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； and the cicisbei。 Smollett nearly always gives substantial value to his notes； however casual； for he has an historian's eye； and knows the symptoms for which the inquirer who comes after is likely to make inquisition。
Smollett's observations upon the state of Florence in Letters XXVII and XXVIII are by no means devoid of value。 The direct rule of the Medici had come to an end in 1737； and Tuscany （which with the exception of the interlude of 1798…1814 remained in Austrian hands down to 1860） was in 1764 governed by the Prince de Craon； viceroy of the Empress Maria Theresa。 Florence was； indeed； on the threshold of the sweeping administrative reforms instituted by Peter Leopold； the archduke for whom Smollett relates that they were preparing the Pitti Palace at the time of his stay。 This Prince governed the country as Grand Duke from 1765 to 1790； when he succeeded his brother as Emperor； and left a name in history as the ill…fated Leopold。 Few more active exponents of paternal reform are known to history。 But the Grand Duke had to deal with a people such as Smollett describes。 Conservative to the core； subservient to their religious directors； the 〃stupid party〃 in Florence proved themselves clever enough to retard the process of enlightenment by methods at which even Smollett himself might have stood amazed。 The traveller touches an interesting source of biography when he refers to the Englishman called Acton； formerly an East India Company captain； now commander of the Emperor's Tuscan Navy； consisting of 〃a few frigates。〃 This worthy was the old commodore whom Gibbon visited in retirement at Leghorn。 The commodore was brother of Gibbon's friend； Dr。 Acton； who was settled at Besancon； where his noted son； afterwards Sir John Acton； was born in 1736。 Following in the footsteps of his uncle the commodore； who became a Catholic； Smollett tells us； and was promoted Admiral of Tuscany； John Acton entered the Tuscan Marine in 1775。
＇Sir John Acton's subsequent career belongs to history。 His origin made him an expert on naval affairs； and in 1776 he obtained some credit for an expedition which he commanded against the Barbary pirates。 In 1778 Maria Carolina of Naples visited her brother Leopold at Florence； and was impressed by Acton's ugliness and reputation for exceptional efficiency。 Her favourite minister； Prince Caramanico； persuaded the Grand Duke； Leopold； to permit Acton to exchange into the Neapolitan service； and reorganize the navy of the southern kingdom。 This actually came to pass； and； moreover； Acton played his cards so well that he soon engrossed the ministries of War and Finance； and after the death of Caracciolo； the elder； also that of Foreign Affairs。 Sir William Hamilton had a high opinion of the〃 General；〃 soon to become Field…Marshal。 He took a strong part in resistance to revolutionary propaganda； caused to be built the ships which assisted Nelson in 1795； and proved himself one of the most capable bureaucrats of the time。 But the French proved too strong； and Napoleon was the cause of his disgrace in 1804。 In that year； by special dispensation from the Pope； he married his niece； and retired to Palermo； where he died on 12th August 1811。＇
Let loose in the Uffizi Gallery Smollett shocked his sensitive contemporaries by his freedom from those sham ecstasies which have too often dogged the footsteps of the virtuosi。 Like Scott or Mark Twain at a later date Smollett was perfectly ready to admire anything he could understand； but he expressly disclaims pretensions to the nice discernment and delicate sensibility of the connoisseur。 He would never have asked to be left alone with the Venus de Medicis as a modern art…critic is related to have asked to be left alone with the Venus of Rokeby。 He would have been at a loss to understand the state of mind of the eminent actor who thought the situation demanded that he should be positively bereft of breath at first sight of the Apollo Belvedere； and panting to regain it； convulsively clutched at the arm of his companion； with difficulty articulating； 〃I breathe。〃 Smollett refused to be hypnotized by the famous Venus discovered at Hadrian's villa； brought from Tivoli in 1680； and then in the height of its renown； the form he admired； but condemned the face and the posture。 Personally I disagree with Smollett； though the balance of cultivated opinion has since come round to his side。 The guilt of Smollett lay in criticizing what was above criticism； as the contents of the Tribuna were then held to be。 And in defence of this point of view it may at least be said that the Uffizi was then； with the exception of the Vatican； the only gallery of first…rate importance open to the travelling public on the Grand Tour。 Founded by Cosimo I； built originally by George Vasari； and greatly enlarged by Francis I； who succeeded to the Grand Duchy in 1574； the gallery owed most perhaps to the Cardinal； afterwards Ferdinand I； who constructed the Tribuna； and to Cardinal Leopold； an omnivorous collector； who died in 1675。 But all the Medici princes added to the rarities in the various cabinets； drawing largely upon the Villa Medici at Rome for this purpose； and the last of them； John Gaston （1723…1737）； was one of the most liberal as regards the freedom of access which he allowed to his accumulated treasures。 Among the distinguished antiquaries who acted as curators and cicerones were Sebastiano Bianchi； Antonio Cocchi； Raymond Cocchi； Joseph Bianchi； J。 B。 Pelli； the Abbe Lanzi； and Zacchiroli。 The last three all wrote elaborate descriptions of the Gallery during the last decades of the eighteenth century。 There was unhappily an epidemic of dishonesty among the custodians of gems at this period； and； like the notorious Raspe； who fled from Cassel in 1775； and turned some of his old employers to ridicule in his Baron Munchausen； Joseph Bianchi was convicted first of robbing his cabinet and then attempting to set it on fire； for which exploit the 〃learned and judicious Bianchi；〃 as Smollett called him in his first edition； was sent to prison for life。 The Arrotino which Smollett so greatly admired； and which the delusive Bianchi declared to be a representation of the Augur Attus Naevius； is now described as 〃A Scythian whetting his knife to flay Marsyas。〃
Kinglake has an amusingly cynical passage on the impossibility of approaching the sacred shrines of the Holy Land in a fittingly reverential mood。 Exactly the same difficulty is experienced in approaching the sacred shrines of art。 Enthusiasm about great artistic productions； though we may readily understand it to be justifiable； is by no means so easily communicable。 How many people possessing a real claim to culture have felt themselves puzzled by their insensibility before some great masterpiece！ Conditions may be easily imagined in which the inducement to affect an ecstasy becomes so strong as to prove overpowering。 Many years ago at Florence the loiterers in the Tribuna were startled by the sudden rush into the place of a little man whose literary fame gave him high claims to intuitive taste。 He placed himself w