Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey through France, Italy, and Germany, Vo

Observations and Reflections
Made in the Course of a Journey
through France, Italy, and
Germany, Vol. I

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Title: Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey
through France, Italy, and Germany, Vol. I
Author: Hester Lynch Piozzi
Release Date: August 5, 2005 [EBook #16445]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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OBSERVATIONS AND REFLECTIONS
MADE IN THE COURSE OF A
JOURNEY
THROUGH
_FRANCE, ITALY, AND GERMANY_.
By HESTER LYNCH PIOZZI.
IN TWO VOLUMES
Vol. I.
LONDON:
Printed for A. STRAHAN; and T. CADELL in the Strand,
MDCCLXXXIX.

PREFACE.
I was made to observe at Rome some vestiges of an ancient custom
very proper in those days--it was the parading of the streets by a set of
people called _Preciæ_, who went some minutes before the Flamen
Dialis to bid the inhabitants leave work or play, and attend wholly to
the procession; but if ill omens prevented the pageants from passing, or
if the occasion of the show was deemed scarcely worthy its celebration,
these _Preciæ_ stood a chance of being ill-treated by the spectators. A
Prefatory introduction to a work like this, can hope little better usage
from the Public than they had; it proclaims the approach of what has
often passed by before, adorned most certainly with greater splendour,

perhaps conducted too with greater regularity and skill: Yet will I not
despair of giving at least a momentary amusement to my countrymen in
general, while their entertainment shall serve as a vehicle for conveying
expressions of particular kindness to those foreign individuals, whose
tenderness softened the sorrows of absence, and who eagerly
endeavoured by unmerited attentions to supply the loss of their
company on whom nature and habit had given me stronger claims.
That I should make some reflections, or write down some observations,
in the course of a long journey, is not strange; that I should present
them before the Public is I hope not too daring: the presumption grew
up out of their acknowledged favour, and if too kind culture has
encouraged a coarse plant till it runs to seed, a little coldness from the
same quarter will soon prove sufficient to kill it. The flattering
partiality of private partisans sometimes induces authors to venture
forth, and stand a public decision; but it is often found to betray them
too; not to be tossed by waves of perpetual contention, but rather to
sink in the silence of total neglect. What wonder! He who swims in oil
must be buoyant indeed, if he escapes falling certainly, though gently,
to the bottom; while he who commits his safety to the bosom of the
wide-embracing ocean, is sure to be strongly supported, or at worst
thrown upon the shore.
On this principle it has been still my study to obtain from a humane and
generous Public that shelter their protection best affords from the
poisoned arrows of private malignity; for though it is not difficult to
despise the attempts of petty malice, I will not say with the Philosopher,
that I mean to build a monument to my fame with the stones thrown at
me to break my bones; nor yet pretend to the art of Swift's German
Wonder-doer, who promised to make them fall about his head like so
many pillows. Ink, as it resembles Styx in its colour, should resemble it
a little in its operation too; whoever has been once dipt should become
_invulnerable_: But it is not so; the irritability of authors has long been
enrolled among the comforts of ill-nature, and the triumphs of stupidity;
such let it long remain! Let me at least take care in the worst storms
that may arise in public or in private life, to say with Lear,

--I'm one More sinn'd against, than sinning.
For the book--I have not thrown my thoughts into the form of private
letters; because a work of which truth is the best recommendation,
should not above all others begin with a lie. My old acquaintance rather
chose to amuse themselves with conjectures, than to flatter me with
tender inquiries during my absence; our correspondence then would not
have been any amusement to the