This diverfion, fuch as it is, feems highly entertaining to the Roman populace; though it appears a mighty foolish business in the eyes of Englishmen. An acquaintance of mine, who had entirely ruined a fine fortune at Newmarket, told me, that Italian horfe-races were the most abfurd things in the world; that there were not a hundred guineas loft or won during a whole Carnival; and nothing could be a greater proof of the folly of the people, than their spending their time in fuch a filly manner.

Masking and horfe- races are confined to the last eight days; but there are theatrical entertainments, of various kinds, during the whole fix weeks of the Carnival. The Serious Opera is moft frequented by people of fashion, who generally take boxes for the whole feason. The opera, with which this theatre opened, was received with the higheft applaufe, though

the

The Italians do

the mufic only was new. not think it always neceffary to compofe new words for what is called a new opera; they often fatisfy themselves with new mufic to the affecting dramas of Metastafio. The audience here feem to lend a more profound and continued attention to the mufic, than at Venice. This is probably owing to the entertainment being a greater rarity in the one city than in the other; for I could perceive that the people of fashion, who came every night, began, after the opera had been repeated. feveral nights, to abate in their attention, to receive visitors in their boxes, and to liften only when fome favourite airs were finging whereas the audience in the pit uniformly preferve the most perfect filence, which is only interrupted by gentle murmurs of pleasure from a few individuals, or an univerfal burft of applaufe from the whole affembly. I never faw fuch genuine marks of fatisfaction difplayed by any af fembly,

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fembly, on any occafion whatever. The fenfibility of fome of the audience gave me an idea of the power of founds, which the dulness of my own auditory nerves could never have conveyed to my mind. At certain airs, filent enjoyment was expreffed in every countenance; at others, the hands were clafped together, the eyes half shut, and the breath drawn in, with a prolonged figh, as if the foul was expiring in a torrent of delight. One young woman, in the pit, called out, "Q Dio, dove fono! "che piacer via caccia l'alma ?"

On the first night of the opera, after one of these favourite airs, an univerfal fhout of applause took place, intermingled with demands that the composer of the mufic fhould appear. Il Maeftro! il Maeftro! refounded from every corner of the houfe. He was prefent, and led the band of mufic; he was obliged to stand upon the bench, where he continued, bowing to

the

the fpectators, till they were tired of applauding him. One perfon, in the middle of the pit, whom I had remarked displaying great figns of fatisfaction from the beginning of the performance, cried out, "He deferves to be made chief musician

to the Virgin, and to lead a choir of "angels!" This expreffion would be thought strong, in any country; but it has peculiar energy here, where it is a popular opinion, that the Virgin Mary is very fond, and an excellent judge, of music.. I received this information on Christmas morning, when I was looking at two poor Calabrian pipers doing their utmost to please her, and the Infant in her arms. They played for a full hour to one of her images which stands at the corner of a street. All the other statues of the Virgin, which are placed in the streets, are ferenaded in the fame manner every Christmas morning. On my enquiring into the meaning of that ceremony, I was told the above-mentioned circumstance

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circumftance of her character, which, though you may have always thought highly probable, perhaps you never before knew for certain. My informer was a pilgrim, who ftood liftening with great devotion to the pipers. He told me, at the fame time, that the Virgin's taste was too refined to have much fatisfaction in the performance of thofe poor Calabrians, which was chiefly intended for the Infant; and he defired me to remark, that the tunes were plain, fimple, and fuch as might naturally be fuppofed agreeable to the ear of a child of his time of life.

Though the ferious opera is in highest eftimation, and more regularly attended by people of the first fashion; yet the opera buffas, or burlettas, are not entirely neglected, even by them, and are crowded, every night, by the middle and lower claffes. Some admired fingers have performed there during the Carnival, and

the