the most favourable fpots for this ani- prehending the county-town, Okemal: ham. It is croffed by the little river Guash or Wash, which, rifing in Lei cellerfhire, winds through the midft of Rutland hire, and joins the Welland a little below Stamford in Lincolnshire. This latter river wathes the fouth-eastern fide of the county, feparating it from Northamptonshire. The fouth-western part was formerly entirely occupied by the foreft of Lif field, part of which ftill remains in its original ftate, and is flocked with deer. Rutland hire has no manufacture of confequence, and neither of its two market towns, Okeham and Uppingham are confiderable for trade or ford, are large quarries of limestone, Fopuloufnefs. At Ketton, near Stamwhich fupply the country round with that article. A DESCRIPTION of the City of GENOA. [From Dr. Smith's Sketch of a Tour on the Continent, 3 vol. 8vo.] THE HE magnificence of Genoa does not, in general, confift in the dimenfions of its streets or fquares. . Of the former fcarely any, except Strada Balbi and Strada Nuová, are wide enough to admit a coach. The reft are indeed straight and regular, but fo narrow, and often fo fteep, as to be only paffable on foot, or in a chair; and fo intricate, that a ftranger cannot easily find his way. The pavement, however, is good, and well kept, and the narrowness of the streets is an advantage in hot weather, as they are impervious to the fun's rays, and well ventilated at every corner by fea breezes. For the ftateliness of its buildings, this town is, perhaps, unrivalled. The two itieets above named, are almost entirely compofed of the most fumptuous palaces in Europe, whofe maffy pillars and cornices of marble, ipacious courts, arcades, and galleries, imprefs the fpectator with the greatelt ideas of magnificence; and whofe noble apartments are furnished with the richest treasures of painting. Yet perhaps Genoa is ftill more remarkabie for its fituation. Placed on an eminence commanding a fine bay, and, from fome points of view, an extent of molt beautiful coat for thirty or forty miles each way; fheltered from the north by an amphitheatre of bold and verdant hills; lefs difperfed than Naples, fo that the eye can, from many different parts, command at appears to me the finest profpect of a once every principal object; Genoa town I ever beheld. The ftyle of architecture here is not of the purest kind, though often rich in decoration. Some of the palaces are painted in frefco on the outfide. Thefe paintings, though perhaps 200 years old, are not ill preferved; but they have no good effest. Some of the older buildings are cafed with black and white marble, The feat of fir Gilbert Heathcote, bart. in alternate horizontal ftripes, which is perhaps of all kinds of building the moft ugly. The cathedral is fo decorated. It is of a very ancient date, and confequently Gothic. The three doors, by which is the principal entrance, are richly adorned with pillars and pointed arches, like most of our English cathedrals; the fquare tower has nothing remarkable. The moft famous thing about this church is the facred cup, fuppofed to be carved out of one folid emerald, about a foot in diameter, faid to have held the pafchal lamb eaten by our Saviour with his difciples. It is alfo reported to have made a part of the prefents brought by the obliging queen of Sheba to the wife Solomon; and if Adam had been recorded to have ufed a vafe for any purpose whatever, no doubt it would have been this. These lofty pretenfions, it seems, are lefs controvertible than the nature of its fubftance. Not that I can speak from my own obfervation; for this venerable treasure is extremely difficult of accefs; the prudent fenate having thought befl that it should • Be hid to be revered the more.' No one can fee it without an exprefs decree of the council, and many heavy fees in confequence. I was therefore content with the report of a very skilful chemift and mineralogift, who has purpofely examined it, that it has evidently feveral air bubbles, as Mr. de la Condamine obferved, which decide it to be glass. It is, nevertheless, a fine piece of glass, and of very remote antiquity. The afhes of St. John Baptist are faid to be preferved in this church. They repofe in a chapel decorated with a profufion of large and handfome filver lamps, perpetually burning. Thefe holy relicks were brought hither from Myra in 1098, fo that their reality is certainly much lefs eafly to be difproved, than that of the emerald vafe; and miracles innumerable are not wanting in their favour, which I do not find that the faid vafe can boast. The church of St. Ambrofe, formerly belonging to the Jefuits, is very richly ornainented, and in a good ftile of architecture. Here is the fepulchre of the Durazzo family. The altar-piece to their burying place, in one of the crofs aifles, is one of the fineft pictures of Guido Rheni, reprefenting the affumption of the virgin, and confiting of twenty-fix figures, in his strongest manner. Its compofition and general effect much refembles his famous confultation on the immaculate conception, formerly at Houghton. The air of the heads is, in general, extremely fine. The fituation of this picture is favourable, the church being lighted entirely from the attic ftory. Oppofite to this is an admired painting, by Rubens, of fome holy Jefuit curing a demoniac, a picture of good effect; much more agreeable than the circumcifion at the high-altar by the fame hand, in which is a vulgar virgin in red. This is one of the most elegant churches in Genoa, though not one of the largest. The Annunciata is much more fpacious, decorated with rich marbles difpofed with little tafte, and not yet finished on the outfide. The columns of the nave are of white marble, fluted with red, very tawdry. On one altar are two magnificent twisted pillars of brown clouded alabafter, fine in their kind. Here is the monument of the duke de Bouflers, fent by Louis XV to the defence of Genoa in 1747, and who died of the fmallpox, just as his judicious meafures had begun to diftrefs the Austrian army. The fenate have commemorated his benefits in a handfome epitaph. After the many gaudy churches which every where prefent themfelves, it is quite a relief to vifit that noble edifice St. Maria di Carigeano, whole infide is only white-washed, and owes all its charms to its architectural beauty, which is of the first Q 2 rank. rank. Its form is a Greek crofs, with a cupola in the centre. At the angles of the area, under the cupola, are four coloffal ftatues, two of them by the celebrated French artist Puget, who flourished in the beginning of this century. That of St. Sebaftian certainly deferves the higheft praife, for expreffion of piety and refignation under great pain, as well as for the anatomy. The other, reprefenting St. Sauli a bishop, in his robes, is remarkable for the dignity and enthusiasm of its gefture, and the great file of the drapery. The fituation of this church being very elevated, the approach to it is by a lofty bridge over a dry valley, from whence the view of the bay and coaft is very extenfive, and which is a favourite walk in a fummer's evening about funfet. The ducal palace, a vaft and folid building, contains nothing to detain a traveller long. The new great councilchamber, built in the place of that burnt in 1777, is an extremely magnificent room, about 120 feet long, and fifty wide, decorated with nobie columns of Spanish brocatello, a marble richly variegated with red and yellow, with ftatues between the columns. One of them, in the fluttering French ftyle, reprefents the marechal de Richlieu, who fucceeded the duke de Bouflers in the command of the French army in 1747. The Genoefe feem to have been heartily fightened upon that occafion, and not without reafon; the French certainly faved them from ruin. Here are copies of thofe paintings of Solimene which were burnt in 1777, and of which every body fpeaks with great regret. The fmall fummer council-chamber is alío a richly ornamented room, where are fome good paintings relative to the history of Columbus. No fubject can be more interesting, and the Gencefe may well be proud of their great countryman. Many private houfes in the town abound with frefco paintings, in which his story is delineated, and the parts of it are in 5 many inftances very picturefque; as his departure from Europe amid the lamentations of his friends; his adventures in the new world, and his prefenting its various productions to the Spanish monarchs on his return, amid a group of aftonished and admiring courtiers. He has lately had a fresh tribute to his memory, in a moft elegant and full hiftorical eulogium, in Italian, written by the M. Hippolito Durazzo, and beautifully printed at Parma, along with a fimilar one, by the accomplished M. Nicola Cattaneo, in praife of Andrew Doria, that truly great patriot, who, after having faved his country by his wildom and heroifm, refufed its of fered fovereignty, because he thought it not for the intereft of the state that fo much power fhould be vested in one man. Such characters, however rare, repay us for thofe fcenes of blood and perfidy, that fyftem of villany called politics,' of which history is generally compofed. Dr. Batt fhewed us the great hofpital, one of the largest and most fuperb in Europe. It is open to the fick of all nations and religions, and contains from Izco to 2000 patients. About 700 women and 1200 men are admitted in the courfe of the year for wounds with knives or filettos; a dreadful fact, almoft fufficient to brand the national character with the general detellation of mankind. Yet the very people whofe quick paffions urge them to fuch horrors, would fhudder at the deliberate brutality of an English boxing match; and what would they think if their fuperiors delighted in eting them together by the ears for their own amufement? They would then probably foon make their poignards inftruments of juftice. This hofpital is ornamented with marble ftatues, generally badly executed, of its benefactors. Thofe perfons who have given to the amount of 50,000 livres, (about 140cl.) and under 100,000, are reprefented ftanding; thofe who have beftowed more than 42 than 100.0co, are in a fitting pofture. The apothecary's fhop is convenient, with a fmall garden adjoining. Not far diftant is a smaller hofpital for incurables, with a better garden; the building is likewife magnificently adorned with ftatues and columns of marble. We heard an anecdote much to the honour of the emperor Jofeph II. Entering Genoa on horfeback with few attendants, he accidentally pafled the great hofpital; and being ftruck with its appearance, would inftantly alight and vifit it, notwithstanding the remonftrances of his followers, and the people of the house, who told him the fenate wifhed him to fee that and every thing elfe hereafter at leifure, and in a manner more befitting his dignity; but the judicious prince replied, he was more defirous of examining fuch things in their common ftate, in order to judge of their real merits, which he could ill do when they were disguised by a formal preparation. We were not told whether his imperial majefty vifited the celebrated fpot in a street juft by, where the revolution in 1746 began, and which is marked by fome white flones in the pavement. At that time this town was in the most abject fubmiffion to the Germans, who plundered it without mercy, behaving to its inhabitants with the ufual infolence of flaves become conquerors. The Genoese were made to drag their own cannon to the Auttrian camp; but one day, in Dec. 1746, as a brave republican was fo employed, in this very spot, he received a blow from a German officer, which roufed his latent indignation. His fpirit was communicated inftantly to the fpectators, and through the town. The whole body of peo, le, unaided by the fearful fenate, fell on their oppreffors, who were foon driven out in confternation. The neighbouring peasants feconded the efforts of their countrymen, and formed themfelves with wonderful order into an army. The prince Doria beat the enemy's general in the fuburb of St. Pietro d'arena, and the Auftrians fled in the moft daftardly manner, leaving all their baggage and ammunition in the hands of the conquerors, and 4000 of their own number prifoners in the Albergo. The Albergo is an hofpital for poor and infirm people, as well as a house of correction for diforderly women. It is not inferior in magnificence to thofe hofpitals juft mentioned, and like them indeed feems to have had more fhow than real utility confidered in its plan. The architects were more accustomed to build palaces, than to accommodate poverty and fickness. But it must be acknowledged in excufe, that the art of planning hofpitals has not been understood any where till very lately. The chapel of the Albergo is remarkable for two pieces of fculpture. Of the praifes of that on the high altar, the virgin afcending to heaven, by Puget, all French books are full; I prefume not quite undefervedly, though its firft view difappointed, and even difpleafed me, on account of the affectation of its air and drapery; but I must acknowledge my attention was foon entirely withdrawn from this ftatue by an accidental glance to the left, where another fculpture over a fmall altar rivetted my eyes, and every faculty of my mind, in a tranfport of admiration and tender compaffion, as fervent as ever Mrs. Siddons herfelf excited. This was no other than the bas-relief by Michael Angelo Buonarota, fo flightly mentioned by De la Lande, and not at all by Cochin, or the abbé Richard; but which, for the honour of our country, has been fufficiently avenged by the animated pen of lady Miller. I am not a little proud at having felt as fhe did on the fubject, without being prepoffefied, except indeed by the common guide book of Genoa, compiled as it fhould feem from various authors, and which celebrates this inimitable mafter-piece, in fome degree, as it deferves. The abbé Dupaty Dupaty has noticed it likewife in few, but forcible words. The fubject confils of two heads about the natural fize; a dead Chrift, and his mother bending over him. Words cannot do juftice to the expreffion of grief in the virgin. It is not merely natural in the highest degree; it is the grief of a character refined and foftened above humanity. The contemplation of it recals every affecting Icene, every pathetic incident of ones whole life. Those who have watched all the agonizing turns of countenance of the great actrefs above mentioned, in the parts of Isabella and Belvidere, can alone form a conception of the wonderful effect of this marble; in contemplating it, every exquifite variety of that expreffion feems to pafs in turn over its breathing features. The reader must pardon my enthufiafm. This was the first truly fine piece of fculpture I ever faw. I had not before any conception of the powers of the art. I fhall have very few occafions of relapfing into fuch rapture. We were told of fome English gentleman who would lately have bought this bas-relief at any price, but could not obtain it. The environs of Genoa poffefs one garden profeffedly in the English tafte, that of Mr. Lomellini at Pegy. It is planted with great plenty of erica arborea of a large fize, arbutus unedo, myrtle, evergreen oak, &c. One of the prettiest things in the garden is an artificial ruin of a temple, fituated in a wood, with water. Two very long and high cut hedges of fmall-leaved myrtle, lead from the road to the house, ftriking on account of their materials only, and quite unJike the ftyle of the garden. On fome large trees behind the houfe, I first obferved Hypnum Smithii, Dicks. Fafc. 2. p. 10. Dr. Caneferi, profeffor of natural hiftory, took us to the univerfity, a fumptuous college, formerly belong ing to the Jefuits, and remarkable for its magnificent court, ftair-cafe, and galleries, and two noble lions of marble by Parodi. The collection of minerals is large and good, as well as the apparatus for lectures on natural and experimental philofophy. Dr. Batt is profeffor of chemistry. This inftitution is but in its infancy, and the endowments far from fplendid. Science is a plant of flow growth; nor is it yet a fafhionable furfuit among the Genoefe. The Durazzo family ftand almoft fingle as its encouragers. The opera at Genoa is pretty goods but it was tedious to fee the fame piece night after night, though a good one, Virginia. Confequently few people attended to the performance, except when a favourite air occurred. This honour was conftantly paid to that charming fong: Idol mio, queft' alma amante, Sempre fida a te fara.' The ballets, after every act, are fometimes varied, but they are not excellent. The audience are chiefly employed in paying and receiving vifits. A raifed gallery, on a level with the lower boxes, communicates with the pit, and affords the gentlemen a means of communication with the ladies in their boxes very commodioufly. In fummer, the operas are comic, and very good. The noble Genoefe lay afide all titles, but that of patrizio Gencefe. Though many of them, in confequence of the fiefs or eftates they polfefs in other countries, are by right marquifles or counts, they are generally called plain fignore, and always by their Chriftian names, as are their ladies likewife. They commonly drefs in black, with valuable laces, but no jewels, except in rings, with which their fingers are often enor mously loaded. In the country, and in a morning, they wear an undress of colours. Many of the older houses here, as in Bologna and other towns, have lofty watch-towers, which were fafe places |