gives them at the fame time fome general ideas of history. Street orators, therefore, are a more useful fet of men than another clafs, of which there are numbers at Rome, who entertain companies with extemporaneous verses on any given fubject. The laft are called Improuvifatori; and fome people admire thefe performances greatly. For my own part, I am too poor a judge of the Italian language either to admire or condemn them; but, from the nature of the thing, I fhould imagine they are but indifferent. It is faid, that the Italian is peculiarly calculated for poetry, and that verfes may be made with more facility in this than in any other language. It may be more eafy to find fmooth lines, and make them terminate in rhime in Italian, than in any language; but to compofe verfes with all the qualities effential to good poetry, I imagine leifure and long reflection are requifite, Indeed I understand, from those who are judges, that those extempore compofitions of the Improu 0 3 Improuvifatori are in general but mean productions, confifting of a few fulfome compliments to the company, and fome common-place observations, put into rhime, on the fubject propofed. There is, however, a lady of an amiable character, Signora Corilla, whofe extempore productions, which the repeats in the moft graceful manner, are admired by people of real taste. While we were at Rome, this lady made an appearance one evening, at the affembly of the Arcadi, which charmed a very numerous company; and of which our friend Mr. Ramfay has given me fuch an account as makes me regret that I was not prefent. After much entreaty, a subject being given, she began, accompanied by two violins, and fung her unpremeditated ftrains with great variety of thought and elegance of language. The whole of her performance lafted above an hour, with three or four pauses, of about five minutes each, which feemed neceffary, more that the might recover her ftrength and voice, than than for recollection; for that gentleman faid, that nothing could have more the air of infpiration, or what we are told of the Pythian Prophetefs. At her first fetting out, her manner was fedate, or rather cold; but gradually becoming animated, her voice rofe, her eyes fparkled, and the rapidity and beauty of her expressions and ideas feemed fupernatural. She at laft called on another member of the fociety to fing alternately with her, which he complied with; but Mr. Ramfay thought, though they were Arcades ambo, they were by no means cantare pares *. Naples is celebrated for the finest opera in Europe. This however happens not to be the season of performing; but the common people enjoy their operas at all feafons. Little concerts of vocal and inftrumental music are heard every evening in the Strada Nuova, the Chiaca, the Strada di Toledo, and other ftreets; and * Both Arcadians, but not equally skilled in finging. young men and women are feen dancing to the mufic of ambulatory performers all along this delightful bay. To a mere fpectator, the amufements of the common people afford more delight than those of the great; because they seem to be more enjoyed by the one clafs, than by the other. This is the cafe every where, except in France; where the high appear as happy as those of middle rank, and the rich are very near as merry as the poor. But in moft other countries, the people of great rank and fortune, though they flock to every kind of entertainment, from not knowing what to do with themselves, yet seem to enjoy them lefs than those of inferior rank and fortune. The English particularly are faid to be in this predicament. This may be true in fome degree; though I imagine there is more appearance than reality in it; owing to an abfurd affectation of indifference, or what the French call nonchalance, which has prevailed prevailed of late years. A few infipid characters in high life, whofe internal vacancy leads them to feek amusement in public places, and whofe infenfibility prevents them from finding it, have probably brought this appearance of a want of all enjoyment into fashion. Those who wish to be thought of what is called the ton, imitate the mawkish infipidity of their fuperiors in rank, and imagine it diftinguishes them from the vulgar, to suppress all the natural expreffions of pity, joy, or admiration, and to feem, upon all occafions, in a state of complete apathy.Thofe amiable creatures frequent public places, that it may be faid of them, They are not as other men are. You will fee them occafionally at the playhouse, placed in the boxes, like fo many bufts, with unchanging features; and while the reft of the audience yield to the emotions excited by the poet and the actors, thofe men of the ton preferve the moft dignified ferenity of countenance; and, except that they, from |