ITALIAN SCENERY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS. 3
FILATE I I .
DANCE OF LAZZARONI CHILDREN.
A Family of Lazzaroni is here represented, where the father and mother arc amusing
themselves with observing several boys and girls dance. The fishing nets, spread upon the
M-all, show it to be the family of a fisherman.
The children of this class at Naples have nothing to do but to amuse themselves, till the
boys are grown strong enough to help their father in fishing, and the girls to assist their mother
in domestic concerns. It is but seldom the parents think it necessary to send their
children to school; perhaps never, unless an industrious father has had occasion to repent of
his io-norancc. In that case his son stands a chance of learning to read and write, that he
may be preserved from a similar embarrassment. As to the girls, care is taken to keep
them in ignorance, for fear their morals should be corrupted by reading: or, if the advantage
of being able to read books of devotion ever happens to induce parents to have their daughters
taught to read, they are seldom permitted to write, or read writing; lest they should employ
their knowledge ui sending or receiving love-letters. This is a strange and cruel prejudice,
widely spread among the connnon people of Italy, but particularly in the country
n-illages.
The tambourine is the ordinary instrument that accompanies their dances, and is played
wpon exclusively by the women; who are thought to have received a goiiee^ education,
when they can play ^^ it\l skill most of the tunes of the different dances in use among them.
This instrument is not a mere accompaniment in their hands, for they play the notes as distinctly
as could be done on any other instrument.
The boys are dressed in linen or woollen cloth, generally very coarse, with breeches, or
without; in the latter case, they wear a kind of short petticoat, not reaching quite to the
knee. The girls are clothed in silk, ornamented with ribands or gold lace, according to
the circumstances of their parents. This profusion of silk dresses and gold lace may appear
astonishing, but they are very connnon from Tuscany to the South of Italy, especially among
the lower people and peasantry; silk, though not the most durable, being the least expensive
dress, and the gold or silver lace is sliowy, slight, and cheap.
The Lazzarone appears by his dress to have just come ashore; being in the coarsest of his
suits, and that most in use. The fishermen wear long trowsers, without stockings or shoes ;
and when they have drawn their nets, and the boat touches the ground, they roll their trowsers
up above the knee, jump into the water, and walk ashore.
B 3
m