Mr. J. Smith, of Nottingham, bore tes-racter of Ward, however bad, did not jusJimony to the correctness of what Lord C. had stated as to Ward's conduct; but could not on that account refuse inquiry into the cases of the other petitioners.

Sir Francis Burdett said, the moral character of Ward had nothing to do with the present question, which was, whether he had been justly charged with treason, whether he had been legally committed, and legally treated under that commitment. The question was, who broke the law? The prisoners answered, the Noble Lord and his friends; but assertion would not satisfy the country, and the gaoler of Gloucester himself solicited investigation: the | offenders, if such they were, were anxious for trial, even at the risk of their lives. But, said the Noble Lord, it is a great mistake to suppose that Ministers want indemnity; what they wish is, to cover their friends, Oliver, his fellow spies, and accomplice informers; in short, the Bill of Indemnity was admitted on the other side to be for the protection of those secret and infamous sources of private accusation whose purpose was to destroy the happiness and reputation of every honest man. Was it possible that at his time of day such an avowal should be made-that in England it should be professed that innocent men should be solitarily confined, cruelly tortured, and unjustly accused, and should never have an opportunity of discovering to whom they were indebted for all those deprivations and sufferings?

Mr. Wilberforce thought the character of Ward had much to do with the merits of the motion; and it appeared that several of the other petitions contained palpable | falsehoods. All the antient free Constitutions had the means of providing against imminent danger, by lodging, for a time, extraordinary power somewhere; and surely some alteration in the ordinary mode of proceeding was required, when the people of England had resorted to assassination as a trade, as was the case with the Luddites, and when the life even of a Judge, venerable for his age, and admirable for bis learning, had been threatened, if not attempted, while the perpetrators were to be rewarded by money raised in subscriptions raised in subscriptions of 5s. each.

Sir Samuel Romilly contended, in refutation of Lord Castlereagh's allegation, that, if an Act of Indemnity were passed, the petitioners would, as by that of 1801, be left without any remedy at law for all their unjust sufferings. There were in all eleven petitions. If two or three might be incorrect in their statements, were the rest to be passed by unheeded? Even the cha

tify the severity of treatment he had met with under arbitrary confinement. What, too, could be a greater mockery and insult than the parading these men from town to town in open day-light, and loaded with chains; and what possible objects could be answered by such a wretched triumph, except to convince some miserable minds that some extraordinary plot existed against the State? As to the dictatorships of the antient Republicks, did they not, he would ask his Hon. Friend Mr. Wilberforce, end in in a perpetual dictatorshipin a tyranny never to be shaken off? And, for his own part, he believed most firmly, before God, that these continual and unjustifiable Suspensions of the Habeas Corpus would, (unless the House of Commons. should do its duty, which it had not hitherto done) end in the complete ruin of our liberties.

Mr. Bathurst, Mr. H. Sumner, and the Attorney-general, opposed the motion; which was supported by Mr. Bennet aud Mr. Phillips.

Mr. Lambe wished an inquiry to take place in an open Committee.

On a division, the motion was negatived by 167 to 58.

Feb. 18.-In the Commons, the same day, Mr. Alderman Wood, with a view to the justification of the conduct of the city Magistrates, moved for a Select Committee to inquire into the state of the prisons in the city of London.

After some observations from Mr. Bennet, Sir W. Curtis, and Mr. Warre, the motion was agreed to.

A Petition from Gloucester was presented against the use of climbing-boys in sweeping chimneys.

Lord Milton was of opinion that Mr. Bennet's Bill on this subject went too far, at present; there being many chimneys which could not be swept but by boys. The better way would be, to give a bounty on the use of machines, and to lay a tax on the use of climbing-boys, which would afford time for altering the chimneys, and effect, at length, the total discontinuance of climbing boys.

Mr. Bennet and Mr. Littleton thought that the two years already given were sufficient for altering the chimneys alluded to, which were exactly those that were most dangerous to the boys.

Mr. G. Baukes moved for leave to bring in a Bill for making the buying of game penal as well as the selling of it.

Mr. Curwen and Mr. Warre opposed the motion, and contended that the whole

Lord Liverpool conceived this idea of the Noble Lord to be erroneous; and was fully of opinion that he had a real and efficient Sinking Fund, notwithstanding that he had included it in the revenue. The Bill then went through the Com-tecture of the generality of the houses is mittee, as did the Malt Duty Bill.

pleasing to the eye. Over the entrance of Lord Carnarvon, at great length, con- one of the palaces near the river I observed tended that the Petitions of Drummond, a chain, and upon inquiry found that the Knight, Mitchell, &c. sufferers under the proprietor having been captured in his Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, should be youth, by an Algerine privateer, had rereferred to the Secret Committee, and cou-mained some years in a state of slavery, Icluded with a motion to that effect.

nions on the subject, that possibly he discovered some defect as he proceeded in the construction, and not being willing to de. stroy the building, thought it better to have a leaning tower than none at all. The building is very solid, and will probably for many years continue to excite the admiration of the curious.

the city. I will notice the cathedral, bap- | dome is the font containing the baptismal tistery, hanging tower, and campo santo water. (or ancient burial ground). The exterior The celebrated leaning tower has been of the Gothic cathedral is clothed with often described, and is certainly one of the marble, and ornamented with columus, most curious edifices in existence. It has and other remains of antiquity. The size stood more than 600 years, is of a round and number of the pillars crowd the inte- shape, and ornamented with several rows rior, and make it rather dark, although of light marble columns. The whole is its general appearance is very impressive. 188 feet high, and contains a staircase of I observed on the dome three figures in easy ascent, from whence the view is rich mosaic, of glass, representing Jesus and and delightful. Various have been the two angels. This species of mosaic is un- opinions respecting the cause of its great common, but the work is remarkable on inclination, which is fifteen feet out of the another account, the artist having given perpendicular. One man told me the soil our Saviour a most hideous countenance, had sunk, which appeared highly probable; and made him of gigantic stature. The and another, that it was a whim of the ar pulpit is of marble, and the pavement un-chitect's. I shall only add to these opiderneath the dome of rich mosaic. In different parts of the church are a variety of fine statues, paintings, and elegant chandeliers of bronze. One of the altars is ornamentedwith mosaic, lapis lazuli, and precious marbles, blended together. But I was unfortunate in not being permitted to see the principal altar-piece, which is cased with silver, and said to have The Campo Santo, formerly used as the cost 18,000 crowns. They keep it con- general cemetery, is a marble edifice, stantly covered with a wooden case, which about 200 yards long, forming a parallelois only removed on grand occasions. The gram, and surrounded by 60 arcades, with French carried off immense riches from elegant Gothic windows. In the interior hence, but luckily this treasure escaped are a variety of sarcophagi, 85 iu number, their sacrilegious hands. There is nothing and other Greek and Roman antiquities, however, about this cathedral so deserving remarkable for their delicacy of sculp of admiration as its gates of bronze, three ture, and their fine state of preservation. of which were designed by John of Bo- Amongst the vases one is particularly beaulogna, and the other two are said to be of tiful, and around it are represented a numgreater antiquity. The former represent ber of elegant females dancing. But the the nativity and passion of our Saviour; antiquities here are so numerous, that it his bearing the cross and crucifixion are would be an endless task were I to endeabeautifully executed; the symmetry of the vour to describe the whole; whilst some of figures, and the different expressions in the more modern tombs are also very their countenances are almost as clear and splendid. I therefore shall content myself finely shewn as if they had been painted by making a few remarks respecting the in oil. But, notwithstanding all these fresco paintings with which the walls beauties, the bronze gates of the baptis-under the piazzas are covered. They are tery at Florence are in my opinion greatly superior to those I have been describing at Pisa. Opposite to the cathedral here is the baptistery. Its architecture is likewise Gothic, and its form circular; whilst the variety and beauty of the marble, of which it is constructed, and the profusion of columns and arcades which embellish the interior, render the whole edifice magnificient. The dome is remarkable for its fine proportions; and a pulpit of oriental alabaster, executed in a most masterly style, by Oicolao of Pisa, is likewise deserving of minute observation. Around it various subjects of sacred history are represented, and the whole is supported by pillars of granite. Immediately under the

upwards of 600 years old, and many of them of course in a bad state. Some of the subjects are very singular, and one especially, representing the infernal regions. Every species of torment is here introduced that the imagination ever gave birth to ; you see a whole row of men on a spit, with dragons, toads, and fiery serpents attacking them on every side. Another of these paintings is uncommonly curious, but I am surprised at its being introduced in this holy spot; for the subject in my opinion is profane, and at the same time truly ludicrous. It represents the last judgment, where some are being hurled into the bottomless pit, and others into a devouring fire. Agony is finely delineated

in the different countenances of the suf-
ferers; but what principally excited my
attention was, to observe the active man
ner in which Satan was stirring up with a
couple of pitchforks a heap of sinners boil
ing in a furnace, whilst a host of other
evil spirits were applying fresh tortures.
Different bodies are seen rising out of their
graves. At the top of the painting appear
the angels, and below is Satan, with ali
his infernal crew.
In the midst of all this
an unfortunate friar is introduced, in the
air: an angel is holding him by one hand;
but you plainly perceive the devil has got
bim much tighter by the other. The sati
rical artist means to show that the latter
will eventually succeed in gaining posses
sion of the friar. Another painting is that
of the death of man. There are three
open tombs.
In the first, the corpse is
well preserved; in the second, it bears a
different aspect, and is greatly disfigured;
in the third are nothing but a heap of
bones. Our credulous guide informed us
that the earth of this cemetery was brought
from Jerusalem. There is also a university
here, with several colleges, an observatory,
and a cabinet of natural history.

The country between Florence and Sienna. a distance of forty miles, is generally well cultivated and fertile; the hills and valleys abounding is vines and olive-trees, and the road passing over the Apennines.

On drawing near to Sienna the country cultivated, and very productive. The city wears a pleasing appearance, being highly is well situated, on three hills; and, with great justice, is accounted the second in the Grand Duke's territories: as a place climate, and, above all, the amiable chaof residence, its situation, fertility of soil, racter and sociability of its inhabitants towards strangers, render it inferior to no city in Italy. But if the object of the traveller be principally antiquities, beaux arts, &c. he will not find here that scope afford; but he will in some respects receive for his pursuit which other places in Italy ample recompense by other interesting cirThis city, which is five miles in circumfecumstances, which seem peculiar to Sienna. rence, was formerly a republic of much and Sienna have been heretofore numerous repute, and the wars between Florence and severe; but the latter having at length been obliged to acknowledge the superiority of the former, has ever since dimi

During our stay at Pisa we went to hear an organ, considered to be the most extra-nished in fame, in proportion as the other ordinary in Europe; the pipes of which are all carried around the extensive church where it is situated. The performer was a good one, and the music most enchanting. The scope of this organ is wonderful. It contains a variety of instruments, imitating the singing of birds, the cackling of ducks and geese, and the note of the cuckoo, in a most natural and astonishing manner. We were informed that a person might play on it for twenty-four hours together, aud, by means of its diversified construction, produce such different imitations as to vary the barmony continuaily,

The climate at Pisa is so mild during winter, that it is in consequence much resorted to by invalids, and especially by those afflicted with pulmonary complaints; but the heat and exhalations in summer render it at that season by no means a de sirable residence for strangers; and the decrease of its commerce and population, as well as the dilapidated state of some of ahe palaces and public buildings, give au sir of duiness to this town, of which the ituation is, however, delightfully cheerful. The distance from Pisa to Florence ts about fifty miles. The road passes, during part of the way, on the banks of the Arno... On the right stands the village of St. Miniato, whence the family of Buonaparte originally sprung.

has acquired it: even to this day a partial animosity prevails between the two places. The entrance to Sienna is through an old gate, on which are the remains of some paintings in fresco. The houses are of brick, the streets narrow, and paved with the same and flat stones, which in general render them extremely clean, although very dangerons for horses that are not accustomed to this sort of pavement. There are several high towers remaining in this city, formerly erected to the memory of those men who in the time of the republic had rendered essential services to the state. The principal one, which is in the grand square, is well built, and serves also as a belfry. The prospect of the adjoining country from its top is delightful, and will repay the fatigue of ascending it, which is by no means trifling. The object most worthy the stranger's attention in Sienna is, without doubt, the cathedral, which, after that of St. Peter's at Rome, will yield the palm to no other in Italy. It is built a la maniera Tedescha, and, for want of a more open space in its front, it will not perhaps, at the first view, appear to that advantage which the cathedral at Pisa does, which is built in the same style; but most people are of opinion, as far as workmanship and the peculiarities (which may be termed the beauties) of that style are con

the virgin and child; it is always veiled but on extraordinary occasions, when it is highly venerated by the Siennese. Opposite to this chapel you enter the library, which is not large, but greatly celebrated by the paintings in fresco on the walls and ceilings: they were executed by Pietro Peruginuo, Raphael's master; and report assigns three of them to the pencil of the latter, as well as others to Pinturrechio. There are twelve folio volumes here of the Catholic church service for the year, writ ten on vellum; and so exquisitely finished are the subjects of the vignettes, all of which are chosen from the psalm or chapter they adorn, that in many instances they vie with the finest enamel; they are said to be the most beautiful specimens existing in Europe of the kind. In the middle of the library is placed on a modern pedestal an admirable piece of ancient Greek sculpture, in white marble, representing the Graces, in the style they are generally drawn: it is somewhat muti

cerned, that the former very far exceeds the latter, and will be so estimated by those who are not partial to numberless specimens of sculpture, rather loading the front with ornaments than beautifying it, and which produces so decided a contrast to the nobler simplicity of the Grecian manner. The larger columns are beautifully twisted, and leaves, flowers, &c. entwined around them. Over the porch to the grand entrance is a fine basso relievo, in marble. The windows are all very curious, from the numerous pillars which form the support of their arches. The exterior and interior of the cathedral are of white and black marble, overcharged with ornaments of every fantastic shape and figure. On entering, the first object that presents itself is the pavement, the beauty of which has always excited the admiration of connoisseurs. It is composed chiefly of three different shades of marble, being so cut as to form the corresponding parts of figures and landscapes, and these inlaid, represent a mosaic of a very fine and boldlated, but the parts remaining are of the description. The subjects, thus engraven in chiaro oscuro, are taken from the Old and New Testament; the features of the figures and other minute parts being, of course delineated by means of the chisel. On the slab, at the foot of the altar, after ascending the steps, is represented, in mosaic, the history of Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, and is placed on that spot as an allusion to the emblematical sacrifice in the catholic mass. On the right side of the altar is a female figure on the pavement, which should be particularly remarked, from the beauty of the design and execution; it resembles a coarse engraving. So highly do the dignitaries of the cathedral respect this pavement, that it is always covered with a low stage made for the purpose (except on holydays), and a kind of trap-door is made in various places, where strangers are shown the most beautiful parts.

In the middle aisle of the church, placed upon the cornice immediately under the roof, is a row of busts of all the popes from St. Peter to a very late period. It is said here that among the rest formerly stood, in her proper place, the Papessa Joanna (Pope Joan), and until the year 1600, it was to be seen; but the Grand Duke, Cosimo I. on coming to the title, thought it too great a scandal on the Catholic religion, and caused it to be removed. There is one chapel in the cathedral deserving particular notice from the manner in which it is finished: it belongs to the Chigi family. Over the altar is a painting, supposed to be the work of St. Luke, of

VOL VIII. No. 46. Lit. Pan. N.S. July \.

first class; it has been universally esteemed, and has served as a study for the first artists. How far the subject of this production corresponds with the other appendages of a church library, must be left for every person to form his own idea. The pulpit in the cathedral should be observed with attention; it is a piece of sculpture, curious from being one of the first specimens of the early introduction of this art into the modern school, and is the work of Nicolo Pisano. Near the cathedral is the archbishop's palace, and opposite to it stands the hospital of Sienna, which is a large convenient building, capable of containing about 400 invalids, and founded by a shoemaker. In its chapel the altar-piece, in fresco, is well executed. There are many other churches in Sienna, but containing nothing to call forth the particular attention of the stran

ger.

The academy (Gli Intronati) is a fine institution in this city, and learning is generally cultivated with great spirit and ardour by all classes. At particular periods of the year, meetings are held in the hall of the academy, where the productions of the students are publicly rehearsed. The subjects are allowed to be miscellaneous, theology, philosophy, politics, &c. and oftentimes, as an interlude, music is introduced. In this place I had the satisfaction of hearing a lady perform on the flute, with as much taste and execution as many of the first-rate musicians.

The opera-house in Sienna is a handsome edifice, and the performances are well 2B