nor philosophical instruments. The librarian showed us a number of rare manuscripts, comprising a treatise on beauty by Tasso, in his own hand writing-the original works of Thomas Aquinas-and copies of the fragments recovered from Herculaneum and Pompeii. Infinite pains have been taken to make out the latter. All the words and letters clearly distinguishable are in black, and the hiatuses, supplied by conjectures and analogies, in red ink. In a neighbouring room, we saw the scholars patiently at work, in unrolling the black parchment, burnt to a cinder. It is the most tedious process imaginable, requiring unceasing care, and the utmost delicacy of manipulation. A breath is sufficient to disturb the gossamer folds. The operation is performed by a screw, communicating a gentle equable motion to numerous silken threads attached to the leaf; and the back of the parchment is secured by paper and gum-arabic, as fast as it is unrolled. Several large cases of manuscripts are yet to undergo the process, and no one can say what new treasures may be added to those already discovered. The collection of pictures at the Studii is meagre in comparison with the galleries at Rome and Florence. Scattered through half a dozen rooms, filled with much lumber, are the frescos from Herculaneum and Pompeii. They have lately been removed from the Museum at Portici and are not yet arranged. Most of them are so mutilated and defaced, as to be unintelligible in design, and to afford but imperfect means of judging of their merits. They were the common ornaments of the houses, and claim an equal or superior rank to works of the same class at the present day. There is a modern painting in these rooms, which makes one laugh, though the subject is grave. It is Deliah clipping the locks of Sampson. Instead of wielding the scissors, befitting the soft and taper fingers of beauty, she grasps in her fist a huge pair of sheep-shears, which might serve for the guillotine of the giant, and the mere sound of which would be sufficient to break his voluptuous slumbers. Nearly all the pictures worth looking at are contained in one hall. The most celebrated are a Holy Family, a Madonna, Leo X. and two Cardinals, and a portrait, all by Raphael. These are finished productions; for the artist never permitted any thing to go out of his hands unfinished. He touched nothing which he did not adorn. The Pope and his brace of Cardinals are in his happiest style; but the others, perhaps from the commonness of the subject, did not strike us so forcibly. His portrait of his Mother is also here. If his filial piety has flattered or even done justice to her face, she must have been a very ordinary woman; for her likeness exhibits no traces of either beauty or intellect. Domenichino's guardian angel, protecting a child from the devil, is a beautiful production. The attitude and innocence of the child are peculiarly forcible. Guercino's Magdalen; St. John, by Leonardo da Vinci; and a landscape, by Claude, are all reckoned among the gems of the gallery. But what of the subjects of some of the others ?-Corregio has painted the Saviour playing with a rabbit!—In a representation of the Assumption of the Virgin, a choir of angels are the musicians; one of them plays the fiddle, (whether second or first, I am not amateur enough to know,) and another, the guitar! Here is a female, plunging a dagger up to the hilt in her bosom: here too are St. Bartholemew, with the saw stuck in his head, and St. Lawrence on the gridiron! Such pictures may serve to amuse or frighten children, but persons of sense will turn away from them in disgust shall we say Next to the Studii, the most extensive collection of paintings is found in the King's Palace. Our reception at the portals of the royal residence was not very prepossessing to republicans. The rain poured in torrents on the day of our visit; and none but private carriages are allowed to drive into the court. As we happened to be in a fiacre, it was necessary to wade across the street,* and sue for admission of the Austrian mercenaries, who guard the gate. The custodes of the palace were, however, polite, and in his Majesty's absence, conducted us over every part of the establishment. One of them had a written list or inventory of all the objects to be seen; and as an English family happened in at the same moment, and went the rounds with us, he read aloud for the benefit of the whole party. He appeared to be a novice in the business, and often laughed at the awkwardness of his own functions. Our examination began with the theatre, which is neat but not splendid. Thence opened a long suite of comparatively vacant apartments, with fresco ceilings, and brick or compo *The Neapolitans, in some of their streets, have bridges mounted on trucks, for the convenience of crossing during heavy rains-a good idea. There are none before the Royal Palace. sition floors, painted of a bright red colour and highly var nished. The saloons generally will bear no comparison with those of the Grand Duke of Tuscany at Florence, either in fixtures or furniture. In the audience chamber, or hall of the throne, there is some display of splendour. The walls and seat of majesty are hung with crimson tapestry, richly embroidered with gold, and bearing the national arms of Naples and Sicily-the former a horse, and the latter three legs with a head in the centre, a symbol worthy of the fabled monsters of Trinacria. The royal bed-chamber and the late Queen's cabinet are both pretty rooms. From the latter, a door opens upon a terrace, commanding a fine view of the bay and the distant mountains. Adjacent to the bedchamber is the bath, which is said to have been constructed by Murat. A slightly veiled Venus, with an old woman in the attitude of throwing a mantle over the goddess, is among the frescos on the walls. In one of the rooms miniatures of the present king and queen are suspended by blue ribbons from the candelabra. His Majesty is a rosy-cheeked, chubbed-faced man, with small, round, light-blue eyes. His factotum is the Secre tary of State, the Chevalier de Medici, a Sicilian nobleman of moderate talents, and immense fortune accumulated from his office. He pretends to be a fortieth cousin to the great Medicean family of Florence. The pretensions of some of the Neapolitan nobility are ludicrous enough. It was told to me as a fact, that the family of Gaeta (anciently Caieta) claim origin from the nurse of Æneas! The paintings in the palace are not numerous, and with few exceptions, do not possess extraordinary merit. Among the most prominent are two historical pieces, the assassination of Cæsar and the death of Virginia-by Camuccini, a Roman artist, who is now perhaps the first in Italy. Both of these are classical productions, chaste in composition and colouring. Besides these historical pictures, there are some others worthy of notice. The head of St. Francis, by Carlo Dolci, is in his finest style, with all his finish and softness of colouring. Among other works of merit are portraits of the late king, and the Dutchess of Orleans with a child. The drapery of the latter is peculiarly fine. The statues are few in number, chiefly of bronze, and beneath notice. In point of architecture, the Palazzo Reale has little grandeur and no beauty. LETTER LXIV. · NAPLES CONTINUED--CAPO DI MONTE--ALBERGO DE' POVERI COLLEGE-CATACOMBS--CAMPO SANTO--THEATRES--EXCURSION TO CAPRI. --CHINESE May, 1826.-To the Royal Palace at Capo di Monte, a woody eminence two miles to the north of the town, we made a delightful excursion on a bright afternoon, in company with one of our friends. A magnificent road, the Strada Napoleon, leads to the hill; but its excellence was not very highly relished after receiving the information, that the expense of constructing it came out of the purses of American merchants. The proceeds of the sales of vessels to the amount of three or four millions of dollars, treacherously confiscated by Murat, were partly appropriated to this purpose. Although the king and his court feel no compunctions in enjoying the princely revenue; yet they refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the government, under whose auspices it was opened, and upon that ground withhold indemnity for their spoliations upon our commerce. The Palace at Capo di Monte is an enormous pile, two stories high with an attic, built of lava, with its exterior walls stuccoed and painted in imitation of brick. It has no pillars, but heavy Doric pilasters, and is entirely destitute of architectural ornament. A terrace extends quite round the building at the height of the first story, affording a charming walk, as well as a wide view of the bay, islands, mountains, the city and its splendid environs. A custode, who was viceroy for the time being, took us the usual rounds. The fresco ceilings and painted floors are in the same style as those in the Palazzo Reale. A few pretty marble ornaments, and some good pictures are among the decorations. Of the latter, the school of Athens, Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aspasia-Ulysses and the Minstrel-and the seventy wise men collating the Septuagint, are the most celebrated. The most interesting room in the Palace is that which contains the presents made to the royal family by different individuals. Here may be seen furbelows and trinkets of all descriptions, labelled with flattering mottoes and loyal sonnets. Beautiful medallions of the family hang round the walls. The king has nine children. A full length likeness of one of the daughters makes a handsome picture. This palace is not yet finished. The royal domains at Capo di Monte are very extensive, and laid out in the style of Park scenery in England. They constitute the sole charm of the hill, and form the finest retreat in the vicinity of Naples. Passing under a long arch of evergreen, impervious to the sun at noonday, we pursued one by-path after another carpeted with white clover, and were soon lost in woods, having all the wildness and freshness of nature. A deep, picturesque dell opens to the north, in the depth of which are seen a few scattered huts and three little chapels buried in foliage. The scenery is in the highest degree romantic. Partridges stalked across the road, and rose on whizzing wings. A heedless ramble fairly bewildered us. At length a convent bell, in the very depth of the forest, tolled for vespers. Crossing an old bridge mantled with ivy, we directed our course towards the sound, and pilgrim-like sued for admission at the gate, to which the game-keeper conducted us, and which was readily thrown open by an old monk. He was of the order of St. Francis, wearing a long black beard, a coarse woollen robe, and sandals clouted upon his feet. The situation of the small convent and chapel is delightful, entirely secluded from the world. An inscription states, that it was erected by the late king, for several brothers of the order. A pretty flower garden, all in bloom, spreads in front. The monk showed us the cloisters, and the relics of St. Clement under the altar of the church. After listening to the chant of the evening hymn by the few inmates of this delicious retreat, we bade adieu to the kind-hearted brother and hastened back, charmed with the adventures of the ramble. Beautiful as the grounds are at Capo di Monte, it is said the king cannot endure the retirement, vastly preferring the hot lava roads of Portici and the crowded streets of Naples. The fact is not perhaps remarkable, as he has neither taste nor intellectual resources to render seclusion tolerable. A) theatre and a Corso are indispensable requisites to the hap piness of the Italians, who have not the least relish for rural quiet. We visited a charming country seat, called the Eng lish Villa, in the vicinity of Capo di Monte, and enriched with the same description of scenery. Its gardens, fount |