The ladies affect the French habit, and are more genteel than those they imitate.  I do not doubt but the custom of Cizisbei’s has very much improved their airs.  I know not whether you ever heard of those animals.  Upon my word, nothing but my own eyes could have convinced me there were any such upon earth.  The fashion began here, and is now received all over Italy, where the husbands are not such terrible creatures as we represent them.  There are none among them such brutes, as to pretend to find fault with a custom so well established, and so politically founded, since I am assured, that it was an expedient, first found out by the senate, to put an end to those family hatreds, which tore their state to pieces, and to find employment for those young men who were forced to cut one another’s throats, pour passer le temps:  and it has succeeded so well, that since the institution of Cizisbei, there has been nothing but peace and good humour amongst them.  These are gentlemen who devote themselves to the service of a particular lady (I mean a married one) for the virgins are all invisible, and confined to convents:  They are obliged to wait on her to all public places, such as the plays, operas, and assemblies, (which are called here Conversations) where they wait behind her chair, take care of her fan and gloves, if she plays, have the privilege of whispers, &c.—­When she goes out, they serve her instead of lacquies (sic), gravely trotting by her chair.  ’Tis their business to prepare for her a present against any day of public appearance, not forgetting that of her own name [Footnote:  That is, the day of the saint after whom she is called.]; in short, they are to spend all their time and money in her service, who rewards them accordingly (for opportunity they want none) but the husband is not to have the impudence to suppose this any other than pure Platonic friendship.  ’Tis true, they endeavour to give her a Cizisbei of their own chusing; but when the lady happens not to be of the same taste, as that often happens, she never fails to bring it about to have one of her own fancy.  In former times, one beauty used to have eight or ten of these humble admirers; but those days of plenty and humility are no more.  Men grow more scarce and saucy, and every lady is forced to content herself with one at a time.

You may see in this place the glorious liberty of a republic, or more properly, an aristocracy, the common people being here as arrant slaves as the French; but the old nobles pay little respect to the doge, who is but two years in his office, and whose wife, at that very time, assumes no rank above another noble lady.  ’Tis true, the family of Andrea Doria (that great man, who restored them that liberty they enjoy) have some particular privileges.  When the senate found it necessary to put a stop to the luxury of dress, forbidding the wearing of jewels and brocades, they left them at liberty to make what