The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-06-28
IA AMUSING NIISCELL ANY.
FROM THE ANTHOLOGY.
LETTER TENTH.
Naples, Fe6. 7, 1905,


n <F taf 1snNes, re0s q, 1000,
xrpr3s sssTFa,
.IyrbkssxD yot, my observations on the state cf
morals and nsnitrs in Italy In reply 70 your queries
- 70 She correctess OF the pictures drawn BY Moore,
frydone. SmolIet ard Mrs Starke, would observe,
chat 1tbEH IL extremely unfair in traveller, who
vb1ts foreign country, to whose language he is in
coosdenhledcyrcc stranger, into whose society he
can only have lpited and partial almission,to draw
nencr and hctal infercnces as To the state oftheir
morals and the nature Of their domestick rclatons
Thevery inibers representations which we have seen
ndAle of u1etmnners ct our own country BY Chas-
eelIwx Weld, Parkinson, Iancourt, Bayard, and that
sxecrabls 0epnan, whose travels were republishedn
tksPort 70 acd to be very cautious how
we venture upon general descriptions, especially un-
nvoufabie oues 81 foreign nations What credit can
we give % variations Of this sort, when we find the
mott tGbera Of the aforementioned Travellers Mons
4syssd, sr&ysly telling the citizens Of France, that
'es 1msricgips % mouchru cvsc des doiyts" Iwill
not cnd tie dcIicacy Of your SEX raise blush of
Indignation, by trAnslatng the abominabls calumny
upeI<to say,ist single trait Of thnt kind related
by traveller would be sufficient TO convince every
sRut although general commcnts on national man
ncrs are for the reasons have assigned, proper,un-
Just and illibera still there certain leading Eaits,
which he who runs may read, and which, he may
without risk report. To say tor example, that there
is most udicrops mixture Of superstition and levity
n tharclgous excrcises of the ltaliansy
observance Of the sabbath would not be hazardous or
illiberal, AT the church you would snppose them
the most dovout and .pious people in christendom ,
yoaweuId say, that religion did not enter INTO their
system. The sabbath il the grand momeat pf festv-
i.y and gaiety; md eftcr the ccnscience has tees
cDce discharged by auricular confessions the only
study you would imagine was, how to muster up
s.6od account for the next The old story Of The Ci.
all
;asa&vg oucstick proprcty naturally renders It od-
Gus to us. The only question among k;Uayellers has
fecn how Gar this singular custom extends. Whether
Z y Amcrely inhoecrt etiquette or whether thercis
that complete corruption ofnanners which apPearan.
For nv oxin part, though / admit the question can
never bc atsoutcly put 1t rest, except BY those who
enter bcrSay into this vortex Of f6lly or VICE. yet
doub3 that the intercourse between the
sexcs is as corrupt canwc be imagined. It would
While hssn nature Is found SO ffa IN all the colder
climates, @an preserve It's puSity in the midst Of
senptxtion Ii shc warm, luxurious climate Of Italy
II that kals which n az ages han been famed forits
yQ>upsuousncss 49,
Tie sttontiosIs. khe tenderness, the marks Of un.
ceasng affection which arc openly displayed by the
cicsbec towards his favourate fair, must in the end
wethe affections Of the nlost viituous wife fromher
hrsbGni t
when married woman not only ayowedly receives
xhe aosiduisies Of young unmarried man but ex-
presses ia che xxfmcst language her love. her esteem
iorhim when she openly acknowledges her jcalousiy
Of her Illicit lover, and watches his attentions to other
la<e with marked dissatisfaction, must require ev-
idence that human Mature Is totally .evcrsed III Italy,
before fcan belie'yhst such connexions are inno-
The su5;ugation Of this country by France, and the
;nuoductipn of several thousand young. gallant
French blccvs, have not tended much to purify the
mofa1t Of this nation. France, you may remember,