A ( 169 ) · A DESCRIPTION of VENICE. From the Entertaining and Instructive Traveller. Genoefe fculptor was sent for to Venice exprefs, to perform fome curious piece of workmanship in the church belonging to the Jefuits. As he was remarkably famous, it was cuftomary to go and fee him at work. Two French travellers, amongst others, hearing of his performance, went to fee him, and after admiring the beauties of the piece he was about, they infenfibly led him into a converfation about the Venetian form of government. The Frenchmen, according to their laudable cuftom of finding fault with every thing out of their own country, launched out into bitter invectives against the fenate, and the re public, and very liberally bestowed the title of pantaloons on the fenators. The poor Genoefe defended the Venetians, but to no purpose; for as they were two to one, they foon filenced him.-The next morning the council of ftate fent for the Genoefe, who was brought before the fenate, fhuddering with fear: He had no idea of his crime; nor was any thing farther from his thoughts, than the converfation he had had with the two Frenchmen. From the Senate he was carried before the council of ftate, where he was afked if he fhould know the Frenchmen again, with whom he held a converfation the day before, on the government of the republic. At this question his fears redoubled, and he answered in a faultering voice, that he had faid nothing but what was greatly to the praise and honour of the fenate. He was then ordered to look into the next chamber, where he faw the two Frenchmen quite dead, and hung up to the cieling. He judged from this horrid fpectacle that his laft hour was come; but he was remanded before the fenate, when the Doge in a folemn manner pronounced these words: "Keep filence for the future, my friend, our republic has no need of fuch advocates as you." After which he was fet at liberty; but his fears and apprehenfions however, fo far got the Fetter of him, that he VOL. VII. never returned to take leave of the Jefuits, but left Venice as fast as poffible, and fwore he would never return to it again. This city is not like fome other capitals of Italy, which furnish only general reflections on the manners of the collective body of the inhabitants. The common people amongst the Venetians, the women, the priests, the children, in fine, every rank and age require our particular attention; but before I quit the nobility, I must level the ideas I may have raised of their grandeur, by a recital of the meannefs contrafted with_pride_and infolence in the fame character. They always wear a robe of black cloth, when they appear in the ftreets.-In the winter this robe is lined with flannel, and in fummer with ermine; and though furs can fcarcely be in feason in Italy in the month of Auguft, yet if they were dying of heat, they would not alter their drefs. It is not in this refpect alone that they are the victims of their rank; in every action of their life they fuffer fome inconveniencies from it. They are always ftiled, Your Excellencies; and when any one falutes them, it is the custom to kifs the fleeve of their robe; towards the elbow this fleeve forms a pretty large fack, which ferves the Venetian nobles for a wallet when they go to the butcher or to the green market; fo that very often within the fleeve (in which the Venetian_grandeur refides) is concealed a leg of mutton and a dozen artichoaks, for they market for their provifions as privately as poffible, and without any fervant to attend them-the effect of parfimony and fufpicion. The bufinefs of a gondolier or boatman in this city, requires almoft the fame talents as the office of Prime Minifter. The Policy is effential to both, which includes every art and stratagem honeft or dishoneft, virtuous or vicious, to compafs the end proposed; with the ftatefman it is frequently the deftruction of millions by fire and Y Sword, found one, and the ftates of Holland have adopted it. I will now endeavour, without fhocking your modesty, to give you fome account of the humour of the Venetian prostitutes, who, if they are tolerably difcreet, acquire a certain degree of confideration and regard from the government that protects them. 170 Nine out of ten of the girls who are abandoned to this kind of life, are fold by their mothers and aunts, long before they arrive at an age to enter into this fhameful courfe: They make regular contracts before a notary, which are valid in law, to deliver them in their virgin ftate, within the time mentioned in the agreement, which stipulates the payment of a certain fum; generally fpeaking, from one to two hundred ducats, is the price of a common tradefman's or artizan's daughter; and in the preamble of the contract the poverty of the parents is generally fet forth, and the motive affigned is, to procure the girl a portion to enable her to marry decently, but this is only a pretext for the old people to keep the money, and the girls remain in brothels.-So little fcandalized are the Venetians by. the profeffion of thefe women, that they are admitted into convents to pay their respects to the fifters of their particular gallants, who receive them with openarms, and commonly make them prefents of fweet-meats, and agnus dei; for the prostitutes at Venice are as devout as thofe at Rome. They faft on Saturdays, and hold foune particular faint in high veneration, under whofe protection they carry on their business with a fafe confcience. Now I have mentioned Rome, I must observe that it is very amufing to a philofopher, or indeed any man of ferious reflection, to take a walk down the Serene street in that city. You will fee there about two hundred women feated before their doors, patiently expecting the firit adventure that happens. When any one thinks proper to risk an eternal repentance, like the Grand Sultan he throws his handkerchief to the nymph he has made choice of, who conducta A Defcription of Venice. conducts him to her apartment-do not be alarmed, remember if you pleafe, that Lady Montague's animated defcription of gallant fcenes have been circulated in every village in England, and have been read by almost every rofy-cheeked, innocent country girl in England. The chambers of these priefteffes of the Cyprian goddess are pretty nearly all alike. They are on the ground-floor, even with the ftreet. A bed, with white curtains, a table, three wooden chairs, and an image of fome madona, (before whom a lamp is burning, which ferves at the fame time to light the chamber) compofes the inventory of their furniture. Before things are carried to a certain point, a little curtain is drawn over the faint, that she may not fee what pafles, and it is as regularly undrawn again. The chalte faint is thus covered and uncovered, as often as the mistress of the houfe finds occafion to fin. To what will not the prejudices and credulity of mankind make religion fubfervient! I have already fhewn you how dangerous it is to cabal against the Republic of Venice, and how rigorously they punish the very appearance of it; but I had almost forgot to add, that they give very great rewards to thofe who point out the perturbators of the public tranquillity, efpecially when their intelligence proves ufeful. They even attend to anonymous letters and informations; for which purpofe, I think they have fallen upon a much better method than your public prints in England; for in them it frequently happens, that, in order to expofe the bad conduct of your governors, or to gratify the private views of party, you convey pernicious intelligence to your foreign enemies. Under the piazzas of the palace of Mark, and in feveral parts of the galleries, are placed the muzzles of bulls, into which any perfon may throw notes or letters, which fall into a concealed box, of which the council of ftate keeps the keys. This place is the paradife of Monks and Friars, for they are permitted to mask during the carnival, to keep their mistreffes, to fing upon the pub 171 lic theatres; in fine, to do what they pleafe, provided they give no fcandal to the ftate by their diffolute lives; this is one confequence of the freedom of the place, which admits not the authority of a fpiritual inqufition, the terror of priefts and laymen in fome other parts of Italy. Now I am on the fubject of friars, I muft relate to you a droll adventure which lately happened at Meffina, and with which I fhall take leave of you, and close my remarks on the Venetians. The Dutch conful at Meffina bad a most amiable daughter, about feventeen years of age. Some devout women, who vifited at her father's, took it into their heads to convert this lady, and make a faint of her. They faid, they could not bear the thought that fuch a perfect young creature should one day or other fall a victim to the devil. In order to place her in the road to heaven, and to enable her to merit falvation, they piously began by perfuading her to rob her father, and to elope from him, by way of completing the good work. They quoted five or fix Spanish theological authors, who maintain that it is lawful for a girl to rob her father, if he is a Proteftant, and to leave his house, to retire into a convent. The young lady being properly wrought upon, till the was convinced that the robbery and flight the meditated, were pious, confcientious acts, wanted only the means of carrying them into execution: For this purpose they gave her two reverend father capuchins. These holy friars were accuftomed to receive alms at the conful's houfe, who little fufpected their intrigue: However, the difciples of St. Francis carried off every day fome cloaths, and other effects belonging to the young convert, in their bag inftead of provifions. Atlaft, the girl herself eloped, taking with her a purfe of gold. Her parents foon got intelligence of her, and were greatly furprized at her project, and the cause of her evafion; but as there was no remedy, they bore their misfortunes with patience. The new faint was received into a convent, and in due time took the Y 2 veil, |