in this ceremony; for the bark has not more room in it than is abfolutely neceffary; consequently, when the horfes have made a strong effort to pull the loaded carriage over the raft into the bark, they are suddenly checked; the leaders, by the time the hind-wheels have juft paffed over the edge, are standing with their fore-feet on the oppofite rim of the boat, which is the reafon the carriage is stopped fo fuddenly; for otherwife the leading pair of horfes might very easily tumble into the river: they cannot be taken off; for most of these barks are too small to take them by the fide of the carriage. However, we paffed this branch without the leaft accident: feveral men waded into the water, and fupported the boat on the lower fide, to prevent its going down with the current, or overfetting, on account of its great burden, and the rapidity of the stream. What renders this river dangerous at certain times, is, the being fwelled with heavy rains, which, forming impetuous torrents, force their way through a light foil, and overflowing the banks of the river, form an unequal bed, very difficult to ford, from the uncertainty of the bottom. This is the cafe with many rivers in Italy, as we have been well affured; and to comprehend how true it is, that the Italian rivers fuddenly change their bed, one may perceive clearly the veftiges (now dry) of beds of rivers, which, by their appearance, fhew the force of the body of water that has formed, and excavated vaft preci pices and pits, together with a great quantity of ftones and fand, which the water has brought down with it, and thrown up into a kind of ridges. This change of the course of rivers, frequently happens in one night, as the people of the country affirm; a river fordable over-night, has, by the next morning, been fo increased, from the addition of mountainous torrents, as to render it impaffable; and fhortly after, has fhifted its place, leaving its old courfe in heaps of rubbish and deep hollows. The Taro rifes in the middle of the Val di Taro, Val di which gives name to the river. Taro. The country of each fide ftill wears the fame face; the fame beautiful plantations and feftoons of vines continue till you arrive at Parma. The peasants appear gay, and not poor; the women Peasants. are very prettily dreffed, wearing fmall ftraw hats, ornamented with knots of ribbon of various co lours, with a bunch of flowers over all, or a large black feather; and fometimes covering the crown of the hat with a morfel of fine fur, which produces a fingular effect. By this manner of dreffing, they have a fine air of the head; and being generally well-made and handfome, or rather of fenfible and agreeable countenances, their appearance is very different from any peasants I have ever seen. The town of Parma is fituated in a plain; the Parma. river divides it into two parts, which communicate by three bridges. It is fortified, and confiderably Birth place of Caffius, Brutus's friend. large, the streets broad and regular, particularly We are tolerably lodged, and I think very rea fonably; our hoft furnishes us with two meals a day and our firing for thirty-two pauls: he at first afked a full third more, but I have reafoned him down to the above price, and we eat much better than usual. Our cheese and cream are both admirable; fo you may be fure I am not at a lofs for a good repast. We always provide our own breakfafts, and frequently our wines; as in general thofe of the inns are the worst that can be had. The Infanta is in labour, and the people run backwards and forwards about the palace, appearing much interefted in her welfare. The cannon are drawn out of the citadel, and the matches ready to proclaim her happy delivery, which is every moment expected. All forts of vagabonds. are in motion, and preparing illuminations, &c. ballad-fingers, mountebanks, muficians, ropedancers, all have taken the alarm. Adieu for the prefent. We have dedicated this evening to the writing letters to our friends at Turin, &c. * I have been quite ungrateful, in never acknowledging the extreme convenience three articles you gave me at parting have been of to me upon the journey; the little portmanteau, for the infide of the carriage, is admirably contrived; the eidder down pillow has mitigated frequently the fufferings arifing from bad beds, and the housewife and pincushion uniting their aid in one, have repaired many a fudden rent and tear in my drapery, as well as fome little matters in the infide of our carriage, which had given way, as fpring-curtains, ftraps, &c. LET LETTER XXI. Cathedral. I Parma, Nov. 2oth, at Night. SIT down to tell you, in the first place, that I am extremely weary; and in the next, that the Infanta is brought to bed; and, thirdly and laftly, that I have met with a grievous disappoint. ment in the famous picture of Corregio; but you muft difpenfe with hearing any more at present upon that fubject, till I come to it in order; fo I begin with the churches. The Cathedral (Il Duomo) is a spacious church, Cupola. remarkable for its Cupola, painted by Corregio, Corregio. though it is now fo much spoiled, that it requires a St. John, church of. Cupola. great deal of faith, and a ftrong imagination, to believe it the remains of a chef d'œuvre of fo great a master. This cupola was the cause of his death. His towns-men paid him in bad money; their ingratitude is faid to have affected him so strongly, that he died fhortly after of vexation. The fubject of the painting is an Affumption of the Virgin, and was esteemed one of the most perfect and most beautiful of his performances. The Church of St. John is fhewn to strangers, on account of the Cupola, that alfo being painted Corregio, by Corregio; but it is fo much defaced, and fo ill-lighted, that little can be made of it: it has been also repaired by another painter, at the defire of |