THE PEOPLE OF NAPLES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3627, 26 February 1883, Page 4

THE PEOPLE OF NAPLES.

The people in old Naples arc incredibly ignoraut. In the north of Italy reading bightens the life of the poorest, for everybody can read, and delights to do so. In Naples the illiterate people arc numerous, and the great majority of those Avho can read make little use of this privilege. But the popolurno likes to exchange ideas, he is a talker. You ivill sec him spouting and gesticulating for hours together about the lottery, the price of food, the religious festivals, the Piedmontesc monarch, for AA'hom he has no love, and Francis IL, -whom he regrets. Another of his pleasures is gambling. Every Aveck ho buys lottery tickets. If be has nothing to d.o you Avill sec him take a hand at scopu Avith greasi- cards ivhich seem to have been used by several generations. If you meet a drunken man, in all probability you ivill find that he is a foreign sailor, upset by the heady Avine of the 1 'unities. The Neapolitan *loa . to talk and play, and is also specially fond of squabbles and quarrels. The least dispute ivill bring together a host of spectators, attracted by the sharp cries which precede a fight. Most frequently it is women Avho tight these singular battles, commonly armed Avith a comb or a shoe, very seldom with a knife. The defeated combatant falls into convulsions, and goes to the nearest barber and has a fciv cups of blood dniAvu. The lower middle classes, disdaining the pleasures of the populace, frequent the cafes. They drink their glass of Avater, and quietly take their siesta. The cream of the district, the doctors, the ecclesiastics, and the merchants of some importance, assemble iv tho chemists' shops. These gentlemen arc indifferent as to Avhat goes on iv tho street. They ivill hardly glance at a bride with her dress of bright yellow or deep blue, taking her first Avalk, leaning proudly on the arm of her husband. But a j ways, avlicu the holy Sacrament passes, they kneel on the thrcshhold of the shop.