marchese.
With all their pride, however, the nobles of Florence are humble
enough to enter into partnership with shop-keepers, and even to
sell wine by retail. It is an undoubted fact, that in every
palace or great house in this city, there is a little window
fronting the street, provided with an iron-knocker, and over it
hangs an empty flask, by way of sign-post. Thither you send your
servant to buy a bottle of wine. He knocks at the little wicket,
which is opened immediately by a domestic, who supplies him with
what he wants, and receives the money like the waiter of any
other cabaret. It is pretty extraordinary, that it should not be
deemed a disparagement in a nobleman to sell half a pound of
figs, or a palm of ribbon or tape, or to take money for a flask
of sour wine; and yet be counted infamous to match his daughter
in the family of a person who has distinguished himself in any
one of the learned professions.
Though Florence be tolerably populous, there seems to be very
little trade of any kind in it: but the inhabitants flatter
themselves with the prospect of reaping great advantage from the
residence of one of the arch-dukes, for whose reception they are
now repairing the palace of Pitti. I know not what the revenues
of Tuscany may amount to, since the succession of the princes of
Lorraine; but, under the last dukes of the Medici family, they
were said to produce two millions of crowns, equal to five
hundred thousand pounds sterling. These arose from a very heavy
tax upon land and houses, the portions of maidens, and suits at
law, besides the duties upon traffick, a severe gabelle upon the
necessaries of life, and a toll upon every eatable entered into
this capital. If we may believe Leti, the grand duke was then
able to raise and maintain an army of forty thousand infantry,
and three thousand horse; with twelve gallies, two galeasses, and
twenty ships of war. I question if Tuscany can maintain at
present above one half of such an armament. He that now commands
the emperor's navy, consisting of a few frigates, is an
Englishman, called Acton, who was heretofore captain of a ship in
our East India company's service. He has lately embraced the
catholic religion, and been created admiral of Tuscany.
There is a tolerable opera in Florence for the entertainment of
the best company, though they do not seem very attentive to the
musick. Italy is certainly the native country of this art; and
yet, I do not find the people in general either more musically
inclined, or better provided with ears than their neighbours.
Here is also a wretched troop of comedians for the burgeois, and
lower class of people: but what seems most to suit the taste of
all ranks, is the exhibition of church pageantry. I had occasion
to see a procession, where all the noblesse of the city attended
in their coaches, which filled the whole length of the great
street called the Corso. It was the anniversary of a charitable
institution in favour of poor maidens, a certain number of whom
are portioned every year. About two hundred of these virgins
walked in procession, two and two together, cloathed in violet-coloured
wide gowns, with white veils on their heads, and made a
very classical appearance. They were preceded and followed by an
irregular mob of penitents in sack-cloth, with lighted tapers,
and monks carrying crucifixes, bawling and bellowing the
litanies: but the great object was a figure of the Virgin Mary,
as big as the life, standing within a gilt frame, dressed in a
gold stuff, with a large hoop, a great quantity of false jewels,
her face painted and patched, and her hair frizzled and curled in
the very extremity of the fashion. Very little regard had
been paid to the image of our Saviour on the cross; but when his
lady-mother appeared on the shoulders of three or four lusty
friars, the whole populace fell upon their knees in the dirt.
This extraordinary veneration paid to the Virgin, must have been
derived originally from the French, who pique themselves on their
gallantry to the fair sex.
Amidst all the scenery of the Roman catholic religion, I have
never yet seen any of the spectators affected at heart, or
discover the least signs of fanaticism. The very disciplinants,
who scourge themselves in the Holy-week, are generally peasants
or parties hired for the purpose. Those of the confrairies, who
have an ambition to distinguish themselves on such occasions,
take care to secure their backs from the smart, by means of
secret armour, either women's boddice, or quilted jackets.
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