Employ

ments.

Politics.

Employments at the court of Turin are esteemed rather as giving confideration and precedence, than for their pecuniary value: no appointment here is fufficient to fupport the rank with any tolerable degree of decency. The equerryfhip to the P-ce of C-n, joined to a company of grenadiers in one of the regiments of guards, yielded the gentleman who had them but £. 150 English per annum. The Chevalier R-b-i, whom I mentioned before, has ferved the K- with the utmost fidelity full forty years; his honour and honefty are proved by his neceffitous circumftances; for, would you believe it? although quite worn out with age and infirmities, he walks on foot, not being able to afford an equipage.

The K― does not seem to relish the marriage now upon the tapis, between his eldeft grand-daughter and the Comte de P-ce; he forefees, that if it takes place, there will be no farther room for any aggrandisement of the house of S-v-y, particularly whilst the family compact, and the prefent union of the houfes of Auftria and Bourbon remain in force. Yet, if he does not make the match, where can he extend himself? neither on the fide of Milan, Genoa, nor France. In fhort, there feems little elfe for him to do in good policy, than to live in peace with the whole world, and rest satisfied with the new additional acquifitions lately guaranteed to him. A courtier, fpeaking to us of the intended marriage, faid, If it takes place, the house of Sy will have nothing to

do in future, but to fit down quietly & plantée des choux: a ftate of inactivity little fuited to the enterprising spirit and moderate poffeffions of this family.

household

expences.

The D- of Sy is allowed 22,000* livres R per annum only for pocket money (for the Kpays the wages and maintenance of all the fervants, horses, &c. of all the R-1 F▬▬y); the greater part of which allowance he lays out in beautifying the gardens of Mont Callier.

The Jews pay heavy impofitions for permiffion Jews. to trade; they are obliged to wear a badge to diftinguish them from other people, a bit of yellow filk, fastened to one of their button-holes. Many of them, conscious of the disgrace of being thus marked, pay the K- a further annual fine, for a permiffion to wear it out of fight.

town.

No inhabitant can rebuild or repair his house at Beautify Turin, but within the great general plan laid ing the down for the improvement of the town; either he must conform to the plan, or fell to those who will. La rue de Dora Groffa, which is feen from the palace, being narrow and irregular, the K—, in order to forward his intentions, has exempted the houses therein from being liable to feizure, or fale for debt. This muft foon anfwer the end propofed; feveral houfes are already begun to be rebuilt. Thus must this city daily increase in the beauty and proportions of its structures.

*Little more than 10col. English.

By

By ordinance, it is prohibited to breed or keep filk-worms in the town, their smell being noxious to health; but great encouragement is given for their increase in the country about Turin, where they thrive prodigiously. A good mulberry-tree will let from three to nine livres per annum; fix is a common price, when in a moderate state of per. fection or maturity. The water meadows about Turin are so enriched by their manner of dreffing, that they yield three, and fometimes four crops a year. No fubject dares to cut down an elm-tree in Piedmont, without the King's permission; that wood being scarce, and neceffary for the carriages of cannon; and the King takes them for that, and for other purposes (they fay), paying for them but Roads. moderately.-The roads are (no doubt) admirable

Contraband.

near Turin; but in England they can never be as good as thofe under defpotic governments, private property with us being sacred and valuable by its fecurity; once give up our liberty, and we fhall have excellent ftraight roads; for the monarch may command his highway to be carried through the bed-chamber of any individual, fhould it happen to obftruct his intended plan.

The Contraband is well attended to here. The K-'s own coach is not exempted from being fearched; who then can object to the ftricteft fcrutiny, when his My himself submits to the examination of the officers of the Douane?

No publication is allowed of here that might tend to give infight into the revenues, govern

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ment,

ment, or policy of this country; this caution excites curiofity, and accounts for their being more inquired into and fifted, than the affairs of other countries, where there is lefs mystery. There are now living, at the court of Turin, three men, who are particularly esteemed for their abilities, but who are already advanced in years; Comte Chiro, Grand Chancellor, aged 70; Chevalier Riberti, also 70; and Comte Brea, about 50.

Duels are not frequent; but when they happen, Duelling. they fight with ferocity, and an obstinacy that fhocks humanity. The general place of appointment is a little ifland, formed by the Po, just within what is called the Port da Po. It is but fix months fince a duel was fought here between. two very confiderable men of this country; one was left dead on the spot, the other died foon after of his wounds

*

Farms.

Many of the manufactures of Turin are carried King's on for the King's account, as tobacco, falt, bottles, lead, fhot, &c. All the falt comes from Sardinia; every head of a family is obliged to take eight pounds yearly for each individual of his family, who has paffed its 17th year, for each cow or ox two, for every hog four, at four fols the pound if he happens to want more, he has it at half that price. The farmers here give their cattle falt at certain feafons, which certainly fucceeds extremely well, it being impoffible to fee finer cattle of every kind than in this country. The oxen and cows are nearly quite white, fomeVOL. I. times

L

times they are fhaded with grey and brown in a most beautiful manner, and have remarkably pretty faces, with pencilled eye-brows.-There is scarce a table at Turin where a foup made of veal, served with the boullie, is not a ftanding difh; and frequently veal repeated again at the fame repaft, under fome other form; for it is a piece of policy here, to cry down the beef as unwholesome (although as fine as any in Leadenhall market), in order to perfuade the people to consume the veal, the full-grown oxen being drove to Genoa, where they yield a better price than in the Turin market. There are fome falt-fprings in Savoy, of which the K- has the entire profit; he difpofes of their whole produce to the Switzers. It is much better than that of Sardinia, which he fells to his own fubjects; the other, by being fold in Switzerland, prevents a contraband trade, and brings their money into his own country; and the falt of Sardinia ftands him in but one fol for ten pounds. His bottles are very ill made, particu larly brittle, yet they are fold at eight fols each. Peafants. Notwithstanding all these littleneffes, the peasants

Saltfprings.

of Piedmont are rich and happy; they pay no dixiemes, vintiemes, nor taille, as in France. They can afford to live comfortably; have cattle in abundance, as well as implements of husbandry, to carry on their agriculture, and are well-dreffed in filk, les jours de fête, or holidays. The univerfal ornament of their women is a necklace of five or fix rows of gold beads, pretty large, with a cross,

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