crowned by Victory, with this infcription,

VIRTUS POST FORTIA FACTA CORONAT.

The grand ftaircase is adorned with the richest marble; the upper veftibule to which you afcend by this noble stair, is an octogon alfo, and furrounded by twentyfour pillars of yellow marble, each of which is of one piece of eighteen feet high, without including the pedestal or capital. From this upper veftibule there are entries into-But I have a notion you are tired of this description, which I affure you is likewife my cafe. I beg, therefore, you may take it for granted, that the apartments within, particularly their Majefties, and that deftiued for balls and theatrical entertainments, correfpond with the magnificence of the external appearance.

Among the workmen employed in finishing this palace and the gardens, there are one hundred and fifty Africans; for

as

as the King of Naples is conftantly at war with the Barbary States, he always has a number of their failors prifoners, all of 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 Christian flaves; all of these 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 blackeft crimes, are worthier men, and more deferving of lenity, than Mahometan prisoners, however innocent they may be in all other respects.

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 storehouse till the gardens are finishVOL. II. X

ed,

ed, when they will be placed in them. The largest and finest elephant I ever saw is here at prefent; he is kept by African 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 the garden, there is an artificial water and island. 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. In this ifland 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. I no 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 asked

I asked the man who attended us, What he imagined this fortification was intended for?-Sir H- F— faid, "The cannon were certainly defigned

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 reafon"able, that not only this fort, but the "whole kingdom, fhould be appropriated "to the amufement of his Majefty."Certo," replied the man. I wished to fee how far the fellow's liberality would go

"Not only this kingdom," continued I, "but all Europe would be highly ho"noured in contributing to the amusement "of his Majesty.” "Certo, certo," faid

the man.

LETTER LXVII.

Naples.

TH

HE King and Queen lately paid a vifit to four of the principal nunneries in this town. Their motive was, to gratify the curiofity of th Archduchefs, and her husband, Prince Albert of Saxony. 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 feeing them frequently while at Rome, where they conciliated the affections of the Italian nobles by their obliging manners, as much as they commanded respect by their high rank. The Archduchess is a very beautiful woman, and more diftinguished by the propriety of her conduct, than by either birth or beauty. As white, by the link of contraft, is connected with