fummit there is a kind of fort, called Belvedere. From this, and from fome of the higher walks, you have a complete view of the city of Florence, and the beauteous vale of Arno, in the middle of which it ftands. The prospect is bounded on every fide by an amphitheatre of fertile hills, adorned with country-houses and gardens. In no part of Italy, that I have feen, are there fo many villas, belonging to private persons, as in the neighbourhood of this city; the habitations of the peasants, likewise, seem much more neat and commodious. The country all around is divided into small farms, with a neat farm-house on each. Tuscany produces a confiderable quantity of corn, as well as excellent wine, and great quantities of filk. The peafants have a look of health and contentment: the natural beauty of the Italian countenance not being difgraced by dirt, or deformed by mifery, the women in this country feem handfomer, and are, in reality, more blooming, than in other parts of Italy.

When

When at work, or when they bring their goods to market, their hair is confined by a filk net, which is alfo much worn at Naples; but on holidays they drefs in a very picturesque manner. They do not wear gowns, but a kind of jacket without leeves. They have no other covering for the upper part of the arm but their shift fleeves, which are tied with ribband. Their petticoats are generally of a fcarlet colour. They wear ear-rings and necklaces. Their hair is adjusted in a becoming manner, and adorned with flowers. Above one ear they fix a little ftraw hat; and on the whole have a more gay, fmart, coquetish air, than any country-girls I ever faw.

Churches, and palaces, and ftatues, are no doubt ornamental to a city; and the Princes are praife-worthy who have taken pains to rear and collect them; but the greatest of all ornaments are cheerful, happy, living countenances. The tafte is not general; but, I thank God, I know some

people

people who, to a perfect knowledge and unaffected love of the fine arts, join a paffion for a collection of this kind, who cannot, without uneafinefs, fee one face in a different style, and whofe lives and fortunes are employed in smoothing the corrosions of penury and misfortune, and restoring the original air of fatisfaction and cheerfulness to the human countenance. Happy the people whofe Sovereign is inspired with this fpecies of vertù!

LETTER LXXI.

Florence.

I

HAVE generally, fince our arrival at

Florence, paffed two hours every forenoon in the famous gallery. Connoiffeurs, and those who wish to be thought fuch, remain much longer. But I plainly feel this is enough for me; and I do not think it worth while to prolong my visit after I begin to be tired, merely to be thought what I am not. Do not imagine, however, that I am blind to the beauties of this celebrated collection; by far the most valuable now in the world.

One of the most interesting parts of it,

in the eyes of many, is the series of Roman Emperors, from Julius Cæfar to Gallienus, with a confiderable number of their Empreffes, arranged oppofite to them. This series is almost complete; but wherever the

4

buft of an Emperor is wanting, the place is filled up by that of fome other distinguished Roman. Such an honour is beftowed with great propriety on Seneca, Cicero, or Agrippa, the fon-in-law of Auguftus. But, on perceiving a head of Antinous, the favourite of Adrian, among them, a gentleman whispered me,-that minion, pointing to the head, would not have been admitted into fuch company any where but in Florence. It ought, however, to be remembered, that the Gallery is not an Ægyptian court of judicature, where Princes are tried after death, for crimes committed during their life. If the vices of originals had excluded their portraits, what would have become of the feries of Roman Emperors, and particularly of the buft of the great Julius himself, who was husband to all the wives and

The gallery is facred to art, and every production which she avows has a right to a place here.