time daughters are difpofed of in the convents for education, where they ferve the Nuns as Minions; and thus, according to the proverb, learn un poco di bene et un poco di

• malo,

The fair fex, efpecially of any rank, enjoy, however, more liberty now than at the time our Author made his obfervations; when no young woman was permitted to go abroad without a governess or aunt; nor was it fafe, according to him, to falute a young Lady, left it fhould be conftrued into an affront, or occafion a legal attempt to force one into marriage.

As to the Devotion of the Italians, fays he, they are, in < general, both fuperftitious and ignorant, though to a lefs degree than the Spaniards. However, we do not find among them that exorbitant malignity against Hereticks and foreigners, as in too many other places. And what I was agreeably furprized at was, that in the inns no difficulty < was made in providing flesh for foreigners on Fridays and Saturdays; and a Gentleman who was just come from Rome, and to whom I was expreffing my fatisfaction at the indulgence, affured me, that he had eat flesh there even on • Good-Friday. However, this is more than an Italian himfelf dare do, for fear of the Inquifition: he may, however, commit all kinds of debauchery, provided he takes care not to offend against the Sovereign and the Laws; but should he eat flesh on the days of abftinence, the Inquifition would immediately take cognizance of it, and imprifon him. But the power of that tribunal does not extend to foreigners, with regard to their eating and drinking. I have observed, that the Italians are not fo infatuated with their images as the Spaniards; poffibly their intention may be rather to < ornament their churches, than to worship the ftatues, though I do not here include the vulgar, who have a great propenfity to idolatry and image-worship. As I was walking in Florence, I really faw a fellow very reverentially pull off his hat to the ftatue of Hercules and the Centaur.

6

At Florence, our Author paid a vifit to the celebrated Magliabechi, whofe drefs and manners he particularly defcribes. We have already given our Readers fome account of this prodigy fee Review, vol. XX. p. 217.

We pafs forward with our Author to Smyrna; where," from the account he gives of the ftate and power of the Dutch Conful, it should feem the trade of that nation was formerly much more confiderable than it is at present.

Among

Among other Turkifh cuftoms at Smyrna, our Author tells us, that the women, both Turks and others, instead of fwathing up their infants, as is customary here, drefs them only in a light gown, leaving Nature at full liberty to direct their growth. And yet it is remarkable, that crooked perfons are much rarer in Turkey than in those nations who value themfelves upon the knowlege of the human body. The women are alfo very careful to keep themfelves neat and clean, and for that purpofe frequently make ufe of the bath; but this fo weakens.the elafticity of the fibres, as to render their flesh foft, and often flabby. Corpulency is here in fuch high efteem, especially among the Turks, that fome, at certain times, and with fuperftitious ceremonies, fwallow a quarter of an ounce of Mercury, the fupreme beauty in all these parts being a large fat body, and prominent breafts.

6

The Greek women at Smyrna make great ufe of paint, which odious cuftom has alfo got footing among the Franks. This paint, which is called Sullama, imparts a beautiful redness to the cheeks, and gives the fkin a remarkable glofs. This is, however, eafily difcovered by chewing a clove, and breathing on the perfon's face; which in this circumftance it immediately turns yellow. But this is not the only bad confequence attending the practice; for a confiderable quantity of Mercury making a part of this paint, the teeth of thofe who use it foon fuffer remarkably; and thus for a falfe, they loofe a real beauty. Greck girls often carry their decorations to a much higher pitch, especially on the day of their marriage; for they even gild their faces, which is here confidered as irrefiftibly charming.

I fhall conclude thefe remarks on the customs of the fair fex of Smyrna, with obferving, that when a Frank is defirous of having one of them for a concubine, he must first addrefs himself to the Soubafci for a licence, and for which he pays a certain number of piafters; this licence fecures him, for fhould any one offer to moleft him, or intrude on his rights, the Soubafci would immediately fecure him, as an offender against the laws of the country; and should he happen to be furprized in his illegal amour, both the gentleman and his miftrefs, would be exhibited thro' all the ftreets of the city upon an afs, unless he thought proper to buy off his punishment by a round fum of money.'

After vifiting Conftantinople, and other places, our Author went up to Jerufalem; where he arrived about Eafter;

having thereby an opportunity of seeing the various ceremonies exhibited there at that feafon, by the Devotees of the Latin and Greek churches. We have felected the two following inftances, as the most remarkable of those, at which he was actually present.

On Good-Friday, after fupping on fallad and eggs, with the Fathers of the convent, our Author, with his companions, retired into what is called the Chapel of the Apparition, where, foon after fun-set all the candles were put out, the • doors locked, and one of the ecclefiafticks preached in Italian from these words: In ifta nox tenebrofa, &c. In this dark night, &c. The reafon for putting out all the lights is, that they think darkness better adapted to religious worfhip, particularly the melancholy subject now commemorated.

• Sermon being over, the candles were again lighted, and C a wax taper given to every one of the audience, in order to affift at the proceffion now to be performed. Every one of the ecclefiafticks had alfo a book, containing the hymns ap'pointed to be fung in every confecrated place.

<

At the head of this proceffion was carried a large cross with the figure of a man nailed to it, ftreaked with blood, and the fculpture fo finely executed, that it reprefented, in a very lively manner, the melancholy fpectacle of our Saviour hanging on the crofs. This was followed by several • other crofles. The Father Guardian affifted at this proceffion, dreffed in his mitre and crofier, as is common on all great feftivals.

We next paffed by the place where our Saviour is faid to have appeared to Mary; and where he fhewed himself in the drefs of a gardener to Mary Magdalene. We also paffed by feveral chapels, as that of the imprisonment of St. Longinus, &c. and at length flopped before the chapel of the Divifion of the apparel. At each the proper hymns 6 were fung, and the prayers read; and here an ecclefiaftic preached a fermon in French fuitable to the occafion. This Divine was at that time Prefident of the Holy Sepulchre, the next place in dignity to that of the Guardian, but is held only for three months; for the Fathers of the Holy Land confifting chiefly of three nations, France, Spain, and Italy, they must be equally refpected; and in order to this, the Scuttoris, as it is called, confifts of the Father Guardian an Italian, the Father Vicar a Frenchman, and the Father Procurator a Spaniard and of three other Fa⚫thers,

thers, who have no dignity, and therefore called difcreti; • a President is every three months chofen of a different nation; and who, in the abfence or fickness of the Father • Guardian, supplies his place.

The next stop was at the chapel of the Pillar called Improperii. And here another French fermon was delivered, a monk ftanding by the preacher, holding in his hand a · large cross.

"We now paffed by the chapel of St. Helena, near which is another dedicated to the Invention of the Crofs, and faid to have been built on the very spot where the true cross ' was found.

We were now arrived at the foot of Mount Calvary, and all afcended it barefooted, leaving our fhoes at the bottom of the steps. Here the French Vicar preached before the altar, and stood on the very spot where our Saviour is faid to have been nailed to the crofs. Now the large cross, which had hitherto been carried at the head of the proceffion, was fixed in the hole where the true cross stood, while our Redeemer fuffered on it.

• We next heard a very elegant and pathetic difcourfe in Italian; after which two ecclefiaftics, one representing Nicodemus, and the other Jofeph of Arimathea, approached the cross, with the greateft marks of veneration, in order to take down the body; but previously crowned it with a filver diadem, reprefenting a crown of thorns; when every ⚫ one climbed up to kifs the ftatue. The ecclefiaftics now, in order to make a greater fhew of devotion, began all to fmite heavily on their breafts, and every one applied himself with < alacrity to draw the nails out of the crofs.

This ftatue was fo artfully formed, that when the nails ' were drawn out of the hands and feet, every part of it was moveable, and reprefented exactly a human corpfe, except in fize, which was confiderably lefs than a man. place, indeed, was not high enough to admit a cross of the • natural bignefs.

The

This ceremony I have defcribed with all poffible accuracy. It was inftituted to inflame the devotion of all who vifited the holy places, by conveying the most lively idea of the paffion of our Saviour.

Now the two ecclefiaftics reprefenting Nicodemus and Jofeph of Arimathea, wrapped up this ftatue in fine linnen,

⚫ on

on which were embroidered the arms of Jerufalem, being a red crofs, furrounded with four finaller.

This being performed, we defcended from Mount Calvary, greatly affected with the folemn manner of their chanting the hymns. The ftatue was alfo brought down to the ftone of unction, where our Saviour's body is faid to have been anointed.

Here the Father Guardian anointed the fuppofed body with fragrant balfams, while the ecclefiaftics perfumed the ftone and audience with the fmoke of their incenfe. After which one of them preached in Arabic; but as we did not understand him, we thought his difcourfe tedious.

The whole proceffion now followed this anointed ftatue to the holy fepulchre, into which the reprefentatives of Nicodemus and Jofeph carried it, the Father Guardian also going in with them. Here a Spanish ecclefiaftic delivered a fermon in his own language, which put a period to this • mournful ceremony, which lafted till after midnight.'

On the fixth day after Eafter, was celebrated a kind of feftival; the Greeks and Armenians being taught to believe, that on that day is to be feen in the church of the Holy

Sepulchre, and illuing out of the grave itfelf, a holy fire, < a folemnity, which, like many others of the fame kind, feems to owe its original to policy, and to be fupported by avarice; for the bifhops not only fuffer the people to remain in this belief, but cherifh it, in order to draw the greater number of Filgrims to Jerufalem, and thus enable them to defray thofe enormous expences with which they are oppreffed by the Turks. Nay, the intereft of the latter is concerned in maintaining this miracle, by reason of the great profits accruing to them, from the vast numbers of foreigners, whom curiofity draws hither. Some hours before the folemnity begins, a ftranger cannot but be highly entertained with the ftrange grimaces and gefticulations ufual on thefe occafions; and as no pilgrim would fail of being prefent, the church is a fcene of confufion. We were feated in a gallery facing the entrance of the holy fepulchre, with the Fathers of the Romish church, (who, by the bye, faid to do all they can to explode this pretended miracle) and fome Turks of the Pafcha's retinue, who also came hither on this occafion.

are

The whole church refounded with the noise and vociferations of a vaft multitude of people, who feemed fran