The recorder, or, Lady's and gentleman's miscellany. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1801-1802, 1802-03-06
XIV. Description Of M1LAn.

Ky. DGfertpfion Of MttAN.
Let folder be allowedto give a few
particulars Of Milan, even at the iaz;trd
OF repetition; as, 70 military reader,
they may, in certain degree, poiIefs or
excite fonae new intereG.
The chief frength of This celebrared
city, built by the Gauls in the three
hundred and ninety fifth year of Rome,
Is 3 wall and ramparrs, as alfo citadel.
coniiifing Of FIX baifions. 1t has tcen
beiieged forty rimcs, ral,entwenty, and
lour times almott totally denlolilled
and, notwithstanding thcfe and other
caianitles, it tilrvives and flourilhess
There is lizzie hill hear the town, called
f5s Bccbecra, which commands evcry
part of the surrounding country, and
the greateif part ofthe interior and cx-
terror works. This place is not com
nanded on any Tide it is well fortified
and well kept up. Yet, for all this, ii
cannot itand above eight days Of open
trenches, becaufe 1t is clofcIy n1ut I'D,
and nothing prevents the trenches from
being opened by an enemy 70 as TO bat
ter in breach with advantage. The
town IS beautiful and large, being nearly
zen miles In circumference, and the Kra-
iIans have a .Proyerb, &c Nfilax t6s
Great" The itreers are wide; ITS
churches, and above all It's cathedral.
may be fad to de1erve the higheR ad1ni-
ration. The palace, the park, the
play houfes, all ierye to ernbeIifh this
capital. The chief theatre is of f1ch
magnitude as to admit four hundred peg
formers TO appear at once, beiides for
~ hories, who fonetiInes 20 through
the nsaG iurpriiing evoIutiotfs. The
I. immenio NUMBER of fpe6tarors it wiil
eohtsin, may therefore Be conceived, by
the above facts. The fhops arc deco
rated nearly after the manner of the
ffcnchi nor are the drel1cs Of the i1ba-
bltants very different from our own.
Every thing VIC Zee in Milan, gives usa
great idea OF its tplendor. I imagined
that che fcourge ofwat had made mach
deeper wounds III this place than turned
out 20 be the cafe. The Nfilanelc, az
leaf rhole Of the city, are very fociable,
and even friendly to the French. They
have fewer faults than may be charged
upon the Italians in general, or even
upon the inhabitants of the environs.
The free exercite of religion, which we
openly protected; the relpe6t We faew-
cd for their cuifons on that head, afo-
nil1ed chem, after the abu(e which had
been circulated concerning us, as athe-
ifs, &c. Among the riches which or
nameht the cathedral may be feen feve--
raj lamps of pure gold and FLYER, as ALTO
two pulplts Of maGy filVer. Behind
the choir IS ftatuc as large as life. re-
Prelcntlng the martyrdom Of Saint Bar
rhoiomeW. Strangers never fail To-
examine this exqullite figure o." the
Saint, fript Of his fkin, which he car.
fieS on his left arm, and which exDcJss
toYiew-, as in body after diRe6ion, nl
the nl'dcles and fbres which cornuoIe
the human frame. The church. the
metropolitan Of Milan, IS one Of The
mott celebrated in ali Italy, after ST.
Peters Of Rome. This edifce of Co
tho architecture afonifhes, at once bv
the vaftneis of the undertaking and tie
lmmeniity Of iabopr expended on il.
The choir IS five hundred French fer
long (neaTly FIVE hundred and fifty En-
gllih), and two hundred broad.