country better acquainted than myself with the power of music, I contefted the point no longer; but have generally played two or three rubbers at whift in the ftage-box every opera night.

But the

From this you may guefs, that, in this city, as in fome other towns in Italy, little attention is paid to the mufic by the company in the boxes, except at a new opera, or during fome favourite air. dancers command a general attention: as foon as they begin, converfation ceafes; even the card-players lay down their cards, and fix their eyes on the Ballette. Yet the excellence of Italian dancing feems to confift in feats of ftrength, and a kind of jerking agility, more than in graceful movement. There is a continual conteft among the performers who fhall fpring highest. You fee here none of the fprightly, alluring gaiety of the French comic dancers, nor of the graceful attitudes, and fmooth flowing motions of the performers in the ferious

opera

opera at Paris. It is furprifing, that a people of fuch tafte and fenfibility as the Italians, fhould prefer a parcel of athletic jumpers to elegant dancers.

On the evenings on which there is no opera, it is ufual for the genteel company to drive to a public walk immediately without the city, where they remain till it begins to grow dufkish. Soon after our arrival at Florence, in one of the avenues of this walk we observed two men and two ladies, followed by four fervants in livery. One of the men wore the infignia of the garter. We were told this was the Count Albany, and that the Lady next to him was the Countefs. We yielded the walk, and pulled off our hats. The gentleman along with them was the Envoy from the King of Pruffia to the Court of Turin. He whifpered the Count, who, returning the falutation, looked very earnestly at the Duke of Hamilton. We have seen them almost every evening fince, either at the opera or on the

public walk. His Grace does not affect to shun the avenue in which they happen to be; and as often as we pass mear them, the Count fixes his eyes in a moft expreffive manner upon the Duke, as if he meant to fay our ancestors were better acquainted.

You know, I fuppofe, that the Count Albany is the unfortunate Charles Stuart, who left Rome fome time fince on the death of his father, because the Pope did not think proper to acknowledge him by the title which he claimed on that event. He now lives at Florence, on a small revenue allowed him by his brother. The Countess is a beautiful woman, much beloved by those who know her, who univerfally defcribe her as lively, intelligent, and agreeable. Educated as I was in Revolution principles, and in a part of Scotland where the religion of the Stuart family, and the maxims by which they governed, are more reprobated than perhaps in any part of Great Britain, I could not behold this un

fortunate

fortunate perfon without the warmest emotion and fympathy. What muft a man's feelings be, who finds himself excluded from the most brilliant fituation, and noblest inheritance that this world affords, and reduced to an humiliating dependance on those who, in the natural course of events, fhould have looked up to him for protection and support? What muft his feelings be, when, on a retrospective view, he beholds a series of calamities attending his family, that is without example in the annals of the unfortunate; calamities, of which those they experienced after their acceffion to the throne of England, were only a continuation? Their misfortunes began with their royalty, adhered to them through ages, increased with the increase of their dominions, did not forfake them when dominion was no more; and, as he has reafon to dread, from his own experience, are not yet terminated. It will afford no alleviation or comfort, to recollect that part of this black lift of calamities arofe

from

from the imprudence of his ancestors; and that many gallant men, in England, Scotland, and Ireland, have at different periods been involved in their ruin.

Our sympathy for this unfortunate perfon is not checked by any blame which can be thrown on himself. He surely had no fhare in the errors of the first Charles, the profligacy of the second, or the impolitic and bigoted attempts of James against the laws and established religion of Great Britain and Ireland; therefore, whilst I contemplate with approbation and gratitude the conduct of thofe patriots who refifted and expelled that infatuated monarch, afcertained the rights of the subject, and fettled the constitution of Great Britain on the firm bafis of freedom on which it has stood ever fince the Revolution, and on which I hope it will ever ftand; yet I freely acknowledge, that I never could fee the unfortunate Count Albany without fentiments Dd

VOL. II.