The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-01-20 00:00:00

MODERN ROME.
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Amidst all the beauty, majesty, and fertitty of nature,
'he Patrimonium Petri.is perhaps Ike most uncultivated
tout:try is the world ; in rpite at every favourable cir-
g utustasce, and a deligistfni climate, no people are so
wretched as tbd modern Romans, and no soldiers so no-
soldirrlike as the Papal troops. They live only to co-
-1 mirage indolence, to promote beggary, and to check
public presperity and priaasmiteppesoso.
Notwithstanding the enormons wealth of all the
Pope's relations, Hie utmost misery prevails among the
eossosoepoople, sod but few of these children of for use
condescend to share their affluence with the needy, as
Christ and St. Peter taught. Bet the cloisters practice
the precepts of a humane religion, and are the protec-
tors of the poor clients of modern Rome.
he ancient superstitions are resolved into the mo-
dern. Triumphal pageants are changed to proces-
sions, and the temples of the heathen gods and heroes
are transformed Into churches sacred to religions heroes,
apostles, and martyrs. The pomp and ceremony of the
atholic Church are almost necessary to the people of
the south, who only feel through the medium of their
eves, and who are sever devout but when surrounded by
glare and asagniticenee. Add to this, the perfection
which music has attained in modern Italy ; for if music
has the power of taming wild beasts, it may sorely tame
o rage sof the bologna species. To an uncivilised and
sicious people,' such as the modern Italians in general
appear to be, superstition is a kind of bridle to check
eery and revenge. The ecclesiastical pomp also, and
Ole modest eogaging Madonna, that Mother of Love •,
that usodiatrix with the Deity, softens the rude clam-
racier of the people, and restrains them from gross in-
dolgenees.
The spirit of military idleness, which the laws of Ro-
mulus rendered mitered, is still maintained in its fullest
extent, though ander another form, and the diversion
of the people continue to be necessities for which the
State must provide.—Aped and Sports is stilt the
watchword of the Romans, from the game called Moro,
and the exercise of quoits and foot-ball (which were fa-
vourite diversions among the ancient Romans) to horse-
racing, and wading through inundated Pizza Navona
in the dog days; from the festivities of the vintage to
the Satnrnalian Carnival ; from the lire-works of the
Castle of St. Angelo to the illuminated Cupola of St.
Peter's, ail is pleasure and amusement.
The Opera is the favoarite recreation of the well edu-
cated elan of the Italians, and particularly the Romans.
A beautiful air well sung will draw tears from their eyes,
whilst with a languishing voice they draw est the ex-
clainatioo ttotio-bello! and actors, poets, and composers,
receive is the theatre, the approbation their talents de-
serve. Rat this excessive enthusiasm is most remark-
aide in the fair sex. Among the women of the middling
class the spirit of the ancient Roman females is easily
recogsisesl: they pride themselves on the place of their ,
birth, and their 1. Sono Romano can never be often
enough repeated. The clearness of their complexions
presents a striking contrast to the yellow colour of the
`Neapolitan women, whilst they possess, at the same
time, the beautiful features of Raphael's Madonnas.—;
The Roman ladies in the higher ranks of life will faint
away at the smell of perfumes, and yet the custom of
wearing paint is velyiwevalent among them. (Aria-
heistit seems to be gradually getting into diem. The
Rummies delight in ronmeratzioni, and in the coffee-;
houses the public journals are read with the utmost
eagerness.
it is unnamable that Rome, whether in ancient or
modern times, basprosinced but few great men. With
the exception of Tihnifus, none of the distinguished
ports of antiquity sieve natives of Rome; and the de-
cline of Roman literature encased the Spanish Hes-
perides, Martial, Lucian, and Quintillan. Modern Rome
has nut produced a single musician of celebrity.
Julio Roinaso Red Carlo Martini are the only distin-
insished Oho bare been natives of modern
Rome, and Vaseitelli and Domini the only eminent ar-
chitects. Yet bletastasi, was a citizen of modern
Rome, an well as Crescinebeni ; the latter founded the
-leotlessie slegG Arrodfi, which has existed about 100
years, bet he cannot be placed io the highest rank I

among poets.
He Roesi, the present Professor of Oriental lanp;nages.
and Monti, Lave both written Latin and Italian
and may be ranked mom the-most distingnisreederi-
terary men of modem Some. The prelate Stay writes
Latin didactic poems on the Systems of Newton and
flemovich. Monsignor Garraspi was a learned anti-
'teary, and Cardinal &lads wrote the Abolition Decree
of the order of the Jesuits. The wurthy Confine' Bor-
gia. formerly Secretary to the College of the Props-
irytuda, has written a history of Benevento, in three vo-
lumes. Who is not familiar with the name of Visconti.
the author of the celebrated work entitled Mascaras
arittenthatto, and various other learned treatises on an-
tiquity. The advocate Feu. the translator of Winkle-
mai, and editor of Statists' may be classed among the
mew justly celebrated amen of modern Rome.
• "Slain of down— is Ihs shores of ono of the aationsl
s,ags.