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LETTER LXXIII.

Florence.

OCIETY feems to be on an easy and

Soc

agreeable footing in this city. Befides the converfazionis which they have here, as in other towns of Italy, a number of the nobility meet every day at a house called the Cafino. This fociety is pretty much on the fame footing with the clubs in London. The members are elected by ballot. They meet at no particular hour, but go at any time that is convenient. They play at billiards, cards, and other games, or continue converfing the whole evening, as they think proper. They are ferved with tea, coffee, lemonade, ices, or what other refreshments they choofe; and each perfon pays for what he calls for. There is one material difference between this and the English clubs, that women as well as men are members.

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The company of both fexes behave with more frankness and familiarity to ftrangers, as well as to each other, than is customary in public affemblies in other parts of Italy.

The Opera at Florence is a place where the people of quality pay and receive vifits, and converfe as freely as at the Casino above mentioned. This occafions a continual paffing and repaffing to and from the boxes, except in those where there is a party of cards formed; it is then looked on as a piece of ill manners to disturb the players. I never was more furprised, than when it was propofed to me to make one of a whift party, in a box which feemed to have been made for the purpose, with a little table in the middle. I hinted that it would be full as convenient to have the party fomewhere elfe; but I was told, good mufic added greatly to the pleasure of a whift party; that it increased the joy of good fortune, and foothed the affliction of bad. As I thought the people of this

country

country better acquainted than myself with the power of mufic, I contefted the point no longer; but have generally played two or three rubbers at whift in the ftage-box every opera night.

From this you may guess, that, in this city, as in fome other towns in Italy, little attention is paid to the mufic by the company in the boxes, except at a new opera, or during fome favourite air. But the dancers command a general attention: as foon as they begin, converfation ceases; even the card-players lay down their cards, and fix their eyes on the Ballette. Yet the excellence of Italian dancing feems to confift in feats of strength, and a kind of jerking agility, more than in graceful movement. There is a continual conteft among the performers who fhall fpring higheft. You fee here none of the sprightly, alluring gaiety of the French comic dancers, nor of the graceful attitudes, and fmooth flowing motions, of the performers in the ferious

opera

opera at Paris. It is furprising, that a people of fuch tafte and fenfibility as the Italians, fhould prefer a parcel of athletic jumpers to elegant dancers.

On the evenings on which there is no opera, it is ufual for the genteel company to drive to a public walk immediately without the city, where they remain till it begins to grow dufkifh. Soon after our arrival at Florence, in one of the avenues of this walk we obferved two men and two ladies, followed by four fervants in livery. One of the men wore the infignia of the garter. We were told this was the Count Albany, and that the Lady next to him was the Countefs. We yielded the walk, and pulled off our hats. The gentleman along with them was the Envoy from the King of Pruffia to the Court of Turin. He whif pered the Count, who returning the falutation, looked very earnestly at the Duke of Hamilton. We have feen them almoft every evening fince, either at the opera or on the

public walk. His Grace does not affect to fhun the avenue in which they happen to be; and as often as we pafs near them, the Count fixes his eyes in a most expressive manner upon the Duke, as if he meant to fay-our ancestors were better acquainted.

You know, I fuppofe, that the Count Albany is the unfortunate Charles Stuart, who left Rome fome time fince on the death of his father, because the Pope did not think proper to acknowledge him by the title which he claimed on that event. He now lives at Florence, on a small revenue allowed him by his brother. The Countess is a beautiful woman, much beloved by those who know her, who univerfally defcribe her as lively, intelligent, and agreeable. Educated as I was in Revolution principles, and in a part of Scotland where the religion of the Stuart family, and the maxims by which they governed, are more reprobated than perhaps in any part of Great Britain, I could not behold this un

fortunate

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