common understanding, and wit, for which the. was as remarkable as for her beauty.-After a long harangue in words to this purpose, he at length informed me, that I must come at laft to fuch a state. Whether he thought I fhould have wept at fuch an extraordinary piece of information, or what he expected, I know not, but I made him no other answer than bursting into a laugh, and asking him, whether he took me for a Stolta (a fool), he seemed greatly furprised and difappointed, and I fuppofe thought me a very wicked wretch, quite hardened in herefy. tore. The church of San Vittore is a very elegant Church edifice, highly decorated with gilding and other San Vit ornaments. Here is a picture of the bleffed Bernardo Tolomeo, by Battoni of Rome; the fubject Battoni, is the above blessed Bernardo affifting people who are dying of the plague. This is the best painting the church contains. Le Grazie, the church of Church le Grazie. the Dominicans: this church was founded by Luigi Sforce, Duke of Milan; Beatrice his wife is interred here: the beautiful proportions of the cupola are much admired. Here is a picture by Tiziano, that the Milanese esteem one of his very Tiziano. best paintings; the fubject is, Chrift crowned with thorns. In one of the chapels is a St. Paul, by Godenzio Ferrari da Novara: this is a good pic- Godenzio ture, and the firft I ever faw by this mafter, to the best of my remembrance. In the refectory of this convent, is the most famous of all the pictures VOL. II. Сс done Ferrari da Novara. Leonardo done by Leonardo da Vinci; it reprefents the Last da Vinci. Supper, and is painted in fresco on the wall; it is a very large piece, occupying the whole end of the refectory. On the table, at one end, Leonardo has represented a dish of fried trout, of the famous lake near Milan; at the other end, a pafchal lamb larded: the difh placed before our Saviour is empty; before each difciple ftands a goblet of wine, and the table is garnished with rolls of bread and apples. The figure intended to represent our Saviour, is pretty well done, particularly the face, which expreffes the utmost benevolence, clemency, and grace. You readily remark, that the painter has given fix fingers to St. John: the disciples are poorly done, excepting Judas, which Leonardo exerted his utmost abilities to finish. This picture, upon the whole, is finely coloured, although much spoiled; the perspective is good; there is much vigour in the design, and a very fine air in all the heads it is in a great ftyle and manner, without being much studied, or highly finished. I fhall give you a curious anecdote concerning this picture: Some time past, the fuperior of these holy brethren was fo ftrikingly like the Judas, both in perfon and mind, that every one perceiving the resemblance, the monk, in a fit of vexation, ordered it to be whitewashed all over: thus it remained forgot and loft to the world for several years; till an English traveller, who had read of fuch a painting, by diligently examining the wall, discovered difcovered its concealment; the monks had its white skin taken off, by which operation the picture was injured in feveral places. In the frefco paintings of the life of St. Dominique, purgatory is reprefented at the bottom of a well, and the Virgin is employed in drawing up fouls by means of her chaplet, in the fame manner as a bucket is drawn up by a rope. Unfortunately for me, who am fo fond of mufic, there is no opera here at this season; the commedia is the only theatrical amusement. The Theatre is a very large building, confifting of five ranges of boxes, thirty-five in each range:its plan is almost square. The boxes are large enough to receive and return visits, to play at cards, and to fup in, which custom is practised here as much as at Genoa. As to la Commedia, I could not enter much into the humour of it, never having read, or feen it before; but it feemed to me to be a kind of fatirical piece, fomewhat in the ftile of the French comedy of le Bourgeois Gentilbomme: what diverted me almost as much as it did the Milanefe, was the part of Harlequin in the farce; his blunders, action, attitudes, were worthy a true fon of Bergamo. When he serves his master at fupper, he is ordered to make the fallad, and to obferve particularly to put falt enough, and then to stir it well about. To obey the first order, he brings a measure of falt, as much as a large dish can hold, and flings it all in; then havCc 2 ing ing forgot the oil, fetches a great lamp, fuppofed to be burning in the hall, empties it entirely of the fœtid train-oil, and upon deep reflection puts the cotton wick in alfo; he then brings a veffel, not intended for vinegar, and flops in the contents; he lastly produces the ftable dung-fork, and with it ftirs the fallad till he is almost extenuated. His mafter, at length lofing all patience, frightens poor Harlequin out of his wits, who implores pardon on his knees for his giddiness and want of thought. The mafter takes him again into favour, on promise of amendment, and orders him to cut him a flice of pane con molto delicatezza: here Har lequin errs again; he goes out to fetch a knife, but meeting with a marble faw in his way, thinks that may do the business much more effectually; he brings it with difficulty, and commences fawing the loaf. I really am afhamed at taking up your leisure with fuch a nonfenfical narration, but the truth is, the foibles here alluded to, are not much exaggerated; and as I have feen fome Italian fervants of the tribe of Harlequin, I was more diverted than I fhould have otherwise been. The weather is fo extremely uncertain, that I am afraid to venture to the Barromean iflands: the palaces, or pleasure-houfes, which were once fo delightful, they tell us, are in a moft ruinous condition, and not worth feeing; M— would fain go, but I have diffuaded him from it. As there has been an holy day fince we have been here, ས་ here, we had the pleasure of seeing how extremely opulent the citizens and their families appear, even down to the loweft mechanic; though I cannot fay I liked to fee blacksmiths and fhoemakers with gold and filver stuffs in waistcoats, long fwords, and embroidered knots; taylors in brocade, and fine laced ruffles, &c. This is carrying opulence into luxury; at the fame time, waving thefe ridiculous exceffes, I was rejoiced to fee every body appear rich, and happy. The women are in general very handfome. The nobleffe and great ladies dress in a more noble style than at Paris, and have a very genteel air and manner; their clothes are of the richest materials, and better made than any I have yet feen in Italy. Adieu for the prefent; it is now late, and I must be up early to-morrow. |