presenting Sicily as unrivalled for the happiness of its climate and the fertility of its soil. Diodorus tells us that it had the reputation of being the first country where wheat was cultivated; a wild species of which grain was found in the neighbourhood of Leontium, and in many other parts of the island;-and Cicero tells us that it was the granary of Rome. Homer expressly says of Sicily: Αλλα ταγ' ασπαρτα και ανηροτα παντα φυονται, Πυροι, και κριθαι, ηδ' αμπελοι, άιτε φερουσιν Οινον ερισταφυλον, και σφιν Διος ομβρος αέξει. ΟD. xi. 109. Untaught to plant, to turn the giebe and sow, The soil untilled the ready harvest yields: Among the moderns, the Abbate Ferrara represents "the fertility of the island as perfectly wonderful, arising solely from the happy temperature of the climate, and the natural richness of the soil;-that soil, except in the immediate neighbourhood of Mount Etna, where it is volcanic and highly productive, being invariably composed of a calcareous loamy mould, descending every where to a great depth." According to the same account, "copious dews supply the place of rain during the early part of the summer; and the snow, accumulated on the mountains during winter, begins to melt towards June, and, forming a thousand rivulets, gives new vigour and excitement to the growing crops." Such indeed are the natural capabilities of the soil, that, according to Simond's account, " Sicily would still feed five times its population, if that population were but left alone, and its industry not shackled by absurd regulations." Nor will this statement appear exaggerated, when it is recollected that the present population of the whole island was, in the days of its prosperity, equalled by that of its two principal cities, Agrigentum and Syracuse. The character of this diminished population, too, is sadly deteriorated, if Cicero's account of their ancestors may be relied upon. He represents them as superior to all the rest of the Greeks; remarkable for their industry, their frugality, and patient endurance of labour, with regard both to public and private affairs; and not less remarkable for their polished manners and singular sagacity*. Whereas, such is now the universal torpor superinduced by a long continued system of misgovernment, that what Juvenal says of the degenerate Roman of his day is at least as true of the Sicilian of ours give him but bread and an occasional festivalt, and he looks for nothing more: Duas tantum res anxius optat, Panem et Circenses. * Nihil cæterorum simile Græcorum: nulla desidia, nulla luxuria: contra summus labor in publicis privatisque rebus; summa parsimonia, summa diligentia. . . Homines periti et humani, qui non modo quæ perspicua essent, videre, verum etiam occulta suspicari possent. In Verrem, ii. lib. v. "At the festival of Corpus Christi," says Hughes, 66 we beheld "There is no church in Sicily," says Kelsall, "the avenues of which are not beset with objects so loathsome, so morbid, that the stranger is filled with horror at the spectacle. Eccelenza, morto di fame-are the words constantly rung in his ears; and the translator* can safely affirm, that he never saw, either on the shores of the Euxine, or in the boggy swamps of Finland, any thing to be compared with the wretchedness of the Sicilian beggars, who perambulate the towns quædam simulacra modis pallentia miris.' Their condition conveys a bitter reproof, when it is remembered that they inhabit a country abounding with the choicest productions of nature— once the residence and delight of Ceres herself-where the population is so inconsiderable, and where the lands are for the most part left so waste, ut ager ipse lugere, ac pene desiderare dominos videretur."" To how low an ebb agriculture is now reduced in this island may be inferred from this circumstance, that every implement employed in husbandry is of the rudest con all the citizens of Syracuse gratified to their hearts' content. With what joyous faces did they observe the fraternities of monks and friars arranging their processions, fixing up their fire-works, hauling down their crucifixes, dressing their dolls, and powdering their images! With what erect ears did they listen to that clatter of drums and pateraroes with which heaven's vault resounded! With what vivas did they greet every whirl of a catherine-wheel, and every discharge of a sky-rocket, which they seemed to consider as a courier sent off to the skies to tell the saints what a merry-making was going forward in their honour upon earth!" * Kelsall translated Cicero's two last orations against Verres. struction. "The Sicilians lay claim to the first application of iron to the ploughshare, yet the plough of the present day is but an imperfect implement, that merely skims the soil: their carts, hoes, and rakes are equally rude; and a bunch of brambles, drawn by an ox, supplies the place of a harrow. The primitive method of treading out the corn with cattle is still preserved, notwithstanding all its disadvantages*." companies of farmers, or All this negligence, however, cannot wholly counteract the advantages of a happy climate and fertile soil. Imperfectly as the land is cleaned, and little as it is manured, it yields upon an average eight for one; while in some districts it returns sixteen, and in others as much as thirty-two, for one. The land is in many instances let in large tracts to rather shepherds, some of them proprietors of ten or twelve thousand sheep. The different flocks feed together, and once a year an account is taken of them all, in the following manner:-A large board, with as many divisions as there are proprietors, is provided; the sheep are driven one by one through a narrow passage, and a small pebble is thrown into the division appropriated to the owner of each; the colour of the pebble designating the sex and age of the animal, and denoting whether the ewes are in lamb or not. The result is afterwards entered in a ledger, where each proprietor is debited and credited with his share of the expences and proceeds, according to the size of his flock. Smyth's Memoir. The usual process of cultivation, on the arable lands, is, to commence with a crop of wheat*. The wheat crop is succeeded by one of hemp, maize, lentils, or other pulse. The harvest begins about the latter end of June, and continues throughout July and August. Owing to the scarcity of manure, the lands in some places are suffered to lie fallow every other year. In the vicinity of most of the towns and villages, considerable attention is paid to the cultivation of the vine; but, with the exception of Marsala wine, of which a considerable quantity is exported annually, most of the Sicilian wines are said to keep badly. Those grown in the neighbourhood of Syracuse, as well as some few others, find their way into Italy. Some of the Syracusan wines as the Chevalier Landolina informed Stolbergare still prepared after the manner thus prescribed by Hesiod: Ευτ' αν δ' Ωριων και Σειριος ες μεσον ελθη * The measure of land and the measure of corn bear the same name (salma), a salm of wheat being the usual quantity allowed for sowing a salm of land. A salm of land is about equal to four English acres, and a salm of corn to eight Winchester bushels. † When Hesiod says that the grapes are to be exposed to the sun ten days and ten nights, he evidently means that they are to be so long exposed to the open air.-Stolberg. |