This Extraordinary Veneration Paid To The Virgin, Must Have Been
Derived Originally From The French, Who Pique Themselves On Their
Gallantry To The Fair Sex.
Amidst all the scenery of the Roman catholic religion, I have
never yet seen any of the spectators affected at heart, or
discover the least signs of fanaticism.
The very disciplinants,
who scourge themselves in the Holy-week, are generally peasants
or parties hired for the purpose. Those of the confrairies, who
have an ambition to distinguish themselves on such occasions,
take care to secure their backs from the smart, by means of
secret armour, either women's boddice, or quilted jackets. The
confrairies are fraternities of devotees, who inlist themselves
under the banners of particular saints. On days of procession
they appear in a body dressed as penitents and masked, and
distinguished by crosses on their habits. There is scarce an
individual, whether noble or plebeian, who does not belong to one
of these associations, which may be compared to the FreeMasons,
Gregoreans, and Antigallicans of England.
Just without one of the gates of Florence, there is a triumphal
arch erected on occasion of the late emperor's making his public
entry, when he succeeded to the dukedom of Tuscany: and herein
the summer evenings, the quality resort to take the air in their
coaches. Every carriage stops, and forms a little separate
conversazione. The ladies sit within, and the cicisbei stand on
the foot-boards, on each side of the coach, entertaining them
with their discourse. It would be no unpleasant inquiry to trace
this sort of gallantry to its original, and investigate all its
progress. The Italians, having been accused of jealousy, were
resolved to wipe off the reproach, and, seeking to avoid it for
the future, have run into the other extreme. I know it is
generally supposed that the custom of choosing cicisbei, was
calculated to prevent the extinction of families, which would
otherwise often happen in consequence of marriages founded upon
interest, without any mutual affection in the contracting
parties. How far this political consideration may have weighed
against the jealous and vindictive temper of the Italians, I will
not pretend to judge: but, certain it is, every married lady in
this country has her cicisbeo, or servente, who attends her every
where, and on all occasions; and upon whose privileges the
husband dares not encroach, without incurring the censure and
ridicule of the whole community. For my part, I would rather be
condemned for life to the gallies, than exercise the office of a
cicisbeo, exposed to the intolerable caprices and dangerous
resentment of an Italian virago. I pretend not to judge of the
national character, from my own observation: but, if the
portraits drawn by Goldoni in his Comedies are taken from nature,
I would not hesitate to pronounce the Italian women the most
haughty, insolent, capricious, and revengeful females on the face
of the earth. Indeed their resentments are so cruelly implacable,
and contain such a mixture of perfidy, that, in my opinion, they
are very unfit subjects for comedy, whose province it is, rather
to ridicule folly than to stigmatize such atrocious vice.
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