addition to this collection, by fending her own portrait painted by herself; fhe is at full length, with the palette and pencils in her hands. Correggio, after hearing the picture of St. Cecilia at Bologna cried up as a prodigy, and the ne plus ultra of art, went to fee it; and conscious that there was nothing in it that required the exertion of greater powers than he felt within himself, he was overheard to fay, "Anch' io fono pittore." This illuftrious princess was also conscious of her powers when the painted this portrait, which feems to pronounce to the spectators, Anch' io fono pittrice*.

I alfo am a painter.

Bb 4

LETTER LXXII.

Florence.

AVING now croffed from the Adri

HA

atic to the Mediterranean, and travelled through a confiderable part of Italy, I acknowledge I have been agreeably dif appointed in finding the ftate of the poorer part of the inhabitants lefs wretched than, from the accounts of fome travellers, I imagined it was; and I may with equal truth add, that although I have not seen so much poverty as I was taught to expect, yet I have feen far more poverty than mifery. Even the extremity of indigence is accompanied with less wretchedness here than in many other countries. This is partly owing to the mildness of the climate and fertility of the foil, and partly to the peaceable, religious, and contented difpofition of the people,

people. The miferies which the poorer part of mankind fuffer from cold, are, perhaps, greater than thofe derived from any other fource whatever. But in Italy, the gentleness of the climate prote&s them from this calamity nine months of the year. If they can gather as much wood as to keep a moderate fire during the remaining three, and procure a coarse cloak, they have little to fear from that quarter. Those who cannot get employment, which is often the cafe in this country, and even those who do not choose to work, which is the cafe with numbers all the world over, receive a regular maintenance from fome convent: with this, and what little they can pick up otherwife, in a country where provifions are plentiful and cheap, they pafs through life, in their own opinion, with more fatisfaction than if they had a greater number of conveniencies procured by much bodily labour. Whereas in Great Britain, Germany, and other northern countries,

countries, the poor have no choice but to work; for if they remain idle, they are expofed to miferies more intolerable than the hardest labour can occasion to the laziest of mankind; they are invaded at once by the accumulated agonies of hunger and cold; and if they have ever had fufficient credit to contract a little debt, they are continually in danger of being thrown into a jail among pickpockets and felons. With refpect to the loweft of the tradefpeople and the daylabourers in this country, their wages are certainly not high; nor are they willing, by great efforts of industry, to gain all they might; but what they do gain is never wafted in intemperance, but fairly spent in their families on the real neceffaries and comforts of life.

The Italians are the greateft loungers in the world; and while walking in the fields, or ftretched in the fhade, feem to enjoy the ferenity and genial warmth of

their climate with a degree of luxurious indulgence peculiar to themselves. Without ever running into the daring exceffes of the English, or displaying the frifky vivacity of the French, or the invincible phlegm of the Germans, the Italian populace discover a species of fedate fenfibility to every fource of enjoyment, from which, perhaps, they derive a greater degree of happiness than any of the other. The frequent proceffions and religious ceremonies, befides amufing and comforting them, ferve to fill up their time, and prevent that ennui, and thofe immoral practices, which are apt to accompany poverty and idleness. It is neceffary, for the quiet and happiness of every community, that the populace be employed. Some politicians imagine, that their whole time fhould be spent in gainful industry. Others think, that though the riches of the state will not be augmented, yet the general happiness, which is a more im

portant