They than either the Emperor or Archduke; like them, he is good-hu moured, condefcending and affable. After the extinction of the Medici family, the Florentines grumbled on account of the disadvantage and inconveniency of having Sovereigns who did not refide among them exclaimed that their money was carried away to a diftant country, and the most profitable offices at home filled by foreigners. They have now got a Sovereign who refides and spends his revenue among them, and has provided the State moft plentifully in heirs; yet they ftill grumble. They complain of the taxes-But in what country of Europe is there not the same complaint? Florence is, unquestionably, a very beautiful city. Independent of the churches and palaces, fome of which are very magnificent, the architecture of the houses in general is in a good tafte, the ftreets are remarkably clean, and paved with large broad stones, chifeled fo as to prevent the horfes horfes from fliding. This city is divided into two unequal parts by the river Arno, over which there are no less than four bridges in fight of each other. That called the Ponte della Trinità, is uncommonly elegant. It is built entirely of white marble, and ornamented with four beautiful ftatues, reprefenting the Four Seasons. The quays, the buildings on each fide, and the bridges, render that part of Florence through which the river runs, by far the fineft. The fame is the cafe at Paris; and it happens fortunately for those two cities, that those parts are almoft conftantly before the eye, on account of the neceffity people are continually under of paffing and repaffing those bridges; whereas in London, whose river and bridges are far fuperior to any in France or Italy, people may live whole seasons, attend all the public amufements, and drive every day from one end of the town to the other, without ever · feeing the Thames or the bridges, unless they go on purpose. For this reafon, VOL. II. A a when when a foreigner is asked which he thinks the finest city, Paris or London; the moment Paris is mentioned, the Louvre, and that striking part which is fituated between the Pont Royal and Pont Neuf, prefents itself to his imagination. He can recollect no part of London equal in magnificence to this; and ten to one, if he decides directly, it will be in favour of Paris: but if he takes a little more time, and compares the two capitals, ftreet by ftreet, fquare by fquare, and bridge with bridge, he will probably be of a different opinion. The number of inhabitants in Florence is calculated by fome at eighty thousand. The ftreets, fquares, and fronts of the palaces are adorned with a great number of statues; fome of them by the best modern mafters, Michael Angelo, Bandinelli, Donatello, Giovanni di Bologna, Benvenuto, Cellini, and others. A tafte for the arts must be kept alive, independent almost of any other encouragement, in a city where fo many fpecimens are continually before the the eyes of the inhabitants. There are towns in Europe, where ftatues, expofed night and day within the reach of the common people, would run a great rifque of being disfigured and mutilated; here they are as fafe as if they were shut up in the Great Duke's gallery. Florence has been equally diftinguished by a spirit for commerce and for the fine arts; two things which are not always united. Some of the Florentine merchants formerly were men of vaft wealth, and lived in a most magnificent manner. One of them, about the middle of the fifteenth century, built that noble fabric, which, from the name of its founder, is ftill called the Palazzo Pitti. The man was ruined' by the prodigious expence of this building, which was immediately purchased by the Medici family, and has continued, ever fince, to be the refidence of the Sovereigns. The gardens belonging to this palace are on the declivity of an eminence. On the fummit A a 2 mit there is a kind of fort, called Belvedere. From this, and from fome of the higher walks, you have a complete view of the eity of Florence, and the beauteous vale of Arno, in the middle of which it ftands. The profpect is bounded on every fide by an amphitheatre of fertile hills, adorned with country-houfes and gardens. In no part of Italy, that I have seen, are there fo many villas, belonging to private perfons, as in the neighbourhood of this city; the habitations of the peasants, likewife, feem much more neat and commodious. The country all around is divided into small farms, with a neat farm-house on each. Tufcany produces a confiderable quantity of corn, as well as excellent wine, and great quantities of filk. The peasants 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 seem handfomer, and are, in reality, more blooming, than in other parts of Italy. When |