“Then,” continued he, “I beg leave to give you an idea of it. It is a
Neapolitan entertainment, relished by people of the first rank in this
polished country; where the very vagrants in the street are instructed
in history, and the human mind is refined by poetry, softened by music,
and elevated by religion. The cocagna—Pray mark me—the cocagna is an
entertainment given to the people four succeeding Sundays during the
carnival. Opposite to the palace, a kind of wooden amphitheatre is
erected. This being covered with branches of trees, bushes, and various
plants, real and artificial, has the appearance of a green hill. On
this hill are little buildings, ornamented with pillars of loaves of
bread, with joints of meat, and dried fish, varnished, and curiously
arranged by way of capitals. Among the trees and bushes are some oxen,
a considerable number of calves, sheep, hogs, and lambs, all alive, and
tied to posts. There are, besides, a great number of living turkies,
geese, hens, pigeons, and other fowls, nailed by the wings to the
scaffolding. Certain Heathen Deities appear also occasionally upon this
hill, but not with a design to protect it, as you shall see immediately.
The guards are drawn up in three ranks, to keep off the populace. The
Royal Family, with all the nobility of the court, crowd the windows
and balconies of the palace, to enjoy this magnificent sight. When his
Majesty waves his handkerchief, the guards open to the right and left;
the rabble pour in from all quarters, and the entertainment commences.
You may easily conceive what a delightful sight it must be, to see
several thousand hungry, half-naked lazzaroni rush in like a torrent,
destroy the whole fabric of loaves, fishes, and joints of meat; overturn
the Heathen Deities, _for the honour of Christianity_; pluck the fowls,
at the expence of their wings, from the posts to which they were nailed;
and, in the fury of their struggling and fighting for their prey, often
tearing the miserable animals to pieces, and sometimes stabbing each
other.”
“You ought, in candour, to add,” interrupted Mr. T——, “that, though
formerly they were fixed to the posts alive, yet of late the larger
cattle have been previously killed.”—“And pray, my good Sir,” said N——,
“will you be so obliging as to inform me, what crime the poor lambs
and fowls have committed, that they should be torn in pieces alive?”
“This piece of humanity,” continued he, “recalls to my memory a similar
instance, in a certain ingenious gentleman, who proposed, as the best
and most effectual method of sweeping chimnies, to place a large goose at
the top; and then, by a string tied around her feet, to pull the animal
gently down to the hearth. The sagacious projector asserted, that the
goose, being extremely averse to this method of entering a house, would
struggle against it with all her might; and, during this resistance,
would move her wings with such force and rapidity, as could not fail to
sweep the chimney completely.” “Good God, Sir,” cried a lady, who was
present when this new method was proposed, “How cruel would that be to
the poor goose!” “Why, Madam,” replied the gentleman, “if you think my
method cruel to the goose, a couple of ducks will do.”