the latter is of use only as a public walk. It contains many handsome buildings, amongst others a university, which is tolerably well attended. The famous Parmesan cheese was originally produced in the surrounding country, but it is now chiefly made in the rich pastures between Milan and the Po, in Lombardy. The city of Placenta lies to the N. W. of Parma, on the right bank of the Po, near it's confluence with the Trebbia; it is a place of some little consequence, being the capital of the duchy of Placenza, which occupies the Western part of the government of Parma from the Apennines to the Po: it likewise contains a university, but it is of no great note in the history of literature. Guastalla is worthy of little notice, except as the chief place of a Duchy of the same name, annexed to the territory of Parma; it is situated to the N. E. of Parma, on the R. Po, not far from it's junction with the Oglio. 49. THE DUCHY OF MODENA is bounded on the N. by the kingdom of LombardyVenice, on the E. by the State of the Church, on the S. by the Duchy of Lucca and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, on the W. by part of the latter State, the Duchy of Massa-Carrara, and the Duchy of Parma. It contains 1.400 square miles, and it's population in 1826 was estimated at 350,000 souls. It is divided into three provinces, viz. This duchy is possessed by a lateral branch of the House of Austria, the Archduke Francis of Este, whose mother, the Archduchess Maria Beatrice, is sovereign of Massa-Carrara; upon her death, this last duchy reverts to the House of Modena, and hence it is frequently reckoned, though improperly, amongst the possessions of the latter. The government is absolute, and is vested in the hands of the Duke. The inhabitants are all Roman Catholics. Modena, the metropolis of the duchy, is situated in a delightful plain between the rivers Secchia and Panaro; it contains the ducal palace, a cathedral, and many other public buildings, together with a college or university: it has likewise a citadel, and is surrounded with ramparts, which, however, conduce less to it's strength than to the beauty of it's aspect. Reggio is the capital of a small duchy of the same name belonging to the territory of Modena; it is a regularly built town, situated to the N. W. of Modena, on a tributary of the Po called the Tessone, and is remarkable as the birth-place of Ariosto. To the N. of Modena, about midway between it and the Po, stands Mirandola, on the little R. Burana; it is regularly fortified, and is the capital of the Duchy of Mirandola, which is annexed to Modena, 50. THE DUCHY OF MASSA-CARRARA is bounded on the W. by the kingdom of Sardinia, on the N. by the Duchy of Parma, on the E. by the Duchy of Modena and some insulated parts of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and on the S. by the Mediterranean Sea. It contains about 420 square miles, and it's estimated population in 1826 amounted to 30,000 souls. It is composed of the Duchy of Massa and the Principality of Carrara, the government of which is vested in the person of the Archduchess Maria Beatrice d'Este, mother of the Duke of Modena, and is to devolve to the latter State upon her death. The executive power is absolute, and in the hands of the sovereign: the people are all Roman Catholics. The surface of the country is mountainous, but tolerably fertile; the mountains, from the base to the summit, are composed almost entirely of beautiful marble. Massa, the capital of the duchy, is situated on the little R. Frigido, about three miles from the Mediterranean; it is well built, and defended by a castle, and contains the government palace, together with an academy of sculpture and architecture: it has 7,000 inhabitants. Carrura lies about three miles from Massa, and at an equal distance from the Mediterranean, on the little river Lavenza; it has long been celebrated for its quarries of beautiful marble, which was well known to the ancients, and is said to have furnished them with the materials for building the Pantheon at Rome: it is of different colours and kinds, and is adapted for the various purposes of building and statuary. Carrara contains 3,000 inhabitants. 51. THE DUCHY OF LUCCA is bounded on the E. and S. by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, on the W. by the Mediterranean, and on the N. by an insulated part of the last mentioned State and by the Duchy of Modena. It likewise possesses some small portions of territory enclosed within the Duchy of Massa and the dependancies of Tuscany. It contains 310 square miles, and it's estimated population in 1826 amounted to 143,000 souls. From the middle of the 15th century till 1805, Lucca maintained itself in the form of an independent republic, with an aristocratical government, the head of which bore the title of Gonfalonièro; but after the latter period it underwent several changes, in consequence of having fallen into the hands of the French. In the year 1815, the Congress of Vienna erected it into a duchy, and gave it as an indemnity to the Infanta of Spain, Maria Louisa, ci-devant Duchess of Parma. The government is an absolute sovereignty, and the inhabitants, who are amongst the most industrious in all Italy, are Roman Catholics. Lucca, the capital of the duchy, is situated on the R. Serchio, about 10 miles from it's mouth in the Mediterranean, in a fertile plain, which is surrounded by beautifully cultivated hills; it's circuit is nearly three miles. It's fortifications, though regular and in good repair, are not of great strength, and the ramparts being planted with trees give it from a distance the appearance of a forest. It is the seat of government and the see of an archbishop, and contains the palace of the princess, a university, and an academy of arts and sciences: it's population in 1826 was estimated at 20,000 souls. A mile or two from it are some warm springs, much celebrated through the whole country for the efficacy of their waters. 52. THE GRAND DUCHY OF TUSCANY is bounded on the N. by the Duchy of Lucca and the Papal States, on the E. by the latter territory, on the S. and W. by the Mediterranean Sea, in which it possesses Elba, and some smaller islands between Corsica and the main. It has likewise several insulated possessions, such as that of Pietra Santa, between the Duchies of Massa-Carrara and Lucca; of Barga, to the N. of the latter state; of Fivizzano between Parma and Massa-Carrara, &c. It contains 6.320 square miles, and it's population in 1826 was estimated at 1,275,000 souls. It is divided into five provinces, viz. The form of government in Tuscany is monarchical; the power of the Grand Duke, though exercised with mildness, is restricted by no representative body, or even written authority: the executive part is managed by the cabinet and a council of state. The established religion is the Roman Catholic, but the inhabitants are not so bigoted as some of their neighbours. 53. Tuscany was at first held as a Duchy and fief of Lombardy, but it was subsequently restored to independence. During the 12th and 13th centuries, it was divided into the three republics of Florence, Pisa, and Sienna: Florence subjugated Pisa in 1406, after a very long war. The family of the Medici, become the most powerful in the whole country, from the wealth it had acquired by commerce, gradually assumed a great ascendancy in the government, and in 1380 obtained the complete sovereignty of the state. Alexander de Medici was created Duke of Tuscany by the Emperor Charles the 5th; and Cosmo de Medici, his cousin and successor, received from Pope Pius 5th the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany, which was afterwards confirmed by the Emperor Maximilian 2d. The House of Medici having become extinct in 1737, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was given to the Duke of Lorraine, husband of Maria Theresa, the heiress of Austria, in exchange for Lor raine, which passed to France. That prince becoming afterwards emperor of Germany, vested the Grand Duchy in his second son, from whom it has descended to the present Grand Duke. 54. Florence, or Firenze, as it is called by the Italians, is the metropolis of Tuscany. and one of the finest cities in Italy, or even in all Europe; it stands in a delightful valley intersected by the Arno, occupying both sides of the river. The whole valley is one continued grove and garden, where the beauty of the country is enlivened by the animation of the inhabitants, and the fertility of the soil is redoubled by the industry of the cultivators. The city, which is of an oval form, and about 44 miles in circuit, is surrounded by a wall, and has two citadels. It is the residence of the sovereign, and the seat of government, and contains many stately and splendid buildings; the cathedral is a Gothic edifice of vast extent and magnificence, and in boldness and skill inferior only to St. Peter's of Rome. It also possesses an admirable Gallery of works of art, a University, and a very celebrated Academy. Pisa, lower down the Arno, and not many miles from it's mouth, was formerly one of the most important cities of Italy, though now presenting a dull and deserted appearance; it's population, said to have once amounted to 150,000, does not now much exceed the tenth part of this number. It's circuit is nearly six miles, and it contains many very handsome public edifices; the most curious of these is the Campanile Torto, or leaning tower, which is a cylindrical tower 188 feet in height, constructed of several rows of pillars, but remarkable for it's inclining about 15 feet out of the perpendicular. The University of Pisa, one of the oldest in Italy, has been long a distinguished nursery of literature, and though considerably reduced in importance, is still accounted the seat of Tuscan education. About 10 miles below the mouth of the Arno, stands the famous sea-port of Leghorn, or Livorno, as it is called by the natives; it is of a square form, about three miles in circuit, fortified towards the sea, but towards the land merely enclosed by a stone wall: it's estimated population in 1826 was 75,000 souls. It is the residence of consuls from the different European Powers, and is accounted the greatest commercial depôt in Italy, being annually visited by several thousand vessels; it supplies the interior of Italy with the produce of the rest of Europe, the Levant, and the colonies, and exports in return the produce of the neighbouring country. It stands in a marshy district, which commences here, and extends along the coast as far South as Terracina, at the extremity of the Pontine Marshes, on the Neapolitan frontier: this long tract of country, known by the name of the Maremma, is exceedingly marshy and unwholesome, the whole of it being affected with malaria. Sienna lies to the E. of Leghorn, in the centre of Tuscany, not far from the springs of the Ombrone: it is a handsome and interesting town, and contains a small university of some standing. The island of Elba, the largest of those which lie off the coast of Tuscany, is opposite Piombino on the mainland, from which it is only seven miles distant: it is remarkable as having been the residence of Buonaparte from May 1814 to 26th February 1815, when he broke his faith with his conquerors by sailing to France, and four months afterwards received his final overthrow from the hands of the British, on the memorable plains of Waterloo. CHAPTER XIII. ITALIA MEDIA. 1. SABINI and Equi.-The territory of these two nations was bounded on the W. and N. by the Tiber and Nera, on the E. by the Apennines, and on the S. by Anio fl. Teverone; it contained 1.400 square miles. To the W. and N. it bordered on Etruria and Umbria, to the E. on the Prætutii, Vestini, and Marsi, and to the S. on Latium. The Sabini were cantoned in Southern Umbria, in Sabina, and in Western Abruzzo Ultra; the Æqui dwelled to the S. E. of them, in parts of Campagna di Roma and Abruzzo Ultra. 2. The Sabini, one of the most ancient people of Italy, were probably descendants of the Umbri; they are said to have derived their name from the deity Sabus or Sabinus, their leader or progenitor. They were remarkable for their bravery and hardihood', as well as for their gravity and purity of manners 2; they were also celebrated for their incantations, and knowledge of herbs. They are said by some to have been the first people who took up arms against the Romans, to avenge the rape of their women; but Livy mentions the war with the Cæninenses, Crustumini, and Antemnates, as preceding that with the Sabines. On that occasion, their king Tatius left his possessions and joined Romulus in the regal power, whilst his subjects, the inhabitants of Cures, were incorporated with the Roman citizens; after this union (which affords a well attested proof of the control once exercised by the Sabine nation over Rome), the two nations were indiscriminately called Quirites. In the reign of Hostilius, the third king of Rome, the Sabini, who had not left their ancient territory, went to war with the Romans, and after having been, through a series of years, repeatedly defeated, were at last completely subjected to the Romans by the consul Curius Dentatus, B. C. 292. 5 3. The principal rivers in the territory we are describing, were Velinus Al. Velino, which rises in the Apennines, and runs with a tortuous course into the Nera, at the beautiful fall of Terni; and Anio fl. Teverone, which rises in the country of the Aqui, and flows Westward into the Tiber, a few miles N. of Rome. Between the Nar and Anio the Tiber receives Allia fl. 6, where the fatal battle was fought between the Romans and the Gauls under Brennus, B. c. 389, the day before the latter entered Rome; further N. the Tiber is joined by Farfarus, or Fabaris fl. Farfa, and by Himella fl. Aja, from whose little tributary stream, Avens fl., the Mons Aventinus at Rome is said to have derived its name. Telonius fl., Turano, nec damnis Allia nota suis. Ovid. Remed. Amor. I. 220. cedant feralia nomina Et damnata diu Romanis Allia fa-tis. Cannæ, Lucan. VII. 409. -Virg. Æn. VII. 715. 7 Qui Tiberim, Fabarimque bibunt :- Ovid. Met. XIV. 330. Casperiamque colunt, Forulosque, et flumen Himella; Virg. Æn. VII. 714. memorable for the defeat of the consul Rutilius on it's banks, during the Marsic war, rises in the territory of the Marsi, and flows N. W. into the Velino. The waters of the Anio were formerly carried to Rome by two aqueducts, the first, called Anio Vetus, was constructed by the censor Curius Dentatus; the other, called Anio Novus, or Aqua Claudia, was an improvement of the former, effected under Nero and Claudius. 4. Amongst the chief towns of the Sabini were, Nursia Norcia, noted for the coldness of it's situation; Cutiliæ Paterno, on Cutilia L., the umbilicus or centre of Italy; Reate Riete, on the Velino, said to have been built before the Trojan war, and to have derived it's name from Rhea or Cybele 9; it was famed for it's breeds of mules and asses, and was situated in a valley so pleasant, as to merit the title of Reatina Tempe; it's luxuriant meadows bore the name Rosei Campi, and are still called Le Rose. Casperia is now Aspra; Cures Correse, the birth-place of Numa Pompilius 10, is celebrated as having given the name of Quirites to the Romans, it's inhabitants being so called; Nomentum La Mentana, was famous for it's excellent wine 11; Fidena Castel Giubileo, was noted for it's perseverance in resisting the Roman voke 12. Between this last town and the Anio was Mons Sacer, whither the Roman populace retired in a tumult, which caused the election of the Tribunes 13. The sulphureous springs of the Aqua Albulæ 14 are still found at Bernil, on the Anio. The villa of Horace 15 is supposed to have been at Licenza, 10 magnæque Reate dicatum Coelicolum Matri, Sil. Ital. VIII. 415. Virg. En. VI. 811. "Martial had a farm near Nomentum, to which he makes frequent allusion: VI. ep. xliii.; X. ep. xliv.; XII. ep. lvii. 12 After it's reduction by Æmilius Mamercus, it is mentioned only as a deserted place: Scis, Lebedus quid sit; Gabiis desertior atque Hor. Epist. I. xi. 7. But from Tacitus (Annal. IV. 62), it appears to have risen again to the rank of a municipal town; whence Juvenal, An Fidenarum Gabiorumque esse potestas Sat. X. 100. For the principal description of it, consult the Poet himself, Epist. I. xvi. R |