I will conclude my long Letter with a Remark, which I have made upon the Romans in particular, and the Italians in general, I mean its to the reciprocal Hatred of the Inhabitants of the different States of Italy. That the Romans hate the Florentines, I think I have told you more than once; but that’s not all, for they as heartily hate the Neapolitans and the Genoese. They commonly say, that there must be seven Jews to make one Genoese, and seven Genoese to make one Florentine. ’Tis unaccountable how the People of Italy can so hate one another. I can’t imagine that they should be so blind as not to see the Prejudice it does them; for, in short, ’tis not barely the Hatred of one Province to another, but it diffuses its Poison to the Towns
that are subject to one and the same Sovereign. These People don’t consider that they form one and the same Nation; and that if they did but unite together, they would be both rich and powerful; but being jealous of one another, they only seek to ruin each other, and by that means deprive themselves of the most solid Support of their Liberty.
To my mind, we act much more rationally; for tho’ our Germany is divided into many more Dominions than Italy is, we do however form a Body against Foreigners, who have a Design upon our Estates and our Liberties. The lesser Princes comply with the Emperor’s Will; and their own Interest, and that of the Empire, is all one. Our Princes visit and associate with one another, and maintain a Sort of common Friendship; the Italian Princes on the contrary never visit one another; and when by chance a Sovereign of four or five Leagues of Country comes to have an Interview with such another Sovereign as himself, it takes up as much Negociation to adjust it, as was necessary to settle the Interview between Philip IV. and Lewis XIV. But is it not ridiculous to see such petty States act towards one another with as much Finesse and Craft as the most powerful Kingdoms? ’Tis this Diffidence, this reciprocal Hatred between the Governments and Towns of Italy, that has made them for a long time the Sport of Foreigners; whereas, if these People did but keep up a good Understanding with one another, they would soon drive them out; for Nature has furnish’d them with Ditches and Walls, which if they don’t defend, ’tis their own Fault: But it seems as if Providence, by which the Fate of all Dominions is determin’d, would not have it so.
Adieu, Sir, for the present: I cannot be sure when I shall write to you again, much less when I
shall have the Pleasure of embracing you, tho’ there’s scarce a Day passes over my Head but I do it in Imagination. Do you but render me like for like, and be assur’d that nobody in the World is more strictly than I am, Yours, &c.
LETTER XXXV.
SIR,Genoa, Nov. 2, 1731.
The Road from Rome to Loretto has been so fully describ’d, that I think I should pass it over in Silence; nor shall I say any thing more to you of the Santa Casa, which you know in what manner the Angels bore to the Place where it now stands. If you would be inform’d of the Treasure of this House, look into the Voyages of Misson, who has given a large Account of every Particular: Since he wrote, the Treasure is not very much increas’d, the Princes having almost done making their Offerings to it. The Queen of France has lately settled a perpetual Endowment on it for the Celebration of four Masses a Day, by way of Thanksgiving for the Birth of the Dauphin.