DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.53561#0011
Vol. II. u ITALY. 5
the decount of Suetonius, who computes only One
midion and fix hundred thpusand, or a few more, un-
der Tiberius, who was the immediate Successbr of
Augufl™; and, how can it be suppos’d with the
least shadow of Reason, that iuch a prodigious
Alteration could happen within the narrow space
of a few Years ? Some Criticks will perhaps en-
deavour to elude the force of so pressing an Ar-
gument, by botching the Text of Suetonius, oi,
at least, by starting new Difficulties concerning
it; but all their study’d Subtilties will never .v
mount to a certain decision of the .Controversie.
This brings to my mind a Passage in * Fasciculus ’ Wernerus
Temporum, where the Author, speaking of the Roolw inc
Reign of Auguflus, has these words; Roma in ssore,
& numerati ssttrit ejus cives & defcripti nonagefies Tri-
centena millia, & OEloginta millia. The number or
the Citizens of Rome amounted to Seven and twen-
ty midions and eighty thoufand: A jolly Company
indeed ! but perhaps he meant all those who had
a right to the Privileges of Roman Citizens,
throughout the whole extent of the Empire.
Two Days after our Return from Naples, we
had the fortune to see a pleasant Ceremony,which
I cannot forbear relating to you: You must know
that a Society of sixty Gentlemen does volun-
tarily agree to raise a sufficient Fund to give
Portions or send into Nunneries 3J0 Mai-
dens every Year. Now the Ceremony is per-
form’d thus : On the Festival of the Annunciation,
the Pope and the sacrcd College meet at the Mi-
nerva, where the Pope says a high Mass,. or at
least some Cardinal is appointed to officiate in
his absence, and all the Girls confess, and recsivs
the Sacrament, being cloath’d in white Serge,
and muffl’d up, likeGhosts, in'a great piece of
Cloth which covers their Head, leaving only a
smaliPassage for their Sight, and oftentimes on-
b 3 Iy
the decount of Suetonius, who computes only One
midion and fix hundred thpusand, or a few more, un-
der Tiberius, who was the immediate Successbr of
Augufl™; and, how can it be suppos’d with the
least shadow of Reason, that iuch a prodigious
Alteration could happen within the narrow space
of a few Years ? Some Criticks will perhaps en-
deavour to elude the force of so pressing an Ar-
gument, by botching the Text of Suetonius, oi,
at least, by starting new Difficulties concerning
it; but all their study’d Subtilties will never .v
mount to a certain decision of the .Controversie.
This brings to my mind a Passage in * Fasciculus ’ Wernerus
Temporum, where the Author, speaking of the Roolw inc
Reign of Auguflus, has these words; Roma in ssore,
& numerati ssttrit ejus cives & defcripti nonagefies Tri-
centena millia, & OEloginta millia. The number or
the Citizens of Rome amounted to Seven and twen-
ty midions and eighty thoufand: A jolly Company
indeed ! but perhaps he meant all those who had
a right to the Privileges of Roman Citizens,
throughout the whole extent of the Empire.
Two Days after our Return from Naples, we
had the fortune to see a pleasant Ceremony,which
I cannot forbear relating to you: You must know
that a Society of sixty Gentlemen does volun-
tarily agree to raise a sufficient Fund to give
Portions or send into Nunneries 3J0 Mai-
dens every Year. Now the Ceremony is per-
form’d thus : On the Festival of the Annunciation,
the Pope and the sacrcd College meet at the Mi-
nerva, where the Pope says a high Mass,. or at
least some Cardinal is appointed to officiate in
his absence, and all the Girls confess, and recsivs
the Sacrament, being cloath’d in white Serge,
and muffl’d up, likeGhosts, in'a great piece of
Cloth which covers their Head, leaving only a
smaliPassage for their Sight, and oftentimes on-
b 3 Iy