Charles Burney

The Present State of Music in France and Italy (2nd, corrected edition)

London: T. Becket and Co., 1773

Florence

The comedy of il Saggio Amico, which
I had seen at Brescia, was represented
this evening at another theatre, larger
and more splendid than that were [sic] I had
seen the burlettas. I found so much
company there, that it was impossible
to procure a seat: the play was dull, but
there was a Turkish dance between the
acts, which lasted near half an hour:
it was very ingenious, and the scenes and
dresses were the most magnificent which
I had ever seen in my life *.

In my way to this theatre, just as it
was growing dark, I met in the streets a
company of Laudisti: they had been at
Fiesole, and were proceeding in proces-
sion to their own little church. I had
the curiosity to follow them, and procur-
ed a book of the words which they
were singing†. They stopt at every church in