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THE

MEMOIRS

OF

CHARLES-LEWIS,

Baron de PÖLLNITZ,

BEING

The OBSERVATIONS He made in his
late TRAVELS from Pruffia thro'

GERMANY,

ITALY,

FRANCE,

FLANDERS,

HOLLAND,

ENGLAND, &c.

In LETTERS to his FRIEND.

Discovering not only the PRESENT STATE
of the Chief CITIES and Towns;

BUT

The CHARACTERS of the PRINCIPAL PERSONS
at the Several COURTS.

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In TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

LONDON:

Printed for DANIEL BROWNE, at the Black-Swan,
without Temple-Bar, M.Dcc.XXXVII,

070-28-3/024

English

MEMOIRS

Landers
10-20-31
24664

OF THЕ

Baron de PoLLNITZ.

In SEVERAL LETTERS to
Mr. L. C. D. S.

SIR,

T

LETTER XXVIII.

Rome, July 30, 1730.

HUS am I at length arriv'd at the famous City of ROME, that City which has been fo long the Mistress of the World, and is ftill the Metropolis of Europe: But don't expect I fhou'd give you a perfect Defcription of it, because that would require a Man better skill'd in Architecture than I am. I shall only mention fuch Things as to me appear'd to be the most beautiful, or those which I thought the Reverse, and which yet the Oftentation of the Italians cries up for the Wonders of the World. I fhall make it my Business, to give you an Account of Things animate, much rather than those that are inanimate; the latter having been fo well VOL. II. defcrib'd,

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defcrib'd, that all I cou'd fay to you upon that Head wou'd be but a Repetition of what you have read a thousand times over.

ROME is certainly one of the finest Cities in the World; but 'tis not now That ROME of which we read fuch pompous Accounts, it having scarce any Remains left of what it was in ancient Days. Notwithstanding this, it must be own'd, that it has matchless and ftately Structures. Nothing is equal to its Churches, its Fountains, and fome of its Palaces. At one's firit Entrance thro' the Gate del Popoli, a Foreigner cannot but be ftruck with 'Admiration, when he looks right before him, which methought refembled the grand Decoration of a Theatre; but when I caft my Eyes to the Right and Left, the Scene was quite different: I believ'd I was entring into a Village. This is a Riddle, which I will now endeavour to explain to you. When I look'd ftrait before me, I immediately perceiv'd a Square of a triangular Form, at one Point whereof ftands the Gate del Popoli, thro' which I enter'd, facing three very long Streets drawn to a Point in the Shape of a Goofefoot. Thefe Streets are feparated by two Churches, the Fronts whereof are magnificent, and of regular Architecture. In the middle of the Square, there's a stately Obelisk, or Spire, of oriental Granate, which, according to the Infcription on the Pedestal, was rais'd by Pope Sixtus V. At the Foot of this Pyramid, on the Town-fide, there's a Fountain. All this together makes the Square a Beauty, and feem'd to be worthy of ROME: What follows appear'd to me to have the Air of a Village. The first Thing one perceives at the Left-hand of the Square, is a Church confecrated to Our Lady, the Architecture of which is very plain; and on the fame Side are feveral very forry Houfes, or rather Huts. The Right-hand of the Square

Square confifts of Hay-Barns, and two or three wretched Hovels.

From the Square del Popoli, I fhall run thro' he three Streets which lead from thence to the Chief Quarters of ROME. I fhall begin with hat in the Middle which fronts the Gate. 'Tis call'd the Street del Corfo, because there it is hat in the Carnival Time, the Barbary Horses run Races, and where there is the Pafciggio, or Ring, requented every Day by the Coaches. This Street runs thro' almost all ROME, and has fome ine Houfes in it, particularly the Palaces Rufpoli, Gicci, Carolis, Maucini, Pamphili and Bolognetti. t croffes the Squares of St. Mark and Colonna. The first is a Quadrangle, encompass'd with good substantial Buildings, and adorn'd with the amous Antonine Pillar, which the Senate caus'd o be erected to the Honour of Antoninus the Pious, whofe Statue was formerly on the Top of E, but has fince given place to the Effigies of St. Paul. St. Mark's Square is fo call'd, because it es before the Church dedicated to the Saint of hat Name. In it ftands the Palace of Venice, a aft Pile of Building, now occupy'd by the Amaffador of the Republic, but was the Refience of Pope Sixtus V.

The fecond Street which takes its Rife in the quare del Popoli, is call'd la Strada Ripetta. It as nothing in it remarkable but the Stairs leadng down to the Tiber, which are of a grand De-. gn, and fo contriv'd that there are two Flights f a Stair-cafe, without Steps, for the Convenince of the Horfes that carry the Goods which re landed at the Foot of the Stairs; that being ne of the principal Ports of ROME.

The third Street, which ends in the Square of pain, has nothing in it neither worth feeing. To ear a Roman speak of the Square of Spain, one wou'd think

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