This republic, for the extent of its dominions, is efteemed the richest and best peopled state of Italy. The whole administration of the government paffes into different hands at the end of every two months, which is the greateft fecurity imaginable to their liberty, and wonderfully contributes to the quick dispatch of all public affairs: But in any exigence of state, like that they are now preffed with, it certainly asks much longer time to conduct any defign, for the good of the commonwealth to its maturity and perfection. FLO FLORENCE. I Had the good luck to be at Florence when there was an opera acted, which was the eighth that I had feen in Italy. I could not but smile to read the folemn proteftation of the Poet in the firft page, where he declares that he believes neither in the fates, deities, or deftinies; and that, if he has made ufe of the words, it is purely out of a poetical liberty, and not from his real fentiments, for that in all these particulars he believes as the holy mother church believes and commands. PROTESTA. Le voci Fato, Deita, Deftino, e fimili, che per entro quefto Drama trovarai, fon messe per ischerzo poetico, e non per Sentimento vero, credendo fempre in tutto quello, che crede, e comanda Santa Madre chiefa. There are fome beautiful palaces in Florence; and as Tuican pillars and Ruftic work owe their original to this country, the architects always take care to give them a place in the great edifices that are raifed in Tuscany. The Duke's new palace is a very noble pile, built after this manner, which makes it look extremely solid and majestic. It is not unlike L 4 like that of Luxemburg at Paris, which was built by Mary of Medicis, and for that reason perhaps the workmen fell into the Tuscan humour. I found in the court of this palace what I could not meet with any where in Rome: I mean an antique ftatue of Hercules lifting up Antæus from the earth, which I have already had occafion to fpeak of. It was found in Rome, and brought hither under the reign of Leo the tenth. There are abundance of pictures in the feveral apartments, by the hands of the greatest mafters. But it is the famous gallery of the old palace, where are perhaps the nobleft collections of curiofities to be met with in any part of the whole world. The gallery itself is made in the fhape of an L, according to Mr. Laffel; but, if it must needs be like a letter, it resembles the Greek n moft. It is adorned with admirable pieces of fculpture, as well modern as ancient. Of the last fort I fhall mention those that are rareft either for the perfons they reprefent, or the beauty of the sculpture. Among the bufts of the Emperors and Empreffes, there are thefe that follow, which are all very scarce, and fome of them almost fingular in their kind: Agrippa, Caligula, Otho, Nerva, Ælius Verus, Pertinax, Geta, Didius Julianus, Albinus extremely well wrought, and, what is seldom feen, in allabafter, Gordianus Africanus the elder, Eliogabalus, Galien the elder, and the younger Pupienus. I have put Agrippa among the Emperors, because he is generally ranged fo in fets of medals, as fome that follow among the empreffes have no other right to the company they are joined with: Domitia, Agrippina wife of Germanicus, Antonia, Matidia,Plotina, MalliaScantilla, falfly infcribed under her buft Julia Severi, Aquilia Severa, Julia Mæfe. I hava I have generally obferved at Rome, which is the great magazine of these antiquities, that the fame heads which are rare in medals, are alfo rare in marble, and indeed one may commonly affign the fame reafon for both, which was the fhortness of the Emperors reigns, that did not give the workmen time to make many of their figures; and as the shortness of their reigns was generally occafioned by the advancement of a rival, it is no wonder that nobody worked on the figure of a deceased Emperor, when his enemy was on the throne. This obfervation however does not always hold. An Agrippa or Caligula, for example, is a common coin, but a very extraordinary buft; and a Tiberius a rare coin, but a common buft; which one would the more wonder at, if we confider the indignities that were offered to this Emperor's ftatues after his death. The Tiberius in Tiberim is a known inftance, Among the bufts of fuch Emperors as are common enough, there are feveral in the gallery that deferve to be taken notice of for the excellence of the fculpture; as thofe of Auguftus, Vefpafian, Adrian, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, Geta. There is in the fame gallery a beautiful buft of Alexander the great, cafting up his face to heaven, with a noble air of grief or difcontentednefs in his looks. I have feen two or three antique bufts of Alexander in the fame air and posture, and 'am apt to think the fculptor had in his thoughts the conqueror's weeping for new worlds, or fome other the like circumftance of his hiftory. There is alfo in rorphyry the head of a fawn, and of the god Pan. Among the intire figures I took particular notice of a vestal virgin, with the holy fire burning before her, This L 5 This ftatue, I think, may decide that notable controverfy among the antiquaries, whether the veftals, after having received the tonfure, ever suffered their hair to come again; for it is here full grown, and gathered under the Veil. The brazen figure of the conful, with the ring on his finger, reminded me of Juvenal's majoris pondera Gemma. There is another ftatue in brafs, fuppofed to be of Apollo, with this modern infcription on the pedestal, which I must confefs I do not know what to make of, Ut potui buc veni mufis et fratre relicto. I faw in the fame gallery the famous figure of the wild boar, the gladiator, the Narciffus, the Cupid and Pfyche, the Flora, with fome modern ftatues that feveral others have defcribed. Among the antique figures there is a fine one of Morpheus in touchftone. I have always obferved, that this god is represented by the ancient ftatuaries under the figure of a boy asleep, with a bundle of poppy in his hand. I at first took it for a Cupid, until I had taken notice that it had neither bow nor quiver. I fuppofe Dr. Lifter has been guilty of the fame mistake, in the reflexions he makes on what he calls the neeping Cupid with poppy in his hands. Qualia namque Corpora nudorum Tabula pinguntur Amorum, Ovid. Metam. Lib. 10. v. 515. Such are the Cupids that in paint we view; It |