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ITALIAN
SCENERY, MANNERS, AND CUSTOMS.
P J L A T E I.
THE LAZZARONI.
T h e Lazzaroni of Naples owe their appellation to La z a rus ; and if thoy do not always
appear like him in rags, their dress is never very splendid. They generally wear a red c ap,
a j a cke t of coarse cloth, with a conical hood, like t h a t of the Ne apol i t an sailors, and a pair of
large trowsers. On holidays they p u t on their best clothes, with silk handkerchiefs a b o u t
their necks, and silver buckles in their shoes and at their knees. When the women of this
class go out, either on business or for pleasure, they spin as they walk. Th e distaff is a stick
fastened to their waist, by twisting it in their apron-string.
The Lazzaroni have a Chief, called Capo Lazzaro, who receives mu c h attention from the
court and ministers. His ofBce is something of the same nature as tha t of the Roma n tribunes
was formerly ; for he takes care the people are respected, and no wrong done to them.
He sometimes attends at court. AVhenever the Que en is brought to bed, the Lazzaroni send
a deputation to the palace, with their Chief at it's head ; and if the infant prove to be of
the sex tliey desire, he takes it in his arms, kisses it, and, coming out of the balcony of the
King's palace, shows it to his followers, addressing them in a suitable speech in his vulgar
dialect, b u t in a truly eloquent style. He is present at the drawing of tlie lottery, at every
extraordinary service performed in the church, and at the publ i c galas at court, though without
any particular mark of distinction: yet he is always respectcd, as he has constantly at
liis command between forty and forty-five thousand me n ; to which ma y be added the boatmen
and fishermen of Chiaia, beside all the lowest class of the people. There never ye t has been au
example of one of these Chiefs receiving a bribe.
The Lazzaroni have some laws peculiar to themselves; and they occasionally hold meetings,
which government does not think it prudent to prevent. Their tribe and friends are so numerous,
that it would be rash to provoke them. They aid the police in suppressing riots,
when they take place without any provocation on the pa r t of government. These very men
in the last war, armed only with their knives, carried the l-'rench batteries near Ga c t a .
During a serious riot, their Chief becomes a very important person, as all his tribe look to
him for orders. In such a case, the best step government can t ake is, to have recourse to some
preacher, whom the Lazzaroni look upon as a s a int ; for he seldom fails to calm the fury of
the people. The celebrated Tathcr Ma rk has done wonders in this way during our own times.