what enchantments are thrown about the name-Italy. From the schoolboy who reads the story of Æneas, to the soldier, the patriot, the statesman, the philosopher, the artist, the orator, the poet, and the religionist-Italy furnishes associations and recollections, on which they love to speculate, to dwell, to feel, and to ponder. The theatre of so many great achievements-the mother of so much talent-the nurse of so much profligacy-the field of so much blood, and the cradle of so many revolutionsshe is vastly imposing, in the melancholy magnificence of her ruins; and much more calculated, in these respects, to secure the notice of the intelligent stranger when he traverses her territory, and the favourable attention of the reader of his travels,than any very minute accounts of births and deaths, or-careful computations, on given spots and in certain months, of the tendency of the principle of population, as Malthus might call it, to produce a disparity in numbers between the sexes.

If one undertakes to travel through and to write of Italy, without throwing a scholar's glance at the relics of its grandeur, or musing awhile upon the achievements and memorials of the arts, or lending some hours to its classical recollections, he will scarcely reconcile himself to his readers,-unless he can show that he acted under some such "despotic consciousness of duty," as controlled Howard, in his journey of philanthropy:—that he had "one great work to do," and that all else must be made subordinate to it-that the objects of his pursuit were of so high and grave a character, as to make it almost criminal to allow the imagination any wing, or taste, any province; and withal, of so precise and arithmetical a bearing, as to forbid any notice of the prevailing manners and habits of the country; any analysis of its social, literary and scientific character; any examination into the springs of action which prevail there; or any prophecies respecting its future hopes and prospects.

Now we cannot help the conviction that Mr. Lyman must have felt himself under some such imperative moral obligation, to induce him to forego the credit of furnishing, and us the pleasure of reading, a much more ingenious and attractive book. He must, we think, have made "a covenant with his eyes," to be blind to all those objects which are emphatically interesting in Italy. He seems to have been mainly solicitous to be a favourite with the census takers, the tax gatherers, the sextons, the jailors, and the superintendents of hospitals and infirmaries. We presume, he insured accuracy to his statements, as well as gratified the vanity of the above-mentioned personages, by obtaining from them, personally, the returns in their respective departments. We fear, however, he did not allow himself to be cumbered with any great amount of more general and elevated

society; for, we do not recollect of his claiming acquaintance with any individual, who was 'intelligent, of a sound judgment, 'well instructed, not inclined to superstition, and ready to scoff 'at incredulous stories;' except Monseignor B.' who is adduced to prove, that the moving of the eyes and the winking of the 'eyelids of the sacred images and pictures of the Virgin Mother, in various parts of the pontifical states in 1796-7,' are as genuine miracles, and as well authenticated, as those recorded in the old and new Testaments ;-unless it be, that he would have an intimacy implied to exist between himself and those 'seven persons,' in whose presence the Neapolitan marquis made confessions respecting the health of himself and family, which 'ex'cellent reasons of public decency and propriety' forbid us to transcribe.

To advert a little more to particulars, the first chapter is devoted to the Index Expurgatorius, or list of books forbidden to the children of the Holy See. It is a succinct enumeration of several books which the author considered interesting, that have come under the ban of the "Congregation of the Index"-and, bating the learned formality with which the titles of some of them are announced-and the off-hand acquaintanceship which he appears to intend shall be understood as existing between himself and the thesauri of Henry and Charles Stephanus, of John 'Scapula, and of John Hofman,' which might have been spared without detracting aught from the confidence of the reader—it is well enough. The prohibition against circulating the bible, except in the translation approved of by the church of Rome, might be very naturally expected. We believe, however, that in several sections of that church, in various parts of Europe, the restriction is merely nominal; and that even some of its distinguished dignitaries have seconded the efforts of Bible Societies in distributing the "word of life," and in bringing it home, in intelligible language, to the hearts and the firesides of the poor.

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The second chapter is devoted to the Pope and the Cardinals. Of the stories touching the Pontiffs,' which induce our author to think that several, and particularly Leo X.' were atheists, we are ignorant. It would no doubt have gratified the feelings of Voltaire, to have been able to enrol in the list of atheists, so great a name as that of the Christian Pontiff, under whose auspices the gloom of the dark ages was dissipated, and a new era marked by the revival of letters. It is admitted, however, by Mr. L. that atheism itself could not now restore Rome to her former splendour; and, bachelor as we are, we are half inclined to doubt whether her earlier glories would be renewed, were even the renovating substitute which he proposes actually resorted to, of forcing his Holiness to be married?

Of the personal character and appearance of the present Pontiff, we are satisfied, from what we have heard and read, that Mr. L.'s description of him, which concludes with the following extract, is accurate and justly discriminating.

'All those who still bear in mind the meek and saint-like ex'pression of his face,-who are acquainted with his mild, gentle, ' and subdued manners, his mortified habits of life, his holy and 'sanctified demeanour and carriage, will have no difficulty in 'believing that he is undefiled by those wild and wicked pro'jects, and those debauched and profligate principles and prac'tices, that disgrace too many of his predecessors. There are 'surely few countenances in Christendom that appear to bear more constantly and profoundly the expression represented in 'the following words of the beautiful canticle of St. Simeon. Nunc dimittis....' we will accommodate the passage-Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. The story of Angelucci and his two bells,' might well have been spared from the immediate neighbourhood of so fine and touching a portrait.

Our author speaks favourably of the demeanour and character of the Cardinals, who generally attain to a good old age—“ six'ty having died during the pontificate of the present Pope, the average of whose ages was seventy-five and three fourths.' Gonsalvi is the politician,-Fontana, the linguist,-Litta or Somaglia is to be the next Pope, and all are represented as being free from profligacy-notwithstanding their monastic vows.'

The 3d, 4th, 6th, and 10th chapters relate to the form of government, police, finances, and population of the Ecclesiastical states the 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th, to religion, relics, making of saints, miracles, hospitals and convents. The remaining chapters are more particularly devoted to the Neapolitan dominions, with a few general references to Italy at large.

Since the conquest of the Ecclesiastical states by the French, many changes have been made in their civil administration. A new system was introduced by Cardinal Gonsalvi, in 1816, adapted to the new habits, opinions and condition of the people, which, if faithfully carried into execution, we are persuaded will contribute to the prosperity of the country. It is not yet, in practice, fully admitted; and will need the hand of time, as well as the skill and energy of the politician, to make it universal. An approach will be made to uniformity in the character and administration of the laws, and that worst of tyrannies that can belong to a penal code, which leaves the kind as well as the measure of punishment at the discretion of the magistrate, will at least be overcome.

We pass over the Casting out of devils,' and the account of

'Relics,'-taking it for granted that the statements are fairly compiled from the authors to which reference is made and not perceiving that their details can contribute much to a knowledge of the politics of Italy. The state of the finances of the territory is a matter of more interest.

At the time of the French irruption, the debt was a little short of 150,000,000 dollars. The fiscal operations of the sword, and the decrees of the national directory, swept away this debt, and opened the door for the creation of a new one, amounting to 12,500,000 dollars-a burden not very threatening to the government, when taken in connexion with its annual receipts, which do not fall a million short of the total of the debt.

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Lea

ving the morality of spunging the old debt in this way out of the question, it is undoubtedly true, that when the Italian governments were restored, they found their possessions no longer en'cumbered and desolated by a vast mass of paper money, without credit or value, and their treasuries no longer labouring ' under an oppressive debt, and about to break to pieces.'

On the religion of Italy, particularly as it has been for such a lapse of centuries the grand engine of its politics, we must confess we expected more than a statement of the number of wax candles burnt on the altar of St. Peter's-the seventy-two dollars allowance to the surbordinate priests-the ignorance of some, and the profligacy of others of that order-the practice of confession, and the anecdote of the Cardinal who once lost 300 dollars and still retained in his employment the priest who, he shrewdly suspected, had taken it. The author, however, adds a saving clause in favour of the Italian priesthood, by stating, that 'the purity of the clergy in the other countries of Europe should in the first place be proved, and then the circumstances under 'which the comparison is made should be taken into consideration,'-a compliment no doubt intended for the followers of Luther, Calvin and Zuinglius-of Massillon, Baurdaloue and Saurin-of Cranmer, Hooker, and Horsely. The chapters on the Canonization of saints,' and 'On miracles'-made up of a few extravagant and superstitious stories, not designed, we presume, to strengthen our confidence in the truths of revealed religion of any kind-add very little to the information for which we were looking on this head. Were there no plans of reform, thought of by the intelligent and forecasting men of Italy, to make their church, in its exterior order and forms, correspond more nearly with the altered character of the times, and the more universal prevalence of education? Did he find no well informed society, in which any thing was said of the spiritual influence which the restored hierarchy had, or might exercise, over its subjects throughout christendom, and of the probable bear

ing which such influence would have on the politics, religion and literature, not only of Italy, but of Europe? Were there no opportunities of observing, among the various classes of the inhabitants, the force of religion as a practical principle-of comparing its present condition, with that which existed before the revolution -of anticipating, from the nature of its hold upon the affections. of the people, whether it were likely to uphold the existing forms of their civil government, or quietly leave them to be remodeled, in conformity with the more restless spirit and sturdier independence of the times? But speculations on these topics, however tempting the opportunities may have been to make them, did not come within our author's plan, and he therefore winds up his political state of the Papal territory, with a list of all its monasteries and nunneries-the dates of their foundations, and the cut and colour of the raiment of their inmates.

Our author's common-place book next changes to Naples, and, in a short paragraph, we have a sort of history of the kingdom from 1504, down to the reign of Joachim Murat, supported by a learned note, in which the chief object appears to be, to refer to 'G. M. Arrighi, in his Saggio Storico, &c. del regno di Napoli, '3 vols. 8vo. We are not much pleased with this pedantry of quotation, which, in the above form, or in indifferent Latin prose, or Italian verse, obtrudes its "front athwart our way," in many a page of this goodly octavo, to supply, we presume, the lack in the enchantments of variety.'

The Neapolitan kingdom contains about 5,000,000 inhabitants. It was re-united under the authority of Ferdinand, in 1814. He takes the title fixed by the Congress of Vienna, of Ferdinand 1st, king of the two Sicilies. His situation is now peculiarly interesting, from the circumstance of his having gone to the Congress of Laybach, to mediate between the sovereigns who compose the holy alliance," and his own military, revolutionizing and reforming subjects. It is more than probable that a political sect, organized into societies, and known by the name of Carbonari, have had much influence in effecting the late revolution. Our author's information on this subject is valuable. He states, that these societies began to be formed in 1813, and had for their object the overthrow of the French dominion in Italy. Their constitution proposes "to teach men the true method of moral life: to disseminate the light of moral truth; of true philosophy, and the right of equality." The emblem, or coat of arms of the Carbonari, is two swords united; above them a large star, mean'ing that the sect is favoured by heaven; sun shines on the one 'side, dispelling the clouds of ignorance,&c.; a human bust, with ' an altar before it,-this bust is Brutus; before this bust, a hand holding a poignard over the head of a wolf-meaning by the

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