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NARRATIVE 
 
 TOUR 
 
 FRANCE. ITALY 
 
 SWITZERLAND, 
 
 SERIES OF LETTERS 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 SiMPKiN AND Marshall, Stationers' Hall Court. 
 
 DURSLEY : 
 
 James Wiiitmohe, Stamp Office, Long Street. 
 
 1872. 
 
PRIXTED EY JAMF.S WHITMORE, 
 LONG STREET. 
 
 /^■-^^ 
 
PKEFACE. 
 
 — 00 — 
 
 If^j!JHESE Letters were written in tlie year 
 "^ 1867 during a Continental tour, under- 
 taken by tlie advice of my physicians, in order 
 to obtain for a time that entire relief from 
 business which was considered indispensable for 
 me. They were addressed to my Family at 
 home, without the slightest notion that they 
 would ever appear in print, nor had such a 
 thought occurred to me since, imtil a recent 
 circumstance suggested it to my mind. I then 
 showed the MS. to my Bookseller, who at once 
 offered to publish it at his own pecuniary risk. 
 
 Since the Letters were written, the Papal 
 territory has become annexed to the present 
 Kingdom of Italy, and the solemnities of Holy 
 Week and Easter at Eome, as hereinafter 
 described, have consequently ceased and may 
 never again be witnessed. This circumstance 
 may communicate some special interest to that 
 portion of the narrative, while the fact of the 
 torn- being my first visit to the Continent (except 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 for a single day in Belgium on business, many 
 years ago) will impart to the whole the strength 
 and freshness of first impressions. I was ac- 
 companied by my yoimger son A until we 
 
 reached Paris on my route homewards, and 
 
 by my niece E afterwards, and they are 
 
 referred to in the Letters by those initials. The 
 reader will not be sm-prised to hear, considering 
 the toil and excitement attending the events 
 of my jom-ney, that the object for which it 
 was taken, as regards the recovery of my health, 
 failed ultimately of effect. Nevertheless, the 
 retrospect will always be a som'ce of enjoyment 
 to me, and I can truly say in the words of 
 
 Vii^gil : 
 
 UoiC olim meminisse jiivalit, (a) 
 
 while inviting my reader to join me in the 
 next line : 
 
 Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum, 
 Tendinms in Latium. 
 
 J. V. 
 
 Ferney Hill, Dursley. 
 
 Oct., 1872. 
 
 (a) iEueid. lib. 1 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 00 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Paeis 1 
 
 Lyoks 14 
 
 Makseilles 16 
 
 Genoa 19 
 
 Leghorn 25 
 
 Pisa 26 
 
 Plokence 
 
 ( 28 
 (31 
 
 EOME (33 
 
 ( 87 
 
 Naples and VESUYirrs 69 
 
 Heeculanetjm and Pompeii 74 
 
 soeeento 75 
 
 Bai^ 84 
 
 Ancona J „, 
 
 Ravenna 90 
 
 Bologna 92 
 
 Venice 95 
 
 Milan 99 
 
 MONZA 102 
 
 The Italian Lakes 104 
 
 S. Gothaed Pass 107 
 
 Ltjceene Ill 
 
 Inteelaken 114 
 
 The MiiEEEN 115 
 
 Beene 117 
 
 Peohbueg, Sieasboueg, and Basle 120 
 
 ZUEICH 121 
 
 Chamottnix 122 
 
 Appendix 129 
 
00 — 
 
 Paris, Marcli 9th, 1867. 
 
 We left Charing Cross Station at 9.54 a.m. 
 for Paris, and, except for about two hours and a 
 lialf in crossing from Folkestone to Boulogne, 
 had an agreeable journey. The first thing that 
 strikes you on arriving in France is the reverse 
 occupation of the sexes, compared with what it 
 is in England ; for a number of women enter 
 the steamboat from the shore to imlade her of 
 the passengers' luggage, whereas at the hotels 
 men do the office of chambermaid ; the women 
 also were working in the fields between Boulogne 
 and Paris. This part of the country is flat and 
 uninteresting, and much of it under water. 
 There was a wonderful wooden bridge across an 
 arm of the sea, having thirty-six arches. The 
 soil is chalk, with about six inches of mould. 
 Amiens, where we stopped for refreshment, is a 
 fine-looking town ; here, I believe, the Treaty 
 of Peace with Bounaparte was signed in 1802. 
 
 We arrived in Paris about 9.0 p.m., and 
 had to endm-e the farce of having our luggage 
 
 B 
 
searcliod, as they call it, at tlie Custom House, 
 but which is little more than the trouble of 
 unpacking and repacking it again. After some 
 delay, in consequence of a wrong direction, we 
 got to our boarding-house, Madame Taylor's, 94, 
 Champs Elysees, at about ten o'clock. There are 
 forty boarders in the house, all English or Ame- 
 rican. Sunday was a very wet and cold day. 
 We sallied forth, after breakfast, to the new 
 Russo-Grreek church, built by subscriptions from 
 Russia at an expense of £48,000. The chui'ch 
 is exceedingly handsome ; the worshippers were 
 partly Russians and partly Creeks : they could be 
 distinguished by their faces. The space is quite 
 open and carpeted, but females are accommodated 
 with chairs, as they come in. It was a mass, and 
 foui" priests officiated in handsome-coloured vest- 
 ments. During the service the worshippers 
 seemed to stand, sit, or kneel ad lihitimi, but 
 they were continually crossing themselves ; and 
 when they knelt, showed great signs of devotion, 
 bowing down occasionally with their faces to the 
 ground. There was an interesting ceremony of 
 two infant communions — a mother bringing up 
 her child to the priest on the steps of the sanc- 
 tuary, when the sacrament was brought forth 
 from within the screen with great ceremony, the 
 people all falling down, and the priest adminis- 
 tering it to the little child ; but there was no 
 
other administration that day. All the service 
 was chanted, sometimes antiphonally by the priest 
 and choir, and sometimes by the choir alone. 
 The latter was entirely vocal, and the singing, 
 both for the voices and the time, splendid. The 
 service closed by the chief priest bringing out 
 a gilded crucifix, when some service was held 
 in connection with it, and then all the worship- 
 pers came up and kissed it, one by one, as he 
 presented it to them. The church was filled with 
 beautiful paintings of events in scripture history, 
 chiefly from the New Testament, and was highly 
 ornamented, but no images. Upon the whole, I 
 was much pleased with what I witnessed of this 
 Greek service ; for although I understood not a 
 word that was said, there seemed much reality 
 about it, and the devotion of the worshippers 
 very earnest. 
 
 At three in the afternoon we went to Notre 
 Dame cathedral, and arrived in the middle of a 
 sermon, by Pere Felix, a famous Lent preacher. 
 The nave was nearly filled ; almost all were men, 
 and the preacher was extremely earnest and 
 fluent: beyond which I can answer for nothing. 
 Immediately it was over, the great congregation 
 from the nave left, and a new service began ia 
 the choir, which was chanted throughout, and 
 attended by many priests and other assistants. 
 The west front of Notre Dame is very handsome, 
 B 2 
 
much more so tlian tlie exterior of Westminster 
 Abbey ; but the interior falls in as great a 
 degree below it. In the evening we went, at 
 7.30, to Mr. Archer Guniey's church, which is 
 nothing more than a large room fitted up. He 
 and an American clergjrman performed the ser- 
 vice ; and the latter preached a charity sermon, 
 full of the details of the new Italian Reform- 
 ation ; after which a collection was made for the 
 poor priests, who were being starved instead of 
 burnt to death, for conscience sake. 
 
 On Monday morning we walked through the 
 gardens of the Tuileries to the Hotel de Louvre, 
 and passed through the Place de la Concorde, the 
 most magnificent part of Paris, and in a few 
 weeks hence, when the trees are out in leaf, I can 
 imagine it unsurpassed by any city in the world. 
 The climate and atmosphere are as fine and clear 
 as on the Cotswold Hills, giving the place all the 
 charms of the country, with the stir and splen- 
 dour of the town. After visiting the Palais 
 Royal, we went to the Tomb of Napoleon, 
 which altogether baffles description. His re- 
 mains lie in an immense marble sarcophagus 
 under a splendid dome, before a magnificent altar 
 constructed after the pattern of the High Altar 
 at St. Peter's at Rome. There are four side- 
 chapels ai'ound it, in one of which (a very hand- 
 some one) lie entombed the remains of Jerome 
 
Buonaparte, and in anotlier those of Joseph 
 Buonaparte. After feasting our sight with tliis 
 most interesting and magnificent place, we en- 
 gaged a guide, who conducted us over the Hotel 
 des Invalides, where 200 old French soldiers are 
 provided for, some of the Old Empire wearing 
 the medal of St. Helena. We saw, also, the 
 Chapel des Invalides, in which are suspended 
 flags taken in Napoleon's victories : and among 
 others we saw two flags of England. "We next 
 di'ove to Ste. Chapelle — a most splendid speci- 
 men of mediaeval Grothie — far surj^assing any- 
 tliing I have seen in England. It was built 
 by St. Louis, to hold the relics which he brought 
 from the Holy Land in the Crusade. The chapel 
 was broken into at the first revolution, and most 
 of the relics thrown into the Seine ; but some few 
 were preserved, and are to be seen at Notre Dame. 
 We next visited the Palais de Justice (or Law 
 Courts), but as it was late, the coui'ts had done 
 sitting. Then we went to the Morgue, where are 
 deposited for public recognition the bodies of those 
 who are found dead, and are not known ; happily 
 there were none there to-day. Afterwards we 
 went to the Temple of the Pantheon, being a 
 church in honour of the great men of France. 
 Underneath it are the catacombs, and over them 
 vaults containing the remains of these great men. 
 There we saw the tombs of Voltaire and 
 
6 
 
 Rousseau, and a full-lengtli statue of tlie former ; 
 tlience to the church of St. Grenevieve, the patron 
 Saint of Paris, containing a brass shrine to her, 
 near which were placed the crutches of those who 
 believed they had been miraculously cured by her 
 intercession. The chapel contains a most beau- 
 tiful carved stone screen. 
 
 March 13th. — Yesterday we spent the greater 
 part of our time at the Louvre, of which every- 
 one has heard so much, that it is needless to de- 
 scribe. It has the largest, if not the finest, 
 collection of paintings in Europe ; a large 
 museum of sculpture ; many curiosities connected 
 with the Kings of France ; and one room devoted 
 to things connected with the first Napoleon. We 
 have our Gruide every day, who knows all about 
 everything, and is a great help and advantage to 
 us. The remainder of our time we gave to the 
 Hotel de Climy — full of antiquarian national 
 cmiosities. To-day we have done a good deal, 
 having visited the church of St. Eustache, which 
 is very fine, and far exceeds Notre Dame. We 
 afterwards saw the Central Markets, erected by 
 Napoleon III. At the fish stalls they contrive 
 to have running water conveyed, and live fish 
 kept in it — so that you may be sure of having 
 it fresh. We then visited St. Eoch chm-eh, and 
 thence to the Grobelin Tapestry and Carpet Manu- 
 factory, which surpasses all I have seen. The 
 
colours and execution of the carpeting pro- 
 duce an effect superior to tlie best painting in 
 the Louvre — it is the very highest perfection of 
 art. There was a full-length likeness of the 
 Empress, of exquisite beauty. Lastly, we visited 
 the Treasures at Notre Dame : but I will not 
 attempt a description of them — so splendid, and 
 full of interest; — curiosities, chiefly donations 
 of Kings and Emperors on great occasions. 
 Among other things were the robes worn by Pius 
 YIL, when he crowned Napoleon ; the corona- 
 tion robes of the latter ; a monstmnce of surpass- 
 ing brilliancy given by Louis XYIIL, on the 
 baptism of the Duke de Bourdeaux, all the 
 coruscations being diamonds and the whole most 
 magnificent. I must not omit to mention, among 
 other curiosities, our day's luncheon, that is, of the 
 three including the guide, at a restaurant. The 
 first course was twelve snails in their shells. 
 
 A looked very shy at the new dish ; but I at 
 
 last made a desperate thrust at one with my fork, 
 and pulled him out quite black, and popped him 
 
 into my mouth. A followed, but we did not 
 
 finish the dish. I forgot to say, that, before that, 
 we had oysters. After the snails came a mutton 
 chop and beef steak ; and our last course was 
 fricasseed frogs, which are really quite a delicacy. 
 These we eat without much scruple. I do not 
 dislike French cookery. 
 
14tli. — We have to-day visited the Corps 
 Legislatif (French House of Commons). The 
 interior is very fine and heats oiu" Lower House, 
 we think. There is a magnificent bust of the 
 present Emperor there, cut out of one block of 
 marble. From thence we went to Notre Dame 
 de Lorette, a very beautiful church ; then lunched, 
 but not off snails this time : afterwards we visited 
 the Emperor's stables, wliich are well worth see- 
 ing, and are got up in a most costly style, — mar- 
 ble mangers, &c. He has 360 horses, and nearly 
 the same number of carriages, some of them, 
 including the state carriages, are at Yersailles ; 
 we saw his state saddle and bridle, and also 
 the saddle he used at Solfarino. Tlience we went 
 to the Hotel de Yille (the Guildhall of Paris) ; 
 most splendid apartmants, and a magnificent ball 
 room, where in 1853 a ball was given to Queen 
 Yictoria. We then went to the Luxembourg 
 (the French House of Lords). The Throne-room 
 is the most magnificent room in Paris, and the 
 paintings on the walls of one of the rooms, called 
 Marie de Medicis, by Rubens, Vmuhjlic, Paulo 
 Veronese, &c., are so valuable that it is impossible 
 to put an estimate upon them. After this we 
 
 called on Mr. H , a Gloucestershire man, who 
 
 came over here when quite young as an assistant 
 in a woollen warehouse, and has become the head 
 of the establishment, which, he says, is the 
 
9 
 
 largest in the world. He has manufactories in 
 many parts of France. We went over his estab- 
 Kshment, and are to dine with him to-morrow 
 evening. This finished om- day, and we drove to 
 Madame Taylor's, along the Boulevards. It is 
 out of the way being in the Champs Elysees, but 
 her charges are moderate. We pay £1 a day for 
 the two. 
 
 16th March. — Yesterday morning we went to 
 the Louvi'e, and spent some time in looking over 
 the Assjaian, Grecian, &c. courts. There are 
 some curiosities brought from Jerusalem, and, 
 among others, an ornamented stone sarcophagus, 
 said to be that of King David. We did not 
 however stay long, being anxious to get to Notre 
 Dame to hear the famous preacher Pere 
 Hj'acinthe, and witness the exposition of the 
 sacred reliques, which are shown to the faithfid 
 every Friday in Lent. We had to be there an 
 hour and a half before service began at 2 p.m., 
 to get seats. The whole cathedral was filled with 
 respectably-dressed persons, almost Tsdthout excep- 
 tion in black (it being Lent). During the long 
 time we waited before the sermon began, the vast 
 congregation behaved with great quietness and 
 reverence, and there was none of that conver- 
 sation going on, which is so offensive in West- 
 minster Abbey during the brief interval before 
 service there — indeed, most of the persons present 
 
10 
 
 had their books of devotion and employed them- 
 selves with them. It is all very fine for us 
 English to talk of the irreligion and infidelity 
 of the French, but I should like to know whether 
 in our metropolis, with its three millions and 
 a half, there could be found anything like the 
 congregation on a week-day in either of its cathe- 
 dral churches to hear the finest preacher, as 
 appeared yesterday in the cathedi^al of Paris, 
 with its one million and a half. In reverence 
 and decorum they very far surpass us, except 
 in one particular, which is a foreign habit and 
 seems to be thought nothing of, namely, the 
 odious one of hawking and spitting. Even two 
 priests that were sitting with the congregration 
 near us did it. Another thing was rather odd : 
 having my little opera glass, and not being able 
 to see very well, I took it out and had a good 
 stare at Pere Hyacinthe through it, being half 
 afraid all the time what the congregation would 
 think of me, but I was relieved of all alarm by 
 one of the two priests borrowing it and having a 
 good look through it himself. In short, in these 
 and many other things, the French are quite 
 opposite to us, and vice versa. The sermon was 
 nearly an hour and a half long, the preacher 
 extremely fluent and earnest, and the congre- 
 gation hanging on his lips, but of course I 
 could not imfoiiunately understand a word of 
 
11 
 
 it. That, however, which I really went for 
 followed. You must know that that exquisite 
 building which I mentioned before, the Sainte 
 Chapelle, was so called, because it was built 
 to hold the relics which St. Louis f?/^ brought 
 from the Holy Land, having bought them of 
 Baldwin the Emperor there for two millions of 
 francs, in the 13th century. There were the 
 thorns from our Lord's crown and one of the 
 nails of the true cross. St. Louis carried them 
 barefoot through the streets to Sainte Chapelle, 
 where they were deposited. The chapel was 
 broken into at the first revolution and the relics 
 removed to Notre Dame. After the sermon 
 yesterday these sacred relics in their reliquaries, 
 that is, glass cases in gold frames, were produced 
 from the altar, and a great part of the congrega- 
 tion went up and knelt in rows at the altar rails. 
 The priests brought them round and each kissed 
 them and then rose and went away, just in the 
 same manner as in the administration of the Holy 
 
 Communion in the Church of England. A 
 
 and I went and knelt down with the rest and 
 kissed the reliquaries. Their contents were quite 
 visible through the glass, though it was only the 
 case that was kissed. There were three, one 
 containing the thorns, another one of the nails, 
 and another part of the wood of the true cross. 
 {aj Louis IX. King of France. 
 
12 
 
 In my former letter I mentioned having heard 
 the celebrated preacher Pere Felix last Sunday- 
 I have since heard that last Lent he reclaimed 
 6,000 infidels by his preaching, and that he 
 preaches especially to men, which accounts for 
 there being no women in the nave of the cathe- 
 dral last Sunday. I forgot to say in my last 
 that when we were at the Madeline we witnessed 
 a Roman Catholic marriage, and at St. Roch a 
 funeral service. It was quite late when we came 
 out of Notre Dame, and after having some 
 refreshment at a cafe we got home in time to 
 
 prepare for Mr. H 's entertainment, to which 
 
 we had been invited. This was at the principal 
 restaurant in Paris. The company were chiefly 
 gentlemen, and we were twenty-one in number — 
 partly English and partly French. It is im- 
 possible to describe the specimen we there had of 
 French luxuries. Course after course followed of 
 the choicest and most delicate dishes, and the 
 wines were perfection — indeed, I may say, I 
 never really tasted champagne before. Mr. 
 
 H gives one of these every week. Among 
 
 the other dainties were frogs, which are really 
 very good picking. The art of luxmy, like 
 every other in Paris, seems brought to its highest 
 perfection ; — it is not so much the quantity as 
 the number and variety of the dishes and 
 
13 
 
 viands — their exquisite taste and the splendid 
 style. 
 
 To-day, — after leaving my doctor, we spent the 
 remainder of the day at the Louvre, examining 
 the statuary and paintings. A most interesting 
 room is the Salle des Rols, containing a numher 
 of curiosities belonging to the Kings of France 
 fi'om Childeric to the present time ; among others, 
 the Book of Hours, sword, sceptre, &c., of 
 Charlemagne ; the Breviary of St. Lonis, and the 
 bronze font in which he was baptized, and many 
 most interesting souvenirs of the unfortunate 
 Bourbons. But there is one whole room devoted 
 to curiosities belonging to Napoleon I., as much 
 space being given to him as to all the other mon- 
 archs of France together. By the way, we saw 
 the Emperor returning from his drive in the 
 Champs Elysees to-day, but not near enough to 
 have a distinct view of him. We had apjplied 
 for tickets of admission at the Chapel of the 
 Tuileries to-morrow, but they have not come, so 
 I suppose we shall miss seeing him, the Empress, 
 and Prince Imperial. 
 
 Sunday. — Went to St. Eustache — High 
 Mass — this morning ; music and singing the best 
 in Paris. Afterwards to the Synagogue to see 
 two Jewish maniages ; — one of the brides 
 being daughter of the chief Eabbi. The place 
 was crowded with men and women, and to see 
 
14 
 
 myself surrounded by these children of Abra- 
 ham, with Hebrew texts and the names of all 
 the Old Testament Saints painted round the walls, 
 gave one an intense feeling of interest. One 
 of the bridesmaids went round collecting. On 
 Tuesday, after paying a farewell visit to Dr. 
 
 T , who has greatly improved my hearing, 
 
 and strengthened my sight, we finished with a 
 delightful drive in an open voiture round the Bois 
 de Boulogne, a most beautiful park, and which, 
 with the Champs Elysees and the Place de la 
 Concorde, is the most fashionable part of Paris, — 
 the whole forming, indeed, a terrestrial elysium. 
 
 Marseilles, 23rd March. — On Wednesday 
 morning, with an unwilling heart, I left Paris, 
 for I was really charmed with the place, and we 
 were exceedingly comfortable in our Pension, 
 where we met very agreeable company. You 
 ask how we spent the evenings. After dinner, 
 which was at six, we adjourned to the drawing- 
 room, where the evening passed in reading, or 
 agreeable conversation, intermixed occasionally 
 with the game of "post," in an adjoining room. 
 On Tuesday evening they got up some dancing. 
 In fact, I tore myself away from Paris, which 
 we left at 10 a.m. on "Wednesday for the express 
 train to Lyons, in order to break the journey. 
 The country was very uninteresting, and we 
 arrived there about 10 p.m. I had a bad night 
 
15 
 
 at the Grand Hotel, for the joiu-ney was too 
 much for me. We sallied forth the next morn- 
 ing with a commissionaire to visit the workshops 
 of the silk manufactures, and saw the weaving. 
 I could hardly drag myself along until after 
 luncheon, which refreshed me, and we got into 
 a voiture and visited the cathedral, and some 
 of the churches, also the Palais de Justice, where 
 we heard a cause being tried. We wound up 
 with a visit to the Fom-vier Hill, where there is 
 a view said to exceed any in Italy or Switzerland; 
 but the atmosphere was so thick we could not see 
 much of it ; that, however, was magnificent ; had 
 it been clear we should have seen the Alps and 
 Mont Blanc. Among other places we visited the 
 church of St. Irenee (as the French call him), 
 bishop of Lyons, the disciple of Polycarp, who 
 was disciple of St. John, and went to his tomb in 
 the crypt, where also is set apart a place for the 
 bones of the martyrs who suffered at Lyons under 
 the persecution of the Emperor Severus. By the 
 way, I forgot to mention the museimi, where we 
 saw some splendid Roman remains found in the 
 city. Lyons is a great place for convents, &c. It 
 is a very fine city, and the second largest in 
 France. In the evening we went to buy a revol- 
 ver in preparation for our jom-ney to Italy, 
 everything being so very dear in Paris. We had 
 a capital dinner at the Table d'Hote. I reckoned 
 
16 
 
 the courses, wMcli were ten, besides dessert, and tlie 
 charge was only four jEi-ancs, or tkree shillings and 
 sixpence each. Next night I slept off my fatigue, 
 and started at 10 a.m. yesterday, by a second class 
 train for Marseilles, and arrived here about eleven. 
 This long journey again knocked me up and gave 
 me a bad night, and I am now sitting in my bed- 
 room writing this letter, instead of going out ; — 
 these long railway jom^nej^s beat me and throw 
 me back, so I have determined to go from hence 
 by water, however unpleasant. A great part of 
 the coimtry, yesterday, was like that from Paris 
 to Lyons, cultivated vnth. the vine and wheat ; 
 indeed I have only seen one cow and a few sheep 
 all the way from Boulogne to Marseilles, and 
 scarcely any farm buildings ; but before we came 
 to Avignon, the country wore a very different 
 aspect, and looked like a vast garden covered 
 with olive and mulberry trees, and apple, pear, 
 and other fruit trees in full blossom, interspersed 
 with many houses, where the silk worms are bred. 
 This was bounded by the range of the Alj)s at no 
 great distance, and presented a very fine scenery. 
 The heat here is very great. We are in the 
 Grrand Hotel. The chm-ches in Paris and Lyons 
 are always open, and at whatever hour we go in 
 we find persons at their private devotions in them. 
 The cathedral at Lyons is finer than Notre Dame. 
 At the bnfcf, yesterday, at Avignon, Madame 
 
17 
 
 gave me as a stranger a beautiful nosegay, whicli 
 I keep in my room. I am charmed with French 
 politeness : not a word is said without " si^l vous 
 2)lait,'" and everyone seems in good humour. I 
 blunder out conversation with them, and they 
 
 never laugh, but assist me very politely. A 
 
 gets on capitally in conversation with them. 
 
 Marseilles, March 26th. — As I strolled along 
 the streets yesterday and Sunday, I dropt into 
 every church, and observed all that was going on ; 
 for yesterday, being the Feast of the Annunciation, 
 was a great day with the people here. I have not 
 time to tell you all I have witnessed and pondered 
 over, but a person must come abroad and judge 
 for himself, before he can form any sound opinion 
 of the practical state of Eomanism. All we read 
 is partial, or contradictory. I have already visited 
 numerous churches at various services, and at 
 their private devotions, and have formed a pretty 
 decided opinion ; but I reserve it for the present, 
 till I have seen Italy. The churches are open all 
 day long, mass beginning at 4.0 a.m., and con- 
 tinuing till twelve ; and after that, people are to 
 be seen at all hours at their private devotions. 
 On Simday morning we went to the English 
 chapel, where service was read by the British 
 Consul — ^the chaplain, Mr. Douglas, being too ill 
 to attend. There was a pretty good sprinkling of 
 people. The day before we dropt in at the Jews' 
 c 
 
18 
 
 synagogue (their Sabbath) during the afternoon 
 service. On Sunday afternoon we attended the 
 vesj)er service at the church of Notre Dame de la 
 Grarde, where all persons go to make their offer- 
 ings who have escaped dangers, particularly at 
 sea, and where sailors go to ask protection 
 before going to sea. It is situated on an eminence 
 commanding a magnificent view of the town and 
 sea, suiTOunded by mountains — a perfect pano- 
 rama. It was rebuilt last year, and its consecra- 
 tion was attended by 44 cardinals, archbishops, 
 and bishops, with a procession two miles long. 
 The entu-e walls of the church are covered with 
 pictm'es in frames, as offerings to the Virgin, 
 describing the particular dangers, for deliverance 
 fi-oni which they have been offered, and including 
 every possible accident or calamity you can con- 
 ceive. Here is a child falling over the banister 
 of the stall's ; another thrown off a runaway horse ; 
 another upset in a carriage ; most of them persons 
 sick in bed, with a consultation of doctors ; but in 
 each of them is represented the Virgin as bestow- 
 ing the aid : there were also many models of ships 
 given by seamen for deliverances. It is altogether 
 the most eiuious collection imaginable. Some of 
 the inscriptions I have copied out ; but the most 
 striking feature in the whole, is a full length 
 image of the Virgin in solid silver, adorned with a 
 crowTi, robes, and embroidery, over the high altar, 
 
19 
 
 to which all these wonderful deliverances are attri- 
 buted. There were so many masses there yester- 
 day (at some of which I was present) that 
 
 A says, he saw about forty priests coming 
 
 away in the afternoon, to say nothing of all the 
 masses going on in all the other churches. 
 The city is large and fine, and the hotel here 
 always teeming with people going by or coming 
 from the steamers. This morning it was full of 
 people arrived from Bombay. I have fallen in 
 with a pleasant gentlemanly Parsee on his way to 
 Paris, whom I hope to meet again there. We 
 have taken our places in a French steamer for 
 Naples, which starts at nine to-morrow morning. 
 The heat is very great here. 
 
 Grenoa, 30th March. — We landed here at 
 8.0 a.m. on Thursday, the 28th, after a very rough 
 voyage from Marseilles. There was a great swell 
 in the sea, and the vessel rolled from side to side 
 
 like a huge cradle. A was taken ill first. I 
 
 was dreadfully ill. A gentleman kindly gave me 
 some chlorodyne, which relieved me for the time, 
 but I became so ill again, that but for a dose of 
 chlorodyne I do not think I could have survived 
 it. Consequently we did not proceed in the 
 evening for Naples in the same steam packet, but 
 arranged with the captain to wait for the next, 
 which leaves this on Monday evening. I am glad 
 we did not go on Thursday evening, for a violent 
 c 2 
 
20 
 
 storm of tliunder and lightning and rain came on 
 at niglit, and two merchant vessels were wrecked 
 against the breakwater here close to shore, on the 
 same day, one at four in the afternoon, and the 
 other at ten at night — an event which had not 
 happened for ten years before, so that, if I had 
 gone that night, it would probably have been the 
 death of me. Yesterday we went to the cathe- 
 dral, and saw some of the churches, and the finest 
 private picture galleries at the Palazzo Brignole 
 Sala, and the Palazzo Balbi ; — that is, some we 
 visited Thursday, some yesterday ; also beautiful 
 private gardens, where the camellias, azaleas, 
 &c., were out in full blossom, and numerous 
 orange and lemon trees with their fruit hanging 
 on them. As to paintings, I may say I never saw 
 an}' before worthy the name, compared with the 
 Italian School ; they are the most magnificent 
 feast to the eye imaginable. This city is called 
 " The City of Palaces," as some of the streets 
 consist only of the palaces of the old aristocracy, 
 where are magnificent pictm'e galleries, which 
 they kindly allow to be seen by the public, with 
 a permit. The view of the city from the sea is 
 very beautiful, as it lies on the side of a hill like 
 Bath or Clifton. Of churches, the most beautiful 
 I have seen is that of L'Annimciata here, and I 
 cannot imagine that even St. Peter's at Rome can 
 sm'pass it in kind, though, of com-se, it would in 
 
21 
 
 degree. The chiirch bells wake one up before 
 6.0 a.m., and services are going on till late in the 
 evening. I stray into every one I can find, and 
 there are between 90 and 100 here. The head- 
 di'ess of the women of the higher and middle 
 classes is very becoming, consisting of a muslin 
 scarf pinned to the hair, and falling over the 
 arms and shoulders : the lower orders wear a long 
 printed calico scarf of gaudy colours. 
 
 The guides here do not speak English, and we 
 do not get on so well with them as at Paris. 
 Yesterday we visited a very interesting place — 
 one of the Conservatorie here, being a kind of 
 convent for female orphans, founded by Fieschi. 
 It contains 250 inmates, who are employed upon 
 lace and embroidery, but especially in making 
 artificial flowers, their time being divided between 
 this kind of work and devotion. We were shown 
 all over it, and pm'chased some of the flowers. 
 I am not sorry we were detained here, as there 
 is much to see. Since writing the above, we have 
 been to see two more splendid Palazzos, one the 
 Palazzo Durazzo, the most magnificent mansion 
 I ever saw, but chiefly for its splendid furniture 
 and decorations. It belongs to a marquis, but 
 surpasses anything regal I have ever seen. The 
 apartments contain first-rate paintings. We 
 afterwards visited the Palazzo Peale, or Eoj^al 
 Palace, which is not so fine as the other. The 
 
22 
 
 marble staircase and the colonnade give a very 
 handsome effect to the exterior. The city is said 
 to rank for beauty next after Naples and Con- 
 stantinople, We fell in with many Americans, 
 some sensible and intelligent, others odious and 
 disgusting fi'om their conceit, arrogance, and 
 vulgarity. We are at a very comfortable hotel, 
 kept by an Englishwoman. 
 
 April 1st. — Yesterday we attended morning 
 and afternoon service at the English chapel, the 
 whole arrangement being anything but satis- 
 factory. I dropped into several Eoman Catholic 
 churches, that of the Annunciata in the evening. 
 The service was very striking ; it seemed like a 
 broken relic of the old temple service at Jerusa- 
 lem — three priests kneeling before the altar, and 
 the congregation kneeling on the bare floor be- 
 hind them, chanting the service together with 
 the pealing organ, while clouds of incense rose 
 up fi'om the censers in the priests' hands. I also 
 attended a fine vesper service on Satm-day even- 
 ing at St. SjT, where a priest chanted antipho- 
 nally with the organ and people, and -with a 
 splendid voice. The Italian words roll forth 
 magnificently in chanting. To-day there was a 
 large morning congregation at St. Syr, and a 
 sermon, which gave me an excellent opportimity 
 of hearing what good Italian was like. Al- 
 though there is much, indeed almost everything. 
 
23 
 
 in continental Religion, that has the advantage 
 of ours as regards external worship and, appa- 
 rently, internal devotion, yet there is a painful 
 fact, which casts a blight on it all, I mean the 
 unquestionable worship of images. The sides of 
 every church are made up of small chapels dedi- 
 cated to some saint, and whose image or pictiu-e, 
 generally the former, is set up there. You never 
 go into a church without seeing persons praying 
 and directing their eyes to the image in these 
 chapels. I know the answer is, " that is the 
 vulgar error of the common people, for which the 
 church is not responsible ;" but what are the 
 poor people to believe, when I heard a priest, 
 preaching at Marseilles, in the middle of his 
 sermon from the altar-steps, turn round and make 
 a passionate appeal to the large silver image of 
 the Virgin on the high altar, and entreat her to 
 look down on her petits enfans ? Besides, the 
 churches are more or less adorned with offerings 
 made to saints, chiefly the Blessed Virgin, for 
 deliverances and cures. I saw a number of pic- 
 tures representing answers to prayer around the 
 image of St. Joseph, with the words at the 
 bottom: " J?'e Josejih.^' Among the great paint- 
 ings, for one of the Ascension of our Lord, you 
 will see fifty of the Assumption of the Vii'gin. 
 But what has struck me most in Italy is, that on 
 the chasuble worn by the priests in celebrating 
 
24 
 
 mass is not tlie Cross, as seen in Boman Catholic 
 chapels in England, but the monogram of the 
 Virgin thus, K/j , the middle part of the M being 
 
 a V. A re-union, or peace with Rome, as she is, 
 I feel is utterly impossible, and the Society for 
 promoting the Union of Christendom to be in 
 piu-suit of a mere dream. I can think and say 
 nothing of it but '■'' Belenda es^/" "0 daughter 
 of Babylon, who art to be destroyed ! " I say 
 not this in any spirit of English prejudice or 
 self-comijlacency, for the Church of England is 
 not in a condition to throw any stones at 
 Rome, but from slow and painful conviction. 
 There is, of course, a great residuum of sound 
 Christian faith and practice left, which has been 
 handed down from the Apostolic age, but the 
 additions and incrustations cast upon it make 
 the whole system appear one of frightful image- 
 worship. Confessions are continually going on 
 in the churches, but I have never seen one man 
 at confession. Indeed, I have been told and 
 believe, that the great mass of the Italians are 
 lapsing into infidelity. In fact, I am shocked 
 and horrified at the state of modern Christendom, 
 and look rather to the poor Jew, whom we saw 
 in the synagogue at Marseilles go up and touch 
 the fold of the covering of the Law, and then 
 kiss his hand which had so touched it. His time 
 
25 
 
 must and ^^ill, I believe, soon come, for that of 
 the Grentiles, who have so abused their privileges, 
 cannot last much longer. My pen has been run- 
 ning on with my thoughts; the idea of such 
 Christianity as is witnessed abroad must be re- 
 pulsive and odious to the despised children of 
 Abraham. 
 
 Florence, April 4th. — I presume my two letters 
 from Grenoa have been received. On Monday 
 night, about nine o'clock, we embarked on board 
 that horrible steamer, and although the weather 
 was quite calm and the sea smooth, and notwith- 
 standing the chlorodyne, I had a most miserable 
 night, no sleep — and was obliged to leave my 
 berth in the middle of the night and lie on 
 deck, shivering with the cold, till we reached 
 Leghorn, between seven and eight o'clock, and 
 was ill there also. I therefore made a firm re- 
 solve, although we had paid our fare to Naples, 
 nothing should induce me to get into one of 
 
 those detestable things again. A slept well, 
 
 and I was the only person on board that was ill. 
 A sad event took place on board, about three 
 o'clock a.m. A seaman who was in the steamer 
 died suddenly, supposed to be from an affection 
 of the heart. This created some delay in our 
 landing, which was not allowed to take place 
 imtil after an examination by the authorities, a 
 doctor being sent to investigate the cause of the 
 
26 
 
 death. Wlien we landed at Leghorn in a small 
 "boat, there was a strange sight, a number of 
 men attired in black robes, with black masks over 
 their faces reaching to their breasts, and holes 
 for their eyes ; having a bier, a lighted lamp on 
 a pole, and a cross. These, on enquiry, I found 
 to be a party going to our vessel to bring the 
 corpse on shore. They belonged to a fraternity 
 called the Societd della Misericordia, which is es- 
 tablished in Italy, and is composed of gentlemen 
 only, and their object is to attend the poor in 
 sickness, get them conveyed to hospitals, and 
 when dead to bury them. Where shall we look in 
 England for such an institution as this ! With- 
 in an hour's time after this death was heard of 
 in Leghorn, this party of laymen were on their 
 way to the vessel to take charge of the body of 
 a poor Calabrian sailor. As there was nothing 
 to see at Leghorn, we took the first train to Pisa 
 about 2.30, and arrived there in time to visit the 
 Cathedral and Leaning Tower and Campo Santo 
 that day, besides the workshops of a famous 
 sculptor. I will not attempt to describe the 
 three former places, as you may read an account 
 of them in any description of Italy. The facade 
 of the cathedral is the most beautiful piece of 
 architecture I have ever seen, at least till I came 
 here, for beauties of art so crowd on one, that 
 one scarcely knows which to praise most. But I 
 
27 
 
 must not forget Nature. The approach to Leg- 
 horn from the sea was very striking ; on one side 
 was the Isle of Elba, and on the other a splendid 
 range of the snow-capped Maritime Alps, which, 
 with the early sun upon them, looked most pic- 
 turesque. In the cathedral of Pisa was a famous 
 lamp, the oscillation of which is said to have first 
 suggested to Galileo the theory of the pendulum. 
 The Campanile or Leaning Tower you of course 
 have heard of; it is a very cmious^and beautiful 
 piece of architectm'e ; but the most interesting of 
 these sights was the Carnpo Santo, a most ex- 
 quisite building, erected to surround the earth, 
 brought by an archbishop from Mount Calvary 
 in the 12th century in fifty-three vessels. The 
 holy soil is still there, and the building which 
 encloses it is filled with antiquities and works of 
 art. But I have forgotten the Baptistry, another 
 most beautiful building. I bought stereoscopic 
 views of them all. " Murray " says, these four 
 buildings, the Cathedral, Baptistry, Campanile, 
 and Campo Santo " are as interesting a group of 
 buildings as any four edifices in the world." 
 The statuary which we saw in a workman's shop 
 of elaborate marble, dug from the neighbourhood, 
 was beautiful beyond description, — no place like 
 Italy for the arts ! We slept at Pisa, which is a 
 very pretty place, and glad I was to get a night's 
 rest. The next morning we visited the church 
 
28 
 
 of Santa Maria della Spina, on the bank of the 
 Arno, an architectural gem, and which derives 
 its name from a thorn of our Saviour's crown, 
 brought from the Holy Land by a merchant of 
 Pisa, and presented to it by his descendants. It 
 was market-day, which gave me an opportunity 
 of seeing the country people. The cattle were 
 splendid, but horses poor and small. We left 
 Pisa at middle-day, and had a pleasant ride of 
 three hours by train to Florence. The country 
 throughout was one great garden, cultivated with 
 vines trained up the trees, particularly the elm, 
 and as we approached the city, the snow-capped 
 Apennines added much to the eflPect of the 
 scenery, which all around was very beautiful ; 
 indeed, as you know, Florence is famous for the 
 loveliness of its situation. "We took a guide at 
 4.0 p.m., and had two hours sight-seeing before 
 dinner. The places we visited were the cathe- 
 dral, which with its tower is a most magnificent 
 piece of architecture, and the Cupola served 
 as a model to Michael Angelo for that of St. 
 Peter's at Rome. The Bell-Tower was designed 
 by Griotto, and begun by him a.d. 1334, in con- 
 sequence of a dream, commanding him to con- 
 struct an edifice, which in height and richness of 
 workmanship should surpass any structure raised 
 by the Greeks or Romans in the most palmy days 
 of their power. You may conceive, therefore. 
 
29 
 
 what it must be. In connection with the cathe- 
 dral is the splendid baptistry, a separate building, 
 as it is at Pisa. Then we went to the church of 
 La Sanfissima Annunziata, a most gorgeous and 
 splendid building, dedicated to the Virgin. In 
 one of the inside chapels immense wealth has 
 been lavished in honour of a miraculous fresco of 
 the Annunciation, painted by Angels, according 
 to popular belief; it is covered with a curtain 
 and exposed only on extraordinary occasions. 
 Our guide told us it was adorned with precious 
 stones, and as much as £8000 sterling has lately 
 been expended on a new crown for the Vii'gin in 
 this miraculous picture. Next, we visited the 
 church of Santa Croce, the principal church in 
 Florence, where the remains of Michael Angelo 
 and of Galileo lie, and to whom handsome monu- 
 ments are erected, as well as to Dante, Alfiere, 
 Machiavelli, and others. There is also a hand- 
 some full-length statue of Dante in one of the 
 piazzas here. 
 
 Thursday. — "We have had a great treat to-day. 
 First, we visited the church of San Ltiago, and 
 then the Laurentian Library, which consists of 
 10,000 MSS. given by one of the Medicis. Here 
 I had a feast for the eyes, indeed ; the original 
 Decree of the Coimcil of Florence, with the 
 autographs to it of Pope Eugenius and the other 
 Western Bishops, Anthony Patriarch of Con- 
 
30 
 
 stantinople, and the Eastern Bishops, and of the 
 Emperor Palseologus ; also old MSS. of Sophocles, 
 ^schylus, and Homer, the earliest MS. of 
 Virgil, autographs of Petrarch, &c. Next, we 
 visited the house where Michael Angelo was born 
 and died, and which is filled with souvenirs of 
 him, original designs, &c. I sat in his little 
 studio, had his slippers in my hand, saw his 
 sword, stick, &c., and two of his autograph letters, 
 and was in the room in which he died. Then we 
 went to see a famous picture of the Lord's Supper, 
 said to be equal to that of Leonardo de Vinci, 
 and in better preservation. This is by del Sarto. 
 Afterwards, we went over the Palazzo Pitti Pic- 
 ture G-allery, one of the best in Florence ; the 
 pictures few, but all first rate, including the 
 original of Raphael's celebrated Madonna; then 
 to the Boboli gardens, from the top of which is 
 a splendid view of the city and surrounding 
 country, all studded with villas most picturesque, 
 and backed by the Apennines. Then we took a 
 drive round the Cascine, three miles, which is 
 the Hyde Park of Florence, and surpasses for 
 beauty even the Bois de Boulogne, so that we 
 made a very good and delightful day of it. We 
 purpose leaving this for Perugia on Monday, and 
 arriving at Rome on Tuesday evening. The 
 weather is beautiful, peas and beans out in 
 blossom, and asparagus for dinner to-day. I 
 
31 
 
 forgot to mention tliat we obtained admission 
 into the Royal Orange Conservatory belonging 
 to the palace, filled with, plants loaded with 
 fruit. 
 
 Rome, April 9th. — Here we are at last, having 
 travelled all night from Florence, We were 
 rather afraid that we should have some difficulty 
 in finding accommodation here, so thought it 
 best to take the night train and arrive here in 
 the morning, so as to have a whole day before us 
 to look about. After inspecting four or five 
 hotels and Pensions, and finding them nearly all 
 full, we have settled upon the Pension Anglais. 
 But I must go back to last Friday at Florence. 
 In the morning we went again to the Laurentian 
 Library, and then to the churches of Santa Maria 
 Novella and San Marco ; in the former there are 
 some wonderfully fine frescoes by Ghirlandaio, 
 and in both of them there are some very fine 
 paintings by old masters : one gets rather con- 
 fused amongst the number of churches. After 
 this we went to the Academy of Fine Arts, which 
 is chiefly composed of paintings dating from the 
 12th or 13th century down to the present time ; 
 some of the modern paintings by living artists 
 are splendid. Everything shuts up at Florence 
 at three o'clock, so after that hour we took a 
 drive to a hill about a mile from Florence, called 
 Bellosguardo, to get a view of the town, which 
 
32 
 
 lies very prettily along the valley of tlie Arno. 
 The dome of the cathedral, which is higher 
 than St. Paul's, stands out very well. We spent 
 all Saturday morning till three o'clock in the 
 Uffizi Grallery; this ranks the first for paintings 
 in Florence. There is one room specially de- 
 voted to the old masters — Raphael, Michael 
 Angelo, Cigoli, &c. After three o'clock we went 
 into the Senate-house, where Admiral Pisano 
 was being tried for mismanaging his fleet in 
 the late war with Austria. But as we did not 
 find out what was going on till the next day, we 
 were not much the wiser. Sunday, we went to 
 church, and drove to the Cascine in the afternoon. 
 On Monday we went over the Royal Palace, and 
 devoted the rest of the day to the pictures. 
 There are a great many rooms in the palace, but 
 mostly small in comparison with those at Paris. 
 At about 8.0 p.m. we started for this place 
 (Rome), and were glad enough to get here, at 
 about ten this morning. We drove this afternoon 
 to see the far-famed St. Peter's ; my expectations 
 were very great as regards the size and splendour, 
 and I must confess they were more than fully 
 realized. It is most magnificent. All the pic- 
 tures are covered over now till Easter. The 
 city of Rome itself is very poor ; the streets, 
 which are narrow and dirty, are not to be com- 
 pared to Florence. On our way to St. Peter's 
 
33 
 
 we passed the castle of S. Angelo. The paint- 
 ings at Florence surpass any I have ever seen, 
 and I beKeve it to be the choicest collection in 
 the world ; altogether it is a most charming 
 place. I have bought some stereoscopic views. 
 The people of Italy are all bom musicians, their 
 very street cries are sung musically, and the lan- 
 guage beautiful. It did my heart good this 
 morning to hear at the railway station the old 
 classical name, ROMA, sung out -svith full Italian 
 rotundity. Take another instance, — oiu- blimt 
 English word " Guide " is in French, " Com- 
 missionaire," but in the majestically flowing 
 Italian, "■ Commissionario." 
 
 April 13th. — I am happy to say I am a great 
 deal better, quite a different person from what I 
 was when I left Grenoa, where I began to think 
 seriously of returning home. But this place 
 suits me wonderfully ; — there is a clearness in 
 the atmosphere, and a bracing air with warm 
 sun, which gives quite an elasticity and comfort 
 to mind and body, and I do not remember any 
 place which has agreed with me so well, and 
 when I tell you presently what I do from day to 
 day you will wonder. 
 
 I will now resume the thread of my narrative 
 from Tuesday last. First of all, I suppose you 
 will want to know something more of that won- 
 der of the world, St. Peter's. We have now 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 paid tkree visits to it — the last this afternoon, 
 when we went over it leisurely. Upon the whole 
 my impression of it is this, that, compared "s\ith 
 S. Paul's, it is as inferior to it externally as a 
 building, as it is superior to it internally for 
 every thing. The colonnade and wide space in 
 front also give it a vast advantage over S. Paul's. 
 It is the various-coloured marbles, gilding, and 
 painting which make such an addition to its archi- 
 tectural beauty inside, and give it a warmth and 
 reality, as well as grandeur, in which S. Paul's 
 falls vastly below it. The Baldacchino, or grand 
 canopy, alone over the high altar cost nearly 
 £22,000; Externally you see nothing but the 
 facade and the dome (not so high as that of 
 Florence cathedral) resting apparently upon it, 
 I was of course much interested with the tomb 
 erected at the expense of Greorge lY. by Canova 
 to the Stuai*t family. So much for a preface — 
 now to the jomTial. On Wednesday morning 
 we drove to the Capitol, so famous in the annals 
 of Ancient Eome, and seated on one of her Seven 
 Hills. The top is now covered with palaces, or 
 what appears to be government offices, containing 
 a museum of objects of interest connected with 
 old Rome. Here is the most complete collection 
 of ancient busts of the Emperors and other great 
 men of old. That of Cicero struck me as very 
 like Canning. Among the statuary is the famous 
 
35 
 
 Dying Gladiator, the Amazon, the Antinous, the 
 Fawn of Praxiteles, the prints of all which one 
 has so often seen. The ancients heat us out and 
 out in sculpture. Although I have seen to-day 
 at S. Peter's the chef cVceurre of Canova, it is 
 not to be mentioned with the works of the 
 Greeks and Romans. By the way, this reminds 
 me that I forgot in my letter from Florence to 
 mention that we saw there what, I suppose, 
 stands almost unrivalled even among the relics 
 of ancient sculpture — I mean the far-famed Venus 
 de Medici, found in the Portico of Octavia, 
 erected by Augustus in Rome. It was taken by 
 Napoleon I. to Paris, but restored after 1815. 
 In the Capitol are also a large collection of paint- 
 ings, but they are secondary to those in the 
 Vatican, which we have seen to-day. We next 
 visited the Mamertine prisons, one of the few 
 existing works of the Kingly period of Rome. 
 Most horrible places they are, and here it was 
 that S. Peter was confined by order of Nero. 
 They show you the pillar to which he was bound, 
 and the fountain which miraculously sprang up 
 to enable him to baptize his jailors. This lies 
 on the declivity of the Capitol. Near the base 
 of the Capitol is the Arch of Septimius Severus, 
 and here we stood among the ruins of old 
 Rome, with columns of exquisite workmanship 
 standing in solitude. These belonged to the 
 D 2 
 
36 
 
 temples which aLounded there. Then we started 
 up the old Forum Ilomanum, where we found 
 a vehicle, and proceeded to the celebrated and 
 interesting Arch of Titus, of white marble, 
 erected to commemorate his conquest of Jerusa- 
 lem, and on which I saw engraven the immense 
 golden candlesticks from the Jewish temple and 
 the silver trumpets, as parts of his spoil. 
 Thence to the Arch of Constantine, a magnifi- 
 cent structure, and the most perfect of the archi- 
 tectural works of Ancient Rome. Next to the 
 Colosseum. This struck me with amazement 
 indeed; — only imagine an amphitheatre capable 
 of containing 87,000 spectators ! It was begun 
 by Vespasian, and it is said that many thousand 
 captive Jews were employed in its erection. 
 Here it was that S. Ignatius and the many 
 thousand Christian martyrs were thrown to the 
 wild beasts. Here, too, were the gladiatorial 
 combats. 
 
 Thursday. — We went first to the Capitol again, 
 for the piu-pose of ascending the tower, which 
 we could not do the day before, for want of an 
 order from the senator. After a great deal of 
 trouble and delay we at last obtained one, and 
 were amply repaid, for here is the most perfect 
 and magnificent view of Rome, as she icas and 
 is, of all the surrounding coimtry and of the 
 distant Sabine and other liills. Here we saw 
 
37 
 
 the Seven Hills — the site and ruins of the Palace 
 of the Caesars (of which more presently) — all the 
 great buildings — the Campagna, &c. After this 
 we went to find out the famous Tarpeian Eock, 
 which is near the foot of the Capitol, and after 
 some difficulty we found it, and had views of it 
 in two different spots. The Eock is now built 
 over, but its sides remain, only the earth is so 
 much raised that thirty feet have been taken off 
 the original height. It is still, however, very 
 high. As Thursday is the only day for seeing 
 the site and remains of the Palace of the Caesars 
 (lately purchased by the Emperor of the French), 
 we went there next. And here we had the ex- 
 treme good fortune to meet with a gentleman 
 and lady from oiu' hotel, waiting to join a party 
 by appointment, who were to be conducted over 
 the whole by a learned antiquarian resident 
 here, so we asked permission to join. The party 
 were all Scotch except a clergyman and om^selves. 
 "With the benefit of our conductor's explanations 
 to the party, we had a great treat indeed. He 
 showed us the site of the old Rome of Romulus 
 where we stood, and which did not cover two- 
 thirds of the space of the Palace of the Caesars 
 which occupied the whole Palatine Hill, now 
 one and a half mile in circuit, and extended far 
 beyond. The site of the two gates of the little 
 city of Romulus was shown. The present ac- 
 
38 
 
 cession of knowledge on all points of antiquarian 
 interest, connected with the palace of the Caesars, 
 is due to the Emperor of the French, who has 
 employed a distinguished archoeologist to make 
 excavations and explorations, which have brought 
 to light recently much that was before un- 
 knowTi. The Palatine Hill before the time of 
 the Emperors belonged to the great families 
 in Rome, and Cicero, Clodius, &c. had their 
 houses in it. It then passed into the hands of 
 Augustus, who erected the fii'st palace ; this 
 was added to by Tiberius and afterwards by 
 Caligula. We walked along the Clivus Yictorise, 
 where the triumphal processions passed with the 
 spoils to be laid up in the Capitol ; — there was 
 the place of abode of the vestal virgins, and 
 where the holy fii"e was kept. But the most 
 interesting part was that built by Augustus, 
 where all the rooms were shown, particularly 
 the Academia, where the Emperor sat in his 
 tribune while the author, such as Yirgil or 
 Horace, recited his compositions to the judges 
 who sat around, — all these seats still exist. It 
 was during the month of April, according to 
 Pliny, that these recitations took jDlace daily. 
 From thence we looked down on the Circus 
 Maximus, which lies between the Palatine and 
 Aventine hills, where the games were celebrated. 
 Then there was the Triclinium, or Banqueting 
 
39 
 
 Hall, and the Nymplieum adjoining, with a large 
 elegant fountain, by which the air was cooled 
 and scented, that passed into the Triclinium, a 
 most luxurious place ; together with several 
 of the rooms. But the most interesting of all 
 was the Basilica, or Hall of Justice, wliich must 
 have been the very place where S. Paul stood 
 before Nero, when he was acquitted. That part 
 of the marble balustrade, which separated the 
 judicial seat from the place where the prisoner 
 stood, is still left. So I took the opportunity of 
 sitting in the seat of the Caesars, and standing in 
 the footsteps of S. Paul ; the Emperor's seat 
 being evident in every room. Two thousand of 
 the Praetorian Guard were kept in this palace, 
 and we visited the part where they were lodged, 
 and on the walls were some drawings which 
 showed there were Christians among them, for 
 there was a ship (the ancient emblem of the 
 chm-ch), and a fish (that of Christ), and His 
 Name could be partly decyphered. Altogether 
 it was a very great treat, and before we' left, 
 some of the party agreed to go together to visit 
 the Colosseum the same evening by moonlight 
 (which is much the best time to see it), an order 
 being first obtained. We then di'ove with two 
 of the party under the Arches of Titus and Con- 
 stantino along the famous .Yia Appia to the 
 Baths of Caracalla. It was by this Yia Appia 
 
40 
 
 that S. Paul entered Rome, some of his nation 
 having gone to meet him, as it is "svTitten, " as 
 far as Appii Forum," which is about forty miles 
 off. These mighty ruins are next in wonder to 
 the Colosseimi itself. On our way home we 
 drove along the dusty road in the Circus Maxi- 
 mus, and I quoted, as we rolled along, the lines 
 of Horace — 
 
 "Sunt quos ciirriculo pulverem Olympicum 
 CoUegisse juvat." 
 
 At eight o'clock our party started to visit the 
 Colosseum by moonlight. We were all, except 
 ourselves, Scotch people, who had obtained an 
 order. It is impossible to describe the exquisite 
 appearance of this magnificent ruin by the soft 
 light and shade of the half moon (the best to see 
 it by), while a perfect stillness reigned over the 
 whole scene. While we were gazing on the ex- 
 terior, we heard voices of singing within, and 
 supposed it to be some Italian service, as there 
 is a pulpit inside in which a Friar preaches 
 every Friday. On being admitted by the sen- 
 tinal, we observed a party in the centre of the 
 area singing most beautifully, men and women, 
 under a wooden cross. which stands there, — still 
 we supposed they were Italians, but judge of my 
 emotions when I drew near and heard ascending 
 from beneath this cross, in the sweetest notes of 
 a kind of anthem, the words in English, " 
 
41 
 
 Lamb of Grod, that takest away the sins of the 
 world," and " Christ, have mercy upon us," &c. 
 We paused, and were awe-struck, — the deep still- 
 ness and solemnity of the scene — the associations 
 of the place — the very spot where S. Ignatius 
 and so many Christian martyrs had been thrown 
 to the lions — ^made it altogether the most inter- 
 esting and impressive moment you can conceive. 
 When the singing ceased, we walked up and 
 enquired who they were. They said they were 
 Americans, and had been singing the " Q-loria in 
 Excelsis." I detected the words from the Ame- 
 rican Commimion OiEce, and went up to a gentle- 
 man in naval uniform, and asked if he was an 
 Episcopalian. " Yes," he said, " and not only so, 
 but I am a clergyman and chaplain of a man of 
 war now lying off Naples." I expressed my 
 great pleasure in meeting him, as being the first 
 American Episcopalian I had ever met, and we 
 talked about Bishop Cleveland Cox (whom he 
 said he had known all his life),' and Hopkins, 
 and he then gave me his card, with an invitation 
 to visit him on board his ship, if I went to 
 Naples. As I said, our own party were Scotch, 
 all Presbyterians, and some of them ministers, so 
 they proposed to the Americans to sing some- 
 thing in which they could all join, and the first 
 verse of the Old Hundreth was fixed on, which 
 we all sang under the cross with Bishop Ken's 
 
42 
 
 Doxology. The whole day was one of the most 
 delightful and interesting I had ever spent. 
 
 Friday. — I must be brief in what I have to 
 say. We passed the morning at the Vatican, 
 where there is a wonderful museum of antiquities, 
 chiefly sculpture, of which I will only mention 
 the far-famed Apollo Belvidere, and the Belvidere 
 Antinous, among the many himdreds we looked 
 at. Another very interesting gallery contained 
 a collection of early Christian inscriptions, taken 
 from the catacombs. This day was a great day 
 in Rome, for it was the annual celebration of the 
 Pope's return from Graeta, and when he had a 
 remarkable escape with all his dignitaries, by the 
 floor of the room where they were assembled, 
 near the church of S. Agnes, giving way and 
 precipitating them all to the floor below, whence 
 they escaped unhurt. On this day His Holiness 
 goes to the church of S. Agnes to ofier his 
 thanksgivings, and then reviews his troops. We 
 meant to have seen both, but could only manage 
 the former, and had to wait in the church an 
 hour and an half before the Pope arrived. He 
 went to a seat in the gallery, where I could only 
 see half his head, while the Te Deum was being 
 very well chanted. After service we stood by his 
 carriage a long time to see him come out, till we 
 could wait no longer ; but just after we had 
 started off, and were walking alone by the side 
 
43 
 
 of tlie road, the procession drove by, tlie Pope 
 in a state carriage drawn by four splendid black 
 horses. We took off our hats as he passed, and 
 His Holiness extended his hand to us by way 
 of benediction in return. In the evening we 
 were two hours driving all over the city to see 
 the illuminations, which were indescribably 
 pretty, as the Romans particularly excel in them. 
 This day (Satm^day) we have spent in the 
 Vatican and at S. Peter's. In the former were 
 three pictiu'es which surpass, if possible, all I 
 have ever seen, put together. I have written to 
 the Pope's Chamberlain, Mons. Talbot, to be 
 presented, and called with the note, but as he 
 was with His Holiness, did not see him. To- 
 morrow we must be at S. Peter's at 7.30 a.m, 
 to be in time for the first grand ceremony. 
 
 April 23rd. — My last was brought down to the 
 Saturday night before Palm Sunday. As I went 
 to bed I said to the waiter, " Hoiis dejeunerons 
 a sept heures demain matin.'' To which he re- 
 plied, " Old, Moyisieur, tout le monde dejeimera a 
 sept heures demain mating So accordingly at 
 7.30 all the world and ourselves started for 
 S. Peter's, where the service was to commence 
 at 9.30. It was a clear and brilliant morning, 
 and S. Peter's, as we drove up to it, looked its 
 very best with the animated crowds repairing to 
 it. That you may the better understand the 
 
44 
 
 nature of the ceremony, I must explain that this 
 Basilica is in the form of a Latin Cross, and 
 that in the centre of the cross stands the High 
 Altar, beneath which repose the remains of the 
 Apostles Peter and Paul, and round the space 
 by which you descend below, ninety -three brass 
 lamps are suspended, which are kept burning 
 night and day. The area from behind the High 
 Altar to the upper part of the cross is called 
 the Pontifical chapel, at the upper end of which 
 is the Tribune, where is placed the Papal Throne, 
 which is a bronze chair inclosing (it is said) 
 the identical wooden Episcopal chair used by 
 S. Peter and his successors. In the space on each 
 side of the High Altar are erected temporary 
 raised seats for ladies, who have tickets (and 
 none others are admitted), and these must be all 
 dressed in black, without bonnets and only with 
 veils on their heads, so that there is no opportu- 
 nity for display. G-entlemen, too, must all appear 
 in dress coats, and none others are admitted above 
 half way up the nave. None enter the Pontifical 
 chapel but those who take part in the ceremonies, 
 except that there are temporary seats for royal 
 princes on one side and their families and suite, 
 and on the other for the Corps Diplomatique and 
 their ladies and attendants. I should have said, 
 that the above regulations as to dress apply to 
 all the ceremonies of the Holy Week at S. Peter's 
 
45 
 
 and the Sistine chapel, including Easter Day. 
 There is only standing room for gentlemen, and 
 you may imagine what it was to have to stand 
 from 7.30 to 1.0, but the crowd around you 
 afford great support. After we had been there 
 some little time, the Swiss Guards were marched 
 up the Basilica in cmious mediseval costume, 
 with tall halberts in their hands, answering to 
 our Yeomen of the Gruard or Beefeaters. They 
 took their stations so as to prevent the crowd 
 from pressing into the open space behind the 
 High Altar, and as I managed to get first behind 
 one of them I had a capital front place, and got 
 protected as well. After a little while the 
 Guardia Nohile marched up the Basilica, about 
 thirty or forty. These are the Pope's Body- 
 Guard, and are composed entirely of the nobility 
 of Rome. They were in splendid uniform, cor- 
 responding with our Horse Gruards, and took 
 their station on each side of the Pontifical chapel 
 in two ranks, wearing their helmets after the old 
 Roman type and with drawn swords. As the 
 time drew on, the Corps Diplomatique and other 
 grandees in splendid court- dresses, and glittering 
 with orders and decorations, made their appear- 
 ance, handing the ladies to their seats, so that 
 the scene was altogether much like that of the 
 House of Lords before the Queen's arrival, save 
 the appearance of the ladies, which forms the 
 
46 
 
 gayest part of the latter. Bye and hye, the hum 
 of voices was hushed into a deep silence, as an 
 immense procession of ecclesiastics walked up the 
 nave, consisting of cardinals, archhishops, bishops, 
 abbots, &c., with their mitres on, and other 
 persons connected with the Papal Court. The 
 most conspicuous for the grandeur of their dress 
 were some oriental bishops with their handsome 
 mitres and long black beards. Here for the first 
 time I saw the famous Cardinal Antonelli, whom 
 I have often seen since. He is, what we call, 
 the prime minister and has great influence in 
 the Vatican. Last of all moved slowly up the 
 Supreme Pontiff himself, seated on his sedes 
 gestatoria, borne by poles on the shoulders of 
 twelve sediarii, all attired in long red robes. 
 The Pope wore a silver mitre, and passed within 
 a yard or two of me, so that I had a good 
 opportunity of studying his countenance. As he 
 moved along, all either dropt on their knees or 
 bent their bodies, while he kept extending his 
 right arm in the form of benediction. His being 
 carried in this way enables all to see him, other- 
 wise being a short man he would be quite lost, 
 as the whole Basilica seemed full. Every one 
 remarks on the extreme amiability of his coun- 
 tenance, which, as to form and feature, resembles 
 our photograph of him, but it entirely fails to 
 give his expression. A great deal of time was 
 
47 
 
 occupied in going tkrougli the ceremonies at the 
 Papal throne, the cardinals first doing homage, 
 then followed the consecration and distribution 
 of the palms, during all which services were 
 being performed, and the choir of the Sistine 
 chapel (the most exquisite you can possibly con- 
 ceive) for this occasion brought to S. Peter's, 
 singing "Hosanna in excelsis" and "Hosanna 
 Filio David." After this the Pope was borne in 
 procession down the Basilica, bearing a palm 
 branch in his hand, and followed by all who had 
 received palms, bearing them in their hands, the 
 choir chanting all the time. Some ceremony 
 takes place at the entrance door, and the Pope 
 is then borne back to his throne. Then followed 
 a celebration of high mass by a cardinal priest, 
 during which the chapters relating to the Passion 
 were chanted, the Pope having previously retired, 
 as this service lasted about two hours, but he 
 retm-ned privately, and at a certain part left 
 his throne and knelt at a faldstool before the 
 high altar, uncovered. This, I believe, was at 
 the passage recording the death of our Lord. 
 At the conclusion, the Pope was carried again 
 down the Basilica, with the same procession, 
 followed by the Guardia Nohile, to whom the 
 military word of command was given in 
 the cathedral. After leaving his sedes gestatoria, 
 he walked up part of one of the naves, 
 
48 
 
 myself close behind liim, and retired to the 
 Vatican. I have been somewhat explicit in 
 this, as it was the first of the ceremonies I had 
 witnessed, and it was not over till one o'clock. 
 The union of the temporal and spiritual sov- 
 ereignties gave the whole a strange appearance 
 to an Enghsh eye, as it was such a combination 
 of things civil, military, and ecclesiastical in a 
 church, — still it was very imposing. I had 
 abundance of opportunity of seeing the Pope, 
 who at one time appeared very much worn and 
 weary. He is the picture of what we should call 
 " a fine old English gentleman " — light com- 
 plexion, short gray hair, and plump in the face, 
 with a little white skull cap, when uncovered. 
 He sometimes changed one mitre for another, but 
 did not wear the tiara. In the afternoon, we at- 
 tended divine service at the English Chapel just 
 outside the Porta del Popolo, as we are not 
 allowed to worship within the walls. We after- 
 wards started out separately, and I found my 
 way to the Monte Pincio where are the pubHc 
 drives, walks, and gardens, and where all Eome 
 seemed to have poured out, Sunday here being 
 regarded as it is in all other parts of the conti- 
 nent — ^the shops open the greater part of the 
 day. As the next grand chm-ch ceremony was 
 not till Wednesday, we , employed Monday and 
 Tuesday in sight-seeing. 
 
49 
 
 Monday, loth. — We first went to the church of 
 S. Pietro in Yinculis, to see the famous statue of 
 Moses by Michael Angelo, of which it is said : 
 " Men could build S, Peter's and men could 
 build St. Paul's (another grand church in Eome), 
 but none but Michael Angelo could make the 
 statue of Moses." It is like all his other works, 
 of colossal size, and full of life. Next — to the 
 church of S. Martino de Monte, built on the 
 site of an older one where was held by S. 
 Sylvester the Councils of A.D. 324 and 330, 
 when Alius, Sabellius, and Yictorinus were 
 condemned in the presence of Constantine, as 
 represented in a large fresco. Here also lie 
 the remains of S. Sylvester, S. Martin, and S. 
 Francis Xavier. This we merely took on om' 
 way to the chm-ch of S. Prassede, where there 
 was a special ceremony for this day. The father 
 of SS. Prassede and Pudentiana was Pudens, 
 the first person in Eome converted to Christianity 
 by S. Paid, and said to be the husband of 
 Claudia, who was a daughter of the British King 
 Caractacus, and it was in his house that S. Paid 
 lodged, and their tombs are here. But the prin- 
 cipal interest attached to this chiu'ch is the chapel 
 in it called Orto del Paradise, which derives its 
 name from a small column of black and white 
 marble, to which oiu' Lord is said to have been 
 bound at His scoui'ging, and which was brought 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 from Jerusalem A.D. 1223 hj Cardinal Colonna. 
 It also contains three of the thorns from the 
 crown of thorns. I had a distinct view of both 
 in the glass cabinet in which they are preserved. 
 These are especially visited and venerated on 
 Monday before Easter, and masses celebrated 
 there. The pillar is not one that supported any 
 building, but a mere roimd post. Next we 
 visited the famous Basilica of Santa Maria 
 Maggiore, the interior of which is considered the 
 finest of its class in existence; — ^thence to that of 
 the Lateran, which is the cathedral chui'ch of 
 Rome, and where the Popes are crowned. It 
 has this inscription on each side the entrance — 
 '' 0)nniu)n urhls et orhis Ecclesiaruni Mater et 
 Capiif,^' and takes precedence of S. Peter's. It 
 is well known for the Five General Councils that 
 were held here, the last of which was the famous 
 Council of Trent. The cloisters contain the 
 episcopal throne of S. Sylvester — (his day in 
 our calendar is December 31st) — also two columns 
 of Pilate's house, a column said by tradition to 
 have been split when the vail of the Temple was 
 rent in twain, and the porphyry slab on which 
 the soldiers cast lots for oiu- Saviour's raiment ; — 
 also a miraculous altar-table of stone with a 
 large hole in it, said to have been made by the 
 consecrated wafer as it fell from the hands of a 
 doubting priest. We then visited the Baptistry 
 
51 
 
 adjoining, and then the Scala Santa, consisting 
 of twenty-eight marble steps, stated by tradition 
 to have belonged to Pilate's house, and to have 
 been the identical ones by which oiu- Lord de- 
 scended when He left the judgment hall. None 
 are allowed to go up it except on their knees, 
 and then to descend by another stairs. A lady 
 and three Zouave soldiers were going up when 
 we got there. We, however, with others, went 
 up by the descending staircase, and on the top 
 was a chapel containing a large collection of relics 
 with an inscription over it : " Non est in tofo 
 sanctior orhe locust No woman is allowed to 
 enter it, nor indeed into the Orto del Paradiso at 
 S. Prassede, under pain of excommunication. 
 In another chapel adjoining is a painting, said 
 to be by S. Luke, of oiu- Lord at the age of 
 twelve. We next visited the museums of the 
 Lateran, which are full of antiquities, and among 
 others a number of Christian inscriptions brought 
 from the Catacombs; — then to the famous clnu'ch 
 of San Clementi, one of the most ancient in 
 Rome, and said to present one of the most per- 
 fect forms of the ancient Basilica. In it lie the 
 remains of S. Clement, third bishop of E-ome, 
 and fellow labourer of S. Paul. It is a chm-ch 
 ftdl of interest to the antiquarian, but as I have 
 bought a little book about it, I will not enlarge 
 upon it now. We finished with the Baths of 
 E 2 
 
52 
 
 Titus, on tlie site of what was originally the 
 house and gardens of Mgecenas, on which Nero 
 afterwards built his golden palace, converted by 
 Titus into baths, lest the people should think 
 that the emperors had acquired too much. 
 
 Tuesday. — Our first visit was to the church 
 of Ara Coeli, erected on the site of the famous 
 Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, the pride and 
 wonder of ancient Rome. It is approached by 
 124 marble steps from the ruins of the temple 
 of Quirinus. Here it was that Gribbon says, as 
 he sat musing amidst the ruins of the Capitol, 
 the first idea suggested itself of wiiting the 
 "Decline and Fall." It is called Ara Cceli 
 from the altar erected here by Augustus, to 
 commemorate the prophecy of the Cumean 
 Sybil respecting the coming of our Sa\aour. 
 But that which gives the church peculiar vene- 
 ration with the Romans is the miracle-working 
 figure of the Infant Saviom% called " Saniissimo 
 Baiiihino,''^ on accomit of its powers in curing 
 the sick, of which a friend had told us. We 
 therefore inquired specially of the monks about 
 this image, and were given to understand that 
 it was gone to efiect the cure of a sick person, 
 and we could not see it until its retm-n. But 
 as they could only speak Italian, I waited till 
 a priest came and conversed with him in Latin, 
 when he confii'med what we understood from the 
 
53 
 
 monks, and said we could see it after three 
 hours. We accordingly went to see some things 
 we had overlooked in the Capitol, and when 
 there heard the military bugle, and on looking 
 out of the window A saw the soldiers pre- 
 senting arms, as a little bimdle was taken out of 
 a handsome private carriage by a priest. This 
 we had no doubt was the Bambino returned, so 
 we went at once back to the church, and found 
 it was so. It had been deposited in its iron safe 
 in the chapel, and a monk came to show it us. 
 He first lighted two tapers which he put on each 
 side of the box, and after unlocking it, took oft' 
 the folds in which it was wi"apt, and exposed 
 a little wooden image dressed up and covered 
 with gems and precious stones, the ofii'erings of 
 the pious, with a gold ero^vn on, also adorned 
 with precious stones. The monk told us it was 
 made of wood from the Mount of Olives, and 
 the face painted by an angel. He reverently 
 kissed the foot before putting it up again. In 
 1849 the Eepublican government made the monks 
 a present of the Pope's state carriage for the 
 use of the Bambino, but on the Pope's return 
 it was restored. Thence we visited the ruins 
 of the temple of Marcellus and the portico of 
 Octavia (sister of Augustus), where the famous 
 statue of the Venus de Medici was found ; — 
 then to the temple of Vesta — the arch of Janus 
 
54 
 
 Quadi'iferus, and the arch of Septimius Sevenis 
 in the Yelabrum ; — then to a very interesting 
 piece of antiquity, the Cloaca Maxima, being a 
 subterranean canal, built by Tarquinius Priscus, 
 fifth King of Eonie, as a sort of large common 
 sewer from the city to the Tiber. It is still as 
 firm as when its foundations were first laid; — 
 then along the Via Appia to the Columbaria, 
 which are immense subterranean excavations, 
 the walls of which are pierced throughout with 
 a sort of pigeon holes for receiving the iu"ns 
 containing the ashes of the dead in the time 
 of the early Csesars, There are inscriptions to 
 each, containing the name and age, and several 
 are mentioned as attached to the household of 
 the Csesars ; — ^thence to the tomb of the Scipios 
 spoken of by Cicero. It consists of long sub- 
 terranean labyrinths in which some of the tombs 
 still remain, the name of "Cornelius Scipio " 
 being very plain. Next under the arch of 
 Drusus (the oldest in Eome) to the chm-cli of 
 S. Sebastian, from which a door opens leading 
 to the catacombs, which we explored, each being- 
 furnished with a taper, and our guide taking 
 several in his hand. They are vast and wind- 
 ing subterranean passages, and in them were 
 pointed out to us the little chajiels where the 
 early Christians used to worship. Much of the 
 interest is lost by the inscriptions having been 
 
55 
 
 removed and placed on tlie walls of the galleries 
 in the Vatican and Lateran Museums, where we 
 had seen them. From thence we went to the 
 circus of Romulus, where the ancient chariot - 
 races took place. This is the most perfect of the 
 circuses that are left. Next we came to the 
 tomb of CaecUia Metella, an immense mausoleum, 
 and one of the best preserved monuments about 
 Rome, erected more than nineteen centuries ago 
 to the memory of Csecilia Metella, the wife of 
 Crassus. We then drove about a mile fuiiher 
 along the Via Appia, amidst ruins on every side, 
 extending far and wide, making a scene of 
 desolation, which it was moiurnful to behold. On 
 our return we \isited a temple of Bacchus, now 
 converted into a farm-house, where there are 
 three magnificent Corinthian colmnns stuck 
 within its mud walls ; — then a lovely, pictm-esque 
 spot, said to be the fountains and grove of 
 Egeria, where Numa held his nightly consulta- 
 tion with the Nymph. All this was accom- 
 plished before dinner, and in the evening we went 
 to the performance of the " Stabat Mater " in 
 the Palazzo Doria, which was very well done, the 
 choir being amateurs. The " Cujus Animam " 
 was very beautiful. This finished our day's 
 work — and a pretty good one, but yet not so 
 fatiguing as those of the subsequent days, which 
 we devoted to religious ceremonies. 
 
56 
 
 Wednesday. — In the morning we went about 
 some commissions, and selected some photographs 
 for ourselves, and at 2 p.m. started for the 
 Sistiue chapel, to secure places for the Nocturns 
 or Tenebrse ser\dce at 4.30. After being kept 
 waiting an horn' outside before we were allowed 
 to ascend the stairs, when I got to the door of 
 the chapel from the Sala Eegia, the Swiss Gruard 
 abruptly turned me back because I had my stick. 
 I ojffered to tlirow it away, but still he would 
 not let me in, so I retired a Kttle and flung it 
 to the other end of the hall, and then entered 
 with the crowd, fearing that through the delay 
 I had lost all chance of getting a good place. 
 However, I managed as usual to get one, by 
 squeezing behind one of the Swiss Guards, and 
 so had one of the best front places. Still I had 
 to stand till 4.30 before the service began, none 
 but ladies and grandees having seats. The 
 cardinals having entered in their dark \iolet 
 robes, some psalms were chanted by the choir, — 
 and here I may remark that both in the Sistine 
 chapel and S. Peter's the music is all vocal, 
 there being no organ in either. Afterwards came 
 a most exquisite chant in four voices from the 
 " Lamentations of Jeremiah," by Palestrina, — as 
 an old gentleman at the hotel remarked to me, 
 they were "songs without words," the sounds 
 speaking to the heart, although the words could 
 
57 
 
 not be distingmshed. Then followed more 
 chanting of psalms and lessons, dming which 
 all the candles were gradually extinguished. 
 Through the kindness of a gentleman standing 
 next me, I was able to follow the chanting. 
 Presently the Pope entered, and took his seat 
 until the time came for the " Miserere ;" he then 
 left it and knelt at a faldstool before the altar 
 with all the cardinals and their attendants kneel- 
 ing behind him, during the whole tune of the 
 chanting of the " Miserere," or 51st psalm, which 
 lasted half an horn', and was most exquisitely 
 done. I confess that the scene was to me much 
 more impressive than any thing the Simday 
 before. It was simply Ecclesiastical, and to see 
 the head of two hundred millions of spiritual 
 subjects with his cardinal princes behind him, 
 kneeling for half an hour to the plaintive strains 
 of that deeply-penitential psalm, before Grod's 
 altar in his own Kttle unadorned chapel, was a 
 most mo\dng and instructive sight. The open- 
 ing of the "Miserere" was particularly touching. 
 
 Thm-sday. — We again repaired to the Sistine 
 chapel, in time for high mass, at 11.0 a.m., in 
 the presence of the Pope and Sacred College, 
 at the close of which a procession was formed to 
 the neighboiu-ing Pauline chapel in the Vatican, 
 in which the Pope canies the sacrament. He 
 passed close to me, himself and the cardinals 
 
58 
 
 reciting in a low tone as they moved along. 
 After this followed the Pontifical benediction nrhi 
 et orhi from the balcony in front of S. Peter's, 
 which was also very impressive, but as this was 
 still more so on Easter Day, I ^dll reserve my 
 description of it for the present. After this, we 
 re-entered S. Peter's to see the ceremony of the 
 Pope washing the feet of thirteen priests, as 
 representatives of the Apostles, selected from 
 every country. They all sat in a row on a high 
 bench, and were di-essed in white. The Pope 
 having been invested with an apron, and assisted 
 by two cardinal deacons, washes and wipes the 
 feet of each, and kisses them. There was a very 
 great crush to witness this, and one of the 
 Zouave soldiers lifted his musket and threatened 
 
 to hammer A 's toes ; but we left before it was, 
 
 over in order to get places in the banqueting-hall 
 for the next ceremony. Here the crush and heat 
 were terrific, but having once got in it was im- 
 possible to get out. However, we had an excel- 
 lent view. There was a table most handsomely 
 set out, at one side of which sat these same 
 thirteen priests, whom the Pope served. First, 
 he walked up and served each with a basin of 
 soup — then with wine — and afterwards with two 
 courses of fish and more wine. He was looking 
 the picture of kindness and venerabiUty, being 
 uncovered, and a mere red cape over his white 
 
59 
 
 robes. After undergoing what we did, we were 
 glad to get back and bave a warm bath. Tbe 
 Pope appears to be personally loved and respected 
 by all. He expends all he can for the benefit 
 of the city, but there is a general feeling that 
 it is only his own life that delays the revolution, 
 and certainly nothing can be more inconvenient 
 than the present relationship between the Italian 
 and Roman Glovernments. 
 
 Good Friday. — We went to the morning ser- 
 vice at the English ehm-ch. Nothing has so 
 much shocked my English sense of propriety 
 since I have been here, as the mode in which 
 this day is externally disregarded — shops all 
 open and business going on just as usual. Here 
 again extremes meet, and Edinbiu-gh and Rome 
 keep the day much alike. Not but there are 
 special services in all the chm'ches ; and a large 
 one, where I looked in to see the tliree hom-s' 
 agony kept, was full of people. In the afternoon 
 we went to a Tenebrte service at S. Peter's, 
 during which the Pope came into the church 
 to pray before the tomb of the Apostles, after 
 which were exhibited in his presence from a 
 balcony in the chm'ch, the sacred relics, namely, 
 a part of the true cross and the VoUo Santo, or 
 handkerchief of S. Veronica, of which you know 
 the legend. These were enclosed in a glass case 
 with silver frame, so that it was impossible 
 
60 
 
 really to see them. Before the Pope came, we 
 witnessed a curious ceremony — the Cardinal 
 Grand Penitentiary in a seat holding a long gold 
 wand in his hand, with which he touched every 
 one who came to him on the head. " Murray " 
 says, this is "to give absolution for mortal sins, 
 which cannot otherwise be absolved;" but this I 
 can hardly believe, as there appeared to be no 
 confession or preparation : still as he sat to hear 
 confessions the day before, the persons who came 
 might be known to him. Apparently the people 
 offered themselves promiscuously, but the touch 
 of the wand without saying a word, was, at the 
 least, a strange mode of giving absolution. 
 
 Satm-day. — We went at 9.0 a.m. to attend an 
 iuteresting service in an equally interesting place, 
 a general ordination in the chm'ch of S. John 
 Lateran, so famous in history, where the dogma 
 of transubstantiation was decreed A.D. 1215. 
 The ceremony began soon after we arrived, by 
 a long procession entering the church chanting, 
 and then walking all round the church, con- 
 sisting of the cardinal vicar of Pome, wearing 
 a splendid mitre with his crozier in his hand, 
 attended by several priests and the candidates, 
 to the number of sixty or seventy, all robed in 
 white. When he reached the altar where the 
 ordination was to take place, he knelt down 
 before it, and all the candidates threw themselves 
 
61 
 
 prostrate on the gTOiind beliind liim, and con- 
 tinued for some time in prayer in that posture, 
 so that the floor was a sheet of wliite. This had 
 a very impressive appearance. The service was 
 a very long one, there being ordinations of 
 acolytes, sub-deacons, deacons, and priests. The 
 cardinal invested each with his particidar vest- 
 ment, the acolytes with the cotta, the sub- 
 deacons with the dalmatica, the deacons with 
 the stole, and the priests with the chasuble 
 and maniple. The mode of ordaining the priests 
 was far more impressive than ours, for instead 
 of the bishop and two priests laying their 
 hands all together, as with us, the bishop first 
 laid both his hands on each, and afterwards 
 the archdeacon and other priests went round to 
 each, as they were kneeling, and laid their 
 hands on them severally. There was a mass 
 and communion afterwards, but after standing 
 three hours we left before it was over. In the 
 evening we went to the hospital of Trinitd de 
 PeUegnni to see the washing of the feet of the 
 pilgrims by the cardinals, nobility, and other 
 chief men in Eome, and waited on by them 
 afterwards at supper. This was a very cm-ious 
 scene. It had been done on Wednesday and 
 Thursday evenings as well, and this was the last 
 evening. The ladies of Rome did the same to 
 female pilgrims, but this we were not permitted 
 
62 
 
 to see. The pilgrims must have come from 
 a distance of more than sixty miles and 
 brought certificates from their bishops with them. 
 There were four hundi'ed altogether, includ- 
 ing eighty women. You never saw such a set 
 of ragamuffins. All who waited on them were 
 robed in a long red dress, helped to take the 
 dirty shoes and stockings off, washed, wiped, and 
 kissed their feet, and then helped to put the 
 shoes and stockings on — all joining, the whole 
 time, in reciting some words in a low tone. I 
 stood by an old cardinal and saw him do it all. 
 When this was over, they went to the dining- 
 room, where these grandees waited on the 
 pilgrims ; but we did not remain after the plate 
 of soup was served round. This finished the 
 much-talked-of Holy Week. There were other 
 ceremonies which we did not attend, and merely 
 selected the more important, and such as were 
 within our power. And now, how shall I find 
 words to describe Easter Sunday ! Much must 
 be left to your imagination, and even that will 
 fail you. I was awoke at day-break by the 
 guns of the castle of S. Angelo booming over 
 the city. This was soon followed by the clatter 
 of church bells for early masses, and at 7.30 we 
 started for S. Peter's. The Swiss Guards were 
 on this occasion in steel armour, and the 
 Guardia Nohlle in splendid scarlet uniform in- 
 
63 
 
 stead of blue, which they wore before, and the 
 pillars of S. Peter's were hung with red drapery. 
 I got, as before, behind one of the Swiss 
 Guards in an excellent front place. About 9.30 
 the long procession of cardinals, prelates, and 
 other dignitaries came slowly up the chm-ch 
 with splendid mitres and robes, the blue violet 
 ones of Lent being exchanged for the white and 
 yellow ones of Easter. After them came the 
 Pope in his sedes gestatoria, wearing his tiara 
 which was covered with jewels, and extending his 
 right arm in benediction, as before. The silver 
 trimipets played him up the nave. There was a 
 great deal of ceremony, as on Palm Sunday, after 
 he was seated, the cardinals doing homage and 
 kissing his hand, or rather the ring on it, and 
 the others kissing the gold cross in front of his 
 white shoe, which is vulgarly called "kissing 
 the Pope's toe." On this day the Pope cele- 
 brates high mass himself, before which the office 
 of Tierce was sung by the Sistine choir, the 
 music on this day being said to be the most 
 beautiful in the whole range of sacred music. 
 The Pope chanted the service in a fine clear 
 voice, assisted by the choir, and when he came 
 to the elevation of the Host, I never shall forget, 
 and cannot possibly describe, the few minutes 
 that followed. S. Peter's was full, and all knelt 
 or bowed in deep silence, when at that instant 
 
64 
 
 tlie silver trumpets were lieard filling the dome 
 and all the avenues of that magnificent temple 
 with the sweetest and richest sounds' you can 
 possibly conceive; it was quite unearthly, and one 
 seemed for the time in Paradise. The trumpeters 
 could not be seen, but the sound seemed to come 
 from the dome. As soon as they ceased, all rose 
 up from their postm-e of adoration. After the 
 conclusion of the service, the Pope was carried 
 from liis throne to the middle of the nave, where 
 he alighted and knelt at a faldstool before the 
 altar and tomb of the Apostles, in private prayer. 
 He then re-ascended his portable seat and ^dth 
 his tiara on his head was borne out of the church, 
 the fans of ostrich and peacocks' feathers being 
 carried on each side. But when I left S. Peter's, 
 how shall I describe the sight that burst upon 
 me ! You must understand that beyond the 
 colonnade is a very large open space, called 
 the Piazza de San Pietro, and that fi'om the 
 commencement of the colonnade there is a 
 gradual ascent to S. Peter's. "When I left the 
 chiu-ch, I looked down on the whole of this vast 
 open space filled — and not only so, but the roofs 
 and windows of the houses beyond, containing 
 occupants, all dressed in their best, with the 
 most perfect order* and decorum, waiting for the 
 appearance of the Pope at the balcony in front 
 of S. Peter's. It was about a quarter of an 
 
65 
 
 lioiu' before he came, "borne on his f^edes, as before, 
 and wearing the tiara. The benediction is rather 
 lengthy, and concludes with the words : ^^Et bene- 
 dictio Del Omiiipofeiitis, Patris, Filii et Spiritus 
 Sancfi descendaf super ros, et maneat semper. 
 Adicik" Until he comes to those words, he con- 
 tinues sitting and intoning the Benediction from 
 a book held before him. This he did with a fine 
 clear voice, which could be heard probably over 
 the whole of the vast space before him. But at 
 the words " Et beaedictio,^^ he rises, makes the 
 three signs of the cross at the words " Patris et 
 Filii et Spiritns Sancti," then spreads out his 
 hands towards heaven, and lets them fall over 
 the people at the words '' desee)idat super ■vos.''^ 
 At the instant it is over, the guns of S. Angelo 
 send forth their salvos, the people raise a shout, 
 the military bands strike up, and the bells of 
 S. Peter's clatter, so that the contrast between the 
 deep interval of stillness, when all were either 
 standing uncovered or kneeling, and this sudden 
 burst of joy is very striking. The Pope remains 
 a few minutes after giving the Benediction, then 
 rises again and gives another, but without pro- 
 nouncing the above words, and retires. A 
 
 and I soon afterwards met at the entrance, and 
 sat down on the top step, and gazed on the scene, 
 as the people were departing mth the almost end- 
 less cortege of state carnages among them, and 
 
 F 
 
66 
 
 we both said that notliing could exceed it for mag- 
 nificence in the world. You may imagine the 
 number of people, when I tell you that Rome 
 was never known to be so full of English and 
 Americans, come here for the occasion, and the 
 authorities compute them at 30,000. These, of 
 course, were all there, to say nothing of other 
 foreigners, besides the population of Rome, and 
 the multitudes that had flocked in from the 
 coimtry ; for on this day every shop is shut, and 
 there was an entu^e suspension of work. They 
 took an immense time in dispersing, but all was 
 done in the most perfect quietness and order. 
 After this I felt that I had seen and heard 
 enough, and that all other scenes in my life 
 would pale before it. In the afternoon we at- 
 tended the English Church service, and in the 
 evening went out to see the famous illumination 
 of S. Peter's. There are two — the first, called 
 the silver illmnination, begins at seven, and con- 
 sists of 5,900 lanterns, and the second, the 
 golden one, at eight, of 6,800. Each is done 
 instantaneously, so as to appear the work of 
 enchantment, and as this blaze of light to the 
 highest point of the cupola stands out against 
 the dark sk}^, the appearance is most splendid. 
 The instantaneous change from the silver to 
 the golden at eight o'clock was very striking. 
 We had a cai:)ital view from an eminence near. 
 
67 
 
 Easter Monday. — After attending service at 
 the English church, and writing a great part of 
 this letter, we took a carriage to the famous 
 chui'ch of 8(1)1 Paolo fnorl le Mara, second only 
 to S. Peter's itself; it is some way beyond the 
 walls. Under the high altar was at one time 
 the burial place of S. Paul, and before the 
 Reformation the Kings of England were pro- 
 tectors of this church, and the shield bearing the 
 abbot's arms is smTOunded by the ribbon of the 
 Order of the Grarter, with the words " Hoiii 
 so/'f, ^c." It is a most magnificent church, and 
 has one of its altars entirely of malachite with 
 gold ornaments. In the evening we attended 
 that splendid display of fireworks on the Monte 
 Pincio, for which Easter Monday is so famous 
 in Rome. I will only say that it was most 
 wonderful, and sm'passes all description. 
 
 Easter Tuesday. — We went over the picture 
 galleries in the Palazzo Borghese, the Palazzo 
 Doria, and the Palazzo Spada, the latter famous 
 for containing the identical statue of Pompey, at 
 the foot of which " great Csesar fell," and which, 
 Shakespeare says, " all the while ran blood." 
 You may imagine how intensely we gazed upon it. 
 It is eleven feet high, and presents a noble figure, 
 with the stern majesty of the old Roman strongly 
 marked in the countenance. Afterwards, we saw 
 the pictures in the gallery of S. Lidi:e and the 
 F 2 
 
68 
 
 convent of 8. Leonardo, which tbo monks showed 
 us over — and the Pantheon. 
 
 April 20th. — I brought my jom-nal do■v\^l to 
 
 yesterday in my letter to M . To-day we 
 
 have been over the Quirinal Palace and another 
 palace. I have looked over some good photo- 
 graphs on a large scale, which v^-ill be sent off 
 to London, and a letter to me at Dursley will be 
 sent from thence, when they arrive, which must 
 be answered by ordering them to be forwarded 
 to Dursley. I forgot in my letter yesterday to 
 say, that on Good Friday afternoon I attended 
 a mass celebrated by an Armenian bishop, accord- 
 ing to the form of their church. 
 
 April 26th. — I omitted to say, that on Easter 
 Eve the custom is in every parish in Rome, for 
 the Curate to enter every house and give his 
 benediction. I happened to be in the passage 
 when he entered in his robes, with two attend- 
 ants, and walked upstairs. I waited till he came 
 dowTi, and asked him a question or two. I 
 know from good authority that after the Pope 
 had given his Easter Day Benediction, he re- 
 marked that he beheved it would be his last. 
 To-day we have visited the crypt of S. Peter's, 
 and seen the Tomb of the Apostles, also the 
 tombs of the Stuarts, with their full regal titles 
 over them ; — also seen a white marble cohmm of 
 exquisite workmanship in S. Peter's, brought 
 
69 
 
 from tlie Temple of Jerusalem, and said to be 
 part of Solomon's Temple, against which (it is 
 said) our Saviour leant, when He taught the 
 people. The four bronze pillars to the canopy 
 of the High Altar are made after its model. 
 Afterwards we went to the Vatican Library, and 
 saw there the Presentation Copy to the Pope 
 by Henry YIII. of his book against Luther, with 
 his autograph signatm-e attached, — also an auto- 
 graph letter of Anne Boleyn. I have had no 
 answer to my letter to the Pope's Chamberlain, 
 and no v/onder, for I see by the papers that he 
 had to receive six hundred, who were presented 
 to him last week, in addition to all the public 
 ceremonies. 
 
 Naples, May 2. — You will, I know, be glad to 
 hear that we are safely here, and have hitherto 
 escaped the brigands. My last letter was WTitten 
 the day before we left Pome, last Friday. We 
 had a pleasant journey here next day, in company 
 with a Canadian party, who had just returned 
 from a torn* tlrrough Palestine, including Jeru- 
 salem, &c., which was very agreeable. The first 
 part of the journey out of Rome was full of 
 objects of interest, as the railway was parallel 
 with the Via Appia, marked by its line of ruined 
 sepulchres, and also with the ancient Roman 
 Aqueduct, the Alban hills forming a very fine 
 boundary to the scene. We passed the famous 
 
70 
 
 monastery of Monte Casino, more like a palace 
 than a convent, the grandest and most ancient 
 monastic establishment in Euroj)e, being fomided 
 by, and the residence of, S. Benedict. After we 
 got into the Italian territory, vre observed persons 
 stationed at short intervals along the line, as a 
 sort of telegraph to give warning, if necessary, of 
 the brigands. The latter part of the joru'ney, for 
 about twenty miles before we reached Naples, was 
 through a most rich and luxuriant country, far 
 surpassing anything I have seen in England, all 
 the land being under cultivation, and the trees 
 hung with festoons of vines, the wheat also being 
 fidl gro^Ti, and looking remarkably fine. TVe 
 aiTived here soon after 6.0 p.m., but it was more 
 than half-an-hoiu- before we could leave the 
 station, where we were beset by a crowd of 
 people offering their services, that is, rogues who 
 would run away 'uith one's luggage, and by 
 beggars. We di'ove to the Hotel de Eusse, 
 where we are comfortably quartered. I should 
 have said, that the whole line of country from 
 Rome to this is very picturesque and beautiful, 
 the snow-capped Apennines forming a fine object 
 dming much of the way. On Sunday, we at- 
 tended morning and afternoon service at the 
 English church, and on oiu- way back in the 
 afternoon, took a drive along the Chiaja and the 
 road beyond out of the city, which forms the 
 
71 
 
 fasliionable drive, and from whence we had a fine 
 view of the far-famed Bay and tlie city, which 
 certainly did not disappoint the highest expect- 
 ation. The streets are crowded with people, who 
 seem to live out of doors, but the greater part 
 are a dirty, lazy set, lying about and spoiling 
 the charm which Nature has so lavishly bestowed 
 on this beautiful spot. "We met at om^ hotel 
 some of our old Roman friends, who had planned 
 an excursion to Vesuvius next day, and allowed 
 us to join them. Accordingly, we were called 
 at 3.30 on Monday morning, and between 4.0 and 
 5.0 a.m., a large party of us (gentlemen and 
 ladies) started in carriages for Eesina, a town 
 about fom" miles off, at the foot of Vesuvius, and 
 beneath which Herculaneum Kes buried. Here 
 we engaged guides, with whom we started on 
 ponies and mules, which took us at a walking 
 pace along a most rough and uneven track over 
 fields of lava, till we reached the bottom of the 
 
 cone. W says in a letter, that I speak only 
 
 of the beauties of Art, and wants to know if I 
 have seen none of Natm^e. He may be satisfied 
 when I tell him that the wonders of Nature on 
 this one day far surpassed all those of Ai't which 
 we have ever seen. On each side of our rugged 
 track were vast square miles of lava, that is, of 
 molten rock in enormous folds and wreaths, 
 presenting a most marvellous sight, just as 
 
72 
 
 though the earth had been disemhowelled and 
 cast up her entrails on the surface. It was 
 awful to tliink that all this had been poui'ed 
 (jut from the central furnace of the earth, for it 
 had all the appearance of ha\TLng just flowed over 
 and hardened. This ride to the foot of the 
 cone was six miles, and very fatiguing. We 
 had all then to dismount and ascend the cone, 
 how we could. This was another hour's work. 
 All the gentlemen, except myself, were young 
 men, and of com^se enjoyed the fun, a great 
 part of which was to assist the ladies, some of 
 whom were strapped round the waist and hauled 
 up by the gmdes with the assistance of the 
 gentlemen. The cone is very steep and is 
 formed of lava, stones and cinders, thrown up 
 dm'ing the eruptions, which add much to the 
 difficulty of climbing. Myself and one of the 
 ladies engaged a portable chair each, and were 
 carried by poles resting on the shoulders of four 
 men. This was dreadfully nervous work, for 
 as there was no sure footing for the men, the 
 chair was constantly reeling from side to side, 
 and at one time i£ came down with me, and 
 then the awful height, with the clouds, sea, and 
 land beneath us, added greatly to the terror of 
 the journey. I was exclaiming ^'■jn'oncz gardc^'' 
 and my bearer ^'- pm de danger, Moiisicio','' all 
 the way. I would not undergo it again for a 
 
great deal. However, we were amply repaid 
 when we reached the crater. The smoke was 
 rising from many parts, and some eggs were 
 cooked on the soil, of which we partook. Every 
 thing here wore a different appearance from the 
 sides of the cone we had ascended, for all the 
 surface was of a yellow and green colour, from 
 the stones of sulphur with which it was covered. 
 We walked round some parts of the edge of 
 the crater, to get a sight of Pompeii. The view 
 was magnificent — on one side the range of the 
 Apennines, and on the other the Mediterranean, 
 with the beautiful Bay of Naples, and the city 
 and populous country about it. The descent 
 was of course much more rapid than the ascent, 
 but not less frightfid. to me, for I was carried 
 backward in the chair, and occasionally round 
 some terrific turnings. We then remounted our 
 animals, and had the same dreary, wearisome 
 ride to take over the lava, back to the town of 
 Eesina. Along the latter part of the ride, the 
 lava had been brought into cultivation, and a 
 wine called " Lacryma Christi " is made from 
 the vines which grow on it. We had some on 
 the top of Yesuvius, and it was delicious. We 
 got back to Naples about three o'clock, all 
 very tired, and glad to get some rest before 
 dinner. 
 
74 
 
 Tuesday. — We joined an American gentleman 
 and two young Portuguese in the hire of a 
 carriage, to take us to Herculaneum and Pompeii. 
 The former does not possess much interest, ex- 
 cept to the antiquarian, as it is buried in lava 
 under the town of Pesina ; no further excava- 
 tions are being made for fear of the sui-face 
 falling in, and all the objects of interest have 
 been removed and placed in museums. It was 
 destroyed by lava at the same time as Pompeii, 
 in the year 79, and was discovered about 100 
 years ago in the same manner as Pompeii, by 
 sinking a well. The only part to be seen, and 
 that by the aid of candles, in .its subterraneous 
 state is the Theatre, the different parts of which 
 ha^e been brought to light by the excavations. 
 Thence we had a most dusty and disagreeable 
 drive to Pompeii, than which there can be 
 nothing more interesting. This was destroyed, 
 not by lava, but by showers of stones and ashes 
 from Vesuvius, and consequently is not so im- 
 bedded in hard rock as Herculaneum. About 
 one third of the city has been excavated, and 
 the works are still in progress, the Italian 
 Parliament having voted £1000 a year towards 
 the expense, which is much too little. Here is 
 the city with its streets and houses, just as it 
 was when it was suddenly destroyed, with some 
 figures of human beings encased in the fatal 
 
shower. Many of the most valuable curiosities 
 have been removed to the museum here, which 
 we saw yesterday. The Forimi and other pubHc 
 buildings and |the Amphitheatre are particularly 
 perfect. This expedition occupied the whole 
 day, and I long to pay aifother visit. All 
 yesterday we spent in the museum and seeing 
 the church of S. Martine, second only to 
 S. Peter's at Rome. To-day we go to Sorrento, 
 and retm'n to-morrow, and on Monday we go 
 with a lady and her daughter to Baise. The air 
 is cool, mornings and evenings, and I am getting 
 stronger every day. 
 
 Naples, May 7th. — My last was brought down 
 to Wednesday in last week, which no doubt has 
 now been received. The next day (Thm-sday) 
 we started by train to Castellamare, and thence 
 by carriage for Sorrento, a most beautiful spot, 
 and a favomite resort of all travellers ; also well 
 known in classic history. We put up at a quiet 
 Pension in the loveliest part of the place, with 
 rooms looking to the sea. The same afternoon 
 we took a drive of four miles to Massa, and ought 
 to have crossed over to Capri in a boat, but we 
 heard so much of the sea-sickness of a party who 
 had made the attempt the day before, that we 
 did not follow their example, which I am, never- 
 theless, rather sorry for. Next morning we 
 started, I on a donkey and A on foot, up a 
 
76 
 
 tremendous hill to a place called the Deserto, and 
 thence to the village of S. Agatha. From the top 
 of this hill we had a most splendid view of land 
 and sea scenery, — the Mediterranean with its 
 fine deep blue, including the Bay of Naples, and 
 all the surrounding coast, and the Grulf of Salerno 
 vdth. a fine mountain range. We had a most 
 lovely drive hack to Castellamare the same even- 
 ing, and thence to Naples by train. We fell in 
 on that day with some ladies of our Vesuvian 
 party, and others whom we had before met, 
 which made it very agreeable. These little ex- 
 cursions give us the opportunity of seeing some- 
 thing of Italian country life, which is one of the 
 most primitive you can conceive — at least in South 
 Italy, — women doing mason's work with the 
 men, &c. The country roimd is most rich and 
 picturesque, the slopes cultivated with the vine 
 and olive, and the vale with orange groves. As 
 we went through one, I had two oranges from 
 the tree, and never tasted anything more deli- 
 cious. My plan was to have gone to Amalfi, 
 and from thence to Sorrento, but I was deterred, 
 from what I heard of the brigands. 
 
 Satm-day. — We finished off the museimi, in- 
 tending to have paid afterwards another visit to 
 Pompeii, but there was so much to interest us in 
 the former, we could not afford the time, so, after 
 visiting the cathedral, A went for a drive 
 
77 
 
 witli a Marlbro' man, and I took a warm bath. 
 I forgot to mention in my last our visit to the 
 castle of S. Elmo — a large fortress adjoining the 
 to^vn, and I also omitted to enclose some "maiden 
 hair" which I picked from the walls of Pompeii, 
 and now enclose all I have left of it. 
 
 Sunday. — This was a remarkable day. You 
 have often heard and read (I dare say) of the 
 Liquefaction of the Blood of S. Januarius. I 
 remember reading an article on it in a No. of 
 the Union Review. It is the greatest religious 
 festival in Naples, and I was very glad to be 
 here at the time. There are three of them in 
 the year — in May, September, and December. 
 That you may properly understand it, I will 
 make a little preface of its history. S. Januarius 
 is the patron saint of Naples, and the cathedral 
 is dedicated to him. When he was exposed in 
 the third century to be devoured by lions in the 
 amphitheatre of Puteoli, they prostrated them- 
 selves before him and became tame. I was at the 
 amphitheatre yesterday, and saw the place where 
 he was confined, on which there is now a little 
 chapel to his memory. This miracle is said to 
 have converted so many to Christianity, that, 
 by order of the Eoman Emperor, the saint was 
 decapitated. The sentence was executed at Sol- 
 fatara a.d. 305. I was there also yesterday, and 
 saw the monastery with its church, erected in 
 
78 
 
 1680 by the Neapolitans on the spot where he 
 is said to have suffered martjrrdom. The body 
 remained bm-ied at Puteoli until the time of 
 Constantino, when it was removed to Naples by 
 S. Severus the bishop, and deposited in a chm-eh. 
 At the time of this removal, the Eoman lady, 
 who is said to have collected the blood at the 
 time of the martyrdom, took it in two bottles to 
 S. Severus, in whose hands it is said to have im- 
 mediately melted. In 1497 the body of the 
 saint, which had been removed to Benevento in 
 the ninth eentmy, was brought again to Naples 
 with great solemnity and deposited in the cathe- 
 dral. The two phials, which are said to contain 
 the blood collected by the lady, are kept in an 
 iron safe, and fixed in the wall behind the high 
 altar in the cathedral, and secured by t-^'o locks, 
 one key being kept by the municipal authorities, 
 and the other by the bishop. It so happened 
 that I had a first-rate opportunity of seeing and 
 examining the whole minutely, from the very 
 first to the last, through the kind assistance of a 
 Eoman Catholic lady, a friend of a lady in oiu- 
 hotel, to whom I had mentioned the subject, and 
 who, like me, was very anxious to witness the 
 ceremony. This E. C. lady obtained from the 
 authorities permission for us to go, where only 
 the most privileged are admitted. So on Sunday 
 morning, between seven and eight a.m. we 
 
79 
 
 started, a party of five of us (including tlie 
 R. C. lady) for the cathedral, which was then 
 filling fast. After seeming our places we had 
 to wait about an houi', during which masses were 
 being celebrated. We were then admitted to 
 the narrow space between the high altar (which, 
 by the way, is a splendid one of richly-carved 
 silver) and the iron safe with its two folding 
 doors. Bye and bye, the bishop and the prince 
 (as he is called), that is, the head of the civil 
 authorities in the city, came with due ceremo- 
 nial, each with his key, and unlocked the safe. 
 They fii'st took out a large silver bust of the 
 saint, and carried it to be deposited by the 
 altar. This is said to contain his real head. 
 During tliis little delay our party had full oppor- 
 tunity of examining the phials, one by one. 
 They were suspended in a glass case in the safe, 
 one large and the other small, and my attention 
 was fixed on the former. It had a substance 
 which had the appearance of congealed blood, 
 mth which it was about three parts filled, the 
 empty part of the bottle being lowermost as it 
 remained suspended, so that it was quite clear 
 that what was in the upper part was in a solid 
 state, as it did not move. I went close to it and 
 examined it most minutely. The bishop then 
 retiu-ned and took the phials in the glass case 
 out of the safe, and presented it to such as chose, 
 
so 
 
 that they might kiss it. He then earned it in 
 front of the altar, to exhibit it to all the congre- 
 gation. I followed him, and did not take my 
 eye off the bottle for a moment. He then 
 walked with it, backwards and forwards, before 
 the altar, holding it up before all the people, 
 and allo'v\ing any to come as near as they could 
 for about ten minutes, but the substance still 
 continued unmoved, being suspended in the 
 upper part of the bottle. During all this time, 
 and indeed before it began, there was a tremen- 
 dous clatter of voices in the cathedi'al, chiefly 
 from a set of old women who claim to be of the 
 family of the saint, and sit in a privileged place, 
 and as soon as mass is over, begin reciting their 
 Pater Nosters, Aves and Credos wdth the intention 
 of supplicating the saint to effect the liquefaction. 
 If it does not take place soon, their entreaties 
 tmii to abuses, with which they go on vmtil the 
 liquefaction begins, and then all is applause. I 
 do not know that they used any abusive words 
 on Sunday, because it was only about ten minutes 
 before the liquefaction took place, and as soon as 
 it w^as seen, there was a great burst of joy — the 
 organ struck up — chanting began — and the peo- 
 ple sobbed aloud, the tears rolling down their 
 cheeks for joy. The reason of this is that the 
 miracle never fails, without some grievous cala- 
 mity befalling the city. The substance began 
 
81 
 
 to move quite gradually, and at last, freely, so 
 that as the bishop moved the phial up and down, 
 the blood flowed either way. I did not take 
 my eye off it once, but kept examining it with 
 my opera glass, which is a very good one. Any 
 one might go up and look at it, and most of the 
 people did, for the purpose of kissing the casket. 
 Oiu- R. C. friend was in an ectasy of delight. 
 She is a very ardent and warm-hearted person — 
 has been twice a widow — and a pervert of about 
 five or six years standing, and this was the first 
 miracle she had ever seen. She appealed to us 
 
 all by turns, and was very pressing upon A . 
 
 She had been presented to the Pope, with a vast 
 nmnber of others, in Holy Week, and cried so 
 much all the time, that His HoHness was obliged 
 to tell her not to cry so. I had a sharp skirmish 
 with her — not that I denied the miracle, for after 
 all, granting it to be one, it proves nothing, for 
 it is not pretended that it supports any doctrine, 
 and when the liquefaction fii'st took place, accord- 
 ing to the tradition, in the reign of Constantine, 
 it was before Popery was born or thought of. 
 I told her it was much more clifiicult to prove 
 that it was the blood of S. Januarius than it 
 was to prove the fact of the liquefaction. On 
 each occasion of the festival, the miracle is re- 
 peated every clay for seven days, and the day 
 we went was the second. But an old and very 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 Low Church clergyman from oiir hotel had gone 
 the first day, only not in time to see the lique- 
 faction, that is, not the act of the substance 
 tm-ning from a solid to a liquid state — he merely 
 saw it in the latter, so he came back and said 
 it was "monstrous." However, next mominff 
 he followed our party, being determined to see 
 the whole, so he was there all the time, and 
 got nearly as close as we were — but when we 
 met at luncheon afterwards, he could only say 
 it was "most extraordinary." Grreatly must he 
 have been disapj^ointed at not being able to 
 detect "the trick," as they call it. This clergy- 
 man I had met at Rome and Sorrento, where 
 we were at the same hotel, and he preached in 
 the English church at Naples that same Sunday 
 afternoon, and included in his sermon, among 
 those who were not on their way to heaven, all 
 English, Americans, and Scotchmen who had 
 gone to S. Peter's at Rome on Easter Sunday 
 morning, because they had broken the sabbath 
 by going sight-seeing ; forgetting that he had 
 done the same that very morning in a much 
 truer sense, I could tell you a great deal of 
 the strange deeds of this same clergyman, but 
 must return to my narrative. After the cere- 
 mony of the liquefaction was over, we adjourned 
 to the sacristy, where we were privileged to see 
 all the ornaments and jewels that had been pre- 
 
83 
 
 sented to S. Jannarins, to be worn on tlie silver 
 bust, wbich contains his li^acl. They were all 
 presents from croTVTied heads and princes, the 
 last, and one of the most costly, being from 
 Victor Emmanuel. I should scarcely think any 
 monarch in Europe possessed jewels more hand- 
 some and valuable, the mitre also was covered 
 with precious stones. All these are put on the 
 bust in processions on these festivals, one of 
 which was to take place next day, but we did 
 not go. In the papers of the Camden Society 
 there is an interesting account of the private 
 exhibition of the miracle in 1696, by Lord 
 Perth, chancellor of Scotland at the fall of the 
 Stuarts. The only importance attached to the 
 miracle in Naples is the effect in the way of 
 calamity to the city, in the event of its fail- 
 ing — a very harmless notion, which one may 
 very well leave them quietly to enjoy, but I am 
 quite sure from all I have seen and heard since 
 I left England, that it is a most dangerous 
 thing to distiu'b the long-established traditions 
 of a people. Italy is now flooded with infidelity 
 from this very cause. What it wanted was a 
 good system of education, which must be a very 
 gradual process, and in the meantime the choice 
 of evils is to let things be as little disturbed as 
 possible. The French Revolution ought to be 
 a sufficient warning on this point. But to re- 
 
84 
 
 tui'ii from this little episode. We came back 
 from the cathedral in time for the English 
 church morning service, where we went again in 
 the afternoon, and afterwards strolled in the 
 beautiful gardens adjoining the sea, with some 
 of our lady friends Avhom we happened to meet. 
 The subject of the liquefaction has been much 
 discussed of com-se at the table in our hotel, but 
 as it consisted chiefly of the theories of persons 
 who had not witnessed it, and which I pretty 
 well shut up when I had a chance, particularly 
 when I was coolly asked if I saw how "the 
 trick was done," I need not say any more 
 about it. 
 
 Monday. — We made an engagement with our 
 
 friends, Mrs. and Miss M , to go together 
 
 to Baite, Cumse, and other intermediate places, 
 the most classic soil in all Italy. First, we 
 visited the tomb of Virgil, for in or near Naples 
 he lived and died, and composed his admirable 
 works, and it was from Naples that he went to 
 meet Augustus at Athens, which gave occasion 
 to Horace to compose that beautifid ode, con- 
 taining the exquisite line, " Et serves aninue 
 dinihUiDu mcce." From thence we went to 
 Puteoli, now called Pozzuoli, which, you re- 
 member, was the place where S. Paul landed 
 after his dangerous voyage in the Mediterranean, 
 and from whence he proceeded along the Via 
 
85 
 
 Appia to Rome. They show you the place 
 wliere he landed, and we trayelled along the 
 same Via Appia. Here also we saw the ancient 
 Amphitheatre (to which I have before alluded) ; 
 it is in a very perfect state, larger than that at 
 Pompeii, but smaller than the Colossemn. 
 From thence the whole ride was one succession 
 of objects of interest, temple after temple, the 
 villa of Cicero, tombs, together with a volcanic 
 mountain called the "Monte Nuovo," thrown 
 up A.D. 1538, about a mile and a half in cir- 
 cumference and 440 feet above the level of the 
 sea. Next, we came to the famous lake of 
 Avernus, spoken of by Yirgil in the 6th Book 
 of the ^neid, from which he describes the de- 
 scent to Hades, where ^neas went. It is also 
 referred to in Homer's Odyssey. The scenery 
 around it is now very beautiful, and the whole 
 place strikingly picturesque, the Lake (still 
 called by its ancient name) lying embosomed in 
 
 cultivated slopes, so that A exclaimed at 
 
 our first sight of it : "A jolly place, these 
 infernal regions ! " We had soon, however, 
 reason to know that it more resembled the 
 Poet's description than we imagined. For, bye 
 and bye, we came to the real entrance, and the 
 
 Cave of the Sybil. Here A and I got out, 
 
 but the ladies remained in the carriage. We 
 were provided with guides and torches, and 
 
86 
 
 entered a cavern on the banks of the Lake, 
 through which we walked for a quarter of a 
 mile, then a narrow passage branched off, just 
 wide enough to admit one person. Here our 
 principal guide left us, and we went on with 
 two only and tlu"ee torches. Presently we came 
 to water, and were obliged to mount on their 
 backs. They carried us through this water till 
 we were alighted on a spot which was called 
 '•the Bath of the Sybil," where was an apeiiui-e 
 in the rock, through which she was consulted 
 and gave her responses; then we went on again 
 in the same way through the water, till we came 
 to the Palace of the Sybil, where there are some 
 old remains of mosaic, and an Image of the Sybil. 
 The ^\hole place was as like as one can imagine 
 to a descent to the infernal regions. After 
 visiting the Baths of Nero, where the water 
 rises to a temperatiu-e of 182, and which are 
 used as vapour baths in rheumatic cases, we 
 went to Baia3, where we lunched. Of this -place 
 Horace says — 
 
 " Nullus in orbe locus Baits pymlucet ammnis," 
 
 and a delightful place it certainly is, but man-ed 
 since Horace's time by an ugly building or 
 two ; — thence to Misenum, where we visited the 
 veritable Elysian Fields of the Ancients, now a 
 rich -sdneyard — filled with ancient tombs. I 
 forgret to mention that we also visited Cumce. 
 
87 
 
 On our way back A and I got out and went 
 
 up the volcanic mount of Solfatara, I on a 
 
 donkey and A on foot. This mountain is 
 
 always in action when Vesuvius is quiescent, and 
 we saw the vapour and steam rushing out from 
 an aperture, where there were internal noises 
 like the boiling of water. From thence I had 
 a very awkward ride over the rocks till we de- 
 scended the mountain on the other side, but the 
 scenery was the most beautiful of any I have 
 seen in tliis lovely country, and I am glad the 
 last impression was the best. In fact I am 
 delighted with South Italy, and should be glad 
 to spend a month there, provided it be not 
 in Naples, which we both dislike much on ac- 
 count of the beggars, cheats, fleas, flies, and 
 narrow dirty streets. The heat in the day is 
 excessive, but altogether the climate and country 
 suit me very well, and although I still have 
 the pain in my back, it does not disable me. 
 
 Rome, Wednesday. — We have been finishing 
 off some sights here to-day — the places where 
 S. Paul lodged, S. Peter was crucified, on both 
 which churches are built. To-morrow we reach 
 Ancona, where we shall pass Friday, go to 
 Bologna Saturday, and to Venice Monday. We 
 shall stay there till towards the end of the 
 week, and then to Milan. 
 
88 
 
 Rome, May Sth. — I add a few lines to assure 
 you I am getting better daily, tliis climate, I 
 i"!jean tliat of Soutli Italy, suiting me wonder- 
 fully, altliougli the lieat is tremendous. Rome 
 appears to much greater advantage after Naples, 
 which, as regards the streets and people, is 
 odious, hut in respect of natural situation and 
 suiTounding country, magnificent — nothing yet 
 lias pleased me so much as South Italy. After 
 Rome and Naples I do not seem to care much 
 for what there is left to see. The Elysian Fields 
 are well placed by the Ancients in South Italy, 
 it contains some of the most charming spots on 
 
 earth. We had the Duke of N and his 
 
 tutor at our Table d'Hote at Naples. I became 
 acquainted with the latter before knowing who 
 he was. 
 
 Bologna, 12th May. — The heat here to-day is 
 so intense that it keeps everyone indoors, and I 
 will, therefore, devote some of my leisui'e to 
 wi'iting a few lines in anticipation of the budget 
 of news, which I expect to receive on our amval 
 at Yenice to-morrow evening. In my letter 
 from Rome on Wednesday I mentioned that we 
 had finished off our sight-seeing there. This 
 consisted in visiting the Basilica of Santa Croce, 
 the floor of which is said to be formed of earth 
 brought by S. Helena from Jerusalem ; and the 
 portion of the true Cross, which she brought 
 
89 
 
 from Jerusalem, was deposited here, and is the 
 same as was exposed at S. Peter's on Grood 
 Friday ; also the churches of S. Trinita de' 
 Monti and S. Stefano Eotondo — also the church 
 of S. Maria in the Yia Lata, which occupies 
 the spot where S. Paul lodged with the centiuion. 
 In the subterranean church beneath is a spring of 
 water, T\'hicli is said to have sprung up miracu- 
 lously, to enable the Apostle to baptize his disci- 
 ples — also tlie church of S. Pietro in Montorio. 
 In the cloister of the adjoining monastery is a 
 small circular temple, erected over the spot where 
 >S. Peter suffered martyrdom. The hole in which 
 the cross was fixed is shown. We also visited 
 the Grhetto — the place where the Jews in Rome 
 are compelled to reside, being in one of the 
 lowest and dirtiest parts. On Thiu'sday morning 
 we started fi-om Pome to Ancona, having two of 
 
 our Yesuvian party, Mrs. and Miss M , for 
 
 our travelling companions — also a French vis- 
 count and his lady, mth whom I had a very 
 agreeable conversation. They live at Nantes, 
 and I feel inclined to call on them on my 
 way home. The whole route from Pome to 
 Ancona is full of beauty, particularly the latter 
 part, where we cross the Apennines, which rise 
 majestically on each side, the valleys being richly ■ 
 cultivated with vines and corn. We meant to 
 have stayed a day at Ancona, but as I slept 
 
90 
 
 witli my Tsindow open towards tlie sea, I was so 
 di-eadfully stung T^itli mosquitoes (I believe) that 
 I resolved to leave it the next morning, which 
 we accordingly did, and went with Mrs. and 
 
 Miss M to Ravenna. We had the King of 
 
 Bavaria and his suite in the train, and I travelled 
 in the same carriage with an Austrian count and 
 his sister, on theii" way home from Egypt, where 
 the latter had gone for her health, being con- 
 sumptive — a ver}^ nice and interesting girl, who 
 spoke English fluently. I mentioned in my 
 
 last that we had the Duke of N at 
 
 our Table d'Hote at Naples, so that we have 
 fallen in mth all grades of society. With 
 Ravenna I was very much pleased, it is rich 
 in historical associations, and was selected by 
 Lord Byron above all other places in Italy 
 for his residence. We visited both the houses 
 in which he lived, and where he composed 
 many of his poems. It is also famous for 
 containing the tomb of Dante, which we visited, 
 though without pacing the honour to it which 
 Chateaubriand did, who knelt bareheaded at 
 the door before he entered, or Alfieri, who 
 prostrated himself before it. On Tuesday even- 
 ing, we and the two ladies di^ove about two 
 miles out of the city to see the famous 
 church of S. Aj^ollinare in Classe, which is a 
 basilica, and said to contain a finer specimen of 
 
91 
 
 Christian art than is to be found even in Rome ; 
 — thence to a large Pine Forest, whose praises 
 have been celebrated bj Dante, Bocaccio, Dryden, 
 and Byron. It is very magnificent, and presents 
 a vast succession of lovely avenues and glades. 
 It was a favouiite ride of Byron's over its turf. 
 Next day being market day, we strolled through 
 the market where all the country people had 
 brought their commodities, and visited the cathe- 
 dral with its beautiful baptistry and the mag- 
 nificent basilica of San Yitale, built in the reign 
 of Justinian in imitation of S. Sophia at Con- 
 stantinople. This in my oj)inion comes nearest 
 to S. Peter's of anything I have yet seen, and 
 but for some wretched modern painting, would 
 surpass it ; indeed, considering the interest 
 attached to its ancient mosaics, I am almost 
 inclined to say it does surpass it. These are of 
 the time of Justinian, and are as fresh and 
 beautiful as when they were first placed there. 
 We also went over the Academy of the Fine 
 Arts. Ravenna is a quiet, clean, respectable old 
 city, with good broad streets, and but little 
 known to travellers. As a city it is in my 
 opinion superior to Pome, that is. Modern Pome, 
 and takes its place after Grenoa. I was very 
 much pleased with it — it was such a contrast to 
 Naples and Rome. I forgot to say of Ancona 
 that it was beautifully situated on a bay of the 
 
92 
 
 Adriatic, but, like all sea ports, full of a low kind 
 of population. A great part of our ride was along 
 the coast. We and our two lady friends arrived 
 at Bologna yesterday about 3.0 p.m. The ride 
 was through a plain and richly-cultivated country 
 called the Eoniagna. We immediately went to 
 business, saw the chiu-eh of S. Petronius, the 
 largest in this place and built in the Italian 
 G-othic style, but still unfinished — very hand- 
 some. On the floor is the celebrated meridian 
 line of Cassini placed a.d. 1653 ; — thence to the 
 church of S. Dominico, containing the tomb of 
 the famous S. Dominic, the founder of the order 
 of Preaching Friars — this is extremely beautiful ; 
 — also the tomb of Gruido, the great painter ; — 
 thence to the church of S. Bartolomeo, where is 
 a miracle-working pictm-e of the Madonna. This 
 was so enriched with presents of jewels, &c., 
 that they, pictui-e and all, were a few years ago 
 stolen and taken to London, where the pictiu-e 
 was afterwards found and brought back with 
 great solemnity and rejoicing — the whole day 
 being kept as a festival by the Bolognese. In 
 the evening we took a drive to the church of 
 S. Michele in Bosco, a Httle way out of the 
 city, on an eminence which commands a most 
 magnificent view of the city and the plain of 
 the Romagna to an immense extent. This is 
 much the best city we have yet seen in Italy, 
 
93 
 
 most of the streets having covered porticoes, 
 which shelter froia the sun and rain, and every- 
 thing hearing the appearance of plenty and 
 respectability. 
 
 Sunday. — We attended service this morning 
 at 11.0, at a room in the hotel, conducted by 
 a clergyman, at which several were present. 
 In the afternoon, notwithstanding the extreme 
 heat, we drove out to the Campo Santo, or public 
 cemetery, which is unrivalled by any in Europe 
 and quite a sight for travellers, nothing could 
 be more admirably contrived or managed. In 
 the evening we took a drive "svith a Bolognese 
 gentleman and his daughter, whom I had sat 
 next to at the Table d'Hote on that and the 
 preceding day, and then asked them to name 
 any pretty drive ; they very politely offered to 
 take us one, and a most beautiful one it was ; 
 we retm^ned by moonlight and saw for the first 
 time the swarm of sparkling fire-flies, having 
 the appearance of a shower of fire as they 
 danced about the corn field. They look like 
 glowworms and at first I thought they were, 
 but you soon see them dancing about the air. 
 We have joined our Yesuvian party again here, 
 very gentlemanly and pleasant people. 
 
 Monday. — We went to the top of a hill 
 called the " Monte clella Gardia," which com- 
 mands a mafrnificent view from the Adi'iatic to 
 
94 
 
 the Alps and Apennines, with the rich plain 
 of the Romagna spread out below, studded with 
 cities, villages, churches, &c. On the top is the 
 church of the Madonna de S. Lucca, so called 
 from a miraculous pictiu-e of the Virgin attri- 
 buted to S. Lidie, which is kept there. The 
 walk up the hill under a covered portico, of 
 upwards of a mile, was tremendous and such 
 as a short time ago I could never have accom- 
 plished. The portico, which extends about two 
 miles from the city to the top of the hill, was 
 built by the inhabitants for the purpose of a 
 procession of the Madonna, which takes place 
 once a year, and is one of their greatest public 
 festivals. The walk is considered a pilgrimage, 
 and such it really is, and we witnessed the 
 adoration paid by the worshippers. The priest 
 came and unlocked the door of the recess, the 
 people all kneeling round, and exposed the 
 picture — nothing could exceed the veneration 
 paid to it. They took hold of a little velvet 
 hanging below the picture, kissed it and pressed 
 it to their foreheads. The pictiu'e was siu*- 
 rounded with jewels and precious stones that 
 had been presented to it. We afterwards 
 went over the Museum, Picture Gallery, and 
 University Library. The Picture Gallery con- 
 tains a famous one by Eajihael, namely, Santa 
 Ccecilia, of which I bought a photograph. On 
 
95 
 
 the whole we are much pleased with Bologna 
 and are disappointed only in the sausages, which 
 are served daily at the Table d'Hote dinner, 
 and are not so good as might he expected. I 
 forgot to mention in my last, that at Baite we 
 had a bottle of Horace's famous "Falernian,-' 
 which still maintans its fine quahty. For my- 
 self, I am quite another person. Italy has 
 done wonders for me, and I begin to see now 
 the absolute necessity there was for the change, 
 for it has taken a long time to bring me round. 
 Venice, Tuesday. — We anived here last night, 
 
 leaving our friends Mrs. and Miss M at 
 
 Ferrara on the way. I had a most dehcious row 
 in a gondola for about a mile from the railway 
 station to the hotel, where we are very comfort- 
 able, and the row was a great treat after the 
 noise and dust of the train. Here we have 
 found many of oiu- former friends, which is very 
 agreeable. Tliis morning I went to the post 
 
 office and foimd a letter from W , with 
 
 instructions for my route home tlirough Switzer- 
 land. I think of retui'uing over the Simplon 
 Pass from Milan and o^oinc? from thence to 
 Geneva, and making that my head quarters for 
 some time, as there is a fii-st-rate professor of 
 the French language there from whom I want 
 to take some lessons, as it worries me much 
 not to be able to speak French. A had 
 
96 
 
 then better retiu'ii, and I can "\\'ork my way 
 home at leisiu^e. I hope any letters giving an 
 account of our daily proceedings np to last 
 Wechiesday, when we left Eome, have been 
 received. To-day we have been with Mr. and 
 
 Mrs. K , who were at our hotel at Rome 
 
 and Naples, over S. Mark's Cathedi-al, and after- 
 wards to the Ducal Palace, but I was so weary 
 after my "pilgrimage" to fS. Lucca at Bologna 
 yesterday, that I came back soon after 3.0 for 
 a nap. I am T\Titing this before dinner. The 
 Piazza de San Marco and cathedral are very 
 beautiful, and the views over the sea lovely. 
 We also went to the Rialto, where Shylock 
 complained that Antonio had so often " rated " 
 him "about his monies and his usances." There 
 is a bridge over one of the canals called the 
 Rialto bridge, with shops on each side, and this 
 is still one of the great thoroughftires of the 
 place. It is very charming to have no noise of 
 
 carriages and horses, and no dust. A found 
 
 this mornin<? that his leather bag: had been cut 
 open somewhere, and a pair of trousers ab- 
 stracted. There are a di-eadful set of rogues in 
 Italy, from the brigands do^Tiwards. An 
 English clergyman who had lately been to 
 Naples said of it : " The city is a dunghill, 
 and the inhabitants rogues and beggars." This 
 is tolerably true. I am sorry to have disobeyed 
 
97 
 
 your orders in going to Naples, but I am sure 
 I am none the worse for it, and it was a great 
 treat, save the city itself and its inhabitants. 
 We saw a curious tiling at St. Mark's to-day. 
 A large flock of pigeons have frequented it from 
 time immemorial, which are fed at the expense 
 of the government, and just before the clock 
 strikes two they flock to the Piazza di San Marco 
 to be fed, and are all assembled by the time the 
 clock strikes. They are held in a sort of super- 
 stitious veneration by the people. 
 
 Wednesday. — We have been with Mr. and 
 
 Mrs. K • going about Venice in a gondola 
 
 seeing churches. We shall leave this in three or 
 four days for Milan, and proceed from thence to 
 
 Como, and afterwards by a route W has 
 
 sent me to Baveno, and cross the Simplon for 
 Greneva. I am getting quite tired of roaming 
 about and sight-seeing, and shall be very glad 
 to rest on the banks of the lake of Greneva. 
 
 A is very well and gets on with his 
 
 Italian. 
 
 Milan, May 19th. — We arrived here last 
 night, and I have to-day received your letter 
 of the 16th. My object in writing at once is 
 to say that I have altered my plans, and shall 
 go from Lake Como to Paris and not to Greneva, 
 and make the former my head quarters, where 
 A will leave me for England. Perhaps 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 you and M , or one of you, might like to 
 
 join me there to see the Exhibition, but I 
 will write again. I want to have some lessons 
 in French when at Paris, as the not being 
 able to converse in it has worried me exceed- 
 ingly. Afterwards, I thought of working my 
 way quietly home through Brittany. I sup- 
 pose I shall reach Paris within a fortnight from 
 this time. 
 
 I was greatly delighted with Venice, saw all 
 the churches and picture galleries, the Doge's 
 Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, with mention 
 of which Lord Bjrron begins his 4th canto of 
 Childe Harold. We also rowed about a good 
 deal, and went to Murano, but not to Torcello — 
 in fact, I wanted to spend yesterday and to-day 
 
 longer in Venice, but A seemed to wish to 
 
 get away. One evening we spent with a party 
 in the Piazzo di S. Marco, which is the general 
 rendezvous for all the respectable inhabitants on 
 an evening — where they stroll or sit and drink 
 coffee, and chat. The piazza itself is most beau- 
 tiful, surpassing any other place of the kind I 
 have seen, and these social gatherings make the 
 people appear like one large family. We had 
 one long row on the Lagoon by moonlight, which 
 was most lovely. This " Q,ueen of the Adriatic " 
 is certainly also the Queen of Cities. We are 
 also much pleased with Milan. After attending 
 
99 
 
 the English church this morning, we went with 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. K (whom we found here) to 
 
 the cathedral ; — here we were struck with amaze- 
 ment indeed, — in both exterior and interior it 
 surpasses S. Peter's, and of course every other 
 cathedral or church, out and out. Besides, being 
 Grothic and having splendid painted windows, it 
 is more in accordance with our English ideas. 
 To-morrow we intend to go over it fully, but a 
 
 day might be well employed upon it. A 
 
 remarked that it was worth the whole journey to 
 Milan to see it. We have since been with Mr. 
 
 K to the public gardens, where all the city 
 
 stroll out on Sunday afternoons. All social life 
 on the Continent seems to be public — so different 
 from ours ! On Tuesday or Wednesday we shall 
 leave for Lake Como, and from thence probably 
 over the Simplon to Lucerne and Paris. I shall 
 be very sorry to turn my back on Italy. Pead 
 what Lord BjTon says of it in canto iv. of 
 Childe Harold, stanzas 25 and 26. I quite re- 
 spond to it. The dinner bell rings — Grood-bye. 
 
 Lugano, May 27th. — I have half an hour to 
 spare before leaving this place which I will de- 
 vote to writing this letter. My last letter was,, 
 I believe, despatched from Milan yesterday week, 
 that is, on Sunday the 19th. We enjoyed Milan 
 very much — it is decidedly the best city in Italy 
 as a city, Naples and Venice of course having 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 the advantage of situation. There are beautiful 
 public gardens and drives near, where the whole 
 city seem to assemble on Sunday afternoons and 
 
 evenings, which we visited with the K s, 
 
 whom we found here. On Monday we went in 
 company mth them over Milan Cathedral, of 
 which (I believe) I expressed my opinion in my 
 last, that it sm^passed my expectations beyond 
 anything I had seen since I left England. 
 S. Peter's, although much larger, is not to be 
 compared with it externally or internally for 
 grandeiu", beauty, or religious impressiveness. 
 It is Grothic, and contains some splendid painted 
 glass — has 386 gm-goyles, all different — 8000 
 carved flowers, all different — 146 pinnacles, each 
 containing twenty-five statues, all different. I 
 shall never forget the impression of the first 
 entrance into it, for the light through the 
 painted windows being dim, the interior gra- 
 dually opens to the eye, as it becomes accustomed 
 to the gloom from the glare outside, and the 
 splendid proportions and beautiful work of the 
 cathedral develope themselves. Moreover, all 
 is solid white marble. S. Carlo Borromeo, who 
 was one of the principal benefactors to Milan, 
 and did a great part towards the restoration of 
 the cathedral, lies interred there in a magnificent 
 silver shrine. I attended high mass on Monday 
 and Tuesday mornings, when the organ was 
 
101 
 
 plaj'ed, and (if I mistake not) S. Augustine 
 says in his " Confessions," that the music of 
 the divine services he heard in Milan Cathedral 
 had a great effect in producing his conversion, 
 and he particularly describes the emotions he felt 
 under it. S. Ambrose was then the bishop, and 
 by him S. Augustine was afterwards baptized. 
 The Ambrosian Rite has still been preserved 
 in Milan, and is said to be the only one in the 
 West which has been spared by the Roman 
 Church, the clergy and people being very jealous 
 of it, and ha\ang resisted every attempt to have 
 the Roman Litm-gy forced upon them. I ob- 
 served that it differed much fi'om the Roman, 
 and that there was no prostration or bell-ringing 
 at the elevation of the host. I bought a copy 
 of the Ordinary of the Mass, to compare it with 
 the Roman when I get home. We afterwards 
 visited several chm-ches and public places, the 
 principal of which was the basilica of S. Am- 
 brozio, founded by S. Ambrose, and dedicated 
 by him to the martyrs SS. Grervasius and 
 Protasius. Here are the panels of the door 
 which S. Ambrose closed against the Emperor 
 Theodosius. In the crypt under the altar are 
 the tombs of S, Ambrose and SS. Grervasius and 
 Protasius. The next thing particularly worth 
 mentioning was the famous painting of Leonardo 
 da Yinci's " Last Supper," said to have been 
 
102 
 
 the finest in the world, but now, alas ! sadly 
 disfigured by the hand of Time, owing to the 
 peculiar process that was used in forming the 
 groimd-work of the painting, which is a frescoe 
 on the walls of the refectory of an old convent. 
 The expression of our Saviour's face, which was 
 the most remarkable part of the painting, is that 
 which has least suffered from the decay. The 
 next day (Tuesday) we went up part of the 
 Tower or Campanile of the Cathedral, where we 
 had a very fine view of its exterior and of the city 
 and adjoining country, and went over the sculp- , 
 tures and pictures in the Brera, a large public 
 palace, — and afterwards the Bibliotheca Ambro- 
 siana, which contains some valuable MSS. and 
 autographs of eminent persons, including S. 
 Philip de Neri, S. Francis de Sales, and S. Carlo 
 Borromeo. This day we found some of oui- 
 old Naples friends, whom we had also met at 
 Bologna and Venice, and they offered us places 
 in a box at the opera, which we accepted. This 
 was the first theatre I had attended since I left 
 England, the performance was very good, but 
 both the words and the plot being quite unin- 
 telligible to me, I got weary and left before it 
 was finished. The next morning (Wednesday) 
 we started for Lake Como, stopping at Monza on 
 the way, in order to see the famous Iron Crown 
 of Lombardy. The origin of it is lost in remote 
 
103 
 
 antiquity, but the traditions of Monza say that 
 it was given by Gregory the Great to Queen 
 Theodolinda, who seems to have been as great a 
 monarch in Lombardy as EKzabeth in England. 
 Thirty-five Kings of Lombardy have been 
 crowned with it in the Cathedral of Monza, 
 Charles V. being the last of the later Emperors 
 that were croTviied with it until Napoleon I., 
 anxious to connect his dignity with the recol- 
 lections of the past, placed it with his own 
 hands upon his head, disdaining to receive it 
 from the bishop. It has since been used at the 
 coronation of the two last Emperors of Austria. 
 The crown itself is a fillet of gold studded 
 with jewels, but having inside it a rim of iron, 
 said to have been hammered out from one of 
 nails used at the Crucifixion. Hence it is 
 called "// sacro Chiodo.^' It is safely guarded 
 in an iron closet let into the wall of the cathe- 
 dral, and a good deal of ceremony was used 
 before we could see it. First, we had to show 
 our passports, and then wait a quarter of an 
 hour, after which came two priests in their 
 robes, a thurifer also robed, and another man 
 with planks and steps and red hangings. 
 With these he formed a sort of platform imder 
 the iron closet, on which he hung the drapery 
 and there fi:sed the steps. Three massive locks 
 were then turned and curtains drawn aside. 
 
104 
 
 the two priests knelt, and the thnrifer swung 
 his censer with the burning incense, and the 
 Iron Crown was let do^vn for us to examine, 
 and with the same ceremony put back again. 
 At the same time was shown to us a glass 
 cross, set in a gold frame and containing some 
 pieces of the True Cross — of the Sponge — of the 
 Holy Sepulchre — of the Reed held by Clirist — 
 one of the Thorns of the Crown — and some 
 Stones of the Pillar to which He was bound. 
 During the interval of om- waiting for the 
 exhibition of the Iron Crown, we w^ere sho"^Ti 
 the curiosities of the sacristy, consisting chiefly 
 of things that had belonged to the famous 
 Uueen Theodolinda, such as her crown, fan, 
 comb, cup, &c., but the most interesting of all 
 was the list of relics sent by Grregory the Grreat 
 to her, written on papyrus and said to contain 
 his autograph. The celebrated Antiquary Maffei 
 calls this " the King of Papyri. " We then 
 filled up our time before the train arrived, by 
 taking a delightful drive thi'ough the park 
 belonging the Royal Palace. The train took us 
 to the shore of Lake Como, where we embarked 
 on the steam-boat and had a most delightful 
 passage up the Lake to Bellagio. The name 
 of this lake has been familiar to me from boy- 
 hood as having been the place of residence of 
 the unfortunate Queen Caroline at the Villa 
 
105 
 
 d'Este, which I saw from the steam-boat. This 
 exquisite lake quite equalled all I had heard 
 of it, which, in truth, was that it was "the 
 Lake of Europe." "We found Bellagio so full 
 that we were not ahle to get accommodation, 
 except at a third-rate hotel, although we had 
 written to secure rooms. Here we fell in again 
 with solne of our former friends. 
 
 Thursday. — The K s called and took us a 
 
 delightful walk tlu"ough the gardens and grounds 
 of the Villa Serbelloni, from whence there are 
 splendid views of the Lakes Como and Lecco 
 and of the surrounding mountains. In the 
 afternoon it blew a hurricane with thunder and 
 Kghtning, and the lake was tossed like the sea. 
 The next day (Friday) I walked again through 
 the grounds of the Villa Serbelloni, and in the 
 
 afternoon we left the place with the K s and a 
 
 clergyman and his wife and niece named F , 
 
 and crossed over the lake to Cadinabbia, hoping 
 
 to find the C s, but they had left for the 
 
 Simplon Pass. With this place and the beauti- 
 ful grounds of the Villa Carlotta I was much 
 delighted, and think it far superior to Bellagio, 
 although that is the most frequented place. 
 The afternoon and evening were brilliant, and the 
 setting sun bathed the upper half of the moun- 
 tains roimd the lake with a ruby red. It was 
 one of the loveliest sights you can conceive. The 
 
106 
 
 next morning (Saturday,) the K s, F s, 
 
 and ourselves took a boat to Menaggio, and from 
 thence an omnibus by ourselves to Porlezza, 
 from whence we had a delightful passage by 
 steam-boat down the Lake of Lugano to this 
 place. Although the lake is not quite so pic- 
 turesque as that of Como, I like the hotel and 
 town better than any of the places on Lake 
 Como, and could spend a few weeks here with 
 great pleasure, and there are numerous walks 
 about. Yesterday (Sunday) we attended divine 
 service twice in a small building excellently 
 fitted up as a church, the service being per- 
 formed admirably by the Rev. Mr. C , sent 
 
 by the S. P. Gr., under the authority of the 
 Bishop of London. I sat next him at dinner 
 at the Table d'Hote, and at breakfast next 
 morning I had a very interesting conversation 
 with him. There is a cathedral and several 
 churches here, some of which I visited yesterday. 
 Hospenthal, ST\itzerland, May 29, 10.0 p.m. — 
 I must resume my pen here, where we arrived 
 
 about 8.0 this evening, Mr. and Mrs. K 
 
 and ourselves took a private carriage from 
 Lugano, Monday morning, for Luino on the 
 Lake Maggiore, and thence by steam-boat down 
 the lake to Stresa. It rained nearly all the 
 way on the lake, so that we did not see much. 
 The next morning was very fine, and the K s 
 
107 
 
 and ourselves took a boat to the Bori'omean 
 Islands of Isola Bella and Isola Madre, which 
 are celebrated for their beauty. I was greatly 
 pleased with Stresa, but on the whole should 
 prefer staying at Lugano to any other place on 
 the Italian Lakes. After a great deal of de- 
 liberation and consultation we determined with 
 
 the K s to cross the Alps by the S. Grothard 
 
 Pass in a private carriage by ourselves, and 
 made the contract before we left Lugano. So 
 we quitted Stresa on Tuesday morning by 
 steam-boat for Magadino. The day was beauti- 
 ful, and we had a most delightful passage up 
 the Lake Maggiore, which compensated for all 
 we had lost the day before. On the whole I 
 prefer this lake to either of the others — it has 
 more expanse and variety of scenery, though 
 not such beautiful points as Como. From 
 
 Magadino the K s and we took a private 
 
 carriage to Bellinzona where we slept, and 
 started at 6.0 this morning for this place on our 
 way to Lake Lucerne. I cannot describe the 
 splendour of the scenery we have witnessed 
 to-day — first, for several hours through the Swiss 
 valleys between the mountains on our way to 
 the S. Grothard Pass, and then the Pass itself. 
 It is admitted to be the most terrific as well 
 as the most magnificent of all the Passes, and 
 I would not have missed it on any account. 
 
108 
 
 To find oneseK on the summit of the Alps in 
 the midst of a -world of snow, with the many 
 crests of the gigantic range all around you, 
 and stretching as far as the eye could reach, 
 gave a feeling which no language can convey. 
 The waterfalls all through the journey were 
 magnificent, as was also the ascent up the Pass. 
 The day was everything one could wish — scarce 
 a cloud to be seen, and the rays of the setting 
 sun on the snow-clad mountain-peaks gave 
 great additional effect to the scene. We shall 
 finish oiu" descent to-mori'ow, and make for 
 Fllielen, there embark on steamer for Lucerne, 
 or rather for the Rigi mountain, which I mean 
 to go up to-morrow evening, if possible, to 
 take advantasre of this fine weather for seeing: 
 the sun rise. I feel the mountain air to-day 
 has done me so much good, and given me such 
 elasticity of sjDirits, that I am inclined to 
 change my plans again and stop at Lucerne. 
 I have had a heavy day's work, and shall have 
 another to-morrow — so must say good-night. 
 
 Lucerne, May 31st. — I hope that ere the re- 
 ceipt of this you will have had my letter posted 
 at Hospenthal yesterday, in which I promised 
 to wiite again from hence. Yesterday (Ascension 
 Day) I joined a procession that passed the hotel 
 between 7.0 and 8.0 a.m., and followed them to 
 the church. A priest met them at the entrance. 
 
109 
 
 where they had a short out-of-door service, 
 consisting of some antiphonal chanting, and 
 prayers. Nothing could be more simple. The 
 " Am ens " to the prayers were beautiful, and 
 different from any I had heard before — three 
 notes to the first syllable and one to the last — 
 men, women, and children, each assembling in 
 separate bodies. A part of the first chapter of 
 S. John's Gospel was read, and at the words 
 " And the Word was made Flesh " (in Latin) 
 they all knelt and rose again. After this little 
 service was over, they went inside the church, 
 which was soon filled to overflowing — men, 
 women, and children still apart, and high mass 
 was celebrated in full choral service with the 
 organ and village choir. The simple and earnest 
 devotion of the people was beautiful — all con- 
 sisting of poor Alpine villagers, but as respect- 
 able in appearance as any village congregation 
 in England on a Sunday. The singing also 
 was very good. After the mass was over, a 
 priest walked down the chiu-ch and sprinkled all 
 the congregation on both sides (including myself) 
 with holy water. I observed that the day was 
 kept very religiously all through our journey 
 yesterday, as we saw the country people either 
 going in or out of the churches, or passed them 
 on the road with their books on their way from 
 them — a great contrast indeed to the mode in 
 
110 
 
 wliich the day is observed in the villages in 
 England ! The wild magnificence of the scenery 
 of the Mountain Pass yesterday from Hospenthal 
 is far beyond description — ^there is one part called 
 "The Devil's Bridge," which is very celebrated for 
 its grandeur, and excursions are often made from 
 hence to Hospenthal for the purpose of seeing 
 the scenery. Besides the towering and snow- 
 clad Alps, it consists of foaming cataracts, leap- 
 ing waterfalls, and stupendous cHifs — interspersed 
 here and there with pretty little Swiss villages 
 in the green valleys ; the road following by con- 
 tinual zigzags the course of the river Eeuss the 
 whole way — in fact we were for more than 
 twenty miles continually descending, besides nine 
 miles from the summit to Hospenthal the day 
 before. The general impression it makes is that 
 of stern grandeur and magnificence, just the 
 opposite to the luxuriant garden of Italy. And 
 yet I could not leave Italy without many a 
 sigh, for she has satisfied to the full my every 
 capacity of enjoyment, classical, historical, and 
 archaeological or ecclesiastical ; she has that 
 which can satisfy the tastes for all and each — 
 and having myself a little turn for them all, she 
 has made me brim-full of delight. I know not 
 whether I shall ever see her face again — but 
 certainly I shall not until I can converse with 
 her in her o^\^l magnificent language. Hers is 
 
Ill 
 
 the land of loveliness — Switzerland of grandeur. 
 The two therefore cannot be compared. Lord 
 Byron, I tliink somewhere in "Childe Harold," 
 having visited both, gives his preference to the 
 former — and certainly (as I remarked) it contains 
 more abundant food for all variety of tastes — for 
 the Apennines are not without grandeur, any 
 more than the Swiss Alpine villages are with- 
 out loveliness. I did not mention yesterday the 
 luxuriance of the gardens in the villas on the 
 Italian lakes — magnolias growing like great 
 trees — and camellias and azaleas large shrubs — 
 besides splendid rhododendrons and wild cactuses. 
 Our voyage up the Lake of Lucerne yesterday 
 from Fliielen was very beautiful, and I think 
 on the whole this lake excels the Italian ones, 
 as it combines most of their beauties with a 
 greater expanse. The part near Fliielen is like 
 Lake Como, other parts like Lake Maggiore. 
 Lucerne also is beauti,fully situate on its shores. 
 
 We are with the K s at the Swiss hotel 
 
 facing the lake, which is bounded on the opposite 
 side by the snowy Alps, having the Eigi at one 
 end of the range and Moimt Pilatus on the 
 other, but everything pales after the splendid 
 scenery of the last two days. The weather is 
 intensely hot and the sky cloudless, and there' 
 was a fine sun-set yesterday, the rays of which 
 are thrown on the mountains opposite. I forgot 
 
112 
 
 to say that we left Hospenthal yesterday about 
 9.0 a.m., and reached Fliielen on the bank of 
 this lake about 2.0 p.m. in time for the steamer, 
 and reached Lucerne about 5.0 p.m. I felt a 
 good deal fatigued after yesterday's journey and 
 my back is j)ainful, but I intend going up the 
 Eigi, if possible, to-day, and returning to- 
 morrow after seeing sun-set and sun-rise. On 
 Monday we propose going to Interlaken and 
 reaching Paris on the follo^dng Monday or 
 Tuesday in Whitsun-week. Mde. Taylor says 
 
 she can take us in. A vnll leave me at 
 
 Paris, and I propose following him slowly home, 
 first taking some lessons in French. Let me 
 find a letter when I reach Mde. Taylor's (94, 
 Champs Elysees), saying what you think of 
 
 you and M , or one of you, coming to the 
 
 Exhibition. I do not delay v^Titing, as you 
 might be anxious to know that we got safely 
 through the Pass, for ■without steady horses and 
 driver it is very full of danger. 
 
 Berne, June 7th. — I hope my letter from 
 Lucerne of last week has been received. I 
 believe that was posted on Friday. On that 
 day I fully meant to have ascended the Pigi, 
 
 but the heat was intense, and the K s ruled 
 
 not to go, the weather also looked very threaten- 
 ing, indeed in the evening we had a tremendous 
 thunder stonn — so we merely strolled about and 
 
113 
 
 went to see Thorwaldsen's lions carved out of 
 the rock, in memory of the Swiss Gruards who 
 fell in defending Louis XVI ; — also the museum 
 of stuffed Alpine animals, and a very good dio- 
 rama of the Rigi and Mount Pilatus as seen 
 at sun-set and sun-rise, so that I have seen 
 both second-hand, as it were. The next day 
 (Saturday) was too hot for anything, so I 
 got up a party of upwards of twenty from the 
 hotel to hear the cathedral organ played for an 
 hour. Both organ and organist are very famous; 
 we were charged a fi-anc each, and the perform- 
 ance was admirable — particularly the imitation 
 of the human voice and the thunder storm. In 
 the evening we took a very pretty walk to a 
 place called the Linden, overlooking the Lake, 
 where we had a charming view of the Lake and 
 mountain scenery on one side, and an extensive 
 Swiss landscape on the other. On Sunday we 
 went to the English church twice, and took a 
 long walk in the evening, which was rather 
 too much for me, and I have suffered in my 
 
 back ever since. By " we " I mean Mr. K , 
 
 A , and myself. We fell in, as usual, with 
 
 former travelling acquaintances at Lucerne, 
 which helped to pass away the time agreeably, 
 otherwise I should have found it extremely 
 dull, for I was very much vexed at missing the 
 Rigi, having gone to Lucerne almost for the 
 
114 
 
 purpose. Perhaps it was as well I did not, for 
 I was a good deal fatigued with my joiu-ney 
 over the S. Grothard Pass, and my back ached 
 much all Friday. By the way, I forgot to 
 mention in my last that on our road from the 
 Pass to Flilelen we went through the land of 
 Tell, his hii-thplace, and the spot where he 
 stood when he took the aim at the apple on his 
 son's head, his statue being erected at the place. 
 I was glad to get away from Lucerne, and 
 started at 9.0 a.m. Monday morning with the 
 
 K s by steamer, and had a delightful passage 
 
 down the Lake to Alpnach, where we took a pri- 
 vate carriage for Interlaken. We had a pleasant 
 ride over the Briinig Pass till we had passed 
 Brienz, when the rain began to fall and con- 
 tinued till we reached Interlaken. I was un- 
 prepared to find it so much of a fashionable 
 sort of watering place, and it reminded me 
 of Malvern. As we did not intend sta^dng 
 beyond three days, we put up at the Yictoria. 
 The next day (Tuesday) poured with rain, so 
 
 A and myself went by steamer to Griessbach, 
 
 where we landed, and I got into a chaise d 
 porfeur to mount the hill for the hotel, getting 
 out every now and then to have a better xievf 
 of the Fall, which is magnificent, and particu- 
 larly at this season of the year, when the quantity 
 of water is great. We dined at the hotel, and 
 
115 
 
 returned by steamer in tlie evening. By Wed- 
 nesday morning the weather had cleared np, 
 
 so the K 's and ourselves started in a carriage 
 
 for Grrindelwald, where we visited the Lower 
 Grlacier. I shall not dwell on this, as you have 
 already seen it all. I was carried in a chaise a 
 porteur to the glacier, when I got out and went 
 with the others to the end of the tunnel of ice 
 which had been cut into the glacier. The 
 whole is very wonderful and interesting. The 
 day was beautiful and clear after the rain, so 
 we had splendid views of the mountains above 
 the glacier. We drove to Lauterbrunnen, having 
 magnificent views of the Jungfrau and Silber- 
 horn Mountains on the way — indeed the latter 
 part of the drive from where the road turns 
 off to Grrindelwald was extremely picturesque. 
 
 On our arrival at Lauterbrunnen the K s 
 
 determined on returning to Interlaken, but as 
 I had been disappointed of the Rigi, and had 
 been told that the Wengen Alp was not pass- 
 able, except by wading through snow, I deter- 
 mined to ascend the Miirren with A , so I 
 
 hired a horse and mounted for the night. It 
 was a magnificent sun-Set, and its rosy hues 
 were thrown on the mountain tops as we as- 
 cended, adding greatly to the splendom' of the 
 scene. Before retiring to rest I enjoyed a 
 beautiful moonlight view from the balcony of 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 the hotel ; tlie soft rays of a quarter moon 
 thrown on the snowy heights gave them an 
 exquisite silvery aspect and added to the in- 
 tensity of the gloom cast by the shadow of the 
 mountains on the opposite side of the gorge, 
 while the hollow mm-mmings of the stream at 
 the bottom of the gulf below gave a living 
 character to this most picturesque scene. The 
 next morning I rose at 4,0 a.m. and went out 
 to the balcony. The sky was cloudless, and the 
 scenes of yesterday were only surpassed by that 
 of this morning, as I sat alone in the balcony 
 for an hour and a half, gazing in silent admira- 
 tion. One snowy peak after another was 
 touched with the living fire of the sun's rays, 
 while other moimtains were gradually becoming 
 bathed in light — and the snow sparkled like 
 diamonds in beautiful contrast to the soft placid 
 appearance which it wore imder the moonbeam 
 the night before. I am particularly fortunate 
 in one respect in travelling through Switzerland 
 at this time, for the winter having been imusually 
 severe and the spring late, there is more than 
 the ordinary quantity of snow on the mountains 
 at this season, and every day now lessens 
 
 it. A rose at the same time as myself 
 
 and walked to the hill above, but did not 
 seem so struck with the beauty of the scene as 
 myseK — perhaps because he was walking and 
 
117 
 
 could not fix that steady gaze on it which I 
 did. After breakfast we and another party 
 descended — I on foot very slowly, and with 
 the help of an arm the greater part of the way. 
 We saw your name and that of the rest of 
 your party in the traveller's book here and at 
 Grrindelwald. The impression which the path 
 has left on my mind is not immixed with 
 terror at the sight of that monster Jungfrau 
 staring you full in the face from head to foot, 
 and I believe in no part of Switzerland is there 
 so perfect a view of a mountain from top to 
 bottom to be seen. We drove back to Inter- 
 laken after visiting the Staubbach Fall, the 
 party we met giving us a seat in their carriage, 
 and embarked on the steamer for this place at 
 5.0 p.m. Interlaken being so hot and close, I 
 was not sorry to leave it. I passed the Hotel 
 de Beau Site, and saw there was a splendid 
 mountain view from it. We had a delightful 
 sail up the lake of Thun, and the mountain 
 scenery from it is the best I have yet seen for 
 a distant view. We are now about to start to 
 see this town (Berne) and then go by rail to 
 Dijon, where we shall sleep to-night and reach 
 Paris to-morrow (Saturday) night. 
 
 12.30. — I am just returned from a drive to 
 see "the lions" and the bears. Of the former 
 there are but few, the chief are the cathedral. 
 
118 
 
 a melanelioly mixture of a Methodist chapel 
 and a church, the museum of stuffed animals, 
 and some fine views of the city and country 
 backed by the Bernese Oberland. The latter 
 consist of four veritable live animals of that 
 name, kept in a pubHc open space — the town 
 (they say) deriving its name from these crea- 
 tures. I am now taking my leave of Smtzer- 
 land, as I have done from Italy. The most 
 vivid impression she has left upon me is (as 
 usual) the first, that is, the sight from the 
 summit of the S. Gothard Pass. I was there 
 under peculiarly advantageous dircumstances. 
 The vast accumulation of snow from the hard 
 winter and long spring gave the whole plateau 
 the appearance of one vast region of snow, 
 broken only by the wild mountain-peaks in 
 every direction as far as the eye could reach. 
 Besides, we had come to it along a road in 
 many places just wide enough to take the 
 carriage wheels, and cut through walls of snow 
 twenty or thirty feet high. The Pass had only 
 been opened the week before, and since then 
 it had been closed up with snow, so that I had 
 determined not to come by it until the Maitre 
 d'Hotel at Lugano assured me it was reopened. 
 Then the exhilarating effect of the air was 
 most wonderful, for we were 6,800 feet above 
 the level of the sea, the Eigi being 5,900, and 
 
119 
 
 Symondsliall Down 800, and yet the difference 
 in the feeling which the latter gives of lightness 
 and buoyancy is very perceptible. The sight ' 
 was so strange and wonderful that I shall never 
 lose its effect — all mountaineers say it is the 
 invigorating feeling of the air that enables 
 them to perform their feats. Then followed, 
 the next day, that most splendid route through 
 one of the wildest gorges in Switzerland, so 
 celebrated that it forms of itself one of the 
 excursions for tourists to see it. Although 
 therefore my acquaintance with Switzerland has 
 been much shorter than that with Italy, I have 
 fallen in love with her too, notwithstanding her 
 beauties are of a different kind from my charm- 
 ing Italy. It is now I know not how long 
 since I have heard from any of you, more than 
 three weeks, I think. I hope when I get to 
 Paris the news vdll be all good. 
 
 (a) Paris, June 21st. — I want to get out of 
 this hot place as soon as possible, so have pro- 
 posed that E and I start for Geneva Sunday 
 
 night. We shall stay at Geneva on Monday, 
 and then go on to Chamounix, making that our 
 head quarters. It seems a pity to lose- the 
 chance when I am half way there, and I think 
 the mountain air will do me great good. I and 
 
 faj The letters written during a fortniglit's sojourn in 
 Paris at tlie time of the Exlubition are missing. 
 
120 
 
 my two nieces have been at the Louvre all the 
 morning, but I long to get away from this 
 place. The heat is overpowering. 
 
 Frohburg, near Olten, Jime 28th. — Tou vnll 
 be surprised to receive a letter from me here — 
 an out-of-the-world little hotel on the Jura 
 mountains, remarkable for its pure air and com- 
 manding very picturesque scenery. I was 
 induced to come here instead of the Rigi, from 
 accQunts I had of it in my travels, but shall 
 leave again to-morrow morning for Geneva, 
 still retaining my intention of returning to 
 England vdth. E the beginning of the fol- 
 lowing week. We left Paris on Monday morning 
 and arrived at Strasbourg the same evening, and 
 had a turn in the public promenade in the 
 middle of the city late in the evening, while 
 the band was playing. Next morning, we 
 visited the cathedral and chiu-ch of S. Thomas. 
 The exterior of the former is very fine, but the 
 interior not equal to our Enghsh cathedrals. 
 At twelve o'clock I went again to hear the 
 wonderful clock strike. This clock is a cele- 
 brated piece of mechanism, showing not only 
 the hours of the day, but the motion of the 
 sun, moon, and stars. At twelve o'clock daily 
 the twelve Apostles come out in succession, each 
 making obeisance to our Lord as they pass Him 
 standing in the centre, and proclaim noon by 
 
121 
 
 striking a blow ■with, a hammer on a bell. 
 Then a cock (which is a piece of clock-work) 
 claps his wings, stretches his neck, and gives a 
 crow with all the importance and intonation of 
 the natiural bird. So perfect is this, that a 
 clergyman with whom I travelled would not 
 believe but that the " crow " was made by some 
 human being concealed for the purpose. A 
 crowd was assembled in the cathedral to witness 
 the sight. We saw several storks in the city ; 
 they build their nests on the tops of the 
 chimneys. We afterwards started for Basle, and 
 next day (Wednesday) visited the cathedral 
 and the tombs and monuments of Erasmus, 
 OEcolampadius, and others of the Reformers ; — 
 thence to the museum and picture gallery, the 
 latter containing some good paintings, parti- 
 cularly those by Holbeiu who lived at Basle. 
 The original "Dance of Death" was painted 
 on the walls .of the cathedral, and some remains 
 of it are still left. The organ was being played 
 and it is a very fine one. In the chapter house 
 was held the Council of Basle in the 15th 
 century. There are some very interesting origi- 
 nal portraits by Holbein in the museum, par- 
 ticularly one of Edward VI. and of Sir Thomas 
 More and his family — two of Erasmus, one 
 when alive and another after his death — also of 
 Luther and his wife and of Melancthon by 
 
122 
 
 Cranach. We also saw the book of Erasmus in 
 wliicli humorous marginal illustrations had been 
 made by the pen of Holbein, which so amused 
 Erasmus that it threw him into a violent fit of 
 laughter, causing an abscess from which he was 
 suffering to burst, and so cured him of his 
 illness. We also visited the house where he 
 lodged. After that we started for Zmich on 
 our way to the Rigi, and slept at Zurich Wed- 
 nesday night. It is a very nice place, but not 
 equal to Lucerne. Instead of going up the 
 Eigi, however, I changed my plans and came 
 here, where we slept last night. We saw a 
 splendid sun-set from Zurich, the rays falling 
 on the Alps of the Bernese Oberland, and 
 bringing them out in full grandeur. We came 
 here yesterday in a violent storm of thunder 
 and lightning, but to-day it is bright and 
 clear and the views magnificent. We hope to 
 reach Greneva to-morrow evening, and go on 
 Monday to Chamounix, and remain there till 
 Satiu-day, then retui'u to Greneva, and on the 
 following Monday return to Paris and arrive 
 in London on Wednesday, which is the last 
 
 day of E 's retm-n ticket. I am heartily 
 
 tired of this roaming life, and there are no 
 associations in this country to interest one as in 
 Italy, and relieve the fatigue of railway tra- 
 velling. I have the greatest aversion also to 
 
123 
 
 the German language, whicli is like a perpetual 
 saw to my brain. At Greneva I shall escape it. 
 I could make my way very fairly well in 
 French, and should not mind travelling alone 
 where that language is spoken, but shall never- 
 theless retm-n. All in this hotel jabber away 
 in Grerman, which is partly the reason of my 
 leaving it. A letter would find me at Cha- 
 moimix on or before Friday next. 
 
 Chamounix, July 3rd. — We arrived here from 
 Greneva on Monday evening, and I was dis- 
 appointed at not finding any letters, the last I 
 received being at Paris last Sunday week. My 
 
 last to you was from Frohburg, and to T (a) 
 
 from Greneva. I was much pleased with the 
 former place, but the company were nearly all 
 Grerman whose language I nauseated ; the situa- 
 tion, however, was beautiful and the aii' delicious. 
 On our route to Geneva, on Saturday, we had 
 a splendid view of the Savoy range of Alps 
 from the train, and Mont Blanc came out in 
 her full white robe tinged with the pink of the 
 setting sun in all her greatness — not a cloud 
 to be seen. We spent Sunday in Geneva and 
 attended the English chm-ch twice. My back 
 was bad and I made an effort to get to the 
 cathedral in the afternoon but could not accom- ' 
 plish it. There is very little attractive in 
 
 ('aj This letter is missing. 
 
124 
 
 G-eneva, the lake and houses are fine, but there 
 are no names connected with it except Calvin, 
 Rousseau, and Yoltaire (whose residence called 
 "Femie," was about two miles ofi"). Eousseau's 
 statue is in the middle of the city — why they 
 should have preferred him to Calvin, they best 
 know. I was delighted to fall in at the Table 
 d'Hote with a Russian family, consisting of a 
 count, his wife, and children, who had been 
 five times in Italy, and the countess was so 
 enthusiastic about it that she would not allow 
 a word to be said against any of the inhabitants, 
 or that the Neapolitans were worse than the rest 
 of the world. I did not see them again after- 
 wards as we left early next morning, but I 
 should have liked much to have had some more 
 conversation with them. They spoke capital 
 English. On our way to Greneva we passed 
 through Freybourg and Lausanne, two very fine 
 towns, and the latter having splendid mountain 
 scenery at the head of the Lake of Greneva. 
 There was a very pretty scene near Berne as 
 we passed along, — a sort of festival with wrest- 
 ling games going on in the fields and a number 
 of flags and a great concourse of people. On 
 our way from Greneva here we took part of a 
 carriage with a very nice couple, a gentleman 
 and lady just returned from visiting Egypt and 
 the whole of Palestine and Italy. I pumped 
 
125 
 
 him hard about Jerusalem and the Holy Land. 
 He was at Jerusalem at Easter, last year, and 
 at Eome at the same festival, this year. His 
 tastes exactly coincided with my own about 
 Italy and all the objects of interest, particularly 
 Milan Cathedral. We had a magnificent view 
 of Mont Blanc and all the range, as we ap- 
 proached Chamounix, the sky being cloudless. 
 Yesterday we went on mules a two hours' ride 
 to Montanvert, to have the best view of the 
 famous glacier called the "Mer de Grlace." It 
 was a very grand and wondrous sight. It be- 
 gan to rain just as we reached the little inn, 
 and continued to do so nearly all the day — 
 
 nevertheless E and a large party from the 
 
 inn crossed the glacier and got home through 
 the Chapeau and the Mauvais Pas. I had 
 neither umbrella nor great coat and only my 
 straw hat, and after waiting several hours for 
 the rain to cease, I at last took a bed for the 
 night, but the weather clearing I changed my 
 
 plans and came down. E got thoroughly 
 
 soaked and lost the view — the former she disre- 
 garded but the latter was no small disappoint- 
 ment to her. My guide was one of the seven 
 who went to find the body of poor Mr. Young 
 last year, I have this morning had a long 
 conversation with another of them, who pro- 
 duced to me his medal which the Emperor of 
 
n^ 
 
 126 
 
 tlie Frencli gave to each of tliem for their 
 conduct on that occasion. They were seen to 
 fall by a gentleman, through a telescope from 
 one of the hotels. To-morrow, if the weather 
 permit, we propose going to the Flegere and 
 the Grrotto of Ice at the source of the Arveron, 
 and returning to Greneva on Saturday, so as to 
 reach London on Wednesday. Yesterday, the 
 first i^arty this season started fi'om hence for 
 the summit of Mont Blanc, we went very near 
 them on our way to the Mer de Griace. This 
 day, we have been much interested in watching 
 them through a capital telescope at the hotel. 
 They have not gone far yet and the rain yester- 
 day must have stopt them. I have changed 
 my bed-room to-day for one which looks direct 
 on Mont Blanc, so that I hope to see the sun 
 rise on it to-morrow morning. This place is too 
 hot for me, and but for the sights I should 
 not stay here. It is too much shut in by the 
 mountains, although about 3,000 feet above the 
 level of the sea. The summit of Mont Blanc 
 is 15,784 feet, the highest point in Europe — it 
 is just above Chamounis, which is in fact 
 situate on the range. I am quite sm-e that a 
 dry, fresh air is what suits me, such as that 
 in Eome and Naples, which had a most won- 
 derful effect on me. The air there is quite free 
 from vapour, which makes the atmosphere look 
 
"^^^ 
 
 127 
 
 so peculiarly clear, as though we were moving 
 in a vacuum. I attribute it to the ejffect of 
 the dry air from Africa on one side, and from 
 the Apennines and the Campagna on the 
 other, notwithstanding its being surrounded by 
 the sea. 
 
 Paris, July 8th. — We left Chamounix on 
 Saturday morning at 7.0, and travelled without 
 stopping the twenty-four hours, till we arrived 
 here at the same hour yesterday morning. As 
 it is expensive stopping here, we propose leaving 
 to-morrow morning for London and arriving at 
 Ewell to-morrow evening. I shall want three 
 or four days in town, and hope to see you once 
 more towards the end of the week. We were 
 much interested at Chamounix by the party who 
 ascended Mont Blanc, the first since the fatal 
 accident to Capt, Arkwright, his porters, and 
 guide last year, — and it being the first since 
 the winter season, and no experience of the 
 effect and operation of the winter's snow, some 
 apprehensions were felt. I watched them 
 through an excellent telescope up and down. 
 The guns in the village fired when they reached 
 the summit, and when they returned, — and a 
 concourse of people, including myself, went to 
 meet them. Next morning I went to their hotel 
 and had some chat with them — they were very 
 gentlemanly men. 
 
128 
 
 Old England again ! 
 July 10. 
 
 We arrived at Ewell safe, soon after 10.0 p.m. 
 yesterday, having had a very good passage. 
 I took the chloroform and lay down on my 
 back as soon as I got into the cabin, and 
 although rather uncomfortable, was not ill. 
 The sea was smooth. We saw the review in 
 Paris by the Sultan and Emperor on Monday 
 —40,000 troops. 
 
 I have called at Dr. Gull's to-day, and got 
 an appointment for Friday at 9.0 a.m., the 
 earliest I could get, and purpose leaving this 
 the same afternoon, and reaching Dursley by the 
 train which arrives at 9.10 p.m. 
 
 I shall be very glad to be with you all once 
 more. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 In the foregoing Letters allusion is made to my 
 having seen in the Laurentian Library at Florence 
 an original copy of the Decree of the Council of 
 Florence. This copy is in two parts, Greek and 
 Latin, written side by side on the same vellum. 
 To the Greek are attached the autograph signatures 
 of the Emperor John Paloeologus, the Patriarchal 
 Vicars, Bishops, and other representatives of the 
 Eastern Church, and to the Latin those of Pope 
 Eugenius IV., and the Cardinals, Bishops, and other 
 representatives of the Western Church. 
 
 This Council (which was held in the 15th Century) 
 was considered to be (Ecumenical, and an important 
 question has arisen whether or not it concedes to the 
 Pope that unlimited authority, which he claims, of 
 governing the whole Church. The Greek version of 
 the Decree admits a restricted authority only, as 
 prescribed by the Acts of QScumenical Councils, 
 and the Holy Canons ; while the Latin Version, 
 according to some readings, exactly agrees with the 
 Greek, but according to others is so worded as to 
 yield to the Pope all the privileges which he claims. 
 The reader will see the whole subject discussed in an 
 Article signed " Edmund S. Ffoulkes" in the "Union 
 Review" for March, 1866. When I saw the original 
 Decree in the Library at Florence, I attempted to 
 hold some conversation in Latin with the Assistant 
 Librarian there on the point in dispute relative to 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 the wording of tlie Latin Version, and obtained his 
 permission to correspond with him on the subject. 
 Accordingly I addressed him from Rome a letter, of 
 which the following is a copy : — 
 
 " Hotel de la Pension Anglaise, 
 
 Via Condotti, Romse, 
 
 19 April. 1867. 
 Vir Reverende, 
 
 Colloquium nostrum die quinto 
 Aprilis in Bibliotheca de ** San Lorenzo" habitum 
 revocare liceat. MS. acta Concilii Florentini tract- 
 abamus, et in animo est ut certior factus sim de 
 verbis Greece redditis " xa9' ov tpoitov * * * * 
 Sia\a.[j.^dv£rai.^^ Sed haud scio an sint Latine reddita 
 *' quemadmodum etiam * * *- *- contmetur,^^ an rectins 
 ^^ quemadmodum 'et in act is (Ecumenicorum Conciliorum, 
 et in saaris canonibus constituitur.^^ — In Anglia de his 
 verbis stepe agitur, et mihi valde interest ipsissima 
 verba MSti cognoscere, cujus te testem citare volo. 
 Secundum verbum tuum in charitate tua epistolam 
 mittas mihi hie moranti infra sex dies. 
 
 Reverende Vir, 
 
 Tui observantissimus, 
 J. V." 
 Revdo. Ab. Dott. Niciola Anziani, 
 
 Adjutori in Bibliotheca Lauren tiana, 
 Florence. 
 To this letter I received the following answer : — 
 
 "Florentiae. 
 Prseclare Vir, 
 
 Tuis litteris celerius respondissem, si 
 mihi tempcstive advectte cssent : sed cum hodie solum 
 
131 
 
 niihi rodditse sint, nollem me nomine ncgligcntiae tibi 
 suspcctum esse, si hodie tantummodo tibi respondeam. 
 
 Pergratum mihi fecisti prsebendo locum ex Decreto 
 Concilii Florentini, ex quo prsesertim in tua patria 
 multse exortse sunt contentiones circa textum Graecum 
 et fidem interpretationis Latinae, quajque me prorsus 
 latuerant, ita ut et tuam obstupeam doctrinam, et 
 meae me pudeat ignorantioe. En, textum Graecum tibi 
 describo et Lat. intei-pret. sicuti extant in charta 
 originali apud nos servata. 
 
 if * rSf * ^g^g* '^y rpoTfov kou Iv rois ifpccKtiKoTs 
 Tcyy olKOuiJ.sviy.uJv (ruvoScvv, xa.) ro7$ Upol; xavoffi 
 Sia.\a.^(ia.vsTa,i * * * * ^^'^^ g^if^ j^^t) jy ^q^-^. 
 Upo7<rJ 
 
 * * * * quemadmodum etiam in gestis CEcumenicorum 
 Conciliorum et in sacris Canonihus continetur. 
 Si textus Groecus yel ne Latino respondeat adamussim, 
 nee judicare auserim, quippe qui doctrinae expers et 
 autoritatis : sed tantum mihi dicere liceat, si veniam 
 mihi concedis pro tua humanitate, quod versio non 
 curat reddere verbum verbo, — nam hoc locutionem 
 efiicere potuisset pene barbaram ac prope omni lucidi- 
 tate detracta, — sed ita eificta, ut integer praesertim 
 existat sensus, et verborum fides tenacior servetur, 
 si possit. Quapropter si judicium instituatur de fide 
 verborum, versio infidelis ; si de sensu et perspicuitate, 
 optima ac prorsus respondens. — Vale. 
 
 Tuus famulus 
 
 Nicolaus Anziani. 
 Adjutor in Bibl. Mediceo — L." 
 
 The question is one of much interest with theo- 
 logians, and it will be seen by the above extract 
 
132 
 
 in the Assistant Librarian's letter, that the Florentine 
 Copy of the Decree, by improperly using the word 
 etiam instead of et in the Latin version as the equi- 
 valent for the first xa) in the Greek, supports that 
 reading which makes for the Pope's absolute supre- 
 macy over the whole Church. 
 
 This Council was an ineffectual attempt at a 
 reconciliation and union between the churches of 
 East and "West, for although after long debates and 
 delays the Decree for establishing such union was 
 ultimately signed by the Eepresentatives of both 
 Churches, yet it was afterwards rejected by the 
 whole body of the Orthodox Easterns. 
 
 «tf§f 
 
 WHITMORE, PBINTEB, STAMP OFFICE, LONG STREET, DURSLEY. 
 
A^x--^"^