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Sketches of Italy and the Italiant.
CAug.
THE PAPAL GUARDS.
I STOOD the other day on Monte Cavallo while the Papal Guards were drilled by a young officer, who took a world of pains, and gave the word of command with great vehemence of tone and gesture. At length his perseve- rance exhausted the patience of his men, one of whom, stepping forward from the ranks, thus questioned his commander. " Ma quando finisce sta storia?" (When will this story be fi- nished ?) " Have a moment's patience, my son!" replied his officer; " we shall soon have done." The soldier fell back into his place, the exercise proceeded for a few seconds, and the men were dismissed.
On another occasion, I saw a soldier arrive on the ground and fall into the ranks when the drill was nearly over. " Why do you come so late, my son ?" enquired the officer. " I have been hearing mass," replied the soldier. " Very well, my son !" rejoined his commander, and proceeded to drill his men. In Rome, a soldier is styled "Signer Soldato,"by the lower classes. The situation of a private in the Papal Guard is esteemed a desirable provision, and candidates for the ap- pointment address petitions to the Pope.
LI. THE VATICAN.
1 Infamibus Vatican! locis raagua pars teteudit ; mule erebra in vulgus mortes." TACITUS.
THE highest splendour and the low- est poverty come here in contact. The immeasurable palace of the Vatican, and the enormous Basilica of St Peter, are hemmed in by narrowfilthy streets, and wretched hovels. The unfortu- nate inhabitants of this pestilential district are chained there by their ne- cessities, and look forward to each re- turning summer with a foreknowledge that its malignant fevers and epide- mics will be fatal to no small portion of their number. The poisonous at- mosphere of this quarter compels the Pope to abandon the Vatican palace
at the commencement of the hot sea- son, when he removes to his pleasant summer mansion on the Quirinal hill, the air of which is the most salubrious in Rome. In some streets near the Vatican, the malaria is so deadly in the summer nights that the poor in- habitants dare not sleep in their houses during that season. A young artist from Dresden lately perished here. Presuming too much upon his youth and vigorous constitution, he took lodgings here in the summer, and fell a sacrifice to his rashness.
LII. ROMAN PROVERBS.
I proverb! non fallano E i pensieri non riescono.
Guardati da Alchimista povero, Da Medico ammalato, Da subita collera, Da matto attizzato, Da can, che non abbaja, Da uom, che non park, Da opinion de' Giudici, Da dubitation de' Medici,
Da recipe de' Speziali, Da cetera de' notari, Da malizie de' donne, Da lagrime de' puttane, Da bugie de' Mercanti, Da ladri di casa, Da serva ritornata, Da furor di popolo.
I fatti sono maschj e le parole femine. La donna ride quando puole, e piange quando vuole. Una bella donna e I'infernp dell' aniraa, e il purgatorio della borsa. Moglie e Magistrate dal Cielo e destinato, Chi piglia moglie per denari, spesso sposa lite e guai. Chi non vuol entrar in guai, non pigli moglie mai. Femina, Vino, e Cavallo, mercanzia di fallo.
