and, there are those who trace them up to a more certain stem, and will have them to be the remains of the wreck of the Cimbri, defeated by Marius and Catulus. This opinion derives some countenance from Strabo, who, in his fifth book, amongst some other races, whom he plants in this tract of country, specifies the “Simbri, è quibus nomini Romano hostes extiterunt aliqui." But it is always to be remembered that he speaks of different nations occupying the country I am describing, and of the scattered Simbri, or Cimbri, as only one amongst several. But, if the region was occupied at the first, as it should appear, by various tribes, these mongrel mountaineers mixed their blood, in after-times, with several other swarms, issuing out of what has been called the great northern hive. Ancient historians have recorded many such local irruptions, and, above all, that in the time of Theodoric; who assigned to a quantity of northern men, habitations and lands amongst these mountains.

Instead therefore of considering these people as legitimate sons of the Cimbri, it is surely more consonant to all the evidence of history, to say that the flux and reflux of Teutonic invaders at different periods, deposited this back-water of barba. rians; who have no better title to the denomination they have assumed, than the inhabitants of Kent and Sussex have to a Belgic, or those of Suffolk to a Danish, origin.

There is, in truth, no other foundation for this claim set up

by the inhabitants of the Sette Communi, than the passage of Strabo, which I have mentioned; and there is no evidence of this claim having been advanced previous to the year 1597, when, in an account of an episcopal visit to Asiago, I find the following observation, "Cimbros se esse asserunt." From that time to this, they have been voted Cimbrians, upon what grounds, you, who are acquainted with the ordinary mode of reasoning in such cases, may easily conjecture. Not being satisfied, I addressed myself on this point to a learned person of the race who had collected much matter touching his tribe, and I subjoin the answer in totidem verbis: "I nostri popoli sono pieni di vivacità, corraggiosi, d'un animo nobile e generoso, industriosi, pieni di talento, gran cacciatori e bravi soldati, caratteri che DIMOSTRANO la loro origine, benchè lontana, da una nazione delle più antiche e leali del mondo."

The person who furnished me with this and some other answers to queries which I addressed to him, is about to publish on this subject, and much is here expected at his hands. But if you are curious to see what has already been printed respecting this people and their pretensions, take a few examples, not selected from amongst the most ridiculous. Thus we are told that their language is Teutonic, but not intelligible to their German neighbours, and this is forsooth a test of Cimbrism; for, though not intelligible to Germans, it is to Danes; more, it is the purest Danish; but Danish, forsooth, is Cimbric; therefore, the inhabi

tants

tants of the Sette Communi are Cimbri. Q. E. D.

Thus we are told by Busching, that" in this district is preserved the ancient Cimbric language, or (to speak more exactly) the modern Saxon idiom; but in such perfection, that Frederic 4th of Denmark, who satisfied himself, in his own person, of the truth, declared that it was not spoken in so polished a manner in his own court"-and this account, though in itself contradictory, we are (heaven help us!) expected to believe. But, not to let the cause be prejudiced by a bad advocate, and supposing his Danish majesty to have said, not that he had never heard Saxon, but that he had never heard Danish spoken in so genuine a manner in his court, and supposing the thousand oral traditions, yet preserved here, of this prince and imembers of the Sette Communi were true (though one must be a beast to believe them), what is to be deduced from them, other than that this people speak Danish?-which is, after all, a lie. But, not to waste words on this matter, I send you a specimen of Bossuet's Catechism, translated into their tongue, and which will probably convey some preciser notions than those with which we have been hitherto favoured. The learned who have heretofore written on the subject perhaps considered this as too simple and vulgar an expedient.

A subordinate point appeared to me to deserve investigation; to wit, whether they had any national denomination amongst themselves, which, like our highland name of Gaël, might be indicative of their origin. But

though I rummaged books and interrogated all who had made a study of this people, I could never find one, dead or living, who had ever made the inquiry. Being however persuaded that this was very essential to the investigation of the question, I sought out these savages in their huts and hired farms, and talked with such as could speak Italian, both in my own person and through an Italian servant. But, as to the point at issue, all assured me they had no name for themselves but that of the Sette Communi. At last, my servant asserted that he had found one who said they had another name in their own language, which this brighter barbarian informed me was Sieben perghe!

You will probably, as well as myself, see nothing in this but the translation of the Italian name of the Sette Communi. But what changes might not be wrung upon it by one who was disposed to chime into the ordinary cant of the hunters of national monu. ments!" Sieben perghe, it is true," they would say, "may signify seven burghs. But these words may also signify seven mountains, or seven shepherds." In the first case, they would therefore probably send us in search of the origin of these people to some city situated upon seven hills, as to Rome or Constantinople; in the second, we should have to hunt out seven leaders of pastoral tribes; and find them perhaps in the Tartarian tales!

to

One more circumstance appears me to be interesting in the story of the Sette Communi It should seem, that the fidelity

with which they served the lords, to whom they became subject, had won from these petty tyrants many privileges at an early period of modern Italian story, and there exist authentic monuments of those accorded them by the Vis contis and the Scaligers. They did not experience less indulgence from the Venetian republic on falling under her dominion; for, though they were subjected, as to many points, to the provincial government of the circle in which they lay, they in many other respects legislated for themselves, and may be said to have had a parliament of their own, whose place of sittings is still to be seen in the town of Asiago. It will, however, be scarcely necessary to add, that the Sette Communi lost their privileges on being subjected to the yoke of Austria. They are now entirely subjected to the provincial government of Vi

cenza.

I have now put together all that appeared to me worthy of notice, in what has been written, or reported of this people: but if I had extracted one half of what has actually been put in print, on this subject, I might have filled a quarto. Believing, however, that you have, as well as myself, little taste for hunting possibilities under the disguise of probabilities, I abstained from the task; considering that should you be given to this unsubstantial chase, we have sufficient home-brewed trash of the kind without resorting to foreign markets.

The weather, which has driven the inhabitants of the Sette Communi into the plains, seems to have pursued them; yet, nobody

here, except myself, has lighted a fire, though the fleas are already put down by the cold; a riddance which I consider as counterbalancing the worst that winter can do unto me. People here do not usually light their fires till after St. Martin's day, which falls, I think, about the 10th of No

vember.

*

VENETIAN FESTIVALS.

(From the same.)

The Christmas holidays, pro⚫ perly speaking, are just past. The first, beginning with Christmas eve, is a day of great festi vity with the Venetians; one of those on which the head of à house usually entertains his family and friends; almost every such person having a day, as St. Martin's or Christmas eve, appropriated to such a purpose. On these occasions the rich and liberal feed many, and feast high, though in the present instance, as it is the vigil of a holiday, and one of those very few meager days which are (generally speaking) observed by the Italian laity, their fare is confined to loaves and fishes. Even I cannot refuse a tribute to the excellence of the table of Christmas eve, though, after feeding two or three months on Catholic and frugal cates in Tuscany, where

"il cane sen doleva e 'l gatto Che gli ossi rimanean troppo puliti,"

Pulci.

tants of the Sette Communi are Cimbri. Q. E. D.

Thus we are told by Busching, that "in this district is preserved the ancient Cimbric language, or (to speak more exactly) the modern Saxon idiom; but in such perfection, that Frederic 4th of Denmark, who satisfied himself, in his own person, of the truth, declared that it was not spoken in so polished a manner in his own court"-and this account, though in itself contradictory, we are (heaven help us!) expected to believe. But, not to let the cause be prejudiced by a bad advocate, and supposing his Danish majesty to have said, not that he had never heard Saxon, but that he had never heard Danish spoken in so genuine a manner in his court, and supposing the thousand oral traditions, yet preserved here, of this prince and inembers of the Sette Communi were true (though one must be a beast to believe them), what is to be deduced from them, other than that this people speak Danish?-which is, after all, a lie. But, not to waste words on this matter, I send you a specimen of Bossuet's Catechism, translated into their tongue, and which will probably convey some preciser notions than those with which we have been hitherto favoured. The learned who have heretofore written on the subject perhaps considered this as too simple and vulgar an expedient.

A subordinate point appeared to me to deserve investigation; to wit, whether they had any national denomination amongst themselves, which, like our highland name of Gaël, might be indicative of their origin. But

though I rummaged books and interrogated all who had made a study of this people, I could never find one, dead or living, who had ever made the inquiry. Being however persuaded that this was very essential to the investigation of the question, ! sought out these savages in their huts and hired farms, and talked with such as could speak Italian, both in my own person and through an Italian servant. But, as to the point at issue, all as sured me they had no name før themselves but that of the Sette Communi. At last, my servant asserted that he had found one who said they had another name in their own language, which this brighter barbarian informed me was Sieben perghe!

You will probably, as well as myself, see nothing in this but the translation of the Italian name of the Sette Communi. But what changes might not be wrung upon it by one who was disposed to chime into the ordinary cant of the hunters of national menu ments! Sieben perghe, it is true," they would say, may signify seven burghs. But these words may also signify seven mountains, or seven shepherds." In the first case, they would therefore probably send us in search of the origin of these people to some city situated upon seven hills, as to Rome or Constantinople; in the second, we should have to hunt out seven leaders of pastoral tribes; and find them perhaps in the Tartarian tales!

to

One more circumstance appears me to be interesting in the story of the Sette Communi It should seem, that the fidelity

with which they served the lords, to whom they became subject, had won from these petty tyrants many privileges at an early period of modern Italian story, and there exist authentic monuments of those accorded them by the Vis contis and the Scaligers. They did not experience less indulgence from the Venetian republic on falling under her dominion; for, though they were subjected, as to many points, to the provincial government of the circle in which they lay, they in many other respects legislated for themselves, and may be said to have had a parliament of their own, whose place of sittings is still to be seen in the town of Asiago. It will, however, be scarcely necessary to add, that the Sette Communi lost their privileges on being subjected to the yoke of Austria. They are now entirely subjected to the provincial government of Vi

cenza.

I have now put together all that appeared to me worthy of notice, in what has been written, or reported of this people: but if I had extracted one half of what has actually been put in print, on this subject, I might have filled a quarto. Believing, however, that you have, as well as myself, little taste for hunting possibilities under the disguise of probabilities, I abstained from the task; considering that should you be given to this unsubstantial chase, we have sufficient home-brewed trash of the kind without resorting to foreign markets.

The weather, which has driven the inhabitants of the Sette Communi into the plains, seems to have pursued them; yet, nobody

here, except myself, has lighted a fire, though the fleas are already put down by the cold; a riddance which I consider as counterbalancing the worst that winter can do unto me. People here do not usually light their fires till after St. Martin's day, which falls, I think, about the 10th of No

vember.

*

VENETIAN FESTIVALS.

(From the same.) The Christmas holidays, properly speaking, are just past. The first, beginning with Christmas eve, is a day of great festi vity with the Venetians; one of those on which the head of à house usually entertains his family and friends; almost every such person having a day, as St. Martin's or Christmas eve, appropriated to such a purpose. On these occasions the rich and liberal feed many, and feast high, though in the present instance, as it is the vigil of a holiday, and one of those very few meager days which are (generally speaking) observed by the Italian laity, their fare is confined to loaves and fishes. Even I cannot refuse a tribute to the excellence of the table of Christmas eve, though, after feeding two or three months on Catholic and frugal cates in Tuscany, where

"il cane sen doleva e 'l gatto Che gli ossi rimanean troppo puliti,"

Pulci.