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whom are immediately employed as flaves in the gallies, or at fome public work. There are at prefent at Cafferta, about the fame number of Chriftian flaves; all of thefe have been condemned to this fervitude for fome crime, fome of them for the greatest of all crimes; they are, however, better clothed and fed than the Africans. This is done, no doubt, in honour of the Christian religion, and to demonstrate that Chriftians, even after they have been found guilty of the blackest crimes, are worthier men, and more deferving of lenity, than Mahometan prifoners, however innocent they may be in all other refpects.

The gardens belonging to this palace are equally extenfive and magnificent. A great number of fine ftatues, most of them copies of the best antique, are kept in a ftorehoufe till the gardens are finished, when they will be placed in them. The largest and fineft elephant I ever faw is here at prefent; he is kept by African X 2

flaves;

flaves; they seem to know how to manage him perfectly; he is well thriven, and goes through a number of tricks and evolutions with much docility and judgment.

In

In the garden there is an artificial water and ifland. This, if one may venture to fay fo, feems a little injudicious; it brings to our memory the bay of Naples, with its iflands, a recollection by no means favourable to this royal contrivance. this island there is a kind of a caftle, regularly fortified, with a ditch around it, and ramparts, baftions, fally-ports, &c. &c. and a numerous train of artillery, fome of them nine or ten ouncers. fooner entered this fort, than I wished that Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim had been of our party; it would have charmed the foul of the worthy veteran and his faithful fervant.

I no

I asked the man who attended us, what he imagined this fortification was intended for?-Sir Harry Featherston said,

"The

"The cannon were certainly defigned

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against the frogs, who were continually "attempting to fcale the ramparts from "the ditch."I afked again, What was the real defign of erecting this fort? The man answered, ftretching out his arms, and making as wide a circle with them as he could, "Tutto, tutto per il "follazo del Re*." "Yes," faid I, "it "is furely in the highest degree reason"able, that not only this fort, but the "whole kingdom, fhould be appropriated to the amusement of his Majefty.". "Certo," replied the man. I wished to fee how far the fellow's liberality would go. -"Not only this kingdom," continued

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"but all Europe, would be highly` ho"noured in contributing to the amusement "of his Majesty." "Certo, certo ‡," faid

the man.

All, all for the King's amufement.

+ Surely.

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Surely, furely.

T

LETTER LXVII.

Naples.

HE King and Queen lately paid a vifit to four of the principal nunneries in this town. Their motive was to gratify the curiosity of the Archduchess, and her husband Prince Albert of Sax

ony. I ought to have informed you, that this illuftrious couple left Vienna fome months after us, with an intention to make the tour of Italy. We had the honour of seeing them frequently while at Rome, where they conciliated the affections of the Italian nobles by their obliging manners, as much as they commanded refpect by their high rank. The Archduchefs is a very beautiful woman, and more distinguished by the propriety of her conduct, than by either birth or beauty. As white, by the link of contrast, is connected with

the

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the idea of black; fo this amiable Duchefs fometimes recalls thofe to people's memories, whofe ideas of dignity are ftrongly contrafted with her's. Confcious, from her infancy, of the highest rank, and accustomed to honours, it never enters into her thoughts that any person will fail in paying her a due refpect; while they, eternally jealous that enough of refpect is not paid them, give themselves airs which would be intolerable in an Emprefs. A fmile of benignity puts all who approach this Princefs perfectly at their eafe, and dignity fits as smoothly on her as a well-made garment; while, on them, it briftles out like the quills of a porcupine, or the feathers of an enraged turkey-cock.

As nobody is permitted to enter those convents, except on fuch extraordinary occafions as this, when they are vifited by the Sovereigns, the British Minister feized this opportunity of procuring an

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