four of his own generals, who have been fighting for the crown or throne of Perfia ever fince.

Of the Sicilian Banditti; from Brydone's Tour through Sicily and Malta.

W

E are juft returned from the prince's. He received us politely, but with a good deal of ftate. He offered us the ufe of his carriages, as there are none to be hired; and, in the ufual ftile, begged to know in what he could be of fervice to us. We told him, (with an apology for our abrupt departure) that we were obliged to fet off to-morrow, and begged his protection on our journey: He replied, that he would immediately give orders for guards to attend us, that should be answerable for every thing; that we need give ourselves no farther trouble; that whatever number of mules we had occafion for, fhould be ready at the door of the inn, at any hour we fhould think proper to appoint: he added, that we might entirely rely on thefe guards, who were people of the moft determined refolution, as well as of the most approved confidence, and would not fail to chaftife on the fpot, any perfon that thould prefume to impofe upon

us.

Now, who do you think thefe trufty and well beloved guards are compofed of? Why of the moft daring, and most hardened villains, perhaps, that are to be met with upon earth, who, in any other country, would have been broken upon the wheel, or hung in chains;

but are here publicly protected, and univerfally feared and refpected. It was this part of the police of Sicily, that I was afraid to give you an account of: however, I have now converfed with the prince's people on the fubject, and they have confirmed every circumstance that Mr. Meaftre made me ac quainted with.

He told me, that in this east part of the ifland, called Val Demoni, from the devils that are fupposed to inhabit mount Etna; it has ever been found altogether impracticable to extirpate the banditti ; there being numberless caverns and fubterraneous paffages around that mountain, where no troops could poffibly purfue them: that, befides, as they are known to be perfectly determined and refolute, never failing to take a dreadful revenge on all who have offended them, the prince of Villa Franca has embraced it, not only as the fafeft, but likewife as the wifeft, and most political scheme, to become their declared patron and protector. And fuch of them as think proper to leave their mountains and forefts, though perhaps only for a time, are fure to meet with good encouragement, and a certain protection in his fervice, where they enjoy the most unbounded confidence, which, in no inftance, they have ever yet been found to make an improper or a dif honeft ufe of. They are clothed in the prince's livery, yellow and green, with filver lace; and wear likewife a badge of their honourable order, which entitles them to univerfal fear and refpect from the people.

I have just been interrupted by an upper fervant of the prince's,

who, both by his looks and language, feems to be of the fame worthy fraternity. He tells us, that he has ordered our muleteers, at their peril, to be ready by daybreak; but that we need not go till we think proper; for it is their bufinefs to attend on noftri eccellenzi. He fays he has likewife ordered two of the most defperate fellows in the whole island to accompany us; adding, in a fort of whifper, that we need be under no apprehenfion; for that if any perfon fhould prefume to impofe upon us of a fingle baiocc*, that they would certainly put them to death. I gave him an ounce t, which I knew was what he expected; on which he redoubled his bows and his eccellenzas, and declared we were the most honorabili Signiori he had ever met with, and that if we pleased, he himself fhould have the honour of attending us, and would chaftife any perfon that should dare to take the wall of us, or injure us in the most minute trifle. We thanked him for his zeal, fhewing him we had fwords of our own. On which, bowing zefpectfully, he retired.

I can now, with more affurance, give you fome account of the converfation I had with Signior Maeftre, who feems to be a very intelligent man, and has refided here, for these great many years.

He fays, that in fome circumftances these banditti are the most refpectable people of the ifland; and have by much the highest, and moft romantic notions of what they call their point of honour. That, however criminal they may be with regard to fociety in general; yet,

A finall coin.

with refpect to one another, and to every perion to whom they have once profeffed it, they have ever maintained the most unfhaken fidelity. The magiftrates have of ten been obliged to protect them, and pay them court, as they are known to be perfectly determined, and defperate, and fo extremely vindictive, that they will certainly put any perfon to death, that has ever given them just cause of provocation. On the other hand, it never was known that any perfon who had put himself under their protection, and fhewed that he had confidence in them, had caufe to repent of it, or was injured by any of them, in the moft minute trifle; but on the contrary, they will protect him from impofitions of every kind, and fcorn to go halves with the landlord, like most other conductors and travelling fervants; and will defend him with their lives, if there is occafion. That thofe of their number, who have thus enlifted themfelves in the fervice of fociety, are known and refpected by the other banditti all over the island; and the perfons of thofe they accompany are ever held facred. For these reasons, moft travellers chufe to hire a couple of them from town to town; and may thus travel over the whole island in fafety. To illuftrate their cha racter the more, he added two stories, which happened but a few days ago, and are ftill in every body's mouth :

A number of people were found digging in a place where fome treafure was fuppofed to have been hid during the plague: as this has been forbid under the most severe

penalties, they were immediately carried to prifon, and expected to have been treated without mercy; but, luckily for the others, one of thefe heroes happened to be of the number. He immediately wrote to the Prince of Villa Franca, and made ufe of fuch powerful arguments in their favour, that they were all immediately fet at liberty.

This will ferve to fhew their confequence with the civil power; the other flory will give you a ftrong idea of their barbarous ferocity, and the horrid mixture of stubborn vice and virtue (if I may call it by that name) that feems to direct their actions. I fhould have mentioned, that they have a practice of borrowing money from the country people, who never dare refuse them; and if they promife to pay it, they have ever been found punctual and exact, both as to the time and the fum; and would much rather rob and murder an innocent perfon, than fail of payment at the day appointed and this they have often been obliged to do, only in order (as they fay) to fulfil their engagements, and to fave their honour.

It happened within this fortnight, that the brother of one of thefe heroic banditti having occafion for money, and not knowing how to procure it, determined to make ufe of his brother's name and authority, an artifice which he thought could not eafily be difcovered; accordingly he went to a country prieft, and told him his brother had occafion for twenty ducats, which he defired he would immediately lend him. The priest affured him that he had not fo large a fum, but that if he would

return in a few days it should be ready for him. The other replied, that he was afraid to return to his brother with this answer; and defired, that he would by all means. take care to keep out of his way, at leaft till fuch time as he had pacified him; otherwife he could not be anfwerable for the confequences. As bad fortune would have it, the very next day the priest and the robber met in a narrow road; the former fell a-trembling, as the latter approached, and at laft dropped on his knees to beg for mercy. The robber, aftonithed at this behaviour, defired to know the caufe of it. The trembling priest answered, "I denaro.' The money, the money but fend your brother to-morrow, and you fhall have it. The haughty robber affured him, that he dif dained taking money of a poor prieft; adding, that if any of his brothers had been low enough to make fuch a demand, he himself was ready to advance the fum. The prieft acquainted him with the vifit he had received the preceding night from his brother, by his order; affuring him, that if he had been mafter of the fum, he fhould immediately have fupplied it.-Well, fays the robber, I will now convince you whether my brother or I are most to be believed; you fhall go with me to his house, which is but a few miles diftant.

On their arrival before the door, the robber called on his brother; who never fufpecting the difcovery, immediately came to the balcony; but on perceiving the priest, he began to make excufes for his conduct. The robber told him, there was no excufe to be made; that he only defired

[We fhall conclude this article, with a fpecimen of the behaviour of these formidable guards upon their journey.]

We have had a delightful journey, and if all Sicily is but as agreeable, we thall not repent of our expedition. We left Meffina early this morning, with fix mules for ourselves and fervants, and two for our baggage. This train, I affure you, makes no contemptible appearance; particularly when you call to mind our front and rear guard; by much the most confpicuous part of it. Thefe are two great drawcanfir figures, armed cap-a-pie, with a broad hanger, two enormous pistols, and a long arquebafe: This they kept cock'd and ready for action in all fufpicious places where they recounted us abundance of wonderful ftories of robberies and murders; fome of them, with fuch very minute cir. cumftances, that I am fully pers fuaded they themselves were the principal actors. However, I look upon our fituation as perfectly fe-, cure; they pay us great refpect, and take the utmost pains that we VOL. XVI.

fhall not 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 horfes, 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 least one half of it on our bills. They entertained us with some of their feats, and make no fcruple of owning their having put feveral people to death; but add, " Mas

tutti, tutti honorabilmente.”That is to fay, that they did not do it in a daftardly manner, nor without juft provocation.

Of the Florentines; by the late Eart of Corke and Orrery.

T

HE inhabitants of the higher fort are civil, grave, and abftemious. Even an Englishman, conquered by example, drinks not bumpers here. The common people are lazy, proud, and cowardly Not a grain of Roman fpirit re mains throughout Tufcany. You know the general attachment which is inherent to names. The Florentines languifh after the house of Medici; yet by that family they were firft enflaved. That they fhould with their prince to refide among them, is confonant to nature and to reafon. They dream of antient liberty; their dreams have a gloomy effect upon their waking hours; they appear me lancholy. We are a people," fay they, who are tied by the leg. We wish to fly, but we

F

"are detained by iron chains." Whither would they fly? Undoubt. edly to their ancient republic.

Their good breeding runs into the ftiffness of ceremony. They are offended at the leaft defect in decorum. There are certain eftablished laws in going into a coach, that fill puzzle me, and often make me ftudy very heartily which is my right, and which is my left hand. No Florentine ever appears in an undress. The fidlers, the taylors, and the barbers, all wear fwords. The noblemen (la nobilità) ftir not to the next door without a numerous attendance of lacqueys, among whom is always a running footman. They are ftrangers to what the French call eafe; in which point that nation deviates into an extreme, particularly by avoiding cleanlinefs, and forgetting decorum.

The Florentines affect, and almoft reach magnificence. Their equipages are fine, their coaches large, their horfes lean; their palaces truly fumptuous. They make few or no entertainments. Neither their difpofitions nor revenues will allow of hofpitality. They have card-affemblies, in which formality, rather than dignity, or gaiety, prefides. I am told they are fatyrical. It is certain they are nice obfervers, and neither defective in judgment or understanding; yet their public amufements and diver. fions, efpecially thofe of the theatre, are the amufements and diverfions of children. The practice of religion is outwardly acted by their priests, and indeed by the laiety in the churches. Few traces of it (I fpeak not of the clergy) are perceptible in their conduct. Not half an hour ago, a folemn pro

ceffion paffed under our windows. The perfons, who attended it, fhewed by their behaviour their private opinion of the fcenery. No heretics could have conducted themselves in a more indecent manner. The customs and external forms of religion are continued; the reverence and devotion of it are neglected. Prudence (by an inviolable taciturnity on certain points) added to a most conftant attendance at mafs, defend the Florentines from the tyranny of the inquifition; which exifts, but triumphs not, in this city.

How fhall I fpell, how fhall I paint, how fhall I defcribe, the animal known by the title of a Chichifee? [Cicifbeo]. You will not find the word in any dictionary. The etymology is not as yet made known to me. It fo totally abrogates one of the chief characteristics of the Italians, Jealoufy, that, unless I had feen innumerable inftances of its power in that particular, fcarce your own teftimony could have found credit with me. The Chichibee is a man, with many of the privileges of a husband, and all the virtues of an eunuch. He is an appendix to matrimony. Within a week after her nuptials, a young lady makes choice of her Chichibee. From that moment the never appears in public with her husband, nor is ever imprudent enough to be feen without her Chichibee. He is her guardian, her friend, and her gentleman ufher. He attends her in a morning as foon as she is awake. He prefents to her chocolate before fhe rifes. He fets her flippers; and, as foon as his morning visit is over, he withdraws where he pleases. The lady admits him not to dinner.