■i'^lfeSSc," 
 
 
n 
 
 PENNINGTON, THOMAS. A Journey into Various Parts of Europe;. . . 
 1818-1821; with . . . memoirs of the Grand Dukes of the House of Medici; 
 of the Dynasties of the Kings of Naples; and of the Dukes of Milan. 2 vols, 
 8vo, orig. green cl. and paper labels; pp.xv+724; 692, indexed, uncut and 
 [largely unopened, spines faded, covers only si. worn. Geo. B. Whittaker, 
 '1825. y^a^ ' ^ >4 
 
A 
 
 JOURNEY 
 
 INTO 
 
 VARIOUS PARTS OF EUROPE. 
 
 RESIDENCE IN THEM, DURING THE YEARS 
 
 1818, 1819, 1820, and 1821 ; 
 
 NOTES, HISTORICAL AND CLASSICAL; 
 
 AND MEMOIRS OF 
 
 THE GRAND DUKES OF THE HOUSE OF MEDICI; OF 
 
 THE DYNASTIES OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES; 
 
 AND OF THE DUKES OF MILAN. 
 
 By the Rev. THOMAS PENNINGTON, A.M. 
 
 RECTOR OF THORLEY, HERTS; LATE FELLOW OF CLARE HALL, CAMBRIDGE 
 AND CHAPLAIN TO THE LATE COUNTESS OF BATH. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Quid verum atque decens euro. — Hok. 
 
 Da facilem Cursum, atque audacibus annua C(splls,— ViB. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR GEO. B. WHITTAKER, AVE-MARIA-LANE, 
 
 M D C C C X X V. 
 
LONDON '. 
 PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES, 
 
 Northuniberland-Conrt. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN DOWAGER 
 OF WIRTEMBERG. 
 
 Madam, 
 
 Flattery would be as painful to me to give, as I 
 am persuaded it would be to your Majesty to receive ; but 
 truth is not flattery, and the dignified retirement in which you 
 have lived, and exercised the private virtues of life since the 
 decease of your Royal Consort, reflect even more honour and 
 lustre on you than your high birth and descent. You now. 
 Madam, feel the benefit of the talents given your Majesty by 
 nature, and accompHshments derived from the excellent educa- 
 tion given you by your Royal Parents, our late much revered 
 Sovereigns ; for of all things the most to be dreaded by Prince 
 and Subject, is a life of idleness. I feel. Madam, I own, 
 both pride and gratification in being permitted the honour of 
 laying this little sketch at the feet of a Princess of the illustri- 
 ous House of Brunswick, (sister of the Monarch who so ably 
 wields the Sceptre of this Empire,) not less honourable by Its 
 antiquity, than estimable by its virtues ;— a House for which 
 I have an hereditary love and respect. What Great Britain 
 has lost, Wirtemberg has gained ; and whilst we lament the 
 absence of the Princess Royal of England from her native 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 land, we rejoice at the happiness and prosperity of the Queen 
 Dowager of Wirtemberg. The attentions with which your 
 Majesty honoured Mrs. Carter, my late much revered and 
 esteemed relative, and which were extended to me during 
 my short stay in Stutgard, demand my utmost gratitude, 
 and have made a lasting impression on my mind. 
 
 I avail myself, Madam, of the gracious permission granted 
 me by your Majesty, of dedicating these Travels to you — 
 the fruit of my observations during three years' journejdng and 
 residence on the Continent. Conscious of many defects, I 
 must rely on your Majesty*'s indulgence to make allowance for 
 them ; but should it fortunately serve for a little relaxation 
 in the beautiful shades and elegant retirement of Lud^vigs- 
 burg, my ambition wiU be highly gratified. That your 
 Majesty may long enjoy the comforts of that circle of whicli 
 you are the ornament, is the wish of liim, who has the honour 
 to be, with every sentiment of gi-atitude and respect. 
 
 Your Majesty"'s most dutiful 
 
 and obhged humble servant, 
 
 THOMAS PENNINGTON. 
 
INSCRIPTION. 
 
 TO 
 
 WILLIAM, 
 
 LORD BISHOP OF LONDON, 
 
 A PRELATE NOT MORE DISTINGUISHED BY HIS HIGH STATION, THAN BY THE 
 
 CONSCIENTIOUS MANNER IN WHICH HE DISCHARGES THE IMPORTANT 
 
 DUTIES OF THAT STATION; AND BY HIS ATTENTION AND 
 
 URBANITY TO THE CLERGY OF HIS DIOCESE; 
 
 THIS JOURNEY, 
 
 UNDERTAKEN WITH HIS LORDSHIP'S PERMISSION, 
 
 IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, 
 
 BY HIS LORDSHIP'S MOST DUTIFUL AND OBLIGED HUJIBLE SERVANT, 
 
 THOMAS PENNINGTON. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The journey described in these sheets was undertaken 
 from the following motives : — The writer of them had 
 an opportunity, possessed but by few of his profes- 
 sion, and was tempted to make use of it by re-visit- 
 ing the scenes of his early life, with additional ones, 
 ever interesting to the classic traveller. He was also 
 no less anxious to see the change produced by a 
 number of years, and the various places distinguished 
 in the late awful conflict, and most of them marked, 
 alas ! in some way by the fatal ravages of war. In 
 this he has been completely gratified, and also has 
 had the much-superior gratification of finding univer- 
 sally on the continent, that all are rejoiced that the 
 din of war has ceased, and hail the restoration of 
 peace as likely to be lasting as it was glorious. The 
 inhabitants, now turning their swords into plough- 
 shares, have leisure, which, it is hoped, they will 
 
VIU PREFACE. 
 
 make use of, to attend to the sacred duties of reli- 
 gion too much neglected in the conflict of contend- 
 ing nations. The writer also enjoyed an additional 
 pleasure, which, he confesses (he hopes with honest 
 pride), was highly gratifying, in universally finding 
 his countrymen respected, and looked up to imder 
 providence as the authors of that peace and comfort 
 which the continent now enjoys. In this journey he 
 was accompanied by his nearest and dearest relatives, 
 which had its comfort and its alloys : if he had the 
 pleasure of those most dear to him to assist him with 
 their remarks, enliven him with their conversation, 
 and entertain him with their sallies, yet was he often 
 obliged to desist from seeing some interesting object, 
 (which ought not to have been omitted by the inqui- 
 sitive traveller,) in justice to the various interests 
 and pursuits of a large family, consisting chiefly of 
 females and tender infants, which, in kindness and 
 humanity he was bound to consult, especially as they 
 had gratified his wishes in accompanying him in this 
 journey. The early and late hours, bad roads, and 
 difficult accommodations, which are alike disregarded 
 by the male traveller, whom no inconveniences deter 
 from seeing every thing worthy of observation, are an 
 insuperable objection to the female and infant tra- 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 veller: this will account for the writer of this not 
 seeing every thing in the different towns and neigh- 
 bourhood so completely as he wished ; however, what 
 he has seen, he has endeavoured to see with an im- 
 partial eye, and describe with an impartial pen — how 
 he has succeeded must be left to the judgment of the 
 reader. 
 
 In his remarks on religion, he has endeavoured to 
 be liberal and impartial. Educated with his two bro- 
 thers early in life by his excellent parents (on the 
 limited income of a country beneficed clergyman) for 
 the sacred profession, who were assisted in that task by 
 his late venerable relation, Mrs. E. Carter, whose lite- 
 rary fame, " asre perennius," is yet much subordinate 
 to her great humility, unaffected piety, and sincere 
 attachment to the religious principles in which she 
 was brought up, it might perhaps be forgiven him if 
 he was partial to our religious establishment, espe- 
 cially when it is considered that his immediate pro- 
 genitors, and all his near relatives, not only were of 
 this profession, but all have reaped its patronage, 
 which he gratefully acknowledges. But the writer is 
 partial to it from a much higher motive, from early 
 having imbibed and attentively considered its piety, 
 simplicity, candour, and humility; from its endea- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 vouring to enforce the truths as they " are in Christ 
 Jesus." Its professors are not expected to beUeve 
 impHcitly all that they read, or is told them ; but to 
 read, search, and examine dihgently, *' whether these 
 things are so." It can be no wonder then that he is 
 firm in the religious principles which he has imbibed, 
 as being the nearest possible to the Scriptures, and 
 from which he hopes never to deviate ; and when the 
 Popish rehgion is considered as composed of tenets 
 not warranted in Scripture, of superstition, grimace, 
 empty ceremonies, the truth of which assertion all who 
 have been in Roman Catholic countries must confess, 
 the contrast is so great, that it can be no wonder that 
 the purity and simplicity of the Protestant religion 
 should strike us with additional force. At the same time 
 the writer must repeat the remarks which he has made, 
 that he with pleasure has observed unaffected piety and 
 devotion in many of these deluded people. Their minis- 
 ters are many of them attentive to the sacred duties 
 of their profession, and appear persuaded of the doc- 
 trines which they teach, if they are not, wo be to them as 
 hypocrites ! There is one essential difference in favour 
 of the Protestant traveller— he is now no longer obliged, 
 as formerly, to comply with the external forms of 
 adoration, when induced by curiosity to attend their 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 worship, but is left unmolested, if he preserve that 
 quiet and decorum which all ought in every exercise 
 of religion. The utmost liberality every where pre- 
 vails, and he has the additional comfort (instead of 
 persecution as formerly) of finding places of public 
 worship in almost all the great towns for himself and 
 Protestant brethren. May we not humbly hope that 
 the time is coming when all our deluded brethren will 
 be brought at length to acknowledge the truth as it 
 is in Christ Jesus, unsophisticated by the art of man, 
 undisguised by idolatrous superstition .' 
 
 AVith regard to the sketch itself, the writer has 
 given an account of things as they occurred. Having 
 resided some time in Florence, and having access to 
 an excellent library, he was induced to give some 
 account of the family of Medici, as every thing in 
 that city must remind the stranger of that liberal and 
 munificent race; he has also, for a similar reason, 
 given brief memoirs of the Kings of Naples. Con- 
 scious of many imperfections in this Journal, he trusts 
 to the liberahty of the reader for indulgence ; one 
 thing he has studiously avoided — to wound the feel- 
 ings of any one in this publication — " Hie murus 
 aheneus esto." The great advantage of keeping a 
 journal is obvious, as we are reminded by it of the 
 
XU PREFACE. 
 
 scenes we pass through never to return. Life, 
 at the longest, is but short, and must be made the 
 most of, and traveUing must be considered as part of 
 a journey through life, Happy are they who make 
 their knowledge, acquired either by books or travel- 
 ling, subservient to the cause of morality and reli- 
 gion ; they will have the comfort of reflecting, in the 
 decline of life, that the time past in this manner has 
 not been one of pleasure only but of lasting profit, 
 which will endure unto the end. 
 
 In the public libraries, which are generally to be 
 found in the large towns in France and Italy, the 
 writer was obliged to accommodate himself to their 
 hours, which was sometimes attended with incon- 
 venience, when he wished to consult books, and made 
 but a short stay in the place. Owing to this, he often 
 was obhged to write down things on the spur of the 
 moment, without, perhaps, being so accurate as he 
 wished ; so that he fears they will sometimes appear, 
 instead of a regular well-digested account, rather 
 " farrago libelli." 
 
 After having twice crossed the Alps and Pyrenees, 
 and the Apennines five times, he returns to his native 
 country to pass the remainder of the life which it 
 s hall please the Almighty to allot him, in the exercise 
 
PREFACE. XIU 
 
 of his clerical duties with pleasure and comfort, con- 
 sidering it incumbent upon him to exercise them with 
 double diligence and attention, as having observed 
 with gratitude the essential difference between the 
 English clergy and those of other nations, so that 
 they cannot be too thankful for the blessings they 
 enjoy in their native soil. Every English traveller, 
 indeed, must be convinced, that, in spite of all the 
 inconveniences of fog and cold *, and the changeable 
 climate of England, there is no country like it in Eu- 
 rope, or perhaps in the world; and that though it 
 cannot boast of the fine Italian sky, or its vaunted 
 climate, or the noble lakes and grand mountain sce- 
 nery of Switzerland, yet it possesses more solid ad- 
 vantages, in an excellent constitution, a learned and 
 enlightened, and, it is to be hoped, a religious peo- 
 ple. When we see the fine provincial towns abroad, 
 lofty houses, noble windows and doors, the compari- 
 son with our own towns is certainly disadvantageous ; 
 
 * England, with all thy faults, f love thee still. 
 • * * * Tho' thy clime 
 
 Be fickle, and thy year most part deformed 
 With dripping- rain, or withered by a frost, 
 Yet would I not exchange thy sullen skies. 
 And fields witiiout a flower, for M'armer France 
 With all her vines ; nor for Ausonia's groves, 
 Or golden fruitage, and her myrtle-bowers. 
 
 CoWPER. 
 
XIV PREFACE. 
 
 but when, on the other hand, it is considered with 
 what advantage we travel, without the impediment of 
 gates, passport, or police, who would not prefer these 
 solid advantages to the temporary sight of fine towns 
 and noble buildings ? And with regard to the com- 
 forts of life, such as a cheerful fire, clean rooms, and 
 mechanical conveniences, these are to be found in 
 scarcely any country but England, and the English 
 traveller will be much disappointed if he expect to 
 find them when distant from his native shore. Other 
 deprivations also are not wanting ; for the continental 
 traveller, instead of travelling with English comfort, 
 setting out at eight or nine in the morning, and per- 
 forming a journey of sixty or seventy miles with ease 
 in a postchaise, and arriving in good time at an inn, 
 in which he will find excellent accommodations, on 
 the contrary, must submit to many inconveniences, 
 setting out often three or four hours before light in a 
 cold winter's morning, travelling five or six hours to 
 a scanty breakfast, and not finishing a hard but slow 
 day's journey (chiefly a foot-pace) till after dark, 
 when, hungry and exhausted, he can only perhaps get 
 eggs and bread for his supper, in a wretched inn, 
 or rather cabaret ; and with difficulty find decent beds 
 and detached rooms — this frequently happens, espe- 
 
PREFACE. XY 
 
 cially in mountain travelling. These deprivations, 
 added to many inconveniences, will, it is hoped, put 
 a stop to that mad spirit of emigration which has taken 
 such fast hold of our countrymen, inducing them to 
 submit to every imposition, and spend vast sums ia 
 foreign countries which are so much wanted in their 
 own, when they cannot be too thankful for the bless- 
 ings and comforts which they enjoy in their native 
 land. 
 
 It is hoped that the hasty attempts at some trans- 
 lations will be pardoned, when the old saying is con- 
 sidered, " Poeta nascitur non fit." 
 
 Rectory House, Thorley, 
 May 13, 1825. 
 
FORMER SCENES 
 
 RENEWED. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Departure from Calais — ^Interesting- Meeting — Shifts of a Traveller-— 
 Vernon, Mantes, Rouen — Dilapidatory Scene at St. Germains — Arrival 
 at Paris. 
 
 The awful contest which had agitated Europe so 
 many years, and prevented his countrymen enjoying the 
 variety of Continental travelling, being happily termi- 
 nated, the writer of this sketch, determining to avail 
 himself of the present pacific state of affairs, and revisit 
 with his family those scenes from which he had for- 
 merly derived such pleasure, embarked at Dover, 
 July the 1st, 1818. A fair wind landed the travellers 
 safely in less than three hours at Monsieur Le Croq's 
 Hotel de Bourbon, and that venerable Aubergiste, 
 distinguished by his urbanity and travelling inform- 
 ation, soon supplied them with a convenient coach for 
 Paris, by the way of Normandy, for the following 
 day. 
 
 Vol. I. B 
 
BOULOGNE — AimEVILLE, 
 
 The chief difFcrence we found in the appearance of 
 the country during our long absence from the continent, 
 was the scarcity of monks, who used to swarm in 
 every corner ; and the astonishing prevalence of Eng- 
 lish customs and language was such, that you might 
 almost imagine yourself in your own country, was 
 it not for the height of the houses and the different 
 style in which they are built. 
 
 Boulogne was so crowded with English as to re- 
 semble an English town. Its lofty tower erected by 
 Bonaparte, whether from pride* or political artf, 
 and still unfinished, was seen for many miles J. 
 
 The situation of Montreuil must ever be interesting, 
 and the articles of life in its neighbourhood are re- 
 markably reasonable §. 
 
 At Abbeville, the writer of this sketch had the 
 unexpected pleasure of meeting a near and much 
 loved relative 11 with his amiable consort; a relative 
 not more connected with him by the ties of blood, 
 than the strongest friendship ; who is so deservedly 
 esteemed as a divine and scholar, that it would be as 
 superfluous as perhaps indelicate to add his humble 
 
 Scpulcri 
 
 Inimemor struis domos. — Hor. Sat., lib. 2. Od. IS. 
 
 + Turribus altis, magnas territat urbes. — Vir. .^n., lib. 4. 
 
 X Saniers presented the melancholy prospect of tjic ravages of the 
 French Revolution. Its noble Benedictine Convent being- no\v a magazine 
 for the forage of Englisli soldiers. 
 
 § Eggs, three shillings per hundred ; bread, seven farthings per pound ; 
 butter, tcnpcnce ; meat, threepence ; hares, tenpencc each, and other 
 thing's in proportion. 
 
 II The Rev. ^lontag-u Pennington, A-'icar of Xortlibnurno, and perpetual 
 Curate of St. George's Chapel, Deal. 
 
DIEPPE ROUEN. d 
 
 voice on the occasion. An unexpected meeting be- 
 tween such near relatives, about to be separated for 
 some time, was, as the reader may well imagine, parti- 
 cularly interesting. 
 
 The next day a division of parties took place, one 
 setting off for England, and the other for Dieppe. 
 
 The Palace of Eu *, long the residence of the 
 Ponthi^vre and Orleans families f, is neglected and 
 unfurnished ; but the latter is expected once more to 
 reside there, to the comfort and benefit of the inhabi- 
 tants of the town. 
 
 We found Dieppe a scene of bustle and confusion, 
 occupied in landing the passengers from the packets, 
 and were glad to leave it for 
 
 Rouen j;, which besides its grandeur and antiquity, 
 and beautiful situation, must ever interest the traveller 
 from its having been the last scene of the gallant but 
 unfortunate Jeanne d'Arc, who fell a victim to the 
 cruel policy of the Duke of Bedford § , Regent of France, 
 who caused her to be burnt in the market-place. Her 
 statue cannot fail of being regarded by the English 
 with interest. 
 
 * Ell was the favourite residence of the celebrated Madcinolselle Mont- 
 pensier. 
 
 t The Due d'Orleans, who made so considerable a figure in the revolu- 
 tion, under the name of Ei^alite, and perished miserably a victim to its 
 horrors (1), married the only dang'hter of the Due de Penthievre, a 
 Princess disting'uished by her virtues and misfortunes. 
 
 J Henry III. fixed his abode in this city, in 15S8, when obliged to 
 leave Chartres by the intrigues of the Leaguers. — Esprit dc la Ligue. 
 
 § This priuce, who is interred in the (Cathedral, is called from French 
 conceit, " Prorex Noymannioi," viceroy oi' Norma ndi/, Louis XL was 
 
 0) Necis aiUfices arte porire sua. 
 
 B2 
 
4 ROUEN. 
 
 Henri IV., King of France, was very partial to 
 this city. On the staircase of the Bourse is the follow- 
 ing inscription : — 
 
 jMes Amis 
 Soyez jiioy bons Sujets 
 Et je vous serai bon Roy 
 Et le melleur Roy 
 Que vous ayez eu ! 
 Henri IV., aux Edierins de Rouen. — October 16, 1595. 
 
 Rouen* was taken and pillaged by the Royalists, 
 Catharine of Medicis being at their head, in 1562, 
 after a spirited resistance of one month, by Montgom- 
 mery the commander, against very unequal forces. 
 
 In this siege there is a curious anecdote of an officer 
 named Francois Civil, who owed his life to the fidelity 
 of his servant, who, searching for his body in order 
 to inter it, was quitting the ground in despair, when 
 he observed, by the light of the moon, a diamond ring 
 on a hand not covered with earth ; approaching nearer, 
 he knew that it was his master, by the ring. Great 
 was his joy ; but greater, when, taking the body to 
 inter it, he found it warm. He took it to the hospital 
 to be examined by the surgeons, who were so occu- 
 pied by the number of wounded, that they paid no 
 attention to a dead man, as they thought him. On 
 
 advised by his servile courtiers to destroy bis monument wbich was so 
 disgfraccful to the French: " Rather," says the kingf, "let us suffer the 
 ashes of a prince to rest in peace, of whom, if he were living, the bravest 
 of us would be afraid ; a noble monument on the contrary should be 
 erected to his memory." — Rapin, vol. 4. — Happy would it have been for 
 this king-, if all his actions had agreed with this. — Ed. Here also is buried, 
 Henry, son of Henry H., King of England, and the heart of Richard I. 
 * Rouen was the birth-placeof that distinguished historian Pere Daniel, 
 and Fontenelle and Corneille. 
 
BOUEN — GAILLON. O 
 
 this, the valet, like the good Samaritan, took on himself 
 the sole care of his master, and by his attention he 
 almost immediately recovered, or at least was in a 
 convalescent state. Soon after, the city was taken, 
 and the house in which was Civil, was broken into, 
 and he, in that weak state, thrown out of the window. 
 He fortunately fell on a heap of dung, unhurt by the 
 fall, but was obliged to remain there, without provi- 
 sions, without assistance, and without remedies, till 
 he was conveyed privately by his relations out of the 
 city, where, with great care, he recovered. De Thou 
 says, " after so many kinds of deaths, at the time I 
 am writing an account of this event, forty years since 
 it took place, this officer is still living*." 
 
 The situation of Rouen, in which they reckon 
 100,000 inhabitants, is very fine ; and from Mont St. 
 Catharine, about a mile from the city, you have a 
 noble view of it, the Seine, and beautiful environs. 
 
 Of all the roads from Calais to Paris, that by the 
 way of Normandy is much the finest. From Ptouen 
 it is a perfect garden, recalling to our minds the beau- 
 tiful description of the Gardens of Alcinous — 
 
 Oyp(,vaJ y.oci ^otai xoci ixYiXexi a.y'ka.oKapojoi 
 ^vx.ai rs yXuxepaci xoci sXaioci rrjXcQoojGcci. 
 
 Odyss. Lib. 7. 
 
 abounding in cherries, apples, pears, plums, and 
 apricots : the Seine also adds not a little to the 
 beauty of it. The inns in general are tolerable ; but 
 at Gaillon we were obliged to exercise our patience, 
 
 * Esprit de la Ligue. 
 
6 VERNON MANTES, 
 
 having wretched accommodation ; — an old tin broken 
 coffee-pot, without a lid, was our tea-pot, and two or 
 three broken cups were all that the house furnished ; 
 no butter, and bad bread, and hardly a table * sound 
 enough to contain this bad fare. But this was but the 
 beginning of this kind of deprivations ; we were to be 
 inured to greater in our proposed extensive journey. 
 
 Gaillon, instead of the splendour and hospitality 
 of an archbishop, as his palace was formerly here, 
 presents the miserable spectacle of a depot for Ga- 
 lerians, 500 of whom were here ; but it must be ac- 
 knowledged, that many of them were employed in 
 useful works. 
 
 Vernon, which is beautifully situated on the Seine, 
 is distinguished by having afforded refuge to its king, 
 Henri III., when driven from Paris and Chartres by 
 the factious Due de Guise ; and the village of Rosni f, 
 some miles from it, reminded us of his gallant suc- 
 cessor, Henri IV., whose friend and minister. Sully, 
 was Baron and Marquis Rosni. 
 
 Mantes, which is likewise finely situated on the 
 river, is distinguished by having been some time the 
 
 * 'J'his reminds us of the straits to which tlic Trojuiis were reduced; 
 Et adorea liha per turhaiu 
 Siibiciunt epulis. 
 Etiaui menses consumunus iiiquit JuUis. 
 
 iEN. lib. 7. 
 •I- Henri IV., after the glorious battle of Ivri, passed the nig-ht at this 
 castle, and being' asked at siip))er i)y his captains, wliat name he would 
 irive to this battle, this great monarch ans\vercd, with liis usual piety and 
 liumility, " The battle of the Alnn"glity, to whom alone belonaeth the 
 irlory of it." Wliat wonder is it, that the arms of such a priucc should be 
 crowned with success ? 
 
PROSSY— ST. GERMAINS. / 
 
 residence of Henri IV., and there was a plot formed 
 by the league and third party, as it v;as called, in 
 1792, to seize on his person, but it miscarried. Here 
 also, in 1593, was holden the assembly for Henri's 
 conversion, which paved his way to the throne. 
 
 The comfortable appearance of the male and female 
 peasants struck us no less than their costume, which 
 was interesting and pleasing, particularly that of the 
 latter. 
 
 At Prossy, near St. Germain's, Edward III. formed 
 an encampment in 1346, when he invaded France ; 
 tliis place, therefore, is particularly interesting to the 
 English, as leading the way to the ascendency which 
 they afterwards gained over this country. Here also 
 was an abbey, founded in 1031, by Constance, wife 
 of Robert, king of France. 
 
 The noble castle of St. Germain's, in which that 
 bigotted prince, James II., breathed his last, presented 
 a miserable dilapidated appearance, and broken win- 
 dows*. We could not resist taking a view of Paris, 
 and its beautiful environs, from the noble terrace, and 
 finished our journey by entering Paris by the triumphal, 
 but unfinished, monument of Napoleon's ambition, 
 I'Arc de Triomphe, which forcibly called to our mind 
 the instability of a conqueror's glory, in none more' 
 verified than in the fate of that extraordinary person. 
 
 Crossing la Place de Louis XV., our voiturier soon 
 set us down at I'Hotel des Pyrenees. 
 
 * The English, who had the credit of all the mischief done in tiiis 
 neighbourhood, had likewise that of these broken ^viudu^vs, as a boy told 
 us in answer to our inquiries. — " Fabula narratur." 
 
8 PARIS. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Parisian Manners — Cabriolets — Palais Royal— Boulevards— Cafe Mille 
 Colonnes — Splendour and Dirt — Epicurean Pleasures — Great Incon- 
 sistency — Louvre — Luxembourg- — National Liberality — Benefits of 
 Toleration — Pantheon — Difference of Religious Customs. 
 
 In spite of the Revolution and the horrors it had ex- 
 perienced, we found in Paris the same thoughtlessness 
 and gaiety for which it was ever distinguished ; and 
 the rapid change of dynasties had made little change 
 in the disposition of the people. 
 
 There was the same levity and taste for frivolous 
 pursuits as ever ; and the goddess of pleasure reigned 
 uncontrolled in this gay and lively capital, the resort 
 of the giddy, thoughtless, and dissipated. 
 
 We did not find the city much improved or increased 
 since our absence from it, though many alterations 
 had taken place certainly for the better ; the Rue de 
 la Paix, with convenient trottoirs, took the lead of the 
 improvements ; but the number and rapidity of the 
 cabriolets, and their quick evolutions round the angles 
 of the narrow streets, with the noise of the drivers, 
 and the mud thrown up in abundance, to the great 
 annoyance of the sober and reflecting pedestrian, must 
 ever prove an impediment to a female disposed to 
 enjoy a walk in Paris, as in days of yore. The Pari- 
 sian seems to centre every charm and beauty in the 
 Palais Royal and Boulevards, — the resort of the 
 young, the old, the serious, and the gay. 
 
 Hardly were we set down in our hotel, when our 
 
THE PALAIS ROYAL. 9 
 
 waiter, with great eagerness, said, pointing with his 
 finger, " Voila le passage qui conduit au Palais 
 Royal;" and indeed it must be owned, that these are 
 both fascinating places for the traveller, and present 
 a lively cheerful scene. 
 
 The Palais Royal, with its numerous shops and gay 
 exhibitions, was greatly improved since we saw it ; 
 and the epicure and sensuahst may here gratify their 
 taste with the choicest dishes at every corner, and 
 Verret and the Cafe de Milk Coloniies, at their re- 
 spective hours exhibit a crowd of voluptuaries bring- 
 ing profit and fame to their shrines ; though the latter, 
 in spite of the splendour of its mirrors, and the 
 fascinating goddess* who sits on her throne to receive 
 the incense of her adorers, exhibits a scene of negli- 
 gence and dirt which sully the brightness of this cele- 
 brated temple. 
 
 As the traveller may refresh himself in the Palais 
 Royal with dcjeunes-d-la-fourchette, and the female in-: 
 spect the fashions at the marchandes de mode, which 
 abound in every quarter, so may the man of literature 
 satisfy his taste and learning in excellent libraries, 
 (well furnished with books of all languages and the 
 newest publications,) open to receive him ; and the 
 booksellers are always ready to afford him every as- 
 sistance to satisfy his laudable desire of information. 
 
 Still Paris, with all its luxuries and elegancies 
 must ever be confessed to be much inferior as a city 
 
 * In the coffee-houses in Paris, it is the custom for a female, elegantly 
 attired, and ornamented m ith flowers, feathers, ^-c, in her head-dress, to 
 sit on an elevated seat, and receive all that is paid by the visitors. 
 
10 
 
 PARIS. 
 
 to London, both in comfort and convenience ; and the 
 numerous kennels and dirt of its narrow streets, bear 
 incontrovertible witness to this truth. 
 
 Napoleon, with all his conquests, was ever attentive 
 to the improvement of this city, and the fine column 
 in the Place de Vendome*, occupying the place of 
 the statue of Louis XIV., and the Pont des Arts, and 
 d'Austerlitz, are lasting monuments of his exertions 
 and improvements, as La Madeleine is of the uncer- 
 tain duration of the power of a conqueror. 
 
 Strolling to the Thuilleries, in the evening, which 
 was warm and beautiful, we found them crowded; 
 and as we looked on this gay thoughtless set, now 
 employed in trifling pursuits, we could not help say- 
 ing, as we looked on the Palace of the Thuilleries, 
 where all the sanguinary scenes and massacres took 
 place in 1790 and 17911, Can this be the same 
 people who imbrued their hands in the blood of 
 their Sovereign, and disgraced themselves by acts 
 which incensed all Europe against them ? Now vo- 
 taries of pleasure, they are apparently incapable of 
 any serious pursuit. And we wished, as we remarked 
 the contrast. Long may they continue so, for the re- 
 pose of Europe J. 
 
 Proposing to stay but a few weeks at Paris, we re- 
 
 * This is between two and tliree huinlred feet high, faced with the brass 
 of the cannon taken from different nations ; on tlie top was a statue of 
 -Bonaparte, carried to Russia, by order of the Emperor. 
 
 t V/hen the foreign troops shewed that tidelity and attacinaent which 
 he found not in his own. 
 
 % This wish has not been reaUzed unfortunately, as it aiipears from 
 the present aspect of afi'airs. 
 
THE LOUVKE — THE LUXEMBOURG. 11 
 
 freshed our memory with reviewing the things we had 
 formerly seen, many of which had undergone great 
 alterations, and inspecting the new ones which we 
 had not seen. 
 
 The Gallery of the Louvre is one of the first 
 places which a stranger visits : it is more than fif- 
 teen hundred feet in length, and full of paintings by 
 good masters, though deprived of its stolen goods 
 by the respective proprietors, which altogether had 
 formed a collection not, perhaps, to be equalled. 
 
 The facility with which the French have replaced 
 these pictures from the Orleans, Luxembourg and 
 Versailles Galleries is surprising, and you scarcely 
 perceive a vacancy. This collection is seen with the 
 utmost facility ; and, by shewing your passports, you 
 visit it as often as you please. 
 
 In our walks, this day, we viewed with fresh plea- 
 sure La Fontaine des Innocents, and found new beau- 
 ties in it : the Halle, which is near it, still retains the 
 noisy character for which the venders have been ever 
 distinguished. 
 
 The gardens of the Luxembourg, affording such a 
 contrast to the gay Thuilleries, from their interesting 
 gloominess, did not pass unvisited by us. 
 
 The Palace, which is now used as the House of 
 Peers, has several fine paintings, many of which are 
 by David. There are several statues of Bonaparte's 
 generals ; and in a small room, intended for the young 
 King of Rome, are some interesting views of tiiat 
 celebrated city ; the room, full of splendid mirrors, 
 
12 PARIS — THE LUXEMBOURG. 
 
 and glittering with ornaments, still retains the name 
 of Mary of Medicis' Apartment. 
 
 The Luxembourg formerly belonged to the cele- 
 brated Mademoiselle Montpensier: and as we strolled 
 over the apartments, we thought of the deep-rooted 
 affection of that love- sick damsel for the Comte de 
 Lauzim, which no obstacles or difficulties could con- 
 quer*. 
 
 Passing by the Sorbonne, which from having been 
 the seat of learning, is now become a school of sta- 
 tuary, painting, ^-c, and inspecting the statue of Mal- 
 herbes, the virtuous and zealous defender of Louis 
 XVL, we came to St. Genevieve, now used as the 
 repository for the ashes of illustrious men f ; we were 
 surprised to find this fine Greek building still un- 
 finished, though began more than forty years since. 
 
 When we reflected, that the remains of violent Ja- 
 cobins and revolutionists, who were the authors of the 
 troubles which had so long desolated Europe, and 
 stained its fields with blood, were deposited here, 
 we were involuntarily seized with horror, and turned 
 our steps another way. The portico and facade of 
 this church are particularly beautiful. 
 
 * See Memoires de IVIademoiselle de Montpensier, written by herself. 
 She MMs the daughter of Gasttm, Due d'Orleans, by Mademoiselle Mont- 
 pensier, and g'rand-daug'hter of Henry IV. ; she was disting-uished by her 
 •wit and gallantry, 
 
 t Among the poets and generals, are the remains of Rousseau, whose 
 writing's did so much injury to religion and morality; and those of Le 
 Clerc, the French General, who married Pauline, Napoleon's sister ; she 
 is since married and separated from Prince Borghese, 
 
ST. GENEVIEVE. 13 
 
 The following day, which was Sunday, we had the 
 comfort of attending the service of our church, which 
 is celebrated at L'Oratoire. 
 
 This church is now exclusively appropriated to 
 the English and French Protestants, and the writer 
 of this sketch preached to an English audience in the 
 pulpit formerly distinguished by the oratorical powers 
 of Bourdillon and Massillon, the most celebrated 
 preachers of the seventeenth century*. 
 
 We could not help recalling to mind that distressing 
 period when the unfortunate Protestants were driven 
 from their worship with drawn swords, and mas- 
 sacred if making any resistance ; mort ou la messe f 
 was then the order of the day: this praiseworthy 
 liberality of the French government will, it is hoped, 
 have a salutary effect on all other governments, and 
 teach them to avoid persecution, as the bane of all 
 civil government. 
 
 The shops, however, were all open ; the carpenters 
 at work with their hammers, and the smiths with 
 their anvils ; nor was there any appearance of the re- 
 currence of this sacred day, which led us to contrast 
 the different manner in which it is kept in England, 
 not confounded with other days, but observed in a 
 quiet devout manner, so much to the honour of the 
 nation. 
 
 * The congreg'ation consisted of nearly one thousand persons, and the 
 greatest stillness and tranquillity prevailed. 
 
 + The woi-d used by Charles IX. to Henry TV., then King- of Navarre, 
 at the massacre of Paris. 
 
14 PARIS — AMUSEMENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Paris Aimisements — A Great Actor — Notre Dame — Courts of Justice. 
 Royal Chapel— ^An Interesting Female — Instability of Human Fortune. 
 
 No city abounds more in recreations than Paris ;. and 
 the theatres, the gardens of Tivoli, Bellevue, ^c. ^c, 
 afford constant amusement to the inquisitive tra- 
 veller. 
 
 In the former, Talma, at the Theatre Francais, 
 equally astonished and delighted us with his theatri- 
 cal powers, nor did Feideau want its attractions ; both 
 the theatre and performers merit the stranger's atten- 
 tion. Tivoli, much as we had heard of it, delighted 
 us with its variety of attractions, and we were equally 
 pleased with the rapidity of the chars volants, the 
 ships in full sail taking in passengers, the tricks of 
 the jugglers and the varied dancing on the green ; 
 and the splendid fire-works, with which the exhibi- 
 tion concludes, confer credit on the taste of. the pro- 
 prietor. 
 
 In our morning strolls, we did not neglect to re- 
 visit many of the churches. Notre Dame, St. Roch, 
 St. Sulpice, and St. Eustache, arc those which are 
 most worthy of being seen. 
 
 The venerable towers of the noble cathedral, and its 
 numerous ancient figures, remain unhurt by the hand 
 of time, or revolutionary violence; but, within, we 
 missed the colossal statue of St. Christopher. 
 
 The archbishop has, at length, regained his pa- 
 
NOTRE DAME — RELICS. 15 
 
 lace ; but the unsparing revolutionary grasp has de- 
 prived him of great part of his income. 
 
 We were not suffered to quit the church without 
 being shown Louis XIII. offering his crown to the 
 Virgin, esteemed a fine piece of sculpture ; the De- 
 scent from the Cross, the tru& Crown of Thorns, the 
 Chair used by the Pope in the Coronation of Napo- 
 leon, canopy, robes*, ^-c, and the most interesting of 
 all, the Crosier of the Archbishop, who laid the first 
 stone of this church in 500, in the reign of Childe- 
 bert ; it is certainly a fine Gothic building, and was 
 founded on the site of a heathen temple. 
 
 We would not be so near without going into the 
 Palais, and inspecting the Courts of Justice, of which 
 there are four, La Cour de Cassation, Cour des 
 Comptes, Cour Royale, and Tribunal de la Premier 
 Instance. 
 
 In the first, is a chief president, and three judges, 
 forty-five counsellors, and an attorney, and four soli- 
 citors-general. 
 
 In the second, a chief, and three judges, ten mas- 
 ters of accounts, and an attorney-general. 
 
 In the third, a president, and five judges, forty-four 
 titular counsellors, twelve auditor counsellors, an at- 
 torney-general, and four solicitor-generals. 
 
 The fourth is a large and important court, with 
 thirty-six judges, and divided into six chambers, 
 composed each of four judges and two supploants. 
 
 * Eacli priest's dress cost throe (lioiisand francs. This 2)olItIcaI prince 
 endeavoured to secure the priests by dresses, money, and giving- splendid 
 utensils to their churches. 
 
16 PARIS — COURTS OP JUSTICE, 
 
 There are five judges for criminal causes, and seven 
 for civil juries, as with us, but the juries are men of 
 substance, possessing from fifteen hundred to two thou- 
 sand francs a-year ; a custom worthy to be adopted by 
 us : it is not necessary for the jury to be unanimous, 
 in order to condemn a prisoner ; the verdict being de- 
 cided by a majority. 
 
 The first questions put to him by the judge are. 
 Voire 7iom, et qiialitt, et residence; after which they 
 proceed to the evidence, but the prisoner is suffered 
 to be seated in a box. 
 
 The Prisons are under the Courts, in which the 
 prisoners are placed when fully committed for trial, 
 and the women are separated from the men. 
 
 We saw a general officer, who was shortly to 
 be brought to trial, coolly reading in the court of his 
 prison ; and they shewed us the prison in which the 
 unfortunate Marie Antoinette was confined. The old 
 chapel is a noble and venerable Gothic building; 
 Le Palais is certainly old, though not, perhaps, so 
 ancient as is said ; but it is certain that the mayor 
 of the palace formerly resided here, which makes it 
 older than the second race of kings. 
 
 We did not omit the opportunity of seeing the royal 
 family at the chapel of the Thuilleries, for which 
 tickets are obtained without any difficulty: the ve- 
 nerable King, who has experienced such vicissitudes 
 in fife, was in the gallery with all his family. We could 
 
 n6t see the Duchess d'A without reflecting on the 
 
 instability of human fortune : when we last saw her 
 at chapel at Versailles, in 1789, she was in the bloom 
 
INSTABILITY OF HUMAN FORTUNE. 17 
 
 of youth, happy in the society of her parents, and in 
 possession of every comfort attached to her elevated 
 station ; but how soon and rapid was the change ! 
 Her palace was exchanged for a prison, and honours 
 and adulation for scoffs and insult; no longer ad- 
 dressed as a princess, but the daitghtcr of Capet to be 
 brought to trial. This princess had the horror of see- 
 ing her father and mother put to a violent death, which 
 she with difficulty escaped, and the temporary ruin of 
 her royal house ; and although, by the restoration, she 
 has recovered the splendour to which she was born, 
 yet have the misfortunes of her family diffused a pe- 
 culiar air of melancholy on this interesting female. 
 
 On this occasion we had the pleasure of seeing not 
 only the King, but also the Dukes of Angouleme and 
 Berri, with their illustrious consorts* ; and .we were 
 not a little gratified at seeing the House of Bourbon 
 once more occupy their places within those sacred 
 walls. 
 
 Temped by a fine evening, we drove round Paris in a 
 cabriolet ; our driver, like his nation, was very loqua- 
 cious, but he was intelligent also, and epxlained to us 
 the various improvements which had taken place as 
 
 * The family of Bourbon may be considered an unfortunate one, Tlie 
 famous Constable, forced to fly his country owing- to the persecution of 
 the mother of Francis I., was killed at the storming- of Rome ; Henry IV. 
 perished by the hand of an assassin ; liis son Louis XIII. died youncf 
 of a lingering disease ; several of the sons and grandsons of Louis XIV. 
 died so suddenly as to give suspicion of poison ; and Louis XVI., with 
 several of his family, perished on a scaffold ; the present king was an exile 
 twenty years. — 
 
 -breve et irreparabile tempus 
 
 Omnibus est vitse. — Viug. .^n. 
 Vol. I. 
 
18 AN EVENING DRIVE ROUND PARIS. 
 
 we proceeded in our ride, and amused us with anec- 
 dotes. 
 
 He kept an hotel when the allied armies entered 
 Paris, and had a Russian officer quartered on him, 
 who, on coming into his house, thus addressed him : 
 *' You Parisians think that we are bears come to 
 devour you, but you shall find that we are more 
 civilized than you think ;" and he was as good as his 
 word, paying for every thing and behaving with the 
 greatest propriety. 
 
 Our driver likewise told us, that nothing could be 
 grander than the triumphal entry of the sovereigns 
 who rode round the Boulevard attended by their guard : 
 the Parisians were at first in great consternation, but 
 soon recovered their spirits, and the shops were open 
 next day* as usual. We returned by Pont d'Auster- 
 litz, which is a beautiful bridge and does credit to the 
 taste of the builder. 
 
 We also passed by Le Grenier d' Abondance, which, 
 although now in a useless state, was the result of a 
 very useful and wise plan of Napoleon, being intended, 
 after the manner of the Romans, to supply the inha- 
 bitants with corn in a time of scarcity at a reasonable 
 rate. This drive round Paris by the Boulevard is a 
 very advantageous way for a stranger to see the city. 
 
 In this excursion we turned out of our way to view 
 the ruins of the Celestins, which we had formerly 
 seen in all its splendour, full of interesting monu- 
 
 * On the entrance of Henry IV. into Paris the shops were open the 
 same day, and the monarcli paid a visit in the evening- and played cards 
 in a party, iu as much apparent security u if he had lopg been established 
 king. 
 
MONTH ART RES. 19 
 
 ments *. Only the shell of that venerable convent re- 
 mains ; where formerly the matin bell called the pious 
 fathers to their devotion the horse-hoof resoimds ; in 
 short, the chapel is converted into a stable. Straw 
 and hay are piled up to the Gothic roof, and the cells 
 are converted into barracks. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Temple— National Vanity— Montmartres— Interesting Equipage — 
 Invalldes— Ecole Militaire— Charabre des Deputes— Pavilion de Conde— 
 Abbattoirs— Fontaine d'Elephant— Greniers d'Abondance— Cimeliere 
 de Fere de la Chaise — Interesting- Inscriptions. 
 
 The temple was rendered so famous by the confine- 
 ment of the late royal victims to revolutionary fury, 
 that we could not avoid turning our steps to it. Its 
 fine venerable towers no longer remain, but the con- 
 cierge shewed us a curious model of it, and the rooms 
 formerly occupied by this unfortunate family, with the 
 different figures employed in various ways, in order, 
 for the time, at least to lull their misfortunes. The 
 sister of the present Due de Bourbon, the last of that 
 illustrious branch since the murder of the Due d'En- 
 ghien, has an excellent house, in which she resides. 
 The heights of Montmartres f are at all times into 
 
 Many of the House of Valois, Montmorenci, ^c. 
 t St. Denis is said to have suffered martyrdom at Montmartres, which 
 takes its name from this event. It was also called Mons IMariis, because 
 on tills hill was a temple dedicated to IMars. At the end of the sixth cen- 
 tury were remains of it discovered, so firm and solid, that Henry IV 
 planted his cannon on it at the siege of Paris. 
 
 C 2 
 
20 l'ecole militaire, 
 
 resting, but more particularly now so, from the English 
 army having been so recently encamped on them. 
 
 We had here a complete specimen of national vanity 
 in the miller who was our cicerone, and who de- 
 scribed in strong terms the disasters caused by the 
 troops. " Morbieu !" said the miller, " the allied 
 army never could have taken Paris but by treason, 
 for there are eight hundred thousand fighting people 
 in the city." 
 
 From the telegraph is an extensive and beautiful 
 view of Paris and its environs. 
 
 In the church-yard we were copying some curious 
 inscriptions, but were abruptly shut out by the surly 
 beadle *. In our way back to our hotel we met a car- 
 riage, (containing a venerable personage,) whose motto 
 interested us much ; the arras are the three towers of 
 the temple, and his motto, ' Dec. 2Gth, 1792.' On in- 
 quiry we found it was the equipage of Monsieur de 
 Seze, the undaunted defender of Louis XVI. : he had 
 a grant of his arms from the present king, and his 
 services have been rewarded by his being appointed 
 chief judge de la Cour de Correction. 
 
 In the evening we took a cursory view of the In- 
 valides and L'Ecole Militaire ; the latter fine build- 
 ing, in which Bonaparte received his military educa- 
 tion, is now used as barracks. 
 
 The Invalides has sustained no alteration, and we 
 looked at its beautiful dome with fresh delight. There 
 were in this noble institution two hundred and fifty 
 
 * In and near Paris, the church-yards are enclosed with liigh walls and 
 gates. 
 
ABBATTOIRS. 21 
 
 officers and three thousand five hundred soldiers, all 
 maintained in ease and comfort * . 
 
 We returned by La Chambre des Deputes f, for- 
 merly Le Palais de Bourbon. Much did we regret 
 the vacation, as we could have wished to have been 
 witnesses to the French oratorical powers. Le Salon 
 des Marechaux, and Le Salon du Roi, are both very- 
 elegant ; in the former are painted the late battles 
 gained by the French J. 
 
 The elegant pavilion of the Prince de Conde also 
 merits being seen ; it consists of a suite of apart- 
 ments on the ground floor. There is here a fine 
 specimen of Gobelin tapestry representing Achilles 
 preparing for the Trojan war. 
 
 Among the improvements and useful undertakings 
 of the Ex-Emperor, for, with all his faults, no one 
 will deny him the merit of many useful undertakings, 
 may be reckoned the Abbatoirs, the Church-yard out 
 of the town, the Fontaine d'Elephant, Greniers d'Abon- 
 dance, S"c. 
 
 There are four Abattoirs, or slaughter-houses, one 
 for each quarter of the city ; they are noble and 
 spacious buildings, and in which every thing is 
 admirably arranged to keep them clean, by means of 
 large cisterns, Sfc. 
 
 * In the kitchen, we were informed, the daily consumption for this 
 establishment is 2400 pounds of meat, 
 
 t When the king- comes, he takes the place of the president ; each 
 member ascends the tribune, and speaks from it. 
 
 X As our conductor was boasting- of these victories, one of our company 
 maliciously observed, that he had forgotten the battle of Montmartres, 
 to which he answered, very angrily, " Je nc suia pas politicieo." 
 
22 FOUNTAINS — LA CIMETIERE. 
 
 This may be said to be a Roman work; and it were 
 to be wished that the same plan was adopted in our 
 capital, as it would prevent those offensive smells and 
 disgraceful sights of cattle being slaughtered in the 
 midst of it, which are a discredit to any polished 
 nation. 
 
 La Fontaine d'Elephant is situated on the very 
 foundation of the Bastile, (whose gloomy towers, and 
 wretched dungeons, we saw with pleasure levelled to 
 the ground), and is a noble national work, as a 
 model for an aqueduct for the city. The elephant is 
 truly colossal, being forty feet in height, and the castle 
 on its back is fourteen feet high. 
 
 They are here forming a canal to join the little 
 river Ourcq with the Seine, for the purpose of opening 
 a communication with the interior towns. 
 
 Not far from this is Le Chateau d'Eau, emitting 
 water supplied by the Ourcq for the use of the neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
 The numerous conduits, called by the French fon- 
 iaines, which supply this city with water, chiefly draw 
 t from the Seine, but it is bad and unpalatable. 
 
 La Cimetiere de P^re de la Chaise, so called from 
 the famous Jesuit confessor of Louis XIV. having 
 had a house on this spot, is one of the most interesting 
 places in Paris. 
 
 The first consul of France, in 1806, issued a praise- 
 worthy edict, that no more funerals should be performed 
 within the walls. To his interdiction the inhabitants 
 owe this salutary regulation. Tiie site which La Ci- 
 metiere occupies was formerly called Mont St. Louis. 
 
LA CIMETIERE. 23 
 
 Here repose the remains of all nations, and all 
 religions ; divines, poets, marshals, mechanics, cooks, 
 and restaurateurs. 
 
 Matres atque viri defimctique corpora vitk? 
 Magnanimum heroum*. 
 
 We gave some time to this interesting spot. On a 
 board, as you enter, is written the price of interment. 
 The graves j as may be imagined, are numerous, 
 there being only two other principal cimetieres for 
 the city. 
 
 The plantations (chiefly of cypress) round the 
 graves, and flowers f sprinkled within the mournful 
 inclosures, make the sight truly affecting, filling the 
 mind with a pleasing melancholy not to be de- 
 scribed. 
 
 Neque haruin, quas coHs arbonim 
 Te prater invisas cupressas, 
 Ulla brevem dominuin sequetur %. 
 
 We frequently found two stools placed in the 
 funereal inclosure, for the friends of the deceased to 
 indulge their melancholy by weeping over their loved 
 remains. In short, the various dispositions of these so- 
 lemn receptacles, the flowers, shrubs, and trees, planted 
 in a variety of ways, the numerous inscriptions in all 
 languages, and the few straggling figures gliding along 
 in various parts of this immense burial ground, pre- 
 sent a most interesting and solemn spectacle of *' the 
 house appointed for all living." Among the numerous 
 inscriptions, some were beautiful, and most of them 
 
 "^ ViRG, Mn. lib, 6. t Purpureos sparsam flojres, — IEn. G. 
 
 % Hor. Car. lib. 2, 
 
24 LA CIMETIERE. 
 
 were marked by simplicity and feeling ; the following 
 was of this description : — 
 
 II fut mon pere 
 Et je pleure en lui; 
 Mon meilleur ami, 
 D'enclos Lessele. 
 
 The following also struck us :— 
 
 Dors en paix, dans le ciel, objet de notrc amour, 
 Attends nous aujourd'hui, domain, ce n'est qu'un jour. 
 
 In peace repose, dear object of our love ; 
 Time as a step t' eternity will prove. — Ed. 
 
 The greatest age we observed was 97. 
 
 One thing disgusted us much : — There was a 
 large trench Jcejit open, into which, even whilst we 
 were there, two or three corpses of the lower order of 
 people were thrown in like dogs, and scarcely co- 
 vered over with earth, no service being read: be- 
 sides this disgusting sight, which much deranges the 
 serious thoughts excited by the place, the stench in 
 hot weather is intolerable, as we experienced, the 
 day being very sultry. From twenty to thirty are 
 frequently daily interred here ; a register is kept by a 
 man living on the spot, and a copy deposited with the 
 municipality. 
 
 The ground for interment maybe purchased in perpe- 
 tuity. We here found the graves of many of our coun- 
 trymen, with suitable inscriptions on the tombstones. 
 
 To make this scene more affecting, garlands of 
 flowers ^vere hung over many of the graves, and 
 occasionally miniatures of the deceased placed under 
 a glass, and pictures, were also suspended over them. 
 The whole, in short, affords so interesting a spectacle. 
 
THE CATACOMBS. 25 
 
 that, if possible, the stranger should devote an entire 
 morning to it ; but we were sorry to see, in a Chris- 
 tian church-yard, some inscriptions to the ma?ies of 
 different persons, thus bringing us back to the times 
 of paganism. The Protestants, who are here buried, 
 have service read over their remains*. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Catacombs — Maison Roug-e — St. Eticnne du Mont— Charitable Founda- 
 tions — Sketch of an extraordinary Character — Manufactories — Sal- 
 petriere— Bicetre — Val de Grace. 
 
 Having never seen the Catacombs, we formed a 
 large party, and promised ourselves much pleasure 
 from the inspection of this curious place, to which we 
 went, by passing the Barri^re de I'Enfer, justly so 
 called, as leading to them. 
 
 Taking guides and flambeaux, we descended fifty- 
 four steps. The first solemn inscription which you 
 find on entering this awful place, is the following : — 
 
 Has ultra metas, requiescunt beatam spem expectantest. 
 
 You then enter the Catacombs, which is a vast 
 excavated place, containing tlie skulls and bones of 
 many thousands of persons, brought from different 
 burial-grounds in Paris, and deposited here after the 
 Revolution, when the church-yards were ransacked 
 for the dead. 
 
 * There are more cin\ctiercs in Paris, but, after that of Pere de la 
 Cliaise, IMontuiartrcs is the most considerable, 
 t Beyond these limits they rest, who are in expectation of a blessed hope. 
 
2b THE CATACOMBS. 
 
 These are placed in regular piles, on each side as 
 you walk ; and the frequent solemn and appropriate 
 inscriptions, taken from the classic authors, add not 
 a little to the solemnity of the scene. Among others, 
 
 ^quat omiies cinis impares, nascitaur. 
 Pares morimur. 
 
 La raort nous confond tous sous un m^ine niveau, 
 La distance des rangs se perd dans le tombeau. 
 
 Death puts an end to man's career, 
 Nor will you find distinctions here. — Ed. 
 
 A heavy gloomy door now appears opening into 
 the lower Catacombs, with this inscription above : — 
 
 Non metuit mortem qui scit contemnere vitam. 
 Death has no sting' for him who life contemns.— Ed. 
 
 There are many other apposite inscriptions, too long 
 to be here inserted. 
 
 Each visitor of this subterranean place is furnished 
 with a wax taper, and there is a black mark on the 
 roof, like Daedalus' clue, to guide the unwary traveller 
 through these dark abodes ; but in spite of these 
 cautions, three of the party, influenced by curiosity, 
 quitted the clue, and penetrated into the inmost re- 
 cesses, '* Intima regna," not one of them *' ceeca re- 
 gens filo vestigia." 
 
 Thus they lost all benefit from their guides and 
 party, and we quickly lost sight and hearing of them, 
 nor could they regain their path, proving that 
 
 Facilis descensus averni, 
 Sed revocare gradum. 
 Hoc opus, hie labor est ♦. 
 
 Thus were they in these solemn recesses three 
 * ViR. lib. 6. 
 
THE CATACOMBS. 2t 
 
 quarters of an hour, and would have been in an un- 
 comfortable situation, deprived of light, if one of the 
 party had not proposed extinguishing two of the 
 bougies to guard against contingencies ; their /or/or« 
 hope, the last Hght, was nearly consumed, when they 
 were fortunately heard by another party, who rescued 
 them from their peril. 
 
 In several parts of this gloomy cavern, is written 
 " Le chemin d'Orleans," as that road was formerly in 
 this direction. 
 
 They calculate that three times the present popu- 
 lation of Paris are in these caverns, which are so 
 extensive as to reach even under the Fauxbourg 
 St. Jaques. 
 
 No one can walk along these gloomy receptacles of 
 the dead, without the most serious impressions, and 
 feeling the truth of the words of the poet. 
 
 Mors sola fatetur 
 Quantula sint hominum corjiuscula.— Juvenal. 
 
 Pale Death, attended by his sable train. 
 
 Declares the shortness of each mortal's reign. — Ed. 
 
 We returned by La Maison Rouge de Sant6, and 
 St. Etienne du Mont. 
 
 The former is an hospital, founded by Louis XV., 
 for one hundred and fifty old men and women, who 
 when past the age of sixty, find here a comfortable 
 asylum ; paying two hundred francs a year for bed 
 and board : after the age of eighty, they pay two 
 hundred and fifty francs. There is a neat chapel, 
 refectory, <^*c. 
 
28 ST, ETIENNE DU MONT. 
 
 The church of St. Etienne du Mont, one of the 
 oldest and most curious in Paris, is said to have been 
 built in the reign of Clovis. It is a noble Gothic 
 building, and rich in painted windows. Its antique 
 screen and gallery are very curious. 
 
 In one of the chapels, is an old beautiful monument 
 of St. Genevieve, brought from the adjoining church. 
 In this church are interred the celebrated Pascal and 
 Racine, and there are inscriptions on their tombs ; 
 that on Racine is by Boileau. The pulpit, supported 
 by Samson, is esteemed a fine piece of architecture. 
 
 Among the charitable foundations at Paris, Les 
 Orphehns, Les Enfants Trouves, and L' Hotel Dieu, 
 are the most remarkable ; they were taken the greatest 
 care of by the Ex-Emperor*, and the number of 
 inmates were augmented by him. 
 
 In the Orphelins are six hundred children, who 
 are comfortably maintained and put out apprentices 
 at a proper age. 
 
 There are one thousand six hundred children at the 
 Enfants Trouves. All are received who are brought, 
 and each infant has its name and time of reception 
 on a label round its neck. 
 
 L'Hotel Dieu, which is a noble foundation and the 
 
 * Now that time begins to soften tlie asperity of party, and prejudices 
 wear away, we may perhaps have candour enough to own that tlie character 
 of Napoleon has been too much blackened, and confess that his institutions 
 and undertaking's prove him fully capable of conducting the weighty affairs 
 of a great empire ; and that hereafter, M'hen time shall have drawn a veil 
 over his errors, he will not only by universal suffrage be acknowledged 
 as an extraordinary man, but likewise as a great sovereign. As his 
 fault was cruelty, so ambition was his ruin : but sovereign power is very 
 dangerous. AVhut conqueror is without ambition and cruelty ? 
 
IlOUSr. OP CORRECTION. S9 
 
 oldest hospital in Paris, was founded by Henri IV., 
 in 1606. It is conducted on the most liberal plan, 
 having a physician, surgeon, apothecary, and many 
 assistants : there are also five chaplains attached to 
 this institution, with handsome salaries; and every 
 comfort of the patients is attended to. 
 
 Manufactories may be said to languish at Paris ; at 
 the Gobelins, which is now only shown once a week, 
 only eighty persons were employed ; and in conse- 
 quence of its being seen so seldom, there is such a 
 crowd, that the visitor is glad to get back even with 
 his curiosity ungratified. 
 
 At Chaillot is a carpet manufactory, on a narrow 
 and confined scale, for the royal family only, and 
 very few are employed ; but in the Fauxbourg St. 
 Antoine is a noble glass manufactory, employing six 
 hundred persons, who earn three or four francs a day 
 each. This establishment is on a truly noble and 
 enlarged plan, and we inspected the different branches 
 of this curious work with great pleasure. The fine 
 porcelain manufactory at Sevres is kept up, but not 
 with spirit, and is very expensive. 
 
 In such a large city as Paris, houses of correction 
 are highly necessary, and those of the Salpetriere, 
 the Bic6tre, and Lazare*, are the most remarkable as 
 houses of industry and correction. 
 
 The former is for mad, sick, and indigent old wo- 
 men ; the latter are employed in various works, such 
 as spinning, making stockings, ^c. 
 
 * Le Lazare is appropriated to disorderly women. 
 
30 VAL DE GRACE. 
 
 The mad, also, in their intervals of reason are not 
 suffered to be idle, but employed in useful works for 
 the house : there were in this hospital five thousand 
 five hundred*. 
 
 The Bicetre, which is two miles from Paris, is a 
 very extensive building, containing seven hundred 
 criminals and three thousand five hundred old men. 
 This exhibits a gratifying scene of industry ; there 
 being various work-shops in which the men are em- 
 ployed, some in making shoes, others toys to be 
 sold for their benefit ; in short, it presents a scene of 
 bustle, ingenuity, and industry. 
 
 The criminals also are employed in works of use, 
 but they are not seen by the public ; neither are the 
 mad without an order from the physicians, except the 
 convalescents and idiots, who are in a large court. 
 
 The Laundry, Reservoir, S^x., here, also are well 
 worth seeing, and are on a much larger scale than at 
 the Salpetriere. Nor are the concerns of religion neg- 
 lected in either, for in both are chapels and chaplains. 
 
 In the chapel of the Bicetre f is a good painting 
 of Our Saviour on the cross, and the inscription in 
 Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which we did not re- 
 member to have met with elsewhere. 
 
 Returning by Val de Grace J, we were surprised to 
 find its noble and beautiful church full of blankets, 
 
 * The laundry and reservoir arc well worth seeing-, especially the 
 latter for its great extent. 
 
 + The Bicetre was burnt in 1411, in the reign of Charles VI., when the 
 wo factions of Armagnac and Bourgognc committed such ravag^es. 
 $ Val de Grace was founded by Anno of Austria, 1G3S. 
 
VERSAILLES. 31 
 
 and women at work for the soldiers. In fact, this 
 noble building is turned into a military magazine, and 
 its abbey into an hospital. 
 
 When we cast our eyes up into the beautiful 
 dome and fine roof, and saw its splendid paintings 
 now fading from neglect, we could not help com- 
 paring it with its former state of splendour, nor 
 forbear a sigh at the sad change. 
 
 The statue of the present king occupies the place 
 of the Bon Dieu, to which the humble supplicant paid 
 his adoration on entering. 
 
 Full of reflection on human vicissitudes, we now 
 bent our steps homewards. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Chateaux Royaux—Various changes— Chateau de Vincennes—Abbaye St. 
 Denis— Indigent Blind — Deaf and Dumb— A benevolent Character — 
 National Institute — Minerals — Splendid Inauguration and respect to 
 the memory of an Illustrious Character. 
 
 The Royal Chateaux and their inhabitants have un- 
 dergone great changes within a few years. 
 
 Versailles *, which is no longer the royal residence, 
 and was used as a depot in revolutionary times, is 
 emerging from obscurity, and though in a fallen state, 
 is always interesting ; they were repairing its noble 
 gallery, chapel, and Opera-house. 
 
 We saw with pity the room in which the unfortunate 
 
 * In the Boudoir is a curious gallery, in which a person is represented 
 one hundred and twenty ways. 
 
32 ST. CLOUD — MAL-MAISON. 
 
 Marie- Antoinette escaped the poinard of the assassin, 
 to experience a more severe fate on the scaffold. 
 
 The Parisians still gratify their curiosity in crowds 
 every fortnight, to see the display of the water-works. 
 
 The two Trianons, formerly the seat of royalty, 
 are deserted, and St. Cyr is converted into a military 
 school, — " sic transit," c^t. 
 
 The town of Versailles has, indeed, grievously 
 suffered in these changes ; for now, with the Chateau, 
 it contains but twenty thousand, instead of eighty 
 thousand, inhabitants. 
 
 St. Cloud, whether tenanted by the House of 
 Orleans, or the reigning family, as it is at present, 
 will ever be esteemed a lovely spot, both the house 
 and gardens being unequalled. The environs, full 
 of villages and seats, are most beautiful ; and Su- 
 renne*, Boulogne, Bellevue, Meudon, ^c, add not 
 a little to this picturesque appearance, enriched as it 
 is by the river Seine. 
 
 Mal-Maison will ever be interesting as the favourite 
 residence of Napoleon, and the ill-fated Josephine, 
 whose remains are interred in the neighbouring church, 
 where they were erecting a monument to her memory. 
 
 '^ At Sui-renne (a) were lioklcn tlio fiuuous Conferences in 1593, whieli 
 were tlie deatli-blow of the league ; in these, the Archbishop of J3oure;es and 
 Lyons, opposed to each other, g-rcatly distins);uishcd tliemselves by tiieir 
 violence, as well as by their ingenuity. — Hist, de la Ligne. 
 
 (a) Surenne, thouj;h siinounded with vineyards, is notod for bad wine. It 
 is also tkmous for tlie annual Hose I'estiial, when three young girls above 18, 
 distinguished by their good conduct, and nominated by the ciir6, syndic, and 
 churchwardens, jiroceed to the election of La Uosiere (the premium is 300 liancs) 
 who is crowned with a chaplet of roses ; which is thus not an empty honour. , 
 
CHATEAU DE VINCENNES. 66 
 
 The gallery in this house is enriched with several fine 
 paintings*. 
 
 On the other side of Paris, Choisi Le Roif , (for- 
 merly distinguished by the midnight dance, and the 
 amorous dalliance of the antiquated Madame de 
 Montpensier, and the haughty Lanzun), has ceased 
 to be a royal residence, and is now the property of an 
 individual. Among the palaces, Elysee de Bourbon 
 is well worth seeing : nothing, indeed, can be ima- 
 gined more charming than this beautiful place, which 
 is now inhabited by the Duke and Duchess of Berry;};. 
 
 The gardens of Mousseaux, belonging to the Due 
 d'Orleans, will also pay for an hour or two's ramble ; 
 they are in the English taste, and the distances from 
 the house are all marked in that language. 
 
 The noble and venerable Chateau de Vincennes§ is 
 
 * This house, belonsfing to Prince Eugene, is seen by applj'ing for 
 tickets at his hotel in Paris. 
 
 'I- Choisi, which is on the banks of tlie Seine, was much improved and 
 embellished by Mademoiselle, who employed tlie celebrated Vandcrmeulen 
 in its fine paintinj^s. 
 
 $ Bonaparte retired to this place after the battle of Waterloo. 
 
 § Henry III. resided much at Vincennes, and there was a plan formed by 
 the league to take him prisoner in his way from that place to Paris. — Me-* 
 
 ZRRAI. 
 
 Vincennes must l)e interesting- to the English from this circumstance, that 
 Henry V„ their pride and glory, there breathed his last, finishing his glo- 
 rious career in the midst of victory. He was taken with a dysentery at 
 Senlis, which increased so rapidly that he ordered his attendants to convey 
 him to Vincennes, where he died with strong sentiments of piety and 
 religion, having given prudent advice to the Lords assembled round him, 
 and appointing his brothers, the Dukes of Bedford and Gloster, Regents 
 of France and England. — Rapin, vol. iv. 
 
 The Chateau was l)cgunby Louis VH., as a huntinjo--seat, and enlarged 
 by Philip Augustus ; 1)ut Philip of Valois began tlic alterations wliicli 
 were finished by Charles V. ; but it has been improved by the succeed- 
 ing Idngs up to Louis XIV. Olivier* 
 Vol. I. D 
 
34 ABBAYE ST. DENIS. 
 
 an interesting spot ; it was built chiefly by Charles V., 
 though part is said to be of the date of St. Louis. 
 In the nioat is a pillar to mark the spot where the 
 unfortunate Duo d'Enghien* was shot, after a mock 
 trial before brutal judges, of whom Murat was one f . 
 This must ever be considered as one of the worst 
 actions of Bonaparte, in spite of his endeavours to 
 palliate it. 
 
 The chapel is a fine Gothic building, devastated by 
 revolutionary violence. 
 
 No place has suffered more by this than the noble 
 Abbaye St. Denis J, which has been completely gutted, 
 and made a depot d'armes. Government is labouring 
 to repair the damages thus sustained, and restore it 
 to its former splendour. 
 
 Many of the royal remains, and the relics of other 
 distinguished persons are about to be brought hither ; 
 those of Henri II. and Katherine of Medicis, which 
 were formerly at the Celestins, are already transferred 
 
 Olivier le Barbier, called le Mauvcm, g'ained an ascendency over Louis 
 XL by his talents. Louis ennobled him, calling- him Olivier le Dain, but 
 in hisvcinity he called himself Le Comte de Alculan, from a castle of 
 that name given liim by the king. Olivier was born at Gaud, and was 
 g^overnor of this chateau. — Pjere Daniel. 
 
 * The head of this illustrious house is alternately Prince de Conde and 
 Due dc Bourbon. 
 
 t It is said he was only asked his name and family, and immediately 
 shot. On his asking for a confessor, Murat brutally asked him, if he 
 wished to die like a Capuchin. Can any one be sorry that this man ended 
 his days the same way in Calabria ? 
 
 Nudus in ignota? Palinure jacebis arenS. 
 
 $ Dagobert VL, King of France, founded this noble Abbey in 622, 
 
 The remains of the unfortunate Louis XVL, and Marie-Antoinette, 
 have been transferred to the Abbey, and there is a stone to mark the spot 
 in wliicli they arc deposited. 
 
DEAF AND DUMB CHARITY. 35 
 
 to St. Denis ; and many monuments from Les Petits 
 Augustins, which has been a temporary depot, are to 
 be brought from thence. The new Sacristy, built by 
 Bonaparte, and full of paintings from the French school, 
 is worthy the attention of strangers. 
 
 We would not quit Paris without visiting two noble 
 institutions, that of the Indigent Blind, and the Deaf 
 and Dumb. The former is one of the few things at 
 Paris badly managed ; too many tickets are given, the 
 consequence of which was, that by dint of scrambling, 
 we just got sight of some of the children, (the boys 
 playing on wind instruments, and the girls at work,) 
 and were glad, owing to the heat, to leave it as soon 
 as possible. 
 
 The Deaf and Dumb charity does honour to its 
 benevolent inspector, L'Abbe Sicard * ; we passed 
 some time at it, and were convinced of its use by the 
 answers which the scholars gave to the respective 
 questions. 
 
 The ease with which a stranger gains admission at 
 Paris to the different institutions and houses, does 
 honour to the conductors ; he has only to write to the 
 proper person a little time before he wishes to go, 
 and he has a polite card of admission. 
 
 L'Hotel de Quatre Nations, now turned into the 
 National Institute, is conducted on most liberal and 
 enlarged plans. Young people of all nations and reli- 
 gions are instructed gratis, by professors paid by go- 
 vernment. The lecture room was formerly the church 
 
 * Tills benevolent character has since paid the debt of nature, regretted 
 by every friend to hunianitv. 
 
 D 2 
 
36 STATUE OF HENRI IV. 
 
 in which was the tomb of Mazarin, and lectures are 
 now given under the magnificent dome. 
 
 Near this is the Mul^^um of Minerals, of v/hich 
 tliere is a fine collection, with medals, fy. We had 
 the satisfaction of not leaving Paris without seeing the 
 inauguration of the new statue of Henri IV. The 
 ceremony was splendid and imposing ; the whole city 
 seemed alive to the excellent qualities of this Prince, 
 and glad to show their respect for his memory. The 
 following inscription is on the statue : — 
 
 Henrici Mag-ni, qb paternum in populos aniumm 
 
 Notissimi Principis sacram effig-iem 
 
 luter Civilium furorum proccllas 
 
 Gallia indig'nante deject am 
 
 Post optatissimuin Ludorici IS reditiun 
 
 Ex omnibus ordinibus cives 
 
 /Ere CoUato 
 
 Restituerunt 
 
 Nocnon et Elog-iiun 
 
 Quod simul cum effig'ie 
 
 Abolitum fiierat 
 
 Lapidi i-ursus inscribi 
 
 Curaverunt. 
 
 The sacred statue of Henri the Great, thrown down 
 in the civil war, was re-erected after the restoration 
 of Louis XVni., by the voluntary contribution of all 
 ranks of citizens, c^'c. 
 
 We were much gratified by the universal respect 
 paid to the memory of a prince, who, with all his faults 
 and imperfections, was the greatest prince that ever 
 sat on the throne of France *. 
 
 * An anecdote is related of tliis prince, which shews that the bravest 
 men are sometimes subject to fear: — 
 
 Henry IV., crossing- tlie Seine in a boat, wliere is now Pont de Neulli, 
 with his Queen, the Dukes de Montpensier and Vcndome, and Princess 
 
VILLE-JUIF — FROMENTEAU. 37 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Departure from Paris — Unexpected Impediment — Plessis — House of a 
 Cure— Road to Foutainbleau—Fontainbleau— Forest of Fontainbleau — 
 Interior of the House of a Parish Pries^ — Cliaracter of the French 
 Clerafy — Malherbes — Petliiviers — Orleans. 
 
 Having seen most of the curious things in the me- 
 tropolis, our party set off, on the 8th of September, 
 for Fontainbleau, by Rue de I'Enfer; we were de- 
 tained some time by the customary, but disagreeable 
 form, of writing down our names, ages, S^c. 
 
 The road goes through Ville-Juif, Fromenteau, c^c, 
 near the village of Plessis. The axle-tree broke down, 
 happily with no injury to any of the party ; but there 
 was necessarily a delay caused by the accident ; and 
 we were obliged to submit to the accommodations 
 which a country ale-house afforded, where we remained 
 all night, thus accustoming ourselves, by degrees, 
 to the chances of travellers. The road, for the first 
 seven or eight miles, is even, rich in corn, pastur- 
 age, ^c. ; the views afterwards become bolder, and 
 there are some romantic hills. 
 
 de Conti, in 1605, the royal party was in danf;-er of being- drowned. It 
 rained hard, and they would not quit their carriage, the horses toukfrigdit, 
 and they were all precipitated into the river ; the king- fortunately swam 
 well, but the rest of the party was saved by the gallantry of Andre de 
 Vivonne, and the horses were all drowned. When the dang-er was over 
 the party smiled at their endeavours to avoid a little wet, by which they 
 eocDuntcred so much more in the river, attended with dang-er. The king-, 
 it is said, had a violent tootli-ach, which was driven away by the friglit ; 
 thus this great prince, exposed to dang-er so often in battle, was yet panic- 
 gtruck at this watery accident. — P. Daniel, vol. x. p. 383. 
 Tlie beautiful Puutdt; NcuHi vnv6 suoa after built, 
 
38 FONTAINBLEAU. 
 
 On our left was the Seine, and villages and seats 
 were thickly scattered on its banks. 
 
 About ten miles from Paris, the road was cut through 
 a rock, to lessen the declivity of a sharp hill, by order 
 of Louis XV. ; and there is a pompous inscription on 
 a column mentioning' the fact. There is, also, here, 
 a fountain. 
 
 At Plessis, we went into the church, and afterwards 
 had a specimen of the habitation of the parish priest. 
 The former had nothing remarkable, nor, indeed, the 
 latter, but its humility and plainness ; its venerable 
 inhabitant had only eight hundred francs a-year ; when 
 he told us what was the amount of his salary, it was 
 not in the language of complaint ; for, like the genera- 
 lity of the French parish priests, he was perfectly con- 
 tented. He was offered a better benefice, but declined 
 it, from love to his flock. What a lesson this to the 
 avaricious and ambitious ! Plessis itself is a small 
 village, in a plentiful corn country. 
 
 Sept. 9. Set off for Fontainbleau, passed through 
 Ponthiery and Chailli, both small villages, and posts. 
 
 From Plessis to Fontainbleau the distance is six 
 leagues. Three miles from Plessis, is a beautiful 
 chateau, belonging to Marshal Jourdan, on a rising 
 hill, finely situated and v/ell wooded; at the bottom 
 runs the Seine. 
 
 Five miles from Fontainbleau, you enter the beau- 
 tiful forest, rich in all the variety of foliage, and em- 
 bellished with rocky precipices, c^^c. It is about 
 twenty-five miles in circumference, and highly varied ; 
 some parts delighting the eye with its bold mountain 
 
FONTAINBLEAU. 39 
 
 scenery, while other parts exhibit the most verdant 
 plains, abounding with- excellent pasturage, and 
 stocked with game. 
 
 Fontainbleau is a good sized town, built chiefly at 
 right angles, with a neat church and market-place, 
 Maison de Ville, ^'c. ; but its great beauty is the 
 celebrated chateau, which, though built at unequal 
 periods, is a fine and venerable building. Part of 
 it was built by St. Louis, but the chief part by 
 Francis I. and Henri II. ; Henri IV., vv^ho was par- 
 ticularly fond of hunting, resided much here, as did 
 also Louis XIII. and Louis XIV. 
 
 The rooms are numerous, large and lofty, with a 
 great deal of Gobelin tapestry, containing the history 
 of Esther, ^c. 
 
 The gallery is one hundred and fifty feet long, with 
 busts of distinguished persons, ancient and modern ; 
 those of Bonaparte's generals have been taken away : 
 the state-room, play-house, chapel, and theatre, espe- 
 cially the two latter, are very fine. 
 
 The ball-room is one hundred and twenty feet long: 
 among other things, you are shewn the room in which 
 the Pope slept when here as Bonaparte's prisoner. 
 We were also much gratified by seeing the table on 
 which Bonaparte signed his abdication, and some 
 of our party wrote their journals on it. 
 
 The gardens are chiefly in the old style, though one 
 part is shady and well wooded; and they contain a 
 noble piece of water, full of remarka,bly fine carp. 
 From the castle there are charming views of the 
 
40 FOREST OF FONTAINBLEAU. 
 
 forest, and the streets of the town are all bounded 
 by it, which has a good effect. 
 
 Fontainbleau is fourteen post leagues from Paris. 
 Wolves are so troublesome here, that a price of eighteen 
 francs is set on their heads, and stuck up at the church 
 door. 
 
 The church is neat ; and there is a pompous tablet, 
 with an interesting inscription, signifying that Pope 
 Pius VII. assisted at mass such a day and hour, in 
 1805. 
 
 tSept. 10. Leaving Fontainbleau*, we went on 
 an excellent pave, about six miles, through the fo- 
 rest. At the end of the town we came to an obelisk, 
 erected to the memory of the late Queen of France, 
 the Dauphin, Sx-, with suitable inscriptions. 
 
 The forest was here full of high rocks, which were 
 close to the road, and the scenery was romantic and 
 beautiful : we afterwards crossed the corn fields, vine- 
 yards, S'C, to La Chapelle, a small village, with a 
 remarkable neat church. The cure took us into his 
 house, which was large and convenient, with a large 
 garden, very different from that of the cure of Plessis ; 
 his benefice was one thousand eight hundred francs a 
 year, the levelling hand of the revolutionists not hav- 
 ing touched it. He was very hospitable, and bore most 
 honourable testimony to the benevolence of the English 
 nation, saying that he was most happy to return it by 
 any attentions he could shew them : indeed, from the 
 many conversations we have had with the French 
 
 *• At rHotel du Due Bcrri, ;i iiooCi iind not dc;ir inn 
 
PETHIVIERS. 
 
 41 
 
 clergy, and the various opportunities we have had of 
 studying their character, they appear to be very re- 
 spectable men, mild, patient, temperate, and contented 
 with what little they possess ; quite unambitious, and 
 if they are not learned, they are, at least, very reli- 
 gious. Zealous in their profession, and particularly 
 assiduous in their parochial duties ; they deserve 
 the character here given, which is penned without any 
 undue partiality. 
 
 Malherbes (the next post,) so called from its marshy 
 bad grass, is a small town in a sweet situation, with 
 the river running at the bottom of it. 
 
 Here we were detained some hours by our voitu- 
 rier, having neglected paying his dues at the different 
 posts. 
 
 Every voiturier is obliged to pay for each horse 
 five sous at every post, if he goes ten leagues a day, 
 or forfeit five hundred francs ; and this is done to en- 
 courage posting. 
 
 No road can be worse than that from Malherbes to 
 Pethiviers ; for the space of four leagues it was so 
 full of deep ruts, that it was not safe to ride, so we 
 patiently walked the, whole, way ; and, consequently, 
 did not get to Pethiviers till the evening. 
 
 This is a neat town, on a hill, with a handsome 
 market-pla.ce and church. Chance brought us to TEcu, 
 on ]a Grande Place, which v\^e found as imposing as 
 thirty years before, and kept by the same people. 
 
 This day's journey was through an open country, 
 with corn-fields, some vineyards, and numerous vil- 
 lages interspersed, 
 
42 ORLEANS. 
 
 Sept. 1 1 . Left Pcthiviers for Orleans, through Chil- 
 lers aiix Bois, a distance of three leagues, through as 
 bad roads as usual, but a rich country. They plough 
 here with two horses, as the land is light and sandy ; 
 but they are so well trained that they go quietly with 
 only the plough-holder. The horses are small, but 
 well made, and in high condition. 
 
 There are many flourishing farms, well stocked 
 with cows, hogs, and all sorts of poultry, particularly 
 turkeys, of which there are frequently droves of a 
 hundred. 
 
 The approach to Orleans, in the midst of gardens 
 and vineyards, with its noble cathedral in front, is 
 beautiful and interesting. From Fontainbleau to 
 Orleans it is sixty post miles, and the road is as bad 
 as can be imagined ; our TpcXYty footed it the chief part 
 of the way, for it is scarcely safe to ride. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Orleans — La Rue Royal — Cathedral — Jeanne d'Arc — Depai-ture from 
 Orleans — Vintage began — Fine Cuuntr}' — Costume of Peasants — Beau- 
 g-cncy — Old Castle — Arrival at Blois — Description of lilois — Observa- 
 tion of Sunday. 
 
 Orleans * is a fine city, containing thirty thousand 
 inhabitants. It is on the Loire, over which is a hand- 
 some bridge. 
 
 * This city is famous for the assembly of the States in 1560, when the 
 Pi-i nee of Conde was arrested and condemned to death, and the sentence 
 was only prevented being put in execution by the unexpected death of 
 Francis II. — Mezbrai. 
 
ORLEANS. 43 
 
 La, Rue Royale, which leads to it, is broad, straight, 
 and full of good houses, and may be considered as 
 one of the finest streets in France. 
 
 The cathedral is a truly grand and beautiful 
 Gothic building ; at the west end are two elegant 
 high towers, open on the top, and rebuilt about fifty 
 years ago ; the architecture is light and elegant. The 
 east end of the cathedral, which is the oldest part, 
 consists of open work and spires ; it is impossible to 
 do justice to this part of the building, which is a pattern 
 of lightness, elegance, magnificence, and grandeur. 
 
 At the north and south ends are two fine round 
 painted windows. The old part of the church is said 
 to have been built above one thousand years, under 
 the second race of kings, but the modern part was 
 built and repaired by Henri IV., and there is a table 
 at the west end recording the fact. They are now 
 making additions to it in length, and repairing it. 
 On the outside are several statues. In short, it is so 
 beautiful a building, that the traveller is well paid for 
 his trouble in coming to see it. 
 
 The canons of this church have above one thousand 
 five hundred francs a year. 
 
 L'Hotel de Ville is an old building, having a noble 
 and venerable tower, and several good rooms, in one 
 of which, used by the mayor for public business, are 
 several pictures, and among them a very good one of 
 the Maid of Orleans, with the following verses under 
 it:— 
 
 In Iconein Jance Vorolaurlce, Virag-inis Aiirelice ! 
 
 Virg'o rexlt, Gallo multa vel imagine fclix 
 
 Quum uumcii quoiiduui, putrico nou juiiciiijia inibit. 
 
44 ORLEANS — BLOIS. 
 
 Subsidio Aiij^uriiim, bone rex Henrico =* valutas, 
 Dc Ccelis cxcita tuis virj^o, altera votis 
 FortLinet rcsfiii auspiciuni, Januinqiie retractet, 
 Utraque iit antiqumn tiia soecla reeutLat in aurum, 
 G. N. G. P. P, 15S1. 
 
 There is a fine statue of this celebrated heroine on 
 the place ; it was formerly on the bridge. 
 
 Orleans is a plentiful country, full of vineyards. 
 The Duke had formerly a large appanage, which was 
 taken away at the Revolution. 
 
 This city is famous for the siege it sustained 
 against the English, commanded by the Earl of Sa- 
 lisbury, in 1428, who was killed at it. It was raised 
 by the famous Jeanne d'Arc, May 1 2, 1 429. Henry V., 
 in 1421, was in the suburbs, but did not take the 
 city. 
 
 Orleans was afterwards alternately in the power 
 of the Hugonots and Catholics, of the former of whom 
 there was a dreadful massacre. 
 
 Sept. 13. Set out for Blois, distant from Orleans 
 fourteen leagues, through S. Cli, Beaugenci, Mer, 
 Menars, ^c. 
 
 The road is near the Loire on the left, through 
 vineyards and a fine country ; villages were on each 
 side as thick as possible. 
 
 It was Sunday, and the peasants were dressed in 
 their best attire, and gathering grapes for the vintage 
 in numbers, presented a scene of cheerfulness and 
 festivity. 
 
 The costume of the women is a jacket and petticoat 
 of different colours, and a kind of Norman cap ; and 
 
 * Henry IV, 
 
BEAUGENCY. 45 
 
 that of the men a blue frock, stockings of the same 
 colour, and very large flapped hats. 
 
 Beaugency is a tolerably-sized town on the Loire, 
 over which is a very long bridge, of twenty-six 
 arches ; two divisions are of wood, the stone hav- 
 ing been carried away some years ago by the ra- 
 pidity of the river ; but it was now so remarkably 
 low, that some of our party walked on the sand over 
 a great part of it. 
 
 At Beaugency is a noble ruin of an old castle, said 
 to have been built by Julius C?esar ; it reminded 
 us much of Rochester Castle. Here also is a good 
 hospital, called I'Hotel Dieu, and a handsome large 
 parish church. Formerly there was a large convent, 
 and a church, v/hich is now converted into a magazine. 
 On the whole, Beaugency * gives you the idea of a 
 town which has been formerly of some consequence. 
 
 Near this town the English filed off to besiege Or- 
 leans, when it was saved by Jeanne d'Arc. 
 
 At Menars, a small village and port, is a handsome 
 chateau, belonging to Marshal Victor •{•, Due de Bel- 
 lune. The grounds are handsome, and reach to the 
 Loire. 
 
 From hence to Blois, two leagues, is a continual 
 chain of villages, chateaux, and pleasure grounds. 
 
 * This iiiifortimate town suffered, in 15G2, all the evils that fanaticism 
 and cruelty could inflict, beings taken and pillaox'd by the Prince of Conde 
 and the Hucfonots, in reven<>-e, because the Kino' of Navarre had not sur- 
 rendered it according- tu his promise, when lie had holden it only as a 
 deposit. 
 
 •i- This Marshal, it will be recollected, made a considerable figure in 
 Bonaparte's campaign, and now lives retired as a private gentleman. 
 
46 BLOIS. 
 
 The entrance inlo Blois is beautiful ; houses built 
 among rocks, on the declivity of a hill, with the ca- 
 thedral on the summit, forming a fine object on one 
 side ; on the other, the Loire winding its course 
 through fertile meadows. 
 
 Blois is an old town, built on a sharp declivity, 
 something like Lausanne, in Switzerland ; the streets 
 are narrow, and the houses old ; but the quay is very 
 handsome. . Here are the best inns, and a fine public 
 walk. 
 
 There is a fine stone bridge over the Loire of eleven 
 arches, and an obelisk in the middle, with an inscrip- 
 tion, shewing that it had been repaired in 1804 
 by the prefect, but it was begun in 1715, under 
 Louis XV. 
 
 The cathedral is a Gothic edifice, with a roof of 
 transverse" arches, and the ceiling an imitation of 
 brick-work. 
 
 Just by, is the palace of the bishop, now the pre- 
 fecture ; its handsome terrace, overlooking the river 
 and the surrounding country.' The church of St. Ni- 
 colas is a fine Gothic building, in which we noticed 
 four curious figures, apparently of bishops, in the four 
 corners of the roof. 
 
 But the great beauty of Blois is its venerable 
 castle, chiefly built by Francis I. and Henri II. Here 
 was the famous assembly of the states in the reign of 
 Henri III., when Henri, Duke of Guise, and his bro- 
 ther, the cardinal, were assassinated. In fact, they 
 shew you the spot in which the Duke's assassination 
 took place, in 1588; and also the room in which 
 
BLOIS. 47 
 
 Mary of Medicis * was confined ; as well as the 
 tower and stone table on which, to divert her melan- 
 choly, she used to read and write. You are also 
 shewn the great hall, in which the States, in the time 
 of the league, used to assemble. 
 
 Tliis venerable and noble building, once the scene 
 of festivity and splendour, is converted into barracks, 
 and the spacious court-yard, once filled with the 
 horses and carriages of regal visitors, is now used as 
 a dunghill for the militari/ horses. But the situation, 
 as long as the walls continue, no time can impair ; for 
 on the walls, from the terrace, you have a most com- 
 manding view of the town and its beautiful environs, 
 where houses, intermixed with gardens, ^c, form an 
 enchanting prospect. 
 
 Walking under the lofty walls of this castle, the 
 view of the soldiers above you on the walls, wind- 
 ing along the terrace, is romantic, and highly inte- 
 resting. 
 
 Gaston, Duke of Orleans, made great additions to 
 this castle, and resided here much ; his daughter is 
 buried in the neighbouring church. 
 
 The difference of the architecture in this chateau, 
 ancient and modern, is clearly perceptible ; but the 
 whole is grand and venerable. They shew you the 
 blood on the wall where the Duke was killed, but a 
 soldier archly observed, that they killed a fowl every 
 year, and scattered his blood on the wall. 
 
 * She was wife of Henry the Great, and mother of Louis XIII; and 
 died in indigence and obscurity at Cologne, a victim to tlie persecution of 
 Cardinal Richelieu. 
 
48 BLOIS HOTEL DE VILLE. 
 
 Blois* was bought, in 1391, by Louis, brother of 
 Charles VI. 
 
 A greater proof of the cheapness of this country 
 cannot be given, than the following : the officers who 
 mess at the castle are found in two good meals a day, 
 breakfast a lafourchette, and dinner, for fifty francs a 
 month, wine included ; no bad agreement, where a 
 captain's pay is only five francs a day, a lieutenant's 
 three, and a sub-lieutenant's two. 
 
 The Hotel de Ville has nothing remarkable ; it has 
 two good rooms used for public records, and a hand- 
 some new facade. At Blois, as at Orleans and Paris, 
 the bishopric was vacant, and on one of us observing 
 it to a well-dressed man, he coolly answered, " Tant 
 mieux, s'il n'y en a pas de tout ;" so much the better, 
 if there were none at all. Indeed, the decay of rehgion 
 is lamentable in this country ; the shops are open at 
 Paris and other towns on Sundays, as on other days, 
 and not shut, any part of the day, except for the inha- 
 bitants to take their pleasure. On holidays they are 
 much more shut than on Sundays. 
 
 It is said that a great personage has endeavoured, 
 but in vain, to have this day observed in a solemn way, 
 but he has hitherto been obliged to yield to the torrent. 
 
 Blois was formerly part of the possessions of the 
 Counts of Champagne, till re-united to the crown of 
 France. 
 
 * Blois, as well as Mer, a small place near Bcauafines, were pillaged 
 by the royalists in the civil and relisfious wars in 1562, in the reig'n of 
 Charles IX. It is hard to say which party was most cruel ; to use the 
 words of an animated historian, " Many made ])risons of their castles, and 
 executioners of their servants." — L Esprit de la Ligiie. 
 
AM BOISE. 49 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Departure friiui Blois — Castle of Amboisc — Surrounding' Country — Cos- 
 tume of Peasants — Tours— Remarks on Revolutionary Profanation. 
 
 Sept. 15. — Set off for Tours ; breakfasted at Eciires 
 sur Loire, a most enchanting spot, with the Loire and 
 hanging-woods and populous villages on one side, 
 and on the other, a rich and fertile country. 
 
 Dined at Amboise, six leagues from Tours. Whilst 
 dinner was prepa,ring, we crossed the two bridges over 
 the two branches of the Loire, and hastened to the 
 noble castle, vv^hich is truly interesting, and deserves, 
 indeed, more time than we were able to bestow on it. 
 
 This castle now belongs to the house of Orleans ; 
 the Ducde Penthievre, father of the duchess dowager, 
 exchanged Rambouillet for it with the king, 
 
 Amboise is very famous in history ; there is a 
 fine ancient round tower, and long winding passages 
 which lead to the castle. This venerable building is 
 said to have been erected in part by Julius Csesar ; 
 but, v/ithout going so far back, we have evidence of 
 its antiquity in Hugh Capet's chapel, an elegant 
 structure, built and used by that prince. 
 
 They also shew you where one iiundred and fifty of 
 the conspirators of Amboise * were hung, in the reign 
 
 * This ill-concerted enterprise u-as contrived by La Renaudie, in 1560, 
 who, bravely fighting' to the last, fell a victim to it. — L' Esprit de la Liguc. 
 
 The brave Castehnan also was sacrificed to the Guises, in spite of a 
 solemn promise of safety. The g'allant Francis I. passed the early part of 
 his life in this castle, playing' at tennis, hunting, <^-c., with Ann de Mon- 
 morenci, Philippe de Chabot, Robert de la Mark, iyc, — Fie de Francois 
 Premier. The 
 
 Vol. I. E 
 
50 AMCOISI 
 
 -TOURS. 
 
 of Francis II.- — Henri IV. was much here ; as was, in 
 earl)'- times, Charles VII., whose two sons, Louis XI, 
 and his brother, were brought up just by, in a house 
 which is pointed out to strangers *. There is a curious 
 subterraneous passage under the two branches of the 
 Loire, which lead to a magazine used by the Romans. 
 There are also subterraneous passages, used formerly 
 as barracks, and various other parts which show it to 
 have been a strong fortress. Louis XIV. was the 
 last prince who resided here. 
 
 The richness of the view from the terrace exceeds 
 all description ; the city of Tours at a distance seems 
 almost under you ; while the Loire, rocks, villages, 
 vineyards, and chateaux, and the fine forest of Am- 
 boise, complete this charming scene. 
 
 The town of Amboise is very old, and the streets 
 narrow. They were building -a new bridge over 
 one of the branches of the Loire, which was much 
 wanted. 
 
 Four miles from Tours, we passed the little river 
 
 The Order of St. IMichael was instituted by Louis XI. at Amboise, in 
 1469, because the Order of the Star, instituted by King- John, was in 
 great disrepute. 
 
 The Golden Fleece was the model of the Order of St. Michael — Dan. 
 vol.v. p. 411. 
 
 * Charles VIII. died at the castle of an apoplexy, April S, 1498, whilst 
 looklno- at a gume of tennis. — Guicciardini Giieres d' Italie. 
 
 He liad been kept, as a prisoner, amonsc servants in the early part of his 
 life, by his tyrannical and suspicious father, Louis XI., who also carried 
 about with him Louis, Due d'Orleans, first prince of the blood, not suffering- 
 either to have any education. 
 
 This prince may justly be styled t3Tannical and cruel, who had the 
 two sons of the Due de Nemours placed under the scaffold, that the blood 
 of their father might fall on them at Ids execution, and who bathed in 
 infant blood, as is reported, to recover his strength. — Mezerai, 
 
AGRICULTURE — PEASANTRY. 51 
 
 Chere, on a stone bridge near the village of Ouvre: 
 this small river and the Loire give name to the de- 
 partment, in which is Blois. From hence to Tours 
 nothing can be imagined more beautiful than the 
 road ; a fine country, the river, excavated rocks, in 
 which are houses of different sizes, and formed in the 
 most fanciful manner, quite to the tops of the hills, and 
 the city of Tours, make the view enchanting ; added 
 to this, you have gardens, vineyards, and all kinds of 
 villas, as thick as possible. 
 
 This day's journey was, indeed, most lovely, with 
 the Loire under us on our left, on the other side un- 
 dulating hills, covered with vineyards. 
 
 After some miles there is a sudden change ; on 
 the right is a rich flat corn country, and on the left, 
 over the river, excavated rocks, with trees and shrubs 
 growing round them in the most romantic manner. 
 
 The agriculture s very curious and rather whim- 
 sical ; in the same district you see wheel ploughs, 
 and the light Essex ones, some of them drawn by 
 horses and asses jointly, some with four, others with 
 three, two, and even one horse ; they are very indus- 
 trious, and plough till quite late in the evening : they 
 have also two and three horses with reins, and only 
 one man to the plough. 
 
 In this country, they use only wagons on two wheels, 
 or rather long carts ; on these they put the largest 
 weights of cotton, wool, wine, S^x., and use no carriages 
 with four wheels, a custom worthy of imitation. 
 
 The peasants of both sexes wear no stockings, but 
 
 E 2 
 
52 
 
 TOUllS. 
 
 sabots. The women have large caps, and the men 
 flap hats ; in the hardest rains, the wom^en wore nei- 
 ther hats nor bonnets. 
 
 There are evident marks of the Loire having retired 
 a considerable way, and they were then ploughing up 
 the former bed of it. 
 
 Tours is a very handsome city, containing twenty- 
 two thousand inhabitants ; the situation of it is beau- 
 tiful, and the surrounding country very fine. We 
 entered it by crossing a noble bridge on the Loire, of 
 fifteen arches. This river is here both broad and rapid. 
 
 The Rue Royale is a broad handsome street, with 
 a noble trotoir, and nearly half a mile in length, end- 
 ing in the mall, which is a fine public walk, nearly 
 surrounding the city. The Cathedral is a splendid 
 Gothic building, said to have been erected in the tenth 
 century by St. Martin; it is in the form of a cross, and 
 is rich in painted windows on every side, but those 
 at the eastern end are particularly so. The interior 
 is beautiful ; in it are the monuments of the two sons 
 of Charles VIIL by Ann of Brittany, who died at 
 Amboise, in her infancy. 
 
 There is a curious picture of St. Martin, in one of 
 the chapels, taking off his cloak and giving it to a 
 poor person. The Archiepiscopal Palace is adjoining, 
 but, as usual, no archbishop to inhabit it. 
 
 There is in Tours a fine old tower, (with a clock for 
 the use of the town,) which was formerly a part of the 
 Church of St. Martin, and near it another old tower, 
 said to have been built by Charlemagne. 
 
TOURS, 53 
 
 The remains of the famous Gate of Hugo are scarcely 
 to be seen, from which the Huguenots, who had their 
 meeting here, took their name. 
 
 The city has a clean and elegant appearance, and 
 there are several conduits for the use of the inhabit- 
 ants, particularly one on the Grand March6. 
 
 There are few places in France, in which a stranger 
 may reside, cheaper than this, as provisions are very 
 reasonable *. 
 
 We here met with an interesting man (a shoemaker) 
 who had been one of Bonaparte's soldiers, and was 
 at Moscow with him. He gave an appalling account of 
 the hardships suffered in that unfortunate and ill-timed 
 expedition. He had, he said, lived on the horses 
 which had died two months and a half before, without 
 bread or vegetables. Of the vast army which went 
 there, he said, not thirty thousand returned ; he had a 
 pension of seven pounds a year. 
 
 We also met, by accident, with a female hawker and 
 pedlar, who remarked that the English were apt to 
 complain of taxes, but often without reason, for she paid 
 eighty francs to government for a license every year. 
 
 The provinces of Orleannois and Touraine divide, 
 a few miles from Amboise. The latter province was 
 a long time part of the English possessions, having 
 been annexed to them by Henri 11. 
 
 We were at L'Hotel de St. Julien : it was night, 
 and our coachman drove us directly into the Chapel of 
 the Benedictines, which since the Revolution is become 
 
 * Jleat is Ssous a pountl, a fine q'oosc 33 sous, ducks 40 sous a pair, 
 chickens 10 suus eacli, and e;oud coiuniuu wine sous a bottle. 
 
54' TOURS. 
 
 a Remise by purchase, and the moon shining through 
 the gloomy Gothic arches and windows of the sacred 
 edifice, had a picturesque and solemn effect : we were 
 under its vaulted roof, scarcely knowing where our 
 conductor was leading us, a.nd involuntarily inspired, 
 as it were, with reverential awe. 
 
 Adjoining the stable was the ancient Chapel of St. 
 Sebastian, now used by a stone-mason ; and just by 
 the high altar, on which the pious priest Avas accus- 
 tomed quietly to celebrate the rites of his religion, 
 the noise of workmen attending to their occupation, 
 seemed to profane the sacred place. 
 
 Tours * is certainly very ancient ; it was called 
 Caesarodunum, and is said to have been founded by 
 Julius Csesar : it was afterwards, like many other 
 towns in France, sometime subject to the Visigoths, 
 and in latter ages made a great figure in the wars of 
 the Huguenots. 
 
 Frederic II., king of Naples, the last prince of the 
 house of Arragon, as he was the most worthy and 
 unfortunate, after the loss of his dominions, finished 
 his days in this town. 
 
 * Tours is in the department of the Loire and Indrc. Henry III. fixed 
 his residence here in 15S9, when the Due de Maycune and the Leaguers 
 made an attack on the suburhs, hut were repulsed. 
 
 The younc^ Duke of Guise made his escape from the castle of Tours (in 
 vvhich he had been confined ever since the murder of his father) in August, 
 1591. — Esprit dc la Ligue. 
 
MONTBAZON ST. MAUK. 5Q 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Departure from Tours — Cliang-c in the Country — Montbazon — St. rdaur— 
 Sheep — Manai,'-enient of Anbergcs — Port an Pil — 'Les Ornies— French 
 Chateau — Chatelleranit — Departure from Chatellerault— Remarks sug^- 
 gestedby the Country — Barres de Nintre — Trichirie — Poitiers. 
 
 Sept. 17. — Left Tours, and, after two miles, crossed 
 the river Chere on a stone bridge. The road here 
 becomes very broad, between two rows of walnut 
 trees ; the vineyards now give place to corn-fields, 
 and we saw them ploughing in the same whimsical 
 manner, with different animals, a horse and two oxen, 
 and a horse and ass, often in the same held. 
 
 Five leagues from Tours v/e descended a steep hill 
 to Montbazon, which we entered by a stone bridge 
 over a pretty romantic river. 
 
 This appears to have been a place of some conse- 
 quence ; there are remains of tov/ers and walls, and 
 the fine ruins of a venerable Castle ; to the right, on 
 the hill, is the handsome chateau of Le Seigneur du 
 Village. Montbazon gave the title of Duke to the noble 
 family of Rohan, of whom Hercules died in 1654. 
 
 Two leagues farther is Scrigni, a small village, and 
 two more, St. Maur, a small old town, with a very 
 neat Gothic Church. The house now used as barracks 
 was formerly the house of the Seigneur de Montbazon. 
 There is here a tolerable market-place, with a haile 
 used by the shopkeepers for their wares. 
 
 The situation of St. Maur, with its hanging gar- 
 dens, rocks, 4^c., is romantic and pretty. 
 
56 PORT AU PIL. 
 
 The. peasants have their houses or huts in the 
 rocks, as about Tours ; we were in one which was 
 tolerably neat, but it had no light but from the door 
 when it was open. The post-house, where we took up 
 our quarters, is half a mile from the town, and is a 
 large excellent inn, but the charges were very high*. 
 
 This day's journey was through wide, but sandy, 
 roads ; the fields were large and open, and full of 
 fine sheep, but of so small a kind, that they weigh 
 only about twenty-six pounds each, and nothing can 
 be sweeter or more delicate than the mutton ; there 
 were also a few Merino sheep. 
 
 In the inns in this country, the landladies only 
 appear, and transact all the business ; you see the 
 landlords rareli/, and a waiter never ; the women also 
 are the only active persons in the internal manage- 
 ment of the inns. 
 
 Seyt. 18. Set off for Chatellerault. At four leagues 
 distance is Port au Pil, a small village and port, with 
 a bridge over the Creuse, dividing Touraine from 
 Poitou ; the surrounding country is rocky and pic- 
 turesque, walnut-trees, as usual, in abundance, and 
 agriculture carried on with heterogeneous cattle ; the 
 mules in this country are very fine, frequently between 
 fourteen and fifteen hands high. 
 
 It is, indeed, a very plentiful country ; vast quanti- 
 ties of geese, turkeys, c'^c, are seen everywhere: of 
 the last, droves of one hundred and one hundred and 
 fifty ; they are sold from two to three francs each : 
 there are also many goats. 
 
 * [ji tliis town liicut is also rc!U»irkably cheap, 3*/. and a^d. a pounil, 
 
INGRANDE CHATELLERAULT, 57 
 
 We passed through some fine woods of underwood 
 and oaks, but the oaks are smaller than in England. 
 
 Two leagues from St. Maria les Ormes, a small 
 village and port, in which is a chateau of Mons. d'Ar- 
 genson, grandson to Mons. d'Argenson, Chancellor 
 of France * ; there are several paintings of him and 
 his family ; the house is good, and the apartments 
 large and handsome. 
 
 The gardens are beautiHilly situated on the banks of 
 the Vienne ; on the outside of the house is the follow- 
 ing inscription : 
 
 Nou ing-loria pax 
 -Nobis liiec otia fecit I 
 
 In another place — 
 
 Diruit ffidificat, SfC, 
 
 The house was begun by the Chancellor. There is 
 a very fine cork-screw stair- case on the outmle of the 
 house, leading to three or four balconies, and on the 
 top a platform, from which is an extensive view. 
 
 In the parish church is an inscription to the me- 
 mory of a former proprietor of the castle, who left the 
 yearly sum of sixty francs to assist the girls of the 
 parish in marriage, and to put out the boys appren- 
 tices. 
 
 Nine miles farther, is Ingrande ; and six more, Cha- 
 tellerault ; the former is a small bourg, with nothing 
 remarkable in it. Chatellerault is a large old town, 
 with a considerable manufactory of cutlery, at which 
 
 * He was Chancellor of France in tlie reig'ii of Louis XIV., and niucli 
 disliiig-iiislied by bis learning and accompli-^binents. We experienced duriii!^'- 
 our visit the most puUte and obliji'itig' attention IVom jMudarae d'Arirensoii, 
 
58 CHATELLERAULT. 
 
 above one thousand men are constantly employed. 
 The streets are very narrow, and most of the houses 
 ill built ; it contains about ten thousand inhabitants. 
 There are three parish churches, the great one, which 
 they call the cathedral, is a neat building. This town 
 gave title to the Duke of Hamilton, who had a chateau 
 and estate just by, which are now in other hands. 
 
 There is a stone bridge over the Vienne, which 
 empties itself into the Loire here ; and a very hand- 
 some public walk, which is much frequented. Cha- 
 tellerault is in Poitou. 
 
 Almost every alternate house in this town* is a ma- 
 nufactory, and the noise of the hammer and file is in- 
 cessant and stunning. You are pestered wdth women 
 at every inn, teasing you to buy knives and scissars ; 
 and even at the towns on each side of Chatellerault, 
 and at some distance, as Tours and Poitiers, these 
 women are seen offering their ware for sale. 
 
 Sept. 19. Set off for Poitiers, distant ten leagues; 
 the whole of this road is so fme as to equal some of 
 the best in England, not paved, but a smooth gravelly 
 way, passing by corn-fields, and woods full of fine 
 oaks. There were vast flocks of sheep, goats, S;c., 
 and, as usual, the same varied agriculture and whim- 
 sical ploughing. Early as it was in the season, the 
 peasants were sowing wheat, and every field pre- 
 sented the pleasing appearance of industry and plenty. 
 
 We were now in the midst of a country annexed to 
 the British crown by the Angevine Princes, and for a 
 
 * Cliatollcrault was bcsiec^ecl, in 15S9, by the Duke of Anjou, afterwards 
 Henry III., but relieved by Admiral C'olig-ni, 
 
FORMER POSSESSIONS. 69 
 
 long time under their powerful but mild sway. Under 
 these circumstances, the provinces through which we 
 were passing must be particularly interesting to an 
 Englishman, as recalling to his mind the scenes of 
 past glory and the splendour of the Plantagenets*. 
 
 Whether it was this circumstance, or the resem- 
 blance this country bears to our own (the paved roads 
 having given place to gravel, and the vineyards to 
 corn-fields, and the general face of the country being 
 that of an English farm highly cultivated, with the 
 difference only of numerous walnut-trees on all sides,) 
 can hardly be explained; but for the time we almost 
 could fancy ourselves in England, and could scarcely 
 forbear exclaiming, " O terque quaterque beati Bri- 
 tanni, sua si bona norint." Happy in giving peace 
 to Europe by tlieir energy and patriotism, happier 
 still in the enjoyment of excellent laws, upright judges, 
 and a pure constitution, may they make a right use 
 of these blessings, by acknowledging the source from 
 whence they derive them; otherwise, they must expect 
 the fate of the nations, their precursors, which now 
 exist no more. Great as were the power and splen- 
 dour of England, when in possession of these rich 
 provinces, Touraine, Anjou, la Maine, S^x., they were 
 nothing when compared v/ith her present power, which 
 she has acquired by her virtuous struggles for inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 * Henry II., son of Fulk, Count of Anjou and the Empress Maud, vas 
 tlie firbt Plantag-enet, and the most poM'erful inonurcli which liad sat oji tlic 
 Euglisli thrunc since tlie Conquest, butliis prosperity and domestic comfort 
 ^rere much impaired by the turbulence of Becket, and the rebellious conduct 
 of his sons. 
 
60 POITIERS. 
 
 We passed through Barrcs de Nintri, Tricheric, 
 and Cian, all villages, to Poitiers ; two or three miles 
 from which the face of the country suddenlj' changes, 
 and vineyards and romantic rocks are seen on all sides. 
 
 Near Poitiers, on one side, the beautiful little river 
 Clain winds among pastoral meadows ; on the other, 
 high and rugged rocks, the tops of which were covered 
 with vineyards, hanging quite over, and excavated into 
 romantic houses of different forms and dimensions, 
 from the bottom to the top, make this scene most 
 lovely and interesting. 
 
 The entrance into the city is disagreeable, up a 
 steep hill, and through very narrow streets, full of old 
 houses. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Description of Poitiers — Cathedral — St. Rencg-one — Sad effects of War — 
 Humility in an Ecclesiastic of rank. 
 
 The city of Poitiers, formerly the capital of Poitou, 
 and now of the Department de Yienne, is large and 
 ancient ; it is full of gardens, and the streets are most 
 of them old, but the Place d'Armes and Place P^oyale 
 are tolerable squares. 
 
 The Cathedral is a truly handsome Gothic building, 
 and reckoned one of the largest in France ; it has several 
 fine painted windows, a,nd the choir is light and highlv 
 beautifal ; the organ is grand, and the chapel of the 
 Twelve Apostles, with their statues, c^x-., is very curl- 
 
POITIERS. 61 
 
 ous. The Cathedral is one thoasand years old, and 
 said, though falsely, to have been built by the English, 
 as the date does not agree with this. 
 
 None of the warriors slain at the battle of Poitiers, 
 which in reality was fought at Beauvoir, two leagues 
 distant, are buried in this Cathedral ; which was a great 
 disappointment to most of our party. 
 
 The Bishopric here is likewise vacant, and is now 
 used as the Prefecture. 
 
 When we found all these bishoprics vacant, we 
 thanked God for living in a country in which church 
 .and state are united, and the best interests of religion 
 consulted, by regularly appointing as heads of the 
 church distinguished men, fully competent to so great 
 a charge, at once enlightening the nation by their learn- 
 ing, and adorning it by their example. 
 
 We accidentally met a gentleman, who kindly 
 shewed us a list of the French nobles slain at the 
 memorable battle*; 
 
 The other churches" most worth seeing are St. 
 Radegonde and St. Porchaire. The former is very 
 old, part of it built in the sixth century, but the chief 
 part contemporary with the cathedral. 
 
 Radegonde, thus sainted, was wife to Celotaire, the 
 first king of France, who founded here the Monastery 
 of the Holy Cross, and performed such miracles as 
 to be enrolled among the saints. 
 
 * Poitiers is faiiious fur the siege it sustained ag'ninst Admiral CoIn£;-ni, 
 in 156il ; it was defended by the Duives of Guise and Mayennc, and the 
 Aduiiral, in spite of his determined courag-e, was forced to raise the siege, 
 on account of tlic siciiness of his troops. — Mezbrai, 
 
62 POITIERS. 
 
 There is a chapel many steps under the high altar, 
 in which is the ancient tomb of this distinguished per- 
 sonage ; and all round it are different small wax figures 
 hung up, as offerings for some cure performed by he 
 mediation, or some benefit obtained by her means. 
 
 Over the entrance to this subterraneous chapel is 
 a Latin inscription, signifying that Ann of Austria had 
 made a splendid gift of candlesticks to the altar of 
 St. Radegonde, on account of her son, Louis XIV., 
 being restored to health through her intercession. 
 Radegonde was niece of Hermanfrois, King of Turingis, 
 and taken away by Celotaire, in the pillage of the 
 city*. 
 
 In the body of the church is also a small chapel, de- 
 dicated to this saint, with our Saviour on one side, 
 and the saint on the other, with the following in- 
 scription : 
 
 Adoravimus in loco, ubi steterunt pedes ejus. 
 Nous adorons le Seig-neur dans le lieu 
 Ou ont repose ses pieds. P. S. 131. 
 
 L' An du salut 586, le 3 d' Aout N.S, Jesus Christ apparut a St. Ra- 
 deg-ond, pendant qu'elle etoit en priercs, et lui dit, tu cs une pien-e prc- 
 cieuse de mon diademe. 
 
 En disparoissant il laissa imprime le vestige de son pied droit. 
 Hffic Monimenta e Monasterio, Caroneo in tran. 
 Ecclesian, trauslata fuerunt, anno domini. 1792. 
 
 St. Prochaire also is a fine old church, with a remark- 
 ably venerable tower, said also to have been built by 
 the English, who had nothing to do with the country 
 at that time. 
 
 •* Pere Daniel, vol. i. p. 95, 
 
BATTLE OP POITIERS. 63 
 
 On the outside of the cathedral they show you some 
 holes, made in the wall by Admiral Coligni in the 
 wars between the Huguenots and Papists. 
 
 This city is very dull, vilely paved, and badly peo- 
 pled ; there are but twenty-two thousand inhabitants, 
 though it is of very large extent. 
 
 The church of Notre Dame la Grande sur le March^, 
 is of great antiquity, and its towers and figures are 
 truly venerable. In the church is a curious tomb of 
 Our Saviour, with several women, and two venerable 
 figures, one at the head, the other at the foot. The 
 sculpture is ancient, and appears to be well executed : 
 the men are St. John and St, Peter, and the women 
 the two Mary's, ^c. $fc. 
 
 Two leagues from Poitiers was fought the famous 
 battle in which King John was taken prisoner *. His - 
 
 * The battle is described as beingf near Poitiers. The Black Prince 
 intrenched himself at Maupertius, in a place enclosed with vineyards and 
 hedges, and difficult of access. The king- of France had sixty thousand, 
 the Prince twelve thousand, men. This was more a rout than battle, as 
 the French lost but six thousand jnen, but among them eight hundred gen- 
 tlemen, and fifty of the most distinguished noblemen of the kingdom. — 
 Rapin, vol, ii, p. 209, 
 
 The king overtook the Prince of Wales at Maupertius, two leagues from 
 Poitiers, where he was in camp. Tlie prince had occupied a point inter- 
 sected with vineyards, hedges, bushes, ^-c, difficult for the cavahy to pe- 
 netrate or infantry to attack ; the greatest number given to the prince is 
 twelve thousand, but the French had forty-six thousand, divided into three 
 corps. — Daniel, vol. v. p. 31. 
 
 Such are the accounts given by the historians of England and France. 
 Each shews that that the glory which tlic English acquired ^\'as as great 
 as the modesty of their gallant and youthful commander, only twenty-five 
 years old, and that the misfortunes of the French are to be attributed to 
 their rashness and presumption. Both liistorians agree that the ])rince 
 
64 
 
 CATHEDRAL. 
 
 torians differ about the spot, but it is generally sup- 
 posed to be near the village of Beauvoir. There are 
 strong remains of Roman antiquities here : near la 
 Place d'Armes you go on a terrace, from whence you 
 see the old Roman wall, ^c. ; and some years ago 
 there were various figures dug up, elephants, Sfc. We 
 had an instance at Poitiers, of great humility, in an 
 ecclesiastic of rank. In the cathedral we saw the 
 Bishop of Gap in the body of the church at his prayers, 
 with the greatest devotion, mixed with the crowd ; 
 having some conversation with him, we found, by 
 accident, that he was a bishop. 
 
 They were re-establishing convents here ; there are 
 three already, Carmelites, Feuiilants, S;c. 
 
 There is a college for the education of students for 
 the church, their board is four hundred francs a year, 
 and the Professors are paid by government. 
 
 The Prince de Conde formed a plan to take this 
 city in 1614, which miscarried by the resolution of the 
 Bishop * . 
 
 offered to restore all the places which he had taken that campaign, and all 
 his prisoners, cngag'ing' not to bear arms against France for seven years. 
 Rapin says farther, that he offered to repair all the damages sustained by 
 France. 
 
 Daniel says that the king demanded that the prince and his whole family 
 should suiTender at cUserction ; but Rapin, the jirince and one hundred 
 knights. 
 * Mezerai. 
 
MAISONS BLANCHES. 65 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Leave Poitiers — Vivonne — Enclosed Country — Change of Frult-Trees — 
 Maisons Blanches — Specimen of a Country jNIayor — Mausle — Ana^ou- 
 leme — Situation — Cathedral — Castle — Cheapness ^of Provisions — Obe- 
 lisk — Marine College — Bridg-e. 
 
 Sept. 8. — Set off from Poitiers to Angouleme. 1 Post, 
 Crontelle. 2. Vivonne, a small old town, beautifully 
 situated on the little river Vivonne. 
 
 The winding descent likewise down a hill to Cron- 
 telle, was very beautiful, and the road went along corn 
 fields and woods : there were also small inclosures 
 full of cows, sheep, t^c, which reminded us of our own 
 country. 
 
 Went through Miniors, Couhe-Verac, and Chaunay, 
 to Maisons Blanches. There is, in this country, an 
 excellent custom of writing, at each post, its name, as 
 on the Bath road. 
 
 Added to the fruit-trees which we had had along the 
 road, we had now chestnut-trees, medlar, c^-c, and in 
 the fields much Spanish or Indian wheat. The season 
 was so remarkably dry, that the girls were getting elm- 
 leaves from the trees to feed the cows, of which there 
 were abundance. 
 
 At Maisons Blanches, we had a complete specimen 
 of the simplicity of a country mayor. 
 
 The master of the hotel de la Poste having behaved 
 
 improperly, we were advised to go to the village for 
 
 redress. We accordingly went, stumbling along a 
 Vol. I. F 
 
66 A COUNTRY MAYOR. 
 
 dark lane among mud and stones, to the village, about 
 a mile and a half off. 
 
 On opening a small farm-house door, a man ac- 
 costed us, in a dirty night-cap, a waistcoat full of holes* 
 and no stockings, holding a filthy lamp in our faces, 
 for no candle was there in the room, which was as 
 dirty as its master, in every respect. 
 
 On our asking for Mons. le Maire, he said to us, 
 " Me voila ; " and though^^he appeared to understand 
 farming better than law, (for he was a small farmer,) 
 yet his simplicity of manners, added to a natural 
 civility, interested us much, and reminded us of Cin- 
 cinnatus and Rome, in its unadulterated state ; and 
 though we did not obtain much redress from this vil- 
 lage judge, yet we, on the whole, did not regret our 
 walk, though the night was remarkably dark, but 
 went away pleased with the character we had seen, 
 and delighted with his natural urbanity, though we 
 derived but little advantage from his legal knowledge, 
 or his justice. 
 
 Sept. 2:2. — Set off from Maisons Blanches for An- 
 gouleme. One post, and a half to Ruffec, Negres 
 one, and Mansle one and a half; this is a neat little 
 town, on the Charente, which we crossed on a stone 
 bridge. This river is very pretty and pastoral, run- 
 ning among meadows ; it divides the department of 
 Vienne from that of Charente, formerly Angouleme ; 
 Churet two posts, a small village ; and one to An- 
 gouleme. This day's journey was, the first part, up 
 and down gentle hills, through forests of beautiful 
 large chestnut and other wood, and corn-fields ; latterly 
 
ANGOULEME. 67 
 
 the country was bolder, and more romantic, with steep 
 winding hills and beautiful views. 
 
 The vineyards became more and more thick, till it 
 became a country of vineyards ; and as the evening 
 was fine, all the peasants were employed in gathering 
 grapes, which the proprietors, with the greatest po- 
 liteness, insisted on our partaking of, and pressed on 
 us the best bunches. The whole, in short, presented 
 a scene of hilarity and plenty. 
 
 You enter Angouleme winding down several hills ; 
 and from the suburbs, which are almost as large as the 
 town, you ascend a very steep hill to the town. 
 
 The situation of Angouleme is romantic and beauti- 
 ful in the highest degree ; it is built on a steep rock, in 
 the form of an amphitheatre ; the walk round the ram- 
 parts, about two miles, is beautiful and rich, com- 
 manding a vast extent of country. Under you on one 
 part is the lovely river Charente, meandering through a 
 rich country, and forming many pretty isles ; the dif- 
 ferent high roads seen for many miles, the bridge and 
 winding road, and gardens under the walls, the forest 
 at a distance, ^c, form the rich view which you have 
 from the ramparts of Angouleme. 
 
 There are also rocks, vineyards, and houses and 
 villages near and at a distance, forming a scene alto- 
 gether enchanting ; in fact, we had not seen any town 
 which pleased us so well as this. Most of the streets 
 terminate in the ramparts, as does also the cathedral, 
 which is a very old building. 
 
 The roof of the nave consists of various domes, and 
 
 F 2 
 
6 8 CATHEDRAL — CASTLE. 
 
 the ceiling appears to be brick, whitewashed, but 
 the sides bare walls. 
 
 You enter the choir in a very singular way, by an 
 arch ; it is plain, and the roof is in form of a crescent, 
 the high altar is handsome and bifrons ; there is a no- 
 ble flight of steps and platform of marble ; the Bishop's 
 Palace, as is usual, is the Prefecture, and the Bishop 
 has a house elsewhere ; his revenues are nearly two 
 thousand pounds a year. 
 
 The castle*, now used as the prison, is venerable 
 for its noble ancient round towers. The town has 
 been strongly fortified, and may be made as strong 
 by art, as it is by nature ; provisions are plentiful and 
 reasonable, and it is a most comfortable and agreeable 
 residence. The consequence of which is that many 
 families of distinction live here, where they are able 
 to obtain not only provisions reasonable, but wine 
 which is both good and cheap. 
 
 There are sixteen thousand inhabitants, governed 
 by a prefect, who is appointed by the kingf . 
 
 There are three or four winding roads, one above 
 another, under the ramparts, which, with the horses 
 and carriages on them, give the stranger walking on 
 
 * This castle is famous for the brilliant defence made by the Due 
 d'Epernt)n, in 15SS. This sfallant duke, with only twenty men, without 
 2)rov{sionx or powder, although the castle was open on all sides, resisted 
 for thirty hours the attacks of the whole city, set on by the League, or ra- 
 ther by the feeble Henry, thus meanly abandoning- his favourite. The 
 Duke was conquered in this unequal contest, and acquired immortal 
 gflory, — L'esprit de la Li^ue. O that he had conducted himself equally 
 well in all the circumstances of his eventful life ! 
 
 t Under five thousand inhabitants, they choose their own Prefect. 
 
OBELISK — LIVING. 69 
 
 the walls most pleasing ideas of the place : indeed, it 
 has altogether a most singular effect, and reminds one 
 of the descriptions of fairy land. 
 
 There is an excellent naval school lately established 
 here, and a large paper manufactory ; also a cannon 
 foundry about two leagues off, but not used at present. 
 
 Under the ramparts is an obelisk, erected on the 
 spot where the Duchess of Angouleme passed on her 
 way to Bordeaux, with this inscription, 
 
 Chcmiii de Madame 
 Le 17 d'Aout 
 Annee ISI.'J. 
 
 Angouleme is said to have been built by the 
 English ; it was certainly in their hands some time, but 
 was finally united to France in 1372. 
 
 In few towns will a stranger live cheaper* than in 
 this. A gentleman of the place assured us that he 
 could board for six hundred francs a year, and have a 
 good apartment for twenty-five francs a month ; so that 
 an English family may live for half what it can in 
 England. It follows, as a natural consequence, that 
 many families come here for economy, where they 
 find society that is good and choice, and the roads 
 excellent, though hilly. 
 
 The Marine College at Angouleme is not yet quite 
 finished ; it is on an extensive plan, for five hundred 
 boys from twelve to fifteen or sixteen years of age. 
 
 The building is large and handsome, constructed of 
 the stone of the country ; it will cost four hundred thou- 
 
 * Good wholesome brown bread is only three sous a pound, and the les 
 white, four at la Table Ronde, an excellent and reasonable inn. 
 
70 MARINE COLLEGE. 
 
 sand francs, and the yearly establishment one hundred 
 thousand. The Governor is a Vice- Admiral, and has 
 about seven hundred pounds a year ; and the Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor, who is a Captain, five hundred 
 pounds : there is also a Chaplain, who has one hun- 
 dred pounds a year, and various other officers. They 
 seemed in great spirits, and determined to vie with 
 their neighbours in maritime affairs. 
 
 There is a bridge of five arches over the Charente, 
 which river goes to Rochelle. On the borders of this 
 river, not many miles from this city, was fought, in 
 1569, the famous battle of Jarnac, so fatal to the 
 Huguenots, in which the brave Prince de Conde, their 
 leader, was massacred by Montesquieu, Captain of the 
 Duke of Anjou's guards*. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Ruins of an Abbey — Road excellent — Barbesieux — Cavignac — Country 
 woody — Laaieness very prevalent — Change of Departments — Change 
 of Country not for the better — Cahusac — Dordogne — Garonne — 
 Bordeaux — Entrance into Bordeaux — Description of the Cit\" — High 
 Rents, Palais de Gallien, Public Gardens, Cathedral, Harbour, S)C. 
 
 Sept. 25. — Left Angoul^me f ; one league from it we 
 passed the ruins of a venerable abbey on our left. 
 
 * Esprit lie la Li'gue. 
 
 t Mary of Medicis escaped from Blois to Augouleme, with the assistance 
 of the Duke of Epcrnon, and the connivance of the Grand DukeCosimoII. 
 In IGIS, at the time she was agreeing to a compromise with her son, there 
 was a plot formed by Luines to blow up the fortress, in order to destroy 
 her. — Galuzzi. 
 
BARBESIEUX — CAVIGNAC. 71 
 
 Two posts, Roulet, and one more Poligni, a single 
 house. The road was up and down gentle hills, among 
 vineyards, ^c, as firm and good as one of the finest 
 in England, which, indeed, it had been all the way 
 from Poitiers. We passed many woods, full of game, 
 which, however, at times, was destroyed by the 
 wolves, of which there were several. 
 
 Barbesieux is a small market town, erected into a 
 marquisate by Louis XIV., in favour of one of the 
 sons of his minister Louvois. There is nothing re- 
 markable in it but a neat public walk. The streets 
 are very narrow, and badly paved, and the old castle 
 is converted into a prison. Provisions are here as, 
 or even more, reasonable than at Angouleme. 
 
 Sept. 26. — Left Barbesieux*. Revignac, one post 
 and half ; Grolle, one and a half ; Montlieu, two ; 
 Chiersac, one ; and Cavignac two. These are all 
 villages and single houses, except the last, wliich is 
 a small town. 
 
 This day's journey was very different from the 
 others, and the face of the country much changed ; it 
 was chiefly woods of oak, and underwoodj and firs ; 
 of the last there are immense numbers, and very beau- 
 tiful ; they plant themselves, like the beach in Eng- 
 land. There were also several large heaths, on which 
 was much fern ; all these were, however, occasionally 
 varied by vineyards, Indian corn, ^-c. 
 
 There were, as before, gentle hills, from which there 
 were some fine views, especially Bois Verd, where 
 
 * At the post, a dear and bad house. 
 
72 CUBZAC, 
 
 we breakfasted ; from hence was a most commanding 
 prospect. 
 
 The vines in this country are as strong as trees, 
 and grow also to a great height ; they are regularly 
 trained along stout poles. Claret of excellent quality 
 is made here. 
 
 We observed numbers of people lame in their hips, 
 and the common opinion is, that it proceeds from 
 weakness in the joints, occasioned by eating coarse 
 bad bread, from which little nourishment is derived 
 About four miles from Cavignac is a pillar with an 
 inscription, signifying that it is the end of the de- 
 partment of Charente, and the beginning of that of 
 Gironde. This evening we saw a wolf going along 
 the wood in search of prey. 
 
 At Cavignac*, where we slept, there is nothing re- 
 markable ; but the garden of the inn was very large, full 
 of fruit, and kept in as high order as an English one. 
 
 Sept. 56. — Left Cavignac for Cubzac, distant five 
 leagues. The country is fiat, dull, and uninteresting, 
 but there is an excellent pave, which, in this wet 
 country, must be necessary. 
 
 At Cubzac we came to the river Dordogne, which 
 is large and rapid, and as wide as the Thames at 
 Gravesend. 
 
 Cubzac, though a small place, is full of life and 
 bustle, owing to the vast concourse of people passing 
 to Bordeaux ; there are ten ferry-boats constantly going. 
 
 We crossed the Dordogne in a large ferry-boat, but 
 as the wind was high, and against us, we were nearly 
 
 * At the post a tolerable ina, but dear. 
 
BASTIDE— THE GARONNE. 73 
 
 half an hour crossing. We saw a very large building, 
 used to transport the troops, by vast numbers at a 
 time. 
 
 Carbon Blanc one post, and two more we came to 
 the Garonne. From Carbon Blanc, we passed through 
 a country of vineyards, from which is made the fine 
 Bordeaux wine. As far as Bastide, a small place on 
 the Garonne, opposite to Bordeaux, there were num- 
 bers of country-houses belonging to the merchants, 
 built in a variety of ways, and having a pretty ap- 
 pearance at Bastide. We crossed the Garonne, which 
 is here about as wide as the Thames at London, in 
 an excellent ferry-boat, which carried us over in a few 
 minutes. 
 
 They are, however, building a bridge which will be 
 of great service to Bordeaux, as having these two 
 rivers to pass, (which cannot easily be done when the 
 wind is high,) must be a serious inconvenience to so 
 large a commercial city. 
 
 The Dordogne and Garonne have their junction 
 about four leagues from the city, and their em- 
 bouchure is about twenty leagues off: the two rivers, 
 when united, are called the Gironde, which gives 
 name to the department. 
 
 The entrance into Bordeaux is very striking; 
 along a broad and noble quay, full of the bustle of 
 commerce ; the harbour is crowded with vessels from, 
 all nations, and is capable of containing frigates and 
 ships of six hundred tons. 
 
 Bordeaux is the capital of ci-devant Guienne, but 
 now of the department of the Gironde ; the city is 
 
74 BORDEAUX— CATHEDRAL. 
 
 large and handsome, the streets broad and well paved, 
 and the houses high and well built, but extremely- 
 dear ; L'Hotel de France, in which we were, was then 
 on sale, and the price asked for it was one hundred 
 and sixty francs ; and for a small hotel opposite, 
 L'Hotel des Americans, sixty thousand. There are 
 at Bordeaux about one hundred thousand persons. 
 
 The fine ruin known by the name of Palais de 
 GaHen, appears to have been an amphitheatre ; it is 
 a noble piece of antiquity, and the arches are in high 
 preservation. 
 
 The public gardens and Champs de Mars are 
 pretty, and a great convenience to the inhabitants of 
 this populous and flourishing city. 
 
 Among various fountains or conduits for the use 
 of the city, is that of Figuerreau, which appears to 
 be a building of great antiquity : and water-carts are 
 passing from it and repassing continually : it is 
 farmed of the city for eighteen hundred francs, for 
 the inhabitants have not the convenience of pipes in 
 their houses, no more than at Paris. 
 
 The Cathedral of Bordeaux is a beautiful and ve- 
 nerable Gothic building, with two noble spires like 
 that at Orleans. It was built in 1 200, and the choir 
 which is particularly elegant, contains an excellent 
 organ, and a handsome pulpit of variegated marble. 
 There are but few painted windows : if it had these 
 customary ornaments of a cathedral, like those of 
 Tours or Poictiers, it would be truly magnificent 
 
 On the Place du Palais Royal is the former archi- 
 episcopal palace, now appropriated to the royal family. 
 
BORDEAUX — HOTELS. 75 
 
 It has been modernized for them, and is a large 
 convenient house. The residence of the archbishop 
 is in a house near the cathedral. 
 
 L'Hopital St. Andre is a charitable foundation for 
 old persons, sick, ^c. ; and had then about four hundred 
 in it. 
 
 L'Hotel de Ville has a large and handsome room, 
 with two fine paintings of the King and Duchess 
 d'Angouleme, given to the city by the latter. There 
 are also busts of the Due d'Angouleme, Berri, ^c. S^c. 
 Opposite L'Hotel de Ville, is the famous old build- 
 ing containing the city clock and large bell ; it has 
 two ancient towers, ending in pyramids, with a kind 
 of observatory in the middle ; it is said to have been 
 a Roman work. 
 
 La Basse Porte is also a fine Roman gate, but the 
 Palais Tutelle, Aqueducts, ^c, are not now to be seen. 
 Just by the cathedral is a noble and beautiful tower, 
 erected about four hundred years ago, by Pierre Ber- 
 lan, Archbishop of Bordeaux. 
 
 Against one of the sides of the cathedral is a very 
 high Bon Dieu, with the following verses : — 
 
 Qui posuere crucem hie nobis iterare videntur ! 
 Sic nos dilexit iion redainarc nefas*. 
 
 Amidst these palaces and valuable remains, we 
 searched in vain for the palace in which Edward the 
 Black Prince, the darling and glory of England, re- 
 sided, when he made Bordeaux the seat of his empire. 
 " Not a wreck is to be traced of the place which had 
 
 * The erecters of this cross seem to exclaim, *' It is criminal not to love 
 him in return, who has shewed such affection for us." 
 
76 BORDEAUX — EXCHANGE. 
 
 the honour of the residence of the hero of Poictiers, 
 who made his fame more splendid by the humiUty of 
 his deportment ; thus it is with the cloud-capt towers 
 and gorgeous palaces." 
 
 There is a very large market at Bordeaux, but 
 provisions are dear, and of this circumstance, the inns 
 take advantage ; for there are few higher in their 
 charges than in this city : even for grapes, which are 
 so plentiful, they ask you five or six sous a pound ; 
 and the wine is also very dear. The most beautiful 
 parts of this city are La Rue, Chapeau Rouge, Rue 
 VEsprit de la hoi, Place Roi/ale, and Place Dauphine. 
 
 The public walks are Alices de Tournee and Cours 
 de Tournee, with fine rows of trees in the centre, and 
 houses on each side : they are fine streets, the latter 
 nearly a mile in length. 
 
 They were taking down Le Chateau de Trompette, 
 built by Louis XIV *. 
 
 There is here a Protestant church well attended. 
 
 There are in Bordeaux a very fine Exchange, co- 
 vered over, and round it shops of all kinds of ware ; 
 and a Douane, or Custom-house : between these, is 
 La Place Royale, in which is held the great fair, 
 
 * Madame de Maintenon was confined in this castle in her infancy. At 
 four years old, walking one day with Le IMarcchal dAlbrct, and pointing- 
 to it, she said, " Je vous assure que je ne trouve pas nion lit plus doux que 
 mon berceau, — I assui*e you, my bed is not softer than my cradle." — f^ie de 
 Mad. Maintenon. 
 
 Playing one day M'ith the daughter of the keeper of the prison, who had 
 an elegant silver menage, she said very scornfidly to the little d'Aubigne, 
 •• You are too poor to have any thing of the kind." *' That is true," said 
 the latter, " but / was born a ifentlewoman, and you are not one." — Mad. 
 de Maintenon peinte par tile mvme. 
 
CASTLE OF HAM. 77 
 
 which lasts a fortnight. Over the Exchange, are 
 several public rooms for the merchants, the Sale de 
 Commerce, 'and the Tribunal, in which are determined 
 affairs relating to commerce, by judges chosen among 
 the merchants, who sit every Friday . 
 
 The extent of this fine city along the quay to the 
 mouth of the harbour is very great ; but the other way 
 it is comparatively narrow, not exceeding a mile or a 
 mile and a half. 
 
 The Castle of Ham is a fine square venerable build- 
 ing, on La Place d'Armes, with a mole, ^x. ; it is 
 said to have been built by the English, and this is 
 probably true, as they were so long connected with 
 this place. This castle will amply pay the traveller for 
 a long walk : farther on towards the river are the re- 
 mains, and remains only, of the Forts St. Croix and 
 Louis ; they were levelling them, and filling up the 
 ditches as fast as possible. 
 
 The Capuchin gate, and that on the Port, are fine 
 structures, but La Place d'Armes, Capuchin, Cours 
 d'Aquitaine, ^-c, though large and wide tracts, are 
 very dull, with so small a population, that a stranger 
 would be inclined to look on them almost as a dif- 
 ferent town from the frequented parts of Bordeaux*, 
 such as the Port, Place Royale, ^c. ^c. 
 
 On walking along some of the old streets and 
 searching for some mark of the English who were so 
 long established here, we cast our eyes accidentally 
 on the corner of a street, and, to our surprise and joy, 
 
 • * Bordeaux \\'as formerly a pai-liament town. 
 
78 CASTRES — ST. MARCAIRE. 
 
 saw St. George and the Dragon carved, and the street 
 had the name of St. George : our English vanity was 
 consequently not a little gratified. 
 
 Bordeaux has] its name with reference to its situa- 
 tion, as to the rivers. 
 
 They use here sledges and oxen for conveying 
 goods from the ships. 
 
 There were various councils formerly at Bordeaux, 
 to settle the affairs of religion, the earliest of which 
 was in 385. There was in this town a dreadful mas- 
 sacre of the Huguenots. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Departure from Bordeaux — Parish Church of Castres — Ferry at Lan- 
 gon — Singular Customs at Lang-on — Fruit Trees abundant — Tra- 
 velling' frequent — Views of the River Boats — Mills — Numerous Proprie- 
 tors of Land — Lafitte Wine — Female Equestrians — Costume — Patois — 
 Mode of Agriculture — River Lot — Expertness of Ferrymen — Swarms 
 of Flies — Excellence of Inns — Port St, Marie — Port St. Hilaire — Agen 
 — Valuable Prints — Ortolans — Ruins of Cathedral and Palace — Depar- 
 ture from Agen — Mcilanza — Ruins of Castle-Moissac. 
 
 October 2. — Set off for Toulouse ; Bouscant, one post 
 and three-quarters ; here is only the post-house. 
 Castres, one and three-quarters, a pretty village, where 
 we went into the parish church, which was fancifully 
 ornamented with garlands, wreaths, S^-c. At Ceron, 
 one post and a half, there were only a few houses ; 
 Langon one post and a half; this is a small town on 
 the Garonne, which we here crossed in a ferry to St. 
 Marcaire, a small village, where we remained all night. 
 This day's journey was, as usual, among fine vine- 
 
CASTRES LANGON. 79 
 
 yards and extensive woods of firs alternately ; these 
 latter are often of a very large girth. 
 
 Whole woods also of beautiful acacia were in our 
 route ; which in this part of France, is even more 
 common than the ash in England, and grows to a great 
 size. Fig-trees, peach, <^x., were on all sides ; the 
 vines in this part of the country are very high and 
 single, and supported by high poles, twelve or four- 
 teen feet long, "presenting, in all respects, the appear- 
 ance of an English hop-ground. The hills were gentle, 
 and the roads excellent, as the sand, which was the 
 prevalent soil, was well mended, by being mixed with 
 sifted gravel. 
 
 Travelling in this road is so frequent, that at 
 Castres, where we dined, there were five coaches at 
 one time ; and at Langon, the ferry-boats were con- 
 stantly passing with carriages, horses and passen- 
 gers ; the river was perfectly calm, and not so broad 
 as at Bordeaux. At Langon prevails a singular 
 custom of boys, great and small, walking on stilts * ; 
 and this they do so regularly, and with such ease, that 
 they walk along the high road a long way together, 
 and keep up with the horses and carriages, which go 
 a foot-pace f : we even saw men amuse themselves in 
 this puerile way. 
 
 * At Zurich tlie juvenile citizens are so expert at this exercise, that they 
 go up the hing'cst and steepest flights of steps, and doivn again, with the 
 greatest fleetness and agility. 
 
 t The horses iu the voiturcs in this country, M'hich are not accustomed 
 to trot, walk uncommonly -well, nearly four miles au hour, where there are 
 no mountains. 
 
80 CAUDEROT — TONNEIN. 
 
 St. Marcaire, where we took up our abode for the 
 night, presents the appearance of a town formerly of 
 some consequence : its broken walls and antique 
 towers remind you of the feudal times, when the proud 
 baron, having absolute power over his tenants, often 
 held his sovereign at defiance ; and in no provinces 
 was this more realized, than in those through which 
 we were travelling. 
 
 As we were anxious to see every thing curious in 
 our journey, we usually went from twelve post leagues 
 to fifteen ; scarcely ever less than the former, or more 
 than the latter. 
 
 October 3. — Set off from St. Marcaire : Cauderot, a 
 small village, one post and a half; la Reole, a small 
 town by the Garonne, on a steep hill, formerly fortified ; 
 la Motte Landron one post, a small village ; Mar- 
 mande, one and a half, a market town ; and Tonnein, 
 a small town, where we staid all night. 
 
 Great part of this day's journey was flat and unin- 
 teresting—varied at times, however, with fine views 
 of the Garonne, which would be still more agreeable 
 if it had not so muddy an appearance. 
 
 There are here several small mills, in boats, near 
 the shore, and fixed with cables ; they are curious, 
 and highly useful to the neighbourhood. 
 
 In this country there are numerous small proprietors 
 of land, who live very comfortably on their estates, 
 having plenty of game, and unmolested by any 
 haughty Seigneur. The common wine here is very 
 good, but the fine wine known by the name of Lafitte, 
 
MODE OP AGRICULTURE. 81 
 
 comes from the vineyards near Medoc, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Bordeaux. Medoc also gives name to a 
 wine in great repute. 
 
 The women, even those of the better sort, usually 
 ride astride in this country, which is so populous, that 
 you meet numbers of them in all parts, as also horse- 
 men, carriages of every description, Spanish women 
 passing with guitars, peasants without shoes or 
 stockings, ^-c. * 
 
 The women speak a kind of Patois, composed of 
 Gascon, French, Sj-c, difficult to be understood. 
 
 Near Reolef we passed Gironde J, a small town, 
 with a creek which goes into the Garonne . 
 
 They plant peas and beans in this country, in order 
 to make manure for their land, and we saw vast quan- 
 tities then in bloom ; large tracts of pumpkins are here 
 also of an immense size. Pig-trees and vines grow 
 wild in the hedges. Numerous Maisons de Campagne, 
 also, with large gardens well cultivated, are seen on all 
 sides, and every thing shews a rich and populous country. 
 
 October^. — Set off for Agen, distant five posts. Two 
 leagues from Tonnien, the river Lot empties itself into 
 the Garonne. One league farther we passed the Lot 
 in a ferry-boat to Aiguillon ; the river here is rather 
 broad and shallow. 
 
 * This was for coolness, as the season was dreadfully hot, for there was 
 no appearance of poverty amono- the peasants. 
 
 *l' La Reole appears formerly to have been a place of some consequence, 
 and had a large convent of Benedictines. 
 
 ;i; This probably gives name to the departuicnt(a). 
 (rt) This department is generally supposed to take its name from the union 
 of the two rivers Garonne and Dordogne. 
 
 Vol. I. G 
 
8^ PORT ST. II IL AIRE. 
 
 The French are very expert and expeditious in 
 their ferries ; they do not even take the horses out of 
 the carriages, and are over almost as soon as they are 
 in tlie boat. 
 
 One post more, Port St. Mary. The weather now 
 was warm and sultry, especially about the middle of 
 the day ; and the swarms of flies, which are very large, 
 so troublesome that we could hardly keep them from 
 the provisions. 
 
 The inns in this country, even in the villages, are 
 excellent and well frequented. Tiles now gave place 
 to good boarded floors. 
 
 The little town of St. Marie is old, but beautifully 
 situated on the Lot ; on the other side are rocky de- 
 clivities and mountains, with vineyards, houses and 
 gardens, from the bottom to the top ; orchards of fig- 
 trees, peach, pomegranates, quinces, S,^., completed 
 this scene of plenty : there were also numerous coun- 
 try-houses, and every thing indicated the appear- 
 ance of comfort, though the peasants were still without 
 shoes and stockings ; the dress of the females was, how- 
 ever, very smart, scarlet petticoats, short j ackets, S^^c. c^-c. 
 
 From Port St. Marie to Port St. Hilaire, is one post 
 and half; here are a few houses, with abridge over a 
 creek, which goes into the Garonne. One post more, 
 Agen. 
 
 This day s journey was very pleasant, with the Lot 
 on the right, and hills, with vineyards, on the left. 
 The vines here are of a great thickness, and wind 
 round the trees, elm, pear, peach, ^-c. and many willows^ 
 There are whole hedge-rows of these, intermixed with 
 
AGEN — CATHEDRAL. 83 
 
 all the trees, and full of choice fruit. We arrived in 
 the evening at Agen. 
 
 The entrance into Agen is handsome, and the road 
 broad, between two rows of trees ; the town, however, 
 is old, and the streets narrow. You pass the ruins of 
 the magnificent cathedral, destroyed by the Revolu- 
 tionists ; from its appearance, it must have been a fine 
 Gothic building : it is said to have been erected by 
 the English, which is not improbable, as Agen and the 
 Agenois were ceded and confirmed to the English with 
 Querci, the Limosin, S^x., by a variety of treaties. The 
 Prince de Conde saved himself here with difficulty, 
 in 1652, after his check at Miradoux. 
 
 The Grande Place is a tolerable one, and the Great 
 Church, now used as the cathedral, is but a bad re- 
 presentative of it. In one of the streets are arcades 
 on both sides, which are very old, making the shops 
 dark, though they are a protection from rain. 
 
 At Agen we had the Ortolan, the little bird so much 
 prized by the disciples of Epicurus ; it is small, not 
 much larger than a sparrow, but with great art and care, 
 made a lump of fat ; they have a barbarous mode of 
 kilhng them in brandy*, and sending them, thus pre- 
 pared, a very great distance, as grouse are sent into 
 England from Scotland. Thus, in some places we 
 find the cruelty of man keeping pace with his luxury. 
 
 The bishop's palace was destroyed with the cathe- 
 dral, but he has a good house in the city ; his revenues 
 are about twenty -four thousand francs a year. 
 
 * Scetior annis, 
 Luxuria incubuit, Juv. Sat. 6. 
 
 G 3 
 
84 MALANZE. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Agen grow the famous 
 plums, known by the name of Agen plums ; these 
 are dried, packed up in boxes and sent to London, and 
 sold there at a great price ; here they are from two- 
 pence to three-pence a pound. 
 
 Oct. 3. — Set off from Agen ; one post and a half, 
 Ceroguelardit, a single house ; and one and a half, Ma- 
 gisore, a small market town, prettily situated on the 
 Garonne ; on the left is a romantic hill, with a village 
 and church called la Remoule ; two leagues further, is 
 Valence, a market town ; one post and three quar- 
 ters from Valence is Malanze. Here are but a few 
 houses, but they are clean and neat, with a great ap- 
 pearance of comfort. At some distance, on the right, 
 is the Garonne ; and in front, and at the left, are hills 
 covered with vineyards. 
 
 Malanze is a small place, most beautifully situated. 
 Here are the ruins of an old castle on a very high hill. 
 We clambered up it, and were well paid for our 
 trouble : it commands an extensive view of the Ga- 
 ronne (which here receives the river Tarbe,) Montau- 
 ban, Moissac, and a most enchanting country. 
 
 The Castle belonged to the Marquis de Moissac 
 Bourbon, and was purchased by a gentleman who is 
 building a house, of the materials of the castle, near it. 
 ,0n a declivity is the little parish-church, the church- 
 yard, and cure's-house, in a most delightful situation 
 (with a fine view of the river under it,) suspended as 
 it were in the air. 
 
 The two last posts to Moissac continue through a 
 very charming country, up and down steep hills, the 
 
MOISSAC. 85 
 
 vales full of fine cypresses, firs, Sfc.> and on each side 
 vineyards, corn-fields, fruit-trees, and frequent views 
 of the river in its winding course. We here saw many 
 flocks of goats going to Spain ; the Spaniards meet 
 the shepherds, (and buy the goats both for milk and 
 food,) on the Pyrenees. The houses in this country 
 are usually built with arcades, with a gallery on the 
 first story as in Sv^^itzerland ; the language is chiefly 
 Gascon, and is difficult to be understood. The pea- 
 sants continued without shoes and stockings. 
 
 Vineyards in this country are very profitable, the 
 proprietor netting from forty to fifty francs an acre 
 yearly, but the expense of cultivation is twenty francs 
 per acre. 
 
 Moissac is a tolerably large town on the Tarn, 
 beautifully situated in a fine country, and containing 
 fifteen thousand inhabitants. There are here a great 
 number of corn mills, and a large dep6t of flour, from 
 whence considerable quantities are exported to Eng- 
 land. 
 
 The descent, down a long winding hill, with white 
 houses on each side, mixed with the vineyards, is 
 highly picturesque. 
 
 The principal church of Moissac has a very singu- 
 lar roof, apparently chequered and painted. 
 
 Here are the remains of an old bridge, but they are 
 building a new one over the Tarn. There is a hand- 
 some public walk, but the town is dull. We were 
 au clieval Blanc*, the back part of which is very sin- 
 
 * We were here as badly situated as ever with regard to our tea equi- 
 page, liaving a saucepan for our kettle, and a coffee-boiler for a tea-pot. 
 
86 MOISSAC. 
 
 gular ; you go out from the chamber into the garden, 
 which, of course, is very elevated, and from thence to 
 the vineyards on the top of the rock. 
 
 On entering the town is the following inscription on 
 an old house, proper, indeed, for every place and 
 every country : 
 
 Respecte les proprietes et la productions d'autrui, 
 Elles sont le fruit de son travail, et de son Industrie, 
 
 and in no place can this caution be more necessary 
 than in Moissac, as the country abounds in fruit. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Departure from Moissac — Montauban — Cathedral— 'St. Jaques — Ville dc 
 Bourbon — Prison — Funeral Ceremony — Course — Leave Montauban — 
 Grizolle — Bruj'ers — Road throui^h a bad Country — Toulouse. 
 
 Oct. 6. — Set off from Moissac* ; two posts to Saula, 
 and one and three-quarters farther to Montauban. 
 
 The first part of this day's journey was along wind- 
 ing hills, the last part dull and uninteresting. The 
 cottages are very indifferent, with low chimneys and 
 hardly perceptible windows, and in almost every vine- 
 yard is a low hut, which you can scarcely crawl in, 
 for Le Gardien de la Vignef. The peasants, how- 
 
 * Moissac was taken by Henry H., king' of England, nlicn he invaded 
 Lani,^uedoc, in IIGO. — ■Mezerai. 
 
 + On meeting- a man Avitli a long pole, and an iron point like a spear, 
 ■ near Fontainbleau, one of us asked him who he was ; with a great strut, 
 he answered, " Moi ! je suis le gardien des vignes." 
 
MONTAUBAN. 87 
 
 ever, though thus apparently badly housed, are robust 
 and hardy. 
 
 The materials of the better sort of houses are chiefly 
 of brick, and there is a great number of brick and tile- 
 kilns in the neighbourhood. 
 
 Montauban is a fine old city on the Tarn, and in 
 the department of the Tarn and Garonne. The river, 
 which you cross on a remarkably old brick bridge of 
 eight arches, divides it into two parts. The town is 
 large, and many of the streets are wide and well paved. 
 
 La Place Roy ale is curious, with a double row of 
 arcades quite round, under which are good shops of all 
 kinds. 
 
 The cathedral is a handsome modern building, 
 erected in the reign of Louis XIV., three hundred 
 feet in length, with a very fine dome in the centre, 
 and within the high altar is another dome, elegantly 
 painted ; on each side are two of the Evangelists, 
 over the altar a painting of the Assumption, and on 
 each side a colossal statue of a bishop of Montauban. 
 
 The church of St. Jacques is handsome, and built of 
 brick, as is great part of the city. 
 
 Montauban must be particularly interesting to the 
 Protestants, as having been one of the cautionary 
 towns* formerly given to them. There are still many 
 established here, and they have a church appropriated 
 to them. In Montauban are twenty-eight thousand 
 inhabitants ; and there is a great manufactory of coarse 
 
 * The otlier cautionaiy towns were La Charite, La Rcchelle, and Cog;- 
 nac. The number of these was extended afterwards to nhie, and in 1579, 
 to fourteen, by Cyatherine de jNIedieis, with full liberty to build churches and 
 levy taxes to pay their ministers. — M£zeu.\i, and I' Esprit de la Ligue. 
 
88 THE PRISON. 
 
 cloth, at which, however, the poor cannot earn more 
 than from eight to ten sous a day. 
 
 At the end of the bridge is a fine old gate, dividing 
 the Ville de Bourbon from the old and new town ; and 
 the river is about as broad as the Medway, at Ro- 
 chester bridge. 
 
 The Griffon Fountain is old, and well worth seeing ; 
 thewomen are continuallybringing their earthen vessels 
 to fill, which seem the exact Amphora of the Romans. 
 
 The Prison and House of Correction are admirably 
 managed. The prisoners are allowed eleven sous a 
 day, with which they have a pound and a half of 
 bread, a pound of vegetables stew^ed, good soup made 
 of meat, and a pound of straw each day for a bed ; 
 those who can afford it may have a bed for a sou a 
 day. 
 
 They have a large yard to take the air in, and in bad 
 weather a comfortable room, where they are employed 
 in works of different kinds. They have a cell for four 
 of them, about nine feet by six, and are allowed a 
 shirt a week. The governor had had the care of the 
 prison twenty-one years, and in that time no accident 
 had happened, nor any prisoner escaped; he has a 
 comfortable apartment, and eight hundred francs a 
 year, and seems admirably calculated for this respon- 
 sible situation. Religious concerns are not neglected ; 
 there being a chapel, in which mass is regularly said ; 
 in short, we w^ere much pleased with the whole admi- 
 nistration of this prison. 
 
 They have here vast numbers of mules and asses, 
 very large, and remarkably handsome, especially the 
 
FUNERAL CEREMONY. 89 
 
 latter. The natives speak a language*, compounded 
 of French and Spanish. We observed that much In- 
 dian corn is cultivated in the neighbourhood, and some 
 of the bread at Montauban is made of itf . 
 
 We had here an opportunity of seeing a funeral 
 procession ; three boys preceded the priest with a 
 bon-dieu and two flambeaux, and he was followed by 
 four boys bearing the jmll only, with skulls, bones, (^'c, 
 painted on it ; next came four men bearing the coffin, 
 which closed the procession. The whole number 
 walked, chaunting to and from the church ; after ser- 
 vice in the church, which lasted half an hour, the same 
 ceremonies were observed to and in the church-yard, 
 at a considerable distance from the city, and the ser- 
 vice Z)e profimdis was sung. Some prayers used 
 were much like ours, over the body deposited in the 
 grave. 
 
 The public walk called the Course, on a fine ter- 
 race along the river, is very beautiful, commanding a 
 most extensive view ; and, on a clear day, the Py- 
 renees are plainly to be seen. 
 
 * The common people do not understand French. 
 
 t Montauban is famous for its noble defence against the whole force of 
 the French monarchy, commanded b}' the Constable Luines, the cele- 
 brated Duke de Mayenno, Lesdig-uiercs, Comte de Schomberg', S)-c. 
 
 The city was invested August 17, 1621, and the sieg"e was raised 
 November 27. This noble defence was conducted by Le Marquis de la 
 Force and Le Comte d'Orval, son of the celebrated Due de Sully, and re- 
 flects the greatest honour on the inliabitants, who fought for their privi- 
 leges, liberties, and lives. — L' Esprit de la Ligne. 
 
 The fortifications of Montauban, Nismes, Castres, and DUzes, were 
 all razed, by a treaty between Cardinal Richlieu and the Due de Rohan, 
 June 27, 1629. iSIontauban afterwards, in 16;)2, espoused the cause of 
 Louis XIV., contrary to his expectations, which was rewarded by that 
 prince. — Au grand soleil at Montauban. — Mezerai. 
 
90 GRIZOLLE TOULOUSE. 
 
 As the soil is dry, they have here an ingenious 
 custom of having wells in all the gardens, with high 
 poles, and a curious mechanical process, which makes 
 it easy to furnish the gardens with water. They look 
 at a distance like so many masts of ships. 
 
 Oct. 8. — Left Montauban, breakfasted at Grizolle, 
 a small village, two posts and a half distant ; and four 
 posts further is Toulouse. 
 
 This day's journey was chiefly flat and unmterest- 
 ing, through a low wet country, with some hills, 
 however, on the left, and vineyards. 
 
 Three leagues from Toulouse is Bruyers, a large 
 village ; the surrounding country, however, is not good. 
 
 The entrance into Toulouse is very handsome, on a 
 remarkably broad road; villas, S'c., are on each side. 
 Toulouse is a very fine large city, situated in a fruitful 
 plain ; it was formerly the capital of Languedoc, and 
 is now that of the department of Haut-Garonne, which 
 river you pass on a handsome bridge. Toulouse, which 
 is not well peopled for its size, contains about fifty 
 thousand inhabitants. It was formerly more populous. 
 
 There are several handsome squares, such as La 
 Place Etienne, Place Royale, and Place St. George ; 
 La Place Royale is large and handsome. 
 
 L'Hotel de Ville, called the Capitol, as the chief ma- 
 gistrates were formerly called Consuls, is a remarkably 
 fine, extensive, and beautiful building, ornamented 
 with a head of the present king, in bas-relief. There 
 are several noble public rooms, and one which they call 
 la sale de Trone, in which is a throne, erected for, 
 and used by, Buonaparte, when he came from Spain, 
 
CATHEDRAL. 91 
 
 and dined here in public. In the front of the court of 
 the Capitol is the following inscription : — 
 
 Hie Themis dat jura civibus, 
 Apollo, Flora, Camcenis, 
 Minerva, Palmas, Artibus. 
 
 Over this is a head of Henri IV., with the following 
 lines : — 
 
 Hunc vivuni complexa est g'ens tota, hiinc flevit ademptum. 
 Posteritasque pia semper amore colet. 
 
 On each side of the great hall are the heads of the 
 great men of the province, who have been distin- 
 guished by their learning and abilities. 
 
 Vitans excoluere per artes *. 
 
 Among them is Fignet, who planned and executed 
 the royal canal. There is also an ancient statue of 
 Clemence Esaure, foundress of the Academy of Belles- 
 lettres of Languedoc. 
 
 Henry II., and last Duke of Montmorenci, was 
 beheaded in the Capitol, October 30, 1632 1; the 
 arbitrary disposition of Richlieu was inflexible, and 
 Louis XIII. too feeble to resist. 
 
 The cathedral, dedicated to St. Stephen, is a fine 
 but irregular building of brick, not finished ; but the 
 choir, which is handsome, has an awkward appear- 
 ance, not being in the middle of the nave. 
 
 The north and south aisles have the true beautiful 
 Gothic architecture, but the nave is different. The roof 
 of the choir was burnt down about two hundred years 
 ago, and repaired by the care, and at the expense, 
 of Cardinal Joyeuse. There are some fine painted 
 
 * Virgil. t Daniel, vol. x,, p.' 37. 
 
92 TOULOUSE GARDENS. 
 
 windows, and over the high altar some fine sculp- 
 ture, among which is the martyrdom of St. Stephen. 
 The towers are very high, and on the sides are some 
 singularly high and strong buttresses. 
 
 The ancient church of St. Saturnine is well worth 
 seeing ; the outside is of brick, and the steeple re- 
 markably high ; the inside is uncommon, with double 
 aisles, and is very large and ancient. 
 
 The city of Toulouse -'^ is built of brick and well 
 paved, and the streets are generally broad and hand- 
 some ; there was no archbishop, and the noble palace 
 is used for the prefecture. 
 
 On entering the town, you are shewn the holes in 
 the walls made by the English artillery, at the battle 
 of Toulouse, a few years ago, when so much blood 
 was wantonly shed, owing to errors in one of the 
 parties. 
 
 Toulouse appears formerly to have been strong, 
 and some of the walls are still standing, and many 
 of the city gates. The public walk is very hand- 
 some ; there are numerous gardens round the town, 
 but every thing is dear to strangers, who resort here 
 much. 
 
 Over the Garonne is a brick bridge f of seven 
 arches ; just below, the river is formed into a cas- 
 cade from one side to the other, for the mills which 
 
 * In clear weatlier you liave a fine view of the Pyrenees from Tou- 
 louse ; Bare!,'-e, celebrated for its mineral waters, is in the Pyrenees, and 
 a1)out fifty miles from Toulouse. 
 
 t Tlie bridge has a large hole by every arch to carry off the water, 
 when owing- to a flood coming from the mountains it is high. Near this 
 are the remains of an old bridge. 
 
ROYAL CANAL THE BAZADE. |^3 
 
 are just by, which are newly erected, the old ones 
 having been burnt in the conflict with the English 
 army. Two miles further is the junction of the Royal 
 Canal and the Garonne ; you pass the former on a 
 circular bridge of one arch towards the town, and two 
 towards the river. Just by the entrance are three 
 pair of fine gates for the canal, which enters the river 
 by a passage above twenty feet broad. This famous 
 canal is about six feet deep, and cost, at its first for- 
 mation, twenty-four million of francs. 
 
 There is here a great appearance of business, 
 warehouses, sheds, <?sc., and a vast number of dif- 
 ferent sized vessels, loaded with merchandise for 
 Bordeaux and the Mediterranean. 
 
 The passage either way is made in eight days, and 
 is of great utility to this part of France. 
 
 The mill, called Bazade, which is in reality twenty 
 small mills comprised in one large one, is a noble 
 work, not only supplying Toulouse with flour, but ex- 
 porting a vast quantity. The Bazade is conducted by 
 only twenty men, and in the driest seasons is never 
 without water. Just by the mill is an aqueduct, con- 
 veying water to silk and cotton mills. 
 
 On the other side of the bridge is a gate with the 
 head of Louis XIII. in bas rehef, lately restored to its 
 place, as signified by an inscription. 
 
 The other churches most worth seeing are the Do- 
 rade, Dalbade, and St. Pierre ; the former is a fine 
 modern Grecian building, the altar and north and south 
 parts circular ; round the high altar are some good 
 paintings. 
 
94 TOULOUSE — ST. PIERRE. 
 
 Dalbade has a nave only ; there is in this church a 
 curious black figure * of Notre Dame, and the Infant 
 Jesus, over the high altar. 
 
 The church of St. Pierre is a splendid building, and 
 the interior most elegant, with paintings, sculpture, 
 &)X., in abundance. 
 
 There are in Toulouse f five large parishes, and 
 several smaller ones, called Secusales. This city has 
 always borne a distinguished part in the annals of 
 history. iSo early as 1127, the long-contested suc- 
 cession to Toulouse between William and Raymond 
 de Gilles, which was the occasion of much bloodshed 
 in Europe, was also the cause of involving England in 
 this political contest. 
 
 Henry II., king of England, laid claim to Toulouse 
 and Languedoc, in right of his wife, Eleanor, and ac- 
 tually took great part of the country in 1160. But 
 long before this, it was known, by having been con- 
 quered from the Visigoths, by Clovis, king of France, 
 so early as 508. Afterwards, in 767, it was taken from 
 the Saracens, by Pepin, father of Charlemagne. 
 
 In 1216, we find the famous Simon de Montfort 
 receiving the investiture of the county of Toulouse, its 
 former count being deprived of it by the Pope, for 
 adhering to the party of the Albigeois ; and from this 
 circumstance, whatever relates to it must be interest- 
 ing to the English J. 
 
 * We, ill our farther progress, saw so many black Notres Dames, that 
 we ceased being surprised at thein, but could not trace their orig-in, 
 t At I'Hotel du Nord, Toulouse. 
 % Raymond, however, soon recovered possession of his county, and 
 
CANAL VOYAGE — CASTANET. 95 
 
 In latter times, it took an active part against the 
 Huguenots, and embraced the side of the League *. 
 Toulouse gave title of Count to one of the natural 
 children of Louis XIV., by Madame de Montespanj-. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Canal Voyage — Numerous Sluices — Arrig-nonet — Casfelnaurlarl — Country 
 romantic — Mountainous Views — Carcassone — Market-place — Mairie — 
 Old Town — Cathedral — River Aude — St, Vincent — Pont Rouge — De- 
 parture from Carcassone — Cruscades — Difference of Country — Manner 
 of treating- tlie Wheat — Narbonne — Cathedral — Canal — Unexpected 
 Conversation. 
 
 Oct. 11. — Set off for Narbonne, by the canal ofLan- 
 guedoc, or Canal Royal, at five o'clock in the morning, 
 on the ringing of a bell ; the passengers, who were 
 numerous, being ready, and the luggage being previ- 
 ously arranged, all embarked. 
 
 The barge is long, but not very wide, with a large 
 cabin and a small one ; for the latter, double fare is 
 paid; but it being remarkably fine and hot, the greatest 
 part of the passengers were on deck ; they stopped no- 
 where for breakfast, and they who had neglected 
 furnishing themselves with provisions fared badly. 
 
 Two leagues from Toulouse, is Castanet, the first of 
 
 transmitted it to his posterity, which ended in the person of Jane, who 
 died in 1271, without children ; and Toulouse and Lang'uedoc were tinally 
 united to the crown of France, by King- John, 1361. 
 
 The county of Toulouse comprehended a considerable part of Langiicdoc. 
 
 * Mezerai. 
 
 •i- Toulouse was a paiiiament town. 
 
96 CASTELNAUDARI. 
 
 the numerous sluices which impede this voyage, which 
 otherwise would be expeditious. Near it that of Vic, 
 MontGuiscard, Aignes river, SangUer, S^c. ; these are 
 not above a mile or two asunder, and sometimes 
 nearer. Near Sanglier, to the right, is the romantic 
 village of Montesquieu, situated on the right, on a 
 beautiful declivity. 
 
 Our vessel stopped at the sluice Negra, where was 
 an excellent dinner provided. Not far from this is 
 the beautiful village of Arrignonet, where the English 
 and French armies were engaged after the battle of 
 Toulouse. Eight leagues from Toulouse is Mont- 
 Serrat, a pretty village, on an elevated situation. 
 
 Owing to the delay occasioned by the numerous 
 sluices, it was late in the evening before our bark 
 arrived at Castelnaudari, the place of its destination, 
 where we disembarked, and, tempted by a beautiful 
 moonlight night, walked the last four or five miles on 
 the borders of the canal. 
 
 Tljis day's voyage, about twelve leagues *, was very 
 agreeable, the canal passing through a fine country, 
 among hills, with a charming view of the noble range 
 of Pyrenees, whose snowy tops are seen towering to 
 the clouds. 
 
 Numerous villages and chateaux in this populous 
 comitry add to the beauties of the scenery ; it is, how- 
 ever, (owing to the many sluices,) but a slow way of 
 travelling ; as there are sixty-two between Toulouse 
 and Beziers, so that you go not more than three miles 
 and a half in an hour. 
 
 * Leas,nics of the country (four miles, at least ) 
 
CASTELNAUDART. 
 
 97 
 
 At Castelnaudari is the reservoir for the canal, 
 which is a very fine one ; you pay the first day for 
 your passage at the rate of forty sous each person, and 
 the second, thirty, making a bargain for your baggage 
 as you can : we paid for ours, which was very heavy 
 and cumbersome, fourteen sous to Carcassone. 
 
 Castelnaudari is a small town in Languedoc, on the 
 river Aude, which you cross on a bridge ; a great 
 part of it is most delightfully situated on a hill, and 
 the mills, the church, white houses, <5c., have a most 
 romantic appearance. 
 
 Castelnaudari * is distinguished in history for hav- 
 ing been some time the residence of the celebrated 
 Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, the declared 
 enemy and dread of John, King of England ; and lat- 
 terly for the famous battle between the Marshal 
 Schomberg, and Gaston Due d'Orleans and the Due 
 de Montmorenci united, which proved so fatal to the 
 latter f . 
 
 Oct. 12. — Set off for Carcassone, distant six leagues. 
 As you advance, the sluices are less frequent ; at first 
 there were often four or five together, afterwards a 
 league, and even more, asunder. 
 
 The country through which we this day passed 
 presented an appearance very similar to what we had 
 witnessed the day before; the villages and towns, 
 with the white houses which are seen on every side, 
 have a most picturesque effect ; and the frequent 
 
 * At Castelnaudari, 1' Hotel de France, an indifferent house, and very 
 dear. 
 
 t Mezerai. 
 Vol I. H 
 
98 CARCASSONE. 
 
 windings of the canal, with the numerous vessels 
 which we met, rendered the scene still more cheerful. 
 The Pyrenees were in view about twenty leagues 
 distant, and on the other side we had a fine prospect 
 of the Cevennes. 
 
 As the barge had set out as usual very early in the 
 morning, we were not sorry to stop at Beteille to 
 breakfast ; all these sluices have their names written 
 over them, with their distance from Toulouse. We 
 finished our voyage about four, and arrived at Car- 
 cassone. 
 
 Carcassone is a fine city on the Aube, near which 
 the canal passes. It is almost surrounded with moun- 
 tains ; on one side the black mountains, and the other 
 the Pyrenees ; nearer, there are gentle hills, covered 
 with vines, and a fine romantic country ; these all con- 
 tribute towards giving to this beautiful place the ap- 
 pearance of an enchanted spot. 
 
 The town is built at right-angles, and the streets ter- 
 minate in a handsome public walk, surrounding the 
 town. The great market-place, and marche au bled, 
 are large edifices ; one side of the former has colon- 
 nades, and the latter is a fine stone building. The 
 Mairie has two large rooms, in one of which, under 
 the statue of Louis XVIII., are the following lines : 
 
 Lilia plenis ! 
 Bourbonidum soboli manibus date 
 Le Bonheur, la Vertu la paix tont avoit fui, 
 Un Bourbon reparoit, tout revicnt avec lui ! 
 
 But the greatest curiosity in Carcassone is the old 
 city; to which you pass over the river Aude, on a very 
 old bridge, and ascend a sharp and rapid hill, which 
 
CATHEDRAL-CHURCH. 99 
 
 conducts to it. Its situation is most commanding, 
 being built on a rock, and the entrance to it is through 
 an antique gateway. Round the town is a deep moat, 
 and the remains of a strong fortification ; there are 
 towers in different parts, and in particular one of the 
 fine old round ones. 
 
 This town and fortress must be very ancient, for the 
 New Town was built in the thirteenth century. The 
 old cathedral is a fine piece of antiquity, with a num- 
 ber of painted windows, it is dedicated to St. Nazare; 
 the present cathedral is in the new town. The archi- 
 tecture of the former is mixed, but the high altar is of 
 variegated marble. 
 
 From the towers of the fortress is a noble view 
 of the Pyrenees, the new town, the environs, rivers, 
 ^•c. In the old town are said to be two thousand 
 inhabitants, and in the new one eight thousand ; the 
 streets are remarkably close and narrow. 
 
 The bridge over the Aude is very high, with the 
 river rapidly running among rocks under it ; on the 
 sides of the river are curious machines on two wheels, 
 used by the women for washing, which, as the water 
 was low, they wheeled pretty far into the river ; a 
 little farther on is a fine artificial cascade, formed for 
 the use of cotton-mills, as there is a great manufactory 
 of cloth and cotton. On the whole, the river from the 
 bridge v/as singularly picturesque. 
 
 The two churches most worthy seeing are the cathe- 
 dral and St. Vincent ; the latter is noble and lofty, and 
 most curious. 
 
 About four miles off, on the canal, is what is called 
 
 H 2 
 
100 CARCASSONE. 
 
 le Pont Rouge ; tlie canal here is carried over the 
 river Aude in a curious manner. As the river was 
 low, one of our party walked under the arch, and it 
 was very curious to see the barges on the canal, and 
 the carriages on the bridge above at a great height. 
 
 On the whole, Carcassone must be looked on as a 
 lovely interesting place, (by those who regard not vo- 
 racious gnats, which bit and pestered us as much as 
 they did Horace in his journey to Brundusium*,) and 
 well worth passing some days at ; it is twenty-four 
 leagues from Toulouse. 
 
 Carcassone, which had embraced the party of the 
 Albigeois, surrendered to the Crusaders in 1209; 
 awed by the fate of their neighbours at Beziers, they 
 humbly sued for mercy, undressed to their shirts. 
 
 In latter times this city submitted to the authority 
 of Henri IV., after having long resisted it, with 
 Narbonne, S,'c. S,'c.-\ 
 
 Oct. 14. — Left Carcassone in a light coach with three 
 horses, which went very pleasantly about five miles 
 an hour ; whereas the voituriers, in spite of all you say, 
 cannot be persuaded to go any other pace than a 
 walk, whether they have two or three horses : neither 
 prayers nor threats avail any thing. 
 
 We breakfasted at Cruscade, ten leagues from 
 Carcassone, a small town, with close narrow streets, 
 and a neat public walk. 
 
 From Carcassone the scene was very different ; we 
 now quitted the populous country, villages, chateaux, 
 
 ^ Hor. Lib. ], Sa4;. 5. •!• Mezerai. 
 
CRUSCADE. 101 
 
 ^•c, and entered on a new one, which, by many, 
 would be called dreary. 
 
 The country however is hilly, wild, and romantic ; 
 the road broad and excellent, winding among the 
 mountains ; high rocks, pyramid upon pyramid rise 
 rapidly on each other, and afford at once a wild and 
 novel view ; the mixture of young wheat, vineyards, 
 ^c, shew, at the same time, the industry of the farmer, 
 and afford variety to the traveller. 
 
 Olive* and almond trees now take the place of the 
 walnut and chesnut ; even the hedges were full of wild 
 olives and almond, the former seldom grow to a very 
 great height, from ten to fourteen feet only, resembhng 
 a willow in appearance. 
 
 About three leagues from Carcassone we passed by 
 Capendan, on a rock, in a strong situation, where 
 there are remains of a castle. 
 
 Near Cruscade we passed the pastoral river Aude, 
 which had afforded us many charming views the whole 
 way, on a long stone bridge, very strong, and ele- 
 vated a great height above the river. 
 
 In this country they wash their wheat, which is 
 dirty from the dust of the roads, and dry it on canvass. 
 In all the towns and villages you see the peasants 
 employed in this work : the white small wheat is much 
 cultivated here. 
 
 As we approached the mountains we found it more 
 
 * Tlie olive, in contnidistiaction to the vine, requires, we find, but little 
 cultivation. 
 
 Contra, non ulla est oleis cultura. 
 
 ^^irg-. 2d Gcorg-, v. 420. 
 
102 NARBONNE. 
 
 and more difficult to understand the peasants ; and 
 on the whole, though we had not such a lively scene 
 from villages, towns, ^-c, yet the change was inte- 
 resting, and we arrived at Narbonne in good time in 
 the evening, forty-eight miles distant from Carcassone, 
 much gratified with our wild day's journey, which was 
 sixteen post leagues. 
 
 Narbonne is a fine old city, formerly in Languedoc, 
 but now in the department of the Aude, containing 
 about eighteen thousand inhabitants : it is in a plain 
 almost surrounded with mountains, and has been 
 strongly fortified ; the walls and ramparts have a 
 respectable appearance, the cathedral is very ancient, 
 and its two noble towers had a majestic appearance 
 by moon-light, as we took our evening walk. 
 
 This church is a rich piece of Gothic architecture, 
 and full of fine painted windows. There is scarcely 
 any nave, but the choir and aisles are grand and 
 imposing. 
 
 The streets of Narbonne are chiefly narrow, but 
 there is a good market-place, and the noble tower of 
 the archiepiscopal palace is a great ornament to the 
 town. There is also a fine canal, which passes through 
 the city, which is about six or seven leagues from 
 the shores of the Mediterranean. 
 
 The archbishopric of Narbonne has always been 
 one of the greatest consequence in France, and we 
 were glad to find, on inquiry, the archbishop was 
 soon coming to live in a splendour becoming his situa- 
 tion in the anciejit archiepiscopal palace. 
 
 A gentleman entering into conversation with one of 
 
NARBONNE. 103 
 
 our party, was asked if there were any military in 
 Narbonne? His answer was, No; nor have we in 
 France an army of sixty thousand. Tliis news was 
 rather extraordinary, for within a very few days we 
 had heard men of apparent respectability vaunt of 
 their army, saying that the nation was prepared for 
 war, and was anxious once more to try their strength 
 with their neighbours ; such are the contradictory 
 accounts which travellers are obliged to hear. 
 
 We had now quitted the black mountains on our 
 left, and none but the Pyrenees appeared, rising- 
 one above the other in majestic grandeur, 
 
 Narbonne was founded so early as the six hundred 
 and thirty-fifth year of Rome : it was successively in 
 the power of the Goths and Saracens, and there was a 
 sanguinary battle near the city, in 532, in which 
 Amaaric, King of the Visigoths, lost his life. It was 
 ceded to Louis IX. by James, King of Arragon, in 
 1258 ; it was afterwards on the side of the League, 
 till, with the other cities, it acknowledged and sub- 
 mitted to the authority of Henri IV. 
 
104^ ROAD TO PERPIGNAN. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 Departure from Narbonne * — Sigean — Produce of Rocks — Pass through 
 a Rock — Instance of Female Industry — Entry into Roussillon — Inlet of 
 the Sea — Perpignan — Road flat — Boulon — River Pet — Ascent of Py- 
 renees — Grand Scene — Mountains verdant — Fort Belgarde — Entrance 
 into Spain — Figuierez. 
 
 Oct. 15. — Set off for Perpignan, distant fifteen leagues ; 
 Sigean, five leagues, a small village and port ; four 
 more, Fiton, a port on an inlet of the sea. The road 
 was hard and good, though hilly ; the country wild 
 and barren. At a distance Ave sometimes caught a 
 transient view of the Mediterranean. 
 
 The road was very dull, there being scarcely any 
 houses or villages ; but we observed several hedges 
 of wild cedar and cypress ; and many of the rocks, 
 though without trees, were covered with wild rose- 
 mary and lavender, which perfumed the air. 
 
 Between the two posts, a pass is cut through the 
 solid rock, fifteen or sixteen feet high. 
 
 The women plough between the rocks in this barren 
 country for a scanti/ portion of wheat, with a very 
 small light plough, holding the plough and driving at 
 the same time ; they have immense hats hanging 
 down behind and before, and make a singular ap- 
 pearance. The few houses you see have, in general, 
 a miserable look, having shutters instead of windows. 
 
 At Salzes, two posts from Perpignan, the Province 
 
 * Narbonne is celebrated by the poet for its martial spirit : 
 
 Nee tu niartie Narbo silebere, nomine cujus 
 Fusa per immensum, quondam provincia regnum, 
 Obtiuuit multos dorainandi jure colonos. — Axson. 
 
PERPIGNAN. 105 
 
 of Languedoc ends, and Roussillon begins ; you en- 
 ter the Department of Les Pyrennees Orientales, and 
 a wild department it is. 
 
 The last two leagues are very flat and uninterest- 
 ing ; indeed, we had for some time left the mountains, 
 and the road passes along an inlet of the sea, only 
 deep enough for small vessels and fishing-boats. 
 
 Perpignan is the frontier town of France, on 
 the river Tet, and remarkably strong ; the citadel 
 and walls are built of brick. Here is shewn a 
 house, inhabited by James III., King of Arragon, 
 who built the church called Reale ; in this is a fine 
 altar representing the Assumption, in which the three 
 principal figures are Notre Dame, St. Julien, and 
 St. Bazile. There is only a nave, as in the ca- 
 thedral. The latter has a beautiful steeple of light 
 iron, open work, which is very striking. 
 
 Perpignan, though large, and seemingly popu- 
 lous, contains but fifteen thousand inhabitants ; the 
 streets are in general narrow, but La Place Royale 
 is large and handsome. There is, as in most of the 
 towns in this part of France, a colonnade with shops, 
 and excellent markets. Chesnuts are so cheap, that 
 they bring them in sacks, and shoot them in the 
 markets. 
 
 The water-spouts here, and in the neighbouring 
 towns, are so thick on the houses, and project so far 
 into the streets, as in wet weather to make it incon- 
 venient to walk. 
 
 At Perpignan, which has a strongly fortified gar- 
 rison, there is a good walk on the ramparts, and many 
 beautiful ones round the town, which you enter on a 
 
106 PERPIGNAN. 
 
 very long bridge over the river Tet, the country being 
 very low here, and inundated in the winter. 
 
 Perpignan* was taken from the Spaniards in 12B5, 
 by James, King of Pvlajorca ; it was afterwards re- 
 taken by the King of Arragon ; and in 1475 it nobly 
 sustained a siege of a year and a half, when the be- 
 sieged were reduced to such extremes as to eat 
 leather before they surrendered to the French. It was 
 afterwards retaken. It was besieged by Francis I., 
 in 1542, but after six weeks he raised the siege ; and 
 it was finally annexed to the crown of France, under 
 Louis XIII., in 1642, with the province of Roussillon. 
 
 Being here so near the Pyrenees, we availed our- 
 selves of the opportunity offered, of two English gen- 
 tlemen going into Spain, and prepared for a journey 
 to Barcelona. 
 
 Oct. 17. — Dividing our party, we set off in a tar- 
 tane into Spain, at six in the morning. 
 
 The road for a few miles is fiat and uninteresting, 
 and you are some time before you quit the fortifica- 
 tions of Perpignan, which are very extensive. 
 
 Five leagues from Perpignan is Boulou, a small 
 town, and the last in France ; soon after, you cross the 
 river Tet, which was not deep at that time ; but there 
 are remains of a bridge formerly carried away by its 
 rapidity ; in some parts the river is deep, in others 
 rough, rocky, and broad. 
 
 We now almost immediately began the ascent of 
 those noble interesting mountains, which we had had 
 
 * Perpignan was taken from Arragon b}' Louis II. of France, in 1474, 
 after an obstinate resistance. The seig'e lasted eight months, and the in- 
 habitants ate dogs, cats, rats, and even human bodies, Dan, vol. iii, p. 146. 
 
TYRENEES FERTILITY. 10 
 
 in sight many days, and panted to enjoy a nearer 
 view of. The ascent is in general gradual ; and the 
 road, by the care of Buonaparte, has been made ex- 
 cellent. 
 
 No pen can do justice to the scenery, which is as 
 beautiful as it is picturesque. Canigou, the highest 
 of the Pyrenees, is on your right, towering magni- 
 ficently up to the clouds. Tliis lofty mountain is 
 fourteen hundred and forty fathoms above the level 
 of the sea* ; and the whole extent of the noble chain 
 of mountains is reckoned one hundred and eighty 
 miles between the two seas. Indeed, nothing can be 
 finer than they are ; on one side are seen vineyards, 
 shrubs, ^-c, from the bottom to the top ; and on the 
 other, romantic and rugged rocks. 
 
 Cork and olive trees abound, affording a grand and 
 pleasing variety ; the cork especially, which, when 
 barked, presents a red trunk, and delights the eye by 
 the beautiful contrast it exibits. 
 
 These mountains, far different from the Alps, which 
 are in general barren, gratify the spectator with the 
 verdant scene which they present ; they also fre- 
 quently exhibit industry as well as fertility, and 
 amidst the mountains are the most verdant pasture 
 lands, manured with the greatest care ; while flocks of 
 goats, with the goatherds clambering among the rocks 
 may be seen on one side, and on the other, sheep 
 grazing, giving, as may be well imagined, not a little 
 life and spirit to the scene. 
 
 * Voyage de Robert. 
 
108 ENTRANCE TO SPAIN. 
 
 At Perthois, the last place in France, just by Fort 
 Belgarde, on the top of the mountain, we shewed our 
 passports, and were what they term visited, to see we 
 had no contraband goods, c^'c, but we were not de- 
 tained long. The officer lives literally in a hut, in a 
 most solitary situation, and may meditate even to 
 madness. 
 
 On a flat stone just by, are the arms of France on 
 one side, and those of Spain on the other, placed 
 here by Buonaparte. 
 
 Here we quitted France and entered Spain, descend- 
 ing the Pyrenees by a noble road, broad, handsome, 
 and superior to many in England. The descent is 
 gentle, and not long ; you are, indeed, at the bottom 
 much sooner than you would think possible. We 
 were about five hours going up and down, and the 
 distance is ten or twelve miles ; but so good is the road 
 that an English mail-coach would trot a considerable 
 part of it. Along the road this day were large quan- 
 tities of wild aloes on each side. 
 
 One league from the bottom of the mountain is Jon- 
 quierez, the first village in Spain, and here we had the 
 first specimen of a Spanish inn ; there are no rooms 
 below, but a broad stair-case of stone, leading to the 
 apartments, and large galleries and balconies. 
 
 At Jonquierez we had no good idea of Spanish ac- 
 commodation, and v/ere obliged to exercise our Enghsh 
 patience. No meat, no milk, were to be had, nothing 
 but eggs and bread. We had tea and sugar, but no 
 cups, and had unfortunately left our tea-pot at Perpig- 
 nan ; wc were therefore obliged to use tumblers for 
 
FIGUIEREZ. 109 
 
 cups, a kind of tureen for a tea-pot, and a large sauce- 
 pan for a kettle, while an egg beat up was a substitute 
 for milk. We laughed heartily at our tea equipage, 
 and wished our friends in England could see, how like 
 Robinson Crusoe, we endeavoured to remedy our bad 
 accommodation by contrivances. 
 
 Six leagues farther was Figuierez, a distance of 
 fifteen leagues from Perpignan. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Pig'ulerez — Costume of Inhabilants — Description of Manners realized — 
 Beds — Floors — Mules — Fortress — Church — Religious Comluct^DIf- 
 ference as to Provisions. 
 
 Figuierez, or Figuera, being the frontier town of 
 Spain on this side, has a remarkably strong fortress 
 to defend it. The town is not very large, containing 
 about eight thousand people ; some of the streets are 
 broad and handsome, the market-place good, and there 
 is a plentiful market. The church is beautiful, con- 
 sisting of a nave ; there is a fine dome, and the rest 
 of the roof is painted in squares, like tiles. We were 
 here when they were celebrating high mass, and the 
 organ was playing ; the sight was very interesting, 
 the men and women were on their knees in rows on 
 the yavement, as there were no chairs, devoutly pray- 
 ing : genteel women were dressed in black, with lace 
 veils as hoods, S,'C., the others in long white cloth 
 hoods, looking Uke nuns, but all of them kneeling on 
 the brick pavement, without mats. 
 
110 SPANISH COSTUME. 
 
 The men had long red woollen night-caps, with tas- 
 sels, hanging far down on one side of the head. We 
 were pleased and edified with the sight of such religi- 
 ous attention. 
 
 We had here no bad specimen of a Spanish Posada, 
 or inn ; passing through the coach-house and stables up 
 the stair-case, we found to our surprise excellent rooms, 
 though with only white ^are ivalls ; there were two or 
 three beds, sometimes four or five, in a room, inclosed 
 in recesses, and an excellent kitchen, well furnished 
 with refreshments for the hungry traveller. 
 
 Some of the men wear a brow?i net cop, with tassels 
 hanging down, and night-caps in the morning, and the 
 women caps of the same nature. 
 
 As we sat at one end of the room and the muleteers 
 at the other, drinking their wine out of the bottles, 
 with long spouts like tea-kettles, we were forcibly 
 reminded of Le Sage's beautiful description of the 
 manners of this people, as given in the inimitable 
 Gil-Bias. 
 
 Many of the beds in this country are shut in com- 
 fortable alcoves, and stuffed with the husks of Indian 
 corn, as in the southern parts of France. They use no 
 feather-beds, mattrasses only, but these last are very 
 soft thus stuffed ; there are seldom any bolsters, but 
 large pillows. 
 
 We found brick and tile floors likewise as in France. 
 The tartan in which we made our Spanish excursion, 
 is a light tilted cart, drawn by one mule, which always 
 goes a foot pace, walking from three to four miles an 
 hour ; from this pace he never deviates, but does not 
 
FORTIFICATIONS. Ill 
 
 tire in the longest day's journey, and never stumbles. 
 The mules are often fifteen hands high, and sometimes 
 sixteen. The tartan has cushions, and a kind of 
 stuffed back, and has a good canvass tilt, which is 
 painted and fancifully ornamented on the outside with 
 birds, beasts, flowers, ^c. There are comfortable 
 benches, but it is a very jolting uneasy conveyance, 
 though well calculated for the bad roads of Spain. 
 
 Oct. 18. — We would not leave this town without 
 seeing the celebrated fortress, for which we were 
 politely provided with tickets by the commandant. 
 It is one of the strongest fortresses in Spain ; we had 
 a fatiguing walk, as it was a mile off, and the day was 
 very sultry. This fortress is strong, and in high order, 
 to command the Pyrenean pass. 
 
 The walls are from twenty to thirty feet thick, and 
 it is capable of mounting three hundred cannon, 
 many of which are twenty-four pounders ; but the 
 greatest curiosity is the stables, which are thirty feet 
 under ground in arches, capable of holding five hun- 
 dred horses, with large recesses opposite for the 
 grooms. The powder magazine, which is very large, 
 has four iron chains, crossing each other from the top 
 into the earth for conductors. 
 
 In the great square, v/hich is the parade, a vast 
 number of men may be exercised at one time. 
 
 From the walls of this fort, which we entered by 
 three drawbridges, we had a noble view of the moun- 
 tains, sea, S-c. S'C- 
 
 In the stables we were shewn a small recess, with 
 an iron grate, in which the brave defender of Girona, 
 
112 SPANISH LADIES. 
 
 Don Mariana Alvaraz del Castro, was confined by 
 Buonaparte, for his fidelity and bravery. 
 
 He, alas, not fortified with the tenets of Christianity, 
 yielded to the dictates of despair, and gave himself 
 poison, in order to avoid a public death ; there is an 
 inscription to that effect in Spanish, ordered to be in- 
 serted by the Governor-General of Catalonia, in 1815. 
 We were much gratified by seeing the fort ; but the 
 dungeon in which the gallant commander was first 
 confined could not be shewn, as there were two sol- 
 diers then in it accused of murder, who had not had 
 their trial. 
 
 We observed that the Spanish ladies wore black 
 when they went abroad; they are small, but very 
 pretty, with fine eyes. 
 
 We were now obliged to accustom ourselves to dif- 
 ferent diet ; no butter was to be had, nor any 
 milk but goat's ; they use oil in eve?y thing. The 
 men wore no shoes, but sandali, and usually no 
 stockings. 
 
 On coming into Spain, French almost wholly ceased, 
 and we were troubled to find any one who spoke that 
 language ; we, however, made ourselves tolerably 
 understood with Latin and Italian. 
 
 Our inn was La Posada di Deseqa, where we had 
 a good supper and beds, paying four pecetas * each, 
 excellent wine included, which is sold at a peceta, or 
 ten-pence a bottle, and you have for common icine, 
 what is little inferior to good port. 
 
 * A peceta is about a franc. 
 
FIGUIEllEZ. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Departure for Girona — Road roug-li and stony — Numerous Sbeep — Olive 
 Trees, ^c. — Precautions ag-ainst Robbers — Costume of Riding- — Dress of 
 Women— Numerous Insects— Manner of treating- Mules — Observations 
 on the Counfry and Peasants —Forests of various Trees — Variety of 
 Country — Villages mean — Roads bad — Different Physiog-noray of Sexes 
 — Distant View of Monserrat. 
 
 Oct. 18, — Set off for Girona, seven leagues from 
 Figuierez. The road is even at first, afterwards very 
 rough and stony ; at three leagues passed by the 
 ruins of a village, beaten to pieces in the war ; we 'v^ 
 had just before crossed a broad stream, full of large 
 and rolling stones, over which is a ferry, with ropes to 
 conduct the boat, but as it was then shallow, we went 
 through the stream, and our mule carried us safely : 
 the whole road here is a vast continued bed of rolling 
 stones, succeeded by deep ruts. The fields are chiefly 
 sheep-walks, and there are vast flocks of sheep; there 
 are also large orchards of olive-trees, and much wild 
 cedar and wild aloes. 
 
 The enormities were so great in the neighbourhood 
 of Figuierez, that a Serjeant and six or seven soldiers 
 came every evening to the different inns to examine 
 all the strangers. We met many horsemen ; the men 
 in this country have a very large wooden stirrup in- 
 closed, in which they put the whole of their feet. 
 
 The priests, which abound in this country of bigotry, 
 both regular and secular, wear a hat of great length 
 turned up on both sides, and a black cloak. The 
 common women wear jackets, and immense petticoats 
 
 Vol. I. I 
 
114 INSECTS — CUSTOMS. 
 
 Of course, in so hot a country, there must be 
 various insects ; of these the musquito is the most 
 troublesome, and as the evenings were hot, we were 
 much incommoded with them : we anointed our face, 
 hands, ^c, with vinegar, and had a constant Hght, 
 but these precautions did not succeed, and we were 
 dreadfully bitten by them ; near the coast, where they 
 swarm, the inhabitants use the precaution of shutting 
 the windows, or closing the shutters early in the even- 
 ing, and are not molested. 
 
 They have a strange custom of shaving the backs 
 and tails of their mules, in this country, quite close, 
 and so tenacious are they of it, that our muleteer kept 
 us some time at Figuierez, till his mule had under- 
 gone the operation ; owing to this, the poor animals 
 suffer much from the flies, which are very numerous. 
 Not only are these animals thus shaven and shorn, 
 but the heads of their children are not exempt from 
 this operation, for reasons on which the traveller 
 chooses to be silent. 
 
 We were now advancing into Spain, a fine country, 
 highly favoured by Providence, and producing many 
 of the most useful articles of life ; a country formerly 
 famous for the bravery of its inhabitants, and which, 
 though conquered by the Romans, afterwards mate- 
 rially assisted them in their conquests, and had the 
 honour of giving birth to many Roman Emperors*, and 
 great men. Long since, under the reigns of Charles 
 V. and Philip II. it bore a leading share in the history 
 
 * Among^ others, that excellent prince Trajan was horn in Spain. 
 
IMBECILE GOVERNMENT. 115 
 
 of Europe, giving laws to great part of it a long time, 
 and keeping a powerful king * in chains. 
 
 But now how changed ! a nation without energy, 
 people without industry, and a government without 
 firmness ; robberies and enormities are numerous, and 
 murders too frequent. We had an instance of the im- 
 becility of the government, when, at the fort of Figui- 
 erez, the officer who politely shewed it to us men- 
 tioned the case of the two soldiers confined there for a 
 murder committed eight days before | ; on asking him 
 what punishment they would suffer, he said, " pro 
 bably some months' imprisonment." 
 
 We thanked God for being natives of a kingdom in 
 which not only the laws are just, but the government 
 vigorous, and not afraid to put them in execution. 
 
 It must, however, be owned, that the Spanish pea- 
 sants, hard as they seem to live, appear happy, and 
 are very civil to strangers, as, indeed, are all classes, 
 particularly to the English. 
 
 The last six leagues from Figuierez to Girona 
 were beautiful indeed ; large forests of pines, box, ^-c, 
 succeeded by pyramidical mountains overtopping each 
 other, made the road appear most picturesque ; and 
 in the bottom we crossed, on a bridge, a clear stream, 
 which ran among the mountains, adding not a little 
 to the diversity of the scene. 
 
 All around us was heard the tinkling of the bells on 
 the cattle, which, added to the murmuring of the 
 
 * Francis I. •(• Vide p. 44. 
 
 12 
 
116 CATTLE — ROADS. 
 
 stream, in a lovely October evening, in this fine climate, 
 made our ride truly delightful. 
 
 In this country, they have bells on cows, sheep, 
 mules, and almost all animals ; the drivers take great 
 delight in ornamenting the mules to their tartans v^ith 
 many, and they have even strings of buttons to their 
 waistcoats like bells. 
 
 Much cannot be said for the appearance of the vil- 
 lages, the houses being mean, and having no glass in 
 the windows, nor had we any thing but shutters even 
 in our chambers at Figuierez. 
 
 Nothing could be well worse than the roads ; in 
 many parts indeed there were none but such as were 
 made by the waggons, which are numerous, and in 
 the best of them w^ere large rolling stones, and rapid 
 water-courses, sufficient to overturn a carriage, with- 
 out great care. The roads were often carried quite 
 through the forests, making it at times hazardous to 
 move *. 
 
 We met frequent parties of the natives, and ob- 
 served an obvious difference in the physiognomy of the 
 sexes ; the men, (perhaps, from our being prejudiced 
 by the accounts we had heard,) looked ferocious, wild, 
 
 » We this clay stopped at Reols, a solitary inn on a hill, to refresh the 
 horses, wliere, as nothing' was to he had, wo were compelled to depend on 
 ourselves for refreshment; the stable and remise here, as usual, join the 
 kitchen ; there was a large form, with men and women without stockings 
 eating- some haricots, liver, &c., dressed in oil, and drinking- wine out 
 of the long-'necked bottles. One of our party endeavoured to eat some 
 of the haricots, but soon desisted. There Mere neither chairs nor tables 
 only the long- form and bench. In these alehouses, they seem not to care 
 whether you eat or not. 
 
MONSERIIAT COUCHEE. 117 
 
 and like assassins; whilst, on the contrary, the ap- 
 pearance of the women was mild and prepossessing, 
 and their countenances most engaging. The noble 
 appearance of Monserrat at a distance produced a fine 
 effect, and added much to the interest of this day's 
 scene ; but owing to setting out late in the morning, 
 we were benighted some hours before we finished our 
 journey ; the hills were long and steep, and we 
 walked up them to ease our poor mule ; the evening 
 was still and an awful silence prevailed all around. 
 The road wound among thick forests, with which we 
 were surrounded ; not a house or hut was to be seen, 
 nor a step heard but our own, and there was every 
 opportunity, both from time and place, for a banditti 
 to realize those scenes, which our anxious friends* 
 had predicted, would take place ; but not only were 
 there no banditti to m.olest us, but not a single person 
 appeared to detain us in our journey, and we got 
 to our Couchee perfectly safe, though fatigued with 
 our day's journey. 
 
 It was so late that we could not reach Girona 
 before the gates were shut, and we were obliged to 
 put up with the miserable accommodations aftbrded 
 in a wretched alehouse, called Hostal del Soldef , the 
 
 * On taking our passport at Perpig'nan, the Commandant strong'ly 
 advised us not to travel into Spain, as it was a dangerous country for 
 travellers ; but seeing- us determined, lie requested us politely not to be 
 out late in the evening- or early in the morning. From cii'curastances, 
 however, (viz., the badness of the roads, shortness of the days, and slow- 
 ness of the vehicle) we were obliged to act contrary to his advice, being 
 always out earli/ and late, but fortunately without accident, 
 t Hotel of the Sun. 
 
118 ACCOMMODATION. 
 
 most interesting object about which was its glaring 
 sign. This alehouse, by courtesy called Posada, is 
 in a wretched village not more than a mile and a half 
 from Girona. Our supper fare, which was very in- 
 different, consisted of two or three half-starved 
 pigeons, a few eggs, a salad, and bread and cheese, 
 but the wine, of which they were liberal, was good. 
 Our dormitory was a long chamber, in which were 
 different arched recesses, without curtains, containing 
 each a bed, for as many different persons as were so 
 unfortunate as to take up their lodging here ; the 
 woman of the house brought in a three-cornered lamp, 
 with a hook, for a common light; each took it by turns 
 to assist him in undressing, hanging it to a ledge, 
 key of a door, or whatever was nearest to his den ; 
 for it must be observed, there were no chairs in the 
 room : the glimmering light of the lamp thus carried 
 along a long room, afforded a curious specimen of 
 Spanish civilisation and served to furnish amuse- 
 ment to our party. Candles, indeed, are a great 
 rarity here, oil is every thing, for light, for sauce, for 
 cooking, &c. 
 
 We were charged for this want of accommodation, 
 as much as we should have paid for the best in good 
 inns ; but the landlady, on our spirited remonstrance, 
 took off nearly half We were, however, in general, 
 so fatigued, that we slept as sound as in the best beds 
 and most comfortable apartments ; but all were not 
 equally fortunate, for vv^e observed one individual 
 of our party very early in the morning pacing the 
 room, and saying with a pitiful countenance, he was 
 
GIRONA — CATHEDRAL. 119 
 
 sorry to disturb us, but had had so mimeroits, disagrcG- 
 able, and heterogeneous a compamj, that, tired as he 
 was, he was glad to leave to them the quiet and un- 
 disturbed possession of his bed. Our journey this 
 days was ten leagues. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Girona — Cathednil — Battered Houses — Diminished Population — Spanish 
 Coffee-house — Improved Roads — Variety of AVoods — Mountainous 
 View — Scarceness of Houses and Carriages — Singular Amj)hora — • 
 Beauty of last part of Road — Calcllac — Departure for Barcelona — 
 Maritime View — Mediterranean — Mountainous Road — Precautions 
 against Smuggling' — Vineyards — Houses painted' — Disposition of Houses 
 — Mattaro — Beautiful Inn— Church at Mattaro — Instance of Liberty 
 and Erpiality — Arrival at Barcelona. 
 
 Oct. 19. — Leaving our bad quarters, in about two 
 miles we crossed the Tet on a long narrow old 
 bridge to Girona: the river* here is broad and shallow, 
 running over a vast bed of stones. 
 
 The city presents ii noble appearance, with its 
 majestic cathedral on a rock, and other churches 
 scattered in different places ; on one side is the river, 
 and on the other a high rock hanging over the road, 
 through which it is cut, at a great expense. 
 
 The houses and walls bear evident marks of the 
 distinguished defence it made, the recollection of which 
 renders it additionally interesting to the traveller; 
 there are even marks on them of the balls and bullets, 
 and the works are chiefly destroyed. You enter the 
 
 * This river rises in the Pyrenees and empties itself into the Mediterranean. 
 
120 SURROUNDING COUNTRY. 
 
 town now by a single slight gate. Before the 
 siege it contained 30,000 of inhabitants ; now, it has 
 not half the number ; it is, however, large and hand- 
 some, and the streets are good. 
 
 La Plaza del Re, on which is the Maison de Ville, 
 is very neat; there are here colonnades under old 
 arches, in which are most of the shops. 
 
 We had here a curious specimen of the kitchen of a 
 Spanish coffee-house ; on one side was an open deep 
 well, and opposite, a small stove for the coffee. 
 
 The country round Girona* is very [pretty. The 
 road this day was sandy, but better than before ; very 
 hilly, and through woods of evergreens, for although 
 the noble oak, towering elm, and majestic beech were 
 wanting, yet was their place amply supplied by the 
 fir, ilex, juniper, cedar, and arbutus, which together 
 afforded a pleasing variety ; the latter is a beautiful 
 evergreen, and was full of fruit as large as a small 
 plum. 
 
 The firs not being; suffered to be so thick as in 
 England, have a very large girth, and would be much 
 handsomer if the branches were not cut off from the 
 bottom upwards. 
 
 We had a noble view of the chain of mountains 
 in front, and Monserrat, towering above them in solemn 
 grandeur, crowned the whole. 
 
 We regretted much that we were not able to get all 
 
 * 'JMiis city was ceded to the Kins^ of Airairon by St. Louis in 1258. It 
 was taken by the French under James, King of Majorca, in 1285; by 
 Marshal Noailles in 1694, and surrendered by capitulation to the arms of 
 King Philip, January, 1711. Its last noble defence, by Don Alvarez, in 
 the late war, is fresh in the memory of every one. 
 
CALELLAC ARENZ DEL MAR. 121 
 
 the information we wanted, from ignorance of the 
 language, for, as has been observed, we left the 
 French language with the Pyrenees ; in the inns 
 Spanish only was spoken. 
 
 Houses and villages are scarce, and you hardly 
 ever meet a carriage. 
 
 The amphora used in this country is curious ; on 
 one side is a small spout to receive water, and on 
 the other a long neck to pour it out'; this vessel cannot 
 be kept very neat, being incapable of being washed 
 clean from its make. 
 
 The last six leagues to Calellac* are beautiful 
 beyond imagination ; the road winds in the most 
 lovely way round a range of hills ; on each side are 
 woods and shrubs, from the bottom to the top of the 
 mountains, which rise above each other with their 
 pyramidal tops. After some time, the evergreen 
 shrubs and firs give place to forests of oaks and elms. 
 The road now was excellent, and there were many 
 people at work on it, with marks on their hats as in 
 France. 
 
 Nothing, indeed, could be more beautiful than these 
 verdant mountains ; no barrenness, no dreariness 
 appeared, but every thing was flourishing. We passed 
 through two or three villages, one of which was Arenz 
 del Mar. Turnips, canary-seeds, and maize in abun- 
 dance, shewed that farming was not neglected in this 
 
 * We baited at La Granota, a solitary inn, where the smell of the oil 
 Avas so strong that we were g^lad to eat our humble repast, consisting- of 
 provisions we had brought with us, and plums bought at the inn, in a 
 large room made use of as a kind of granary. 
 
122 ROAD TO BARCELONA. 
 
 beautiful country. We fared at Calellac better than 
 the night before, and had tolerable beds. Our jour- 
 ney this day was fifteen leagues. 
 
 Od. 20. — Left Calellac in the morning very early 
 for Barcelona. The road at first is along the sea ; 
 afterwards you ascend through a winding road cut 
 through the rock, with the Mediterranean under 
 you, at least, 100 feet. In some places, but not 
 generally, there was a low wall of about two feet 
 to protect you. On the opposite side of the road 
 are high rocks, which overhanging it, give the scene 
 a grand and romantic appearance ; besides this, the 
 road winds so frequently, and in such a way as to 
 form almost small circles. Amidst this variety of 
 scenery, the sun rising on the Mediterranean in full 
 splendour, with the brilliancy of his rays, adorned and 
 completed the whole. 
 
 The villages and towns as we drew near to Barce- 
 lona were numerous, and every thing wore the aspect 
 of comfort. Lemon and orange trees loaded with 
 fruit were seen on all sides. 
 
 The number of lizards am^ong the rocks is so great 
 as to make the latter resemble, as it were, a living 
 mass ; their colour being exactly that of the rocks 
 they inhabit ; these reptiles are from three to four 
 inches long. 
 
 Soldiers were regularly stationed all along the road 
 to prevent smuggling, and protect the road from 
 robbers ; each of them had his little hut among the 
 rocks, made of fir-trees and covered with mud, which 
 in this mild climate is sufficient. 
 
MATTAUO. 123 
 
 The weather was as warm as it is in England in July, 
 the heat tempered by the sea breezes ; vineyards 
 were on the rocks, and sometimes close to the sea ; 
 pillars of stone and large cross poles were used, on 
 which the vines were trained. 
 
 Many of the houses were painted fancifully on the 
 outside, and on entering them, you come into a large 
 hall with kitchen and offices below, and a very large 
 staircase of wood leading into the bed-rooms, eating- 
 rooms, ^'f. 
 
 At Mattaro, where we dined, L'Hotel de Mon- 
 serrat, was a beautiful as w^ell as excellent inn ; on 
 the outside towards the street it was painted in pleas- 
 ing landscapes ; and within, there w^ere balconies, 
 galleries, and even the walls painted likewise in the 
 prettiest and most fanciful manner imaginable. There 
 were also numerous recesses with beds, varied with the 
 utmost taste ; indeed the beds were not only numerous 
 and handsome, but there were excellent curtains enclos- 
 ing each recess, so that the whole had the appearance 
 of comfort as well as beauty, and presented a very ad- 
 vantageous specimen of a Spanish inn. The town 
 of Mattaro is bounded by the sea, and may be con- 
 sidered handsome. The great church, as most of the 
 Spanish ones are, is beautiful ; it has only a nave, 
 but the high altar affords a rich display of sculpture, 
 and all around are paintings in panels; the roof of 
 the church is painted in squares. There is in this 
 town a large manufactory of lace and cotton. In this 
 country are whole hedges of aloes ; many of them from 
 
124 ENTRANCE TO BARCELONA. 
 
 four to five feet high, were seen on all sides, and the 
 Indian fig was likewise very common. 
 
 From Mattaro to Barcelona is five leagues, and no 
 part interesting, except about 100 yards of the road, 
 which is cut through the solid rocks, about twenty feet 
 on each side ; the rest was dull, heavy, and flat, and 
 the road bad and sandy. 
 
 We did not get to Barcelona till nearly dark, having 
 been four days performing a journey of about 1.50 
 English miles, usually setting off before it was light, 
 and not getting to our Couchee till dark ; the mule, 
 as was observed before, going en pa<i the whole way, 
 which is the usual pace in this country ; for in our 
 different days' journey, we often passed and repassed 
 an ecclesiastic of distinction, in a coach drawn by 
 three strong mules, going to Valeutia, and they con- 
 stantly walked. This priest was lame and infirm, and 
 had two servants in the coach to assist him, who 
 always took their meals with him at the same table. 
 
 In the 150 miles we saw no coach but this, nor any 
 chaise, nor did we see a chateau or gentleman's seat 
 the whole way. The entrance into Barcelona is 
 through a strong gate, and has a fine appearance. 
 We went to La Fontana de Oro, which is a large and 
 singular inn. There are no rooms below, but you 
 ascend a large staircase, and come into an open square, 
 into which all the bed-rooms open. The bedsteads 
 are what we call stump ones, with a high head- piece of 
 wood, and a gilt ornament to it in the centre ; no bolster 
 nor feather bed, mattrasses and pillows only. Tired 
 

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BARCELONA HARBOUR. 125 
 
 with our journey, we retired to rest, to prepare for 
 our next day's ramble into the city. This day's 
 journey from Calellac was ten leagues. 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 
 Barcelona— Harbour— Terrace AValks— Cathedral— St. James's— Squares 
 —Douane— Bourse, L'Audienza, Public Hospital— AValk— Ramparts— 
 Citadel — Singular Equipage — Nuns and Monks— Captain-General — 
 Population— S[):inisb Ladies— Public Walk— Sea Wall— Convents — 
 Baptismal Ceremony — Hospital — Spanish Play— Bust of distinguished 
 Character — Barcelonettes — BllndFiddlers — MuIeBells — Finishing-Walk 
 in Barcelona — Inquisition — Thumler-storm — Miscellaneous Observa- 
 tions — Historical Account of the City — Departure — Spanish Diligence. 
 
 Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a large hand- 
 some city on the Mediterranean, said to contain 
 100,000 persons. There is a very fine harbour, in 
 front of which are two noble walks, an under and upper 
 one, which have a communication by frequent flights 
 of steps ; they are above one-quarter of a mile in 
 length ; the upper walk, which is a fine terrace, is in 
 many places eighty feet broad, and is composed alter- 
 nately of granite and a pavement of broad stones. 
 The harbour is capable of containing ships of 400 
 tons burden ; at the end of it is a light-house, near 
 which are planted several cannons. 
 
 The view of the city from the harbour, in the form 
 of a crescent, with the mountains rising behind it, is 
 extremely beautiful. There are several handsome 
 churches, the principal of which are the cathedral, 
 St. Jaques, (the patron of Spain), and S. Maria ; 
 
126 CHURCHES SQUARES. 
 
 the former is a fine Gothic building, but very dark ; 
 it has a number of beautiful painted windows ; the 
 choir is large but the nave small, and there are two 
 true narrow Gothic aisles. You ascend the church by 
 a fine flight of steps, and the walls are high and 
 painted ; behind, are two very high round towers*. 
 
 On one side are cloisters, with a number of small 
 chapels and altars, and in the centre is a garden full 
 of orange and lemon trees loaded with fruit, and con- 
 taining a fountain. 
 
 In the churches in this country, the organs are 
 usually on the sides, and sometimes tvv^o large fold- 
 ing doors to enclose them. 
 
 There is a fine facade to St. James's, it has a painted 
 colonnade hung with tapestry, and is almost enclosed, 
 and has a fine appearance from the street. This 
 church consists of a nave, and an altar richly decorated. 
 ■with sculpture. 
 
 There are no chairs in the churches, but sometimes 
 long benches ; and, as at Figuierez, rich and poor 
 universally kneel on the ground. 
 
 There are several squares, but La Plaza de Palazio 
 is the finest, in which is the palace of the Captain-Ge- 
 neral of Catalonia. Near this is the Douane or Custom- 
 house, which is a noble building, and also the Bourse, or 
 Exchange. The others are L' Audienza or Hall of Justice, 
 in which all causes are tried ; the Town-house, which 
 
 * Over the liortli door is a curious larg-c head, with a long- beard sus- 
 pended, but of the orig-iii of it wc could get no account. It is like a Saraceu- 
 head, they say it is the head of St. Francois, but why it hung tliere they 
 ];no\v not. 
 
STREETS'— THE CATALANS. 127 
 
 is a fine building, ^-c. The Public Hospital also is 
 well worth seeing. 
 
 The public walk is very handsome, as are the ram- 
 parts. The citadel, in which are the barracks, is 
 large and very strong. The streets of Barcelona are 
 in general well paved, but so narrow (many of them 
 being not more than eight or nine feet broad,) that 
 from one balcony to another, persons might shake 
 hands: there are small balconies from the top to the 
 bottom of the houses, Vv^hich are five or six stories 
 high. Yet although the chief part of the streets are 
 narrow, there are several which are broad and contain 
 many handsome modern houses : the city is full of 
 good shops, lively, cheerful, and clean ; there are no 
 hackney-coaches, but many carriages are kept by the 
 inhabitants. 
 
 V/e saw a curious specimen of a Barcelona equi- 
 page gaily trotting along the streets ; it was a heavy 
 coach and pair, driven by an old postilion on the 
 horses, and having two servants behind. The postilion 
 was dressed in a large cocked hat, which rendered his 
 appearance truly grotesque. 
 
 Nuns and monks swarm here, as well they may, 
 there being, it is said, above forty convents of men 
 and women. 
 
 The captain-general of Catalonia resides here. The 
 Catalans are a brave and robust people, and it 
 is astonishing what fatigue they are capable of bear- 
 ing. The muleteer who drove our tartane walked 
 almost the whole of the journey, between thirty and 
 forty miles a day, and in his light sandals over his 
 
128 PROMENADES. 
 
 bare legs and feet skimmed along as lightly as pos- 
 sible, without any apparent fatigue, at the rate of 
 nearly four miles an hour, through rocks, stones, and 
 sand, and often through the dirtiest roads and stiffest 
 clay. 
 
 The number of persons you meet in this populous 
 city is astonishing, women as well as men ; the former 
 are very pretty; generally speaking, indeed, the 
 Spanish ladies are interesting figures, though dark, 
 they are well made and have tine eyes ; and as they 
 walk most gracefully, and are clad in elegant black 
 dresses, veils put on as hoods, half way down the 
 body, they seldom fail to attract attention; and on 
 entering a church a stranger is immediately struck at 
 seeing whole rows of them at their devotions on the 
 stones, kneeling with humility and down-cast looks, 
 far different from the flippciut air of tiieir neighbours ; 
 so that however mistaken they may be in their princi- 
 ples, the action must be admired. Tired with our 
 ramble we retired to prepare for the next day's ex- 
 cursion. 
 
 Oct. 23. — Went to the public walk called Le Ram- 
 bleur, which is a noble one, between two rows of 
 trees, in one of the best streets in the town, nearly a 
 mile in length, and lighted on each side with lamps as 
 in London; this, indeed, is the way of lighting up 
 most of the streets. 
 
 There is also a good promenade for foot-passengers 
 as well as carriages, called La Muraille de la Mer, 
 which is broad and handsome, forming one side of the 
 harbour, bounded by the Bourse, Douane, ^-c, on one 
 
CEREMONY OP BAPTISM. 129 
 
 side, and on the other by the barracks, which are 
 large and handsome, this walk is nearly half a mile in 
 length, and is adorned by some of the best houses in 
 Barcelona. 
 
 The church of the convent of Fathers of Mercy is 
 very neat ; above is a gallery with a gilt lattice before 
 it, and behind are the cells of the monks, some of 
 which we saw ; they are small but convenient. This 
 is the most useful order in Spain, it having been 
 founded for the redemption of captives ; their dress is 
 white, and like other ecclesiastics, they wear an im- 
 mensely large hat. Owing to the kindness of a 
 Spanish gentleman, we had an opportunity of seeing 
 in this church, the ceremony of a baptism. 
 
 This gentleman was conducting his wife and infant, 
 the fourtemth child living of twenty-one, to the font ; 
 with great urbanity he desired us to follow him up a 
 high flight of steps to the high altar, where the bap- 
 tismal rite was performed, near a colossal statue of 
 the Virgin. The ceremony in many respects resem- 
 bles ours, especially in making the sign of the cross, 
 and the benediction. The other parts were much dis- 
 figured by mummery. 
 
 There is a curious street in Barcelona, nearly half 
 a mile in length, under old arches, which is full of 
 inferior shops, and must have been long built ; the 
 arcades were probably intended to guard against 
 the heat, which during the summer months must here 
 be great. 
 
 The public hospital is a very noble one, spacious, 
 
 Vol. I. K 
 
130 THE THEATRES. 
 
 airy, and capable of containing three hundred per- 
 sons. There is also an excellent manufactory of silk 
 handkerchiefs in the town, the fame of which is well 
 known in England and other countries. 
 
 Owing to the kindness of the vice-consul, a gentle- 
 man of great urbanity of manners, by whose atten- 
 tions we were much obliged, we went under his 
 auspices to the play, and sat in the consul's box : the 
 house is large and handsome, and the actors seemed 
 to possess considerable merit, but of this we were of 
 course incompetent judges, from our very imperfect 
 acquaintance with the language. There is a gallery 
 under the boxes called the amphitheatre, and in the 
 upper galleries it is the custom for the men to sit on 
 one side and the wom.en on the other : the pit is very 
 large, /or men only, as in France. 
 
 While we were at Barcelona materials were col- 
 lecting for increasing the pier considerably, which 
 when completed will be a very fine one. 
 
 The Barcelonette or houses uniformly built along 
 the harbour for sailors, mercantile people, ^-c, have 
 a pretty appearance ; they are said to have contained 
 before the war 10,000 people, but this must be much 
 exaggerated ; many of these houses were demoHshed 
 by the French in the late war, and have not been 
 rebuilt. 
 
 But what will eternize the fame of this town is its 
 being the birth-place of the celebrated Cervantes: 
 his house is by the sea-wall and there is a head of 
 him carved over the door, of which the Barcellonois 
 are very fond. 
 
THUNDER STORM. 131 
 
 At the Table d'Hote at the Fontana de Oro *, five 
 bUnd fiddlers came regularly and played on their instru- 
 ments ; nor was their music dissonant or unpleasant ; 
 far otherwise, the bells on the mules, which are never 
 taken from their necks even at nights, and as the bed- 
 rooms are over the stables, you are dunned with their 
 incessant noise. 
 
 We took our places in the Girona diligence, but as 
 it did not set out till the afternoon, we had an oppor- 
 tunity of another ramble in Barcelona, There were 
 some heavy showers, and we experienced the incon- 
 venience of the water-spouts projecting from the tops 
 of the houses in the narrow streets, by being com- 
 pletely wet through in a few minutes, although we 
 were provided with umbrellas. Whilst we were at 
 Barcelona, we had a specimen of a thunder-storm in 
 this countiy : the thunder was very loud, and the light- 
 ning remarkably strong and vivid, while the rain de- 
 scended in such torrents, and was formed of such large 
 drops, that as it fell on the umbrellas it resembled the 
 noise of thunder. 
 
 Superstition and bigotry are not banished from this 
 city ; there are not only monks and nuns, but also 
 bons dieux in almost every corner of a street ; nay, 
 in almost all the shops you see a bon dieu in front. 
 
 * The Spanish money is a quadraplc wortli 40 francs of France. 
 Double quadruple, g;old. 
 
 Doublette 20 francs, § ditto, } ditto, g-old. 
 Peseta, franc of France, § ditto, &c. silver. 
 Quarto and § make 1 sou of France^ 
 34 quartos make 1 peseta, > copper. 
 
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 quarto piece ) 
 The I of the douWette is called ad'ora g-old. 
 
 K 2 
 
132 tmWlLLING DIVISION. 
 
 Much did we regret not being able to reach the 
 celebrated mountain which for several days had af- 
 forded us such charming views, a mountain so ably 
 described by a late ingenious traveller*, but mate- 
 riem superabat opus ; although but ten leagues dis- 
 tant, we could not accomplish this object, having left 
 those in France to whom we were attached by the 
 nearest and dearest ties, and who would gladly have 
 accompanied us had not feminine fears on account of 
 bad roads and the want of accommodation in this 
 country for an interesting infant f (which by his artless 
 manners and winning endeannents had afforded us 
 pleasure many a weary mile) opposed an insurmount- 
 able barrier to the wished-for plan, and caused a tem- 
 porary but unwilling division of a family. The writer 
 of this sketch was also most anxious to see one not 
 less connected with him by consanguinity than the 
 ties of conjugal affection, who for a period of nearly 
 thirty years had trodden the thorny path of life with 
 him, partaking of its joys and soothing its sorrows, 
 and now in the decline of life was easing its infirmities 
 with the lenient hand of friendship. She had many 
 years before yielded to his wishes, by quitting the 
 comforts of her native soil on an excursion to a fo- 
 reign land, and now once more with the same kind- 
 ness, though timid to the greatest degree, had agreed 
 to cross the Channel and encounter the inconvenience 
 
 * Mr. Thicknesse. 
 
 t The writer's g^randson, a lovely boy, who beg-an his travels at the 
 early age of twelve months, and was unable to cope with the inconve- 
 niences and deprivations of a Spanish posada, though thoroughly accus- 
 tomed to a French auberge. 
 
INQUISITION. 133 
 
 of foreign accommodation, hand ignara mcdi. Curio- 
 sity, like every thing else in life, must have its 
 bounds, and those prudence must prescribe, sunt certi 
 deniqne fines. We therefore measured our steps once 
 more (and not unwillingly, from the reasons just 
 given,) over the province of Catalonia, highly varied 
 with mountains, rocks, and forests. 
 
 Barcelona, like other large cities, has experienced 
 great vicissitudes*. We quitted it, well satisfied 
 with the place, but not so with the government. la 
 the prison was a man who was said to have confessed 
 eighteen murders, vaunting that he had never yet 
 committed one to his satisfaction. The Inquisition is 
 re-established, but no one chooses to ask even where it 
 is ; by chance, strolling down a street, we saw a large 
 building with doors closed, and small grated win- 
 dows ; on inquiring if it was a convent, a slight indi- 
 rect answer was returned, and we found afterwards 
 that this was the Inquisition t- There is such insub- 
 ordination at Barcelona, that strangers avoid as much 
 as possible being in the streets in the evening ; but it 
 is said to be still worse in the north of Spain and in 
 Lisbon. Many of these accounts may be, and doubt- 
 less are, erroneous, but there is certainly a shameful 
 
 * In SOI Lewis, son of Charlemagne took it from the Saracens ; in 
 125S it was ceded by St. Lewis to James King- of Arragon, sirnamed the 
 Conqueror, in consideration of the marriage of his son Philip with Isa- 
 bella, eldest daughter of James. It was taken by the Spaniards again in 
 1659. and surrendered to the Due de Vendorae, August 15, 1697. It 
 was taken by the Archduke Charles in the succession war 1705. In. No- 
 vember 1714, after a brave resistance, it surrendered to King Pliilip V., 
 and was finally annexed to the crown of Spain.— IMezerai. 
 
 t Non tali auxilio, non defensoribus istis, 
 Tempus eget,— ViR. 
 
134 TRAVELLING PARTY. ' " 
 
 insubordination in the Spanish and Portuguese* go- 
 vernments. We set off by the diligence to Girona 
 at three o'clock in the afternoon, and arrived once 
 more at Arenz del Mar before seven ; the distance 
 from Barcelona is seven leagues. Arenz is a pretty 
 rural village bounded by the sea; we were at 
 Fondo del Comerero, a good and reasonable inn. 
 
 We found the diligence a very comfortable con- 
 veyance on springs, holding eight persons ; it was 
 drawn by four strong mules and two horses, which 
 trotted between five and six miles an hour, presenting 
 a very respectable appearance with their bells, and 
 making us some amends for the tedious conveyance of 
 a tartane. The cabriolet carried three, and the driver 
 sat in a seat under it, driving his six animals, which 
 were changed every seven or eight miles. We had 
 for passengers, Spaniards, French, and Enghsh, and 
 a very agreeable journey with this medley ; among 
 them was a monk of the order of Mercy, and in every 
 conveyance almost which v^^e passed, we observed a 
 friar. As we were to rise early, we retired in good 
 time to our respective apartments, and had tolerable 
 beds. 
 
 * A geiitleiuau infonupcl us that not lonaf before, there was a public 
 affiche at Lisbon, saying that if persons went abroad on an evening" with 
 large gold coins they would be conducted home safe ; if M"ith small gold, 
 they mig-ht be safe; if with silver, they must have the rhance of being 
 stabbed ; but if they had no uiouey, they would certainhj be murdered. 
 The grntlcman aihlcd, tliat uo notice was taken of tliis affiche. 
 
HOSTALRICH. ] 35 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Departure for Girona — Fort of Hostalrich — Passengers in a Spanish Dili- 
 gence — River Bazare — Second View of Girona — Cathedral de Nar- 
 cisse — Interesting Tomb and Inscription — Swollen Rivers — Departure 
 for France — Unforeseen Impediment soon obviated — Boulon — Termi- 
 nation of Spanish Expedition. 
 
 Oct. 24. — Set off to Girona; about half way, on a 
 mountain to our left, we saw the strong fort of Hos- 
 talrich, part of which was destroyed by the French in 
 the last war. One of our fellow travellers was a 
 young lady, the daughter of an officer who lost his 
 life at the siege of Girona; she described in lively 
 and affecting terms the miseries they had suffered 
 during a seven months' siege, till at last they were 
 obliged to eat horses, dogs, and cats ; and the sol- 
 diers for a long time subsisted on wheat soaked in 
 water, the corn-mills having been destroyed*. 
 
 Another of our company f was an officer employed 
 to prevent smuggling, and protect the road ; his men 
 took the murderer confined at Barcelona, and he con- 
 firmed the account we had received at the Consul's, of 
 
 * At the siege of Girona there were strong instances of patriotism : the 
 young women formed themselves into companies and made cartouches ; 
 they carried water, wood, &c., for the soldiers, working like slaves. 
 
 t The company in the diligence was very merry, singing national airs 
 continually, and none more merry than the friar, who indeed was equally 
 expert at singing as at his knife and fork. The moment one began an 
 air, he was joined by the ivhole, men, women, and monk, a proof that 
 they all were used to these national airs. 
 
136 GIRONA CATHEDRAL. 
 
 which we had had some doubts, with this difference, 
 that instead of eighteen murders it was nineteen 
 which he confessed. Our monk was the jolliest of 
 the set. 
 
 We crossed the Httle river Onhar in the evening, as 
 we proceeded to Girona*, on the other side of which 
 is the Tet ; both are very rapid in the winter, owing 
 to the fall of snow from the mountains. We here 
 quitted the diligence with regret, having had a very 
 pleasant two days' journey in it, and agreeable fellow- 
 travellers. Having been benighted before at Girona, 
 we availed ourselves of the present opportunity of 
 seeing the town and church, of which before we had 
 had but a superficial view. 
 
 The chief churches are the Cathedral and St. Nar- 
 cissus ; the former is a fine ancient edifice, with many 
 beautiful painted windows, the choir is only parted 
 from the body by a low partition, as is usual in 
 Spain. 
 
 There is here a recumbent monument of James II. 
 king of Arragon, as we were informed by one of the 
 canons ; he told us the church was chiefly built in the 
 thirteenth century, but that a portion of it was 
 erected as early as the fourth, which however is not 
 very probable. On entering the south door, there are 
 statues of the twelve Apostles on the right and left. 
 
 The fa^ ide of the cathedral is good, and the tower 
 high. The edifice itself, indeed, is in a very elevated 
 situation, and the ascent to it steep ; but independent 
 
 "*'AtIa Fontana d'Oro, a large and tolerable inn. 
 
CHURCH OF ST. NARCISSUS. 137 
 
 of the gratification we derived from inspecting it, our 
 walk was repaid by the commanding view which it 
 gave us of the town, mountains, rivers, ^c. 
 
 St. Narcissus is a handsome church ; on the north 
 side, in one of the chapels, is a monument of that 
 eminent chief and distinguished patriot Don Mariana 
 Alvarez del Castro, the brave defender of Girona. 
 There is a sarcophagus, which is very neat, and the 
 following inscription : 
 
 Squiilidus hie jacet Alvares nunc lumine privus* 
 
 Idem qui fortis, cum tulit arma, fuit 
 Hie vir, Hie est Heros, nullum meriturus in cevum 
 
 Cui scelcrata fides, certa vcnena dedit 
 CEternum vivet nobis fastisquc Gerandse 
 
 Cum jussu regis tollitur ara pia: 
 
 Hoc nunqum poterit tempus reticere sepulcro 
 Fama memor soeclis non moritura canet. , 
 
 Oct. 25. — Set off for Figuierez. Owing to the late 
 heavy rains, the road was extremely rutty and bad, 
 worse than most of our cross-roads in England ; there 
 were also very large stones in many parts of it, so 
 that if our conductor had not been very careful, and 
 
 * Behold Alvarez in the silent grave, 
 
 Whom none from Death's relentless stroke could save ; 
 
 Ho^v great in arms his brave companions know — 
 
 But poison caused Death's sure, though fatal blow. 
 
 For valour famous, and in arms how great! 
 
 With pride his brave companions will relate ; 
 
 His warlike deeds with triumph will be read. 
 
 Though sad Girona mourn her champion dead; 
 
 Tyrants may raze the monumental name, 
 
 Still shall the Hero live in endless fame. 
 
 Ed. 
 
138 FIGUIEREZ, 
 
 our mules (for we had now two) very sure, the tar- 
 tane must have been overturned. 
 
 We this day passed three rapid streams, rendered 
 dangerous by the late heavy rains and falls from the 
 mountains ; two of these we passed in our tartane 
 verj'" safely, and one in a ferry-boat * with ropes f 
 which we had passed a few days ago in the tartane, 
 when the water was hardly up to the fetlock of the 
 mules, the weather then having been long dry. We 
 arrived at Figuierez once more about six in the even- 
 ing, and resumed our old quarters for the night J. 
 
 Oct. 26. — Our conductor informing us we must 
 rise early as the roads were bad, we set off exactly at 
 three, on a beautiful moonlight morning, from Figuierez, 
 taking our leave of Spain. We were three tartanes 
 in company, and stopped some time at Jonquierez, to 
 have our passports examined; from thence we jour- 
 neyed on to the Pyrenees, where we were again 
 visited and retained about half an hour ; on the Spanish 
 side, the mountain is very low, and throughout the 
 whole of this pass is a most excellent road, made by Bo- 
 naparte, superior to the best roads in England ; some 
 of our party indeed never quitted the tartane either in 
 the ascent or descent ; and had it not been for the plea- 
 
 * This ferry-boat had obviously been constructed in haste, on account of 
 the sudden change of weather, and resembled a raft more than a boat ; on 
 this stream were the remains of a bridge which had been demolished for- 
 merly by the floods. 
 
 t We were informed that this was the Tet, which goes to Girona. 
 
 % On our return, we stopped at the same houses, in the middle of the 
 day, as when we went, experienced tlie same want of refreshment ; and 
 owing to our not understanding the language, we were much at the dis- 
 cretion of the driver. 
 
RIVER TET — AN IMPEDIMENT, 139 
 
 sure of enjoying the view, we perhaps might have 
 done the same ; the rock which forms the stratum of 
 the road is of a hard and durable nature : although the 
 chief trees in the Pyrenees are the cork and olive, yet 
 are there others interspersed, as the fir, oak, Src ; 
 the cork is of a very hard nature ; it is barked about 
 once in eight years, and presents the singular appear- 
 ance of a red trunk ; the acorns which it bears are 
 rather smaller than those of an oak, but very like them. 
 There are also various rare plants in the Pyrenees, 
 and a botanist would doubtless be highly gratified by 
 a day's ramble among them. 
 
 We saw but few houses in this pass. There is, 
 however, a very small village about the middle, 
 in which they were drawing water, but on inspection, 
 we observed that the well was by no means deep ; 
 we noticed several natural beautiful cascades, and 
 the river Tet running rapidly between the mountains 
 is a most beautiful object. 
 
 We finished the descent of the mountains, and 
 arrived on the border of the river Tet about twelve, 
 opposite Boulon, and here an unforeseen impediment 
 presented itself The river which we had passed with 
 ease in our tartane eight or nine days before, so as 
 hardly to perceive it, was now so much swollen with 
 the late rains as to render a like attempt hazardous ; 
 it was now in fact, tremendously rapid. The people 
 of Boulon, therefore, came across the river, and vo- 
 lunteered their services, offering to take us on their 
 backs ; this was the work of three men, one to carry 
 each of us, and two others, one on each side to sup- 
 
140 BOULON PEKPIGNAN. 
 
 port him against the rapidity and \iolence of the 
 stream. There was a large and high horse provided 
 to take the women over, who did not approve of the 
 other method. Thus by their different modes of con- 
 veyance and the care and skill of our guides, the 
 danger was avoided, and all got safe to land. 
 
 We passed by the ruins of a bridge, which had 
 been carried away four years ago ; the water at that 
 time having risen as high as sixteeri or eighteen feet. 
 
 We dined at Boulon ; the church of which place 
 presents nothing remarkable except its handsome 
 marble pillars at the entrance, marble steps, and the 
 font, which is also of marble. 
 
 We arrived at Perpignan about five, and thus 
 finished our ten day's interesting expedition into 
 Spain, which, though fatiguing, amply gratified our 
 curiosity. 
 
 We were usually up at four or five in the morning, 
 and came in to our couchee about seven or eight in 
 the evening ; the price in these tartanes, which indeed 
 are the only proper vehicles to combat the badness of 
 the roads, is usually from Perpignan to Barcelona 
 twenty pesetas each person, but they will ask a 
 stranger double ; though they are uneasy, yet are 
 they very safe, but tedious conveyances, going about 
 three miles and a half an hour ; but we derived some 
 advantage from this slowness, having abundant oppor- 
 tunity of viewing a lovely country and admiring its 
 highly -varied beauties. 
 
 In this expedition we had an opportunity of mixing 
 with some officers and respectable persons, who all 
 
COUNTRY— PEOPLE— LIVING. 14l 
 
 uniformly lamented the want of a good and firm 
 government, boldly asserting that there must be a 
 change soon, and that they were overrun with monks 
 and beset with superstition and bigotry. 
 
 The country certainly is beautiful, and might be 
 made highly productive ; the lower order of people 
 are very civil, and we experienced no rudeness what- 
 soever ; indeed they seem partial to the English. 
 
 We saw great numbers of sheep and goats, (the 
 former remarkably fine, with brown faces and feet,) 
 though but few cows ; they make use of goats' milk 
 entirely. 
 
 Meat is rather dear, but poultry cheap *. 
 
 The writer of this was accompanied by his 
 daughter and only child, who leaving her family in 
 France kindly insisted on braving the hazards and en- 
 countering the inconveniences of a troublesome jour- 
 ney and road not much frequented, and whose playful 
 manners, kind andfilial attention and cheerful disposi- 
 tion, had the desired efiect of easing the inconvenience 
 of the journey, and alleviating its fatigues. 
 
 The meeting between the Spanish travellers and 
 
 * The price of dinners and beds much as in France, varying- from 
 three pesetas to three pesetas ten sous a head, and a peseta for a bed, the 
 bread is good, but butter scarce and bad, coffee is to be procured, but 
 chocolate most used ; the wine in the commonest ale-house is good and 
 strong, about half a peseta a bottle, it is reckoned into the price of the 
 Table d'Hote, and we never had a bottle of sour wine. 
 
 The Spanish kitchen is much like the French, except that every thing is 
 drest in oil, every thing fried in oil, sauce of oils, S)-c. We paid three 
 pesetas a head at La Fontaua de Oro, and had tolerable dinners for the 
 money ; the dinner hour was two. 
 
 Kid is eaten much, though the muttou is sweet and good. Beef bad and 
 not much used. 
 
142 SITUATION OF PERPIGNAN. 
 
 their relatives at Perpignan was very interesting, as 
 owing to their protracted stay, and the exaggerated 
 accounts of the danger of travelling from robbing, 
 (as the Spanish robbers are reported at Perpignan 
 to come in a banditti on the other side of the moun- 
 tains,) they had been in constant fears for their safety, 
 and not a little rejoiced to receive them in perfect 
 health and spirits, and much pleased with their 
 ultra-montane tour. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Perpignan — Situation — Nig-litly Music — Sing-ular Mixture of Inhabitants 
 and Manners — Churches — Citadel — Subterraneous Canal — Church of 
 St. Matthew — Public Walks — Military Prison — Piemarkable Incon- 
 sistency. 
 
 Oct. 28. — Not having had an opportunity of seeing 
 much of Perpignan before our Spanish expedition, we 
 now availed ourselves of the polite attention of Le 
 Cure de la Pv,eale, in shewing us many parts of the 
 town; the situation of it is romantic, being surrounded 
 on all sides by mountains and the sea, the latter at a 
 small distance. A rapid stream descending from the 
 Pyrenees, runs through many of the streets, cleaning 
 them and purifying the air. There is a singular 
 mixture of inhabitants, (French and Spaniards) and 
 manners in this town ; the customs of the latter pre- 
 vail much, as within one hundred and fifty years the 
 town belonged to them. 
 
MUSIC — CHURCHES. 143 
 
 You hear songs in the night, of Patois, Spanish, 
 ^•c, often accompanied by the guitar, which last the 
 greater part of the night, and are very pleasing to 
 the ear. 
 
 In the streets you meet the peasants in their night- 
 caps and tassels, and light sandals, and the women in 
 the hoods and veils of the Spaniards. 
 
 Neither are the tartanes and mules with the sound 
 of bells in every quarter, and the volante * of the 
 Spaniards, named so perhaps a non volando, by any 
 means wanting to complete the motley scene. 
 
 The language and manners in short, in every street 
 must remind any one who has been in Spain of the 
 striking resemblance. 
 
 The four churches are the Cathedral, St. Jaques, 
 St. Matthew, and La Real ; their altars are rich and 
 full of sculpture. In the Cathedral is a figure of our 
 Saviour in the tombf , as large as life, wrapped in 
 burial clothes, with four others in sculpture round the 
 tomb. At the high altar is the figure of our Lord as 
 the Lamb of God, and all round, from top to bottom, 
 vast numbers of figures, in sculpture and basso re- 
 lievo. There is also a handsome recumbent monu- 
 ment of Monsieur Montmor, Bishop of Perpignan, 
 who died in 1688. 
 
 The churches of St. James and Reale are likewise 
 well worth seeing ; in the former is a remarkable se- 
 paration of the nave from the altar by a colonnade. 
 
 * The Spanish volante is nuich Hke a heavy French cabriolet, and not 
 much quicker in its motions than the tartane. 
 •!• These are in ahnost all the churches in Pei-plgnan. 
 
144 CITADEL— MAGAZINE— CANAL. 
 
 In these churches there is only a nave, and the 
 organ is usually on the north or south side*. In all 
 of them we observed a great deal more of marble and 
 sculpture than paintings. 
 
 The Commandant was so obliging as to send us a 
 soldier to shew us the citadel, church, ^c; the former 
 is very strong, and the view of the mountains and 
 surrounding country from the walls highly picturesque. 
 
 There are large magazines of powder, and the year 
 before, an explosion of combustible matter took place, 
 as is supposed, from the fierce rays of the sun darting 
 upon it. By means of a subterraneous canal, water 
 can be brought hither in case of a siege, from the 
 Mediterranean, which is about three leagues distant. 
 The barracks are large and convenient, but there 
 were at this time only 200 soldiers in them. 
 
 Oct. 29. — Went into the Church of St. Matthew, 
 which has not been built above 1 60 years ; here is a 
 fine colossal statue of St. Matthew, with the angel 
 dictating to him with a pen in his hand, which is well 
 worth seeing for its sculpture; it was placed here 
 about fifteen years ago, and is the production of an 
 artist of the place, to whom it certainly does great 
 credit ; the nails of the hands and feet are remarkably 
 well executed. Here likewise is only a nave, and the 
 organ is on the south side. The north transept is or- 
 namented by a handsome dome and rich altar. 
 
 The public walks in this town are excellent ; there 
 are three broad ones, well shaded with trees, which 
 are very beautiful, and at the same time a great pro- 
 
 * In this, also, there is a sti-ong regemblaiace to the Spanish churches. 
 
SINGULAR HOUSE. 145 
 
 tectioii from the heat. In the middle is a circular 
 place with seats, surrounded with cypresses. You 
 find, indeed, in nearly all the towns, walks, and 
 bridges, abundance of stone seats to rest the weary 
 traveller after having been exposed to the rays of a 
 hot southern sun. Perpignan is in the department o^ 
 Les Pyrennees Orientales. The military prison, on 
 entering the tovv^n by Porte Notre Dame, appears to 
 be a building of great antiquity. 
 
 Among the singular manners and inconsistencies of 
 this town may be mentioned the following. Passing 
 through a bye-street, we saw a large handsome house, 
 sufficiently good for a gentleman of 1500/. or 2000/. 
 a year in England ; but on looking in front we ob- 
 served fastened to the house a small wooden machine 
 like a carpenter's box, having several partitions con- 
 taining wheat, oats, barley, ^-c. ; we were informed 
 that the house belonged to a great negociant, and 
 that there were several such with these articles for 
 sale. 
 
 Vol. t 
 
14G NARBOUNE. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Departure from Perplgnan — Scarcity of Houses, S^'C. — Weather favour- 
 able — Journey to Nismes — Nissan — Beziers — Cathedral — Royal Canal 
 ■ — Churcli of Cannes — Description of Country — Beg-ude de Jordy — 
 I^ezenas — Departure from Pezenas — Country flat — Road on Arches — ■ 
 River Herftult- — View of Cette — Total Chang-e of Scenery— Country 
 beautiful and populous — Costume of Women — Steeples handsome — 
 Houses and Chateaux frequent — Mulberry-trees abundant — Approach 
 to Montpellier. 
 
 Oct. 31. — Left Perpignan, and arrived once more 
 at Narbonne, treading over the same ground ; we did 
 not change our opinion as to the dulness of the road, 
 or scarcity of houses, though we were equally pleased 
 at times with the wildness of the scene : the weather 
 was favourable, and we arrived at our old quarters 
 about seven in the evening. 
 
 Nov. 1. — We left Narbonne for Nismes. Four 
 leagues on the road is Nissan, a small village, where 
 we went over a bridge built across a morass. Two 
 leagTies farther is Beziers ; this is an old city, con- 
 taining about 13,000 inhabitants ; the streets are 
 narrow, and the town dirty, but its situation is most 
 lovely : it is built on the declivity of a steep and high 
 hill, on the brow of which is the Cathedral, with its 
 stately tower, proudly overlooking a sweet and highly- 
 cultivated country, with a distant view of Narbonne 
 and numerous villages and towns. 
 
 The Cathedral consists of a large nave, and the 
 high altar is, as usual, very handsome; there are 
 
BEZIERS PEZENAS. 147 
 
 pillars and statues by its side, in niches. The bishop- 
 ric is valuable ; like many others, the bishop is named, 
 but not yet arrived. The palace, which is a large 
 and noble building, commanding a fine view, is ap- 
 propriated to public uses. 
 
 The Royal Canal ends here, but there is a commu- 
 nication by another with Cette on the Mediterranean. 
 
 The Church of the Carmes * has a remarkably fine 
 and rich altar, and on each side are good sculptures, 
 one, the raising of Lazarus, and the other, Mary 
 washing our Lord's feet. 
 
 The first part of this day's journey was up and 
 down chalky hills ; the country then became truly 
 beautiful; for not only were olive-trees, mulberry- 
 trees, ^c, seen in abundance, but the landscape was 
 so completely studded with towns and villages, that 
 we were often in view of several towns at once. 
 
 Two leagues from Beziersf is Begude de Jordy, 
 and Pezenas two and a quarter, where we passed the 
 night. This is a small but very populous town, with 
 a broad handsome public walk between rows of 
 trees. It was Sunday evening, and we had a lively 
 idea of the population of the place from the numbers 
 of perons of both sexes on the walks. We found 
 
 * Here is one of the altars called Privilegie, common in this part of 
 France, which was a sanctuary for criminals. 
 
 •]• Beziers, is famous for being the principal town of the Albig^eois, 
 those unfortunate sectaries against whom a regular crusade was formed in 
 the thirteenth centurj'. It was taken in 1209 and sacked, and more tliau 
 60,000 persons slain. This cruel expedition was undertaken by many 
 persons of distinction, the principal of whom was Simon de J.Iontfort, 
 Earl of Leicester. It was united to the crown of France in 1:258. — Pere 
 
 ANIEL. 
 
 L2 
 
1 48 MONTPF.LLIER. 
 
 good accommodations, and reasonable charges at the 
 inn All tapis Verd. 
 
 Nov. 2. — Left Pezenas, and set off for Montpellier, 
 distant twelve leagues. Two posts and a quarter 
 Meze, a small town, Gigean one and a half, Fabri- 
 gues one, and Montpellier one and a half. 
 
 The first part of this journey was over a marshy, 
 flat, disagreeable country ; the road was carried a 
 long way on arches at a great expense. We passed 
 the Herault, on a bridge, which is a small river giving 
 name to this department, as the Orbe did to that 
 which we had quitted. 
 
 We now approached the shore of a bay of the 
 Mediterranean, and had a charming; view of Cette. 
 Villages, towns, (^-c, were frequent, and on the 
 mountain opposite Meze is a beautiful village on 
 the sea-shore. You now wind round hills, losing 
 the sea and regaining it in the most interesting man- 
 ner, through a beautiful and highly-cultivated country, 
 with corn-tields and vineyards quite to the edge of the 
 sea. The country is the most populous that can be 
 imagined, and a face of industry and neatness gene- 
 rally prevails. The women are employed in the fields, 
 neatly dressed in their large flapped hats to guard 
 against the sun, and blue petticoats and blue stockings. 
 We met almost at every step, horses and donkeys laden 
 with w^ood, fruit, <5-f., and every thing around wore 
 the appearance of plenty. The steeples in this 
 neighbourhood are line objects ; they are usually very 
 elegant structures, with light open iron railing, as at 
 Perpignan, and the bells in them give a clear and 
 
SITUATION— POPULATION. 149 
 
 loud sound, which, at a distance, is far from being 
 disagreeable. 
 
 For some miles before you come to Montpellier, 
 the number of country-houses, chateaux, and gardens, 
 plantations, ^-c, is astonishing. Mulberry-trees are 
 now in abundance, and every thing shews the ap- 
 proach to a large and populous city. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Montpellier — Streets handsome — Population — Cathedral — Notre Dame— 
 Peyron — Extensive View — Inscription — Aqueduct — Canourge — ■ 
 Place de Comedie — Ecole de Medicine — Jardin des Plantes — Musical 
 turn of the Inhabitants — Bishopric. 
 
 Montpellier, formerly in Languedoc, but now in the 
 department of the Herault, is, as its name denotes, 
 seated on a hill, (which is very gentle) and makes a 
 very handsome appearance, for, although the old 
 streets are narrow, the new ones are wide and of 
 stone, and the houses well-built. There is a noble 
 aqueduct, supported by a number of arches, erected 
 some years ago for the convenience of the town, which 
 as you enter, has a fine appearance. 
 
 The population of this city is estimated at 34,000. 
 It is much resorted to by valetudinarians, owing to its 
 being situated but a few miles from the sea, and in 
 a remarkably plentiful and healthy country. But 
 owing to this cause provisions are high, and the inns, 
 
150 CATHEDRAL PUBLIC WALK. 
 
 many of which are very good, are remarkably ex- 
 orbitant*. 
 
 The Cathedral is a Gothic building, erected about 
 the year 1300, consisting of a nave and very small 
 choir ; round the high altar are three fine paintings of 
 the different actions of St. Peter, the patron of the 
 church. The entrance into the cathedral is under 
 Gothic arches, between two old towers. The bishop's 
 income is 3,000 a-year, and he has a good house 
 provided for him. 
 
 The church of Notre Dame is very elegant, espe- 
 cially one of the chapels and the high altar. There 
 are but four parishes in this city. The old Hotel de 
 Ville is demolished, but in the Marie is a very good 
 library, and several rooms with good paintings. 
 
 There is an excellent market built of stone, and 
 well supplied with meatf. 
 
 But the chief beauty of this town is the noble 
 terrace and public walk called Peyron. Here are 
 three tiers of promenades, one above the other, nearly 
 half a mile round ; the upper one commands an ex- 
 tensive and beautiful prospect of the Pyrenees on 
 one side, and the Alps on the other, which is to be 
 had in no other part of France. You also see in the 
 immediate vicinity under you, a luxuriant prospect, 
 consisting of villas, gardens, S'c. 
 
 We entered this terrace under a fine gate, orna- 
 
 * They often ask five and six francs for a bed. We were at Le Cheval 
 Blanc. 
 
 t Mutton and beef arc eight sous a pound, veal rather dearer. 
 
BA:<0NS — THE CANOURGi:. 151 
 
 meiited with much sculpture in basso reliem and 
 having on it the following pompous adulatory in- 
 scription : — 
 
 '* LUDOVICO MAGNO 
 
 77 ANNOS REGNANTE 
 
 DfSSOLUTIS REPRESSIS, CONCILIATIS GENTIBUS QUATUOR 
 
 HECENNAIil BELLO OONJUNCTIS 
 
 PAX TERRA MARIQUE PARTIS. 
 
 1713=^". 
 
 There was formerly a beautiful statue of this 
 monarch in the centre of this fine square. 
 
 On the opposite side are two basons with water 
 from the reservoir, and a handsome building with 
 pillars of the Corinthian order, built by Louis XV., and 
 called Le Chateau d'Eau, and beyond it the noble 
 aqueduct before mentioned, on a number of arches, 
 two piers, one above another, nearly half a league in 
 length. This was built at a great expense, for the 
 city, conveying water into it from three miles distance. 
 This noble work, which deserves great praise, costs 
 nearly 300/. a-year. 
 
 On a very elevated spot in the middle of the town, 
 is the small terrace called Canourge, commanding a 
 fine view another way ; here is an inscription on a 
 high cross, mentioning its being in the room of the 
 ancient one taken away. In another part of the 
 town is a fine esplanade leading to the citadel, in 
 which the troops are quartered, and they are ex- 
 ercised on the esplanade. 
 
 * " To Lewis the Great, having reigned 77 years, and broken and 
 humbled the Quadruple Alliance in the ten years' war, and obtained 
 peace by sea and land." 
 
152 ECOLE DE MEDICINE. 
 
 Just by is La Place de Comedie, with a fountain 
 and statues of the three Graces. 
 
 But the Ecole de Medicine, formerly the Bishop's 
 Palace, reflects the greatest honour on this city. 
 There is a rector who has a noble house in Le Jardin 
 des Plantes adjoining, and a good salary ; there are 
 also twelve professors with a salary of 3000 francs 
 each, and 800 students. In the lecture-room, which 
 is under ground, and is spacious and well adapted for 
 the purpose, is a curious stone chair, which was 
 brought from Rome. 
 
 There is also a head of Hippocrates in bronze, 
 brought from the Vatican, with this inscription : — 
 
 " OLIM COUS 
 NUNC MONSPELIEUNSI 
 HIPPOCRATES." 
 
 There is also here a fine and curious anatomical 
 collection, which is very valuable and useful to the 
 students. 
 
 Le Jardin de Plantes is also well worth seeing. 
 
 Montpellier * is a lively cheerful town, and every 
 evening in the Grande Rue, which is the evening 
 mall and crowded, there is a set of men who regularly 
 sing national airs, ^c, cj-c. The inhabitants are at 
 their windows enjoying the evening air in this fine 
 climate, and joining in the merry song, as well as 
 those w^ho are walking in the streets. 
 
 * The singing at Montpellier and Nisnies, ^c, seems the remains of the 
 Troubadours and Iniprovvisatori, who flourished in the fifteenth century. 
 We find from history that the inhabitants of Languedoc and Provence 
 \rere always famous for dancing, singing, and an inordinute love of 
 ])leasure. This is mentioned so early as the beginning of the eleventh 
 century. 
 
EDICT OF NANCI. 153 
 
 Montpellier is famous for the treaty, October 20th, 
 162:2, which secured the Huguenots from danger ; 
 the Edict of Nanci was confirmed, and the Protes- 
 tants were permitted the free exercise of their re- 
 ligion, for which they had long contended so nobly 
 agn St such unequal forces. 
 
 There are now many resident Protestants, who 
 have a church appropriated to them. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Departure from Montpellier — Colombieres — Frequency of Travelling — 
 Nehan — Nimes — Variety of Country — Mode of Agriculture — Aque- 
 ducts — Nismes — Mason Carree — Amphitheatre — Wild Bulls — Temp le 
 of Diana — Reservoir — Great Tower — Mosaic Pavement — Porte de 
 France — Esplanade — Palais de Justice — La Commune — Cathedral — 
 Population — Protestants. 
 
 Nov. 4. — Left Montpellier for Nimes, distant thir- 
 teen leagues, one post and three quarters Colombieres, 
 Lunel one and a half; this is a small market-town, 
 with a creek, but a great trade in coals, which are 
 brought from the coal-pit at Alege, three leagues 
 distant, is carried on here. Travelling is so frequent in 
 this country, that we counted nine travelling coaches 
 at one time in the inn yard at Lunel. There is here, 
 as usual, a public walk. 
 
 Nehan a small village, is one post and three quar- 
 ters flirther, and Nimes also one and three quarters. 
 
154 NIMES. 
 
 In this countr^^ as you enter the different villages, 
 you see the names of them written up. 
 
 Near Lunel, we crossed the little river Neuve, and 
 entered the department of Gard, so called from that 
 river. This day's journey was chiefly through a flat 
 comitry and a road raised on each side at a great ex- 
 pense. There were numerous vineyards, a great 
 deal of very fine wheat ; the land is so light that they 
 plough with one horse and man. We observed also 
 vast forests of olive-trees which had a beautiful ap- 
 pearance at a distance, the olive being an evergreen ; 
 there is also a continuation of mulberry -trees, as vast 
 quantities of silk-worms are kept in this country. 
 Towns, villages, and chateaux abound, and we ob- 
 served at a distance several aqueducts for the use of 
 their inhabitants. Every thing, indeed, puts on a 
 cheerful and plentiful appearance ; but the comfort of 
 travelling in this charming country was much impaired 
 by the incivility and rudeness of the people ; they are 
 absolutely /ff;-oz/c//e.?, and hardly return a civil answer 
 to any question which is put to them. On mentioning 
 this circumstance afterwards to some gentlemen of 
 respectability, they owned and lamented the fact, say- 
 ing that the character of those people was univer- 
 sally known. 
 
 We arrived at Nimes in good time in the afternoon, 
 after a pleasant day's journey. 
 
 Nimes is a fine city formerly in Languedoc, and 
 now in the department of Gard, containing 45,000 
 persons, of whom the Protestants are reckoned nearly 
 
AMPHITHEATRE. 155 
 
 a third, and they have churches appropriated to 
 them. 
 
 In few towns are there so many remains of anti- 
 quity as in this, and we prepared to see them in due 
 order. 
 
 The first thing which struck us, and was nearest to 
 our inn, was La Maison Carree ; this is a beautiful 
 building of the Corinthian order, with thirty pillars, 
 taking in the facade, building, ^-c, it is about one 
 hundred and twenty feet long, and fifty broad. It is 
 in the whole in high preservation, except a part of 
 the roof which was at the time under repair. 
 
 The architecture, cornices, ^-c, are highly beautiful, 
 and there are several flights of steps by which you 
 ascend to different landing-places. This was a temple 
 dedicated to Caius and Lucius, adopted sons of Au- 
 gustus Csesar*. 
 
 The amphitheatre is a truly noble piece of anti- 
 quity, which the more it is seen, the more it will 
 be admired. It was built by Antonius Pius ; it is 
 196 fathoms in circumference, and the upper seats 
 for the spectators are in high preservation, (the 
 lower are chiefly gone.) The arches, galleries, 
 ^c, present a spectacle highly interesting; they 
 
 * Cains and Lucius were adopted and admitted into the family of the 
 Cffisars by Auci-ustus on the death of Marcellus, they both soon died, not 
 without suspicion of their death being- occasioned by Livia to make way for 
 Tiberius. Tac. Ann. Lib. 1. 
 
 L. came to Cujsar at Ariminuni. 
 
 L. Ca?sar adolescens venit, cujus pater Ctesaris erat Le:>atus. Cses. 
 Com. Bell. Civ. Lib. C. S. 
 
 " L. Csesar came to hira there, a young man whose father was Caesar's 
 Lieutenant," 
 
156 ROMAN REMAINS. 
 
 were repairing the stairs, ^c, at the expense of the 
 city, and are endeavouring to preserve this valuable 
 building as much as possible in its original state. 
 In the arena, there are regular bull-baitings as in 
 Spain, during the whole summer season, when the 
 seats are filled by the inhabitants of Nimes, who come 
 in crowds to this exhibition*. 
 
 Wild bulls are brought from the island of Camargue, 
 where are great numbers, and when the bull-baiting 
 is over they are let loose, and take the regular road to 
 their home, which is seven leagues from Nimes ; 
 during the summer there are many kept in the town, 
 ready to be let loose in the arena almost every Sun- 
 day. In the island of Camargue are also several wild 
 horses. 
 
 Under some of the arches | of this noble building, 
 where the lordly Romans and their fellow-citizens of 
 Nimes entered formerly with pride and pomp to see 
 the sports, are shops of the meanest description ; such 
 are the changes which time occasions. 
 
 This noble and spacious building is capable of con- 
 taining 17,000 spectators with ease, allowing twenty 
 inches to each person. The height is sixty feet. 
 
 The temple of Diana, said to have been built as 
 early as the reign of Augustus Csesar, is a fine ruin, 
 full of pillars, images, figures, ^-c, which were dug 
 
 * They have regular prizes, forty fraiics, twenty Sec. ; the lucii liave 
 spears with ^-oads, and the bulls cockades tied to their horns, which are to 
 be taken off by the combatants in order to obtain tlie prize. 
 
 t Tlierc are two rows of arches, under wliicli are the stairs to ascend 
 to the scats, a^alleries, &rc. ; from the top of tlje amphitheatre, wh.ich is 
 several feet wide is a most noble prot^pect of Nimes iindthc country. 
 
STREETS GATES. 157 
 
 up, when they increased the depth of the fountain. This 
 fountain, which supplies the city with water, existed at 
 the time the Romans had possession of Nimes, though 
 hardly any part of the Roman work remains. It is a long 
 piece of water, terminating in a kind of reservoir, en- 
 closed in low stone walls ; on each side of the reser- 
 voir are statues representing the four seasons. From 
 hence we ascended a very steep hill among sharp 
 rocks and stones, to a very high tower, from the 
 summit of which is a noble prospect of the city, am- 
 phitheatre, Maison, Carree, distant mountains ^x. 
 This which is known at Nimes by the name of the 
 Great Tower, was built in the time of the Romans ; it 
 is brick and is a noble ruin ; it was once much higher 
 but is still a fine object from the town. It is about 
 120 feet in circumference. 
 
 In the street called La Rue du Calendre Anglois 
 is some very curious Mosaic pavement, as there is 
 also in another part of the town. There is likewise a 
 manufactory of shawls, the patterns of which imitate 
 this pavement, but they are exorbitantly dear. 
 
 The gate called La Porte de France is a fine Roman 
 gate, but the venerable large Roman stones, on the 
 top are spoiled by modern inscriptions, such as " long 
 live our king," " may peace flourish," ^-c. t^-c, these, 
 though very loyal, would have been better adapted to 
 a modern building. 
 
 With regard to Nimes*, its various and numerous 
 
 * Nimes was taken from the Aquitanians by King' Pepin in 767, and 
 M^as latterly in the hands of the Hiig-iiennts, wliosc descendants are here 
 in great numbers. — Mezeuai. 
 
1 58 COURTS OP JUSTICE. 
 
 antiquities so occupy the attention of the curious, 
 that the city is Uttle thought of; it is old, and the 
 streets chiefly narrow. The esplanade, however, in 
 which the troops are exercised, called the Course, as 
 is the case in all the towns in this neighbourhood, is 
 very handsome, and the houses near it good. 
 
 Le Palais de Justice is a very handsome modern 
 building, but unfortunately is situated close to that 
 venerable one of antiquity, the ampi theatre. In front 
 are two fine statues of Justice and Wisdom, and 
 there are three courts of justice : La Coiir Roy ale , 
 Du Premier Instance, and La Sale Criminelle. This 
 was built by Bonaparte ; round the room are the 
 heads of Romans, eminent particularly for their civil 
 knowledge, and their eiilogiums under them, as given 
 by Cicero, Pliny, and other writers. The Commune^ 
 formerly L'Hotel de Ville, has some good rooms, one 
 of which contains several stuffed alligators, and in 
 another is a tolerable painting of Louis XVIIL 
 
 The cathedral is an old Gothic building, the choir 
 is small but very neat, and quite enclosed towards 
 the west ; different in that respect from any we had 
 seen. Round the high altar is a vast deal of beautiful 
 variegated marble, and on each side is a splendid high 
 arm-chair of marble. There are also several paint- 
 ings. 
 
 In the body of tiio church is a handsome tomb and 
 sarcophagus of Cardinal Bernis, buried here in 1799, 
 above is suspended his cardinal's hat, S,^c. 
 
 That part of Nimes, called the Ramparts, is very 
 handsome. The street broad and the houses good. 
 
ClIRBUSSOT t^T. REMr. 159 
 
 much like the Boulevards of Paris. Here stands the 
 theatre. 
 
 The chief magistrate of Nimes was formerly called 
 consul, as at Toulouse ; but now this ancient Roman 
 appellation is absorbed in the modern one of mayor. 
 
 We this day met with a very sensible French officer, 
 who had been thirty years in the service, and seven 
 in England ; he lamented the plan of withdrawing the 
 troops of occupation, and, speaking of France said, 
 if it committed encore une sottise, c'etoit fait d'elle, 
 Nimes must ever be interesting to the Protestants, 
 from having been the habitation of such numbers of 
 them ; and by an edict in the reign of Henry III., the 
 inhabitants were permitted the free exercise of their 
 rehgion. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII, 
 
 Curbiissot — Tarascou — St. Remi — Road flat and uninteresting — Beau- 
 caire — Venerable Castle — Roman Inscription— 'Rhone — Bridg-e of 
 Boats — Variety of Produce — Female Industry — Change of Depart- 
 ments — Prison of Tarascon. 
 
 Nov. 7. — Set off from N mes* through Curbussot, 
 Tarascon, ^-c, to St. Remi, distant ten post leagues ; 
 Curbussot three, Tarascon four, and Remi three. 
 
 The road was flat, bad, and for the most part un- 
 interesting, till we came to Beaucairef , a fine large 
 
 * At L'Hotel du Gard. 
 
 t Beaucaire is famous for its g-allant defence against Simon de Mont- 
 fort, earl of Leicester, which proved his ruin, as he was shortly afterwards 
 slain at Toulouse in a sortie.— Mez era i. 
 
IGO HOTEL DE VILLE. 
 
 old town, with 10,000 inhabitants, in a most charming 
 situation, almost surrounded by high and steep rocks ; 
 on one side of which, almost perpendicular, stands 
 the venerable ruin of the castle, proudly overlooking 
 the town ; the Rhone, which, at some distance, is seen 
 winding among the numerous islands, and a great 
 extent of country. 
 
 We rambled among its broken walls and noble 
 towers, looking through its antique arches, almost 
 perpencUciilarb/ on the couniri/ below, which, although it 
 was tremendous, afforded us a gratifying spectacle. 
 
 The number of windmills built on the very pinnacle 
 of the rock, made the scene grand, picturesque, and 
 interesting. 
 
 The church of Beaucaire is a handsome modern 
 building. In one of the chapels is a fine picture of 
 our Saviour and Mary Magdalene in the sepulchre ; 
 but the painter has taken the liberty, surely unwar- 
 rantable, of painting Christ reaUij as a gardener with 
 a spade*. 
 
 In the court of the Hotel de Ville are several Roman 
 stones, with inscriptions, some of which are as 
 follows : — 
 
 " OCTAVI . ; 
 
 DIADU " ATTIO FRSTO 
 MEN! JUXIA 
 
 VALEUIA HONERATA VIRO." 
 
 CALLiopoMS (No (late,) 
 
 AMICO MIERENTISSIMO." 
 
 There are also many otlier inscriptions. 
 
 * Tlii'^ is done in mnny partri of France and Italy; among others 
 Santa CroiT, at Florence, in one of the chapels. 
 
TARASCON. 161 
 
 At Beaucaire, leaving the department of Gard, we 
 entered the extensive one of Bouches du Rhone. 
 We crossed the Rlione on a brid^-e of boats, and 
 went along a high stone parapet wall, built to resist 
 the force of the river, there winding suddenly round, 
 we came on another bridge of boats nearly as long as 
 the former, which brought us to Tarascon. The 
 river was very rough and the wind tremendously high, 
 so that we could scarcely keep our feet steady ; the 
 bridge also was very narrow. We here paid a consi- 
 derable toll. The Rhone is so rapid that they cannot 
 have a fixed bridge, and its two branches are con- 
 siderably wider than the Thames at London. 
 
 Tarascon is a good town, containing 6,000 inhabi- 
 tants, separated by the Rhone from Beaucaire. 
 
 The church dedicated to St. Martha is neat, and 
 in a vault is a recumbent monument of its patron Saint, 
 with the following neat inscription : — 
 
 "SOLICITA NON TURBATUR*." 
 
 A little farther on is a very old monument of a war- 
 rior, who is represented in a recumbent posture, and 
 who died in the fourteenth century. The inscription 
 is long and in Latin verse, and we lamented much 
 our want of time to copy it. 
 
 Tarascon f is situated in a plentiful country, Hterally 
 abounding in corn, wine and oil, and well supplied 
 with meat of the best quality. This day's journey 
 
 * " ('aretul, but uot troubled." 
 
 + Tarascon is famous for having risen against the Due D'Espernon, the 
 upstart favourite of Henry HI., ^*'ho retained lu.s in)vver nndcr three 
 monarchs. He was in the coach with Henry IV. when he was'assassinated. 
 
 Vol. I. M 
 
162 PRISON — RECOLLECTIONS.' 
 
 was among fields of excellent wheat, forests of olive- 
 trees, and numbers of mulberry-trees. Romantic rocks 
 on one side, and distant mountains on the other, 
 added not a little to the pleasure of the scene. 
 
 The women were busily employed in cleaning the 
 vineyards, for which they have twenty sous a day ; 
 they dig round each plant, clearing it of its weeds, 
 and cutting all the shoots away close to the main 
 root ; each hillock is then manured, filled up close, 
 and earthed up high. 
 
 At Tarascon we saw a Spanish pilgrim travelling 
 from Spain to Rome, to perform a vow ; his dress 
 was curious ; he carried a pilgrim's staff, and various 
 shells were looten into his coat. 
 
 The prison of Tarascon, overlooking the boisterous 
 Rhone, has a most noble and castellated appearance, 
 and was formerly, in all probability, the castle. We 
 had now been some days in the midst of a country 
 dear to every Englishman who has the interest of 
 religion at heart. A country hallowed by the blood of 
 his fellow-protestants, — a country distinguished by the 
 talents and bravery of a Coligni, Sully, Lesdiguiers and 
 Conde, men who fought under the banners of a brave 
 and religious prince, not for conquest, but for the na- 
 tural privilege of worshipping their Creator in peace ' 
 men rising greater even after a defeat, and prescribing 
 terms to their enemies, though conquered, and making 
 them tremble notwithstanding they possessed every 
 advantage which numbers and money could give 
 them, and were backed with all the resources of a 
 rich and powerful kingdom. This handful of men, 
 
RELIGIOUS PERSECUTIONS. 163 
 
 (as they must be considered in the midst of a popu- 
 lous nation united against them,) not only made their 
 own terms, but insisted on certain towns as a caution 
 against the perfidy of their adversaries. 
 
 The fields of Jarnac and Montcontour*, of Rocroi 
 and Ivri, bear ample testimony to the valour of these 
 men, thus struggling against every disadvantage, sup- 
 porting themselves against such superior numbers, 
 and rising superior to the hosts arrayed against them. 
 To what are we to ascribe the wonderful and unheard 
 of efforts of these men that were ultimately crowned 
 with success, but to that Being who assists with his 
 mighty arm those who are engaged in his sacred 
 cause, and who never deserts those who in defence of 
 true religion take up the shield of faith, and wield the 
 sword of truth, though an host should encamp against 
 them, yet shall they not prevail, " for they are under 
 his care who breaketh the bow and snappeth the spear 
 asunder," ^-c. 
 
 These wars, undertaken for religion, and pursued 
 with such valour and perseverance for nearly two 
 centuries under such obvious disadvantages, were 
 crowned with complete success, and had a happy ter- 
 mination by the issue of the Edict of Nantes by 
 Henri IV. f, and although the narrow-minded po- 
 
 * In this battle admiral Coligni lost 20,000 out of 25,000, but soon col- 
 lected a second army. 
 
 t We cannot help heaving a sigh at the infirmity of human nature, when 
 reflecting that some of these great men, who made such sacrifices to their 
 religion, should at length sacrifice religion to their interest ; the great mo- 
 narch at the head of this sacred cause was a ^melancholy instance of the 
 truth of the assertion. 
 
 M 2 
 
164 ORGON. 
 
 licy, bigotry, and superstition of his descendant 
 Lewis XIV., were the means of revoking this pa- 
 triotic edict, yet was this step most prejudicial to the 
 interests of France, by depriving it of numbers of its 
 most useful subjects, and transferring to another coun- 
 try manufactures which were the source of such riches 
 and prosperity to its own ; indeed the subsequent 
 misfortunes of France may be traced to this fatal 
 event ; nay, even during the reign of this bigoted 
 sovereign, the effects of his ill-judged pohcy brought 
 France to the brink of ruin. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIir. 
 
 Departure from St. Reini — Orj^on — C^iirioiis Canal — Pont-Royal — Useful 
 (.\anals — Durance — Produce of Country — Lanibese — Journey to Mar- 
 seilles—St. Canat — Aix — Cathedral — Course — Road Rocky — Female 
 Costume — Proven9aies Songs — Environs of Marseilles — Bastides — 
 Marseilles. 
 
 Nov. 8. — We left St. Remi*, which is a small place 
 with a very good inn f ; four leagues from it is Orgon, 
 a small village built among the rocks, where we joined 
 the high Avignon road to Marseilles : at Orgon is a 
 very curious and stupendous work; the solid rock 
 being cut through for a small canal about four feel 
 wide, in order to water the adjoining country. We 
 
 ■* We much lamented that the shortness of the days prevented our seeing 
 the fine Roman g-ate about a mile from St. Remi. 
 t La Graille. 
 
THE DURANCE. 165 
 
 descended about thirty feet, and walked the whole 
 length of it ; it is supported by a number of arches, is 
 about 430 yards long, and almost dark, except about 
 the middle, where there is a large aperture for ad- 
 mitting the light. The expense of such an undertak- 
 ing must have been very great. 
 
 Near the small town of Malmort we passed over 
 Pont Royal four leagues from. Orgon, where there is 
 another canal to water the grounds, which are steril 
 and rocky. 
 
 This day's journey was chiefly among rocks, the 
 greater part of which were very high and barren ; at 
 first indeed we had a few corn-fields, vineyards, t^x., 
 afterwards high rocks, one upon the other on each 
 side of the road ; and except wild rosemary, of which 
 there was an • abundance, they produced no vege- 
 tation. 
 
 At Orgon we came to the river Durance*, which 
 runs wild into the Rhone : we afterwards saw this 
 river winding on our left, between two ridges of high 
 rocks, for many miles, and from the top of these rocks, 
 which we ascended, it had a pretty appearance ; there 
 were also on the summit, many castles and forts, 
 which had a very romantic appearance. In the fiat 
 
 * This river is celebmted in history for the masterly camp formed oa 
 its banks by the famous De Montiuorcnci in the reign of Francis I. 
 in 1536 ; the river covered the camp entirely, and protected it from the 
 ■Imperialists. 
 
 The Durance rises in the mountains of Rriancou, and is both impetuous 
 and deep. In the spots where it is fordable by the cnlarg-eraent of its bed, 
 it has a number of loose stones v/hich slipping under the feet of horses and 
 men, make it very dangerous, as they are liable to fall down and be car-^ 
 rifed av/av by the violence cf the current. 
 
166 LAMBESE — AIX, 
 
 part of this rocky soil, lucerne and sainfoin are mu6h 
 cultivated, particularly the latter. 
 
 We came to Lambese in the evening, nine leagues 
 from St. Remi. Here and at St. Remi vfe had 
 sheep's milk, and obtained that w^ith difficulty. Not 
 a cow is to be seen in that rocky country ; we should 
 not have discovered this change of milk, but on grow- 
 ing impatient for it, a man told us " the sheep were 
 not yet come up to be milked." The butter made from 
 the milk of these animals is generally very bad. 
 Lambese is a small neat town, but we deferred see- 
 ing it till our return. 
 
 Nov. 9. — Set of for Marseilles, distant thirty-six 
 miles ; in the whole, from Nimes to Marseilles, thirty- 
 five leagues. 
 
 St. Canat, a small village and post, four leagues, 
 Aix four, and Marseilles four. 
 
 The first part of this day's journey was wild, bold, 
 and rocky, till we descended a long winding hill, 
 (which was beautiful) to Aix : the view here was very 
 striking. 
 
 Aix is situated in a deep valley, highly fertile, full 
 of gardens, fruit, ^c, just far enough from the moun- 
 tains to make the prospect complete. 
 
 We went into the city and cathedral whilst the 
 horses were baiting, deferring a closer inspection till 
 our return ; the former is very handsome, especially 
 the Course, which is a beautiful wide street, with 
 noble houses, and two rows of fine trees. 
 
 The Cathedral is a fine Gothic building, the chief 
 part erected about the thirteenth century, but there 
 
APPROACH TO MARSEILLES. l67 
 
 are in it different styles of architecture ; it has a fine 
 high open round tower, with Hght open iron work on 
 the top, a method of building which is prevalent in 
 this country. 
 
 From Aix* to Marseilles the road is very rough and 
 hilly, with high rocks on each side ; the road, indeed, 
 is so bad as to make this part of the journey uncom- 
 fortable. The costume of the female peasants is a 
 jacket, with a different coloured petticoat, and a very 
 broad-brimmed black hat with a remarkably narrow 
 crown. 
 
 At Aix, and the different places, we had the plea- 
 sure of hearing the Provencal songs, sung by girls in 
 the prettiest manner imaginable, many of whom were 
 dressed as dancing girls. 
 
 The approach to Marseilles is exquisitely beautiful ; 
 there are hundreds of white houses called Bastides f, 
 or country-houses, belonging to the wealthy inhabi- 
 tants and merchants of Marseilles, dispersed in a 
 beautiful valley full of vineyards, fruit-trees, and gar- 
 dens ; while you have a noble view of Marseilles, the 
 sea, bay, and distant mountains : in fact, the scene 
 altogether was enchanting. 
 
 We arrived in good time in the afternoon at Mar- 
 seilles, and took up our quarters at L' Hotel de Bour- 
 bon on the Course. 
 
 * Pope Leo X. at seveti years old received the tonsure, and was made 
 archbishop of Aix by Louis XL liing- of France. Pope Sixtus IV. made 
 some difficulties of confirming- tlie election of the youthful archbishop, on 
 account of Iiis very tender ag-e, but it was all removed by an unexpected 
 circumstance — The former archbishop was not dead. — Roscoe. 
 
 t The bastides are by many reckoned at 5 or 6,000, but are cer ta ily 
 greatly exaggerated. 
 
168 MARSEILLES. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Situation of Marseille!? — Harbour — Forts- — Course — Fruit Market — New 
 Town — Population and Extent— Provisions dear — Marseillois — Hexa- 
 gon Tiles — Obdisk — Place de la Paix — Rue de Rome — Fountain — St. 
 Martin — Buildin;^ for Flour — A Row into the Bay — Ch;\toaux d' If — 
 Rattaneau — Pommeyues — Moonlig-lit Scene — Old Cathedral of St. La- 
 zare— Inscription — Various Chapels — Hotel de Ville — Alices de Meil- 
 lian — Obelisk, S)-c. — Place Royale — Statue in Place de la Paix. 
 
 Marseilles* is a large and beautiful city, formerly 
 in Provence, now in tiie department of Les Bouches 
 du Rhone, containing 100,000 persons. Its extent 
 is about one mile and a half square, and there 
 are few streets finer than le Cours and la Rue de 
 Rome, bounded on one side by an aqueduct, and on 
 the other by a fountain and high obelisk. In la Rue 
 de Rome is a fountain V\^ith a pillar and head of Puget 
 with the following neat inscription, which does great 
 honour to the Marseillois. 
 
 A. P. Puget 
 
 Sculpteur, Peintre et Ardiitecte, 
 
 Marseille sa Patrie 
 
 qu"il embellit ct honora 
 
 a eleve ce Monument 
 
 112 Ans. apres sa mort, 
 
 1S07. 
 
 The Course is a wide and noble street, with houses 
 
 • 'Marseilles was besieged by the Imperialists, in 1524, commanded by 
 the celebrated Constable de Bourbon, but he raised the siea^e on the ap- 
 proach of the French army commanded by the INIarshal de Chabannes, — 
 Gaenjer'!} Ifiatoire tie France. 
 
STREETS HARBOUR. 169 
 
 on both sides, and a broad walk in the middle with 
 two rows of trees ; this is usually so crowded that 
 you can hardly pass ; in one part of it is a market for 
 fruit, ^'c, and the women have a singular way of 
 sitting on high tables or forms and selling their goods, 
 which at first seems strange, and indeed ludicrous, to 
 strangers. 
 
 The streets leading to the harbour are very good, 
 especially that called Canabiere, which is elegant, 
 well paved, and full of good shops, yielding to none 
 even in London ; this, indeed, may be called the 
 Bond- street of Marseilles. 
 
 Marseilles is built at the bottom of a hill, and on a 
 fine bay formed by high rocks on both sides, affording 
 great security to ships. The harbour is remarkably 
 good, nearly half a mile in length, and full of vessels 
 of all sizes ; it is capable of containing ships of 500 
 tons. They build here vessels of a considerable 
 size, many of which we observed on the stocks nearly 
 finished. 
 
 On each side of the harbour is a fine broad walk, 
 full of life and bustle, where you meet people of all 
 nations, whose variety of language recalls to the mind 
 the confusion of tongues at the tower of Babel. On 
 each side, at the entrance of the harbour, are the Forts 
 of St. Nicholas and St. Jean, the former of which is 
 remarkably strong ; and on a very high rock, over- 
 looking the sea, is another fort, called Notre Dame de 
 Garde. 
 
 There is a fine and interesting walk to the rocks 
 overhanging the bay, the view from which repays you 
 
170 TUE MARSEILLOIS — CA IRA. 
 
 well for the trouble of the ascent. The new town is 
 particularly handsome, most of the streets have a high 
 trotoir, and many of these are handsomely paved with 
 bricks. The concourse of strangers at Marseilles is 
 very great, and though the markets are well supplied, 
 provisions are by no means reasonable. 
 
 We met with a sensible man, who conversing on 
 the savage conduct of the Marseillois at the beginning 
 of the Revolution, said, that in every change of govern- 
 ment they were violent ; in the late change 300 per- 
 sons fell victims to the Bourbon party. It will per- 
 haps be remembered that the Marseillois enrolled 
 themselves in a troop of several hundreds, and volun- 
 teered their services to come to Paris, where they 
 conducted the king to the scaffold, and were the prin- 
 cipal agents in some of the most sanguinary scenes ; 
 the famous air Ca ira took its rise from them ; but 
 they seem to wish, by their present loyalty and at- 
 tachment to the reigning family, to have the past for- 
 gotten, and have erected a very beautiful and high 
 obelisk in honour of Monsieur, who was here in 1816 ; 
 there is a pompous and fulsome inscription on it in 
 Latin and French. In la Place de la Paix is a statue 
 of Peace. 
 
 In no town are there more idle, ill-looking fellows 
 than in this, almost always lounging about, and 
 having apparently nothing to do; every inn-door is 
 crowded with them, so that it is disagreeable for a fe- 
 male to pass or repass. In any change or commotion 
 it is very probable these persons would be too active. 
 
 At Marseilles, as at Aix, there are in the chambers 
 
MEDITERRANEAN. I7l 
 
 the beautiful hexagon tiles. The Church of St. Mar- 
 tin, now called the Cathedral, is an old Gothic build- 
 ing, said to have been erected above 700 years ago ; 
 it has beautiful tranverse arches, but is disfigured by 
 modern shell-work. 
 
 Among other useful buildings in this city, there is 
 one in which all the flour is carefully weighed before 
 it is brought to market. 
 
 Fatigued with our walk, we retired to our hotel to 
 prepare for the next day. 
 
 Nov. 11. — Tempted by the weather, which conti- 
 nued as fine and warm as with us in June, we took a 
 pleasure-boat, accompanying a large Neapolitan steam- 
 boat in its sortie from the harbour, which made its 
 first essay, and was crowded with people on board to 
 the number, as was said, of 2000. 
 
 The day was perfectly serene and unclouded, and 
 the Mediterranean calm as a pond ; we only took one 
 waterman, as our little vessel was light, with a neat 
 covering to guard against the sun. The scene was 
 so beautiful that we extended our aquatic excursion 
 farther than we intended, rowing to the three islands 
 of If, Rattoneau, and Pommezues, distant from the 
 town about a league, and being fine objects when 
 viewed from it. 
 
 Le Chateau d'lf * is a strong and regular fortifica- 
 tion, extending round the small island, with a tower, 
 fine platform, barracks, t^-c. A commandant and seven 
 soldiers were stationed there ; we were received on 
 
 * Le Chateau d'lf was taken by the Spaniards iu 1597. — Mezbrat, 
 
17*2 RATTONEAU. 
 
 landing at the bottom of the rock by a soldier, and 
 ascended several steep steps into the fortress, which, 
 with the permission of the commandant, who was very 
 polite, we inspected. The fort is situate on a steep 
 rock, and might give an enemy some trouble to take ; 
 the commandant has a neat house, and the barracks 
 are comfortable. 
 
 On our observing to this gentleman that he was so- 
 litary, he owned that it was true, but said, to make 
 amends he had a fine climate, never having seen 
 snow or frost in the several years that he had been 
 there. From thence we rowed across a narrow chan- 
 nel, among rocks, to Rattoneau, rendered famous and 
 particularly interesting to us, from having been taken 
 by the English in the last war. 
 
 We here clambered up a remarkably sharp and 
 high rock on our hands and knees, certainly with 
 some degree of hazard, along a narrow path of rock 
 and rolling stones made by our brave countrymen. 
 When at last we came to the top, we found a solitary 
 deserted fort*, but on the other side of the island, we 
 were amply rev\'arded for our trouble. In a romantic 
 small bay, made by the rocks, was a small squadron 
 of about forty ships performing quarantine, and in a 
 corner of the rock overlooking them, a neat pic- 
 turesque house belonging to the commandant, but he 
 and his nautical neighbours having no connexion, 
 they are neighbours without society, and he lives 
 isolated, as it were, though quite near to them. The 
 
 * This fort, or at least one in Rattoueiiu, was built by the Due de 
 Guise in 1597, 
 
POMMEGUES. 173 
 
 English took the island (after some resistance) in 
 order to get possession of the ships. 
 
 We next rowed to Pommegues ■•■% about half a mile 
 distant, and again climbed up a very steep rock with 
 a fortress on the top, descending to the other side 
 where our boat was in waiting. In this island there 
 is an inferior officer stationed, who is alone in the 
 fort. In another part of the island is a small public- 
 house, with two or three persons who supply him with 
 necessaries. His goat supplies him with milk and 
 butter, and an abundance of wild rabbits give him an 
 opportunity of amusing himself with shooting. 
 
 The two last islands are about two miles round, 
 and are nearly a ridge of barren rocks intersected 
 with creeks, producing nothing scarcely but a kind of 
 wild holly ; the scene is consequently wild and terrific. 
 
 We now prepared to take our departure, but were 
 some time before we could discover our boat, and 
 while standing on tlie top of the rock to look after it, 
 we began to feel a little apprehension that we must 
 pass the night in this island something after the man- 
 ner of that far-fanied personage, Robinson Crusoe. 
 In the midst of these reflections, however, we fortu- 
 nately discovered our boat and man safely moored in 
 a small creek, and expecting us ; we then speedily 
 descended, without any accident, and embarked ; but 
 we had been detained so long by our curiosity that it 
 was quite late before we arrived at Marseilles, and 
 
 * There was also a fort built in Pomnieeues, by Jean de Medicis, iu 
 1597. 
 
174 BAY OF MARSEILLES. 
 
 some of our party which we had left there began to 
 be uneasy at our absence. 
 
 We had the pleasure of seeing the sun set in the 
 Mediterranean, as we had seen it I'ise in going to 
 Barcelona. It was indeed a most beautiful sight; 
 and, on going back, we received light from a clear 
 moon reflecting its lucid image on the water. The 
 evening was lovely, and the sea, which continued per- 
 fectly calm, was agitated only by the gentle and regu- 
 lar motion of the oars ; it was likewise full of vessels, 
 and we only wanted our waterman to sing the Even- 
 ing Hymn to the Virgin, in order to imagine ourselves 
 in the Bay of Naples, from what we had heard and 
 read of it. But alas, our waterman was neither mu- 
 sical nor brilliant, he was excessively stupid, and 
 could only tell the name of each rock and its con- 
 comitant danger. 
 
 The Bay of Marseilles can yield to few in beauty ; 
 the view of the city, the numerous white bastides, 
 mountains on each side, rocks of Meirat, Black 
 Rocks, Pharo, light-house, ^-c, afford an infinite and 
 delightful variety of scenery. We were not sorry to 
 have some repose after our nautical tour. 
 
 Nov. 12. — We went to the old Cathedral of St. 
 Lazare, now called Marice ; on the outside is this in- 
 scription : — 
 
 Ecclesiae St. Mariae 
 
 Hffic Inscrip. An. D. C. C. C. 
 
 Sedis Antiquse 
 
 Restitutaan. 1818. 
 
 This is a fine old church, though built at different 
 
HOTEL DE VILLE. 175 
 
 times ; they tell you it was founded 1800 years ago, 
 and shew you the tomb of St. Lazarus, the first 
 bishop, " Fabula narratur, risum teneatis?" In one 
 of the chapels is a representation of our Lord in the 
 tomb, the Marys, ^c, standing by, all of marble. 
 In another chapel is the ancient family of Beaufet in- 
 terred, and there are monuments of many of them ; 
 among others, one of Bartholomew Beaufet, Bishop of 
 Marseilles, and Almoner to Catharine of Medicis ; 
 he died in 1631, after having been fifty -one years 
 Bishop of Marseilles. 
 
 On the whole, this church will repay a stranger for 
 a long walk, the more especially as he will have the 
 benefit of a fine sea-breeze. 
 
 The Hotel de Ville is a large building, compre- 
 hending various offices, and the Exchange for the 
 merchants. In one of the rooms are two large pic- 
 tures representing the devastations of the plague 100 
 years ago, when in the space of thirteen months 
 50,000 fell victims to that dreadful malady. Here 
 also are portraits of the royal family, and of the late 
 venerable Archbishop of Paris, who was nearly 100 
 years old, and whose picture we saw in the Cathedral 
 of Paris. 
 
 Les Alices deMeilhan is a beautiful wide street, with 
 excellent houses on each side, and trees, and a walk 
 in the centre. Here the different consuls, merchants, 
 and bankers chiefly reside. In this street is a foun- 
 tain and obelisk with the following inscription : — 
 
 " Peuple par tes travaux que le besoin active 
 Change ton sol ingrat en fertiles Guerrets 
 
ITG INSCRIPTION. 
 
 Le Nectar de Bacchus, les e\>h Je Ceres, 
 
 Que la saee Minerve au scin de tes Ramparts 
 
 Aniine I'industric, cilaire tons les arts, 
 
 (^ue sur sou trele esquif le priuihtininie intrcpide 
 
 Aille ravir sa proie aux Gouffres de tes njurs, 
 
 Que tes uombreuK vaisseaux dans leiir course rapide, 
 
 Portent a cent peuples divers. 
 Les productions de ton sol et de ton Industrie, 
 Par I'aboudants retours enrlchissent ta patrie 
 Qu'un <,^ouvcrnenieiit protecteur, 
 Au dedans des partis enchaincnt la furie, 
 Maintenanl au dehors, la paix et I'harinonie 
 Assure aux Marfeiilois ving^t sieclcs de bonheur ! 
 
 We observed the streets of Marseilles* full of goats 
 early in the morning brought up to be milked. 
 
 Our intention was to have gone on to Toulon, but 
 the season was so far advanced and the days so short, 
 that prudence advised us to restrain our wanderings ; 
 we listened to her admonitions, and prepared to bend 
 our steps northward to the commercial and flourishing 
 city of Lyons. 
 
 * Marseilles is said to have been built as early as A. M. 34;;5 by a 
 colony of Phocians from Ionia. It is said to have been taken by Csesar A . 
 M. 3955, and of Rome, 704. After a severe siecfe in 1257, it submitted to 
 Charles Conite de Provence. Latterly, like the neiirhbuuring' towns it ^vas 
 alternately in the power of the league ami the opposite party, till it re- 
 tiirned to its alleg-iance under Henry the Fourth. Charles Quint besieged 
 Marseilles, in 1536, but was soon obliged to raise the siege in disarace. 
 
A IX— CATHEDRAL. 177 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Journey to Aix — Aix, why so called — Visit to Cathedral — Great Doors — 
 Chapel of St. John — Baptistrj^ — Leg-endary — Account of the Antiquity 
 of the Cathedral — St. Mitra — King- Rene — ^lemorials of English fami- 
 lies — Hotel de Ville — Old Tower and (Jlock — Obelisk and Inscriptions 
 — Consul — Place des Precheurs — Column and Inscrii)tion — Churcli 
 of Dominicans — Baths — Population — Decadence — Situation — Ventrilo- 
 quist. 
 
 Nov. 13. — Set off on our return to Aix, and arrived 
 there in good time in the afternoon, 
 
 Aix, so called from Aquae, the aquce sextice of the 
 Romans, still retains its baths and chalybeate springs, 
 which have so long been famous. Our second visit to 
 the cathedral was highly gratifying ; the first curious 
 thing shewn us, was the great entrance doors, which 
 are carefully cased up. 
 
 Here are many figures curiously carved in wood with 
 a knife, by a Roman ; on one side our conductor said 
 were the civic officers of the city, and on the other the 
 sibyls ; this was done in the sixteenth century. 
 
 The cathedral is a noble building, some of the 
 chapels are very old, especially that of St. John, in 
 which is a fine dome. 
 
 The baptistry also is very curious, the top of which 
 is octagonal, and there are some fine Egyptian pil- 
 lars of marble and granite. Our guide told us that 
 part of this cathedral was built in the fifth century. 
 Am.ong other ornaments, is a Magdalen in bas relief 
 by Puget ; the twelve apostles carved in stone ; 
 
 Vol. I. N 
 
178 HOTEL DE VILLE. 
 
 Mitra the patron of the church, who was beheaded 
 in the fifth century, holding Ms head in his hand ; a 
 curious painting in boards, by King Ren^*, of him- 
 self, and Jane, his queen ; the virgin and infant Jesus, 
 and angels keeping a flock of sheep. We also ob- 
 served inscriptions to the memory of many of our 
 countrymen buried here, among whom were Sir John 
 Webb, three sons of Sir John Dolben, and Lady 
 Dolben. There is an inscription also to the memory 
 of the late Archbishop, whose remains were lately 
 removed from a church-yard to this cathedral. Bona- 
 parte would not suffer him to be buried here, and the 
 body was kept above ground some weeks, till his de- 
 termination was known. On the whole the cathedral 
 Is well worth seeing. 
 
 The Hotel de Ville is a good building; on the 
 stairs is a statue of Hector due de Villars, late go- 
 vernor of Aix, which was presented to the city by his 
 son. The following line is under the inscription : — 
 
 " Hie novus Hector adest, quem contra nullus Achilles." 
 
 Near this is an old tower with a noble clock, and a 
 whimsically constructed figure, made to change his 
 dress according to the seasons. 
 
 In La Place de I'Hotel de Ville is a fountain with an 
 obelisk, on which are four inscriptions containing par- 
 ticulars relative to the mode of supplying the city with 
 water, from aqueducts cleansing the pipes ; the names 
 
 * Sinianicd tlic g'ood, Duke of Anjoii, and titular King of Sicily, he 
 was father of Slargaret of Anjou, married to Henry Vf ., King of 
 England. Rene died July 10, 1480. 
 
INSCRIPTIONS. 179 
 
 of the different municipal officers, kings, governor of 
 the province, ^c. 
 
 The title of the first civic officer was here formerly 
 consul. 
 
 In la Place de Precheurs, formerly Dominicans, is 
 also a fountain, having a column, on the top of which 
 is a Roman eagle with expanded wings ; the follow- 
 ing inscriptions are on the four sides : — 
 
 Cn. Domitio Ahenobarbo, 
 C. Faunio Strabone 
 
 Coss." 
 
 " Sextius Calvinus 
 
 Procon. 
 
 Devictis Lig-uribus 
 
 Vocontris Salluviisque 
 
 Urbem ad aquas 
 Auspicato condidit*.'. 
 
 " Carolus Andeg'avenensis 
 
 Reddita ex Testamento 
 
 Francorum Regibus 
 
 Provincia 
 
 Populorum felicitatera adservit 
 
 Anno D. 1481. " 
 
 " Nobilissimus Puer 
 
 Ludovici Delphini F. 
 
 Ludovici Reg-is 
 
 Provincige Comes Datus 
 
 Anno 1755." 
 
 " Ludovico 15th 
 
 Regi dilectissirao 
 
 Patri Patriae 
 
 Provinciarn in antiquum decus restituenti 
 
 Civitas Aquencis 
 
 Pia, fidelis, absequens 
 
 D. D. 
 
 Anno D. 1766." 
 
 * Sextius Calvinus having conquered the Ligurians, ^-c, built the city 
 of Aix. 
 
 N 2 
 
180 CHURCHES — BATHS. 
 
 In the church of the Dominicans which is very 
 beautiful, there is a handsome pulpit of marble, a 
 canopy to the high altar and six figures, three on each 
 side. This church consists of a nave and two aisles, 
 and there is a fine portico on entering. 
 
 The church of the Carmelites on La Course has four 
 fine domes, and is well worth seeing. 
 
 The baths are still used at Aix, and the waters 
 drank. The price for bathing is a franc, the baths are 
 fourteen in number, and are in a large handsome 
 house ; the expense is supported by government. 
 
 Aix* was formerly a parliament-town, and more 
 flourishing and populous than at present ; it now only 
 contains 24,000 persons, and may be said to be in its 
 decline. But it has the advantage of a good situation, 
 and many of the streets are handsome. 
 
 A gentleman f conversing with us at the Table 
 d'Hote, lamented the change. He said from being a 
 parliament- town and of great consequence, it was 
 now little better than a village. Aix, he said, had 
 been always loyal, but reaped no advantage from its 
 
 * Le Baron D*0])pede, first president of the parliament of Aix, is 
 recorded for Ids peculiar I)arbarity and criielt}^ to the Protestants, in tlie 
 reign of Francis I., who, in spite of all that his panegyrists have said 
 of hiiu, was a crncl and bigoted prince, assisting in jierson at the burning 
 of the heretics. Under the auspices of this baron, twenty-two small 
 towns and villages were burnt, and their inhabitants destroyed by an 
 mn'et of the parlia-ment of Ais, pi'ocui'cd at his instigation. — Histoire of 
 France. 
 
 •f- This gentlemen, w\w was an officer, lamented the ingratitude, as he 
 said, of the present family, remarking that he was utterly neglected by 
 them, after having zeidously served and been much attached to them ; 
 whether the fact was true or not, it shews at least the perfect liberty of 
 speech which prevails now in France. 
 
JOURNEY TO AVIGNON. 181 
 
 loyalty, whilst all the advantages and privileges were 
 transferred to Marseilles, which had not deserved 
 them, and was rapidly rising to an eminent degree of 
 splendour and prosperity. 
 
 At Aix, besides the provencal song, there came 
 regularly to our hotel, a boy, who excelled in the 
 ventriloquist's art, exercised it daily, and attracted 
 much attention*. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 Journey to Avignon— Lanibesc — Org-on — Inns excellent — Singular En- 
 trance — Situation of Inns — Moderation of an Innkeeper — Change of 
 (Country — Antiquity of Avignon — Papal Palace — Cathedral — Interest- 
 ing View — Remains of Tombs — INIelancholy Fragments — Fallen Great- 
 ness — Curious Inscription — Saturn Temple — To\ver of Palace — Black 
 Penitents — Fine Ivory Figure — Change in Avignon^ — Maison de 
 Sante — Drive to, and Description of, Vaucluse — Villages and surround- 
 ing Country. 
 
 No\:>. 14. — Left Aixf, stopped the second time at 
 Lambesc, where we had now the opportunity of see- 
 ing the church, which we missed before. It was 
 rebuilt about a hundred years ago, and is a very 
 elegant cruciform building, with a beautiful dome, 
 a nave and two aisles, (the latter very elegant) with 
 
 * This was at L" Hotel du Cours, an excellent and splendid inn. 
 
 •]• In 153G, the Emperor, Charles Quint, made two trin.mplial entries 
 into Aix, one as King of Aries, the other as Comte de Provence, — Histoire 
 de France, 
 
182 ORGON. 
 
 many paintings, sculpture, ^-c. It has also a tower 
 with a good clock and figures, to strike the quarters 
 as in St. Dunstan's in Fleet-street. The town is 
 small and dirty, presenting to the traveller nothing 
 remarkable. 
 
 We arrived at Orgonf in the evening, where we 
 staid all night. This is a small village with two or 
 three inns, just by the junction of the Nimes and 
 Avignon roads to Marseilles. 
 
 In all these villages and posts, there are excellent 
 inns, but very dear. The Voiturins always drive into 
 a large remise so large, indeed, as often to have one 
 or two turnings in it. There is an enormous lamp 
 suspended from the centre, and a large pair of folding 
 doors each way always open in the day. The Voiturin, 
 without any notice, leads his horses into the middle 
 of the remise, takes them out of the coach, leaving 
 his passengers to find their way up stairs as they can, 
 the house being usually over the remise and stables, 
 though sometimes adjoining them. 
 
 At Orgon we had a strong instance of the modera- 
 tion and self -applauding conscience of the innkeeper. 
 On desiring him to be moderate in his demands, for 
 coriscience sake, he shewed us his grey hairs, and said, 
 *' at my time of life, (and he had a most venerable 
 appearance) I should scorn to be otherwise." After 
 this he asked ten francs for three small bed-rooms, not 
 larger than closets, taking ho\vever six. We were 
 now rapidly approaching a more civilized country, or 
 
 t At L" Hotel de Londres. 
 
BONPAS. 183 
 
 properly speaking, a more fertile one, after having 
 many days bent our steps among high mountains and 
 barren rocks, seldom trodden by the foot of man, and 
 varied only by the cultivated country about Mont- 
 pellier Nice, and the vale of Aix. 
 
 For many dreary miles not a human step was seen, 
 not even a miserable cottage, nay, not even a cow. 
 Now and then, indeed, a mountain goat was seen 
 skipping from rock to rock, or the shepherd at a dis- 
 tance appeared with his immense flapped hat, con- 
 ducting his little flock to the least barren spot for 
 subsistence. 
 
 Nature here reigned uncontrolled, awful in all its 
 uncultivated state and terrific grandeur. 
 
 To those who have gone through Roussillon, and 
 parts of Languedoc and Provence, these scenes will 
 not seem exaggerated, or the picture drawn with too 
 high a colour. 
 
 Nov. 15. — Set off" from Orgon to Avignon, distant 
 eight leagues, St. Andiol one and a quarter, Bonpas 
 and Avignon one and a half 
 
 We now came into a flat country, leaving the moun- 
 tains for a time, and having on our left the road of 
 Nimes. 
 
 At Bonpas we passed the Durance on a wooden- 
 bridge 676 yards in length, made in a singular man- 
 ner of strong piles placed cross ways. Owing to the 
 long continuance of dry weather, there was but 
 little water in the river, but it was rapid ; there 
 were large beds of stones and gravel, which when the 
 
184 AVIGNON. 
 
 river is high, are, of course, entirely covered. We 
 now entered the department of Vaucluse. 
 
 From hence to Avignon we went through a fertile 
 track of corn and grass fields, which to us, who had 
 long been used to nothing but rocks, was quite a 
 treat. We had also the pleasure of seeing a number 
 of fine cows, a sight we had long been unaccustomed 
 to, and anticipated the comfort of good wholesome 
 milk, which, indeed, was realized at Avignon. 
 
 We went round the fortifications of Avignon*, 
 which bear the mark of great antiquity, for about a 
 mile and a half to the bridge, near which was the 
 hotel in which we took up our quarters for the 
 night f . 
 
 Nov. 16. — We took a survey of the city, which is 
 large, bearing strong evidence of its Roman origin. 
 The streets in general are very narrow, the fortifica- 
 tions though not strong, remarkably regular. Avignon 
 has been famous in history for the long existing wars 
 between the Guelphs and Gibelins, from pretended 
 religious motives. It is situated in a beautiful valley, 
 overlooked by a noble rock, on which the ancient 
 palace of the Popes is built, proudly looking down on 
 the town ; at the bottom are the two branches of the 
 Rhone, with a fine fertile island formed by them. 
 
 This Papal palace is, indeed, well worthy the atten- 
 
 * Avignon is in the department of Vaucluse. 
 
 •V This clay's journey ^vas chiefly throua^h a flat cultivated country, varied, 
 however, with some districts of rocks, in whidi we t'oiind much wild 
 lavender and some curious holly, producinij acorns like the oak. 
 
CATHEDRAL. 185 
 
 tion of a stranger. From it is a noble view of the city, 
 the surrounding country and winding of the Rhone on 
 one side, and on the other Durance, which empties 
 itself into the Rhone. 
 
 The old cathedral, which joins the palace, presents 
 a melancholy view of fallen greatness ; you have, 
 indeed, the great door opened to you with solemn 
 pomp, but opened to a mass of ruins. The shell of the 
 tomb of Laura and her arms are shewn you, and the 
 remains of the tombs of popes and cardinals, which 
 seem to say, fuhniis. 
 
 We saw a head in one place, an arm in another, 
 and a leg in a third ; and on asking the reason, the 
 woman who was our conductress, told us the marshal 
 had ordered them to be thus mutilated. But it is surely 
 impossible to believe, that any one in so elevated a 
 situation could thus war against the arts, at the same 
 time disturbing the ashes of the dead. 
 
 The elegant dome of this skeleton of a church, with 
 its fine painting, and the various pieces of marble 
 which are scattered here and there, are sufficient 
 evidences of its former splendour. 
 
 In one of the chapels is an inscription in Latin, 
 signifying that Jesus Christ himself consecrated it, as 
 it appears from the record of Popes John XX XL and 
 Sixtus IV. 
 
 Clement II., Clement V., and John XXII., kept 
 their court and died here, and it was the seat of 
 Papal grandeur, splendour, and sometimes of hjranmj 
 nearly 100 years. 
 
 This church is said to have been a temple, dedi^ 
 
186 BLACK PENITENTS. 
 
 cated to Saturn ; and in it there is a chapel called the 
 Temple of Constantine. John XXII. built the palace, 
 the tower* of which is very high, and in a most 
 commanding situation, and the prospect is most exten- 
 sive. You descend into the city by a vast number of 
 steps. 
 
 We next went to the Black Penitents, where there is 
 a brilliant assemblage of fine paintings, such as the 
 complete history of John the Baptist, ^c. ; but su- 
 perior in execution to the rest, is a very fine figure in 
 ivory of our Saviour, done in 1659, by J. Guillermin. 
 The subject is most distressing to a Christian, and 
 must harrow up his feelings, for the most minute parts 
 of the passion of his Redeemer are descried, and his 
 wounds, S'c., are most accurately sculptured. 
 
 Avignon is about a league and a half round, has 
 four parishes, and about 22,000 persons ; but how 
 changed now is Avignon. Where under the Papal 
 sway, superstition reigned uncontrolled, and churches, 
 convents, ^-c, were seen in almost every corner, 
 hardly a church is to be discovered, and the distant 
 tinkling of the convent bell is no more heard. 
 
 La Maison de Sante for mad persons, idiots, ^c, is 
 conducted liberally on an extensive plan ; and what 
 is very singular, all the officers of the house are 
 deranged or convalescents, cooks, scullions, ^-c. On 
 my inquiring of the cook into this, he answered me 
 " Yes, Sir, it is very true, we are all here fools or 
 mad." 
 
 * The woman who was our guide, said that a Frencli Marshal had 
 ordered iJOO of the opposite party to be thrown from this tower. 
 
VAUCLUSE. 187 
 
 At Avignon, at the Table d'Hote, we had musical 
 glasses brought in, which being well performed on, 
 had a most pleasing effect. "We retired early to pre- 
 pare for our journey to Vaucluse in the morning. 
 
 Nov. 17. — Having previously engaged a cabriolet 
 and two horses*, we set off for Vaucluse. Our pos- 
 tilion rode one of the horses a VAngloise, and was 
 dressed like a jockey ; and he set off at a brisk rate. 
 Vaucluse is twenty miles from Avignon. This cele- 
 brated resort of travellers, to say the truth, has been 
 much exaggerated, and does not pay for the trouble 
 of going so far to see it. The village is in a most 
 romantic situation, with the stream running through 
 it, which, by means of the stones and rocks forming 
 natural cascades, is clear and pastoral. 
 
 Vaucluse is surrounded with high rocks ; on the 
 top of one are the ruins of an old castle, said to have 
 been the habitation of Petrarch. It was with some 
 difficulty that we clambered up to the top of this rock, 
 the situation of which is bold and romantic to the 
 greatest degree. 
 
 Nearly a mile ftirther, in the hollow of a rock, with 
 another very high one hanging over it, is ihQ fountain ^ 
 or rather basin, and near it a high column, which we 
 were eager to examine, in the hope of deriving some 
 valuable information ; when, behold, on arriving at it, 
 
 * For this we g'ave twenty francs, and the horses and chaise were g'ood. 
 
 t Here it should he observed, once for all, that the French like the 
 Romans, use the word fountain in a very copious way, such as a 
 well, pump, conduit, Sfc, and the writer of this has followed their method 
 only, whereas the English only use it in an artificial sense, for a Jet 
 DEau, 4-e, 
 
188 l'isle. 
 
 our expectations were blasted in a moment, for we 
 
 found a blank. The rocks bear nothing but 
 
 wild thyme, lavender, ^-c. The source of the spring 
 is soon increased by others rippling out of the rocks, 
 in the prettiest manner imaginable, till it becomes a 
 tolerably wide stream. 
 
 The situation of the village under the rock is very 
 romantic, but there is no memorial whatsoever of 
 Petrarch or Laura. The former followed the fortune 
 of the Pope into Italy, where he died and was 
 buried*; the latter was buried at Avignon. 
 
 The little village of L'Isle, one league off, is pretty 
 and flourishing, and there are several good inns ; but 
 at Vaucluse only a miserable imposing cabaret, 
 where scarcely any thing was to be had. The days 
 were so short, and the journey so long, we could not 
 avail ourselves of the refreshment to be had at the 
 former, but came back half-famished to Avignon. 
 The first three or four miles, the road was good, but 
 afterwards none could be worse, being stony, rough, 
 and rutty to the greatest degree ; the country, however, 
 is pretty, and in general well cultivated, but there are 
 not many villages. After taking some refreshment, 
 we retired early to prepare for our journey next 
 day. 
 
 * Petrarch died at Arg-iia, near Padua, and Mas buried there ; the fol- 
 lowing' verses were on his tomb ; tlie rhyme is their only merit, as the 
 author of the Life of Petrarch observes : — ■ 
 
 Frig'ida Francisci tcgit hie lapis ossa Petrarcfe 
 Suscipc, viri^o parens, animain ; sate virg-ine parce ; 
 Fessaque jam terris ccel rcquiescat in arcc. 
 
 DoJJsoN'b Life of Pdrarch. 
 
NEUVE VI LLP.. 189 
 
 CHAPTER XXXir. 
 
 Leave Avia^non — Cross the Rhone — Neuve Ville — La Croisade — Pont de 
 Gard — Valiuuieres — Departure from Valiguieres^Pierlatte — Connaux 
 — Bag-nols — St.Esprit — Palno — Pierlatte — Patois — Donzeres — Monte- 
 limart — Derbieres — Loriol — Industry of Peasants — Evening-Agriculture 
 ■ — Fine View of the Rhone — Description of Boats — Bad Roads — La 
 Paillasse — Valence — No amendment in Roads — Much Tratfic — Silk- 
 M'orms numerous — Many of tlie Poor employed. 
 
 Nov. 18. — Set off from Avignon*, passing over the 
 R,hone on a wooden-bridge to the little populous town 
 of Neuve Ville, in which is a fine old castle on the 
 hill ; this may be considered as a Fauxbourg to 
 Avignon, though we now, having crossed the river, 
 had quitted the department of Vaucluse for Gard. 
 The Rhone here forms itself into two large branches, 
 having a considerable island in the centre, and both 
 branches are here remarkably rapid. 
 
 Five leagues farther is La Croisade, where we 
 took a patache or light covered cart, and drove to the 
 Pont de Gard, two miles distant. 
 
 * Avij^non had the papal seat transferred to it in 1305. It was pur- 
 chased of Jane of Sicily and Countess of Provence in 1367, by Pope 
 Benedict XII.; the Em])eror Charles IV. confirmed the bargain, freeing- 
 the county of Avignon from any subjection to the empire. After this it 
 was seized and occujned by the French Kings, but restored to Pope 
 Alexander VIII, by Louis XIV. The popes who resided at Avignon 
 during the famous schism of forty years are usually called anti-popes, but 
 this is an error, for several of the popes, so acknowledged, resided there. 
 The famous faction of the Guelphs and Gibelins, the former on the side of 
 the pope, and the latter of the emperor, began in 124.3, and long disturbed 
 Europe, plunging it in continual wars, and causing a schism iu the church 
 by making popes and anti-popes. — Mezbrai. 
 
190 AQUEDUCT. 
 
 This noble and stupendous work of ancient gran- 
 deur and utility has not received unmerited praise. 
 It consists of three tiers of arches ; the first, which 
 supports the aqueduct, has thirty-five arches, the next 
 eleven, and the third six; On the side is a modern 
 bridge over the Gard, which is a romantic river but 
 not wide. 
 
 We walked over the aqueduct from one end to the 
 other, and found it in excellent preservation, three 
 parts of it are covered over with stone about five feet 
 seven inches high, the rest of the top or covering has 
 been broken down or decayed by time. 
 
 The length of the aqueduct is 331 yards*, the great 
 arches vary from twenty- eight to eighteen yards. 
 
 This beautiful work may be said to be almost in 
 a perfect state of preservation, and is worthy the 
 attention of the curious. Its original use was to 
 convey water to Nismes, which was a Roman town, 
 distant four leagues. Came to Valiguieresf in the 
 evening. 
 
 This day's journey was through corn-fields, inter- 
 spersed with olive-trees, and rocks frequently appear- 
 ing on each side of the road. 
 
 Nov. 19. — Left Valiguieres, which is a small 
 insignificant village ; Connaux, a small village one 
 post and three-quarters, Bagnols, one and a half. 
 The latter is a pretty little town on the river Ceze, 
 
 * This is its supposed admeasurement, being- only taken by the steps of 
 some of the party, a method we adopted in measuring- many of the public 
 buildings. 
 
 f At Le Palais, a vile and dear inn. 
 
VALIGUIERES LORTOL. 191 
 
 which empties itself into the Rhone. Pont St. Esprit 
 one post and three-quarters, La Pakid one, and Pier- 
 lat one. St. Esprit, or Pont St. Esprit, as it is 
 usually called, is a neat, old, and tolerably populous 
 town on the Rhone, over which is a remarkably long 
 and narrow stone bridge of thirty-six arches, consi- 
 derably more than half a mile in length, and which 
 gives name to the town. There is a strong citadel, 
 and the population of the town is 8000, but no place 
 has experienced more of the revolutionary fury than 
 this ; a priest lamented to us that it had formerly fifty 
 clergy, but that now it contained only one solitary 
 ecclesiastic. An island is here also formed by the 
 river, which is rapid and divides itself into two 
 branches. 
 
 The first part of our journey this day was very ro- 
 mantic, the road winding among the rocks; after- 
 wards we passed through a flat rich country, abound- 
 ing with grain of various kinds. From a hill about 
 two miles distant, the view of St. Esprit and its 
 bridge, with the winding Rhone, is highly beautiful. 
 A patois much resembling Italian began now to be 
 generally spoken. From Vahguieres to Pierlatte* is 
 ten leagues. 
 
 Nov. 20. — Left Pierlatte and slept at Loriol, distant 
 eleven leagues ; Donzeres, a small village two posts, 
 Montelimart two, Derbieres one and a half, Loriol 
 one and a half 
 
 Montelimart is a good sized town, situate in a fer- 
 
 * At Le Cliaricit d'Or. 
 
192 
 
 CULTIVATION THE RHONE. 
 
 tile district, and has several good inns. This day's 
 journey was chiefly through a cultivated country, con- 
 sisting of corn, grass, potatoes, ^-c. Men, women, 
 and children were busily employed in digging them 
 up, and the men were ploughing in the evening with 
 an Essex plough ; houses and villages now began to 
 thicken, and had it not been for the high mountains 
 at some distance, on each side of the road, the scene 
 might have reminded us of the flourishing part of our 
 own country. For many miles the Rhone was near 
 us on our left, and numerous boats were descending 
 the stream, having a long oar at the head, and another 
 at the stern which served for a rudder ; so rapid is the 
 river, that they go six or seven miles an hour. This 
 added much to the animation of our journey, but we 
 could not help regretting that the roads were in gene- 
 ral bad, and much neglected. 
 
 Lorion is a small but flourishing town, containing 
 about 2800 persons. 
 
 Nov. 21. — Left Lorion and came to Valence, dis- 
 tant seven leagues ; La Paillasse, a small mean village, 
 three and a half. Valence three and a half 
 
 This country was very similar to that which we 
 passed through the day before, rich, well cultivated 
 and dirty, with very bad roads, notwithstanding there 
 are excellent materials on the spot for making them 
 better. 
 
 They breed great numbers of silk-worms in this 
 district, which they feed with the leaves of mulberry- 
 trees, the fruit of which is generally left to perisli. 
 This employment is a great source of comfort to the 
 
VALENdE. 193 
 
 poor ; there are often eighty men, women, and chil- 
 dren employed in stripping one tree: the mulberry- 
 tree produces leaves thrice a year. 
 
 We arrived at Valence early in the afternoon, after 
 a rough day's journey through bad roads, as usual. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIIL 
 
 Valence— Population— Catliedral— Streets— St. Jean— Great Thorough- 
 fare — Citadel, S^c — Ruff — Missionaries — Observations — Singular Mili- 
 tary Metaphors — Warmth of Weather — Hotel de Ville — Tain — Hermi- 
 tae^e Wine — Cross L'Isere — Ferry — OldBridg-e — Description of Coun- 
 try — Road still bad — Country flourishing- — Population — Departure fur 
 St. Vallier — Nobleman's Chateau and Pleasure-grounds — Church of 
 St. Vallier — Departure from St. Vallier — St. Rambert — Peage de 
 
 . Roussillon — Country fast improving — Leave Pt-age — Auberive — Barren 
 Heaths — Vienne — Cathedral of Vienne — Pontius Pilate's House. 
 
 Valence is a fine but not very large city, beautifully 
 situated in a fertile country, on the Rhone, with ro- 
 mantic rocks on the opposite side of the river. 
 
 It is in the department of the Drome, and contains 
 no more than 10,000 people, a small number for its 
 size, but it was formerly more populous. The cathe- 
 dral is a venerable building ; the choir, which is 
 small and mean, is behind the high altar, which is a 
 superb structure of variegated marble. 
 
 In this church is a handsome monument, to the 
 memory of Pius VL, who, it will be remembered, 
 was kept prisoner at Valence, for his spirited resist- 
 
 VOL. I. O 
 
194 ABBEY OF ST. RUFFE. 
 
 ance in opposing the tyranny of Bonaparte*. He 
 died at Valence, August 29, 1799. 
 
 The following inscription is on his monument: — 
 
 " Sancta Pii Sexti redeiint prsecordia Gallis 
 Roma tenet corpus, Numen ubique sonatt." 
 
 His arms, Papal crown, ^c, are on the side. 
 
 The streets of Valence are narrow, and in general 
 dirty, but the principal square, which is used as a 
 market, is handsome ; and at the end of many of the 
 streets is a small terrace overlooking the Rhone and 
 a fine country. There are also two handsome public 
 walks. 
 
 The old church of St. Jean is very curious for hav- 
 ing a singular roof, painted in squares like bricks. 
 
 Valence is a great thoroughfare to Italy and Paris, 
 both roads passing through it ; this makes it a dear 
 town to reside in. It has been strongly fortified, and 
 there is still a citadel. There is also a prefec- 
 ture, ^c. 
 
 The ancient Abbey of St. Ruffe, is now used as a 
 church for the Protestants, of whom there are many 
 in this town and surrounding country. 
 
 Being at Valence some days, we had an opportu- 
 nity of informing ourselves of the missionaries, who 
 
 * Pius VI. is not the only pope who died in captivity. Boniface VIII. 
 died miserably, a prisoner to his enemies or false friends in 1303, and two 
 years after, the pontifical residence was transferred to Avignon, by 
 Clement V. — Denina. 
 
 + Gaul the good Pontiff's heart with joy receives, 
 Rome has his corse, his fame for ever lives. — Ed. 
 
MISSIONARIES. 135 
 
 had lately arrived there, and were making a great 
 noise in the town. They were nine in number, and 
 came from Grenoble to Valence. The government 
 paid them a certain sum, and they were otherwise 
 assisted by voluntary contributions ; they had also 
 the benefit of some legacies from the Brisac family, 
 and others for this purpose. 
 
 That it is highly right and praiseworthy to awaken 
 the slumbering to a sense of religion, must be con- 
 fessed by all ; but whether this purpose can best 
 be effected by the thundering powers of declamation, 
 preaching to the passions, and rhapsody without 
 argument ; or by the solid way of convincing the 
 judgment, by the calm and unsophisticated reasoning 
 of sound sense, taking the scriptures for a guide, 
 and proving from them that these things are so, must 
 be left to the unprejudiced to determine. 
 
 It appears that the oratorical powers of these men 
 are directed in the first instance against the Protestants ; 
 and secondly, against the humble unassuming priests 
 of their own church. Whatever may be their talents 
 or powers of persuasion, the priests are decidedly mild 
 in their manners, religious in their deportment, and as- 
 siduous in the exercise of their pastoral duties, to 
 which they give up the whole of their time, living 
 most frugally and temperately. On the whole, it may 
 fairly be inferred, 
 
 " Non tali auxillo tempus ei^et."* 
 
 The missionaries, we were informed, began their 
 thundering discourses as early as four in the morning, 
 
 * Virgil. 
 
 O 2 
 
196 tllE ISERE. 
 
 continuing them with little intermission till eight in 
 the evening, three or four times in the week ; so that 
 they are not slothful at least, or slack in their endea- 
 vours. At Valence* a singular instance occurred of 
 the caprice of fortune, and the instability of human 
 affairs. One of our society was shaved and had his 
 hair regularly dressed by a half-pay lieutenant, who 
 had served ten years in the army of Italy with great 
 credit, when Bonaparte was only a general. He was 
 at the battle of Lodi, ^-c, and had a pension of 600 
 irancs: he retired to Valence f his native town, in 
 which he exercised the business of hair-dresser, ^-c, 
 with great success. He was a sensible well-bred 
 man. 
 
 The present Hotel de Ville has nothing remarkable ; 
 it was formerly a female convent of the order of St. 
 Marie, and at the revolution appropriated to this use. 
 There are belonging to it, old cloisters crammed with 
 long scriptural quotations, inscriptions, 4'c. A new 
 Hotel de Ville is building. 
 
 Nov. 28. — Left Valence for Tain, distant five 
 leagues. Three leagues crossed the Isere in a strong 
 ferry-boat, and entered the department of Isere ; the 
 river is not here very rapid. The ferry-boats pass 
 by means of ropes and pulley, the ropes are fast- 
 ened on each side of the water to three high trian- 
 gular poles or rather poles in a triangular form. 
 
 Francis I. was at Valence, making- head ag^ainst Charles V., waeu 
 he had the melancholy news of the death of his son the Dauphin. — Gau- 
 kier's Histoire de France. 
 
 t There was a famous council holden here in order to restore the dis- 
 cipline of the church so early as 374. — JVIezerai. 
 
LE TAIN HERMITAGE. 197 
 
 The bridge was burnt by the French some years 
 ago to prevent the Austrians passing the river. 
 
 We had this day on our right, vineyards, corn-fields, 
 and several woods of oak, and underwood oak, with a 
 distant view of the high mountains about Grenoble, 
 On our left was the Rhone immediately under rocks 
 stopped with mountains ; the road was, as usual, 
 as bad as possible. 
 
 Le Tain is a neat little town in a beautiful situation ; 
 on one side is the Rhone, separating it from Tournon*, 
 a flourishing little town, in which is a fine college for 
 the education of youth. 
 
 On one side of Tain are rocks and mountains, over- 
 looking the river, and on the other an amphitheatre 
 of hills and rocks, covered with vineyards, houses, 
 chateaux, ^c, which makes the town both interesting 
 and beautiful. 
 
 Here is made the celebrated wine known by the 
 name of Hermitage, and sold on the spot for three francs 
 a bottle. There is no bridge over the Rhone, but a 
 number of ferry-boats, in constant employ, are a proof 
 of the population of this fine and flourishing country. 
 
 The high-street is broad and handsome, and there are 
 several good houses ; but the church is mean, and has 
 nothing remarkable except a very large shell brought 
 from Marseilles, and used for holy water. Just by 
 the church is a high cross, with all the melancholy in- 
 struments of the passion of our Lord; viz., the ham- 
 mer, nails, S'c. 
 
 * At Tournon, the Dauphin, son of Francis I., breathed his last in 
 1536.— Mezerai. 
 
198 ST. VILLIER. 
 
 The peasants of both sexes dress very neatly, and 
 their whole appearance and manner indicate comfort. 
 
 The number of waggons from Marseilles, loaded 
 with cotton, wine, ^c, continually passing, is as- 
 tonishing, and are, indeed, one great cause of the bad- 
 ness of the road. 
 
 A gentleman observed, that his countrymen were 
 very anxious to erect public buildings and columns on 
 the spot which Monsieur, the Duchess of Angouleme, 
 §'c., passed on such a day ; but were flagrantly neglect- 
 ful in attending to works of necessity, among which 
 public roads must ever be looked on as the chief*. 
 
 Nov. 29. — We left Tain f much gratified with the 
 town and country ; for although candour must own 
 that part of the rocks is barren, it is only sufficiently 
 so to afford a variety in the view, and set off the 
 more cultivated parts. 
 
 We went along a beautiful road on a terrace, under 
 which the Rhone was rapidly running and forming 
 islands, while many boats passing and repassing enli- 
 vened the scene; above were rocks, mountains, ^c. , 
 covered with vineyards to the very top. On our right 
 likewise were rocks, partly covered with sloping vine- 
 yards, trained with care along poles, stakes, ^c. 
 
 St. Vallier is a small neat town, with two thousand 
 inhabitants. The church is neat, consisting of a nave 
 only ; over the high altar is a painting of the pre- 
 
 * This is very true, for even round the pompous column nt the ui^per 
 end of La Rue de Rome at Marseilles the road is very bad. 
 
 At L' Assurance, an excellent inn. 
 
CHATEAU DE ST. VALLIER, l99 
 
 sentation of our Saviour in the temple. In front of 
 the church is the following inscription : 
 
 " Detruite par L'Heresie en 1583, 
 Retabli en 1786*." 
 
 The chateau of Le Comte de St. Vallier Seigneur 
 de la Ville, is built in the castellated form, and hand- 
 some ; the grounds are beautiful ; there is a fine com- 
 manding terrace walk, with arches to support it, and 
 all round a most lovely romantic country, which this 
 terrace commands ; vineyards rising above each other 
 like a ladder, country-houses interspersed with sum- 
 mer-houses, and the Rhone rapidly running under the 
 rocks, make this scene truly enchanting. 
 
 The count is very liberal in permitting strangers to 
 see his grounds ; he is of the old French noblesse, and 
 fortunately for the inhabitants, passes as much of his 
 time as can be spared from the court in this charming 
 retreat, which is quite rus in iirbe : you enter it imme- 
 diately from the town, as Lord Egremont's from Pet- 
 worth, or the noble seat of the Marquis of Salisbury 
 from Hatfield. 
 
 There is a good silk manufactory at St. Vallier. 
 
 Nov. 30t/i. — Left St. Vallier for Peage, distant six 
 leagues only. This day's journey resembled the former 
 in rocks, vineyards, population, &c. 
 
 Three leagues, St. Rambert, a small place, and 
 three leagues farther Peage de Roussillon, a small 
 
 * We could get no correct information who these heretics were, but 
 suspected that the Huguenots in the reign ot Henri HI., were meant. It 
 does, however, no credit to the liberality of the nation, to suffer so inflam- 
 matory an inscription to remain. 
 
200 PEACE VIENNE. 
 
 Ugly narrow town, containing about one thousand 
 persons, with one parish church only; the country 
 round, however, is very pretty, and in a very progres- 
 sive state of improvement, and many new houses are 
 every where erecting ; they were likewise improving 
 and embellishing the old. The road we came was a 
 new one, and though not good at present, was the 
 cause of these improvements. 
 
 Dec. 1st. — Left P6age for Vienne, six leagues dis- 
 tant ; three, Auberive, a village and post, and three 
 more Vienne. 
 
 The first part of this day's journey was (after ascend- 
 ing a long hill from P^age,) over heaths flat and unin- 
 teresting ; after some miles, we descended a long 
 and winding hill, when the country and views are 
 lovely, of the river, rocks, vineyards, corn-fields, c^-c, 
 among other artificial grass, there is much clover cul- 
 tivated here, and apparently of a good quality. 
 
 The approach to Vienne is very fine, having the 
 river on the left; you pass by a Roman pyramid 
 supposed to have been built as a mausoleum for a 
 Roman of distinction. 
 
 Vienne is a fine old city, the capital of Lower Dau- 
 phine, and in the department of Isere. It was a 
 Roman station, and has many antiquities, among 
 which is a temple dedicated to Augustus, with Corin- 
 thian pillars, like the maison Carrie at Nimes. 
 There is also a curious old gate leading to the thea- 
 tre, S'c. The streets in general are narrow, but 
 along the Rhone it is very pleasant ; on the opposite 
 §ide is the town of St. Colombe, where are the 
 
CATHEDRAL. 201 
 
 remains of a bridge destroyed by the rising of the 
 waters. 
 
 The square, on which is the Hotel de Ville, is neat 
 and has piazzas ; but the chief ornament of this city 
 is its cathedral, which is indeed a beautiful and vene- 
 rable piece of Gothic architecture : jou ascend to the 
 western door * by a very high flight of steps, which 
 gives it a magnificent appearance ; there are two 
 noble towers, and the whole exterior is equally pre- 
 possessing. 
 
 When you enter you are as much pleased with the 
 interior as the exterior ; it consists of a nave, two 
 regular aisles and choir, in the whole about three hun- 
 dred feet in length. The choir is small ; there are 
 figures of the four evangelists, two on each side, and 
 above are five figures on each side, painted in glass ; 
 our guide told us there were formerly two more, 
 making in the whole the twelve apostles. 
 
 In the choir is a beautiful marble monument of Ar- 
 mand de Montmorin, Archbishop of Vienne, (who 
 died about an hundred years ago,) and Cardinal de 
 Crillon. We heard with pleasure that a venerable 
 prelate was soon expected to reside here. 
 
 They shew you the house in which Pontius Pilate 
 lived, when banished here by Tiberius Caesar ; it is 
 now a manufactory of china. 
 
 Vienne f contains fifteen thousand inhabitants. 
 
 * The churches in France are not all built east and west, especially in 
 Lyons, where that kind of uniformity is in many instances not attended to. 
 
 + Vienne is famous for a sieg-c of more than a year, sustained as early 
 
202 VICINITY OF LYONS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 Departure for Lyons — St. Saphoreu D"Ozon — St. Fons — Approach to 
 Lyons— Chateaux — Guillotiere — Bridge over the Rhone — Various Ob- 
 servations on the Country and Manners — Evils suffered at Lyons—' 
 Belle Cour much clianged — Horrors of a Civil War — Latter Improve- 
 ments — Luxury and Dearness — Population — Cathedral of St. John — 
 Counts of Lyons — Protestant Church — Fine Statue of Astronomy — 
 Junction of the Rivers — New Bridge. 
 
 Dec. 2nd. — Set off on our journey to Lyons, dis- 
 tant seven leagues, St. Saphorin d'Ozon, three, 
 St. Fons, two, and Lyons, two. St. Saphorin is a 
 tolerably sized town, consisting of one long street ; 
 the other is only a small place and post. We as- 
 cended a long hill from Vienne, and afterwards went 
 through a well-cultivated corn country, where an abun- 
 dance of hands were employed in agriculture. We 
 observed as we passed along, that they used cows for 
 their carts and ploughs. 
 
 In this day's journey there were several beautiful 
 winding hills, especially the descent to and ascent 
 from St. Saphorin. 
 
 The vicinity of Lyons bespeaks the approach to a 
 rich and populous city. We passed by numerous 
 country-houses, and through the large suburb of 
 Guillotiere, containing about ten thousand people : it 
 
 as SSI, against Charles Le Gros, afterwards Emperor and King of Ger- 
 many ; it was taken in 8S2. In latter times, it long refused acknowledg- 
 ing Henri IV., but at length submitted to his authority. — -Mezerai. 
 
 There was formerly a palace of the ancient kings of Burgundy, four 
 leagues from Vienne, 
 
THE RHONE, 203 
 
 consists of a street above a mile long, separated from 
 Lyons by the Rhone, and in a different department, 
 but still it is considered as the most populous suburb 
 of that noble city. We crossed the Rhone on a fine 
 stone bridge* very long, and supported by a number 
 of arches. It was evening, and the view of the nume- 
 rous lights on the different stories f of old Lyons, 
 lighted up from the bottom to the top of the rock on 
 which it is built, with the reflection of the Saone un- 
 derneath, was particularly interesting, appearing like 
 an enchanted place, or so many blazing stars : we 
 drove along the quay of the Rhone to our former 
 hotel, Le Pare, Place des Terreaux. 
 
 We thus once more safely performed our journey 
 to this populous city, through a highly varied and 
 beautiful country, adorned with rich and lovely 
 scenery, above 1,700 miles, which was the dis- 
 tance we had come, in our circuitous road from Paris 
 to Lyons ; for nearly 800 miles we had never been 
 out of sight of mountains and rocks, which, though 
 certainly barren at times, at others being covered 
 with trees and shrubs, afford a rich and constant 
 variety of scene. 
 
 * There is a cross in the middle of tlie bridg'e which divides Dauphine 
 from the Lyonnois — the department of the Isere, from the Rhone. On ac- 
 count of the expense and hazard there is only one mean bridge over the 
 Rhone (of wood,) built many years ago at the expense of Monsieur Mo- 
 rand : this is a toll bridge and begins now to pay the proprietors ; it is 
 called Pont de Morand, and leads to the public walk called Bretteau over 
 the river. 
 
 + In the great towns in France each story is inhabited by separate fa- ■ 
 milies, and sometimes many families in one, and there is a common stone 
 stair-case, which, as may be imagined, is dirty and filthy to the greatest 
 degree. 
 
204 FRENCH POLITENESS. 
 
 Having travelled through such a tract of country, 
 occasionally associating with persons of various 
 classes, we, of course, must have made some obser- 
 vations on the state of society ; but how altered are the 
 eople since the revolution ! The polished and polite 
 manners of the French are changed into roughness 
 alwai/s, sometimes incivility, and even rudeness. 
 
 The Frenchman who formerly gave the wall to a 
 lady, or if he touched her in passing made a low bow, 
 with an apology, now takes the wall with unblushing 
 effrontery, with his arms a-kimbo, strutting to shew 
 his consequence; while another, with his little hat 
 cocked on one side of his head, if he meets a female 
 on the stairs, would knock her down sooner than give 
 way. 
 
 Formerly, on coming to a table d'hote, every at- 
 tention was paid to strangers, particularly ladies ; to 
 whom, taking off" their hats, they would offer their 
 places, and help them to the choicest viands. Now, 
 a lady goes into the Sale a'Manger, takes a place 
 where she can find it, and provides for herself as she 
 can ; the Frenchmen, with the bit of red ribbon in their 
 button-hole, and their small hats on, keeping the best 
 seats, with the most determined rudeness, at the top of 
 the table. No attention, in short, is shewn to her ; 
 the French take especial care of themselves, and if 
 there happen to be a particularly nice dish, they par- 
 take too much of the gourmand to part with an atom 
 of it. 
 
 Equally uncivil are they in their conversation; never 
 entering into any as formerly, with strangers, but 
 
LYONS. 205 
 
 k 
 
 frequently bursting out into a horse-laugh, and utter- 
 ing what they think witticisms, sometimes at the ex- 
 pense of the English. 
 
 Such is the present wretched state of manners in 
 France, which it is to be hoped will be amended by time ; 
 but, perhaps, these things are not much to be wondered 
 at, when it is considered what changes have taken 
 place since the revolution. The ancient noble and 
 well-bred men of polished manners, deprived of their 
 estates, are now often obliged to live in an humble 
 lodging, without the means of travelling or appearing 
 in society, w^hilst the Roturier or Man of Neant, who, 
 by the chance of the revolution, is come into possession 
 of the fortune of the former, takes their place in 
 society, without taste to enjoy it, or education and 
 manners to adorn it*. 
 
 We found Lyons fast emerging from evils it had 
 suffered at the revolution. There were cannon planted 
 in different parts at that time round the city, and a 
 civil war was carried on for some time with all its 
 horrors. We saw a gentleman, who was a lieutenant 
 of the patriots, and was taken prisoner at the time, 
 who assured us, that for several days 1,200 persons 
 were victims to this sanguinary and unnatural contest. 
 No city, indeed, in France suffered more than thisf . 
 
 * This laincutable change the respectable French themselves own with 
 grief. 
 
 t The arsenal was so injured as to be left a mere shell. The sieg'e con- 
 tinued sixty days, and the inhabitants were forced to eat oats, &c. During- 
 its continuance the shops were shut up, trade suspended, and many hid 
 themselves in cellars, caves, &c. When the city surrendered the guillotine 
 
^OG THE LYONNOIS. 
 
 La Place de Terreaux* and the noble Hotel de Ville, 
 shew no signs of it, but Place de Belle Cour is much 
 changed ; the fine statue of Louis XIV. was entirely 
 demolished; the Jets d'Eau and many of the good 
 houses destroyed, and the fine turf and many of the 
 trees taken away ; so that this, which was one of the 
 most beautiful squares in France, is so altered for 
 the worse, as scarcely to be recognised. 
 
 The Lyonnois have, however, lately exerted them- 
 selves, and within a few years several handsome new 
 bridges have been built over the Saone, so that there 
 are now seven, four of which are toll-bridges. Trade 
 is likewise reviving, and the spirit of building and 
 improvement very great. Luxury, however, the con- 
 sequence of increasing commerce, is making rapid 
 strides in this city, and provisions have advanced 
 much in price. Poultry and game, which were for- 
 merly looked on as articles of common food, are 
 now become a luxury, only to be purchased by the 
 rich f . 
 
 was fixed in Terreaux, and numbers were every day sarificed to party 
 and revolutionary fury. This was the account given by an eye-witness. 
 
 * This is one of the finest Hotels de Ville in France. The two 
 beautiful emblematic figures in bronze of the Rhone and Saone, which 
 were formerly on each side of the statue of Louis XIV. in Belle Cour, ever 
 since the revolution, have been placed one on each side of this beautiful 
 building on entering it ; but the elegant descriptive verses on the different 
 qualities of the two rivers have been effaced. 
 
 t It is common to give four francs for two chickens not much larger than 
 partridges, for a hare five or six francs, and the same for a brace of par- 
 tridges : three francs for a woodcock. Rents are so high, that the Pare 
 lets at 24,000 francs a year ; and a wooden shed in the street, iu which 
 they sell chestnuts, lets at 10/, for five months. 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JEAN. 207 
 
 From the best accounts the population of Lyons is 
 about 130,000. 
 
 The cathedral of St. Jean* situated in old Lyons, 
 is a fine piece of Gothic architecture, built in the 
 ninth century, in the reign of Charlemagne. It is 
 rich in painted glass, and the painted rosette at the 
 west end of the church is a great ornament to it. The 
 clock is a curious piece of mechanism, representing 
 the signs of the Zodiac, ^c, but is now suffered to go 
 to decay. On each side of the choir there is a statue 
 of St. John and St. Stephen. This cathedral has 
 four towers, two of which overlook the Saone, and 
 have elevated crosses on the top. There is a small 
 square before the great doors, but a noble flight of 
 steps, like that at the entrance of the cathedral at 
 Vienne, is much wanted here. 
 
 The revenues of the Canons or Counts, as they are 
 called, are considerably diminished, since the revolu- 
 tion, and are now about 1 500 francs a-year. There are 
 twelve of them, but only two of the Counts are now 
 living; they were formerly obliged to prove their 
 noblesse up to the fourteenth century, on the paternal 
 and maternal sides, but that is now dispensed with : 
 an archbishop has been appointed, but Cardinal 
 Fesch, Bonaparte's uncle, will not give in his resig- 
 nation. 
 
 We were happy to find that the old Exchange is 
 
 * In 1245, the Council of Lyons was transferred from Abbey St. Just 
 to the cathedral of St. John. The archbishop is always Primate of Gaul. 
 — Mezbrai. 
 
208 LA PLACE DES CORDELIERS. 
 
 converted into a regular place of worship for the Pro- 
 testants ; indeed we every where found the spirit of 
 intolerance and bigotry, which have so long been a 
 disgrace to France, dying away ; and liberality and 
 toleration, which are the supports of a nation, visibly 
 gaining ground. The clergy instruct and catechise 
 the children in the churches three times a week about 
 an hour or two at a time, when they leave their re- 
 spective works, and return to them again; so that they 
 are instructed, without neglecting the means of gaining 
 their future livelihood. In La Place des Cordeliers is 
 a handsome column of the Corinthian order, much ad- 
 mired, with a statue of Astronomy on the top, hold- 
 ing a meridian in her hand. 
 
 Dec. 20th. — The weather being fine for a walk, we 
 went to St. Fort, a village two miles from Lyons, at 
 the junction of the two rivers * : they seem here to have 
 changed their qualities, for the Saone at its embou- 
 chure is very rapid, and the Rhone very calm ; but the 
 different colours of the waters is curious ; the Saone 
 rushes into the Rhone with its yellow muddy water ; 
 and after the junction, there are two distinct colours 
 for a long time, the Rhone retaining its bright blue 
 and the Saone its yellow tint, though they are become 
 one river. 
 
 Within some years a handsome wooden bridge of 
 eleven arches, with beautiful iron railings, as are most 
 of the bridges at Lyons, has been built on the spot 
 
 * The different qualities of these rivers are thus accurately described by 
 the poet, 
 
 Lentus Ara, llhodanusque/eroA'. — Claud.] 
 
ST. JUST AND ST. IRENEE. 209 
 
 where was the former ferry : on one side you see this 
 improvement and several new houses, and on the other 
 the ravages of the siege of Lyons, by the shells of 
 houses which were destroyed at that period, and are 
 suffered to remain in that state. 
 
 This spot is much frequented by the inhabitants of 
 Lyons, and there are carrioles continually going and 
 coming ; it is indeed a beautiful spot, being enlivened 
 by the rich scenery of the Saone, mountains covered 
 with houses, S'c 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV, 
 
 Ascent of the IMoiintaiii — St. Just — St. Irenee — Roman Aqueduct — 
 Catliolic Oljservation of Cliristiiias — Roman Roscr\roir — Amphitheatre 
 — L'Hopital de Charite — Churcli d'Ainay — Mosaic Pavement — Obser- 
 vations on the Police — Port Veze — Two 'New Bridg'cs — Barracks — 
 Pierre Cizc — Cordehers d'Observance — Interesting' View — Foarviere — 
 Houses well built — Miscellaneous Observations. 
 
 Dec. 2'ith. — We ascended the mountain by a new and 
 noble road, (winding in order to avoid the steepness) 
 to St. Just and St. L'enee. 
 
 The former is a handsome modern church with a 
 nave, two aisle;?, and a fme marble pulpit : there are 
 fine statues of our Saviour and St. Thomas, lately 
 brought from Italy ; under the former are the following 
 words, pointing to his side : — 
 
 " Infer Dlgltum tuum, liunc 
 Et vide uianus mens.' 
 
 " Et affer nianum tuam 
 Et mitte in Latus meuni 
 Et noli esse incredulus sed fidelis." 
 Vor-. I. P 
 
210 INSCRIPTIONS. 
 
 Under the latter 
 
 " Dominus meus et Deus meus." 
 
 The look of shame and humility in the latter is very 
 striking, as likewise that of mildness mixed with dig- 
 nity in our Lord. 
 
 St. Irenee is one of the oldest churches in Lyons, 
 as the old city was built upon the hill : you enter by 
 a portico with paintings on the wall, representing 
 the death of the martyrs, and the following verses : — 
 
 " Inj^rediens caeca tarn sacra, jam rea pectora tunde 
 Posce g-eniens veniam, lacrymas hie cum prece funde 
 Praesulis hie Irencei tiirma jacet sociorum 
 Qiios per martyriiim perduxit ad alta dolorum 
 Istoriiin numerum si (nosce) cupis, tibi pando 
 Millia Dena iiovemque fuerunt sub duce tanto 
 Hinc mulieres et pueri simul cxcipiuntur 
 Quos tulit utramaiius, nunc cliristi luce fruuntur." 
 
 In the church is a painting representing the mar- 
 tyrdom of Lyons, to which this saint fell a sacrifice. 
 
 This martyrdom, in which one thousand nine hun- 
 dred persons besides women and children perished, 
 happened June 22, A. D. 202, under the Emperor 
 Severus ; their bones are deposited in a recess going 
 down to the subterraneous chapel, which was built by 
 St. Pothin, first Bishop and predecesesor of St. Iren- 
 ceus, who was also martyred ; it is very ancient, but 
 was then repairing. 
 
 Adjoining the church is a square piece of enclosed 
 ground called Calvaire, containing twelve stations* 
 
 * These stations we found very cou)mon as we proceeded on our journey. 
 
CALVAIRE. 
 
 211 
 
 (as they are named) in niches with pillars, containing 
 the different parts of our Lord's passion ; in each is 
 the respective part represented in basso relievo, with 
 a short history of it. 
 
 On a terrace beyond, on an elevation, is the cru- 
 cifixion with figures nearly as large as life. 
 
 The last station is a vault with a sepulchre contain- 
 ing the recumbent statue of our Lord. In front is 
 written " Les Lyonnaises en Actions de Grace," and 
 figures by it. This Calvaire is of modern date, on 
 the restoration of Pope Pius VII. and Louis XVIII. 
 as appears by an inscription. 
 
 We finished this interesting walk by seeing the 
 ruins of the Roman aqueduct without the gate of 
 St. Just ; only one arch of which is perfect ; but it 
 is a fine piece of antiquity, and the walls are in a 
 good state of preservation. 
 
 Dec. 25th. — Went to the cathedral, which was splen- 
 didly lighted up for the festival ; we observed the 
 shops partially open as on Sunday, and only closed 
 an hour or tv/o for the tradesmen to take their recrea- 
 tions. 
 
 Dec. 26. — Went to see the Roman reservoir near 
 St. Just, which is a fine piece of antiquity, forty-eight 
 feet square. 
 
 The water was conveyed from Tarare, seven leagues 
 from Lyons, by aqueducts into this reservoir; old 
 Lyons, as before mentioned, being built on the hill ; 
 there were holes remaining to carry it down into the 
 Saone when necessary. 
 
 From thence we went to the ruins of the amphithea- 
 
 P 2 
 
212 l'iiopital de chakite. 
 
 tre in the Minimes, which the proprietor, a lady of 
 fortune, in whose garden it is situated, Uberally per- 
 mits to be seen by the pubUc. It is Uterally a ruin, 
 and scarcely deserving notice after the amphithea- 
 tre at Nimes; merely a wall remains, the form is 
 gone. 
 
 Jan. 'dth.—We went to L'Hopital de Charity, 
 which is a most noble foundation, for old persons 
 of both sexes, foundlings, and independent people, 
 who purchase a comfortable asylum for their old 
 age, giving a sum in proportion to their age, as at 
 Paris. 
 
 There were of the former eight hundred, and the 
 foundlings at nurse and in the house w^ere fourteen 
 thousand. They take in each year on an average 
 one thousand si.x: hundred. The dormitory is very 
 large, two hundred and forty feet by sixty- six, 
 and there are two hundred and fifty beds in the 
 largest. 
 
 The refectories also are large, and the provisions 
 ample and good : this is a most noble and liberal 
 foundation, carried on at the expense of government, 
 and by voluntary contribution .on a very large scale ; 
 there are twenty smirs de la diaritt, (wlio like the 
 good Samaritan, always lend their assistance on cha- 
 ritable occasions,) three chaplains, (^-c, who have a 
 comfortable refectory to themselves. 
 
 Good nourishment is not neglected here ; there is a 
 noble kitchen, t^-c, and it was full of excellent provi- 
 sions, amongst which we counted nineteen fine tur- 
 keys in a row ready to be dressed. 
 
CHURCH OF AINAY. 213 
 
 We concluded this day by returning by the church 
 of Ainay, which is reckoned the oldest in Lyons, and 
 was great part of it a temple dedicated to Augustus 
 Caesar, at the embouchure of the two rivers, which 
 they say was formerly on that spot or near it. 
 
 There was, a few years ago, a curious passage from 
 this place U7ider the bed of the Saone, up the hill as far 
 as St. Just. 
 
 In the church are four fine pillars of granite, said 
 to have been brought from Egypt by the Romans. 
 
 The Chapel of the Conception is very old, built in 
 the reign of Charlemagne*, and by the altar is some 
 curious Mosaic pavement ; on the other side is the 
 oldest of the chapels, with a dungeon under it, in 
 which the Christians were shut in the time of the per- 
 secutions. 
 
 St. Pothin, the first bishop, was martyred, as they 
 sat/, near this church, and buried in it. 
 
 Not far from this church is a most beautiful piece of 
 Mosaic, with the figures of Meleager and Atalanta on 
 it ; it is in the Rue St. Etienne, and well worth seeing. 
 
 We had some conversation with a gentleman on 
 the police of Lyons ; we observed, that there was the 
 utmost tranquillity at nights, no riots, no brawls, no 
 noises, which are such a disgrace to many cities. In 
 reply, he said no city was better regulated, as to its 
 police ; the Bourgeois form the national guard, each 
 takes his turn once a month, from noon till noon next 
 
 * Thio prince, in tlie midst of his conquests, did not neglect payinsf 
 attention to places of worship ; more churches were built in his reiija in 
 different parts of Europe than in that of any other prince. 
 
214 PIERRE CIZE. 
 
 day ; and thus they and the military, to the number 
 of 500, parade the city all night, having different sta- 
 tions answering to our watches, by which means 
 perfect tranquillity is kept ; the hour is not cried. 
 
 On our asking this gentleman, who was very in- 
 telligent, the law about debts, he said, except in com- 
 merce, the person of the debtor could not be seized ; he 
 was maintained at the expense of the creditor, at 
 about thirty sols a- day ; a debtor cannot be kept in 
 prison more than five years. We returned much 
 pleased with our day's excursion. 
 
 Jan. 7. — Vv ent along the Quay de Saone to Porte 
 Veze, half a league from Lyons ; there are two new 
 bridges, and opposite the last, the barracks, which 
 are large and spacious ; this part and the Fauxbourgs 
 Veze are particularly populous and flourishing. 
 
 The famous old fort, Pierre Cize, cut out of the 
 rock, is demolished ; as also the fine church of the 
 Cordeliers d'Observance, the shell of which only 
 remains*. 
 
 This part of Lyons is beautiful, with the high rocks 
 on each side of the river, and houses built up to the 
 very top ; on one side is seen the beautiful dome of 
 the Chartreux, and on the other, the Church of Four- 
 viere. 
 
 Ascending the hill, which is very high and steep, 
 we returned by Fourviere. 
 
 The numerous pictures hung up and framed, offered 
 
 * Here, as in other towns we had seen, the convents .latl chapel, are 
 turned into remises, barracks, iVc. The uoble and spacious one of the 
 Augustins is now a barrack. 
 
CONVENT OF FOURVIERE. 215 
 
 up by the persons cured by the effectual intercession 
 of Otir Ladi/, resemble a print-shop more than a 
 church. The tabella votiva* is not wanting here ; 
 there are also legs, arms, crutches, ^c, in abundance 
 (in wax), and a large fine picture, done at the ex- 
 pense of the clergy of the diocese. 
 
 In this church is only a nave and aisle ; the 
 altar is very rich. Among other curious things is a 
 picture representing a prison, and a man confined in 
 it ; under which are the following lines : — 
 
 Impie sta miles, teneasque ex ore sodalis 
 Quani errantes miseros sancta Maria juvet 
 
 Nainque gemens in carcere ab octoginta diebus 
 Libertate fruei* virginis auxilio. 
 
 1816. 
 
 Upon this elegant composition it is not necessary to 
 make any comments. The Convent of Fourvieref 
 no longer exists ; but the noble view from the terrace, 
 
 * Quam votiva, testantur fana tabeila 
 
 Plurima, pictorcs quis ncscit ab Isidc pasci ? 
 
 Juvenal, as quoted by Kennet, p. 23S. 
 
 Such as in Isis some ina}' be survey'd 
 
 On votive tablets to tlio life pourtray'd, 
 
 Where painters are employ'd, and earn their bread. 
 
 t Fourviere, Forum vet us; the old town of Lyons began on this spot,, 
 in the time of ]\Iark Anthony. A temple was afterwards erected to Au- 
 gustus Cffisar at Lyons, and a magnificent altar consecrated to him, (with 
 the usual servility of the age) which was embellished with sixty pillars ele- 
 vated at the expense of as many conquered nations, whose names were 
 engraved, and the victories of Augustus consecrated, thus perpetuating 
 the defeat of these nations and their subsequent slavery: the worship of 
 this prince, which began here, liecame afterwards general. Sixty aru- 
 spices and 300 augurs were charged with the functions of the worship of 
 the Goddess of Rome and the God AngustHS. — Mallet, vol. i. p. 50, 
 Histoire ties Suisxes. 
 
216 ST. NIZIER. 
 
 of the city and river under you, the Alps, and Mont 
 Blanc, (a view almost unequalled,) the Revolution- 
 ists could not take away. 
 
 Large as Lyons seems, there are only twelve pa- 
 rishes in the city ; but the houses are very high, vary- 
 ing from five to eight stories the usual height is six. 
 Each family possesses a story, which it inhabits or 
 lets out. A fire is rarely known, which is astonish- 
 ing, considering the number of families ; but was this 
 to happen, much harm could not accrue, as the stone 
 stair-cases and brick floors are a great safe-guard. 
 
 Though the houses are so high, yet are they so 
 well-built that they scarcely ever want repair, and 
 you seldom hear of their falling down*; nor do you 
 in this or the other towns of France meet with any 
 impediment in the street, from scaffolding, S'C-, in the 
 repair of houses ; at the same time it must be ad- 
 mitted that the comfort of a trottoir is much wanted, 
 but which cannot be had, from the narrowness of the 
 streets. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 St. Nizipr — Musee — Theatres — St. Louis — Cliartreux — Antiquailles — 
 Anniversary of the Death of Louis Seize — Different remarks— Errone- 
 ous opinion. 
 
 Jan. 9. — Went to St. Nizier ; the outside of the 
 grand door is very handsome, the upper part in the 
 form of a shell. The interior is a beautiful Gothic 
 
 * This did, however, liappen once whlht the party was at Lyous, but 
 no lives were lost. 
 
AMUSEMENTS. 217 
 
 building; in the choir are several good pictures, and 
 on each side a statue of Notre Dame and Our Saviour, 
 and St. Pothin; but there is a very bad picture of 
 Our Saviour with a crown of thorns, lately removed 
 from the high altar to one of the chapels. 
 
 The north and south transepts, and upper part of 
 this church, appear very old. 
 
 Jan. 12. — Went to the Musee on Place Terreaux; 
 below, are piazzas quite round a large court, formerly 
 a convent ; here the m.erchants meet daily, using it as 
 an exchange; all round are Roman monuments, with 
 inscriptions. 
 
 Ascending a very fine staircase, we came into a 
 noble room full of fine paintings, some by Reubens, 
 Caracci, <^'C. By the latter, is a fine picture of the 
 wise men and our Saviour ; there are also in this room, 
 which is 270 feet long, various other curiosities, such 
 as antique vases, ^-c. Among other things is a curious 
 small barrel, containing 1000 pieces. This museum is 
 thrown open to the public three times in the week. 
 
 Amusements are not wanting in this city ; there are 
 every night three theatres open, tv/o good ones, at 
 Place Terreaux and Celestins, and a minor one at the 
 former ; they begin before six, and end about nine, 
 and the prices are very reasonable ; the two principal 
 theatres are handsome and v/ell lighted. 
 
 Jan. 12. — At St. Louis and the Chartreux; the 
 former is a neat modern church, in v/hich we were 
 much pleased to see the Cure instructing and cate- 
 chising the children. Near this church are the ex- 
 tensive cloisters of the former Augustin convent, 
 
218 AXTIQUAILLES. 
 
 The eastern part of St. Louis is carved in the form 
 of a scollop shell. 
 
 The church of the Chartreux wilJ ^veli pay the 
 stranger for toiling up a steep hill; it is indeed a 
 beautiful building. Over the high altar is a rich ca- 
 nopy, under a fine dome, in the centre of the church. 
 
 On each side of the choir is a statue of St. John and 
 St. Bruno, patron of this church, and in a chapel to 
 the north is a remarkably fine statue of the latter, in 
 his monk's dress, which is beautifully done. 
 
 There is also another dome beyond the altar. At 
 the entrance of the church are the verses from the 
 psalms, Domini dilexi decorem, &c. 
 
 A part only of the cloisters of this once celebrated 
 convent now remains ; but there are two convents for 
 females established on its ruins, one for the education 
 of young girls. We returned much gratified, though 
 rather fatigued with our mountain excursion. 
 
 Jan. 14. — We ascended the mountain once more 
 to see the Antiquailles, which is an hospital on a very 
 extensive plan for mad persons of both sexes, and for 
 loose women. 
 
 There are here 130 men and 70 v/omen out of their 
 senses, supported by government, and also many 
 whose famihes defray the expense incurred. The 
 building and establishment are large and well con- 
 ducted, with extensive areas, a terrace, ^-c, over- 
 looking the town and river. 
 
 In the Antiquailles is a curious cave, about 100 
 feet long and arched, supposed to have been a Roman 
 prison ; and there is an aperture by which it is 
 
CEREMONIES. 219 
 
 thought provisions were introduced. This cavern 
 formerly went under the high roads. There is also 
 a cavern or dungeon, in which St. Pothin and several 
 of his companions were confined and martyred. Tlwy 
 say St. Pothin was buried here. Three churches 
 claim this empti/ honour*, St. Irence, D'Ainai, and 
 Les Antiquailles ; but it is generally considered 
 that he was really interred here, and there is an in- 
 scription to that purpose. 
 
 Jan. 21. — Being the twenty-sixth anniversary of 
 the death of Louis XVL f, the day was observed in a 
 very solemn manner. The evening before, and in the 
 morning of that day, all the bells tolled a solemn 
 dirge. 
 
 Mass and a solemn service were celebrated in all 
 the churches, which were hung with black, occasion- 
 ally having on it sculls, scythes, 8rc. 
 
 In each church was a high pedestal, with appro- 
 priate inscriptions on the sides ; that in St. Pierre 
 was by far the best. On the pedestal was a female 
 figure, representing France weeping over a crown 
 and sarcophagus, covered with black crape; there 
 was also a large crown suspended almost as high as 
 the ceiling, and foiu: large pieces of crape suspended 
 from each corner of the pedestal. 
 
 * Septem urbcs certiint de stirpe insignis Homeri, S;c. 
 
 ■i- A Frenchman observed to us nothing was so fickle as his nation ; 
 the)' v/ere never content : thev h;id murdered their king, put to death the 
 heads of the Republic, and banished their Emperor — and novv began (o 
 wish for a change again.. " Femina niutabile semper," may be applied to 
 France. 
 
220 CLIMATE OF LYONS. 
 
 The following were the four inscriptions in St. 
 Pierre : — 
 
 " Fils de St Louis 
 Montcz au Cicl." 
 
 " Parce Doinine 
 Parce populo ttio 
 Nc in seternuin Irascaris." 
 
 " O vos omnes qui transitis per viam. 
 Attendite ct videtc 
 Si est dolor sicut dolor mens." 
 
 •' Noluit coiisolari 
 Quia non sunt." 
 
 The climate of Lyons *, in winter, is far from agree- 
 able. When there is no frost, there are continual 
 fogs, very thick, owing as is supposed, to the moun- 
 tains and rivers. On speaking to an eminent voi- 
 turier about his taxes for carriages, he said, he now 
 paid 3,000 francs for his, when he formerly paid only 
 300, and for every _/i«cr6 ISO francs a-y ear. These 
 additional duties have been put on within two or three 
 years. 
 
 The tide of the Rhone is so strong, that they are 
 often obliged to have eighteen horses to draw a loaded 
 boat up the river. 
 
 We went this day into the church of St. Polycarp, 
 
 •(• Lj'ons is very ancient and famous for the number of councils holden 
 there. It is also famous for Bertrand Got, arclibishop ol Bordeaux and a 
 subject of the Ensflish, bcin;;- crouncd Pope there, November 14, L305. 
 This pope transferred the Pajial seat from Rome to Avig-non, which then 
 belous,'-ed to Charles, Kino- of Sicily and Duke of Anjou, his vassal. 
 Henry III,, that contemptible Prince, resided some time in tliis city in 
 1586, among- his favourites and monkeys, parrots and lap-dog-s, expecting^ 
 the event of the conference of his mother Catharine of INIedicis with the 
 Kins( of Navarre, from which he hoped to avert the evils of the civil war 
 then ready to break out. Louis Xlfl. made a miis,nuficent entry into this 
 city from Grenoble in 1G22, and resided here some time, — MiiZERAi. 
 
PUBLIC LIBRARY. 
 
 221 
 
 which is a good modern building, with a very hand- 
 some facade. The church consists of a nave, with a 
 choir, and several chapels on each side ; the altar- 
 piece at the end of the choir is very handsome, on 
 one side is a painting of Joseph, and on the other 
 the Virgin Mary. 
 
 We hnished our excursion with going to Jardin 
 des Plantes, where is a beautiful winding walk up 
 the hill, woods, ^-c, and a fine view of the town 
 beneath you. 
 
 They a.ppearto have formed a very erroneous opinion 
 of the English nation. A gentleman told us, that he 
 found we could hardly travel a day in England with- 
 out being robbed, and no wonder, the miseries of the 
 people are so great, they cannot live without pillage. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 Library — Kospltal — Unexpected Medley — Badly assorted Masqued-Ball 
 — School — Manner of observing- Purification — iliscellaneous Observa- 
 tions — Conclusory Remarks on Lyons. 
 
 Jan. 31. — We at length put our long-concerted plan 
 in execution of going to the public library, which is a 
 most noble room, 170 feet in length, paved with 
 marble, and situated on the Quay du P.hone. 
 
 This library was formerly part of the Jesuits' Col- 
 lege ; it contains 100,000 volumes, a portion of which 
 was a present from the munificent family of Villeroy 
 to the city of Lyons. It is conducted in the most 
 liberal manner, and open to the public four days 
 
222 NOBLE HOSPITAL. 
 
 in the week, (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and 
 Saturday) from ten to two. Strangers may see it any 
 day. There are large tables, and the library-keeper 
 brings you any books you want, from which you may 
 make extracts at your leisure. There are, of course, 
 among the number many valuable books. 
 
 It also contains three large globes, on one of which 
 you see pait of a bomb-shell, which pierced it at the 
 siege of Lyons. 
 
 From hence we went to the hospital, which is one 
 of the noblest foundations in Europe, and conducted 
 on the most liberal and extensive plan. The build- 
 ing is very handsome * with four domes ; the largest 
 of which is lofty and truly beautiful, with a gallery on 
 the top round the cupola, from whence there must be 
 a most extensive prospect. Here is suspended a 
 crocodile, which, as our conductor told us, infested 
 the Rhone many years ago, near Lyons, killing num- 
 bers and overturning boats. A criminal under sen- 
 tence of death had the offer of his life, if he killed this 
 monster, and he succeeded. This is the account given, 
 which probably contains much fiction mixed with a 
 little truth. 
 
 This hospital is for sick and wounded persons and 
 lying-in women. The dormitories are very extensive, 
 240 yards long and 220 broad. When we visited it 
 there were 1 ,500 patients among the sick, and many 
 lying-in women. Among them are many who defray 
 
 t There are cloisters r.mnd it, and across the middle is a walk betweeu 
 two rows of cypresses. In tlie centre is buried one of the sosurs, Soeur 
 Clare, by lier own desire. Tliere is a handsome monument, with a high 
 cross on it, erected at the expense of the benefactors of the hospital. 
 
ESTABLISHMENT, 223 
 
 their own expenses, at the moderate sum of forty sous 
 a day. 
 
 To this excellent establishment are attached twelve 
 medical men, 300 brothers and sisters*, several 
 chaplains, S,'c., and we observed a fine altar in each 
 of the dormitories, in which mass is said daily. 
 
 The expense of this noble institution is supported 
 by government and voluntary contributions. They 
 have convenient kitchens, refectories ^-c, kill their 
 own oxen, sheep, ^c, and bake all the bread in the 
 house. 
 
 Going this day to look at some masquerade 
 dresses and masks, in one of the floors where we had 
 some time lodged, to our surprise we trod on nothing 
 but flat burial stones, on which were inscriptions ; 
 on inquiry we found, that all these apartments had 
 formed a part of the splendid convent of St. Pierre and 
 its chapel. If we looked downward, there was " Here 
 lies Sister Therese," or " Marie Eleonore," who died 
 on such a day, " requiescat in pace ;" but casting our 
 eyes round the room, Yve saw it hung with every kind 
 of dress, dominos, masks, S'c , and when we were 
 immersed in the serious thoughts naturally suggested 
 by this sight, we were accosted with, " Which of 
 these dresses would you wish to have '.'—which mask 
 will suit you?" In short, it was a complete mixture 
 of solemnity and frivolity. 
 
 This noble convent reached from Place Terreaux 
 
 t They are of two sorts ; after a certain number of years, the sisters 
 wear a cross as a reward of their services, and the brothers have a badge ; 
 the others are called pretendants, and succeed to the former on vacancies. 
 
224 ASQUERADE. 
 
 to Rue St. Pierre, and there was an archway thrown 
 across a hollow way, by which the nuns used to go 
 to the chapel, now the church of St. Pierre. 
 
 In the evening we went to the masqued ball, which 
 began about eleven, at which about 500 or 600 were 
 assembled, masqued and unmasqued, but by far the 
 greater part was unmasqued. The characters as 
 usual were badly supported, or hardly supported 
 at all. There were Spaniards who not only could 
 not speak Spanish, but never saw the country ; monks 
 who knew nothing of a convent but the name ; farmers 
 totally ignorant of agriculture, S,-c. In general, com- 
 plete silence prevailed among the characters. Some 
 of the dresses were very rich, but there was such a 
 crowd; that there was but little dancing. The price 
 was three francs each, and it was at the grand 
 theatre. Refreshments of all sorts were provided, and 
 were very reasonable. On the whole, the evening passed 
 off as well as we could have expected, and we retired 
 at three, leaving the greatest part there. The play 
 was acted before the masked ball began. 
 
 Feb. 1.— Went to the school called L'Ecole D'En- 
 selgnement Mutuel, v/hich answers to our national 
 school. There are now in it 400 boys and one 
 director, assisted by a monitor to every class ; the 
 expense is 6000 francs a-year, and it is supported by 
 voluntary contribution. The school-room is very 
 large, and was formerly the church of the Lazaristes. 
 
 They admit them from the age of six, and the pro- 
 gress they make is very rapid. 
 
 The plan seems to be that excellent one introduced 
 
SCHOOLS. 225 
 
 into our country by Dr. B., but they will not own that 
 it was brought from England, saying, on the contrary, 
 that the English are obliged to the French for it, as it 
 has been in France many years. Something must be 
 allowed to national vanity. The fact is, whatever 
 way this mode was introduced, they are profiting 
 rapidly by its introduction, and promise soon to be 
 as well educated a country as they have been the 
 contrary. They intend soon to have eight schools on 
 this plan in Lyons. They begin with prayers, and 
 are attentive to their religious duties. 
 
 The chief difference we observed, was as to the 
 discipline of the school. On entering, you see before 
 you " Silence and Respect" in great letters, hut jieither 
 seemed attended to as they ought, for nothing could 
 exceed the noise. They were also very tardy in pro- 
 ceeding to operations, and much time seemed to us to 
 be lost. They have no corporal punishments, but are 
 shut up in dark rooms, or otherwise disgraced, on 
 ill behaviour ; and being eight times absent, subjects 
 them to expulsion from the school. They have re- 
 wards proportioned to their advancement. 
 
 There is a school of the same kind for Protestants, 
 by whom it is supported. 
 
 Feb. 2. — This being the Purification of the Virgin, 
 the day was observed as a great festival ; there was 
 high mass in all the churches, and it was very in- 
 teresting to see most of the women with a long lighted 
 taper in their hands, devoutly at their prayers ; in- 
 deed, the sight was beautiful. 
 
 The rivers were remarkably low this year, especially 
 
 Vol. I. Q 
 
226 COMMERCE OP LYONS. 
 
 the Rhone*, where there was a bed of stones un- 
 covered of above 100 yards. In this river is abun- 
 dance of fine carp and tench, remarkably large pike, 
 trout, Sj^c, but neither in the Rhone nor the Saone are 
 there any salmon. 
 
 In spite of the complaints, the commerce of Lyons 
 is great, and the activity of the inhabitants in pro- 
 portion. You can scarcely pass in the streets, and 
 along the quays from the vast number of loaded carts, 
 continually passing, bringing cheeses, S^c, from Swit- 
 zerland into the south of France, and from Marseilles 
 cotton, and fruit of all kinds. This is the cause of 
 the streets being intolerably dirty, although every 
 attention is paid to cleanliness, scavengers regularly 
 with carts and donkies taking up the mud thrice a 
 day. 
 
 The peasants in the neighbourhood are neat, in- 
 dustrious, and flourishing, bringing milk, butter, and 
 the produce of their gardens every morning very early 
 to the city, chiefly on donkies, with very large panniers, 
 of which there are such numbers, that you can scarcely 
 pass in the narrow streets. 
 
 The women dress remarkably neat; the lower 
 order of them in Lyons, as well as the other parts of 
 France, are universally without bonnets ; the higher 
 order wear them as in Paris. 
 
 Having some business with Le Cure de la Paroisse 
 de St. Pierre, we waited on him and obtained some 
 
 * On the Rhone are numbers of mills built on two barg-es, and moored 
 to the shore with remarkably strong tliick chains, on account of the 
 rapidity and strength of the river. 
 
MUNICIPALITV. 22T 
 
 valuable information. He was a well-bred man, had 
 seen much of the world, had resided ten years in 
 various parts of Italy, and had that liberality of sen- 
 timent, which travelling generally brings. He said 
 that most of the property of the clergy being seized 
 by the revolutionists, the cures in the large towns, 
 were allowed by government 1,500 francs a year, and 
 apartments ; and the casualties, (the fees,) produced 
 something considerable. A part of the latter, and 
 the hire of chairs which brought in 1,500 francs a-year 
 in large parishes, was appropriated to the salary of 
 the vicars or curates, of whom, in the parish of St. 
 Peter, there were five. The Protestant ministers are 
 allowed 1,000 francs a-year, and the Catholics and 
 Protestants live in harmony and friendship. He said 
 that the accounts of the violence exercised by the 
 former against the latter, as stated in the public 
 papers, some years ago at Nimes and the neighbour- 
 hood, was much exaggerated ; owning at the same 
 time, that the people in the south of France are of a 
 violent and ungovernable nature. 
 
 The municipality still keep their usurped rights in 
 ecclesiastical affairs, and are particularly jealous of 
 any interference of the clergy, paying laith reluctance 
 what the laws order to be paid. The indecent haste with 
 which the dead are interred is not altered ; this, pro- 
 bably, took its rise in hot countries. The usual time 
 of interment is twenty -four hours after dissolution, 
 when proceeding from exhausted nature, or a long- 
 protracted illness ; but in cases of apoplexy or any 
 sudden death, forty-eight hours are allowed. 
 
 Q2 
 
CHARITABLE SOCIETIES. 
 
 There is but one church-yard, or rather burying- 
 ground *, for this immense city, and the ground for 
 interment is paid for by all, and even exacted of the 
 poor, with the utmost rigour by the municipality. 
 The charitable societies in Lyons are numerous. In 
 all the parishes there are some of the most distin- 
 guished females, with a president, ^-c., as in England, 
 called charitable sisters f, who examine into the wants 
 of the poor, visiting their habitations, and making 
 their report to the minister of the parish. The keys 
 of the different boxes in the churches, for offerings, 
 called Troncs des Pauvres, are lodged likewise with 
 the cures, who distribute the contents at their discretion. 
 
 The beggars, which are a disgrace to the police, 
 are driven out of the city two or three times a year 
 by the magistrates, but soon return to their old avo- 
 cations, shewing the ineflicacy of laws without a vigo- 
 rous and prompt execution of them. 
 
 The benefices J are at the disposal of the bishop of 
 the diocese, and the cures are usually taken from the 
 vicaires, or curates. We would not quit this city 
 without paying a visit to the burial-ground, which is 
 about a mile and a half from the city, on the hill, 
 above Fourvier. It is thirty-eight acres in extent, 
 
 * This buryina^-ground is appropriate.! to all seels and religions. Pa- 
 pists, Protestants, Jews, &c. ; and each has a distinct part allotted for 
 them, and each relig'ion has its owiv-minister to perform the service. 
 
 •!• Sceurs de la Charite, 
 
 '4^ The king^ makes the archbishops, deans, &c: Tiie clerg'y take 
 deacons' orders at twenty-one, and priest's at twenty-five. A cure can only 
 liold one living-, but when there is a want of clergy, they take the duty of 
 another church in the country. 
 
CHURCH-YARD. 229 
 
 but we found very few inscriptions interesting; on 
 entering, the Protestants' burying-ground is on the 
 right, in which are interred many of our countrymen. 
 The chief part of the graves have a cross, edged with 
 black and white, which has a pretty effect at a dis- 
 tance. If we met with no interesting inscriptions, 
 neither were we disgusted with the open trenches as 
 at Paris. Each corpse has a separate grave, decently 
 covered in ; thirty -five francs is paid to the city for 
 each, and nineteen more for the cross. 
 
 There are several handsome monuments on the 
 right, though few that are curious ; on one is, Miiltis 
 illc bonis Jlebilis occidit, nulli flebilior quam mihi : on 
 another was an inscription to a young man of the 
 name of Ray, who is styled thus, Infortune Ray, tu 
 fus la victime de la Revolution; he perished in 1793, 
 a lafatalejournte du 29 Mai. 
 
 We were sorry tp find, as at Paris, " Aux manes les 
 plus chers." You enter the church-yard by large iron 
 gates, on the top of which are these words : 
 
 * Memento, Homo, 
 Quia Pulveris es, 
 et in pulverem reverteris. 
 
 No hearses come here ; the corpses are all brought up 
 the mountain on men's shoulders, which in summer 
 must be a dreadful task. 
 
 There is in Guillotiere a burying-ground for the 
 poor, in which they are interred without expense. 
 
 * Remember, man. 
 
 That thou art dust. 
 
 And into dust shalt thou return. 
 
230 GUILLOTIERE. 
 
 The situation of the burying-ground commands a fine 
 view of a beautiful country studded with white houses. 
 Thus finished our stay at Lyons of nearly three 
 months, in which if there are not so many interest- 
 ing things to attract the stranger as might be ex- 
 pected, or polished society to amuse his leisure hours, 
 there are at least great conveniences, and some amuse- 
 ments ; in the former may be reckoned Hackney- 
 coaches, and in the latter regular theatres. On the 
 wtiole, indeed, one may pass a few weeks very 
 agreeably. 
 
 CHPATER XXXVIII. 
 
 Departure from Lyons — Cultivation of the Country — Verpilliere — Bur- 
 goin — Its Romantic Situation — Alontaafne de NivoIa^Amphitheatre of 
 Mountains — River — Country populous — Costume of the Peasants — 
 Roads excellent — Vineyards numerous — Voreppe — Entrance into Gre- 
 noble — Situation — Cathedral — St. Louis — St. Andre — Chevalier Ba- 
 yard — Connetable Lesdiguieres — Museum — Castle of Kabot — Female 
 Barbers — Bastile — Isere — Interesting Situation of the City. 
 
 Sunday, Feb. 14. — Leaving Lyons, we once more 
 crossed the Rhone on the long stone bridge before 
 mentioned, and again entered the department of Isere, 
 formerly the province of Dauphin^ ; we first came into 
 the populous suburb of Guillotiere, and for a little 
 while continued the Avignon road, but soon leaving it 
 on the right, took the high road to Grenoble, going 
 through another street of Guillotiere. 
 
 The first part of the road was level, with very long 
 
VERPILLIERE. 231 
 
 views ; afterwards there were gentle winding hills, 
 and the country was pretty, with live fences, fruit- 
 trees, ^T. The fields are well cultivated, and there 
 was much wheat and clover: in this part of Dauphin^ 
 there are not many vines, but abundance of grain of 
 all kinds, and it is reckoned one of the finest corn- 
 countries in France: the country also seemed popu- 
 lous, and the inhabitants had a neat and comfortable 
 appearance. 
 
 One post and a quarter Bron, and St. Laurent des 
 Mures one, two small villages ; Verpilliere one post 
 and a half, a large and dirty village with an old 
 parish church ; on the right are the remains of a ve- 
 nerable castle, on a romantic hill. 
 
 At Verpilliere, where we dined, one of the ancient 
 noblesse, he himself an anckiii of eighty-one years, 
 with 3000/. a year, exercised the office of mayor of 
 that and two other parishes, giving the profits to his 
 secretary and the poor. The cur 6, also, was eighty- 
 one, and in perfect health, performing the duties of 
 his function, a pretty fair inference of the healthful- 
 ness of the place ; this benefice is very good, with 
 casuals (fees, presents, ^c.) producing 2000 francs 
 a year. 
 
 From Verpilliere to Burgoin is three leagues ; at 
 this last place we took up our lodging for the night. 
 
 The last part of this day's journey was varied with 
 winding roads, hanging woods, and houses scattered 
 among them, making it very interesting. 
 
 Burgoin is a small town, with 5000 inhabitants, si- 
 tuated in a most romantic and beautiful valley ,with high 
 
232 BURGOIN RIVES. 
 
 and steep hills overlooking it and hanging over the 
 town, planted from the bottom to the top with fine 
 chestnut-trees ; from one of those hills which we 
 ascended is a fine view of the town under you, and 
 the whole extent of the valley and adjacent country, 
 with a distant one of the mountains of Grenoble 
 covered with snow. 
 
 The hanging hills, thickly covered with trees, with, 
 out underwood, reminded us of the beautiful beech- 
 woods of Bucks, which they much resemble. 
 
 Next day we set off from Burgoin early in the 
 morning, to Eclosse, one post and a half. La Frette, 
 two. The country continued beautiful, and the road 
 winding round steep hills ; in some places the hill 
 hung over the road on one side, and on the other was 
 a deep dell, with a stream at the bottom, and in one 
 place there were three tiers of streams, one running 
 above the other, which had a curious appearance. 
 
 The country here is very populous ; Eclosse and 
 La Frette are both small places : before we came to 
 the former we ascended a long and beautiful hill, 
 called la Montague de Nivola, about half a league in 
 height, with a fine prospect of the distant mountains. 
 From La Frette to Rives, one post and a half: we 
 were now in a complete amphitheatre, surrounded 
 with mountains, of which those in front, and on the 
 right and left, were the highest ; the intermediate 
 space was well cultivated with vineyards in very wide 
 rows, and corn between them ; the former are here so 
 strong that they are trained to young pollards, with 
 double rows of strong poles length- ways. 
 
MOIRANS, 233 
 
 The situation of Rives is very beautiful, overlook- 
 ing a deep lovely dell, with a clear and rapid stream, 
 forming many cascades, and supplying several mills 
 with water. 
 
 One league from Rives is Moirans, where we passed 
 the night, at the Angel, which did not by any means 
 answer to its appellation. Nothing could be more 
 lovely than this day's journey, in which we had 
 mountains, beautiful hanging woods, forests of walnut- 
 trees, and chestnut, abundance of houses interspersed, 
 and every thing which could render the road interest- 
 ing to a traveller. 
 
 We met many peasant-women and gardes du foret : 
 the dress of the former was a small bonnet like the cot- 
 tage one, and the hair turned up close behind and braid- 
 ed, like the Strasburg women : the gardes de chasse 
 wear couteaux de chasse, to protect the forests and 
 take care of the game, of which there is abundance. 
 
 We now found the peasants and inhabitants very 
 civil and obhging, very different from those of the 
 south of France. The roads are excellent, and the men 
 who were repairing them had brass circular plates on 
 their foreheads, with their names and department. Our 
 journey this day was eleven post leagues, about 
 twenty-eight English miles, and the day before twenty- 
 six. 
 
 Feb. 16. — Left Moirans for Grenoble, distant five 
 leagues ; the same beautiful road continued through a 
 very populous country, between two chains of moun- 
 tains, partly barren rocks, and partly covered with 
 
234 VOREPPE. 
 
 trees and shrubs : we remarked that the hollow 
 part of the rocks was full of cypresses : the vari- 
 ous shapes of the mountains were likewise curi- 
 ous, some having rugged tops, some being pyra- 
 midical, cVc The vines which are here abundant, 
 are trained different ways ; some round cherry- 
 trees, others with three large poles, in a triangular 
 form, from five to six feet high ; they all grow remark- 
 ably strong, and make, as we were told and found by 
 experience, excellent wine. 
 
 One league from Moirans, Voreppe, a flourishing 
 village and port, full of good inns, and two more 
 Grenoble. 
 
 About two miles from Grenoble, the road is a fine 
 terrace, with the river Isere under it winding in a 
 beautiful manner, and the road winding with it ; on the 
 left were mountains with vineyards almost to the sum- 
 mits, and houses built close to the rock on the declivi- 
 ties and continued to the bottom, so as to form almost 
 a part of the rock ; on the right were meadows, 
 beyond were mountains covered with snow, and in 
 front a beautiful view of Grenoble. 
 
 We entered Grenoble through a strong gate and re- 
 doubt and soon crossed the Isere, which is here pretty 
 broad, on an old stone bridge ; there is also an old 
 wooden bridge, for foot-passe?>gers only ; the river is 
 here very rapid, running among rocks, and navigable 
 only for boats. We were set down at L'Hotel de Pro- 
 vence, which we found a very good inn. 
 
 Grenoble, formerly the capital of Dauphine, now of 
 
GRENOBLE. 235 
 
 the department of the Isere, is a fine city, situated ou 
 the Isere, which divides the town into two unequal 
 parts ; this river, which rises in the Alps about four- 
 teen leagues off, is here not very broad. The old 
 town of Grenoble is very ancient, consisting chiefly 
 of one long narrow street with old houses built along 
 the river, and the mountains hanging over them. 
 
 This city contains twenty-five thousand souls ; 
 the streets are in general wide and handsome, and 
 there are several good squares, of which La Place de 
 Grenoble is the best. 
 
 The situation of this city is very singular ; it is the 
 area of an amphitheatre of mountains, with which it is 
 nearly surrounded, and their snowy tops hang over it : 
 there are only four parishes in G renoble ; the principal 
 churches, are the cathedral, St. Louis, and St. Andre ; 
 the church of the Dominicans, in which was the fine 
 tomb of the last Prince of Dauphin^, we were sorry to 
 hear, was converted into the halle au bled, soon after 
 the Revolution. 
 
 The cathedral is a fine old building, consisting of a 
 nave and choir ; on the left of the former is a double 
 row of arcades which form one aisle, and on the right 
 a single one, which makes the other aisle, and these 
 have a remarkable appearance. 
 
 In the choir on the right is a beautiful piece of fret- 
 work, formerly the tomb of some distinguished person. 
 
 In the gallery of the cathedral is a new chapel with 
 the following inscription : — 
 
 " Cette Chapelle est raccomplisseinent d"un vceu dc vrais adorateurs du 
 cceiir de Jesus en menioire de la delivrance de Grenoble menacee, d'etre 
 prise d'assaut et niiraeuleusement sauvee par la Capitulation de Juillet, 
 1815." 
 
236 CHURCHES. 
 
 There is also a chapel dedicated to St. Louis by 
 the bishop, with a long inscription, celebrating the 
 happy return of Louis XVIIL to his dominions. 
 
 St. Louis is a neat church consisting of a nave and 
 small choir, round which are several fine paintings, of 
 our Saviour and the woman taken in adultery, the 
 woman of Canaan, ^-c. 
 
 The steeple of St. Andrew is much admired, but 
 the most interesting thing in the church is the monu- 
 ment of the brave and good chevalier Bayard, so well 
 known in history as the chevalier " Sans peur et sans 
 reproche," who lost his life in Italy, bravely fighting 
 for his king and country. 
 
 On the top of the monument is the bust of the 
 chevalier, with very long hair and a very pensive 
 countenance, and the neck decorated with a chain and 
 medallion of the order of St. Michael : it has the fol- 
 lowing inscription. 
 
 *' Lapis hie siiperbit Tumulo non Titulo, 
 
 Ubi sepultus lieros, inaximus, suo 
 
 Est ipsemet sepulcro monimentum." 
 
 A long inscription follows, commemorating the ac- 
 tions of the chevalier, his being selected by Francis L, 
 to confer the honour of knighthood on him *, ^-c. ; 
 the whole in Latin, at the end, his age (48,) and date 
 of his death 1524. 
 
 Morituruni monimentum non morituris Cineribus 
 
 N. Scipio Polloud D. St. Agnin 
 
 Suis suraptibus accuravit. 
 
 The name of this distinguished officer and excellent 
 
 * After the ceremony he replaced his sword into the scabbard, and 
 swore never to make use of it again, but against the Turks, Saracens, or 
 floors. Ciiaropier, Vic de Bayard, as quoted by Roscoe. 
 
PIERRE DU TERRAIL. 237 
 
 man was Pierre du Terrail, he was born in the valley 
 of Graisvaudan six leagues from Grenoble : brought 
 up to the profession of arms, as most men of family 
 were in the days of chivalry, he soon distinguished 
 himself no less by his courage than by his piety and 
 humanity ; he conferred knighthood, as his epitaph 
 shews, on Francis I., by that king's express desire, 
 who with""difficulty overcame his modest refusal : he 
 was made knight of the order of St. Michael by 
 Francis I. This valuable man was slain by a stone 
 from an arquebuse in the passage of the river Sesia* 
 between Romagnans and Guttinara : finding that he 
 was mortally wounded, he ordered himself to be 
 placed at the foot of a tree with his face to the enemy, 
 kissed the cross of his sword, and having no confessor 
 confessed himself to his esquire. The constable of 
 Bourbon f passed by, and was much affected at this 
 scene, bewaihng his fate: the chevalier said " It is not 
 me you must bewail, but yourself, who are in arms 
 against your king and country; I die faithful to both;" 
 and immediately he breathed his last J. 
 
 Dauphine was a province famous for old heroes : in 
 this city the gallant constable Lesdiguieres, the sup- 
 port of the Protestants, and friend and companion in 
 
 * Mallet Hist, des Siiisses, vol. 3, p. 72. 
 
 + Tho Constable of Bourbon was killed at the sacking- of Rome, and 
 had presence of mind enough on findini,^ that he was mortally wounded, 
 to desire his friends to cover his body with his cloak, that his death mig-ht 
 be concealed, which was done. — Mezeuai, 
 
 When we read tlie history, and the end of this gallant and misguided 
 general, we cannot help exclaiming with the poet : — 
 
 " • • terque quarterque beati 
 
 Quels ante ora patrum," &c. 
 
 ViuG. /Uneul. I. v, 9S 
 % Mezerai. Blographte Universelle. 
 
238 LESDIGUIERES. 
 
 arms of Henry the Great, lived long in regal splen- 
 dour as governor of the province. Louis XIII. came 
 to pay him a visit, and was regaled by him several 
 days in the most sumptuous manner: his house is 
 now the prefecture, and the public gardens and ter- 
 race planted with chestnuts near the river, by him, 
 were formerly the gardens of the constable, but there 
 is no monument of this distinguished man ; there was 
 one of his wife and daughter, which was destroyed 
 by the merciless hands of the revolutionists. Such are 
 the changes which a few years only produce. 
 
 In the public library, however, is a fine picture, on 
 entering it, of the constable Lesdiguieres, and a page 
 holding his horse. 
 
 " This celebrated general was born at Bonnet in 
 Champ Saur, April 1st, 1543: after a series of gal- 
 lant actions, he was made a marshal of France by 
 Henry IV.," (not less a judge than rewarder of merit,) 
 *' and was at length prevailed upon to accept the office 
 of constable of France by Louis XIII., having pre- 
 viously abjured the Protestant religion," (which is the 
 greatest stigma upon his character, as it was on that 
 of his master). " He made his public abjuration 
 in the church of St. Andrew, July 24, 1622." 
 
 He went to Valence to finish the reduction of that 
 city, and died there of a fever, caused by the un- 
 healthiness of the place from stagnated waters, Sep- 
 tember 28, 1625, 84 years old. 
 
 His intestines w^ere buried in the cathedral at Va- 
 lence, his heart in the church of Notre Dame at Greno- 
 ble, and* his body at Lesdiguieres ; on opening the 
 
MUSEUM LIBRARY. 239 
 
 body Ms heart was remarkably small, but the noble 
 parts were so sound, as to have promised an extraor- 
 dinary long life, but for the disorder which proved 
 fatal *. There is said to be a fine monument of the 
 constable in the cathedral of Gap : he left a wife and 
 daughter. 
 
 The museum of Grenoble is a noble one, consisting 
 of a fine library in the form of a T, a collection of na- 
 tural history, and an exhibition of paintings, among 
 which are several by Rubens and the best masters ; 
 there are also several fine statues. The whole fills 
 three large rooms, does great honour to the city, and 
 is well worth being seen by strangers : it was col- 
 lected at the expense of the inhabitants, and is sup- 
 ported by them ; it is shewn to strangers in the most 
 liberal manner, who have whatever books they wish to 
 consult brought to them, pens and ink, a good fire, and 
 comfortable room ; so that with these accommodations, 
 a traveller may pass several days very agreeably in 
 this city. 
 
 The library contains 45,000 volumes, and has 
 many valuable works and curious manuscripts, under 
 the care of a most liberal and respectable librarian. 
 
 In an anti-room, on entering the library, are the 
 heads of the nine Dauphins, in coarse marble ; begin- 
 ning with Guigues and Margaret of Bretagne his 
 wife, and ending with Humbert II., the last Prince of 
 Dauphine, who left the province to France, on condi- 
 tion of the eldest son of the king bearing the title of 
 
 * Vie du Connetable de Lesdiguieres par Videl son secretaire. 
 
240 RABOT ^BASTILE. 
 
 Dauphin : the original will is still preserved, which 
 they shew to strangers. 
 
 Among many curious animals in the museum is a 
 very large and long snake, which tradition says was 
 killed in the neighbourhood of Grenoble ; it seems 
 twenty feet in length and of a wonderful thickness. 
 
 Grenoble, (Gratiani Polis*) is very ancient, and 
 was built by the Romans ; it was formerly very strong, 
 but is now far from being so. 
 
 On entering the town lyou see on the right an old 
 castle on the mountain called Rabot, supposed to 
 have been built by the Romans, which is a fine ob- 
 ject. 
 
 Feb. \8th. — Proving a fine day, we with great dif- 
 ficulty ascended this mountain : there was much snow 
 on the ground, and theas cent was so steep, that in 
 many parts we were obliged to climb on our hands 
 and knees, and found great difficulty in advancing: at 
 length we reached the fort called the Bastile, built by 
 the constable Lesdiguieres and commanding the city ; 
 the vineyards, which are very strong, are planted 
 from the bottom to the top of the mountain, trained 
 to strong poles and stakes ; on coming to the sum- 
 mit, we found a small fort and sentry-box, but no 
 sentry. 
 
 The view of the city under us, and the Isere wan- 
 dering among the meadows till it was lost in its 
 
 * Gratlanopolls was founded by the Enipcro" Gratian, A. C. 379. 
 Grenoble is a corruption from it. In \622, Louis XIII. made a public 
 entry into it, and was present at the g-raud entertainment given him by the 
 Constable. — Mkzbrai. 
 
CASTLE OP RABOt. 241 
 
 meandering course, with houses and villages thickly 
 spread on all sides, was very interesting ; near us was 
 mountain upon mountain, and we sat some time on a 
 bench to contemplate the awful scene : the day was 
 fine, and the sun shone bright upon the snowy tops, 
 but we did not find one solitary being to explain 
 the different names of the places in this noble land- 
 scape. 
 
 We at length descended by a much better path to 
 the Castle of Rabot, supposed to have been built by 
 the Romans, which is indeed a noble piece of anti- 
 quity; there is a very old wall from this castle to 
 the very top of the mountain, reaching to the Bas- 
 tille. 
 
 We descended by the female convent of St. Mary, 
 and were much gratified by our mountainous though 
 fatiguing excursion. 
 
 Tlie bishop's palace is remarkably handsome, but 
 his income, as we were told, is curtailed to a thousand 
 pounds a year. 
 
 At Grenoble a curious custom prevails of female 
 barbers and hair-dressers, and the writer of this 
 sketch was shaved and had his hair dressed by one 
 who performed both these branches of business well 
 and dexterously. 
 
 Vol. I. 
 
242 MONTBONEAU. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 Departure from Grenoble — M ontboneau — Lizards— Touvet — Great Va- 
 riety of Country — Patience exercised in a Country Cabaret — Leave 
 Dauphine — Enter Savoy — Savoy Douane — Beautiful Hill — Barreaux 
 — Chambery. 
 
 Feb. 19. -^We left Grenoble* at twelve o'clock, 
 after having passed four days there very agreeably ; 
 the inhabitants are very civil to strangers, and as it 
 has been observed, its library is a very great accom- 
 modation : it is open every day except Friday, from 
 ten to three. 
 
 On leaving Grenoble, as the sun was very powerful 
 in the middle of the day, we saw lizards in abundance, 
 playing on the stone walls by the road ; they were of 
 the yellow sort, and some of them pretty large. 
 
 Two leagues from Grenoble, Montboneau, a small 
 village ; two more, Lumbin, a village and post ; and 
 one more, Touvet, a village also, where we passed 
 the night. Here is a very handsome chateau be- 
 longing to the Seigneur du Village, who was an officer 
 of distinguished rank, (as we learnt from our land- 
 lord,) in the reign of Louis Seize. 
 
 This day's journey was extremely beautiful ; the 
 road was good and level, between two rows of moun- 
 tains ; those on the left were chiefly barren rocks, but 
 in a variety of forms, so as often to resemble houses 
 
 * In one of the streets of Grenoble is a long line of Roman antiquities 
 against a wall, consisting of monumental stones,^vessels, ^-c, all of them 
 Mith inscriptions. 
 
TOUVET. 
 
 243 
 
 and other buildings ; on the right, the mountains were 
 in a high state of cultivation, having pines, firs, ^c, 
 and much verdure on the surface, but the tops were 
 uniformly covered with snow: from the rocks on 
 the left descended frequent mountain torrents, so as to 
 form cascades in their descent, crossing the road in 
 many places. There were vineyards, as usual, in a 
 variety of ways and forms, some trained to strong 
 trees, others planted to the very top of the rocks, and 
 fastened to stakes. 
 
 On each side of the road were villages and houses, 
 very thick at the foot of the mountain, and frequently 
 as high up as the middle of it. We arrived at the 
 village of Touvet, our sleeping-place, about five, dis- 
 tant from Grenoble only seven post leagues. We 
 had here occasion to exercise a traveller's patience: 
 the people were civil, but the accommodation wretched; 
 a large saucepan was given us to boil water for the 
 tea, with an immense dirty wooden ladle to take it out, 
 and three or four pewter and wooden tea-spoons, not 
 yielding in dirt to the ladle. But what was wanting 
 in accommodations* was supplied by the size of the 
 rooms, which were immensely large, with tables like- 
 wise large in proportion, like farm-house ones: a 
 blazing wood fire, however, soon made its appearance, 
 and dissipated a great part of our chagrin. Although 
 there are many fine coal-mine?s in this neighbourhood. 
 
 t As an instance of tho mnderniion of our landlady in her charg'es for 
 this accommodation, we asked her what would satisfy her, and she said 
 she should he co«fp//^ with thirty francs: she took six. The men do not 
 appear iu the inns, but leave all to their wives. 
 
244 ClIAMBERY. 
 
 and all over the province, yet the inhabitants chietly 
 burn wood, reserving the coals for the P6eles. 
 
 We were now quitting the department of Isere, the 
 ci-devant province of Dauphine, through the whole of 
 which, almost, we had travelled at different times, 
 having crossed it in all directions. It is a fertile and 
 very healthy province, famous for the longevity of its 
 inhabitants*, and distinguished for heroes. 
 
 Feb. 20. — Left Touvet at six in the morning. At 
 Chapareillan, four leagues off, we quitted France, and 
 entered Savoy |: there is a stone to mark the limits of 
 the two countries. One mile farther, Aux MarcheSj 
 a small village, where is the Savoy Douane ; here we 
 were detained more than an hour while all our trunks, 
 boxes, ^'C, were taken and examined: the oificers, 
 however, were very civil, and it is worth sacrificing 
 two or three francs to have your clothes as little de- 
 ranged as possible, which with this douceur Vv'ill gene- 
 rally be the case. 
 
 Two leagues farther, Chambery ; in the whole, we 
 came this day seven leagues : the road was pretty, 
 winding between mountains, with villages and houses^ 
 as on the preceding day, thickly strev/ed at the 
 bottom. About two miles from Chapareillan is a very 
 steep though not a long hill, winding in the form of a 
 Z : on one side was a fine view of the Isere, now be- 
 coming very narrow ; on the other, steep rocks, fre- 
 quent mountains, and rapid torrents running down 
 the sides. Near this hill, on the right, on a fine 
 
 * Vide Life of the Constable Lesdiguires. 
 
 ■f' Savoj' w&s, In the department of Mont Biaiu in the time of Bun.iparte. 
 
CHAMBERY. 245 
 
 eminence commanding the road, is Barreaux, a fort 
 belonging to the French, in which is a very strong 
 garrison. The churches in this country have almost 
 all conical steeples, and are usually on an eminence 
 forming a pretty object. 
 
 Chambery is a handsome though not a large city, 
 containing 12,000 inhabitants ; it is the see of an 
 archbishop, and the cathedral called St. Leger is a 
 very fine church, with a handsome choir and a beauti- 
 ful canopy over the high altar; the roofs and sides 
 are curiously painted, the nave also, and the chapels 
 right and left are very beautiful ; in one of the chapels 
 on the right are great numbers of the Saints, they 
 are painted so as to resemble statues, and are ex- 
 tremely well done. 
 
 The cathedral is in a small square, the grand en- 
 trance of which is a fine piece of antiquity. 
 
 The castle stands on a rise, and the chapel makes 
 a noble appearance from the street, but within is 
 nothing remarkable, except a very fine painted Avindow. 
 
 The dukes of Savoy used formerly to reside in the 
 chateau, but the Governor now lives there. 
 
 In the H6tel de Ville is the library, open three 
 times a week to the public ; the collection is not large, 
 but there is a beautiful painted breviary 400 years 
 old, which is very curious: the utmost attention is 
 shewn to strangers. 
 
 Chambery is in a plain, with mountains almost 
 surrounding it ; the streets are remarkably broad and 
 handsome, and the town very lively : the street called 
 la Rue Couverte is under an arcade, or rather a broad 
 
246 JACOBIN CONVENT. 
 
 pent-hoiise; it is covered with wood, and full of shops. 
 This is a fine walk for the inhabitants in bad weather, 
 as it is very long. 
 
 French is universally spoken at Chambery; the 
 cruel unfeeling hand of Revolution has been severely 
 felt here : many inscriptions have been erased, and 
 the noble Jacobin Convent has been destroyed, with 
 the exception of the cloisters. 
 
 The articles of life are in this country remarkably 
 cheap, the best meat being only six sous a pound, 
 and bread and other things in proportion; and we 
 now had the comfort of having boards once more in 
 our chambers, instead of bricks and tiles. 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 Departurft from Charabery — Poplar-trees e:ive place to live hedges — 
 Fruit-trees general — Picturesque appearance of Building's — Montiuelian 
 —Cabaret — Bough-house — Change in Houses — Costume of Peasants 
 — Aigue-Belle — Erpieres — St. Jean de Maurienne. 
 
 Feb. 21. — We left Chambery at seven o'clock in the 
 morning, the weather being raw and cold, and in- 
 dicating a fall of snow ; however, we comforted our- 
 selves with the hopes of soon being in a warmer 
 country. 
 
 The face of the country continued much the same, 
 and mountains were on each side of the road ; but it 
 was straight and wide for some time, with very long 
 views between two rows of poplars ; it afterwards in- 
 
THE COUNTRY. 
 
 247 
 
 sensibly became narrower, till at last it resembled 
 an English lane, with live hedges of quick, hazel, &c.; 
 the road, in spite of continual heavy rains, being 
 hard and good. There were fruit-trees of various 
 kinds interspersed between the road and mountains, 
 and even on the declivity of them. The mountains, 
 in fact, were in a state of cultivation in general, 
 having trees of various kinds up to the very top. 
 
 In other places, were thick forests of oak, lofty but 
 small in girth. There were also occasionally pines, 
 cypresses and firs ; the hedges were full of wild 
 variegated box, and sometimes entirely formed of it. 
 
 On the tops of the rocks and mountains were 
 many old towers, ruins of fortresses, and remains of 
 baronial castles, proudly looking down on the adjacent 
 valleys ; also many villages and houses, and the 
 country appeared very populous. On most of the 
 houses were small apertures covered with tin, in 
 order to form a communication with the roof, and on 
 the tops of the buildings little columns with balls, 
 covered with tin, from six or eight inches long to tv/o 
 or three feet, which, glittering in the sun, had a novel 
 and pleasing appearance. Three leagues from Cham- 
 bery we passed by Montmelian, an old town in a 
 most romantic situation : its citadel, on a sharp rock, 
 is a fine object, in a most commanding situation, and 
 formerly was reckoned one of the keys of Savoy, but 
 in the modern warfare, keys are found of little con- 
 sequence. Here we crossed the Isere on a long stone 
 bridge, which had been broken away in two places 
 by the French in the last war, to prevent the Austrians 
 
248 coisEs. 
 
 crossing. The fractures have been supphed with 
 wood. 
 
 Two leagues farther on is Coises, a small village, 
 where we ate the provisions we had brought with us 
 in our coach, in a bough-house, as there was no other 
 sign to distinguish this cabaret. As we advanced 
 into Savoy, we found many of these bough-houses, 
 and if w^e had not had the precaution of supplying 
 ourselves at the different towns w^hich we passed, we 
 should have fared but badly, as they seldom had any 
 thing but eggs, coarse bread, and sour wine. We, 
 however, always got clean linen, though generally 
 coarse, and still had boarded floors. 
 
 The rooms were much neater than in France, the 
 beds larger, and more resembling English ones than 
 French ; the cottages resemble those in Switzerland, 
 stable and ofhces below, and lodging-rooms above, to 
 which you ascend by an open staircase. 
 
 The inns are good, with a corridor conducting to 
 the apartments, as in Switzerland. The costume of 
 the female peasants is a large cap; but when it rains, 
 an immense beaver hat, with small crown and large 
 brim; the men chiefly wear white jackets and large 
 cocked hats on Sundays and holidays. 
 
 Five leagues farther, we came to Aigue-Belle, a 
 small town, but very neat, with broad streets and 
 good houses, and a conduit in the centre of the street, 
 as is the case in most of the towns in Savoy and Swit- 
 zerland. The population of this town is 4,000. 
 
 The peasants were here, in spite of a very heavy 
 rain, walking about the town in masks and fancy 
 
AIGUE-BELLE. 
 
 249 
 
 dresses, as they had done for some time, it being the 
 carnival. 
 
 We went along the banks of the Argues before we 
 came to Aigiie- Belle ; this is a pretty mountain- 
 stream, which runs into the Isere, the latter rising in 
 the neiffhbourins: mountains. On the borders of the 
 Argues were several moveable machines used for 
 grinding wheat. Every thing in this country appeared 
 very flourishing, the people were neatly dressed, and 
 most of the villages had a butcher and baker. There 
 was abundance of wood, and in every spot between 
 the mountains, which admitted of cultivation, was seen 
 wheat, clover, &c. Among the fruits, walnuts are so 
 plentiful, that there are vast quantities of them shelled 
 in heaps, in all the chambers, out of which they ex- 
 tract oil. 
 
 Our journey this day was ten post leagues or 
 twenty -five English miles. 
 
 Feb. 22. — We left Aigue-Belle at six in the morn- 
 ing ; it blew hard, and snowed very fast, unpropitious 
 weather for a mountainous excursion. Three leagues 
 from Aigue-Belle, Erpieres, a small village, in which 
 many of the frames of the windows, corners of the 
 houses, &c., were painted in a very fanciful manner, 
 giving us an idea of what we were to expect on the 
 other side of the Alps. They were painted, to imitate 
 variegated marble, and had a pleasing effect. Two 
 leagues farther, Chambre, and two farther St. Jean 
 de Maurienne, where we took up our quarters for the 
 night, the continuation of the snov/ taking from us 
 
250 THE ARCHE. 
 
 all inclination to proceed on our journey. We 
 came this day also twenty-five English miles. 
 
 The country through which we passed was wild and 
 romantic. The rocks and mountains, which were our 
 constant companions, increased in height and rugged- 
 ness : the former put on a variety of appearances as 
 well as the latter ; sometimes from top to bottom w^as 
 seen a stratum of small stones like regular pavement, 
 at others were vast pieces of rocks, which resembled 
 houses and villages detached from each other. 
 
 The mountains were full of trees of all kinds, pines, 
 firs, cypresses, juniper, &c. ; and the snow lodging on 
 them, formed a beautiful winter scene, which received 
 no small addition from the rapid mountain torrents 
 increased by the snow. 
 
 The beautiful river Arche accompanied us almost the 
 whole way ; on our right, the road, which was excel- 
 lent, was protected merely by a low wall, occasionally 
 broken down, and was, in fact, a high causeway, made 
 by Bonaparte. At times, there was not only the 
 river on one side, but a stream on the other, violently 
 rushing over the rocks in a most tremendous manner. 
 
 About a mile from St. Jean, we crossed the Arche 
 on a stone bridge, which had been broken down by the 
 French, as at Montmelian, and replaced with wood. 
 This was the third bridge which we saw in this 
 mutilated state. 
 
 St. Jean is an old town, the capital of the Mau- 
 rienne, containing about 3,000 inhabitants. This 
 place, which was formerly honoured with the residence 
 
ST. JEAN. 251 
 
 of its Princes, the Dukes of Savoy, is now completely- 
 fallen from its ancient grandeur, and scarcely a wreck 
 remains. The palace, which only gives the idea of a 
 handsome house, is now inhabited by the Intendant. 
 
 The great church, formerly the cathedral, has a 
 nave, choir, and two aisles. In the choir is a fine 
 Gothic piece of pyramidical fret-work, which was for- 
 merly a tomb, but is now a beautiful tabernacle, con- 
 taining the sacred elements ; on each side are two 
 statues of the Evangelists carved in stone. 
 
 On the sides of the choir are figures caiTed in 
 wood, and there are fine old stalls, which were used 
 by the canons. 
 
 We looked in vain for the venerable monuments of 
 the Dukes of Savoy, which was the chief object of our 
 visit to this church in a snowy tempestuous day. 
 They were all, alas ! destroyed, as we were told, by 
 the French revolutionists. 
 
 We observed six women dressed in white, and wear- 
 ing white hoods and veils, praying at the altar ; they 
 are called penitents. We were told that there were 
 twelve of them, who, by turns, are at their prayers 
 the chief part of the day and night nearly in the same 
 posture, from Quinquagesima Sunday till Ash- Wed- 
 nesday. It had a most interesting appearance. 
 
 The town is not very large ; the streets in general 
 narrow, many houses with paper-windows, and the 
 water-spouts are so projecting as almost to drench the 
 passenger. 
 
 We observed many idiots, and many with the goitre 
 in this town. It seems the Austrians and French had 
 
252 ST. JEAN DE MAURIENNE. 
 
 three sharp actions, one near St. Jean, and two others 
 in different parts of the province. 
 
 The entrance to the town is by a very handsome 
 lofty gate, like a triumphal arch, on which were painted 
 the arms of the King of Sardinia, and an inscription 
 in Latin, mentioning that it was built five years 
 ago, in honour of their sovereign, by the citizens of 
 St. Jean. 
 
 We were at the post, without the gates, and had the 
 honour of sleeping in the bed used by the King of 
 Sardinia in his journey to Chambery, and by the 
 Grand Duke Michael of Russia the week before. It 
 must be owned this honour did not add to our night's 
 leep, though it adds a little to this journal. 
 
 CHAPTER XLI. 
 
 Departure from St, Jean—Petit St, Julien — St, Mioliol— St. Andre — 
 Koad excellent — Variety of ^^iews — Description of Natives — Animals 
 of the Country — Jlodana — Fort of Brauiat — rreinendous Precipice — 
 Savoy Cottag-e — Arrival at, and Description of Lansberg-, 
 
 Feb. 23. — The weather cleared up, and the sun shone 
 bright, cheering us with his exhilarating rays, and 
 giving every appearance of a frost; vie set out in great 
 spirits, and optimis auspiciis, at ten in the morning, from 
 St. Jean de Maurienne* : one league distant from it is 
 
 * The JMaiirienne is so called from the blackness of the ground, resem- 
 blinsf the complexion of the Moors ; it very much resembles the surface of 
 coal mines, the snow and water rushinjr from the rocks bring- much of this 
 earth into the roads. 
 
LE POINT ST. MICHEL, 253 
 
 an excellent inn called Petit St. Julien, which does 
 honour to this wild country. 
 
 We soon crossed the Arche on a bridge of one arch, 
 and came afterwards to a part of the road, beautiful, 
 and. at the same time tremendous, called Le Point 
 St. Michel. On one side the river runs along the 
 road, making a frightful noise among large craggy- 
 rocks, about twelve or fourteen feet beneath ; on the 
 other side are rocky mountains covered with firs, Src, 
 to a great height ; on the left, is a barren rock, about 
 one hundred feet high, hanging frightfully over the 
 road, many pieces of which some men w^ere then em- 
 ployed in throwing out of it, and which probably came 
 into that situation from the falling of an avalanche, or 
 some other local cause ; no very pleasant prospect for 
 the timid traveller. In front we seemed completely shut 
 in by a high snowy mountain ; and on the whole, it 
 must be allowed that this part of the road was most 
 tremendous. We all of us alighted, and in silence con- 
 templated the awful scene around us, but fortunately 
 got safe from this pass to St. Michel. 
 
 St. Michel is a large populous village, partly in the 
 high road, and partly on the declivity of a mountain, 
 where is the romantic little village church. It con- 
 tains two thousand persons, and has several good 
 inns and houses : it is very flourishing, owing to the 
 great concourse of travellers going to and from Italy. 
 
 The roofs of the houses here, and the other moun- 
 tain towns have a pent-house projection two or three 
 feet from them, to carry the water into the streets ; of 
 
254 FRANCO. 
 
 which there is an immense quantity, owing to the 
 snow and rain, and the fall from the mountains. 
 
 About three miles from hence, we passed the river 
 on a bridge, partly stone and partly wood, which pro- 
 bably had been broken down also by the French. 
 
 JusL before St. Michel is a very handsome wooden 
 cross, about forty feet high, with a cock upon the top ; 
 beneath, was a head of our Saviour, and all round, the 
 instruments of his passion. 
 
 About three miles farther. Franco, a small village ; 
 we had crossed the river just before, the third time, 
 on a bridge of the same kind as ]-)reviously described. 
 Three miles farther, St. Andre, a small village, and 
 three more, Modana, a small neat town, which was 
 our couchee. This day's journey was very interest- 
 ing, in spite of the heavy fall of snow the preceding 
 day : the road was excellent ; it was made by Bonaparte, 
 and is twenty -five feet in breadth, of the materials of the 
 country, and so well made as hardly to have a rut. It 
 was protected from the river by a wall, varying from 
 five to six feet in height, but in some parts it was 
 eighteen or twenty ; and on the other side, it was 
 equally protected from the overhanging rocks by a 
 strong wall. There were also frequent upright stones 
 at equal distances about three or four feet high, and, 
 where necessary on account of the precipices, strong 
 posts and rails. 
 
 The face of the country, though still mountainous, 
 was in some parts highly varied ; on one side of the 
 road, there were small enclosures in stone walls, in 
 
MOD AN A. 255 
 
 tiers one above the other to the top of the mountain, 
 and houses suspended as it were by geometry ; 
 on the other side were high barren rocks in a va- 
 riety of forms, the river rushing among them, and 
 exhibiting a number of cascades to our admiring sight. 
 Above, the snow hanging in the firs and pines and 
 freezing, formed icicles in many grotesque forms, 
 grottoes, gates, arches, Sfc. S,'c, And the whole ap- 
 pearance of the evergreens, thus enveloped in snow, 
 was beautiful in the highest degree. 
 
 On the edge of the road, a great part of the way, 
 was an excellent path of broad stones, so that in the 
 worst weather, you may be dry under foot : the mate- 
 rials of the rocks produce slates for roofs, stones for 
 buildings, S^-c. 
 
 The natives of this mountainous country are re- 
 markably strong, short, thick, and clumsy, particularly 
 females, who are in general plain and badly made. 
 
 The road appears to have been frequently cut 
 through the solid rock, at great trouble and expense ; 
 and on one part of this day's journey, we observed 
 with surprise three tiers of roads, all good and in ex- 
 cellent repair. 
 
 The animals here are bears, wolves, foxes, wild 
 boars, hares, marmottes* and the beautiful chamois. 
 The birds are eagles, hawks, rooks, and partridges, 
 but, to our surprise, no pheasants. 
 
 * The marmotte is a dark animal with a roug^h coat, about the size of a 
 small dog, and is of the rat genus ; it is so common in this country, that 
 at Turin we saw boys in tlie streets with mnnbers of them, teaching them 
 to perfoi-in all manner of tricks, at the word of command. In the corner of 
 one street we counted no fewer th;tn jfivc, to . the great annoyance of our 
 party and other passengers. 
 
256 GOOD INNS. 
 
 The inns were excellent, though dear. We were told 
 to take care and lay in store of provisions, as in the 
 Maurienne we should find none, and hardly beds to 
 sleep on ; but on the contrary, there was great variety 
 of the former, and a sufficient quantity of the latter, 
 for our party, which being large required several ; 
 they were also clean and good ; in fact, we usually 
 found, to our great surprise, the comfortable accom- 
 modations of an English tea-table, not of course so 
 complete as in England, but we were glad to have 
 them with trifling deficiencies. The villages are nu- 
 merous, and there is scarcely one without a comforta- 
 ble inn, a proof how much this road is frequented; 
 indeed we frequently saw two or three carriages to- 
 gether, and always made great efforts to get to 
 our couchee early in the evening to choose our beds, 
 as there were many candidates, and the good old 
 English way " first come, first served," is strictly 
 adhered to. 
 
 The Arche accompanied us the whole of the way, 
 sometimes in one stream and at others in two branches ; 
 there were frequent narrow wooden bridges over it, 
 lightly and hazardously made of two or three small 
 fir-trees, tied together with their small boughs ; these 
 bridges shake and totter as you go over, appearing not 
 to be able to sustain much weight. Car journey this 
 day was, as usual, about twenty-five Enghsh miles, 
 and we took up our abode for the night at L'Hotel 
 des Voyageurs, a good and reasonable house. 
 
 Feb. 24 . — Left Modana at nine in the morning for 
 Lansbers?. 
 
THE ARCHE. 257 
 
 About two miles off is the little village of Ergat, 
 under the high road, and two miles farther, on the 
 summit of a rock, to the left, the fort of Brarnat, then 
 building by the order of the King of Sardinia ; this, 
 when finished, will be very strong, and completely com- 
 mand the road. Just by was a sawing mill, in which 
 they were busily employed in preparing materials for 
 the building. 
 
 Not far from this, is a beautiful, though, at the same 
 time, an awful and tremendous precipice, with a light 
 hanging wooden bridge over a stream in the bottom, 
 and winding paths up the mountain ; the whole form- 
 ing a highly -picturesque scene : a little further on is 
 the village of Bramat. The villages in this day's 
 route were very thick, and there were several good 
 houses, apparently belonging to men of a superior 
 station, most of which were halfway up the mountain. 
 At the village of Termignan, we once more crossed 
 the river Arche on a bridge, and one more league 
 brought us to the much wished-for Lansberg. 
 
 This day's journey was bolder as to scenery than 
 any we had had. During the first part of it the country 
 was more open ; but afterwards we passed along 
 the river, and the road was enclosed by high moun- 
 tains; the old road, which was near us, passed over 
 a very high one. Bonaparte had lately made the 
 lower new one, which indeed was excellent. It is 
 surprising that the roads were not more attended to 
 formerly in this country, as every step of it supplies 
 materials of a firm and solid nature ; and nothing is 
 
 Vol. I. S 
 
258 A SAVOY COTTAGE. 
 
 required but digging, or rather mattocking, them out 
 of the rocks. Of this, however, the government now 
 appear sensible, as many of the peasantry were thus 
 occupied. 
 
 The precipices we t]iis day saw were in some parts 
 very deep and tremendous, and many bridges were 
 thrown over streams and dellg, while the peasants 
 passing on them over the awful chasm, niade the 
 scene interesting and beautiful. 
 
 The exterior of the cottages being novel and inte- 
 resting, we determined to try the interior ; and, in our 
 way, entered a Savoy cottage, which exhibited a com- 
 plete scene oi poverty, and apparently, misery. There 
 were two small rooms, or rather holes, below, and one 
 above, probably much resembling Greenland huts ; 
 in two of these were small beds of straw, with a 
 narrow board round each to confine it ■ no chimney, 
 the smoke making its sortie through a small aperture 
 in the side, as it could find its way, and no light what- 
 soever in the chamber, the height of which was about 
 four feet. The whole furniture was one or two rough 
 stools, and the table apparatus ; and two or three forks 
 and spoons hung along the wall on a string. The 
 sides of the cottage were thin boards, loosely put 
 tocether ; and its entire elevation was about twelve 
 feet; but the man and his wife, and one child, 
 seemed happy and perfectly contented with their 
 habitation. Est nlnhris'^- was here realized, and they 
 were thankful for a few sous. 
 
 '^ rior. 
 
PICTURESQUE SCENERY. 259 
 
 Lansberg, exactly at the foot of the celebrated 
 Mount Cenis, to which it owes its flourishing state, 
 is a neat little town, consisting of two streets ; it has 
 three inns, two of which are remarkably good, the 
 Post and English Hotel. It is surrounded almost with 
 the lofty snow-topped Alps ; and on the right is a 
 beautiful mountain, enriched with firs, pines, and 
 various evergreens. The church, which we, as usual, 
 sauntered out to see, contains nothing remarkable ; it 
 has a nave, a small choir, and two aisles, and benches 
 instead of chairs. In the town are the ruins of 
 several houses which were burnt by the carelessness 
 of the Austrians, who, on quitting, left Hghted straw 
 in them. 
 
 Our road this day was along the course of the 
 river, but ascending gradually. The rocks and moun- 
 tains resembled those we had lately passed, but 
 some of the villages were much more beautiful ; one, 
 in particular, was very striking, as we looked back 
 on it, the river winding round it in the form of a 
 crescent. Notwithstanding the snow and severity of 
 the weather, many chaises and waggons were pass- 
 ing, so that the road was well tracked. Sledges 
 drawn by mules are much used here for carrying 
 goods and merchandise. 
 
 In one of the villages were small wooden bridges 
 over little dells, to almost all the houses, which had 
 a very pleasing effect. The worst precipice which 
 we passed this day, was on Pont de Boccarre, which 
 is built over it ; it was a great and awful depth, but 
 there is great care taken to have posts and rails, and 
 
 s 2 
 
260 IXN AT LANSBF.RG. 
 
 large stones, where necessary, so that the utmost 
 precaution is used to ensure the safety of the traveller. 
 We this day travelled about eighteen miles. 
 
 We now were come from Lyons about 220 miles, 
 winding almost constantly among mountains, the 
 greatest part of the way close to them, though we 
 had never ascended one, and only two long hills, 
 the whole distance : but the rest of the way was so 
 good, that any one might have trotted the greatest 
 part of it ; but a foreign voiturier, whose obstinacy 
 in general is only equalled by his insolence, and 
 whose greatest delight is to see his horses go en 
 grand pas, to the great annoyance of the English 
 traveller, will rarely hasten their speed. 
 
 Several of our party had long entertained a dreadful 
 idea of Lansberg, and its accommodations ; but we 
 were most agreeably surprised on arriving there, to 
 find a noble inn, with a spacious gallery, and numerous 
 apartments, and all the comforts peculiar to our nation. 
 The tea-table was set out with cups, saucers, knives, 
 t^c, according to the English fashion ; and as the win- 
 dows were closed, and we had not the view of the 
 mountains, we fancied ourselves, for the time, in our 
 own beloved country, and regaled on tea and toast, 
 by a blazing wood fire, forgetting that we were to 
 rise before day -break the next morning, to begin the 
 ascent of the much-dreaded mountain. This inn is 
 kept by one of our country-women, a most obliging 
 woman, who is married to a Savoyard ; it is very 
 reasonable, and she merits the patronage of her 
 countrymen. 
 
MAURIENNE. ^ 261 
 
 The inn was built by Bonaparte, as a barrack for 
 his officers ; it now belongs to the King of Sardinia. 
 The present occupier has taken it for seven years, 
 on speculation, and pays 1000 francs a year rent. 
 
 The churches in Savoy are numerous, and have 
 handsome steeples, chiefly with a tower and spire. 
 
 We were now leaving the Maurienne, which, from 
 having been in many days, andtravelKng slowly, we 
 had every opportunity of being thoroughly acquainted 
 with ; and it is but justice to say, that we shall long 
 remember this interesting country with gratitude, from 
 the mildness of its inhabitants, reasonableness and 
 goodness of its inns, and above all, for the beauty 
 of the country, and grandeur of the scenery ! these 
 circumstances, added to the goodness of the roads, 
 caused us to leave it with regret *. 
 
 CHAPTER XLir. 
 
 Departure from Lanslierg-— Mode of Ascent— Description of Mont Cenis 
 —Depth of Snow — Lanceri Laut— Frequent Crosses— Cantonnicrs— 
 Mont Cenis in all its horrors— Spirit of 'JVavcllers— Beautiful effect of 
 Snow and Tee upon the Mountain Scenerj— Entrance into Italy— 
 Dhninution of IMiseries — Arrival at Susa. 
 
 Feb. 25. — Our cavalcade set off from Lansberg ex- 
 actly ten minutes after six, in a fine frosty mornino-, 
 
 * Meat at Lansbersj- is only four sous a pound, 13 ounces to the pound 
 and bread in proportion. ' 
 
262 MODE OF ASCENT. 
 
 there being every appearance of favourable v^reather 
 for the ascent. 
 
 We began to ascend Mont Cenis *, immediately at 
 the foot of which Lansberg is situated ; our coach 
 had four mules in length, and a mule and horse in 
 the shafts; there was a large body of snow on the 
 ground ; in the middle of the road it was about two 
 feet deep, the rest of it was filled up, as were the 
 sides, precipices, and valleys. The ascent is very 
 gradual, and the road winds so as to make it per- 
 fcctly easy. 
 
 This celebrated mountain has been so often de- 
 scribed, that but little remains to be said on it ; but 
 contrary to our expectation, the beauty of the scenery 
 continued, and was as fine as on many preceding 
 days, while on both sides of the road, firs rose upon 
 firs, like the steps of a ladder; the barren rocks were 
 behind us. The winding of the road was so frequent 
 and beautiful, as to exhibit, to our astonishment, 
 fide or six tiers of it, one above the other, with 
 carriages, horses, ^-c, passing at the same time on 
 
 * Whoever has seen the Alps must laugh at the fabulous report of Han- 
 nibal softening- them by vineg-ar, (a.) but it shon^s what a formidable idea 
 the ancients had (»f this barrier : all these difficulties yield to modern im- 
 provement, and the roads are now so e^ood over them, that in travellins^, 
 except in snow, they are not considered as an impediment. 
 
 (a) The poet gives us a very different account of this, and we find by 
 him, that the hardy chief made use of fire instead of liquid : 
 " Jamque ubi nudarunt silva densissima montis, 
 Agsressere trabes ; rapidisque accensus in orbem 
 Excoquitur flammis scopiilus, raox prorata ferro 
 Dat gemitum putris resoluto pondere moles, 
 Atque aperit fessis antiqui regna Latini. 
 
 Sil. Italicus, Lib. 3, v. 640, et seq. 
 
VIEW OF LANSBERG. 263 
 
 almost all; so as to put on the appearance of so 
 many different roads ; this rendered the scene truly 
 interesting*. 
 
 There was one good effect derived froin the ^now 
 it was so deep as to take off the terrific appearance 
 of the precipices. The firs also looked beautiful in 
 their green and white clothing, but we were pre- 
 vented, by this unexpected circiunsttoce, from ex- 
 amining into the variety of plants and shrubs peculiar 
 to this mountain. 
 
 The view of Lansberg and its church was very 
 pleasing, and continued to be seen throughout the va- 
 rious windings of the road to the top of the moun- 
 tain ; some years before, a mail whom we saw had 
 descended on a sledge from the summit to Lansberg 
 in exactly ten minutes f. We left the old road on 
 our right, which was shorter than the new one by 
 a league, but the descent was much more rapid. 
 The new road was made by Bonaparte for his 
 troops, as our guides informed us, and was tWenty- 
 five feet wide. The beautiful spire of Lanceri Laut, 
 in the same valley as Lansberg, was a firie object 
 from the road; 
 
 On our right were frequent high crosses, painted 
 red, to prevent the traveller from mistaking his road, 
 and many stones, at least four feet wide and six feet 
 
 * If such was tlie effect from viewing' carriages, horses, and mules, 
 what must it have been from seeing an array pass, uniformly accoutred, 
 and their a;rms glittering in the sun ? A sight which must have been by no 
 means rare, during the late awful conflict carried on in this part of the 
 world. 
 
 •|* We afterwards had a confirmation of this fact from a man at Florence, 
 who told us that he had descended likewise in ten minutes. 
 
264 GllAN CROCE. 
 
 high, vvith heavy wooden rails to protect him from 
 the precipices. 
 
 We passed by the cottages of the cantonniers, or 
 men paid by government to take care of the road, 
 assist travellers, clear away the snow, ^c. ; they 
 have their number marked on their sleeves, and there 
 are twenty- six cottages and fifty-two cantonniers, who 
 have their clothes, fur-caps, cottages, and forty-six 
 francs and a half a month. We were much obliged 
 to the exertions of this most useful body of men, as 
 will soon be seen. 
 
 We arrived at the Barriere or top of the mountain 
 exactly in three hours and a quarter. Some of our 
 party walked the whole way, and found that toiling 
 through the snow was a very fatiguing exercise. 
 
 We stopped at Tavernette* to refresh ourselves. 
 On setting off again, the weather was much changed ; 
 instead of a frost and calm, the wind blew hard, and 
 it snowed tremendously, so that in some places on 
 the plain, which we were now going over, the track 
 was quite gone, and the carriage must have been 
 inevitably overturned, had not some of the canton- 
 niers, who accompanied us, held it up. The scene 
 here was curious; women and children screaming, and 
 insisting on quitting the carriage at all hazards. We, 
 
 * From Tavemette to L'Hospicp, wliere wc exhibited our passports, 
 is Jibout a mile. This was orig-inally an hospital to receive tlie sick, and 
 accommodate the wandering' mountain-traveller; it was rebuilt by Bona- 
 parte, and made a barrack. Near it is a very long fort, low, but with 
 thieo tiers of loop liok's, built also by him, but now disused. On the 
 ri^ht is the famous lake, so often spoken of, but at that time so full of 
 snow as not to be known. ^I'lie plain on the toj) of IMount Cenis is about 
 four miles lon£,^ 
 
THE DESCENT, 265 
 
 therefore, now alighted, and walked, up to our knees 
 almost ill snoiv, to Gran Croce*, where we had deter- 
 mined to pass the night, sooner than again run the 
 risk of being out in such inclement weather; but the 
 house was such a wretched cabaret, that we held a 
 council, and the result of our united deliberations, 
 much to the credit of our now spirited females, was 
 boldly to venture out again, rather than depend on 
 such miserable accommodations. We therefore sal- 
 lied forth, walking through the snow, in many places 
 very deep, having three of the mountaineers to assist 
 us. 
 
 The weather now grew much worse ; it continued 
 to snow, the wind howled, and was tremendously high, 
 and the snow was much drifted ; yet, after the descent 
 commenced the road insensibly became better, and 
 in spite of the unfavourable weather we were enabled 
 to look a little about us, and enjoy the grand and 
 awful scenery which every where presented itself. 
 The snow, from the top of the mountain f almost to 
 the bottom, was formed into a variety of beautiful 
 icicles, of a pyramidal form ; under several of these 
 icicles the water rushed out of the rock with amazing 
 rapidity, so as to produce fine cascades. In other 
 places the snow and ice formed grottoes, and a variety 
 
 * This is laiich cliang-ed at present ; former writers have uniformly 
 spoken of Santa Croce as a g-ood inn, and Taverncttc as a wretched place ; 
 whereas the contrary is tlie case. Tavernctte is a very neat and comfortable 
 inn, anJ Santa Croco a miserable hovel. We should have had no objec- 
 tion to have passed the nii>ht in the former. 
 
 t " Alpinasque bibunt dc more pruinas." 
 
 Claub. Car 1. F. 255. 
 
266 ENTRANCE TO ITALY. 
 
 of figures, having altogether a beautiful and grand 
 appearance. The precipices in the descent were 
 more frequent and terrific than in the ascent ; in some 
 places considerably more than 100 feet deep, with no 
 fence to protect the road ; and at the bottom was a 
 rapid stream, rushing among the rocks. The moun- 
 tains here were more rugged and more barren than in 
 the ascent*. About the middle of the descent is a 
 jilain, with the river rimning by the road ; here our 
 eager hopes anticipated the end of the mountain, 
 which continued, however, to Susa. This plain is 
 called St. Nicholas, and w^e here left Savoy for 
 Piedmont, and entered Ito/y. Although the road was 
 visibly better, and we were getting rid of the moun- 
 tain snow, yet was the coach still obliged to be sup- 
 ported by two men on the side of the precipice ; and 
 even with this support, it was once nearly overturned. 
 These men, as occasion demanded, two, three, or 
 four at a time, accompanied us the chief part of the 
 ascent and descent. 
 
 We at length, to our great joy, once more saw the 
 ruggedness of the rocks disappear, gradually giving 
 place to fine woods of pines and firs, and these soon 
 to fruit trees, such as mulberry, pear, &c., exhibit- 
 ing signs of a cultivated country. The road now 
 became more level, and, continually winding round 
 the mountain in a beautiful manner, we were en- 
 abled to proceed at a brisk pace, and at length 
 arrived at Susa, a quarter after five, most thankful 
 
 *There is a j^reat deal of marble indifferent parts of these rocks and 
 mountains, which furnishes the Italian artists with materials for some of 
 their finest works 
 
MONT CENIS. 267 
 
 to find ourselves, after so fatiguing and hazardous 
 a journey, under the shelter of a comfortable inn. 
 
 We were here again gratified with the beautiful 
 appearance of many tiers of roads, above each other, 
 with carriages, horses, mules, &c., on them in the 
 descent, as well as the ascent. There was only one 
 coach passed with us, but the number of carts with 
 merchandise was astonishing ; they completely lined 
 the road. 
 
 On comparing the Pyrenees with the Alps, we 
 could not help remarking, that though the former had 
 the evident advantage in verdure and variety of trees, 
 particularly the beautiful cork-tree and arbutus*, which 
 were wanting in the latter, yet the Alps had the obvious 
 advantage in bold scenery, rugged precipices, and ro- 
 mantic views. And here we would advise no travel- 
 ler to attempt crossing Mont Cenis when there is a 
 fall of snow, lest he repent his temerity. A few weeks 
 before, a coach full of travellers had been overturned, 
 and thrown to a considerable distance in the snow by 
 the falling of an avalanche ; the passengers were 
 saved by the exertions of the cantonniers, of whom 
 our guide was one. This mountain also should not be 
 passed in the night, as there are many bad precipices 
 not well protected from the road. 
 
 We were just eleven hours in the passage, reckon- 
 ing the time we passed in the plain. 
 
 We entered Susa under an arch, erected by Bona- 
 parte when he made the new road over the mountain' 
 
 * Dant arbuta sylvse. — Vir. Georg. 
 
258 THE ALPS. 
 
 and a little farther on went under a kind of triumphal 
 arch, built in commemoration of one of the Royal 
 marriages with a French Princess. 
 
 Having had what may certainly be called a hazard- 
 ous passage over this mountain, and seen it probably 
 in all its horrors, it may not be amiss to quote Silius 
 Italicus' beautiful description of the Alps, as men- 
 tioned by Addison. : 
 
 "Cuncta g"elu canaque ffiternum grandine tecta 
 Atque ccvi g'lacieiu cohihent ; riafct ardiia niontis 
 iEtherei facies, surcfentiqiie obvia Phccbo 
 Durates nescit flanimis mollire pruinas 
 Quantum Tartareus reg'iii pallentis hiatus 
 Ad manes imos atque atrje stagna paludis 
 A supera tellure patet, tam longfa per auras 
 Erigntur tellus, et celuni intercipit umbra ? 
 Nullum ver usquam, nullique testatis honores ; 
 Sola jucfis habitat diris sedesque tuetur 
 Perpetuas defonnis hyems ; ilia undique nubes 
 Hue atras ag-it, et mixtos cum grandine nimbos 
 Nam cuncti flatus veutique furentia regna 
 Alpina posuere Domo, caligat in altis 
 Obtutus saxis abeuntque in nubila monies* ." 
 
 Sih.lTAh.Lib. 3. 
 
 " Fuvius hybernas canu nive conspicit Alpes." 
 
 Hou.Sat.5.L.2. 
 
 *' Curre per Alpes 
 
 Ut pueris placeas et declamatio fias." 
 
 Juvenal. 
 
 Distance from Lansberg to Susa. Lansberg to the 
 Barriere, two leagues and a quarter ; Barriere to Gran 
 
 * It is proper here to give this elegant author's animated translation. 
 
 " Stiff with eternal ice, and hid in snow 
 That fell a thousand centuries ago. 
 The mountain stands ; nor can the rising sun 
 Untix her frosts, and teach them how to run : 
 Deep as the dark infernal waters lie 
 From the bright regions of the cheerful skv, 
 
 So 
 
susA. 269 
 
 Croce (plain,) one league and a half; Gran Croce to 
 Susa, five leagues. Eight leagues and three-quarters 
 (post), about twenty -four English miles. 
 
 To those who have crossed the Alps* in snowy 
 stormy weather in winter, this description will not 
 seem exaggerated or overcharged. 
 
 " Garganum Alpinis Apenninumque nivalem 
 Permistis sociatejugis." 
 
 Claudiax. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIII 
 
 Description of Susa — Place of Great Antiquity — Various Gates with In- 
 scriptions — No Icmger a Place of Strength — Cathedral — Madonna 
 Delle Neve — Brunietta — Change of Floors — Painting in Fresco — 
 Departure for Turin — Description of Road — St, Anibrogio — Rivoli — 
 Turin — Royal Chateau — Saloon — Court Ceremony — Extraordinary 
 Lonnevity ; no less extraordinary instance of Italian Finesse — Royal 
 Apartments — Governor's House — Palace de Madame. 
 
 Susa is a small clean city, very ancient, standing at 
 the foot of the Alps, with a clear stream running through 
 
 So far the proud ascending rocks invade 
 Heav'n's uj)per realms, and cast a dreadful shade : 
 No spring nor summer on the mountain seen 
 Smiles with gay fruits, or with delightful green ; 
 But hoary Winter, unadorn'd and bare, 
 Dwells in the dire retreat, and freezes there ; 
 There she assembles all her blackest storms, 
 And the rude hail in rattling tempests forms; 
 Thither the loud tumultuous winds resort. 
 And on the mountain keep their boist'rous court, 
 Tliat in thick showers her rocky summit shrouds, 
 And darkens all the broken view with clouds. 
 * "Aeriffique Alpes." 
 
 Ov.'Met. Lib. 2. Cap. 5. 
 
270 susA. 
 
 the streets ; its situation is very romantic, being al- 
 most surrounded with mountains of various heights 
 and appearances. The triumphal arch built in honour 
 of Augustus on his return from Gaul, and lately re- 
 paired, is well worth seeing, and proves the antiquity 
 of the town ; it is in a perfect state, and there are va- 
 rious Latin Inscriptions on the arch, which we were 
 not near enough to read. There was formerly a 
 Roman road leading from hence to Briancon in Dau- 
 phin6; the arch of Augustus is in the garden belong- 
 ing to the governor of the city, and his house is the 
 palace formerly inhabited by Cottus, a Consular Ro- 
 man. The neighbouring mountains, it seems, were 
 called from him Alpes Cottice*. 
 
 By the gate of Savoy is a very antique tower, pro- 
 bably built by the Romans ; in another part is a gate 
 with the following concise inscription : — 
 
 " Hac in Provincia Belliiiu victoria peregit 
 Pacem Hymenseus Pereneus Auspicatus." 
 
 The Dora comes to Susa, but is narrow^ and 
 no more than a mountain stream. 
 
 This town was formerly one of the keys of Italy ; 
 but key and lock are both gone, and the fortifications 
 demolished ; indeed, the late war was a proof of the 
 little efficacy of fortifications, which are a certain ex- 
 
 * This vast chain of mountains extending- about 200 miles, from east to 
 west, has various names, as the Maritime JIps; tlie Cotfian Alps, extending 
 from tlie source of tlie Vado to Susa : the Grecian, from Susa to St. Bernard; 
 the Ptmnian, from St. Bernard to St, Gotliard ; the Bhatian extend to tlie 
 source of the river Piave ; the Noricinn or Carniciaii, from the Piave as 
 fur as Istria and the s.nirce of the sea. 
 
CATHEDRAL. 271 
 
 pense and of uncertain use ; and as the respective 
 sovereigns seem inclined to change their system, pro- 
 bably in another century there will be few fortified 
 towns in Europe. 
 
 The possession of Susa was always esteemed of 
 great consequence by the French, in order to get foot- 
 ing in Italy ; and in the year 1704, the Due de la 
 Feuillade took it and demolished the citadel with its 
 other fortifications: the town now contains about 
 four thousand people, appears poor, and is crowded 
 with beggars. 
 
 The cathedral is an old building, consisting of a 
 choir, nave, and two aisles ; there is a handsome mar- 
 ble balustrade separating the choir from the nave'; 
 round the high altar also is much marble, indicating 
 the abundance of that valuable material in this country. 
 In the choir is a canopy and throne for the bishop, 
 whose palace joins the cathedral; he has about 12,000 
 francs a year. In the churches at Susa they have 
 benches instead of chairs ; the chapel of La Madonna 
 delle Neve is very rich, and in it is a statue of Ade- 
 laide Princess of Piemont, who founded the churches 
 of St. Just, Pignorel, and Brian ^-on. 
 
 On entering the church is a monument of the former 
 and first Bishop of Susa, Ferraris a Genola*, who 
 was buried in an adjoining vault ; there is a long 
 
 * Over tlifl g-atc called Porte de Turin is the fullowiiig- inscription: — 
 
 " Seg'nsina Civitas 
 
 Novo Episcopalis scdis iKniore 
 
 Auctore Carolo Euian. 3 Sard, lleg-e 
 
 A Pontillcc luaxinio Cicniente 14, 
 
 Janipridcm decorata. 
 
 Jos. 
 
272 susA. 
 
 Latin inscription, by which he appears to have been 
 an amiable man in private life, and a great public 
 character : he was a great benefactor to Susa. 
 
 In a chapel on the left, as you go to the choir are 
 statues of St. Michael and the guardian angel, proba- 
 bly of Susa* carved in wood and gilt. 
 
 Susa contains only three parishes ; there are num- 
 bers of balconies to the houses, as in Spain, and the 
 chimneys here, and in the towns and villages in the 
 neighbourhood, are very singular, like the tops of 
 our pigeon-houses, covered on the top, and open on 
 the sides for the smoke to go outf. Wooden floors 
 now gave place once more to tiles and bricks ; and 
 at Susa, which is very cold in winter, they have very 
 large fire-places for wood, which they get very cheap 
 from the mountains, but make the traveller pay dear. 
 We now had the first glimpse of the sides and 
 ceiling of the rooms painted in fresco, in a variety of 
 ways, and often very pleasing. The beds were large 
 and in the middle of the room, as in England, but 
 
 Jos. Franclsciuii M. Ferraris Com. Geuolie 
 Priuium antistitem rciiunciatiim 
 Advenientein lectabuiida excipit 
 Et vict. Amad;eo rcg-i optimo 
 Ob sapientissimura eximio Pastoris delectum. 
 Gratam se Devinctamque 
 Publice testiitur. 
 Anno 1778. 
 *Susa experienced the effects of the Emperor Barbarossa's veno;eance in 
 12GS, on account of tlie insults he experienced from this city in his precipi- 
 tate tiig-ht from Italy six years before. — Denina. 
 
 Tliis extraordinary character was thought dead for some time throui(]i 
 Italy, and was lamented as such by his wife ; he retired to Pavia so humbled 
 by his reverses, that he was glad to sue for peace. — ib. 
 •!• As we advanced into Italy, we found the same kind, at Florence, S,-c. 
 
ST. AMBROGGIO. 273 
 
 mattresses * are in general use. The steeples of the 
 churches are very handsome ; cased with tin, as in 
 Savoy and in Switzerland. 
 
 The old fort of Brumatta is now only a ruin, 
 but is a fine object from the town ; as it was a very 
 clear day, we had a beautiful view of Roccamelon, 
 one of the highest alpine mountains, on which is a 
 chapel, where solemn mass is celebrated annually on 
 the 5th of August ; and great numbers, who do not 
 regard heat and fatigue, undertake this mountainous 
 pilgrimage to perform their devotions : the chapel 
 was formerly a temple of Jupiter. 
 
 Feb. 27. — We set off for Turin, a quarter before 
 six ; the road was at first narrow, and between stone 
 walls ; the valley gradually became wider afterwards, 
 and the mountains receded ; the vines were very 
 strong, and were trained so as to form arbours two 
 leagues from Susaf, Bossolino, a small village, where 
 we crossed the Dora on a bridge ; this river accompa- 
 nied us almost the whole way, and is a remarkably 
 clear stream. About a league farther were strong 
 remains of a castle, the Dora still running near the 
 road. 
 
 We dined at St. Ambroggio, about half way ; here 
 
 * The mattresses are stuffed M'ith the husks of maize as in Spain and 
 the South of France, and placed on tressels ; they have, farther in Italy, 
 iron instead of wood, on account of insects, &c. 
 
 t At Susa, we were at the Post, an excellent inn, in which are two 
 tiers of balconies, from which is a beautiful view of the snowy niountains, 
 more gratifying- sometimes at a distance tlian near, as we had lately expe- 
 rienced. The rooms of the inns have chiefly glass doors into these balco- 
 nies. 
 
 Vol, I. T 
 
274 RivoLi. 
 
 is a beautiful church* consisting only of a fine dome ; 
 there is a handsome canopy in the choir, a marble ba- 
 lustrade, and many paintings round the church. On the 
 hill, or rather mountain, overlooking the town, is a con- 
 vent of Carthusians, inhabited by one monk only, whom 
 we met by accident, and he told us, that owing to the 
 various events which had taken place in the preceding 
 years, he was the only one left. 
 
 A few leagues brought us to Rivoli, a large flou- 
 rishing village, in which are two chateaux belonging 
 to the King of Sardinia and the Prince of Carignan, 
 who come there often. The road now widens im- 
 mediately, and becomes very good. Rivoli is four 
 Italian miles f from Turin, of which there is a fine 
 view the whole way : the country now becomes so 
 populous as to denote the neighbourhood of a large 
 city. We met many carriages of various sorts, and 
 the number of persons passing and repassing was 
 astonishing. From Rivoli is a beautiful view of the 
 mountains on the other side of Turin and Superga; on 
 the top of one of them, in which are the remains of 
 regal pride, the ashes of the royal house of Sardinia 
 repose. 
 
 This day's journey was at first, as usual, between 
 rocks and mountains, the former chiefly barren, but 
 villages and houses very thick ; afterwards, as the 
 
 * There are many relics in this churcli, and a remarkably hantlsome 
 confessional, placed diag-onallv. 
 
 On the outside of the church is a long- inscription in honour of the late 
 bishop. 
 
 •I- An Italian mile is about half a French leairne. 
 
BONS DIEUX. 275 
 
 valleys were wider, there were meadows, corn-fields, 
 woods, and hedges of nut-trees ; the country also was 
 wetter, and there were many fields of Indian corn, 
 and the land in ridges and furrow, especially near 
 Turin. 
 
 The church of St. Michael, finely situated on a 
 mountain, not far from St. Ambroggio, struck us as a 
 remarkably fine object. The costume of the peasants 
 was rather singular ; the men generally wearing 
 cocked hats, and the women, as in France, going 
 without bonnets. The manners of the people were 
 very civil. Many of the houses, and almost all the 
 churches were painted on the outside. The shops at 
 the entrance had a deep archicai/, and glass folding 
 doors ; but most of the houses to an Englishman had 
 the appearance of prisons : sometimes instead of glass 
 the windows had iron bars in small squares, at others, 
 squares of iron bars were before the windows. 
 
 In this day's journey, there were great numbers of 
 small chapels with painted figures, but the Bons 
 Dieux had been taken away by the general spoilers ; 
 there were also many inscriptions, some of which 
 amused us much, among them was the following : 
 
 Fermati passoi tiioi 
 
 Saluta Maria di un Ave Maria 
 
 E da mali sarai libro per la via*. 
 
 After this security from danger in our journey, who 
 among us could refuse homage to the good Madonna ? 
 Another inscription was, 
 
 * If you halt and pay your devotions to Mary, S(c. 
 You shall perform your journey in safety. 
 
 T2 
 
2T6 COURT-DAY. 
 
 Un Pater jicr \o aniinc vcc'itafe 
 
 E ilallc pene sarauno sollevate 
 ISIG. 
 Repeat a Pater for the souls 
 And they shall be delivered from misery (probably of Purg'atory.) 
 
 We also observed many towers, fortresses, c^t., and 
 the remains of convents, on the tops of the mountains, 
 which had a very picturesque appearance. 
 
 This day's journey was about thirty-three English 
 miles. 
 
 Feb. 28. — As it was a court day, and the royal 
 family were soon going to Genoa, we lost no time, but 
 crossed the fine square and went to the chateau, to 
 see the king come from mass. The costume of this 
 court is kept up with great state and dignity, but 
 strangers are admitted without the form and trouble 
 of changing their dress as at Paris : the dress of the 
 guards, life-guards, pages, ^c, is very magnificent. 
 
 The saloon through which the king passes from 
 mass, and where strangers are admitted, is a very 
 fine room, ninety feet in length, with old historical 
 paintings all round, and inscriptions, among which 
 are the following : 
 
 Christiana fide Candidato Videchindo mag-no 
 
 Pullum aviti stemuiatis 
 
 Piilluni, Candefacit magfnus Carolus 
 Ad palinain vero Olyinpia cam festinanti 
 Hand alius conveniebat equi color. 
 13ia. 
 
 Among various historical figures was a ichite horse in 
 an escutcheon, S,'c. In another part of the room — 
 
 Ansjlice dnx Britanuice Domitor Vortes:ivus 
 Britannicis leonibns niucroncs Ano'licos inHii^eus 
 Britannis leges dedit nomen eri])uit 
 INlirantc oceano, ubi natabat Britannia 
 Nata est Audia. 
 
SINGULAR WOMAN. 277 
 
 Vortigern, and many historical figures in this 
 picture 
 
 We could not help, with the pride of Britons, think- 
 ing of the different situation in which our country is 
 now ; instead of receiving, she now gives laws. May 
 she ascribe the honour of this to whom honour is due ! 
 otherwise she must expect the fate of other nations, 
 which, intoxicated with prosperity, have neglected 
 this salutary caution. 
 
 The establishment of the King of Sardinia is very 
 princely, 100 Swiss, and 700 guards; his whole 
 number of military in war is about 80,000. We 
 were much gratified with seeing the King, Queen, 
 and Duke of Genoa, brother of the King, pass 
 through the saloon, without any crowd ; there was a 
 cardinal in full costume, a bishop, almoners, nobles, 
 ^c. The whole was conducted with great dignity 
 and propriety ; the royal livery is very splendid. 
 
 But the greatest curiosity in the room was a woman 
 of the age of 104 years and three months, who for- 
 merly kept an inn at Lansberg when it was burnt 
 down, with the houses mentioned before, about three 
 or four years ago, by the carelessness of the Austrians. 
 By this accident she was reduced to great distress ; 
 she has ever since been regularly relieved by the 
 Queen, and was now come to Turin to receive the 
 royal bounty : her Majesty very condescendingly no- 
 ticed her as she passed by. One of our party con- 
 versed much v/ith this wonderful piece of antiquity, 
 who spoke French very well : she has most of her 
 teeth and her senses perfect, and is so strong as to 
 
278 king's palace. 
 
 walk from Turin to Lansberg in two days, without 
 being in the least fatigued by the passage of the 
 mountain, and she has no marks of extraordinary 
 age but wrinkles. After having seen the Queen and 
 received her bounty ,Vshe prepared to return to her 
 mountainous retreat. The English used to frequent 
 her hotel, and she spoke of them in the highest terms. 
 A striking instance of meanness here occurred, 
 which amused us much : a woman remarkably well- 
 dressed, and who appeared to have a large acquaint- 
 ance, was standing in the circle, and very civilly acted 
 as nomenclator, naming all the different persons of 
 the court: when one of our society, who had been 
 much pleased with the old woman, was preparing to 
 give her a trifle, this female took him abruptly by the 
 arm, suddenly hurrying him out of the room, appa- 
 rently with the intention of shewing him something 
 he had not seen ; on coming into the piazza, she said 
 to him, " I left the saloon with you to prevent your 
 giving any thing to the old woman, who wants no- 
 thing ; I am a much greater object, being a widow 
 with two children." She got a twelve sous piece by 
 this finesse, and appeared very grateful for it: this 
 genteel mendicant was remarkably pleasing in her 
 manners, and what the French term bieu mise. 
 
 The King's Palace is an old building of brick, of a 
 quadrangular form, with arcades ; the rooms are 
 ascended by a handsome staircase. At the foot of it 
 is a beautiful equestrian statue of Victor Amadeus, 
 grandfather of the present king ; the king in bronze, 
 and the horse marble; it has the. following inscription: 
 
DANIEL GALLERY. 279 
 
 Divi Victoris Aniadei 
 
 Bellicaiu fortitiidinem 
 Et inflexum justitice rig'orem 
 
 JMetallo expressum vides. 
 Totiim aniiiuuu videres 
 
 Si velox incfeniuiu 
 Flcxilemqiie clementiam . 
 
 Exprimere metallum ^sset. 
 
 The whole four sides consist of thirty rooms, of 
 which the three or four first are appropriated to the 
 guards, pages, and other appendages of royalty. 
 You then come to the state-rooms of the Queen* and 
 the King f ; the gallery leading to the theatre is 220 
 feet long, the pavement at present is only common 
 tiles, but is soon to be marble. The sides are now 
 partly variegated marble, and are intended to be 
 wholly so. There are also some very fine urns, a 
 great deal of sculpture in marble in basso-relievo ; 
 and at each end of the room are two figures which 
 our guide told us were Wisdom, Force, Justice, and 
 Agnculturo%. From thence we went into the state- 
 apartments of the King, which are rich in furniture, 
 glasses, and paintings. 
 
 The gallery called the Concert, or Daniel Gallery, 
 contains a rich and valuable assemblage of paintings 
 by the first masters of different schools, Rubens, 
 
 * The Queen is a princess of the House of Austria. 
 
 t The Duke of Genoa, brother to the King', who has no children, is 
 heir apparent to the crown (a), and the Prince of Carig-nan, a distant 
 branch of the family, is presumptive heir to the crown, 
 
 X They were probably the four cardinal virtues. 
 
 (a) Since this was written, owing- to the revolution, tMs prince is King- 
 of Sardinia. This country is famous for its Sovereigns' renunciation of 
 royalty. 
 
280 GRAND SQUARE. 
 
 Guido, ^-c. The boudoir is an elegant little room, 
 with remarkably handsome and costly furniture. 
 
 It is impossible to dwell minutely upon the various 
 articles in this elegant palace*; among them are 
 many superb variegated marble tables, rich India 
 cabinets, ebony ones, inlaid with ivory, costly glasses, 
 ^'c, ^'c. On one of the tables is represented the 
 siege of Turin in 1704, by the Due de Feuillade ; and 
 in one of the rooms is a very curious picture repre- 
 senting a Pope, and the grandfather and grand- 
 mother of the present king, in the same picture ; o)ie 
 head exhibits the three in diffeixnt points of view, there 
 being a kind of transparent paper between them; 
 there is also a beautiful picture of Hans Holbein, 
 painted by himself. Many of the rooms are hung 
 with brocaded satin, tapestry of Turin with rich his- 
 torical subjects, ^c, ^c, and the ceilings are all richly 
 painted: these apartments, in short, are very beauti- 
 ful, and worthy of a royal residence. The square, 
 of which the palace forms a side, is a very fine one, 
 and full of life ; here the soldiers exercise |, shows, 
 S^c, are exhibited, and it is a constant moving 
 scene : there are piazzas round great part of this 
 square, as there are in most of the streets of this fine 
 city. 
 
 On the other side of the square are good apart- 
 ments for the different officers of the household, and 
 secretaries. Near this is what was formerly the 
 
 * In the room called the Kings Chapel are a number of beautiful minia- 
 tures, no inconsiderable ornament to it. 
 
 t On a Sunday especiall}^ this square is so crowded you can hardly pass. 
 unUays are observed very decently at Turin, and the shops regularly shut. 
 
DESCRIPTION OF TURIN. 281 
 
 Governor's house, and appears to have been a fortifi- 
 cation, as part of the moat still exists ; if this and 
 what is termed le Palais de Madame were taken 
 down, la Piazza del Castello would be, without doubt, 
 one of the finest in Europe, though the latter is reck- 
 oned a beautiful piece of architecture ; it is a very- 
 regular handsome building, with many statues on 
 the top ; there is a very beautiful staircase, much 
 admired, and a fine saloon, with several medallions of 
 the House of Savoy round the roof. 
 
 The Governor's House is now occupied by the 
 Great Chamberlain. As the rain seemed set in for 
 some time, we availed ourselves of our comfortable 
 quarters at L'Albergo della Caccia Reale to stay some 
 days quietly in this city, making our excursions as the 
 weather permitted. 
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 Description of Turin — Population — Cathedral — Jesuits — Sins^ular Method 
 of naming- the Streets — Rivers Po and Dora — Views of Supcrga and 
 Capuchin Convent — Museum — St. Carlo — Madonna della Consolazione 
 Arsenal — Cimetiere — Miscellaneous Observations. 
 
 Turin* is situated in a fine valley, within a short 
 distance of the mountains, which are just near enough 
 to adorn the view. It may be considered as one of 
 the most beautiful cities in Europe, from the fine- 
 ness of its squares, the regularity of the streets, 
 and the goodness of the houses. It is built of brick 
 
 * In most of the streets is a clear stream, giving freshness and clean- 
 iiness, 
 
282 JESUITS' CHURCH. 
 
 plastered. In almost all the principal streets are 
 fine arcades, very wide, and full of good shops. 
 The livehness of this beautiful city is inconceiv- 
 able, you meet vast numbers in all parts, and the 
 cries of Turin remind an Englishman of those of 
 London, beginning at seven in the morning. The 
 shops are numerous and good, and full of the choicest 
 articles. The streets are well paved, and many 
 have a good trottoir. The population of Turin is 
 88,658, as taken January 1st, 1819. It is about two 
 miles in length, and one in breadth ; there are many 
 fine churches ; although the cathedral is not the finest, 
 one is naturally led to speak of it first. 
 
 The cathedral of St. Jean is situated on the square 
 of the same name, and you ascend by a fine flight 
 of steps, but the inside is not answerable to its ap- 
 proach. It consists of a choir, nave, and two regu- 
 lar aisles, and may be termed a fine building ; there 
 are several rich chapels : and paintings, as well as 
 monuments, and statues. Near the cathedral is a 
 fine old tower belonging to it. 
 
 The church of the Jesuits is very handsome, 
 and much the finest in Turin. It consists of a 
 nave and choir, and has a vast deal of beautiful 
 variegated marble, the pillars and balustrade, sepa- 
 rating the nave from the choir, are likewise of mar- 
 ble, and the roof is finely painted ; on entering the 
 church, you are at once struck with the awful and 
 solemn gloom which prevails. In the choir are statues 
 of Santa Juliana and San Goselinus ; and there is a 
 rich canopy over the high altar, as in many of the 
 
ENVIRONS. 283 
 
 Italian churches ; but they have in most of them an 
 old curtain covering the door- way, which is no great 
 ornament to the entrance of the churches, 
 
 In this and the other churches, as it was Lent 
 we saw the priests, much to their honour, cate 
 chizing and instructing the children. 
 
 The names of the streets in Turin* are all writ- 
 ten up ; besides, there is the name of some Saint to 
 distinguish them ; and also, the quarter in which they 
 are situated, as Dora, Po f , S'c. There was former- 
 ly a statue of each Saint, with a splendid lamp to 
 light the street. 
 
 La Contada di Dora J is a very fine street, but 
 not equal to the contada del Po, which is incontes- 
 tably the finest in the city, with broad piazzas on each 
 side, full of shops, fruit-stalls, game, fowls, ^c. At 
 the end of this fine street is the Po, which is here 
 about as broad as the Medway at Maidstone, 
 and there is a beautiful stone bridge over it of five 
 arches built by Bonaparte ; we hailed this as a 
 classical river, and saluted our old friend § Eridanus, 
 Fluvioriim rex Ericlanus\\ , with great veneration; it was 
 also formerly called Padus. Padiis matina laverit cacu- 
 minal. Over the river are the mountains, on the 
 left of which Superga is built, which forms a fine 
 object ; on the right is the Capuchin convent. 
 
 * Taiirino, tlie arms are, a Bull, 
 f The Dora empties itself into the Po, near Turin. 
 ?i; The streets are all called contada at Turin, 
 ij Eridani ludunt per prata jugales. 
 
 Claudian. 
 
 II Virgil. Georg, lib. l.v. 482. H Horace Epod. od. 16. v. 2S. 
 
284 
 
 CHURCH OF ST, CARLO. 
 
 The environs of Turin are very interesting, and the 
 walk round the ramparts particularly broad and fine ; 
 the citadel* has been strong, but is no longer a VilJe 
 de Guerre, but an open city. The gates were de- 
 molished by Bonaparte f. 
 
 The weather proving favourable, we were tempted 
 the next day to go to the Museum, called II Collegio 
 delle belle Arti, where is a fine collection of subjects of 
 natural history. There are five long rooms and a fine 
 long gallery, containing minerals, petrifactions, fish, 
 serpents, birds, and beasts, among which are many 
 rare and curious specimens. Various kinds of marble 
 found in the Alps, Pyrenees, and different parts of 
 Europe, are also to be seen in this museum ; and on 
 the whole it may be reckoned a good collection. 
 
 We returned by the citadel, which has been very 
 strong; the entrance is by four redoubts, and draw- 
 bridges: there were only 400 soldiers in it. From the 
 heights is a beautiful view of Mont Cenis and the 
 neighbouring mountains. We concluded the day by 
 visiting the church of St. Carlo, which exhibits a rich 
 and beautiful display of marble ; the sides, the pave- 
 
 * The citadel was planned by the famous Paclotto Urbino, in the six- 
 teenth century, the same who planned that of Antwerp. — Denina. 
 
 t This city being near the frontiers of France, has almost always been 
 invt)lved in its wars, and has experienced great vicissitudes. In 15f)2 it was 
 ceded bythe Guises, to the Duke of Savoy, withthetinest partof Piedmont, to 
 secure his neutrality in the civil \vars. — L' Expi-it de la Li'irue. It was 
 surrendered to Lc Comte de Harcoiirt, September 1660, after a vigorous 
 defence. It Avas besieged again in 1704, by the French under the Due 
 de Feuillade, but soon delivered. Its late fate since the revoUitii(n is fresh 
 in the memory of every (me, and it is to be hope.l, that the Piedmontese, 
 smarting from their late disasters, arc glad to return to their ancient 
 masters. 
 
CHURCHES. 285 
 
 ment, pulpit*, balustrade, ^-c, being of that ma- 
 terial. The diiferent chapels and altars f are richly- 
 gilt ; and the roof is painted with a variety of figures, 
 of which David* and Elijah are the principal. 
 
 The street called Contada Nuova, leading from 
 Piazza San Carlo to Piazza del CarloUa, is a remark- 
 ably fine one ; two sides of the former have likewise 
 broad piazzas full of shops. 
 
 March 7. — Went to the churches of St. Laurentio 
 and la Madonna Delia Consolazione. The former is a 
 small chapel full of Latin indulgencies, by the Holy 
 Father ; the latter is a beautiful church belonging to 
 the convent, consisting of an inner and outer dome, 
 the former of which is the choir, and separated from 
 the nave by a grille ; behind the choir is a kind of 
 recess, in which is the high altar, richly decorated. 
 This church is reckoned one of the most beautiful 
 in Turin, having a fine painted roof (as, indeed, most 
 of them have), and a profusion of marble. Adjoining 
 is a chapel, with many small pictures framed and 
 hung up, representing various accidents 'prevented and 
 cures 'performed by faith and the intercession of the good 
 Madonna. Here you see a carriage overturned, and 
 the passengers miraculously saved ; there, persons 
 
 * In the pulpits here, and iii most of the Italian churches, the Bons 
 Dieux are not fixed hehind as in France, hut arc loose, either on the rie^h 
 or left of the entrance, which gives theui a singular appearance as if 
 stretching out their hands. 
 
 t Over the high altar is the follovving inscription : — 
 
 " Divo Carolo 
 
 Humilitatis exemplo 
 
 Christiana, Fran. Sar. Dux, Cyp. Regina 
 
 Humillime posnit." 
 
286 THE ARSENAL. 
 
 falling into a river, and their lives preserved ; houses 
 falling upon others, who escaped unhurt, and all by 
 the aid of the Madonna This is very like Notre 
 Dame de Fourvi^re at Lyons, the two good ladies 
 having apparently bestowed their favours equally in 
 France and Italy. 
 
 There are seventeen monks only in this convent, 
 who having been stripped of their white dress at the 
 revolution, now dress in black. The females of our 
 party were conducted by our guide, who was one of 
 them, into his cell, which was very gratifying to their 
 curiosity, though there was not, in fact, much to see. 
 There is a very neat subterraneous chapel, which, 
 they told us, was about 400 years old, with an altar, 
 statues, ^c. The monks have a gallery with gilt 
 lattices, from whence the service and organ are heard 
 to advantage ; this place is also open to strangers. 
 The convents have been much reduced at Turin, but 
 they are very impolitically re-establishing many. 
 
 The arsenal being recommended as worthy of in- 
 spection, we went there, but it did not answer our 
 expectation. It is certainly a fine and spacious build- 
 ing, but there are not at present more than 50,000 
 musquets : in another room is some ancient armour. 
 There are also many cannon founded here. The 
 officer, who was our guide, shewed us several cannon 
 given by the English ; and we had the satisfaction of 
 hearing this gentleman, to whom we were recom- 
 mended, and to whom we were much obliged for his 
 polite attention, speak in the highest way of the 
 English. Indeed we had every reason to be pleased 
 
THE SUPERGA. 287 
 
 with the polite attention we received in this city, and 
 much gratified by the partiality of the Piedmontese 
 for our nation. 
 
 The cimetiere* out of the city and near the Po, dis- 
 appointed us much, being the least interesting of any 
 we had seen : it is a small piece of square ground, 
 encompassed by arcades, under which the nobility 
 and persons of distinction are interred ; the common 
 burying-ground is quite flat, without any mark to 
 shew that it is a place of sepulture, and we could not 
 help remarking the difference between that of Pere 
 de la Chaise, and the one we were viewing. 
 
 In our way back, we went to the junction of the 
 two rivers, and crossed several small canals, paved, 
 which convey water from the Dora into the streets of 
 Turin, serving at once to purify and cool them. 
 
 Turin has an archbishop, whose revenues are about 
 2,000/. a year. He was just appointed, and was daily 
 expected. 
 
 The King of Sardinia is an absolute prince, and 
 governs without a parliament ; he levies taxes, ap- 
 points to offices, S'C', at his own will ; but at Turin 
 the creditor cannot seize the person of the debtor. 
 
 We left Turin with regret, intending, if possible, 
 to see it again, and visit the Superga and the beautiful 
 environs, which the continuance of bad weather had 
 prevented, though we had been there ten days. 
 
 * Over tlie g^ate was the following- desig-natoi-y iuscriptiou : — 
 
 " Ad aiternam luenioriam 
 
 Locus sepulcro desig-natus 
 
 Quo extincta corpora Clarissiinoruin Taur Civitatis 
 
 Decurionuni luferaiitur." 
 
 " The g:roimd allotted for the sepulture of the most eminent citizens of 
 
 Turin." 
 
288 HOUSE OF ANJOU. 
 
 Being now arrived in the most celebrated country 
 in Europe, in ancient times distinguished for arts and 
 arms, and in modern, for the softer arts of music, 
 poetry, and painting, Italy, formerly mistress of the 
 world*, and giving laws to all nations, the nursery of 
 poets, philosophers, statesmen, and warriors, we are 
 naturally led to inquire into the astonishing changes 
 which have taken place in this country. 
 
 With the ancient Romans, and with the fall of the 
 empire, the Roman courage seems immediately to 
 have fallen ; and Italy, in later times, has been a 
 prey to every invader, with scarcely a struggle to 
 preserve its liberties f. 
 
 From the Heruli in the fifth century to the Goths, 
 who had a succession of nine warlike kings in the 
 sixth century, and from the Greeks and Lombards to 
 Charlemagne and his posterity in the eighth century, 
 the samewant of national spirit, and even pusillanimity 
 appeared. And in later times, the claims J of the 
 
 * Italiseque dorainseque Ronise. 
 
 Hor. Car. lib. 4. od. 14. 
 
 t In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, all the citizens of the differ- 
 ent states, wlio were able to bear arms from sixteen to sixty, were en- 
 rolled for the defence of their country. — Denina. 
 
 % These claims were asserted with such eajifeniess, and pursued with 
 such avidity and obstinacy, by a succession of French Kings, as to drain 
 France of men and money, and involve Europe in war and bloodshed. 
 They at first had the appearance of success, by tJie battle of IVIarignano, 
 e^ained by Francis 1., in 151.5. This was called by Marcchal Trivulce, 
 The Battle of the Giants. Tins victory, however, nearly proved his ruin, 
 for flushed with success, he went on in his victorious career, till he 
 received a complete check in the fatal battle of Pavia, in which he and 
 many of the nobles were taken prisoners, and vast numbers were slain. 
 Francis wrote an account of this fatal event to Louisa of Savoy, his 
 mother, in these words: "Madam, we have lost all but our honour." 
 This nearly overthrew the French monarchy, which, drained of men and 
 
DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. 2S9 
 
 House of Anjou, (traced as far back as 1263*, when 
 Pope Urban gave the investiture of Sicily to Charles 
 Count of Anjou f, brother of St. Louis, which inves- 
 titure was confirmed by Clement IV. and gave rise to 
 the invasion of Italy by Charles VIII., Louis XII., and 
 Francis I.) shewed the Italians in their true and proper 
 colours, as a people without courage to fight for their 
 country, or resolution to defend it; but, on the contrary, 
 ever eager to welcome every invader, so that they might 
 enjoy the ease and comfort of a country, the mildness 
 of whose climate naturally leads to tranquillity and 
 repose. 
 
 And although in the sixteenth century, an sera 
 famous in the history of heroes and men of renown, 
 some distinguished characters appeared to revive the 
 drooping spirits of their country, as Gonsalvo^ the 
 
 money by the obstinacy of its rulers, was lonsf recovering- this fatal stroke. 
 Thus with Francis I. vanished the French power in Italy, for thougfli the 
 late ruler of France, by the victories of Marengfo and Lodi, established a 
 temporary footing- in the country, )'et mig-ht it be said, from the shortness 
 of its duration, to be overrun more than conquered, in the same manner 
 as it was by Charles VIII. 
 
 * The Anjou claims were confirmed by the will of Joanne of Naples, of 
 notorious memory, in 1381, to Rene Due d' Anjou, the amiable Titular 
 King of Sicily, and father of Mai'garet, Queen of England, M-ife of 
 Henry VI. — Vide Giannani, Biancardi, Denina, Daniel, Rapix, 
 and other historians on the claims of the House of Anjou. 
 
 t The crown of Naples was secured to this Prince by the death of 
 Manfred, his competitor, in a pitched battle. — Denina. 
 
 J The great Captain Ferdinand Gonsalvi de Cordova, Marquis de 
 IMantoue, was born at Montillo, near Cordova, March 16, 1443, and died 
 at Grenada, Dec. 2, 1515. — Biogi-aphie UniverseUe. His fame gave such 
 umbrage to the jealous tyrant, Ferdinand King of Arragon, as to make him 
 recall hhn from Naples, the scene of his glory, and after being invited to 
 dine at the same table with Ferdinand and Louis XIL, the former took 
 him into Spain, and banished him to his country-seat, where he remained 
 Vol. I. U 
 
290 SINGULAR COMnAT. 
 
 great captain, the Marquis de Pescara*, Antoine de 
 Leyva, Prosper Colonnaf, and the Viceroy Delanoy, 
 yet did these constellations blaze only for a short 
 time, but soon disappeared like a comet ; they served 
 but to shew in stronger colours the distressed state of 
 their country, which, long fluctuating between the two 
 great powers of Europe, sank at last under the colos- 
 sal one of Charles V., and by the fatal battle of Pavia, 
 became a complete province tothe empire of that powerful 
 prince. In later times, the narrow policy and supersti- 
 tious bigotry of the ecclesiastical state were certainly 
 the chief means of continuing to lower the national 
 spirit, and undermine the resources of a country pos- 
 sessing such natural advantages, and such powers to 
 defend itself; and it is here worth while to consider 
 the vast difference between the Papal and Maho- 
 
 unemployed the remainder of his life. — Fit pleramque apud summos 
 principes ut ing-entis beneficii merita ubi modum excesserint, quod justis 
 prremiis exaquari nequeant iusigni demum injuria persolvantur. — Paul 
 Jov. Vit. Horn. Jllus, — " It often happens with great princes, that tliey 
 repay with the grossest injuries the services which they cannot sufficiently 
 reward." — Guiccardini and Roscoe. 
 
 * This great commander was opposed to Lautrec, the French general, 
 in the wars of Italy ; and he acquired great reputation by taking Milan, 
 Pavia, Lodi, Parma, Placentia, and Como, iu a short time. — Mallet, 
 vol. 3. p. 02. 
 
 'V A singular loftiness of mind, great and uucommou prudence, wonder- 
 ful dignity of maimer, and a religious, more than severe disciphne, united 
 to uniform regular habits, distinguished the character of this great 
 general, and procured him general esteem. — Nemo enim eo temperantius 
 vel inter factiones arma exercuit, nemo humanius a sanguine militum 
 temperavit ; nemo denique abstinentius innocentium hominum agrico- 
 larunique prccsertim fortunas a licentia militari conservavit. — " No one 
 exercised his professional duties more moderately than he, even amidst 
 contending factions, or was more sparing of the lives of his soldiers, or 
 more assiduous in protecting the lives and properties of innocent persons 
 and peasants from military licentiousness." — Paul Jov. Vit. Pro. Colon. 
 
DEPARTURE FROM TURIN. Q91 
 
 metan powers, which made their appearance nearly 
 at the same time. 
 
 The energy which was so conspicuous in the one, 
 and the weakness of the other, though obviously 
 having the same end in view, must strike every one, 
 and the consequence was such as might be expected, 
 rapid conquests on the one hand, and a diminution 
 of empire on the other. 
 
 The last instance of national bravery in the Ita- 
 lians, appears in the famous combat of thirteen of 
 them against thirteen French, in which, fired by the 
 spirited remonstrances of the Great Captain, who re- 
 called to their remembrance the spirited deeds of 
 their ancestors, they were completeli/ victorious ; every 
 Frenchman being wounded or taken prisoner. 
 
 This battle was fought in 1503, between BartoUa, 
 Andria, and Quadrato* . 
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 Departure from Turin — Valentino — IVrontcalier — Dusino — Villa Nuova — 
 Asti — Its Cathedral — Population — Costume of Peasants of Montferrato 
 — Leave Asti — Population of the Country — Annone — Tanaro — Roads 
 much attended to — Quattro — Castle and Tower — Felizzano — Entrance 
 into Alessandria — Bridg'e — Fortification — Citadel — Parade — Caleriens 
 ■ — Population — Piazza d'Armi — St. Mark — St. Lorenzo — St. Stephano. 
 
 March 9th. — ^Leaving Turin, we proceeded on our 
 journey. The heavy rains had now subsided, and 
 were succeeded by the sun-shine of spring, and the 
 weather in the midtUe of the day w about as warm 
 
 t Guiccardini. 
 
 U 2 
 
292 POIRINO ASTI. 
 
 as at the end of April. We left Turin by what is 
 called the gate of Italy, and crossed the Po, on the 
 handsome stone bridge mentioned before ; and when 
 about a mile from Turin, we saw Valentino, a royal 
 palace on the banks of the Po, under the wftHs of 
 which the illustrious occupiers are regaled with the 
 daily sight of women washing linen. 
 
 The road now became very beautiful ; one side 
 bounded by the river, and the other by gentle hills 
 with vineyards, villas, churches, monasteries, ^c, 
 while the Alps were hourly receding from the sight. 
 
 Four miles farther on was Montcalier, a small 
 town, on a hill overlooking the river. The Po is di- 
 vided into two branches, one of which comes here, 
 over it is a wooden-bridge of nine arches, and the 
 whole river is formed into a cascade, for mills on 
 boats, which are moored to the shore, producing a 
 fine effect from the road. 
 
 One post and a half TrufFareilo, a small village, and 
 one more, Poirino, a small town with arcades, neat- 
 looking church and chapels ; one and a half Dusino, 
 a very small place and port, Gambetta one and a half, 
 and Asti one and a half. We dined at Villa Nuova, 
 a town, which appears to have been formerly a 
 place of some consequence, there is a gate now at 
 each end, and it was strongly fortified (as we were 
 told,) by the Spaniards: there are still remains of 
 the fortifications. We arrived at Asti*, in good 
 time in the evening. 
 
 * Asti, without towers or walls, was so flourishing' in the ISth century, 
 as to be able to nnister ill its clisirict, an army sufficient to cope witli a 
 powcd'ul king', Cluu-leij i. ol'Naiilcs.— DiiNiN.^. 
 
CURIOUS WAGGONS. 293 
 
 This day's journey was highly varied, through a 
 country much diversified, and rich in corn, fruit, and 
 pastures. From Poirino it is open, and the soil a 
 rich clay ; but they have not yet arrived at the useful 
 improvement of underdraining ; the consequence of 
 which is, that the finest crops of wheat are often abso- 
 lutely drowned. It is sown in ridges, and the fur- 
 rows were full of water, owing to the late rains, and 
 the melting of the snow. Below Dusino are beautiful 
 winding hills, with romantic dells on each side, and 
 rivulets running through them, with a distant view of 
 the city of Asti. The Alps had a truly grand ap- 
 pearance, forming a fine crescent behind us ; the sun 
 shone on their snowy tops, and nearly the whole 
 range was seen, reaching from sea to sea. 
 
 Asti* is a fine city, but not very large ; it is the 
 principal place of the county of Montferrato, and is 
 situated on the river Tanaro. It contains about 
 twenty thousand inhabitants, and has a bishop, a 
 cathedral, and several churches, which we regretted 
 we could not visit, as we wished to pursue our jour- 
 ney to Alessandria without delay. 
 
 We came this day about twenty-three English 
 miles : the road was crowded with carriages, and 
 lively beyond description. Among the numerous ve- 
 hicles which passed us, we noticed great numbers of 
 very low waggons, containing one large cask of wine, 
 going from Asti to Turin, the former place being fa- 
 
 * An elejfant writer find accomiilislied scholar, (Addison,) is mistaken 
 in callincf Asti the frontier to\rn of Savoy ; it is neither frontier, nor in 
 Savoij, hilt in Piedmont, of which Montferrat forms a part: no part of 
 Savoy is on this side of the Alps. 
 
294 ALESSANDRIA. 
 
 mous for its grapes. We also saw several large 
 farms, and observed the farmers thrashing out their 
 wheat in sheds and hay-barns. 
 
 The costume of the female peasants is a jacket and 
 petticoat of different colours, a very large white hood, 
 as in Spain, and the higher sort have an immense 
 muff; Turin is exactly twenty-three miles from Asti. 
 
 March lOth. — Set off from Asti* at seven in the 
 morning, the road was like a fair, and absolutely 
 lined with people coming to Asti market ; indeed so 
 full, that we could scarcely get along. There was, 
 however, a noble broad causeway, and some of our 
 party chose to walk, and enjoy the lively scene. 
 
 Four miles from Asti is Quattro, a small village 
 almost surrounded with hills. Two miles farther is a 
 very high hill, from whence is a fine view of the en- 
 circling hills, and of the Tanaro winding in the vale, 
 often seen for a moment between the hills, and then 
 lost. Annone is a small village and port, one post 
 and a half from Asti ; the rich vale still continues, the 
 Tanaro running through it, among mulberry and other 
 fruit-trees. The road was excellent, and several men 
 were employeel on it, whose dress was a jacket, and 
 a large cocked hat, with the broad part on one side, 
 and a brass-plate on the other, in full costume. A 
 few miles farther was a miserable village, chiefly 
 with 2)aper windows, where were the remains of a 
 castle and tower in ruins. 
 
 One post '\ and a quarter from Alessandria is Feliz- 
 
 * Asti was almost destroyed by the famous Frederic Barbarossa, in 
 1154, when he pursued his plan of humbling the Italian states. — Denina. 
 t An Italian post is one post and a half French. 
 
THE CITADEL. 295 
 
 zano, a long narrow village, well paved, in which are 
 two or three churches, chapels, S'c. We arrived at 
 Alessandria at one o'clock, distant from Asti about 
 twenty-six English miles. 
 
 The entrance into Alessandria is through a very 
 strong gate, and we went along the fortifications 
 nearly a quarter of a mile, having the citadel on the 
 left. Leaving the fortifications we suddenly turned 
 short, on a long covered bridge over the Tanaro, sup- 
 ported by no fewer than sixty-two arches. The river 
 is broad and remarkably rapid, owing to the French 
 having stopped up several of the arches some years 
 ago, to increase the rapidity of the stream and pre- 
 vent the Austrians from crossing. 
 
 Alessandria is surnamed Delia Paglia, for which 
 various reasons are given ; the natives say it was 
 from its fertility, but history says that this name was 
 given it in contempt, by the Emperor Frederic I., 
 Barbarossa, who, however, could not take it from Pope 
 Alexander III., after whom it was called, and by 
 whom it was built in 1168. 
 
 It is a handsome city*, and is famous for the 
 sieges it has sustained. It was formerly taken by the 
 Spaniards. The most celebrated thing to be seen is 
 the citadel, which is entered by two strong redoubts, 
 
 * Alessandria, Asti, Genoa, Milan, ^-c, were formerly powerful and in- 
 dependent republics ; the latter offered Frederic II. 10,000 soldiers in his 
 expedition to the Holy Land in 123S, which was but a very small part of 
 the military of that republic. — Denina. 
 
 Alessandria was occupied by Francis I., as part of the Milanese, and 
 taken from him by the Imperialists under the command of the famous Con- 
 stable d9 Bourbon.— "M41.LET, Hist, dcs Suisses, vol, 3. p. 74. 
 
296 CHURCHES. 
 
 and two draw-bridges. The parade is remarkably 
 fine : on one side is the governor's house, and offi- 
 cers' apartments, and on the other, soldiers' barracks. 
 Here are many brass cannon, and other military 
 stores ; and it is reckoned one of the strongest places 
 in Europe, although in the last war it was taken in 
 eight days by the Austrians. When we saw it, it 
 contained about three thousand military, and there 
 were nearly five hundred felons chained in pairs, 
 condemned to hard labour for different terms, they 
 wear a kind of rough striped jacket, and are employed 
 in different works. 
 
 Alessandria contains twenty thousand persons, and 
 has many good streets. La Piazza d' Armi is a large 
 fine square. On one side is the palace, which is a 
 large and handsome building; not far from this is 
 St. Marc, now the cathedral ; in the corner of it is a 
 very old statue of Gagliando, with a suitable inscrip- 
 tion. The cathedral was modernized a few years 
 ago, and has a choir, nave, and two aisles. The high 
 altar over which is a dome, is very handsome, and in 
 one of the chapels is also a beautiful dome. The 
 church contains many statues, among which are those 
 of St. Joseph, and San Carlo Boromeo, the latter a 
 very fine one ; and we were shewn a Madonna, said 
 to be of pure gold, which is very richly framed, and 
 concealed by a curtain. St. Alessandro is likewise a 
 very handsome church, containing many paintings, 
 with the various painful circumstances of the passion 
 of our Saviour. St. Lorenzo has only a nave, but it 
 has a fine painted roof, an octagon dome, and a very 
 
ADULATORY INSCRIPTION. 297 
 
 fine marble balustrade. St. Stephano also is a hand- 
 some church, but was so crowded by the military, 
 whose chaplain was preaching to them, that we could 
 not examine it with attention. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVI. 
 
 Departure from Alessandria — Alessandrians g"ood Courtiers — Bourmida 
 — Mareng-o — Poupole — Novi — Why so .called ? — Apennines — Boc- 
 fhetta — Carabineers — Gavi — Carosse — Voltagg-io — Leave Voltaggio — 
 River Lemo — Bocclietta — Bons Dieux, and Chapels frequent — Descent 
 of Mountain — Defect of Sheep — Costume of Peasants — Lizards — Road 
 much mended — Campo-Marone — Great change in Scenery — Pleasina^ 
 appearance of Spring — Rovirola — Mediten\inean — Genoa. 
 
 March 11th. — Set oiF from Alessandria at six in 
 the morning. Leaving the town, we observed a tri- 
 umphant arch, standing where the old road formerly 
 led to the citadel, and having on it the following in- 
 scription, by which it will be perceived, that the Ales- 
 sandrians are very good courtiers, and the adulation 
 shewn at present to Victor Emanuel, is not less 
 than was formerly paid to Bonaparte. 
 
 " A Victorio Emanuele 
 Re di Sardinia, Cypro et Gerusalemi 
 Pio, Inclyto, felicse, 
 Religione, Clemenza, Giustizia incomparabile 
 Ridonato dalla divina Providenza 
 A Suoi amati Popoli 
 I Cittadini d" Alessandria, 
 Esultanti per un si felice avvenimento*." 
 
 We quitted the town by two strong gates, redoubts 
 
 * In almost all the churches in this country, there are fulsome adula- 
 tory inscriptions to the king ; two or three sometimes in one church. 
 
298 MARENGO. — NOVI. 
 
 and drawbridges ; the former were made by order of 
 Bonaparte, as was also an excellent road, broad and" 
 handsome, and having a walk on each side planted 
 with rows of young trees. 
 
 One of our party, who was walking, as some of us 
 generally did, overtook a young soldier going to Genoa, 
 who told him that his pay was only a sous and 
 a half a day, and a gratuity of ten sous for six days. 
 They enlist for six years. This man had served un- 
 der Bonaparte, who, he said, paid his soldiers more 
 than they have at present ; he spoke of him with 
 rapture. 
 
 About a mile from Alessandria, passed the Bour- 
 mida a very rapid and broad stream, on a neat bridge, 
 and soon came to Marengo, an inn, which gave name 
 to the famous battle fought in these plains *. The 
 obelisk which had been erected on the spot, was 
 taken down by order of the King of Sardinia. We 
 passed the spot, grateful for the change which has 
 taken place, and thankful for the comfort with which 
 we can now travel. 
 
 Three leagues farther is Poupole, a small town, 
 and a little farther, Novif , there we quitted Pi^mont, 
 and entered the territories of Genoa, formerly the de- 
 partment of Liguria. Novi is a tolerably sized town, 
 
 * Alessandria, Asti, Genoa, Milan, S^-c, were formerly independent re- 
 publics ; Turin endeavoured to imitate them and shake off the yoke of 
 the Counts of Savoy, but without effect. — Denina. 
 
 Thomas I, disposed things so well, that Amadeus IV., his eldest son, 
 who succeeded him, had possession of the sovereignty without diffi- 
 culty. — lb. 
 
 t Novi is supposed to take its name from having had nine towers;. 
 
DESCENT TO GAVI. 299 
 
 but contains no building of particular importance, 
 except the principal church, which is dedicated to 
 St. Martin, and is handsomely painted on the outside, 
 as are many of the houses of Novi. 
 
 At Novi the Milan, Turin, and Genoa roads meet, 
 we took the latter, and immediately began to ascend 
 one of the Apennines, at the foot of which Novi is 
 built. 
 
 The road is for the greater part narrow, and badly 
 paved, but some of the views are grand and beauti- 
 ful ; it would, however, be endless to describe them 
 minutely, as mountain scenes so much resemble 
 each other. It sometimes winds round precipices tre- 
 mendously steep, and the rocks are chiefly barren, 
 but here and there may be seen beautiful glens full of 
 the finest pastures, and there appears) a great spirit 
 of improvement and cultivation in these mountaineers. 
 There were numbers of mules and asses, laden with 
 marble, the production of the mountains, which pass- 
 ing along the winding roads had a fine effect ; they 
 were shod with loose shoes, hanging over their feet 
 Hke clogs, to keep them from slipping. Several 
 parts of the hill were very steep, and though in the 
 whole we ascended considerably, yet the descent was 
 often long and rapid. A rushing stream in the bot- 
 tom, and several natural cascades, afforded a roman- 
 tic prospect. 
 
 There were frequent cottages for the royal carabi- 
 neers stationed along this dangerous road for its 
 protection ; but to say the truth, many of the pro- 
 tectors had as bad an appearance, as the thieves 
 could possibly have. 
 
300 CAROSSE. — VOLTAGGIO. 
 
 About eight miles from Novi is Gavi, a village in a 
 most lovely and romantic situation, in a bottom, vv^ith 
 a stream running through it ; and on the summit of a 
 high rock, is seen a fine castle, proudly overlooking 
 the more humble edifices of the valley. This village, 
 vi^hich perhaps the inhabitants dignify with the name 
 of a mountain town, is fortified in a slight degree, and 
 you both enter and leave it by a gate, which gives it 
 an air of importance. 
 
 Nothing can be prettier than the winding descent 
 which conducts you to Gavi, there are rocks, streams, 
 cascades, forts, and every thing to constitute a fine 
 landscape. On the road we saw a variety of Bons 
 Dieux, with appropriate inscriptions : the following 
 struck us as not unaptly chosen, 
 
 " Fundamenta in Blontlbus ejus." 
 
 One mile farther is Carosse, a small village, and 
 one more, Voltaggio, a post and large village, with a 
 handsome church. 
 
 The women here at their devotions were uniformly 
 dressed in large hoods, chiefly white, which had a 
 pleasing effect. At Voltaggio is a bridge of two 
 arches over the stream which had for many miles 
 heightened the efiect of our mountain scenery, and on ' 
 the hill hanging over the village the fine remains of 
 a tower. We arrived at Voltaggio in good time ; and 
 after having walked much up the mountain, we were 
 not sorry to find comfortable quarters at the Albergo* 
 
 * Altlioiioh this is a very large and "'ond inn, tlierc is only one bed in 
 the house with curtains, which is ratlicr extraordinary, as the M'inters are 
 here often very sharp, and tliere is much frost. 
 
BOCCHETTA. 
 
 301 
 
 Reale, a good inn, used by his Sardinian Majesty 
 and family, in their journey to and from Genoa. 
 
 Early next morning we left Voltaggio, and con- 
 tinued the ascent ; the same narrow rough road, and 
 the same kind of view continued, though bolder. 
 We now were near the mountain called Bocchetta, 
 which in winter is reckoned one of the worst of the 
 Apennines. 
 
 About one mile* from Voltaggio is a romantic over- 
 shot mill, and near it pastures not yielding in ferti- 
 lity to the pastures in the valleys. In some spots, 
 were fruit-trees almost on the top of the rocks, but in 
 general the rocks were barren, though occasionally en- 
 livened by wild thyme, rosemary, violets, primroses, 
 crocuses, Src The same rapid stream, the Lemo, 
 ran with violence over the rocks, and we this day 
 passed it three times on bridges. 
 
 Four miles from Voltaggio was the Barriere, where 
 our coachman paid a toll, and we began immediately 
 to ascend Bocchetta, though in fact it is one continued 
 hill from Novi. The houses in mountainous villages, 
 it must be confessed, have but a mean appearance ; 
 seldom any glass to their windows, but iron bars 
 crossed, giving them the appearance of prisons. Bons 
 Dieux are frequent, with allusions to the hazard of 
 mountain travelling, and the necessity of the interference 
 of the Madonna. Most part of the ascent is pretty gra- 
 dual, but the latter is more rapid, the road winding be- 
 tween barren rocks. On the top of the mountain is 
 
 * An Italian mile is about tho same as an English one, but a Pied- 
 montese one is a mile and a half jBairlish. 
 
302 FEMALE COSTUME. 
 
 a small chapel dedicated to the Madonna della 
 Guardia, where travellers pay their devotions for their 
 safe ascent. On the opposite side is the highest of 
 these mountains, where there is a similar chapel. 
 
 The road now immediately descends, and nothing 
 can be more beautiful than its many and sharp wind- 
 ings, so as often nearly to form a circle. In one of 
 these windings was a drove of mules and asses, 
 slowly coming round ; in another, an humble, meek- 
 looking Capuchin, counting his beads, and coming to 
 ask our charity. Objects such as these greatly va- 
 ried the scene ; but though there was much short 
 grass, and a fine sheep-ivalk among the mountains, 
 in vain did we look for sheep and a shepherd to make 
 the scene pastoral, and the country useful. Nay, not 
 even a solitary goat was to be seen ; how different 
 from the Pyrenees, where the eye was charmed with 
 the sheep and goats wandering among the cork* and 
 olive trees, which proudly rear their heads amidst 
 beautiful mountains ! 
 
 The country in the descent was much prettier than 
 in the ascent ; and there are numerous small grass 
 enclosures, in terraces one above another, kept in by 
 banks of turf. The women in this district, are plain 
 and dark-complexioned, wear no caps, but have their 
 (own) long black hair braided and fastened up with a 
 steel comb. Mulberry and walnut-trees are common ; 
 
 * The bark of the cork-tree was formerly used for various purposes, 
 and among tliem for hehnets : 
 
 " Tegmlna quis capituni raptus de subere cortex.."' 
 
 ViRG.^neW. lib.7. V.742. 
 
PONTE CORICHINO. 
 
 303 
 
 and what was a novelty to us, the walls w^hich serve 
 as fences here glittered with unwrought marble, plainly- 
 shewing in what abundance that material was to be 
 found in the neighbourhood ; while numerous large 
 lizards of the green kind were seen running up and 
 down. The road now was so good, that the horses 
 trotted the chief part of the way to Campo-Marone, 
 which is at the bottom of the descent ; and on each side, 
 as we descended, were numerous houses, several vil- 
 lages and chapels, conveying the appearance, indeed, 
 of a well populated country. Campo-Marone is a small 
 village and post ; the church is neat, and has its pul- 
 pit, pillars. S'c., of marble. 
 
 The extent of the mountain from Novi to Campo- 
 Marone is much the same as Mont-Cenis, about 
 twenty-four miles, but the road is badly paved, and 
 in all respects much inferior. The beggars were 
 numerous, as in most of these mountainous districts ; 
 men, women, and children, old and young, whose 
 appearance bespoke the utmost poverty, all came 
 out to beg. 
 
 From Campo-Marone the road was so good as to 
 make us ample amends for the bad one we had gone 
 through. Nothing, indeed, can be more delightful 
 than the drive to Genoa, about ten miles ; the country, 
 which is truly beautiful, is studded with villas and 
 chateaux of different sizes and tastes. The houses 
 are almost all slated with the slates from the rocks, 
 which gives them a very picturesque appearance. 
 
 About three miles from Genoa is a very handsome 
 bridge over the river, which had so long accompanied 
 us, called Ponte Corichino. 
 
304 GENOA — CHURCH OP ST. SIRO. 
 
 The gardens are highly cultivated, and have a well 
 o each, as at Montauban, and the vines are strong, 
 and trained to square pillars of stone or earth as in 
 Spain. The former were full of flowers, and lemon, 
 orange, and other fruit trees, bloomed luxuriantly. 
 There were also many aloes, laurels of a very large 
 size, box, S'C- ; added to this the road was crowded 
 with passengers, and the balconies were full of people, 
 enjoying the comforts of a beautiful day, much re- 
 sembling a serene June day in England. 
 
 Coming to Rovirola, the Mediterranean burst upon 
 us in all its grandeur ; then turning short, we came to 
 St. Pietro d' Arena, a beautiful suburb of Genoa, and 
 going along the sea-shore some time, entered Genoa 
 by a strong gate, and came to the beautiful light- 
 house built on a high and projecting rock. 
 
 We then came to two or three gates more, passing 
 along the harbour on one side, and handsome houses 
 of various sizes and forms on the other, to the Locanda 
 Delia Posta, where we took up our lodging for the 
 night. Coming in early, we were enabled to stroll 
 into the two best streets, Strada Nuova and Strada 
 Nuovissima, whilst our dinner was preparing. These 
 streets strike an Englishman used to the simplicity of 
 houses in his own country with wonder. The first is 
 full of noble palaces*, and the other of beautiful 
 houses painted on the outside. 
 
 We then went into the church of St. Siro, which is 
 
 * At Genoa, Avliere the houses are not of marble, they are usually 
 painted on the outside in a variety of M'ays. Marble in this country is so 
 common, that at the cabaret where we dined, part of the house was of 
 marble, and even the common staircase. 
 
DESCRIPTION OP GENOA. 305 
 
 a grand and beautiful building, and may be said to 
 contain a mass of rich marble; the pavement and sides 
 are inlaid with it, and the pulpit and pillars of the 
 same materials, in a variety of colours. The church 
 consists of a nave and two aisles, and there is a fine 
 painted dome. On entering, there are statues of the 
 twelve Apostles, six on each side, as large as life, and 
 in the choir four statues of bishops. At the west end 
 of the church is a statue of Siro, the patron. The 
 high altar is rich and splendid, with a canopy. The 
 whole roof is beautifully painted, and there are six- 
 teen fine marble pillars and three organs*. In short, 
 the whole edifice is so beautiful as to merit the careful 
 inspection of a stranger. 
 
 Availing ourselves, on the following day, of the fine 
 spring weather, we strolled into the town to inspect 
 its curiosities. 
 
 Genoa f so much and long distinguished in the 
 annals of ancient and modern history, is a very fine 
 city, containing about 90,000 persons ; it is beautifully 
 built in the form of a crescent, rising gradually from 
 the harbour to the bottom of the mountain, the de- 
 clivity, and almost t o the top ; villas are scattered in 
 the most picturesque manner imaginable in all parts, 
 nor can any thing be more beautiful than the view of 
 the city from the sea and harbour. The stranger, in- 
 deed, is at a loss which most to admire; its palaces, 
 
 * In Spain and Italy it is by no means uncommon to have two organs 
 in tlie large churches, and sometimes three. 
 
 t Genoa was formerly called La Superha, but though it has many fine 
 streets and splendid houses, there is not a square in the city. Just out of 
 it is a dull one, called Place d' Amies, in which the troops are exercised. 
 
 Vol. I. X 
 
306 UEPUDLIC OF GENOA. 
 
 magnificent churches, or handsomely painted houses, 
 the novelty of which strikes every one. House rises 
 above house, and terrace above terrace, and these 
 terraces in the middle of the town are full of orange 
 and lemon trees, and a variety of plants, giving to 
 the whole a most picturesque appearance. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVII. 
 
 Description of Genoa — Form of Government — Lig'urians — Streets narrow 
 — Sing-ular Pavement — Harboui' — Galley Slaves — Palaces — Marble — 
 Painted Roofs — Diirazzo — Doria Palace — Annunziata — Devotion of 
 the Genoese ; their Opinion on change of Government — Santa Fede — 
 Cathedral — Carignano — Row in the Harbour — Genoese Dress — Incon- 
 sistency — Palazzo Brig-nerolle — Alberg-o dei Poveri — Narrow Streets — 
 Bad Policy of Government. 
 
 Genoa was formerly one of the most powerful repub- 
 lics in the world, and its fleets were distinguished for 
 the victories they gained. It tyrannized over its 
 vassals, and counted kingdoms* among its titles. 
 But now, how is it fallen ! Genoa, jealous of its liber- 
 ties and proud of its independence, is sunk into an 
 appendage of the House of Savoy, without even a 
 struggle to preserve its liberties. The King of 
 Sardinia resides in this new part of his dominions 
 about two months in the year, and his brother takes 
 the title of Duke of Genoa ; while the Genoese 
 silently lament the change, and compare the grandeur 
 
 ^- Cyprus and Corsica. Genoa began to distinguish itself by its maritime 
 achlevemeuts so early as the year 1300, and if it had g'overned at home 
 with as good order as it shewed spirit abroad, it would have had the domi- 
 nion of the Adriatic as well as the Mediterranean. — Denina. 
 
THE LIGURIANS. 307 
 
 of their former republic with its present dependent 
 state. They had a repubhcan form of government given 
 them by Bonaparte some years ago, the loss of which 
 they much regret. They are still called Ligurians, re- 
 taining the name but losing the substance. 
 
 The Ligurians* were famous in the annals of clas- 
 sical history for their art and cunning ; and, indeed, 
 during the short time we were at Genoa, we had va- 
 rious instances of their chicanery, and found, to our 
 cost, that they had not materially changed that 
 part of their character. The porters f , for instance, 
 often exact of a stranger six or seven francs for 
 bringing his luggage from the carriage into his 
 apartme7its, if he does not make his previous agree- 
 ment ; and the shopkeepers are sharp almost to dis- 
 honesty in their money transactions. Our party, in 
 fact, were pilfered of several things. 
 
 An elegant writer observes, that it is no wonder 
 the modern Genoese preserve the same traits in their 
 character, whilst the barrenness of their country con- 
 tinues J. 
 
 * Vane Ligur, frustraque aiiimis elate superbis, 
 Nequicquam patrias tentasti lubricus artes. 
 
 Virgil. 
 Ligures favete Campi. 
 
 Claudian. 
 
 t No waiter, or any one but the proprietor or his servant dares to touch 
 the lug'gage, nor any one but these porters, by the laws of Genoa ; if 
 they do, they are obliged by the police to pay so much for every trunk. 
 Thus does the g-oveniment make strangers pay those people, whom they 
 themselves suffer almost to starve, for there is no place where there are 
 more beggars, loose persons, or more instances of poverty, than in this 
 town. To speak candidly, they are a sharp, tricking set, pilfering where 
 they can. 
 
 J Addison's remarks on Italy. 
 
 X 2 
 
308 STREETS HARBOUR. 
 
 The artfulness of their disposition may, perhaps, 
 continue the same, and the effect may be the same, 
 though the cause is changed ; for as their commerce 
 is decreased, agriculture is increased, and much more 
 corn is cultivated than formerly, even almost up to the 
 gates of the city, and among the stones, rocks, and 
 mountains, we often saw plots of ground in high 
 cultivation. 
 
 The most beautiful streets, as has been mentioned, 
 are Strada Nuova and Strada Novissima; to this 
 may be added Strada Balbi, but they are equally 
 defective in piazzas as in squares. The old streets 
 are so narrow and steep that a carriage can hardly 
 enter them, and the high one is composed of broad 
 stones, and so slippery that horses frequently fall. 
 
 The harbour, round which is a narrow high wall, 
 is an excellent one, capable of containing vessels of 
 about 400 tons' burden, and at each corner of the 
 entrance to it is a small light-house. In the harbour 
 are vessels of all nations, and feluccas in which you 
 may go to the neighbouring sea-ports for a reason- 
 able charge. We frequently met in the streets, the 
 galeriens, or galley-slaves, chained two and two, 
 sometimes drawing a heavy cart, at others employed 
 in various works of utility; they all retire to the 
 arsenal on nights, and their number is about 1800. 
 
 We saw in the arsenal several of the galleys laid 
 up. some of which seemed fine vessels. The galley- 
 slaves wear a regular uniform, seem very cheerful, 
 and thankful for a few sous. Their daily food is a 
 pound and a half of black bread, and coarse horse- 
 
DURAZZO PALACE. 309 
 
 beans, boiled without oil or butter ; and with this 
 food, they are most of them strong, hale-looking men. 
 They are condemned to hard labour for different 
 terms of years, but when their sentence is for life 
 they are sent to Sardinia*. 
 
 Genoa has always been not only famous for its 
 marble, but also for the richness of its palaces, among 
 the latter ranks in the first class that of Duraszo. 
 
 This is justly esteemed the most beautiful in the 
 city. You enter it by a noble and grand staircase, 
 and the interior presents a vast scene of magnificence, 
 a muss of splendour. You are shewn a suite of apart- 
 ments of six rooms, and a fine gallery 100 feet in 
 length ; the floors are most elegant, being a mixture 
 of marble and porcelain pounded, and made into a 
 paste, so as to resemble granite. The roofs are 
 painted in the most superb manner. In the gallery 
 are thirteen fine emblematical statues. There are also 
 magnificent glasses, rich china vases, placed alter- 
 nately, and other costly furniture f, besides a col- 
 lection of splendid paintings of different schools ; 
 among which may be seen the productions of Rubens, 
 Paul Veronese, Corregio, S'C 
 
 * This appears a proper mode of punishment, however it may disgfust 
 the stranger ; and to those who object to their want of liberty, it may 
 readily be answered, that their liberty being forfeited by their crimes to 
 the laws of their counti-y, it is highly proper, not only to employ them in 
 works of utility, but to exhibit their persons to their countrymen in this 
 fallen state, as an awful example of the consequences of vice. 
 
 t Under these grand apartments are the Duraszo stahles, let to the 
 King ; and in the grand entrance-hall is a cobbler s-stall — so much for 
 Genoese consistency. This noble mansion and pictures, as we are in- 
 formed, are for sale, and the King is said to have offered 4,000,000 of 
 francs in land, but the family wishes to have it in money. 
 
310 DORIA PALACE. 
 
 The palace of the Duke of Doria, formerly the 
 habitation of that illustrious hero and eminent patriot^ 
 Andrew Doria*, who, though such an ornament to 
 his country, was, like Themistocles, envied and per- 
 secuted by his countrymen, next merits consideration. 
 Non civium ardor prava juventium, mentequatit solida-\, 
 may be applied to this hero. But here we were dis- 
 appointed ; the family was residing at Rome and the 
 house let to another. Ascending, we came to a large 
 corridor, painted in the roof; round it was the fol- 
 lowing inscription : — 
 
 " Prseclarae FamlliBe, Magni viri, 
 Maxiini duces optima fecere patrice." 
 
 There was a bust of this great man:};, dated 1530, 
 which was the only trace we had of him, except that 
 in front of the palace, on the cornice of which is an in- 
 scription, which may be thus translated : — " Andrew 
 
 * Andrew Doria was the instrument of the deliverance of his country 
 from the French in the reign of Francis I. St. Pol, the French general, 
 was surprised by Antonio de Leyra, and taken prisoner, and the broken 
 remains of his army obliged to repass the Alps. — Mallet, vol. 3. p. 118. 
 
 t Horace. 
 
 J Andrew Doria was born of a noble family at Oneglia, and on account of 
 the frequent revolutions of Genoa, which took place in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, was reduced to great distress. He began his fortune, by being a 
 clerk in a French galley, and afterwards, by a regular gradation in the 
 naval and military professions, rose to the highest rank. He was alter- 
 nately in the service of the Due d'Urbino, King of Arragon, Pope, King 
 of France, Genoese Republic, ^c. In 1521, he commanded the united 
 fleets of France and Genoa. Thinking his services not properly remu- 
 nerated by Francis I., and under the specious pretext of recovering the 
 liberties of his country, wliich he saw oppressed by France, he passed into 
 the service of the Emperor, Charles V., that Emperor having promised to 
 restore the liberties of his country. Charles oifered him the principality of 
 Genoa, which he nobly refused, contented to live in it as i\\c first citizen, 
 and, in fact, the Prince, though without the odious name. — Dj^nina. 
 
 It 
 
CHURCH OP THE ANNUNZIATA. 311 
 
 Doria, in order to procure repose and tranquillity, 
 (his constitution being worn out with fatigue) repaired 
 this house for himself and successors*." 
 
 Over the door is, Fundavit earn altissimiis. 
 
 We finished this day by going into the celebrated 
 church of the Annunziata, which is truly beautiful, and 
 full of marble of various kinds and colours, and richly 
 painted. It is impossible, however, to particularize 
 the various parts and beauties of this fine church, 
 but it must be considered as a most elegant and 
 splendid building ; every part except the roof being 
 composed of marble. 
 
 If in our little dealings with the Genoese, we had 
 reason to find that they had not forgotten patrias artes, 
 at the same time we had a strong instance of their 
 apparent devotion. Walking one evening in the 
 streets, a light appeared at a distance, and approach- 
 ing, we saw a Madonna brilliantly lighted up in a small 
 square, and numbers of people kneeling before it on 
 the stones; the greatest piety and tranquillity prevailed^ 
 all of them were dressed very decently, the women 
 in large white hoods, and the scene was very im- 
 pressive. 
 
 It must be confessed, that a part of this distinguished mans character 
 does not redound to his honour, for the French under his command obtained 
 a considerable victory over the Spaniards in 132S, and depended on taking- 
 Naples with this success ; but Doria basely betrayed their cause, took ad- 
 vantage of this event, frustrated all their plans, and went over to the 
 Emperor's party, by which Naples M'as lost, or rather the attempt on it 
 given over by the French. This conduct savours too much of Genoese 
 art and treachery. — Ed. 
 
 * In the civil wars between the families of Dora and Sj)inola Genoa was 
 o fertile in warriors that the two parties mustered from 10,000 to 101,000 
 each. — Denina 
 
312 POPULARITY. 
 
 The weather was now about as warm as in England 
 in June, and the sky uniformly clear and unclouded. 
 
 The popularity of the present government with 
 these republicans may be known from the following 
 circumstance. On our females wishing to see the 
 King at mass, one of them asked whether there would 
 be a crowd, " No, Signora," says the waiter, 
 " i Genovesi non sono curiosi di veder& il loro Re *." 
 
 La Chiesa di Santa Fede is a neat little church, its 
 marble pillars were covered with rich silk damask, 
 and the roof fancifully ornamented with silk drapery, 
 which was likewise hung in festoons between the 
 pillars ; there were nosegays likewise in various 
 places between them, and the whole looked like an 
 enchanted little palace. On the left is the following 
 inscription on entering: — 
 
 " D. 0. M. 
 
 Divseque Misericordise Matri 
 
 Ad spes optimas alendas 
 
 Renovato seculari Fcsto 
 Hujus obsequens populi pietas 
 Plauderc g-audet." 
 
 This does the citizens honour, shewing an increase 
 more than a decay of piety. 
 
 The cathedral called II Duomo is a fine large 
 Gothic building, which though, perhaps, inferior to 
 many churches in this country, yet merits admiration 
 in many respects, particularly for the beautiful black 
 and white marble within, and on the outside for its 
 
 * " None at all, Madam, the Genoese have no curiosit}' to see their 
 King." 
 
SEA VIEW OF GENOA. 313 
 
 marble pillars, of which there are two rows, one above 
 the other. It has also a very fine tower*. Cardinal 
 Spinola of the illustrious House of Spinola, so well 
 known by the gallant General Marquis di Spinola f, 
 is the present archbishop, but resides a,t Bologna 
 as Cardinal Legate ; his revenues are large, and the 
 archiepiscopal palace near the cathedral is a very 
 fine one. 
 
 We went afterwards to the church of Carignano, 
 which is built on a fine eminence overlooking the sea. 
 From hence to the right, is a fine view of the harbour 
 and light-houses ; and on the left the lofty houses of 
 the city, rising above each other till they reach the top 
 of the mountain, form a grand and interesting scene. 
 
 The weather was so fine and the sea so calm, that 
 we were tempted to take a boat and row round the 
 harbour and into the gulf No one can form an 
 idea of the beauty of Genoa but from the water. The 
 town, rising in form of a crescent from the harbour to 
 the mountain, had the appearance of a grand amphi- 
 theatre ; and Fort EperonJ on the top of it, the hills 
 
 * On the left is the rich chapel of St. John the Baptist, in which our con- 
 ductor, probably not very well read in the scriptures, gravely told us his 
 body was buried. It is a very rich chapel with a 6ne dome ; there are 
 eight statues curiously blended. Eve, King Asa, Zacharias, S,-c. ; at the 
 high altar is a fine statue, in bronze, of the IMadonna. In this church is 
 likewise a fine statue of a Bishop kneeling. 
 
 t Ambrosio Spinola, general of the Spanish army in Flanders, immorta- 
 lized his name by taking Breda, a place till then deemed impregnable against 
 the united strength of England and Holland. The siege began in August, 
 1624, and the place was taken June 5, 1625. — Muratori Annali d'ltalia. 
 
 t This fort has 300 cannon, and commands the town. 
 
314 NARROW STREETS. 
 
 full of villas and summer-houses, of various colours, 
 the harbour full of shipping, with the flags of dif-"^ 
 ferent nations displayed, light-houses at each point of 
 the harbour, and a little farther on, the grand light- 
 house, with the numerous churches and buildings of 
 the city, and the mountain in the distance, form a 
 view at once grand and impressive. Such were the 
 various objects which greeted us in our little aquatic 
 excursion, which delighted us as much by its beauty 
 as its novelty ; for this we gave but two francs, and 
 our waterman was quite content with his fare. 
 
 March 15. — The weather continuing favourable, in- 
 duced us to stroll into the old part of the town ; the 
 streets are here so narrow*, that the opposite neigh- 
 bours may almost shake hands, and there are frequent 
 little bridges across from the upper parts of the houses, 
 which have the prettiest effect imaginable ; and in the 
 narrowest streets are orange and lemon trees on the 
 terraces above you. The higher class of women wear 
 large white hoods, but those in more humble life 
 large coloured ones : they are in general plain, and 
 speak bad and corrupted Italian. The men here, 
 even in hot weather, wear large great coats over the 
 shoulder as cloaks, without putting their arms in the 
 sleeves ; as in Spain. 
 
 The inconsistency in this city is striking. There 
 
 * In the narrow streets of Genoa no carriacfcs come, but horses and 
 mules only in vast numbers heavily laden ; there is a narrow raised way of 
 brick in the middle for them, and on each side a broad way of stone for 
 foot passengers. 
 
PALACE OF BRIGNEROLLE. 
 
 315 
 
 are the grandest and most magnificent palaces, beautifully 
 painted externally and internally, and at the bottom 
 of them the meanest stalls, while frequently under the 
 state rooms, in which they receive company, are 
 stables full of horses. The ground-floor of the princely 
 palace of Durazzo, is inhabited, as has been men- 
 tioned, by a tailor, and that of the palace of the 
 Prince of Carignano, presumptive heir to the crown, 
 by a cobbler; and the princely owners are obliged 
 to pass by these humble objects, in order to get to 
 their carriages. We went this day to the splendid 
 palace of Brignerolle, in part of which resides the 
 Tuscan Consul. This palace is small, compared with 
 that of Durazzo, but contains a rich collection of paint- 
 ings, by the best masters, among which is a Madonna, 
 by Guido, several of the Brignerolle family, by Van- 
 dyke, finely done ; Our Lord cleansing the Temple 
 by Guercino ; Raising of Lazarus, by Michael Angelo; 
 Holy Family by Piola; Judith and Holofernes, by Paul 
 Veronese, and several by Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, 
 and Caracci. The bottom part of this splendid palace 
 is likewise a remise, and full of various carriages. 
 
 We lastly went to the Albergo dei Poveri. This 
 noble hospital is situated on the declivity of a steep 
 hill. You ascend by a fine broad paved way, with 
 olive and cork trees on each side. The hospital has 
 a centre and two wings ; and in front is an inscription, 
 intimating that it was founded, under the divine 
 auspices, by the citizens of Genoa, in 1656*. 
 
 * Quique suimemores, alios fecere nierendo. — ViiiG. 
 
316 THE HOSPITAL. 
 
 In this hospital, which is a most noble foundation, 
 are 1600 men, women, and children, all employed in 
 useful works, such as spinning, making ribbons, 
 carpets, ^-c. But in this otherwise well-regulated 
 charity, it disgusted us much to be beset on all sides 
 by its inmates, soliciting our bounty, and following 
 us through all the wards, determined, as it seemed, to 
 take no refusal. There was another circumstance 
 also that disgusted us not less. In a large room, 
 serving as an anti-room to the chapel, from which 
 several of the poor women heard the service, there 
 was the corpse of a girl about twelve years old, placed 
 in the centre, who had died the preceding day, and 
 was to be buried the day following*. 
 
 We passed several days with great pleasure at 
 Genoa f, and left it with regret, although it must be 
 confessed, that there are many inconveniences to an 
 
 * They bury at Genoa two days after death. Althoug^h neither the idea 
 nor appearance of death ought to be banished from us, yet finding- it, when 
 the eye is employed, or the mind absorbed in a fine piece of painting or 
 sculpture, must be considered as peculiarly disgusting and ill-timed. In 
 the solemn vaults appropriated to the dead, or solitary cemetery, "where 
 the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep," we are accustomed to reflect, 
 and have, or ought to have, our thoughts suited to the solemnity of the 
 place. 
 
 + Like many of the cities of Italy, Genoa has been subject to great 
 revolutions ; so early as 139fi it voluntarily became subject to France ; in 
 1409, they renounced their subjection, massacreing all who were in the 
 city. In 1447, Fregose obtained possession of it. It had afterwards 
 various masters, and among them the Dukes of Milan, but chiefly the 
 Emperor of Germany and King of France, though at intervals it had a 
 shadoiv of liberty. Tlie family of Doria is held in the highest estimation, 
 and the memory of the hero, Andrew Doria, is dear to the Genoese, but 
 the meanness with which this people humbled themselves before Louis XIV. 
 sending their Doge in person to ask his forgiveness, must ever entail 
 shame and disgrace on them. — Mezeray. 
 
VOLTAGGIO. 
 
 317 
 
 Englishman*. Among the conveniences and com- 
 forts may, however, be reckoned the decent and 
 respectable conduct of the few English families 
 resident here, who every Sunday attended at one of 
 their houses to hear the service of the church read. 
 
 CHAPTER XLVIII. 
 
 Leave Genoa — Voltag'^io — Extent of Bocchetta — Reli<(iou3 Inconsistency 
 — Second Visit to Novi — Chang-e of Country and Scenery — Mode of 
 Ag'riculture — River Scrivia — Tortona — Voghera — Casteg-gio — Grand 
 Mountain View — Change of Territory — Castel St. Gio — Trebbia — 
 Bridg'es of Boats — Piacenza — Population — Situation — Bridg^e of Boats 
 — Grande Place — Statues — Foederis Area — Curious Tomb and In- 
 scription — St. Sisto — Monument of Peter Duke of Parma — Bella 
 Verg-ine Delia Campag-na — Gates — Fortifications — Via Flaminia. 
 
 March 16. — We left Genoa at seven in the morning, 
 passing through six gates, and were reluctantly 
 obliged to take the same road over Bocchetta ; the 
 day, however, was remarkably fine, and from the 
 top of the mountain there was an extensive view of the 
 sea. The time of ascent and descent was exactly five 
 hours, and we arrived at our old quarters at Vol- 
 taggio at five. From Campo Marrone, where the 
 
 * Among the inconveniences, is the want of English papers, the duty on 
 which is very high, and almost amounts to a proliibitit)n. Tlie shops also 
 are shut very early in the evening', and it was understood that during 
 Lent the shops were to be shut from ten to twelve and two to four, which 
 surely is bad policy in the g-overnment. TJiey slnit the shops up as soon 
 as it is dark, wlien walking in the streets is very disagreeable, as they are 
 badly lighted up. 
 
318 POPOLA. 
 
 ascent begins, to Voltaggio, is about twelve English 
 miles ; the mountain* in aU is twenty -two miles. 
 We left Voltaggio early next morning, but nothing 
 remarkable occurred in our second journey. 
 
 Novi, of which we had an opportunity to see more 
 on our return, has three parishes and 9,000 inhabi- 
 tants ; but it hurt us much to see in the chapel, for- 
 merly of the poor Clairs, whose walls are painted in 
 fresco, heaps of corn and rice, and in the midst of 
 inscriptions and monuments^ and even tipon and under 
 the altars they were bartering and selling corn, the 
 premises having been sold to a corn-dealer in the 
 revolutionary furor. 
 
 In our walks we saw over an apothecary's shop, 
 the following lines under the picture of Notre Dame : 
 
 " Panditur emporiuin diva Genitrice salutis 
 Auspice sic nostra floreat artis honos." 
 
 Health's valuable emporium is here, 
 Madonna kind, no obstacles we fear. — Ed. 
 
 Leaving Novi, we pursued the Turin road as far as 
 Popola, a small village two miles off, formerly full 
 of banditti, but cleared by the exertions of Bonaparte, 
 for which he certainly deserves great praise. Here 
 the roads divide, and quitting the Turin one, we took 
 that which goes to Milan and Placentia. The face of 
 the country now immediately changes ; instead of the 
 bold, rocky, and mountainous country through which 
 
 * It is rather surprising that Mr. Addison never alludes to the badness 
 of the road over this mountain, which in some parts isdang-erous, but passes 
 it quite over by merely saying", " from Genoa we took chaise for Milan;" 
 whereas he dwells much on the badness of Giogo, which at all times, from 
 its situation, must have been much better than Bocchetta. 
 
TORTONA. 
 
 319 
 
 we had passed, we came to a flat and highly fertile 
 one, full of the finest com and richest grass. There 
 were men, women, and children, employed in agri- 
 cultural business, and the country exhibited a scene 
 of life and activity. They plough with four oxen, but 
 harrow with two ; the plough is very long and crooked 
 with a single handle. They have one man to goad 
 the poor beasts, and another to hold the plough. 
 They seem to be good farmers, and were manuring 
 the land, and bush-harrowing it, as is done in many 
 parts of England. There was great variety of soih 
 part being light and sandy, and the other part heavy. 
 The vines, which are very strong, are fastened to 
 poles like chevaiix defrise; mulberry-trees are also 
 very thick. 
 
 Ten miles from Novi, we turned short to the right, 
 and passed the river Scrivia on a very long and 
 narrow bridge ; there is a very broad bed of stones 
 and morass, which are full of water in the winter, 
 when the river is very broad. 
 
 Passing under a gateway, which had formerly been 
 very strong, we came to Tortona*, a good city in the 
 duchy of Milan, containing 9,000 persons. It was 
 formerly very strong and had a castle on the hill, but 
 both castle and fortifications were destroyed by the 
 French. La Piazza is a good one; here is the cathe- 
 dral, a large handsome building, with several neat 
 altars. 
 
 * Tortona is disting-uislied in history by the long and g-allant resistance 
 which it made to the arras and powerful forces of the celebrated Emperor 
 Barbarossa in 1154; it surrendered for want of provisions and water. — 
 Denina. 
 
320 VOGHERA — BRONI. 
 
 Twelve miles farther, Voghera, through the same 
 kind of country. This is the frontier town of Pied- 
 mont, and contains 8,000 souls. It is tolerably built, 
 and has a large square partly surrounded with arcades. 
 The cathedral is a good modern building, in the exact 
 form of a cross, with a remarkably fine dome in the 
 centre, but there is but little marble in it. On one 
 of the altars are six large busts, apparently of wood, 
 washed with silver, which have a very heavy ap- 
 pearance. Voghera is on the river StafFora. We 
 took up our abode at the Falcon for the night. 
 
 We met this day, at Tortona, a pilgrim with his 
 staff, shells, and all the pilgrim costume, (which was 
 very curious,) returning probably from Rome or 
 Loretto. Our journey this day was thirty-three miles. 
 We had the Apennines on the right, and the Alps at a 
 considerable distance on the left. 
 
 March 18. — Leaving Voghera at six in the morn- 
 ing, we soon crossed the StafFora, a small but rapid 
 river, on a wooden bridge ; the road was as before, 
 fiat, between two rows of mulberry-trees. 
 
 Seven miles farther we came to Casteggio, where 
 we left the Milan road on the left, taking the Piacenza 
 one on the right. The country now was very pleasant; 
 on the left of the road was very fine wheat, and on the 
 right beautiful undulating hills, with vineyards, forest 
 and other trees, sufficient to vary the scene. Ten 
 miles farther is Broni, a small town with arcades. 
 The Alps and Apennines, which had afforded us so 
 many fine views, still greeted us, though at a greater 
 
MARIA LOUISA. 321 
 
 distance : we knew, however, that the latter were 
 soon again to be our neighbours. 
 
 The vines here are so strong and high as to have 
 poles to support them from fifteen to twenty feet in 
 height. 
 
 Six miles from Broni is Bardoneggi, a single house 
 and douane, where the dominions of the Archduchess 
 Maria Louisa begin, as is expressed over the house, 
 where she is styled Archduchess of Parma, Piacenza, 
 and Guastalla. 
 
 Coming into the dominions of this princess, who 
 has filled so exalted a station, and of whom so much 
 has been said, we could not help reflecting on 
 the vicissitudes of her eventful life, short as it has 
 been ; at one time reigning in splendour over a 
 powerful nation, with the title of Empress, the wife of 
 a man, who with his colossal power, threatened to 
 subjugate Europe ; now a wife without a husband, 
 and mother without a child, she governs a small prin- 
 cipality. But what she wants in power and conse- 
 quence, she has gained in the esteem and applause of 
 the world ; and the sacrifices she has made are abun- 
 dantly compensated for, in the self-applause of a 
 mind, conscious of having acted right, and actuated 
 by filial affection and duty. We v/ere here visited, 
 (but not strictly) and the trunks all sealed ; the coach 
 was driven under an arcade and the passports ex- 
 amined, detaining us in all about half an hour. We 
 then entered the duchy of Piacenza. 
 
 Just by, is Castel St. Gio, a small town, where we 
 
 Vol. I. Y 
 
322 PIACENZA. 
 
 dined. The church is neat, consisting of a nave and 
 two aisles. 
 
 On each side of the choir is a rich gallery and a 
 handsome marble balustrade, highly varied, separat- 
 ing the choir from the nave. At the west end are 
 three handsome small spires, and at the other end a 
 large one, and all the roofs remarkably neatly covered 
 with shingles. 
 
 Ten miles farther is Piacenza. 
 
 About two miles on this side of it we had passed a 
 branch of the Trebbia*, famous in classic history, on 
 a wooden bridge, and descending rapidly into a vast 
 bed of sand and stones, which lasted about a quarter 
 of a mile : we also went through two other branches 
 of that river at some distance from each other, which 
 were shallow though rapid. There were several small 
 bridges of boats close by, in case the water had been 
 deep, and several narrow foot bridges ; and over one 
 part of this morass was a long bridge for foot pas- 
 sengers. The united streams in the winter form a 
 river, broad, deep, and rapid, especially after rain 
 and snow, and cannot then be passed but on a bridge 
 of boats, no fixed bridge being able to resist the 
 torrent. We saw a proof of this in the ruins of a 
 bridge of stone and flint, supposed to have been built 
 by the Romans, which had been broken down. 
 
 We were now nearly on the ground celebrated in 
 
 * similisque niilii pei" Celtica rura 
 
 Sanguine t Perg-ameo Trebia, ct stipantibus annis 
 Corporibusque virum retro fluat. — SiL. Ital. lib. 1. 
 
 Pergameo. 
 
HANNIBAL SUWARROW. 323 
 
 classic history, where Hannibal * obtained his great 
 victory over the Romans, and we hailed the spot as 
 interesting to every scholarf. 
 
 This part of Italy seems as if destined to be famous 
 for feats of arms, for here also was the famous battle 
 between the French and Russians in 1799 ; the latter 
 were commanded by the great Suwarrow, who calling 
 on the shade of the illustrious Carthaginian chief, and 
 fired by the remembrance of his fame, completely 
 defeated the French, and saved Italy at that time 
 from the rapacious hands of the invaders. Piacenza J 
 
 * Hannibal Ausotiia g-enitus si sede fuisset 
 Hand dubitant terras Italia in ditione futuras. 
 
 SiL. Ital. lib. 18. V. 405. 
 
 TirjTithia gfens est 
 
 Quara si fata tuis g'enuissent Hannibal oris 
 Terrarum Imerium Carthaginis arce videres. 
 
 lb. lib. 7. V. 35. 
 The poet describes his countrymen as so far from terrified at this defeat 
 and others, that they M'ere even greater in adversity than ever. 
 
 Et territa nullo 
 Vulnere, post Cannas Major Trebiamque fi-emebat. 
 
 Claud. Car. 34. v. 145. 
 
 t It is supposed about ten miles off. It appears that in this famous 
 battle, Hannibal directed his principal attention ag-ainst the Auxiliary 
 Gauls, ordering- his elephants to be ])ricked where the skin is most tender, 
 and sending tliem in among them : this had the desired effect, and a flight 
 immediately took place. Many of the vanquished plunged into the river 
 in dismay, not regarding the danger of the stream so much as the arms of 
 the enemy. Placentia was the rallying point, and the refuge from the 
 arms of the victors ; but the cold was so severe, added to rain and snow, 
 that the Carthaginians could not profit much by their victory, and the 
 weather destroyed many of their troops, much cattle, and almost all their 
 elephants. — Liv. lib. 1. Cap. 22. 
 
 X Placentia we find was a Roman colony as well as Cremona. — Vide 
 Liv. Dec. 3. lib. 1. Cap. 9. The siege of it Avas vainly attempted by Han- 
 nibal as well as Astrubal— Liv. Dec. 3. lib. 7. c. 34 and 35. The Gauls 
 
 Y2 
 
324 THE STRADONE." 
 
 at some distance makes a handsome appearance with 
 its towers and buildings, and we entered it by a 
 strong gate. 
 
 Placentia, Piacenza, or Plaisance, the Roman, 
 ItaUan, and French names, derives its name from its 
 situation, and is a fine city, built in a plain, and con- 
 taining 30,000 persons. The streets are broad and 
 good, and the houses, though not lofty, have a clean 
 and comfortable appearance. 
 
 The city is about a quarter of a mile from the Po*, 
 over which is a fine bridge of boats : this river about 
 three miles off receives the river Trebbia, and is broad 
 and rapid. The chief street, called Stradone, is very 
 long, broad, and straight, with a handsome footway ; 
 here is the church of St. Agostino, which has a re- 
 markably fine facade. The Grande Place is very 
 handsome, but its greatest ornament is two noble 
 equestrian statues of Alexander I., the great Duke of 
 Parma f and his son Ranuccio J, in fine bronze, with 
 suitable inscriptions, which from their length are 
 here omitted. 
 
 under the comuiand of Aiuilcar, the successor of Asdrubal, so burnt and 
 destroyed Phicentia, that scarcely 2,00) inhabitants were left. — Liv. 
 Deo 4. lib. 1. cap. 10. When the honour of a triumph was sfranted to 
 Cn. Cornelius, the inhabitants of /V«ce«?ja and Cremona ju-ratefully owned 
 their obligations to him, for beini>: delivered from the horrors of a siege by 
 his care. — Liv. Dec. 4. lib. 3. cap. 6. 
 
 * Stelliger Eridanus sinuatis flexibus errans. — Claud. Car. E. v. 255. 
 
 t This illustrious family was deprived of Piacenza by the colossal arbi- 
 trary power of Charles V. ; with difficulty kept possession of Parma, and 
 was forbidden entrance into the states of that emperor. — Istoria della 
 Casa Medic!. 
 
 X Tiie Pisans were routed by this general in 1497, at the bridge called 
 Ponte u stagno. — Uuicoiardini. * 
 

 DUKES OF PARMA. 325 
 
 There were seven dukes of the House of Farnese, 
 beginning with Peter Lewis, who was assassinated, 
 and ending with Antony ; EUzabeth daughter of Ed- 
 ward, fifth duke, married Phihp V. King of Spain, and 
 had by him Charles of Bourbon, Duke of Parma, and 
 Placentia in right of his mother, and afterwards King 
 of Naples and Sicily, father of the reigning king of 
 this illustrious house. Alexander was the most distin- 
 guished ; he has justly been reckoned one of the greatest 
 captains of the age, and his retreat from Henry IV. 
 at the siege of Rouen, was such as to merit the 
 greatest praises from that monarch, w^ho was one of 
 the best judges of military prowess then existing. 
 
 Henry followed him through Champagne, the duke 
 was wounded, and died at Arras, December 2, 1592, 
 aged 46, a short life for so glorious a career. 
 
 The duke by his will ordered his body, dressed as 
 a capuchin, to be interred in the same tomb with his 
 wife, Mary, in the church of the Capuchins. His sons 
 caused an epitaph, recording these circumstances, to 
 be placed on his tomb. 
 
 One of the greatest acts of the Duke of Parma was 
 the siege of Antwerp*, and the famous bridge which 
 
 * Obsidionein long-c omnium memorabileui quae ulli aliquando urbium 
 admotffi shit. — Strad. lib. 6'. Decad. ■?. 
 
 Aut sub illo tuinulum sibi condat aut ^;er ilium in urbcm sibi viam 
 sternat. — Strada, vol. 2. 
 
 The rity was taken in 15S5. — lb. 
 
 The Duke of Parma was named by Don John of Austria, on his death- 
 bed, to succeed him in his government, and the choice was prudently con- 
 firmed by Philip 11. — lb. 
 
 His mother who had been g-overness of Belg-ium previous to the arrival 
 of the Duke of Alba, left it to the great reg-ret of the Belgians. 
 
 " Relicto apud Bclgarum animos incredibili desiderio sui." — SxRAD.Iib.G, 
 

 326 THE CATHEDRAL. 
 
 he constructed, was the cause of his success in taking 
 that city. It is recorded that he sent back a spy to 
 Antwerp, with this message, that his grave should be 
 under that bridge, (pointing to it,) or that it should be 
 the means of his obtaining entrance into the city. 
 
 On one side of the great square is a very fine 
 building, called il Palazzo Publico, for the mayor to 
 transact public business, and the other side the go- 
 vernor's house, which is a fine modern building. 
 
 The cathedral is an ancient structure, about 1200 
 years old. Over the door on the inside are several 
 curious old figures in wood, of the Apostles, Virgin, 
 St. Augustin, S'c, and on each side of this church 
 are eight large pillars. There is here a curious sub- 
 terranean chapel, with three or four rows of pillars, 
 which was the original church, and here is a fine pic- 
 ture of Christ, by Vigano. There are two paint- 
 ings in the choir, opposite each other, of the pre- 
 paration for the funeral of the Virgin, and her as- 
 sumption. Several other good paintings are likewise 
 here, among which is St. Martin giving part of his 
 cloke to the poor, by Lewis Carracci, and St. Alexis 
 by Lanfranco. 
 
 St. Sisto is a very fine church, and has a beautiful 
 picture of the Madonna ; here also is a monument of 
 Peter Duke of Parma*, and in another part, of his 
 duchess ; they are buried in a vault in the church. 
 
 The church of Bella Virgine di Campagna is very 
 
 * First Duke of Parma, who was assassinated in Placentia by Count 
 John Anquisciola in 1547: he was son of Pope Paul III. who was the ori- 
 gin of this family, Peter was a violent proflig-ate character, and not only 
 
CHURCHES. 327 
 
 beautiful. On entering, are three magnificent domes ; 
 the high altar was lighted up with above fifty high 
 candles, as they were at Vespers ; the organ was 
 very fine, and was accompanied with the voices of an 
 immense congregation ; the sight was beautiful, and 
 the effect which it had on our senses most impressive. 
 Here likewise are several fine paintings. 
 
 In St. John's by the canal, are two fine pictures, 
 our Lord going to Calvary by Landi, and the pre- 
 sentation in the temple by Campagna. The high altar 
 is of fine marbles, on one side, is a statue of Pope 
 Pius v., and on the other one, of Benedict XI. There 
 is also here a Madonna del Rosare, and a very fine 
 painting of St. Augustin. 
 
 The church of St. Francis near the square is coeval 
 with the cathedral. Here is also an enclosed tomb 
 of our Saviour, and many figures in stone, as large 
 almost as life, with the Virgin weeping, beautifully 
 sculptured. There is here also a monument and 
 inscription to the memory of Josepho Sacchino, who 
 was so shocked at the death of his grandson, that it 
 caused his own •, it ends with these verses, 
 
 Una avus et dilecte nepos, tumulainus in urna, 
 Te mihi mors rapuit, me tibi junxit amor *. 
 
 This chapel was, in compliment to Bonaparte, 
 
 warned of his approaching- death, but told that the initials of the names of 
 the conspirators were contained in tlie title of the money which he had 
 coined "Ptoc. dux." Pallavicini, Lando, Anguisciola, Confalioneri. — ' 
 MoRERi, article Farnese.f 
 
 * This does not appear strictly correct, but we must not be too nice in 
 old inscriptions. 
 
328 VIA FLAMINIA. 
 
 called Napoleone ; but as our conductor said " non 
 esiste piu," and it now recovered its original name. ^ 
 
 At Placentia, we experienced much attention, seve- 
 ral persons officiating as our conductors, one of whom 
 to our surprise spoke English very well. As an in- 
 stance of their liberality and good information, on our 
 asking him in the way of conversation, if there were 
 many protestants in the town, he answered. No, they 
 were all christians. 
 
 We now began to tread literally on classic ground, 
 as the ancient Via Flaminia, which is connected by 
 the ^milian, going by Parma, Modena and Bo- 
 logna, begins here. Although there are four gates 
 at the different parts of the city, yet the fortifications 
 are not strong ; the noble and ancient palace formerly 
 inhabited by the dulces, which is a spacious building 
 of brick, is now converted into a barrack, though 
 there were not more than five hundred soldiers in 
 the town ; such are the changes which a few years 
 produce. 
 
 There are here, as in the other towns, strong marks 
 of the devastations of the French, many churches 
 being destroyed, and some shut up. 
 
ST. LAZARUS. 329 
 
 CHAPTER XLIX. 
 
 Departure from Placentia — Atyricultnre — St. Lazarus — Moutlgliero — 
 Road frequented — Firenzuola — Flocks of Sheep— St, Donino — House 
 of Industry— Castel-Guelfo—Taro— Flying- Bridg-e— Parmesan —Par- 
 ma — Grande Place — Cathedral — St. Giovanni — Steccala — Baptistery — 
 Palace — Country Palace — Academy Theatre — Quit Parma — Terri- 
 tory of Modena — Reg-g^ic — Effects of good Government. 
 
 March 20th. — Left Placentia, at six in the morning, 
 by a very strong gate and drawbridge, on each side of 
 which are very deep moats. Our passports were here 
 examined again and countersigned, a duty which the 
 officers diligently perform. Every traveller ought to 
 be attentive to this indispensable ceremony, as the 
 least informality or neglect will put him to great in- 
 convenience, and retard his journey, as we had before 
 experienced at Turin, and were again doomed to 
 experience at another place, as will be hereafter 
 shewn. The road continued level, the country rich, 
 and the men and women actively employed in agri- 
 culture. The Apennines were still on our right, the 
 Tyrol Alps on the left, and of both we had a fine view. 
 Two miles from Placentia* is St. Lazarus, a large 
 and apparently fine convent ; three miles farther we 
 passed the small river Naghora, on a very narrow 
 stone bridge ; and at the end of three more miles we 
 
 * Placentia is famous for the defence made by Surinna (Otho's General) 
 made against Cecinna (Vitellius's), who was obliged to raise the siege with 
 disgrace. In this siege, the fine amphitheatre which was without the walls, 
 was unfortunately burnt down.— Tac. Hist. lib. 2. 
 
330 
 
 ST. DONINO. 
 
 came to Montigliero, a small village, which, however 
 is entered through a pompous gate. 
 
 The road, which was excellent, now became very 
 lively, being crowded with carriages of different sorts, 
 particularly with those known by the name of Italian 
 chairs, which though not remarkable for elegance, 
 move very fast: they contain either one, two, or 
 three persons, and often a footman behind. 
 
 At Firenzuola, two posts from Placentia, a small 
 village and post, we passed il Lardi, a small but rapid 
 stream ; the coach went through the water, the bridge 
 being under repair. 
 
 We were now gratified with seeing the first flock 
 of sheep which we had seen on Italian ground, and 
 attended by a regular shepherd, with his crook and 
 pastoral costume, so that we could fancy ourselves for 
 the moment in Arcadia ; we also observed in many 
 places, that instead of ploughing the land, the spade 
 was used; while fine oaks, pollards, and vines in 
 abundance every where met the eye. One more post 
 brought us to St. Donino* a good sized market- 
 town, with a noble house of industry, (formerly a con- 
 vent for the Jesuits,) on one side of the street for the 
 men, and on the other a similar establishment for the 
 women. We went over the former, and were much 
 pleased with it. 
 
 * The possession of this town was strongly contested by Parma and 
 Piacenza in 1199, and the whole of Lombardy (a) took part in the dispute : 
 Slilan, Brescia, Como, Asti, Alexandria, «S'c., espoused the cause of the 
 latter, and Cremona, Reg-gio, ]Modena, Pavia, and Bergamo, that of the 
 former. — Denina. 
 
 (a) Lombardy formerly comprehended all the north of Italy, at present it 
 comprehends the Milanese only. 
 
« 9 
 
 CASTE L GUELFO. 33 1 
 
 This institution was set on foot by Bonaparte, but 
 suspended by the war ; it has now been resumed by 
 Maria Louisa, and is Ukely to be useful. There are 
 at present in this rising estabhshment but two hundred 
 and fifty- seven men and women, who are usefully 
 employed, vk., in making shoes, clothes, spinning, ^-c. 
 
 Not far from this, near Castel Guelfo* there is a 
 wide tract of low swampy morass, through which 
 runs the little, but rapid river Taro ■\, in two or three 
 branches ; the coach went through one of them, as 
 the water was low ; and then went over the other 
 branch, which was narrow, and not above five feet 
 deep, on a small flying bridge fixed on two large 
 boats, and carried over the water by means of 
 a large rope fixed to posts on the shore. The bridge 
 or ferry-boat was roomy and convenient with com- 
 fortable benches on each side. We counted eight 
 carriages, horses, S^c. , coming out of it at one time, 
 and it was not more than four or five minutes passing 
 the river. A bridge is begun, which is highly neces- 
 sary, for in winter there must be a great breadth of 
 water, but owing to the dry weather, it was chiefly 
 then a bed of sand and stones. 
 
 From Piacenza, we had come through the fine pro- 
 vince known here by the name of II Parmigiano, and 
 in England Parmesan, where is made the famous 
 
 * This is said to have taken its name from the party of the Guelphs. 
 
 t On the banks of this river, a fierce battle was foug'ht between the 
 French and Italians, in Avhich the former were victorious, and the latter 
 with cfreat difficulty passed the river, which was so swelled with a heavy 
 rain of the preceding; night, that many were drowned in the passag'e. The 
 Italians lost more than three thousand, the French only two hundred. — 
 
 GUICCIARDINI. 
 
332 PARMA. 
 
 cheese of that name. From Piacenza we had also 
 come on the Via Flaminia, made above two thousand 
 years ago, and which still does credit to the maker. 
 This province also produces excellent butter, veal, ^c, 
 and is a most plentiful country. 
 
 Aiirea frug-es 
 Italic picno diffndit copia Cornu*. 
 
 After crossing the Taro, we came through a rich 
 country, full of mulberry-trees and vines. The 
 road was crowded with carriages and horses, as we 
 drew near to Parma» this day we came thirty- six 
 Italian miles. We entered Parma by a very strong 
 gate, and came through many of the streets, by the 
 cathedral and Grande Place to L'Hotel de Nation, 
 where we took up our quarters for the night. 
 
 The female peasants are vety pretty, have a light 
 jaunty air, and the universal appearance of plenty in 
 the country, reminded us of the beautiful lines of 
 Virgil, 
 
 Quantum longls carpent armcnta diel)us, 
 Exigua tantuin gelida. ros nocte reponet. 
 
 The vines are planted and trained in the same 
 fanciful manner as described by Virgil, the dress of 
 the peasants is light and elegant, and every thing in 
 fact Avears the air of plenty and comfort. 
 
 Parma f is about the size of Placentia, containing 
 
 * Horace. 
 
 •i- Tliis city has been taken alternately by French and Spaniards. The 
 illustrious house of Farnese gave it dukes for above one hundred years, 
 and it has to boast of the g-allant duke, who was tiie admiration of Europe 
 for his warlike exploits, and whose masterly deliverance of Paris, when 
 
CATHEDRAL. 333 
 
 thirty thousand persons. It stands on the small river 
 of the same name, which divides it, and there is a 
 communication by three bridges. 
 
 The Piazza Grande is very handsome, with a 
 column in the centre, having four long inscriptions, 
 entering largely into the family connexions of the 
 House of Austria, though but little interesting to the 
 traveller. Joseph II. is much celebrated for his pub- 
 lic works, and the column was erected by the order, 
 and under the direction, of Ferdinand, Grand Duke of 
 Tuscany. 
 
 The cathedral is a noble Gothic building, consisting 
 of a choir, nave, and two aisles, and having a remark- 
 ably grand flight of steps from the nave to the choir. 
 It is impossible to enumerate the various beauties 
 and paintings of this building in a temporary view. 
 There is a fine dome, the cupola of which is painted 
 by Coreggio *. Pomponio Allegro his son, Geronymo, 
 Massibe, and Parmeggiano, have also contributed by 
 their talents to adorn this church. The high altar, 
 which is composed of variegated marble, is very 
 handsome. Under it is a sarcophagus, with the fol- 
 lowing inscription : 
 
 Quatuor liac area sanctorum Corpora Clausa 
 Sunt abdon. senes, ac Martiris Herculiani 
 Et corpus medium sacri niconiedis humatum 
 His est coiijuncta sacra virg^o pudeutiana. 
 
 The churches of St, Giovanni, St. Evangelista, and 
 
 blockaded by Henry IV. in 1590, was sufricient to immorialize bis naiue, if 
 he bad performed no other exjdoit ; this relief of Paris was celebrated by 
 that admirable judj^^e of military merit, his opponent Henry IV. 
 
 * Coreggio, being- a native of this country, enriches the neig-hbouring- 
 churches with many painting's. 
 
334 CHURCHES. * 
 
 Steccata, are also handsome edifices. In the former, 
 the cupola is painted by Coreggio, and there ara 
 several other paintings by eminent masters, especially 
 over the western door. In one of the chapels of 
 Steccata is the monument of Octavio Farnese*, with 
 th§ following inscription : 
 
 Octavio Farnese t 
 
 Piis Cineribus 
 
 Ex sedibus Petri Martyris 
 
 Hue translatis 
 
 M. 
 
 Torquati sequitis, ^ 
 
 1765. 
 
 In this church is also a monument of Sforcino 
 Sforza, of the family of the Sforzas Dukes of Milan. 
 
 The baptistery J is a venerable and curious build- 
 ing ; the form is an octagon, and it has eight small 
 pyramids on the roof. It was built about seven hun- 
 dred years ago, or rather converted into a christian 
 church from a heathen temple, by Mathilda Farnese ; 
 it is chiefly of marble, and the interior is as extraor- 
 dinary as the exterior. On the walls, which are of 
 marble, are curious paintings, and there are many 
 ancient small statues. The building is very lofty, 
 
 * Father of tlie celebrated Duke Alexander Farnese. January 29th, 
 died Antonio Duke of Parma, the last male of this illustrious house, and 
 the imperialists took possession of the duchy, as a fief of the empire. — 
 Galluzzi. 
 
 I t Ottavio Farnese married Margaret of Austria, natural daughter of 
 the Emperor Charles V. and governess of Pais Bas, which she governed 
 with great prudence, mildness, and moderation, and was much beloved. — 
 
 JMORERI. 
 
 % In all this country, and chiefly through Itah', are regular Baptisteries, 
 in which the ceremony of baptism is performed, and they are in general 
 beautiful buildings. 
 
t 
 
 THE PALACE. 335 
 
 there being no fewer than four stories, and galleries, 
 supported by pillars. 
 
 The palace which is inhabited by Maria Louisa, 
 the sovereign, has several good apartments. In one 
 we were rather surprised to see exhibited the cot used 
 by the young King of Rome, an arm-chair used by 
 his mother, when Regent of France, a wash-hand 
 bason, and various other things made of solid silver, 
 washed with gold ; but we were still more surprised 
 o see here Bonaparte's travelling-bed, and various 
 other things belonging to him ; our conductor told us 
 these morceaus were taken care of by the express 
 conmiand of the duchess ; this illustrious female, who 
 was then at Florence, is much beloved by her sub- 
 jects, and her absence was regretted. 
 
 The country palace just out of the city, formerly 
 inhabited by the ancient Dukes of Parma, and now 
 modernized, is very elegantly fitted up with gobelin 
 tapestry, ^-c. There are here some beautiful paint- 
 ings in fresco, by the two Caraccis. In one of the 
 rooms are these lines : — 
 
 Augustinus Caraccius. 
 Dum extremes imraortalis sui peniculi tractus 
 lu hoc sempicto fornice moliretur 
 Ab officiis ping'endi et vivendi 
 Sub umbra liliorum gloriose vacavlt"*'. 
 
 Tu Spectator-)' 
 
 Inter has dulces picture acerbitates 
 
 Pasce oculos 
 
 Et fatebere decuisse potius intactas spectari 
 
 Quam aliena manu tractatas maturari. 
 
 * This great painter, whilst workina:' in tliese rooms, was overtaken with 
 death, thus at once ceasiitg to work and live, and his remains honourably 
 repose under the shade of teil-trees: as awful a termination of a useful life, 
 as it was sudden. — Ed. 
 
 t A spectator will confess that it was better to have these works un- 
 finished, than finished by another hand. 
 
 1^ 
 
 L4 
 
% 
 
 336 ACADEMY ^THEATRE. 
 
 The subjects are the amours of Dido, by Annibal 
 Caracci, and the Armida of Rinaldo, all in fresco. 
 On the terrace in this garden was fought, in 1734, the 
 famous battle between the French and Austrians, in 
 which the former were victorious. 
 
 The next thing worth seeing is the academy. You 
 ascend by a grand staircase ; against the wall are 
 many Roman antiquities, Roman heads, ^c. There 
 are likewise many valuable paintings by the two 
 Caracci's, and Coreggio. Several of vdiich were re- 
 covered from the Louvre, and restored to the right 
 owners by the allied powers. The subjects are the 
 Descent from the Cross, St. Jerome and the Madonna, 
 and martyrdom of various Saints. Among other 
 curious things is a rose-tree made of tin. 
 
 The theatre, though seen last, is one of the things 
 most worth seeing ; it is in the form of an amphi- 
 theatre, is capable of holding 90,000 persons, and 
 was erected by Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, 
 of whom there is a statue, as well as one of his son 
 Ranuccio, and several small ones in various parts. 
 This theatre has been long disused, but there is 
 another ancient one on a smaller scale just by, used * 
 occasionally for concerts, ^-c. We much regretted not 
 being able to see the library, which is very valuable. 
 
 In the whole, Parma* furnishes abundance of things 
 to instruct and amuse a traveller several days, if he 
 choose to postpone his journey so long; but unfor- 
 
 * In the fourteenth century Azou de Coreg-e was Lord of Parma, who 
 was first an ecclesiastic, but afterwards took up arms in defence of liis 
 country ; his strength was astonishing-, and Ins body liard as Iron ; he 
 was called Iron-foot because he M'as iudcfatig^able. — Dojbson's Petrarch. 
 
CULTIVATED COUNTRY. 337 
 
 tunately it is looked on too much in the light of a 
 thoroughfare to the south of Italy, and people gene- 
 rally hurry through it too fast. 
 
 On the 22d we set off from Parma* at six in the 
 morning, and passed through a strong gate ; the for- 
 tifications may be repaired, so as to have considerable 
 strength, at a small expense. We soon passed under 
 a kind of triumphal arch, erected by a former Duke of 
 Parma. The inscription, which is almost illegible, 
 was made by Bonaparte. 
 
 The road continues excellent and wide along the 
 Via iEmilia. One post off is St. Flavio ; here we left 
 the Parmesan, and entered the territories of the Duke 
 of Modena. Here we were visited, but not strictly -f-. 
 St. Ilario is a small bourg belonging to Modena, 
 which has gates, and was formerly fortified. We 
 now came into a country as highly cultivated as it 
 was rich and beautiful ; the fields were pleasingly 
 varied wit corn and grass, and there were flocks of 
 sheep, droves of fine hogs, much poultry, and many 
 farm-houses, nearly resembling English ones. The 
 people were active and industrious, and their cattle 
 fat and thriving. There were many mulberry and 
 wahiut-trees, and the vines were beautifully and fanci- 
 
 * Panna has fifteen ]3arishes. Pope Paul III. iuvested Petei* Louis 
 Farnese, his nephew, v/ith the Duchies of Parma and Placentia in 1545, 
 which was the foundation of his family ; tliis ambitious and restless Pontiff 
 was never satisfied till he had procured an establishment for his nephew, 
 thoua^h he should involve all Europe in war by it. — Guicciajidini. 
 
 t It is the best way to give five or six ul to the officers, au ' they 
 g-ive very little trouble. 
 
 Vol. I. Z 
 
338 ' REGGIO. 
 
 fully trained in festoons; from tree to tree. The 
 houses were neat and comfortable, and every thing 
 shewed the happiness of the people under a sovereign 
 who appears to be studious to promote it. 
 
 In no country which we had passed through did we 
 find such real joy at getting rid of their revolutionary 
 oppressors, and being once more under the mild 
 government of their native princes, as this. We 
 cannot do more justice to this little state, which re- 
 sembles a bee-hive, than by comparing it as to ap- 
 pearance, agriculture, verdure and live-hedges with 
 some of the finest parts of England. The country, 
 though flat, was perfectly dry ; the roads were good, 
 and the dress of the peasants was very picturesque. 
 
 One post more, Reggio (Regium Lepidi). This is 
 a very ancient town on the Crostolo, and the second 
 place of consequence in the Duke's dominions : it is 
 very neat, containing several streets and 15,000 in- 
 habitants. 
 
 The Piazza Grande, or market-place, is very hand- 
 some ; there is also a smaller connected with it, as 
 La Petite Place of Lille in Flanders, with the Grande 
 Place, well stored with provision of all sorts. 
 
 On the Grande Place is the duomo, which is a 
 handsome building, consisting of a choir, nave, and 
 two aisles. There is a very fine dome and canopy 
 over the choir, a very rich pulpit, and several 
 monuments. On the left is a beautiful chapel, with 
 roof and sides ornamented like shell-work. There is 
 a long Latin inscription in this cathedral, mentioning 
 
DEPARTURE FOR REGGIO. 339 
 
 how grateful and happy the people were at the return 
 of Francis IV., their native Prince*, to his dominions, 
 through the powerful assistance of the allied powers, 
 after a painful absence of twenty years, owing to 
 the late awful events, the like, it is to be hoped, will 
 never recur. In the chapel of the Sacraments are 
 several monuments, and among others a fine one of 
 Francis Arlatto, a former bishop ; and another of 
 Ugon Rangonia, bishop of Reggis, and legate from 
 the pope to various states. 
 
 CHAPTER L. 
 
 Departure from Reg-gio — Rubiera — Modena— Cathedral — Palace — Paint 
 ings — Departure from Modena — Castel Franco — Ecclesiastical State — 
 New way of training the Vine — View of Bologna — Observations — St. 
 Petronio — Cathedral — Two Brick Towei*s — St. Bartholomew — Arch- 
 bishop's Palace — Private Collection of Paintings — Collection of An- 
 tiques — Grande Place — Cardinal's Palace — Extent and Population of 
 City — Phosphoric Stone — Belle Arti — Column and Inscription — St. 
 Dominic — Festival of Annunciation. 
 
 We left Reggio by two strong gates, and there are 
 ditches, ramparts, and all the qualifications of a 
 
 * This Prince is of the ancient and illustrious House of Este, of which 
 family was the wife of James II. Fen-ara, iModena, and Reggio were 
 governed at one time by Princes of this House. Hercules I. governed 
 them in 1492 with great reputation, and the encouragement given by him 
 to learning and learned men, must ever make his memory dear to lovers of 
 literature. Among others who were benefited by his patronage were the two 
 distinguished poets, Titus Vespasian Strozzi, and his son Hercules ; 
 the latter was assassinated in 150S, from jealousy in a love affair. The 
 
 Z2 
 
340 modena. 
 
 strong town. Between Reggio and Modena is Ru- 
 biera, a strongly fortified little place on the small 
 river Secchia, which we here passed on a long 
 bridge, there being three separate streams, and a very- 
 broad bed of stones. Arrived at Modena about five, 
 after a charming day's journey of twenty -two miles*, 
 only interrupted by the trouble of being visited, and 
 having to produce our passports, a process we under- 
 went several times in the course of the day. 
 
 Modena f is a large handsome city, the capital of 
 the Duke's dominions, and containing 25,000 persons. 
 It is built in a fine fertile plain, and has wide hand- 
 some arcades in all the principal streets. The cathe- 
 dral J, which is in the market-place, has a remarkably 
 high steeple. Our conductor said it had been built 
 600 years, but it seems more ancient, and is a heavy 
 looking Gothic building. On the outside, as in many 
 churches in this country, are the escutcheons, with 
 arms painted on the walls of those who were probably 
 benefactors to the churches, with pregate per lor anima. 
 There are two lions couchant on entering the cathe- 
 dral, supporting pillars, and in many other churches 
 
 Strozzi's were of the ancient family of that name in Florence. Ariosto 
 was patronised by this Prince. Ariosto is said to have been born at the 
 Castle of Keg-gio, of wliich his father was s^overnor in 1474 ; but almost 
 as many places contend f.ir his birth as for that of Homer. — /-7f/e de Leo 
 X, par Roscoe. 
 
 * Wc passed near Coregg-io, which gave name to the celebrated painter, 
 but his real name was Antonio Allegri. 
 
 t In 1511, Modena, with the consent of the Pope, was given up to the 
 Emperor. 
 
 . X We much regretted not being able to see, owing to the absence of the 
 sexton, the famous Secchia Rapita in this church, wliich ^furnished the 
 subject of Tasso's poem. 
 
CATHEDRAL— PALACE. 841 
 
 we observed the same. In another part, on the wall, 
 are several old heads in bronze. The choir of the 
 cathedral is elevated considerably above the rest of 
 the church, and under it is a chapel with arcades and 
 several monuments. In the church is a curious old 
 one of Rangonia, a warrior, and a relation of the 
 bishop of that name, buried at Reggio; it is 300 years 
 old, and is reckoned very well done, by Tulio Ro- 
 mano. In a kind of enclosed cemetery are many 
 curious Roman antiquities all round, chiefly tombs 
 of Roman families. Over the great western door, 
 on the outside, is an ancient sarcophagus. 
 
 The palace is a large handsome building, consisting 
 of four orders, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. 
 You ascend by a noble staircase into a wide hand- 
 some gallery. The state apartments, of which there 
 are eight, are noble and superbly furnished ; and 
 there are six belonging to the Dowager Duchess. 
 The floors of the former are mostly of brick, but the 
 latter are elegant and inlaid. The ceiHngs, sides, ^c, 
 are most superbly painted in fresco, and the roof of 
 the dining-room is full of mirrors of rich gilding. 
 But the greatest ornament of this noble palace is 
 the collection of paintings, by the best masters, a 
 collection .. tliat reflects credit on the taste of its 
 princely possessors. Many of these were sent back 
 to their right owners from Paris, by the allied powers. 
 Among these are the Crucifixion, by Pomarani, and 
 another by Guido, 
 
 Among the paintings is the Circumcision, by Pro- 
 caccio ; Madonna and Twelve Apostles, by Francois 
 
342 CHURCH OF THE DOMINICANS. 
 
 France. The walls and cieling in fresco, by Salvator 
 Rosa and the Caraccis. In one of the rooms was a 
 most beautiful recumbent figure of Cleopatra in 
 marble, by Canova, the drapery is exquisitely done. 
 The four Cardinal Virtues by Annibal Caracci, the 
 Crucifixion, by Guido ; and several by Guercino ; the 
 well-known Story of the Father suckled by his 
 Daughter, by Sacchi ; two fine pictures of Francis I. 
 and his Queen, by Vandyke, and much of the fresco, 
 by Julio Romano. Among the elegant apartments of 
 the Duchess, was one with a beautiful Grotto and 
 Bath, which exhibit great taste. The palace should 
 not be omitted to be seen by the traveller. In several 
 of the apartments is fine gobelin tapestry. The Duke 
 was taking his morning ride with his chamberlain and 
 the governor of the city, and it gave our party great 
 pleasure to see him in the house of his ancestors. 
 
 Just by, the palace, is the beautiful church of the 
 Dominicans, built in the form of a cross, with a hand- 
 some dome, and over the high altar a rich canopy. 
 There are several statues larger than life, and among 
 others one of St. Dominic. This is the Ducal place 
 of worship, and the Duke has rich galleries for him- 
 self and family. This Prince lives in great state, 
 but it being a time of peace, he has only 1,000 soldiers, 
 though able to raise a considerable force in war. 
 
 Modena* has wherewith to satisfy a stranger's 
 curiosity a day or two very well. We lefl; it about 
 
 * Modena is famous in history for having given refuge to Brutus after 
 the murder of Ctesar. Between Modena and Bologne we passed the little 
 river Panaro and Reno twice. 
 
CASTLE FRANCO. 343 
 
 eleven the next day, and passed through the same 
 kind of rich and • well-cultivated country to Castel 
 Franco. Here we passed the little Reno on a bridge, 
 and here end the Modenese dominions. 
 
 The first town in the Papal state is Castel Franco, 
 and we were again visited. We had travelled about 
 thirty-five miles in the duchy of Modena, and were 
 much pleased with the visible industry in every part 
 of it. There are about 150,000 inhabitants in the 
 duchy. Castel Franco is a small bourg, consisting 
 of one long street, which is also very wide, but on the 
 left is a very strong fortress, called Fort Urbino, about 
 half a mile off, which was much stronger before the 
 war. The Papal troops, of whom in time of peace, 
 there are about ten thousand, wear light blue, and 
 are good-looking men. We were now fifteen miles 
 from Bologna, and seven from Modena. The country, 
 though a change of dominions has taken place, did 
 not cease being rich, but it had not the same appear 
 ance of comfort in the houses, and gardens*. There 
 were still as many vines as ever, but arranged in a 
 different way, resembling light chains, three or four 
 in a row, from elm to elmf , in the prettiest manner 
 
 * There were various inscriptions and bons dieux, indicating our being 
 now being in the Papal state, among others the following : — 
 
 Salve Porta 
 Ex qua lux est orta 
 Over a dial as follows : — 
 
 Da nobis Deus sine labe tempus. 
 Da vice tutum sine clade cursum, 
 Da perennantis sine fine vitse 
 Tangere portuin. 
 t Amicla vitibus ulmo. 
 
 HoR. Epis. 16. 
 
344 BOLOGNA. 
 
 imaginable. The hedges were also cut, as in the 
 Modenese, very neatly, and finished on the top with 
 withies. 
 
 Five miles from Bologna is a good view of the 
 city, and the magnificent church of St. Luke, on a 
 neighbouring hill ; one mile from it we passed three 
 or four branches of the little Reno, and as usual, a 
 broad bed of stones and sand, on a long narrow bridge, 
 and arrived at Bologna about five, where we took up 
 our quarters ; having had a pleasant journey of only 
 twenty -two miles. 
 
 On entering Bologna you have a fine view of the 
 noble portico, which extends as far as St. Luke's, a 
 most splendid and princely work, reflecting honour on 
 the inhabitants, by whose contributions it was done ; 
 at a distance it has the appearance of a handsome 
 aqueduct. 
 
 Thus were we advancing fast into Italy ; Italy, the 
 never-ending theme of writers, and the exhaustless 
 subject for painters, — a country which has furnished 
 such abundance of matter during so many centuries, 
 for the philosopher, historian, and artist. The school 
 for painters and university of Bologna have ever been 
 celebrated in this distinguished country, and have 
 produced men who did honour to the place in which 
 they studied. Even the commonest inns * were painted 
 
 * The inns are excellent, but dear, and not a female servant is seen in 
 this part of the country. The whole of the menial work is done by men ; 
 scarcely a solitary laundress is to be met with. There were frequently 
 three or four male servants to make the beds, &c., even in moderate-sized 
 inns ; they are responsible men, name the prices of the beds, &c., and form 
 all the arrang-ements without consulting the master, whom you tiequently 
 
CHURCHES. 345 
 
 often in fresco, in a beautiful manner, shewing us 
 what we were to expect as we advanced towards the 
 interior. 
 
 March 24:th. — Taking a cicerone f we set off on an 
 excursion through the city. The first church we saw 
 was St. Petronio, on the Grande Place, which is a fine 
 regular Gothic building, having a noble statue of St. 
 Petronio the patron ; there is much beautiful painted 
 glass, but the most curious thing is the celebrated 
 meridian of Cassini, with the following inscription : 
 
 LInea Conservata 
 
 Constructa Anno 1G56 
 
 Ampliore forma renovata A. D. 1776. 
 
 Signa Zodiaca pendcntia 
 
 Horfe Italics iiieridics punctum verticole 
 
 Perpendiculi partes Centesimte. 
 
 There are also two curious clocks, French and 
 Italian, wound up, as we were informed, but twice a 
 year. This church is about five hundred years old. 
 The meridian-line is drawn on copper-plate, set in 
 the pavement two hundred and twenty-two feet long. 
 There are several rich chapels, one of which is curi- 
 ously painted in fresco, another has several statues of 
 wood, gilt, and is paved with marble. Among the 
 
 do not Sfie ; from the dearness of the inns it may be imacfined of what na- 
 tion is the major part of travellers. As they supplied us with Eng'lish tea- 
 pots, English cups and saucers, &c., so they introduced English prices. 
 JNIoney, however, was so scarce, that at Panua, a napoleon was worth 
 eighty-five lires. 
 
 t This was the first we had taken, and we determined he should be the 
 last. We were oliliged to find out most of the places without him, and in 
 general the cicerones arc ignorant pretenders ; they pester you at every 
 city where you stop, with their printed cards, but can give you no real 
 information. 
 
346 CHURCH OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW. 
 
 tombs are two of former bishops, very old. The 
 grand altar is very rich, and of marble. 
 
 The chapel of the Virgin is finely painted in wood 
 and marble. There is also in the church a fine monu- 
 ment of Cardinal Pallavicini, 1677. In the choir is 
 the Annunciation in fresco, by Ludoisco Caracci ; we 
 next went to the cathedral. 
 
 This church is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul, 
 but is not so old as St. Petronio ; it has a choir, nave, and 
 two aisles, as most of the churches have in this coun- 
 try ; among other paintings is our Saviour giving the 
 keys to Peter, by Retusi : in the sacristy is a very 
 fine one of Peter, weeping at the death of Christ, by 
 Louis Caracci ; sincere and unaffected grief is finely 
 expressed in this picture. From hence we strolled 
 to the Piazza Ravignano, in which are two brick 
 towers*, one three hundred and seventy-six feet high, 
 and seven hundred years old, the other not so old, 
 but reckoned curious from being nine feet out of the 
 perpendicular. Here is a fine statue of St. Petronio, 
 in marble ; this is more known by the name of La 
 Piazza di due Torre. 
 
 St. Bartholomew is a very beautiful church, con- 
 sisting of a choir, nave, and two aisles, the latter are 
 a continuation of small domes, and there is also a 
 magnificent large dome, all of which are finely painted 
 in fresco, by Francescini, and other painters ; the 
 Annunciation is by Albani. They shewed us a beau- 
 tiful medallion of the Madonna, by Vidorenn, for 
 
 * These are called Torre Asinelli and Torre Mozza ; the latter is a 
 leaning tower, like that at Piza. 
 
COLLECTION OP PAINTINGS. 347 
 
 which they said one tJiousand pounds had been offered 
 by several EngUsh. In another part of the church 
 there are sides of several altars, with pieces of va- 
 riegated marble, so placed as to represent various 
 things, among others, a fine head of our Saviour. 
 Near the cathedral is the archbishop's palace, which 
 is large and handsome, consisting of a quadrangle • 
 on it is the following inscription : 
 
 Dilige Decorem Domus 
 
 Quain dedit tibi Dominus 
 
 Ut in doinuin non manufactam 
 
 Una cum grege tiio 
 
 Ille te recipiat. 
 
 We next went to see a very fine private collection 
 of paintings, in which among the works of many 
 other celebrated masters, were some by Guido, 
 Bania, Cavalli, Louis Caracci, Dominichino, S,'c. 
 
 The church of St. Servi, formerly belonging to a 
 convent, is extremely beautiful, the whole of it being 
 hung with silk of different colours, in festoons, from 
 pillar to pillar ; the high altar is embellished with a 
 fine painting of Christ and Magdalen, by Albani ; 
 and in a small altar, the shrine of the Virgin, are 
 various presents to the good lady ; among others, a 
 watch suspended, which we thought might have been 
 more usefully disposed of ; there is also here, a fine 
 piece of marble sculpture, containing our Saviour, and 
 various figures, and an ancient tomb and monument 
 of Andrew Manfreddo, a monk, placed lengthways 
 instead of upright, 1658. 
 
 Our cicerone next took us to the palace of Prince 
 Herculanie, who married the daughter of Lucien Bo- 
 
348 PALACE OF PRINCE IIERCULANlE. 
 
 naparte*. Here, indeed, is a splendid and almost une- 
 qualled collection, when considered in the house of a 
 private individual. You ascend into a fine gallery, 
 by a noble stair-case : on each side and on the top 
 are statues representing the history of Hercules, ^c, 
 in plaster, by Giaccomo de Maria. 
 
 The floors are a beautiful composition of marble and 
 granite mixed, and the ceilings are finely painted by 
 various masters ; the subjects as numerous as the 
 masters. Among them, an old woman, admirably 
 done. — Cittadini, Pope Pius V., Passarotti, a Bota- 
 nizer, (beautiful,) Paul Veronese, Death of St. Ber- 
 nadino, Camillo Procaccini, St. Francisco, Castig- 
 lione, Bernardo Strozzi, Perrugino, (the excellent 
 master of the excellent Raphael.) Also a beautifu 
 small picture of Christ, by Guido Antichissimo, on 
 wood, date 1120 ; and a fine head of Canova, sculp- 
 tured by himself. 
 
 In the great gallery room, the numerous paintings 
 are all on wood, except two or three on copper. 
 There are seven beautiful ones of Reni, a fine head 
 of Christ, by Saivator Rosa, and several by that 
 charming painter, Louis Caracci ; one of Charity, 
 by Franceschini, St. Rocco, by Louis Caracci ; St. 
 Francesco Xaviere, by Giovanni Bolonese ; David 
 and Bathsheba, by Guercino. This collection to a 
 
 * It is aatonisliing-to think what connexions this family Ibrnied, throu2;-h 
 the policy of its wary chief; Louis Bona])arte, Jerome, tlie wife of 
 Prince Borii,]iesc, dauglitcr of Lucien Bonaparte, arc proofs of this ; not 
 to mention Prince Eiig-ene, and ahove all, the despotic ruler himself, whose 
 connexion must ever be deplored. 
 
COLLECTION OP ANTIQUITIES. 349 
 
 connoisseur must be a treat, and to an amateur highly 
 gratifying. 
 
 We next went to see Signer Totzoh's splendid 
 collection of antiques, ^-c. ; the first thing shewn us 
 was a beautiful Christ in ivory, by Michael Angelo ; 
 and the next the Murder of the Infants in ivory, all 
 in one piece, by Algardi. The passion of our 
 Saviour, curiously carved in wood, Jupiter and Gany- 
 mede, S'c.> Institution of Jesuits, by Ignatius Loyola, 
 in bronze ; Scourging of Jesus, in ivory ; fine picture 
 of St. Pellegrino, by Luca d'HoUandia ; Descent from 
 the Cross, by Benedetto Garufala ; two beautiful 
 paintings in marble ; Albano, Madonna Delia Sylva, 
 by Raphael ; fine head, by Titian ; several by 
 Rubens and Annibal Caracci ; a very curious Pe- 
 gasus, made of the petrefaction of sea-foam ; a very 
 rich head of a pipe, the handle of which was hung 
 with almost every precious stone ; a beautiful head 
 of Alexander the Great, by Domenichino, a cane 
 made of tortoise-shell, ^x. This most splendid col- 
 ction is for sale, and is valued at 50,000/. * 
 
 Bologna f is a very large and handsome city, on 
 the little Reno, and the second in the Papal domi- 
 nions. The Grande Place, called Piazza del Gigante, 
 is a very fine one, with a fountain of marble, and a 
 noble statue of Neptune in the centre, by John of 
 Bologna: on the Place is the governor's house, 
 
 * It is lamentable to finrl that most of tlie fine collection in Italy are 
 for sale ; it will be, perhaps, illiberal to iiiiptite the cause to extravagance 
 in the owners ; but whatever may be the cause, the fact is true. 
 
 •l- Bolog-na was so powerful in the thirteenth century as to arm 40,000 
 men against the Venetians.— Dexina. 
 
350 GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 
 
 inhabited by the Cardinal Legate*, Cardinal 
 Spinolaf. 
 
 In almost all the great streets of Bologna, are noble 
 broad arcades, with shops, S'c., so that in the hardest 
 rains, you may walk from one end to the other of the 
 city without being wet ; and in hot weather it is an 
 equal shelter from the sun. 
 
 Few cities have more noble palaces than this. It 
 contains thirty-six parishes and 75,000 inhabitants ; 
 and the surrounding country is very fertile. Although 
 few towns possess more internal food for the lovers 
 of literature and the belle arti than this, yet do the 
 Bolognese not think it beneath them to pay attention 
 to the appetite, and the Bologna sausage and its 
 vermicelli are well known, as they are esteemed by 
 every gourmand from St. James's to the mansion- 
 house. The inhabitants also are very industrious in 
 making silk velvets, ^c, and the famous phosphoric 
 stone, brought three miles off, is well known among 
 the curious. The escutcheons of persons of distinc- 
 tion are put on the outside of the churches instead of 
 the inside as with us. Many of the churches are 
 likewise painted on the outside. The houses are 
 chiefly of brick plastered over, but many are entirely 
 of brick. 
 
 March 25. — We went to the Academy of Beaux 
 Arts. The first apartment you are shewn is the 
 
 ^ * He lives in great state, has a g-uard-chamber and guards to attend 
 him, Sfc. 
 
 •i- Over the gate is a fine statue of Pope Gregory XIII. The city is 
 defended by a wall, ditches, gates, §-c., and a few troops belonging to the 
 Pope are stationed in it, but it is not strong. 
 
ACADEMY OF BEAUX ARTS. 351 
 
 sculpture room, which consists chiefly of copies, the 
 originals being at Rome, Paris, Florence, §rc. The 
 Death of Virginia is an original and very fine piece 
 of sculpture, for which 25,000 francs has been offered; 
 it is by Jaques di Maria. Flora of Farnese, original 
 at Naples ; Dsedalus and Icarus, marble, an original ; 
 Pygmahon, an original ; There were also some paint- 
 ings to which we were next admitted ; Pyrrhus and 
 Andromache, Socrates, Aspasia, and Alcibiades, by 
 Augustino Comera. The next room also contained 
 some very fine and curious paintings. St. Peter and 
 St. Paul and Angels, in wood, 500 years old ; St. 
 Chrysostom, 1446 ; Madonna and Saints, in wood, 
 beautiful. The next rooms contained the modern 
 paintings, and in it was a fine bust of Pope Pius VII., 
 with this inscription : 
 
 Pontifici Maximo 
 Principi Optimo 
 
 Fautori 
 Bonariuu Artium 
 
 Academia 
 Conservatori suo, 
 1S15. 
 
 We now entered the grand room, about thirty feet 
 long, and there is no room probably in Europe of 
 these small dimensions, that can boast so rich a col- 
 lection by the first masters. Among them are four 
 fine ones, by Guido, the Crucifixion and three others ; 
 two subjects in one picture by the same master; above, 
 the Entombment of Christ ; and beneath, St. Petronio, 
 accompanied with many other figures ; a fine St. 
 Cecilia, by Raphael, ^c. There were also several by 
 
352 FAMOUS ARTISTS. 
 
 Domenichino, Guercino, and the two Caracci's ; 
 Transfiguration, and Birth of St. John (companions), 
 by Louis Caracci ; St. Petronio entreating the Virgin 
 to avert the evils of the plague from Bologna ; at the 
 bottom, the dead are represented as being carried 
 out to be buried ; this is a horrid subject, but the 
 picture is admirable, by Guido. In this room the 
 young artists work, and were then employed in taking 
 copies ; indeed in every town, the utmost facility 
 and every accommodation are offered to them, much 
 to the honour of government. 
 
 The Caraccis, Domenichino, and Guido, were all 
 natives of this city. Piazza Dominicana has two 
 statues in bronze, one of St. Dominic, and the other 
 a Madonna, tlie former on a high Corinthian column ; 
 the latter on a pillar much lower, both are of bronze. 
 In the centre of this square is a curious old tomb, 
 enclosed in a stone case, about fifteen feet from the 
 ground, date 1300, and repaired in 1603 : in another 
 part is the following inscription : — 
 
 Corrcctores et consules 
 Anno 17S6 et 7, ab injuria, temporum 
 Vindicarunt. 
 
 Another old tomb, of the same shape as the former, 
 and tile same height from the ground, but placed 
 against a house in the corner of the square, next 
 offered itself to our notice ; the date of this w^as 1279. 
 It is said that two eminent notaries of Bologna were 
 buried here. We went from hence into the church of 
 St. Dominic. 
 
 This belongs to the convent, and is a very fine one, 
 
CHURCH OP ST, DOMINIC. 353 
 
 containing many curious monuments, ^c. In the 
 chapel of St. Dominic, under the high altar, the patron 
 Saint was buried, and on the sides, in basso relievo 
 of alabaster, are many well-executed figures alluding 
 to the miracles of this distinguished Saint. The roof 
 is splendidly painted, as well as the the superb cupola 
 and half dome, and there is a fine painting of a Ma- 
 donna, by Guido. 
 
 In one of the chapels is a fine old recumbent 
 monument, with the following inscription : — 
 
 Alexandro Tartagno 
 
 Imraolen. Leg"um 
 
 Veriss. ac fidiss inter. 
 
 P. R. Q. V. An. 53. 
 
 Filii Pientiss. P. 
 
 O. P. B.M. Poi. 
 
 Obiit kn. 
 
 1477. 
 
 Opposite, is the tomb of Bartholomeus Volta, with 
 the following inscription : — 
 
 Credere quid geniinam dubitas nunc vivere vitam 
 Qucm facit extiuctum picta tabella tibi. 
 Semper inextincto divuiu flagravit amore, 
 
 Constans Eximiaqu. integ'ritate fuit. 
 Hinc fata in ccelis vitam tribuere perennem 
 In terris fama est, nee moritura viri 
 1557. 
 
 In another chapel is a fine head and shoulders of 
 Seraphinus Cappo, taken when he was dead, kept in 
 a glass case, the colour dark, almost black ; the sub- 
 ject awful but finely executed, the head, hands, and 
 nails were so well done and natural as to be taken for 
 a human head. Under it : — 
 
 Vol. J. 2 A 
 
354 FESTIVAL OP THE ANNUNCIATION. 
 
 Corpus 
 Venerab. P. F. Seraphini Capponi 
 A Porrecta O. P. 
 Non eg^o, sed gratia dei mecum. 
 
 In a chapel opposite is a figure as large as life of 
 our Saviour entombed. Enclosed in a glass case in 
 front, and on one side, about fifteen feet high, the 
 following : — ■ 
 
 Tadeus Pepolus 
 
 A Populo Bononiensi eligitur 
 
 1337. 
 
 On the side of the monuments are many small 
 figures in marble, admirably done in basso relievo. 
 
 In another part of the church is a curious picture of 
 St. Thomas Aquinas, removed to this place by the 
 monks of St. Dominic in 1731 ; this picture is 400 
 years old. Our conductor told us, that the body of 
 the Saint is buried here, but the inscription does not 
 mention this. There are several pictures, by Guer- 
 cino in this church ; and on the whole, no church in 
 Bologna is more worth seeing. The evening being 
 very fine, we strolled out of the town, it was the 
 Festival of the Annunciation, and the numbers of 
 people dressed in their holiday clothes, of both sexes, 
 going and coming from the Annunziata, which is just 
 out of the gate, were astonishing, so as to surpass the 
 greatest crowds of London ; they all looked happy 
 and cheerful, and the scene was highly interesting. 
 The church and shrine of the Madonna were superbly 
 lighted up, and the church was full of her votaries *. 
 
 * In most Roman Catholic countries, particularly Spain and Italy, the 
 Deity is looked on in a subordinate quality, and our Saviour not much 
 
DEPARTURE FROM BOLOGNA. 355 
 
 On our return we saw a small chapel belonging to a 
 school in the centre of the town, which is rich in paint- 
 ings; the whole of the sides, front, (^'c, appearing like 
 one continued picture. 
 
 We much regretted, that owing to the continual 
 festivals whilst we were at Bologna, which, indeed, 
 are often a sad drawback to a traveller's curiosity in 
 a Roman Catholic country, we were prevented seeing 
 the university, so much celebrated, or at least, which 
 has been so much celebrated, and the library ; but we 
 left the city with the intention of visiting it again, 
 feeling assured, that in no place can a stranger's: 
 curiosity be more gratified. 
 
 CHAPTER LI. 
 
 Departure from Bolog-na — Pedascliio— Country Hilly — Variety of Ever- 
 greens — Canal — Pianoro — Lojano — Rocks and Precipices — Description 
 of an Apennine Cabaret — Patience a necessary Virtue in Travelling — • 
 Departure from Lnjaiiu — Guogo — Chestnut Forests — Filia^are — Scara- 
 calasino — Entrance into Tuscany — Dogana Pietra Mala — Fuoco del 
 Leg-no — Covigliajo — Descent to Ghiereta — Change of Road aijd 
 Scenery — Cafaggiolo — Fontebuona — Prattolino — Trespiano — Fine 
 View of Florence — Entrance into that City. 
 
 March 26. — Left Bologna, but we were detained* 
 owing to some informality in the passport, and con- 
 trary to our usual custom, did not set off till nine*. 
 The country is well cultivated, and near Bologna full 
 
 otherwise, but the Madonna is adored, and at her shrine are offered three- 
 fourths of their prayers and worship. 
 
 * Pope Julius [I. having dispossessed the BentivogHos, made his tri- 
 umphant entry into Bologna, Nov. 11, 1506, and it has remained ever 
 since part of the Papal domain, except for a short time, when it was re- 
 
 2 A2 
 
356 THE PEDASCHIO. 
 
 of villas and fruit-trees. About three miles on we 
 passed near a fine villa, belonging to Comte Aldro-^ 
 vandi, whose name, to avoid mistakes, is under the 
 roof of the house. Two miles farther we crossed the 
 Pedaschio, a small stream, on a toll bridge ; this little 
 stream is carried down a wall into a narrow channel, 
 and has many falls, but sometimes the whole breadth 
 of the river is in one fall. 
 
 The country now begins to be hilly and covered 
 with vineyards. We met numbers coming to Bologna 
 market, loaded with vegetables ; and observed that 
 the women ride astride, like the men, with the same 
 kind of stirrup. 
 
 Many of the hedges are of variegated box, juniper, 
 S'C, and we observed excellent wheat, clover, and 
 lucerne. A small canal runs along the road, raised 
 very high and fenced in ; lower down at some dis- 
 tance is the Pedaschio, in two or three small streams 
 and a broad bed of stones, which is well filled from 
 the mountain in winter. A little farther on the road 
 becomes circuitous and very hilly, winding between 
 hills of different forms and sizes, the bottom was 
 crowded with various fruit-trees, and on the hills 
 were many fine cypresses. One post and a half, 
 Pianora, a small village. We now prepared to 
 ascend another of the Apennines, not lower than 
 Bocchetta, though we expected to find the road better, 
 and in this we were not disappointed. 
 
 taken by the Bentivoglios. aud the statue of Julius JJ; tlirowa down, 
 mutilated, aud sent as a present to the Duke of Ferrara, who made a 
 cannon of it, aud called it Julius. 
 
PIANORA LOJANO. 357 
 
 The next post was Lojano, a small mountain 
 village, where we determined to take up our night's 
 quarters, as the wind was tremendously and alarm- 
 ingly high, and we were not yet a third part up the 
 mountain. 
 
 Between Pianora and Lojano is a most extensive 
 and beautiful prospect of Bologna, the Adriatic, ^-c, 
 which we should have enjoyed more had the wind 
 been more moderate ; a little beyond this, the road 
 is cut through the solid rock, about forty or fifty feet 
 deep. For the last four hours we had been ascending 
 the mountain, the road winding in the most beautiful 
 manner, and in some places very steep ; the rocks 
 were generally barren, and the precipices very steep. 
 We found, however, as usual, much wild lavender, 
 rosemary, and juniper ; the day was clear, but the 
 wind being very high, and rushing between the rocks, 
 made the scene grand and awful. The coach was 
 twice nearly overturned, and our females got out in 
 great consternation, and walked, at the risk of being 
 blown down the precipices ; but at length, to the 
 evident delight of the whole party, we discovered the 
 little village of Lojano, and got safe to the post out of 
 our perils. This soi-disant inn was no better than an 
 alehouse, and we were now glad to put up with the 
 accommodations of an Apennine cabaret for the first 
 time, and not one of the best. We, however, pro- 
 cured a few eggs and some bread and bad butter for 
 dinner ; and though we were not satisfied with our 
 fare, we could not but be amused at seeing the 
 ceiling and sides of our bed-room painted m fresco, 
 
358 MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 
 
 when the furniture and every thing in the room had 
 the appearance of poverty and wretchedness. 
 
 Lojano is a small mountain village, hemmed in on 
 all sides. Looking out of our little chamber windows 
 in the evening, and desponding on account of our un- 
 expected detention, we were naturally led to consider 
 the romantic scenery and its accompaniments. The 
 wind was whistling among the rocks ; the oxen were 
 winding between the hills, returning from their daily 
 labour ; mountain rose upon mountain, and hill upon 
 hill. Ginogo, with its snowy top, appeared in awful 
 grandeur, as the sun was setting ; and every thing 
 contributed to form a grand Apennine scene, of which 
 we had often heard, but never till this time had 
 realized. We, therefore, consoled ourselves with the 
 gratification of enjoying the sublime mountain scenery, 
 though obliged to submit to some inconveniences ; 
 and we were enabled to value the comforts of our own 
 country, (comforts which it may be said no other 
 country possesses) from a temporary deprivation. 
 
 With regard to the local situation of the Albergo, 
 and its immediate conveniences for a family, nothing 
 could be more wretched ; the staircase was perpen- 
 dicular, more resembling a ladder than stairs ; on one 
 side was the remise and stables, and the other the 
 kitchen: the chambers were over the former. The 
 mistress's dress was a short woollen jacket and petti- 
 coat, the picture of misery ; but when asked with 
 what food she could satisfy the craving appetites of 
 her guests, exhausted by an Apennine walk, she 
 answered in Patois, that she had every thing in her 
 
THE ALBERGO. 359 
 
 kitchen; and this appeared on examination to be 
 decayed chicken, half-starved pigeons, and wretched 
 lean lamb*, or rather kid, for which she had the con- 
 science to ask five francs a head. The female servant, 
 for we once more got to females, was as uncouth in 
 her dress, manner, and language, as her mistress, 
 and much resembled a fat Fleming instead of an 
 elegant Italian. This cabaret did not even furnish 
 a solitary glass as a necessary appendage to shaving, 
 and the apartments were of the very worst description 
 possible. 
 
 We this day came from Bologna, about twenty 
 miles, having begun the ascent of the Apennines at 
 Pianora, about twelve miles from Lojano ; at the 
 latter place are stationed several soldiers to protect 
 the roads, who go out every evening to take up sus- 
 picious characters. 
 
 March 27. — Being detained at Lojano on account 
 of the indisposition of one of our society, we strolled 
 in the evening among the rocks hanging over this ro- 
 mantic place. In many parts the prospect was grand 
 and extensive ; at a vast distance was seen the 
 Adriatic ; nearer, houses and villages interspersed ; 
 and for our home view, mountain rising above moun- 
 tain, and rock above rock, with picturesque white 
 houses in the little valleys between them, and churches, 
 chapels, and convents upon the declivities and pin- 
 nacles of the mountain. The sun setting among the 
 mountains in awful solemnity, and gilding their tops, 
 completed this wild and beautiful scene. 
 
 * They usually give the name of lamb to kid in France and Italy. 
 
360 LOJANO. 
 
 After passing nearly two days at Lojano*, we left 
 it on the 28th March, taking the benefit of the morning 
 for the ascent of Giuogo, which is reckoned the highest 
 of the Apennines. The morning proved very fine, 
 though cold ; the road, however, was as good as 
 before, and the scenery as beautiful, the mountains 
 forming frequent amphitheatres, the arena of which 
 was covered with corn and grass-fields : houses were 
 also scattered over the mountains, built in a variety of 
 ways. Ascending gradually, we went through large 
 forests of chestnut-trees, till we came to Filigare, a 
 small place and post, and soon after to Scaricalasino, 
 the last place in the Papal dominions. 
 
 Crossing a small bridge, we soon found ourselves 
 
 * Peter de Medicis retired to Lojano in 1501, b}' order of Valentine, 
 Duke of Romagna. 
 
 Caesar Borg-ia, natural son of Pope Alexander VI. (a) but called his 
 nephew, from being- a Cardinal and Archbishop of Valentia , was turned 
 into a layman, and became Duke Valentine, afterwards Duke of Romagna. 
 He was a man of most dissolute morals, and a completely depraved cha- 
 racter, though neither without courage or abilities. At an entertainment 
 near Rome, to which he and his father were invited in 1593, they were 
 both poisoned with the poison they had intended for others ; the Pope 
 died, execrtited by all, as a monster of iniquity, but Caesar, owing to the 
 strength of his constitution, recovered, though his health was affected 
 the rest of liis life, and after many reverses, he was killed under the walls 
 ofViana, and buried at Pampeluna ; though a vicious character, he had 
 great abilities, extraordinary courage, and wonderful constancy. — Guic- 
 ciARniNi and Roscoe, quoting Machiavel. 
 
 (a) Alexander VI. was born at Valentia in Spain, and nephew to Pope 
 Calistus HI., who gave him his name and arms ; after a turbulent ponti- 
 ficate, and creating forty-three cardinals, he fell suddenhj ill, and died 
 aged seventy-two. His endowments, wliich were great, did not make 
 amends for his vices, which M'ere greater. He had four natural sons and 
 one daughter whilst he was Pope. — Storia d' Sotnini Pontefici. 
 
 He was buried in the chapel of his uncle Calistus III. at St. Peter's. 
 
riETRA MALA. 361 
 
 in Tuscany*, and were speedily called to exhibit our 
 passports. About two miles further, descending a 
 pretty winding hill, Pietra Malaf appeared in the 
 bottom, a small village with a very good inn, where 
 is the process of visiting at the Etrurian Dogana. 
 Whilst the landlord was preparing the dinner, we all 
 set off to see the curious volcano, called Fuoco del 
 LegnoJ, about one mile and a half distant, although 
 the walk was very fatiguing, the country being open, 
 and we exposed to the burning rays of the sun, yet were 
 we abundantly recompensed by the sight ; the fire 
 blazed out in twelve or fourteen places at once, so as 
 to burn wood and paper which we threw into it ; the 
 space containing this combustible matter was twelve 
 or fourteen yards in circumference. Several of our 
 party opened fresh ground, which immediately emitted 
 flame, and we took some stones which were so hot as 
 to burn the gloves. When the weather is stormy the 
 fire is much fiercer, so as to be seen at a considerable 
 distance, the flame rising to a great height. 
 
 From Pietra Mala to Covigliajo we still ascended 
 Giogo, and then descended by a most lovely winding 
 road to Ghiereta, a small place destined for our 
 night's quarters, and in a sweet country, amidst hill 
 and dale. Just by is a clear stream, over which is 
 a very handsome stone bridge. 
 
 * This little flourishing' beautiful state is not 200 miles in circumference. 
 
 t Near Pietra Mala is a curious sprin;^, which, when you brin^f a h's^ht, 
 seems all on fire. Near this place also is Firenzuole, a castle on the little 
 river Santerno, which runs through this fertile beautiful valley. Pietra 
 Mala is said to have been the scene of a romantic robbery. 
 
 X The district in which is this volcano, is called Monte di Fo, 
 
362 GiOGO. 
 
 This day's journey was highly varied and beautiful; 
 from Lojano we began to ascend Giogo, as the other 
 ascent we found had been only a preparation for it, 
 and, as it were, its pedestal. We were six hours 
 in arriving at the summit, but the road is one of 
 the finest possible, and the ascent so gradual that it is 
 not perceived, and great part of it is good trotting 
 ground ; the road also is admirably fenced in and free 
 from danger, and' although the whole distance from 
 Pianora to Covigliano may be reckoned into this 
 mountain, which is about twenty -two miles, yet from 
 Pianoro to Lajano is infinitely worse, and there are 
 more precipices than in the last part. The first part of 
 this day's journey was, as has been observed, through 
 forests of chestnut-trees, the country studded with 
 houses, but from Covigliano you immediately descend 
 into a rich country, with gentle hills and fertile valleys^ 
 full of villages and chateaux, olive-trees, and vine- 
 yards : the two last had been strangers for some time. 
 The vines here are trained with a single stem, and 
 fastened each to a thick stake. There were also 
 many cypress and cedar trees, forming avenues to 
 the chateaux ; whole hedges also of box were com- 
 mon, and a great deal of Portugal laurel grew wild 
 in the hedges. 
 
 Nothing could be more picturesque than the sinuous 
 course of the descending road, especially as we ap- 
 proached a bridge built over a torrent, near which a 
 herd of goats was seen descending the mountain, and 
 winding among the trees. Altogether this day's 
 journey was not inferior in beauty to any we had had. 
 
FONTEBUONA, 363 
 
 and though it took up twelve hours in the whole to 
 ascend and descend the mountain, yet the road was 
 so good, and different from Bocchotta, that it did not 
 seem tedious*. The latter part consisted of barren 
 rocks, but by far the greater part was well cultivated, 
 and covered v/ith trees. We came this day only 
 twenty miles. 
 
 March 29. — Leaving Gliieveta at ten in the morn- 
 ing, we passed the little pastoral stream Siava, on a 
 handsome stone bridge ; the road excellent as before, 
 and winding among gentle hills. A fine forest of oaks 
 soon presented itself to our view on the left ; there 
 were also vines, mulberry-trees, ^c, and the river on 
 our left was formed into many cascades the whole 
 breadth of it. Near this is Cafaggiolo, two posts only 
 from Florence, and not far from it we passed on our 
 left the old road of Bologna. Fontebuona is only 
 one post from Florence, near which, on an eminence 
 on the left is the Convent of Montesenario di Servi di 
 Maria. 
 
 * This road must be wonderfully improved since Mr. Addison's time, 
 who describes it as the worst road over the Apennines. It may not be 
 amiss here to transcribe Lucan's animated description of the Apennines 
 as quoted by Addison : — 
 
 Umbrosis raediam qua Collibus Apenninus 
 Erigit Italian!, nullo qua vertic tellus, 
 Alt'ms faj intumuit, propiusque accessit Olympo 
 Mons inter geminas medius se porrigit undas (bj 
 Inferni suprique maris, collesque coercent 
 Hinc Tyrrhena vado frangentes sequora pisse 
 lUinc Dalmaticis obnoxa iluctibus ancon, 
 Fontibus hie vastis immensos concipit aninos, 
 Fluminaque in gemini spargit divortia ponti. 
 Ca) Nubifer Apenninus. — Ov, Met. lib. 2. c. 5. 
 (bJ In mare seu celsus procurrerit Apenninus,— HoR. Epod. L. 
 
364 ENTRANCE TO FLORENCE. 
 
 About a mile from Fontebuona, the road is fenced 
 in by a wall ; there is also a parapet, and the river 
 under it ; this is succeeded by a long winding hill, 
 ascending which you soon see on the left Prattohno*, 
 one of the palaces of the Grand Dukes, with its gar- 
 dens, and pleasure-ground, ^-c. 
 
 Three miles from Florence, we passed by Tres- 
 piano on our right, the public cemetery of Florence. 
 On the right and left the hills now (the pedestal of 
 the Apennines) formed a fine amphitheatre, the vale 
 and declivities thickly studded with houses ; the left 
 of the road, however, it must be owned, was prin- 
 cipally barren rock, but on the right all was cul- 
 tivation. About two miles from Florence is a high 
 hill, from whence is a fine view of that noble city, its 
 numerous churches, buildings, ^^c. ; descending it we 
 passed by numerous villas and gardens, and soon 
 entered the city by Porta St. Gallo and a triumphal 
 arch ; and passing through Via St. Gallo, by II 
 Duomo, we arrived at La Locanda del Leone Bianco, 
 glad to find a comfortable resting-place, and having 
 been six weeks and one day coming from Lyons. 
 
 We this day travelled but seventeen miles; there 
 are regular mile-stones as in England; the distance 
 from Bologna is sixty-three miles, and, mountain 
 included, is as fine a road as the best in England; the 
 inns are frequent and good, having most comfortable 
 accommodations . 
 
 * This was a favourite residence of Francis I. Grand Duke of Tuscany, 
 who in the latter part of his reii^n, sequestered liimself much there with the 
 celebrated Bianca Capclli, scarcely seeing- any one ; and in this palace 
 they both died within a/ew hours of each other. — Galluzzi. 
 
FLOREMCE—THE ARNO. 365 
 
 CHAPTER LII. 
 
 Description of Florence — Population — Streets — Palaces — Arno — Pave- 
 ment — Covered Way — Duomo — Baptism — St. Maria Novella — Church 
 of St. M-dvk — Observation of Palm Sunday — Statues in Piazza Gran- 
 duca — Ditto Bridw-e of Trinit)' — Remarks sugg-ested by them-™-Church 
 of tlie Trinit}' — Maunday Thursday — Good Friday-— Piazza d' Annun- 
 ziata — Church of Annunziata — Casthina. 
 
 Florence*, which derives its name from its flourish- 
 ing state f, and has also been called the fair, is 
 situated in a beautiful and fertile valley, nearly at the 
 foot of the Apennines. It is nearly of an oval formf , 
 and contains 80,000 persons §. Most of the streets 
 are narrow, though there are several which are wide 
 and handsome, particularly the Via Larga, one of the 
 handsomest streets in Europe, and full of noble 
 palaces. There are several fine squares, such as 
 Piazza Granduca, St. Maria-Novella, Annunziata, 
 St. Marco, Santa Croce, ^c. \\ 
 
 The Arno, which is a highly picturesque river, 
 shallow in summer, but broad and deep in the winter, 
 owing to the rain and snow from the mountains, runs 
 
 =^ Charles VIII. made his public entry into Florence, Nov. 17, 1494, 
 and staid there some time ; the city was illuminated every night, and he 
 ■was feasted continually, and remained till the 28th. — Roscoe. 
 
 t The commerce of Florence was so flourisliing' in 1300, tliat it rivalled 
 that of the English, Dutch, and French, — Df.nina. 
 
 J Florence is about six miles in circumference. 
 
 §. It was always a place of such consequence, that so early as the 
 thirteenth century, it had 100,000 men in //.«; district, accustomed to bear 
 arms. — Den in a. 
 
 II Charles Count of Anjou, who was afterwards Charles I., King- of 
 -Naples, had an absolute authority in Tuscany, being- created Signor of 
 the Florentine republic for ten years. — Denina. 
 
366 FORTIFICATIONS. 
 
 through the town, dividing it into two unequal parts, 
 with quays on each side of it, wide and handsome. 
 Few cities have more magnificent palaces than this, 
 most of them built of stone, and many of the rustic 
 architecture, which when they are large has a good 
 appearance. The fortifications have been strong, and 
 are not now in a bad state ; the wall, considering its 
 age is in a remarkably good condition : there are eight 
 gates, of which St. Gallo and Porta Romana are the 
 handsomest. They have an extraordinary appearance, 
 most of them being very lofty, that of St. Nicholas is 
 under a high venerable tower. 
 
 There are two fortifications ; the upper one, which 
 is called Belvedere, and the lower one in Basso ; the 
 latter is the strongest, but the former most beautiful, 
 being built from one hill to the other in a circular 
 form, in the most picturesque way imaginable : from 
 this there is a most noble view of the city, river, 
 country, and Apennines, but it is commanded by the 
 hills above. 
 
 What strikes a stranger most in coming to Florence 
 is the pavement*, which is entirely composed of 
 broad stones, and incisions made in them, with a 
 chisel at great trouble and expense to prevent the 
 horses from slipping ; but in spite of this precaution, 
 they are continually falling, and accidents frequently 
 happen, owing to the number of carriages kept, and 
 the coachmen driving uncommonly fast in the town. 
 
 * The pavement for cavriaafes and the foot-passeng"ei's is the same, to 
 the great hazard of the latter, as they have nothing- to protect them • the 
 streets, in fact, have the appearance of so many courts. 
 
THE TRINITY BRIDGE. 367 
 
 The houses, though not high, are well built, and 
 the paper windows which used to be such a disgrace 
 to this elegant city, are chiefly removed ; among the 
 palaces, those of Strozzi* and Ricardo are the most 
 magnificent buildings, especially that of the former, 
 which is a sumptuous edifice. Florence is surrounded 
 with meadows and gardens, and is in a most plentiful 
 country. There are four bridges over the Arno, of 
 which that of Trinity is the most elegant ; indeed this 
 is one of the most beautiful bridges in Europe, though 
 it has but three arches, it is broad and well paved, 
 with a raised way for the foot-passengers. Ponte 
 Vecchio has shops upon it, and a curious covered- 
 way f above it, forming a communication between the 
 old and new palaces, which are on opposite sides 
 of the river, and by this way, which is in general 
 about sixteen or eighteen feet high, the Grand Duke 
 goes to the old place when he has public business to 
 transact. Higher up are several hills, and there is a cas- 
 cade across the river. The neighbouring hills are re- 
 markably beautiful, with villas, convents, vineyards, 
 S;c, There are many churches and public buildings, 
 among the former the pre-eminence has ever been 
 
 * This family is of great antiquity. Philip Strozzi was given to the 
 Colonnas by Pope Clement VII., as an hostage for the observance of a 
 treaty in 1521, Alphonso his brother M'as also powerful in Florence. 
 Philip was found dead in his bed in 153S. — Storia Fiorentina. 
 
 t This covered way carried over Ponte Vecchio, and under the great 
 gallery is 90D paces in length, or 2.390 English feet ; the short space in 
 which it is carried over the street and enters Palazzo Vecchio is at least 
 30 feet from the ground. It was made by Cosirao I. — Galuzzi. 
 
368 IL DUO MO. 
 
 given to the cathedral or II Duomo. This is a most 
 magnificent and beautiful building, situated in the 
 Piazza del Duomo, which is a large square, well 
 calculated to shew it to advantage. It is reckoned 
 next to St. Peter, the finest cathedral in Italy*. It is 
 a very extensive building 450 feet long, and 150 wide. 
 The outside has a most splendid appearance, being 
 incrusted with different coloured marble, though the 
 front is not finished, as is its magnificent and lofty 
 tower which is detached from the church. This 
 steeple was planned by Giotto, who is buried in the 
 body of the church. 
 
 The inside is also very magnificent, consisting of a 
 choir, nave, and two aisles, and has many statues 
 and much basso relievo, by Michael Angelo, Dona- 
 tello, Bandinelli, c^^c. It is paved with marble of 
 different colours. The cupola is most superb ; it is 
 an octagon finished by Branelleschi ; the painting, 
 by Zuccaro and Vasari, represents the Resurrection. 
 Under this is the choir, and behind it altars and 
 several monuments. In frequent parts of this church, 
 are the letters O. P. A. in great characters, which they 
 told us meant opera ; donms being understood. This 
 is the case in several other churches in this city. On 
 entering the church you see the following epitaph o^ 
 Giotto, who designed the steeple, and above it his 
 bust : — 
 
 Ille eg-o sum, per quern pictura extincta revixit 
 Cui quam recta manus, tain fuit ct facilis. 
 
 * You ascend by a handsome flight of steps, and it has many tine 
 painted \vindo^vs. 
 
MONUMENTS. 369 
 
 Naturfe deerat nostra quod defiiit arti 
 
 Plus licuit nulli pinoere nee melius. 
 
 Miraris turrim egreg-iam, sacro cere sonantem, 
 
 Hfec quoque de modulo crevit ad astra meo ; 
 
 Denique sum lottus, quid o|)us fuit ilia referre ? 
 
 Hoc nomen long'i carminis instar erit. 
 
 Obiit anno 1336. Gives pos. B. M. 1490. 
 
 On the side of this a monument and bust of the ar- 
 chitect of the church, with the following inscription: — 
 
 Quantum Philippus Architectus arte Dsedalesa 
 Valuerat, cum hujus celeberrimi Templi mira 
 Testudo, turn plures machinte divine ing-enio 
 Ab eo ad-inveutce documento esse possunt ; quapropter 
 Ob eximias sui animi dotes singularesque virtutes 
 XV. K. L. Maias Anno MCCCCXLVI Ejus 
 B. M. Corpus in hac Hurao supposita 
 Grata patria sepeliri jussit. 
 
 Near this is a beautiful modern monument of a 
 female of the name of Pelle and her father ; and on the 
 opposite side two curious old pictures of men on 
 horseback painted on the wall, w^ith inscriptions too 
 high up to be easily read, but one is an English 
 gentleman named Johannes Acutus*. The statue of 
 the Deity and of the Dead Christ at the high altar f, 
 and of St. James, by Sansovino, are much admired 
 among others. The meridian, by Paul Toscanelli, in 
 1468, in the Duomo, is reckoned the greatest instru- 
 ment of astronomy in the world. 
 
 The age of this noble edifice may be known from 
 
 * Johannes Acutus came into Italy with Lionel Duke of Clarence, son 
 to Edward III., on his marriage with the daughter of Galeas Visconti of 
 Milan, and distinguished himself much in the wars of Italy. He died at 
 Florence at an advanced age, and was honoured with a sumptuous funeral 
 in the Duouio in 1393.— Paul. Jov. Vit. Johan. Acut. 
 
 t By Bandinelli. 
 
 Vol. I. 2B 
 
370 CHURCH OP st. john. 
 
 this inscription on the wall, beyond the choir, which 
 does the Florentines great honour: 
 
 Anno a Christi Ortu, Florentini masfnis divitis partis ; 
 Et rebus domi, foiisque commode constitutis ; cam urbem 
 Mcenibus auxissent, pulcherrimisque sedificiis publicee 
 Decorassent, ut rem divinam quoque optima ordinarent, 
 Et Posteris, insigriis macfnificentise, et religionis su;e 
 Exemplutn proderent. Hoc Aug-ustissimum Templum iu 
 Dei Honorem ej usque Matris, semper Vir2;inis M arise 
 Instituerunt ; et Pontificio Legato cardinale presente, 
 Primumque lapidem forente summa, cum omnium 
 LcCtitia ac devotione. 
 
 Inchoarunt, 6 Septembris, 1298. 
 
 It is great pity that this church, like many others 
 in Florence, is not finished on the outside ; the front, 
 owing to this circumstance, has a mean appearance. 
 
 Just by the cathedral is the ancient church of St. 
 John the Baptist, now used as the pubUc baptistery. 
 This is a most beautiful building, of an octangular 
 figure, and incrusted with marble like the Duomo. 
 It has three gates of bronze*, with much fine basso 
 relievo, which were so esteemed by Michael Angelo, 
 that he said they were worthy of being the gates of 
 Paradise; above is John the Baptist baptizing our 
 Saviour. The interior of this church is beautiful as 
 the exterior; and the Mosaic work, which represents the 
 History of our Saviour and the Baptist, is particularly 
 handsome f. The pavement is of beautiful marble ; 
 round the church are fourteen fine statues, those of the 
 Apostles and the natural and written law. There is 
 
 • One by Ugoliiii of Pisa in 1330, and the other two by Laurence 
 Ghibcvti of Florence in 1421; the latter v/as fifty years working on them. 
 + By Taffi and Gaddi, Florentines. 
 
ST. MARIA NOVELLA. 371 
 
 also here a fine recumbent statue and monument of 
 Pope John XXIII. in brass, with this inscription : — 
 
 Johannes Quodam* Papa XXIII. 
 Obiit Florentise 
 A. D. 1419, 
 XI. Kalendas Januariit." 
 
 This church was built on the site of a heathen 
 temple. There are four priests regularly attending 
 to baptize the children J, morning and evening. It 
 seems the custom in this country to have the baptistery 
 near the Duomo, as in Parma, Florence, ^c. Against 
 one of the doors of this fine building are two curious 
 columns of porphyry fixed and chained ; these were 
 given to the Florentines, by the Pisans, for their 
 assistance against the Lucchese in 1117§. 
 
 Next to the Duomo, may be reckoned the church 
 of St. Maria Novella ; the architect of which had 
 executed his work so much to the satisfaction of 
 Michael Angelo, that he used to call it his wife. It 
 
 * He was deposed from the Papacy June 3, 1416. — Biancardi, p. 234, 
 by the Council of Constance. Martin V. succeeded him, p. 235. Bene- 
 dict XII. Anti-pope, resided in Spain, determining- to live and die with tlie 
 title of Pope, though entirely unsupported. On his death Clement VIII. 
 was made Anti-pope by King- Al])honso to oppose Martin, but he soon 
 resigned his title, and in him finished the schism. — Biancardi, p. 249. 
 
 ■i" This was the celebrated Cardinal Baldassar Cossa, (a) who was sup- 
 posed to have poisoned his predecessor Alexander V. at Bologna, in order 
 to be Pope, though he had refused the tiara ofl'ered him in a general 
 council at Pisa in 1409, doubting as was supposed of his party succeeding 
 against that of the Anti-pope Gregory XII. — Denina. 
 
 % The children are baptized usually a few hours after birth. 
 
 § Storia Fiorentina. 
 
 (a) Among the numerous crimes, real or imaginary, which were imputed 
 to this Pope, was the heinous one of intending to sell the head of John 
 the Baptist to the Florentines for 50,000 ducats.— ZJotcer's History of the 
 Popes, 
 
 2B2 
 
372 ST. MARCO DEI DOMENICANI." 
 
 is, indeed, a very elegant building, fronting the 
 beautiful square of St. Maria, in which are two hand- 
 some obelisks. In this church * are many chapels, with 
 fine pictures, and in the sacristy are windows full of 
 painted glass. The roof is flat as in many of the 
 churches in Florence, and there is here also a cupola. 
 This church is much used in all the grand proces- 
 sions ; and it contains several old and curious monu- 
 ments : on one side is a clock, with these beautiful 
 lines under it : — 
 
 Sic fluit occulte, sic multos decipit fetas, 
 
 Sic venit ad finem qiiicqiiid in orbe inanet ; 
 
 Heu ! heu ! prieteritum iion est revocabilc tempus ; 
 Heu ! proprius tacito mors venit ipsa pede t 
 
 April 3. — Taking advantage of the weather, which 
 was not too hot for walking, w^e strolled to the 
 conventual church of St. Marco dei Domenicani, 
 ■Piazzo St. Marco. It has a large flat roof, finely gilt 
 and painted, and there is also a cupola in the church; 
 on the left a painted altar and cupola, and several 
 statues, but the right is irregular and does not cor- 
 respond. In this church are many statues : the 
 church, though handsome, is not equally so as many 
 others in this city ; it belongs to a convent, but there 
 are not more than twenty now in Florence, and most 
 
 t Thus time glides on, thus rapid passes life, 
 Thus to a close draws sorrow, care, and strife ; 
 Past time, alas ! is not to be regain'd. 
 The will of heav'n, is not to be arraig-n'd. — Ed. 
 
 * In this church are two pictures of Petrarch and Laura, by Simon de 
 Sienna, pupil of Giotto, the latter dressed in green, among the females 
 who represent the pleasures of the world, and the former standing by a 
 Knisfht of Rhodes.— Dobson's Petr-^rch. 
 
PAINTINGS AND STATUES. 373 
 
 of them are badly filled. In the chapel of St. An- 
 tonio this saint is buried, and there are fine paint- 
 ings, by Bronzino and AUori, and beautiful statues 
 of St. John and St. Thomas, by John of Bologna. 
 On the left, going up the church, is the tomb of 
 Mirandola, with the following inscription, protected 
 with great care by a curtain : — 
 
 D. M, S. 
 
 Johannes jacet hie Mirandola, csetera norant 
 Et Tag-US, et Gang-es, forsan et Antipodes. 
 Ob. An. Sal. 1494, 
 Vixit An. ,32. 
 
 The rays of the sun not yet being very fierce, we 
 were enabled to continue our peregrinations with 
 pleasure, and, as we hoped, advantage. The 4th of 
 April, being Palm-Sunday, was observed here with 
 many ceremonies. The churches were decorated 
 with olive boughs, in various forms ; and in the fine 
 church of St. Gaetano in particular, the pavement was 
 covered with box-leaves and other evergreens. There 
 were twelve priests officiating at the same time ; some 
 at the altars, and others in the pulpits ; in one pulpit 
 we observed three, with olive boughs on each side 
 and behind them ; the music also was very grand, 
 and the vocal accompaniment of a crowded congre- 
 gation made the whole very interesting. 
 
 Numerous indeed are the paintings and statues in 
 this city ; the Piazza Granduca is full of the latter ; 
 at the fountain is a colossal figure of Neptune, not 
 much esteemed ; but Perseus and the Rape of the 
 Sabines, Hercules and Cacus, and David the con- 
 queror of Gohath, make ample amends, and are by 
 
374 INSCRIPTIONS. 
 
 the first masters : the former is by Benevuti Cellini*, 
 the next by John of Bologna; David f, by Michaer 
 Angelo; and Hercules, by Bandinelli. These are 
 before the Palazzo Vecchio J and guard -room, more 
 known by the name of La Loggia dei Lanci. In this 
 Piazza is a fine brass equestrian statue of Cosmo L, 
 by John of Bologna, with the following inscriptions : 
 
 Cosmo Medici, Magno Etrurise duci 
 
 Primo, Pio, Felici, Invicto, Juste Clementi; 
 
 Sacrffi miiitiie pacisque in Etruria, 
 
 Authori, Patri et Principi optiino, 
 
 Ferdinaiidus F. Mag. Dux. III. 
 
 Erexit An. 1594. 
 
 On another side of the pedestal, 
 
 Ob Zelum Relig. praecipuumque jutitise studium. 
 
 On the third side, 
 
 Plenis, libeiis, Sen. Fl. suffragiis. 
 Dux Patriae Renunciatus. 
 
 * The statue of Perseus was so much prized by Cosimo I„ that when 
 he was shewn the model, lie said, " Finish it according to this model, and 
 you shall have whatever recompense you ask." — Galuzzi. 
 
 This great sculptor was subject to violent gusts of passion, and the 
 following improbable anecdote is related of liim. This statue did not 
 please him ; he was at dinner and at work on it, and in a rage he threw 
 plates, dishes, ifc, into the furnace, which filled up the interstices, and 
 made the statue perfect. 
 
 Cellini is said to have killed several persons at Paris, in his passions, 
 when working for Francis I. ; if so, that Prince had greater regard for 
 works of art than the lives of his subjects, which is not consonant with 
 his usual character. 
 
 i- A large block of marble, wliich Simon of Fiesole had endeavoured in 
 vain to work into some gigantic form, had lain useless 100 years: the 
 magistrates of Florence, justly considering this to be a disgrace to their 
 city, besought Leonardo da Vinci and Michael Angelo to undertake the 
 task ; the first excused himself, as being more used to painting than 
 sculpture ; the latter undertook it, and produced the admirable statue of 
 David, so much admired. — Roscoe. 
 
 ;j; There is a most noble tower to the Palazzo Vecchio much admired. 
 
BRIDGE OP THE TRINITY. 375 
 
 On the fourth side, 
 
 Proflig'atis Hostibus, 
 In deditionen, acccptis senensil)iis * 
 
 This noble statue is of bronze, and under each of 
 three sides is some fine basso-relievo, in bronze, re- 
 lative to each event. 
 
 On each side of the bridge of the Trinity f, are two 
 statues, representing the four seasons, and over the 
 old bridge, Hercules killing the Centaur, by John of 
 Bologna ; just before the bridge in Piazza Trinita, is 
 a beautiful statue of Justice, in bronze, on a fine 
 column of granite J ; on the pedestal is " Cosmus 
 Med, Mag. Dux Etrurice, An. 1570." Not far from 
 this in Mercata Nuova, is a wild boar of bronze, 
 spouting out water, by the celebrated Peter Tacca, 
 and many other statues dispersed in this city, among 
 which must not be forgotten the apposite statue of 
 Plenty in the old market, which is always well 
 stocked with provisions, and prices tolerably rea- 
 sonable. 
 
 In short, we found, that having crossed rivers, 
 traversed mountains, and passed many a weary mile, 
 we at last were out of the reach of fanaticism, and to 
 our great satisfaction were getting rid of the evils 
 caused by plebeian ignorance and revolutionary 
 violence. 
 
 Our ears were no longer disgusted with the sound 
 
 * This is not the most honourable part of this Prince's character. 
 
 t This bridge, which is light and elegant, was repaired and beautified in 
 1569, by Cosinio I., a prince who appears to have improved and em- 
 bellished the city much. — Galuzzi. 
 
 % Given to- Prince Francis, son of Cosmo I., by Pope Pius IV.— 
 Storia Fiorentina. 
 
376 CHURCH OF THE TRINITY. 
 
 of " 11 n'existe plus,'' but on the contrary, we found 
 ourselves, as it were, in an enchanted country, where 
 the works of Bandinelli and Michael Angelo, Dona- 
 telli and Brunelleschi, Raphael * and Corregio, still 
 exist in full splendour, unhurt by accidents, and un- 
 impaired by the waste of timef . In every church we 
 were delighted to find in noble monuments and 
 interesting inscriptions, at once marks of religious 
 piety, and traces of ancient and illustrious families J, 
 conferring honour on their descendants, and adorning 
 the age of their existence by their great and me- 
 morable deeds. In every corner almost of a street 
 were we gratified by seeing statues unmutilated by 
 violence, and inscriptions untouched ; at once a proof 
 of ancient learning and modern taste, giving us a 
 pleasing idea of what we were to expect farther south- 
 wards, when we arrived at the centre of ancient learn- 
 ing, and the seat of modern arts and elegant refine- 
 ment. In the church of the Trinity, near the bridge, 
 is a fine ancient recumbent monument, with this in- 
 scription : — 
 
 Juliani Nicholas Dedananzatis 
 
 Blilitis et Doctoris, 
 
 Anno 1444. 
 
 The monument is in fine preservation, and the in- 
 
 * This celebrated painter flourished in the reign of Leo X. 
 
 f An enlightened and learned historian, whilst he gives credit to the 
 learning and genius of the English, imputes their backwardness in the art 
 of paintingto the prohibition of the worsliip of images, at the time in which 
 the arts were makingrapid ])rogress in the north of Italy ; so that geniuses, 
 born for the arts, were deprived of the opportunity of improving them- 
 selves, as well as of the stimulus of gain, and the glory to be obtained by 
 application. — Denina, Lib. 12. Cap. 6. 
 
 :j; The writer does not quite agree with the poet's sentiments, " Scd 
 genus et proavos," 4"c. 
 
MAUNDAY THURSDAY. 377 
 
 scription perfectly clear ; there are other memorials 
 of this ancient family in Florence. In this venerable 
 church there are several ancient monuments and in- 
 scriptions, but we were sorry to see in many of the in- 
 scriptions in the difrerent churches in this city, this 
 heathen expression, hector ejus manibiis bene precare. 
 
 April 8, being Maunday Thursday, was observed 
 here with great solemnity. All the shops were shut 
 from the middle of the day ; the Grand Duke washed 
 the feet of twelve poor men, and the Archduchess 
 Maria Louisa, assisted by the other branches of the 
 reigning family, those of twelve poor women ; they 
 afterwards went in procession to pay their devotions 
 at the cathedral and six other churches, in which 
 were many ceremonies. In the morning, the Knights 
 of St. Stephen* in their full costume-f-, attended divine 
 service in the church of St. Lorenzo, which was 
 crowded, and there was very fine music. 
 
 April 9. — Good Friday, our party went to the 
 English Envoy Chapel. This day, to our surprise, 
 all the shops were open, though shut the day before. 
 Returned by Piazza d'Annunziata. The church of 
 
 * In 1562 was instituted by C.osimo I., the military religious order of 
 St. Stephen, to eternize the memory of the two victories of IMontemarlo 
 and Sang-allo, both obtained on the 2nd of August, iit. Stephens! Dai/, 
 The Duke Avas invested by the nuncio of the Pope, Pius IV., with the 
 device and ribbons of the order, and became the first g-rand-master. This 
 order is now much on the decline, and some years hence, like Malta and 
 many others, will probably cease to exist, a considerable sum is paid for 
 admittance into it. — Sto.ria Fiorentina. 
 
 t The dress of these military relig-ious Knights is very handsome • the 
 gown white, with full crimson sleeves, collar crimson, with cords of ditto, 
 and fastened with crimson : on the left breast a crimson cross, sewed in a 
 cross of gold, and hung round the neck. 
 
378 CHURCH OP ANNUNZIATA. 
 
 Annunziata is reckoned one of the most beautiful in 
 Florence. The roof is flat and richly gilt, and 
 painted in fresco. In large letters on the top are 
 these words : — "Ejc Aromatibus Myrrhcc,"' and farther 
 on, " Fratrum et Piorumope" 1619. Again " Dd 
 parce domo," and ^'^ ascendit deliciis ajjltcens." Here is 
 a fine painting of the Ascension. 
 
 The high altar here, as in many other churches 
 in Florence, is before the choir ; it is very rich. The 
 choir is under the dome, which is richly painted in 
 fresco, and around the dome is this inscription : — 
 
 Ad majorem Dei gloriam, Ludovicus Gonzaga, et Marcliio 
 Mantuse* Virgin! Genitrici posuit. 
 An. Sal. 1577. 
 
 Et Hujus Coenobii P. P. 
 Plastiee, Auro et Marmore Oruarunt, 
 1704. 
 
 Round the sides of this choir is fine marble, and of 
 the same material is the pavement, ^c. ; on the right 
 side of the choir the famous Bandinelli is buried, 
 as the Latin inscription informed us, under a statue 
 of Christ, sculptured by himself; he died in 1519. 
 
 This church is very elegant, and the chapels on 
 each side of the nave most splendid. In the cloister 
 before the church, the walls are painted in fresco, by 
 the famous Andrew Sartorio, who died in 1606, and 
 is buried here, and over whose remains is an appro- 
 priate Latin inscription. In the chapel, named after 
 John of Bologna, in which he was buried, are six 
 
 * Query — Was lie not of the family of the distinguished General, of 
 that name and title, called the great captain^ 
 
THE caschina; 379 
 
 statues, and the same number of basso-relievoes of 
 the different stages of the passion of our Lord, and 
 a remarkably fine crucifix, all in bronze, by this cele- 
 brated sculptor. On his tomb also is a suitable in- 
 scription, in Latin, by which we learn that his death 
 happened in 1590. 
 
 On one side of the Piazza Annunziata is the 
 Foundling Hospital, which is a fine and extensive 
 building. In this square is an equestrian statue of 
 bronze of Ferdinand L, and the following inscription : 
 
 Ferdinando Prirao 
 Magno Etruriaj duci 
 Ferdinandus secundus nepos 
 Anno Salutis, 
 1646, 
 
 In the evening we went to the public walk or 
 promenade, called the Caschina*, where is a villa o^ 
 the Grand Duke : this must be acknowledged to be a 
 most beautiful spot, and highly varied. The drive and 
 walks are extensive between rows of fine trees, juniper 
 hedges, Src : on one side is the Arno, and on the other, 
 vineyards and corn-fields. There are private as well 
 as public walks : and at the end of them are fine 
 woods, and a kind of park for game, where is seen 
 an immense quantity of hares, pheasants, and other 
 game, playing about unmindful of the haunts of 
 men. 
 
 The number of carriages of all kinds, from the 
 sovereign's coach to the farmer's Italian chair, is 
 astonishing ; there are frequently on a Sunday from 
 
 ■*■ The Dairy. 
 
380 MARIA LOUISA. 
 
 100 to 150, and the people of rank vie with each 
 other in number of servants, elegant liveries, horses,^ 
 &c., scarcely any having fewer than two servants 
 behind their carriage. The Caschina, in short, is the 
 grand display of beauty, dress, splendour, and osten- 
 tation. The beautiful environs and hills, white houses, 
 churches, and convents, and at a distance the moun- 
 tains, form a beautiful and almost unequalled scene. 
 Here, however, we were gratified with a sight more 
 pleasing to us than all this ostentatious shew of the 
 vain Florentines. The interesting Maria Louisa was 
 there in an open carriage, and we had a full view of 
 this illustrious female. She has a more pleasing than 
 beautiful countenance, much expression, and the lips 
 peculiar to the House of Austria ; she was very con- 
 descending, and bowed to all on each side with much 
 affability. 
 
 CHAPTER Llil. 
 
 Santa Croce — ^Various Inscriptions — Og-ni Santi — Observations on Church 
 and State — Church of Orsanniichele — Fig^ure of iEsculapius and appro- 
 priate Inscription — Lines to the Memory of a Quadruped — St. INIarc's 
 Day — Numerous Processions — Second Visit to the Caschina — Flagrant 
 Inconsistencies — Poggfia — Ducal Chapel of Pitti — Boboli — Domini- 
 can Convent. 
 
 April \2. — Went to the church of Santa Croce* on 
 
 * This church is full of beautiful painted Mindows, and the Nicolini 
 Chapel is remarkably elegant ; pavrincnt and sides of marble, cupola 
 finely painted, by Volterrano, the subject the Assumption ; there arc two 
 
CHURCH OP SANTA CROCE. 381 
 
 Piazza Santa Croce. This is one of the most interest- 
 ing churches in Florence for monuments, and inscrip- 
 tions ; but like many others is not finished. It contains 
 the ashes of many illustrious men, and is a rich fund 
 of entertainment and instruction for the traveller ; the 
 church itself is very large, and has a flat roof and 
 many beautiful painted windows. 
 
 The first monument which strikes you on entering 
 is that of the celebrated Michael Angelo*, with the 
 following inscription : — 
 
 Micliaeli Augelo Boiiarotio 
 
 E Vetusta Sirnoiornum familia ; 
 
 Sculptori, Pictori et Arcliitecto: 
 
 Fama omnibus notissimo : 
 
 Leonavdus patruo amantis. 
 
 Et lie se optiino incrito, 
 
 Translatis Romu ejus ossibus 
 
 Atque in hoc Templo majovx suorx sepulcro 
 
 Cohortante Sereniss. 
 
 Cosmo Med. 
 
 Magno Etrurix diice 
 
 Ann. Salutis 1570, 
 
 Vixit Annos SS. 
 
 Michael Angelo had expressed a wish to be buried 
 with his ancestors in Florence; but the Pope and 
 cardinals were anxious to keep his remains at Rome, 
 
 marble monuments of the famil3% and on the top Moses and Aaron, 
 one on each side, also three statues of Humility, Prudence, and Chastity, 
 all in marble, sculptured by Francavilla ; it cost an immense sum. 
 The Nicolini family is buried here. 
 
 * Michael' Angelo was nuich esteeiued by the widow of the celebrated 
 general the Marquis Pescara, and was with her at her last moments ; he 
 nnich regretted not kissing her cheek or forehead instead of her hand, 
 which she gave him to kiss. — Roscoe. 
 
 In justice to the character of this excellent woman, it ought here to be 
 observed, that nothing ever was said to throw the least stigma upon it. — 
 Editor. 
 
382 MONUMENTS. 
 
 which he had long embellished with his works ; the 
 Florentines, therefore, with the consent of the Grand 
 Duke Francis, contrived to have his body conveyed to 
 them, packed up as a bale of goods, and so had him 
 interred in this church*. 
 
 Near the monument of Michael Angelo is a very 
 beautiful modern one of Vittorio Alfieri, by Canova. 
 
 There is also one of the celebrated Machiavelli, 
 with the following short, but most expressive in- 
 scription — too good for such a man, 
 
 Tanto nomini 
 Nullum par elogiuni 
 Nicolaus Machiavelli f obiit An. A. P. V. 
 1527. 
 
 The monuments in this church are most of them 
 indeed well worth seeing, and there are many which 
 are both ancient and curious. We observed, that the 
 famous Galilseus was buried here. 
 
 Galilseus Galileius J 
 Patric Fior. 
 Gnouietriaj, Astronomiaj, Philosophic, 
 Maximus Restitutor. 
 VixitA. 78, Ob. 1641. 
 
 * Galuzzi. 
 
 t Machiavel was a great friend of the infamous Cfcsar Borgia, and 
 concerned with him in the dreadful massacre of Sinigaglia, which must 
 make his name hateful. He appears from various accounts to have been 
 an unprincipled man, and to have sacrificed every thing to policy : from 
 hence comes the saying Machiavelian policy. 
 
 % Galileo Galilei, one of the greatest philosophers, mathematicians, and 
 astronomers of the age, who for sustaining the opinion of Copernicus in 
 the motion of the earth, was terribly persecuted. His resolution gave 
 way, and he promised to maintain it no longer, but did not keep his word, 
 in both of which instances he was highly culpable. He died in 1643.— 
 
 MUEATORI. 
 
CHURCH RULES. 383 
 
 Galileus *, at the age of seventy, was summoned to 
 Rome, by Pope Urban VIII. in 1633, to the great 
 grief of the Grand Duke Ferdinand II., to give an 
 account of his opinions. So much for papal liberality 
 and candour. 
 
 We found, by many modern inscriptions, that till 
 within these few years the Italians have been in the 
 habit of burying in the churches ; the custom was 
 abolished by Bonaparte. 
 
 We concluded our peregrinations with the church of 
 Ogni Santif , in which the celebrated Americus Ves- 
 pucius, who gave name to the New World, is buried 
 under a flat stone ; he was a native of this city. 
 
 Amerig-o Vespucio 
 
 Posteris et Suis, 
 
 1472. 
 
 There are also several good paintings in this 
 church. 
 
 The churches of Florence and the other Italian 
 cities which we had seen, are open but twice a day ; 
 and, indeed, religion seems more attended to here 
 than in France, perhaps from being less common ; the 
 people are certainly more devout and more attentive 
 to their duty. The bishops, with some exceptions, are 
 resident on their sees, and have tolerable revenues, 
 
 * In the begiuning- of the rcig'n of Cosiino 11., ho discovered the Satel- 
 lites of Jupiter, and named them like a true courtier, Medicean Stars ; 
 thus eternizing the name of that family, and rendering- famous the com- 
 mencement of thereig-n of that young; prince. — Stouia Fiorentina. 
 
 •1' The grand altar in the presbytery, and the sides, are very rich with 
 pietra dura, lapis lazuli, S)-c. The cupola also is finely painted ; and the 
 cloisters, which are large and handsome, are painted in fresco, containing; 
 the history of St. Francis. 
 
384 ABSOLUTE GOVERNMENT. 
 
 varying however much. We were informed that the 
 Archbishop of Florence has about 2,000/. a year*. 
 
 On a vacancy, the Sovereign names three, of whom 
 the Pope chooses one, who is generally the first on the 
 list, as being the choice of the Prince. 
 
 With regard to the government, it is absolute ; the 
 Sovereign has no parliament to assist him, no more 
 than at Turin. The police, however, is admirably 
 regulated, and the streets in this populous city are kept 
 in great order at night. Besides the nightly guardians 
 appointed by the police, there are military, regularly 
 parading the streets in case of need, but they have 
 no right to interfere with the nocturnal passenger 
 unless called upon, nor even to ask his name and 
 abode, which is done by the former. 
 
 April 18. — Went to the church of Orsanmichele, 
 which is esteemed a very chaste building. On the 
 outside are many niches, containing various statues 
 in bronze and marble, by the first masters ; within is 
 a celebrated statue of the Madonna, on an altar, by 
 Andrew Orgagna. In this church there are two fine 
 altars f , on the side of each other, in one of which is a 
 vast deal of basso relievo, containing the funeral pre- 
 parations for the Madonna J, there are here many well- 
 executed figures. 
 
 On returning, we passed by the house of an apothe- 
 
 * He has also a good palace, anil a villa g-iven hini by the sovereig-n : 
 the Bishop of Fiesole lives chiefly at Florence. The bishops are liighly 
 respectable and attentive to their respective dioceses. 
 
 •(' One of these is a remarkably fine one, and called Altare della Madonna 
 Repubblica ; the figures were done by Georgius Choris in 1359. 
 
 % Called by our conductor her "passeggio transito." 
 
PROCESSIONS. 
 
 385 
 
 cary, over whose door is a figure of ^sculapius re- 
 markably well done, accompanied with several others^ 
 with the following apposite line : — 
 
 Depellis tetros prajsenti iiumine morbos*. 
 
 Passing along the quay, near II Ponte Vecchio, we 
 observed a stone against the parapet-wall, with verses 
 shewing great affection to the memory of a faithful 
 quadruped : 
 
 Ossa equi Carol! Pelli Leg^ati Veneti. 
 
 Non ins^ratus Herus, sonipes, mcnioraiide sepulcvum, 
 Hoc tibi, pro mentis haec moniraenta dedit. 
 
 Thy master, courser, consecrates thy fame, 
 And thus with g-ratitude records thy name. — Ed. 
 
 April 25, being St. Mark's day, was observed in 
 this city by a solemn mass in all the churches, and 
 music in many, particularly in St. Gaetano ; this church 
 was spread with evergreens, and the music was re- 
 markably fine. The facade is very grand and im- 
 posing ; the architect was Gherardo Silvani. There 
 are several good pictures and statues, within and 
 without, which deserve attention. 
 
 The processions f this day were numerous, as 
 
 * Afflata est numine quando 
 Jam propriore dei. 
 
 ViRG. lib. Q. 
 
 t These processions of both men and women are very common ; there 
 Avas a beautiful one of men and women peasants, with the Bon Dieu and 
 Madonna elevated, and decorated with flowers. As usual, in all the 
 hoods there was an orifice for the eyes ; both sexes were dressed in white, 
 sing-ing- the whole way ; this procession was to implore the intercession of 
 the Madonna for a plentiful fruit season. 
 
 In funerals likewise, the Frate, as they are called, dressed in the same 
 manner, carry the corpse by turns to the burying-g'round, Trespiano, 
 three miles from the town. The common people are all interred without 
 coffins. 
 
 Vol. I. ^ 2C 
 
386 THE CASCHINA. 
 
 St. Mark is the tutelar Saint of Florence. In the evening, 
 in particular, the elements were carried in solemn 
 pomp. There was an image of a large babe under a 
 rich canopy encompassed with many priests ; there 
 were also many other canopies, standards, &c., and 
 the Bon-Dieu was elevated with much pomp and 
 music ; but all these processions have a great same- 
 ness, from which cause they soon lose their interest 
 with the stranger : a number of monks of different 
 orders walked in the procession, two and two, in 
 different dresses ; but all had hoods over their faces, 
 with holes cut out for their eyes, like the horse-cloths 
 in England, which gave them a singular and indeed a 
 ghastly appearance ; they each carried a flambeau. 
 This festival was renewed about eighteen years ago, 
 having been in disuse some time before*. 
 
 The evening being fine we paid another visit to the 
 Caschina, which abounded with carriages and pedes- 
 trians. The Grand Duke and family, who are de- 
 servedly very popular, take their regular promenade 
 there, and the Florentines, who are as fond of show 
 and parade as any people in Europe, exhaust all their 
 efforts to make an elegant appearance, in this public 
 resort. Among these equipages f, the Prince who 
 
 * The numerous festivals observed at Fioreiiee are a material injury to 
 trade ; and they were much more numerous, but the present &overeig"n, 
 who appears to be a liberal and enligiitencd prince, has wisely suppressed 
 many to the g'reat g-rief of the foolisli inhabitants, who, it should seem, 
 would rather be without provisions for themselves and families than with- 
 out their festivals. 
 
 t The Florentines are fond of having with their other servants a caccia- 
 tore. who makes a fine appearance with liis sword and nodding plumes ; but 
 splendid and elegant as they now are-, they were looked on by the Pisaucse 
 
 * • 1 ' ' . 
 
 i 
 
% ^. 
 
 ■i- 
 
 FLORENTINE NOBILITY. * 387 
 
 married Bonaparte's sister, but does not live with her, 
 makes the most dashing appearance. This Prince, if 
 one may judge from the style of his living, must have 
 an immense fortune ; there are always two carriages 
 belonging to him on the Caschina, and sometimes 
 three ; that in which he usually rides has four horses, 
 with postilions in jockey-caps, a VAngloisc, out- 
 riders, ^c, in elegant liveries. It is said that he 
 has fifty horses, and carriages of all kinds ; and he is 
 so fond of driving about the streets, that he is seen 
 almost every day in a different kind of carriage, and 
 at night on the promenade ; he is reckoned a famous 
 whip. 
 
 The Florentine nobility, it must be owned, are 
 rather inconsistent. In the morning, they are dealers 
 in ivine hij retail. In every palace is a small window 
 at the bottom, large enough to admit a flask ; there is 
 also a small knocker ; and here all who want this 
 necessary article apply. There is a iiian regularly 
 stationed to sell the wine by the flask, and receive the 
 money, and there is an old flask hanging out often, as 
 a badge of their trade. In the evening these noblemen 
 are figuring away on the promenade, with their 
 carriages and numerous servants*, not that the main 
 
 in the middle of the thirteenth century, as rmties and uncivilized, and 
 they even called them mountaineers. — Denina. 
 
 * Our countrymen are rather infected witli the Florence mania, seldom 
 going- out without two footmen behind their carriage. Indeed one would 
 be apt to think it a disgrace to walk at Florence, for you hardly ever see 
 a genteel person on foot even in the coolest weather, so little do they seem 
 to value one of the greatest blessings of mankind, the use of their feet ; 
 and what is very extraordinary, you see the carriages more occupied 
 
 2C2 
 
388 * PIOGGIA IMPERIALE. 
 
 business of selling wine is neglected on an evening, for 
 we have often in our walks, very late, seen the little 
 knocker at work, and the window obedient to the 
 well-known sound. 
 
 The Sovereign always appears on this walk in the 
 state of a sovereign, with two or three carriages 
 with six horses and many servants ; but this state 
 does not interfere with his affability, which is very 
 pleasing ; however an absurd custom prevails, that 
 every carriage stops till his passes, and this is 
 repeated the whole evening. It is surprising that 
 an enlightened prince, should not put an end to this 
 form. ' » 
 
 May 5. — Taking advantage of the weather, which 
 still was not too hot for walking, we strolled by the 
 Porta Romana to the Pioggia Imperiale, a country 
 palace of the Grand Duke, in which he passes a month 
 or two every year. 
 
 Immediatel;f on leaving the gate, we entered a 
 noble road between two rows of trees, cypress and 
 oak, and in about a mile came to the house, which 
 is a fine quadrangle, built by Ferdinand II. The 
 other part of the house was erected by Leopold, late 
 Emperor of Germany ; and our conductor told us there 
 were seventy rooms in the whole. There were many 
 workmen employed in enlarging this palace, which by 
 this account, however, did not seem to want room. 
 
 There is a noble saloon on entering, in which are 
 
 by males than females. Frequently a large carriag-e has a single man only, 
 loung-ing and varying liis positions with all the luxuriance of an eastern 
 potentate 
 
CHAPEL OP PITTI. 389 
 
 several fine statues, ancient and modem ; among the 
 former, Apollo and Bacchus, the former valued by 
 Canova at 300,000 crowns ; there is also a fine statue 
 of Venus, by John of Bologna. The ceiling is painted 
 in fresco, by Romani. 
 
 There is a fine suite of rooms, painted in fresco, 
 witli the Deaths of the Martyrs, and verses in old 
 Italian applicable to each ; the ceilings are fresh, and 
 in high preservation, though painted nearly 200 
 years. The gardens of this villa are not large, but 
 full of fine orange and lemon trees, chiefly in large 
 pots. The surrounding country is lovely, studded 
 with white houses of various sizes and forms, and 
 built in different tastes upon hills, declivities, in 
 valleys, and in the midst of forests of olive trees, mul- 
 berry, &c., while frequent fields of corn, of different 
 kinds, vary the prospect, and a beautiful view of 
 Florence and the distant mountains bounds the scene. 
 
 Mcuj 7.— We went to the Ducal chapel of Pitti, to 
 hear the music, which is much esteemed, and every 
 person decently dressed is admitted. The chapel is 
 small but most elegant ; on the right and left are 
 painted in fresco the entrance of our Lord into 
 Jerusalem and the Crucifixion. Nothing can be 
 conceived more elegant than the altar ; the front and 
 sides are inlaid with marble and pietra dura*, most 
 curiously wrought: this chapel ought not to be 
 omitted being seen. 
 
 * Working this stone, whicli is broug'lit from the mountains, is very 
 curious, and reflects great honour on (he country. 
 
390 DOMINICAN CONVENT. 
 
 We afterwards went to the gardens of Boboli*, ad- 
 Joining the palace: these are large, handsome, and 
 highly varied, consisting of many fine broad walks, 
 with myrtle hedges, and beautiful trees of different 
 kinds. Under the walks a canal is carried, leading 
 to fountains which play on gala-days ; at the bottom is 
 a very fine bason of water, with fish of various kinds 
 and sizes; opposite is an island, full of orange 
 and lemon trees and shrubs. There are statues in 
 different parts of the gardens, and some by eminent 
 masters. In short, the beautiful gardens of Boboli 
 have charms of no common kind, and the different views 
 from them are delightful. They are open to the 
 public on Sundays and Thursdays. 
 
 We went afterwards to the Dominican convent, St. 
 Maria de Novella. This is a large building with 
 several quadrangles, but inhabited by only about 
 thirty monks. The principal thing here which at- 
 tracts the attention of the historian is a long room in 
 one of the quadrangles, on the outside of which is the 
 following inscription : — 
 
 Edes cerne viator ubi pliires niorati sunt pontifices, atquc celel}ratfc 
 sessiones prfeliminares, concilii Occumenici Florentini, coram Eug-enio IV. 
 iinde Grseca Ecclesia diuturua schismate avulsa, ad Catholicatn rediit iini- 
 talemt. An. D. 1439. 
 
 On the green, in the centre, is a statue of the 
 founder of the convent, Johannes de Baler no, with a 
 long inscription. 
 
 * On entering the gardens there are several rows of seats in the form 
 of an amphitheatre, intended for the people to see sports, &c., encompass- 
 ing a large piece of groinid. 
 
 t In this room was lioldcn the famous Council of Florence, which put 
 an end to the long schism. 
 
IL CURATO DI SANTA FELICITA. 391 
 
 CHx\PTER LIV. 
 
 Curatodi Santa Felicita — Belvedera — Miscellaneous Remarks — Attention 
 to the Siclv, &c. — Finery prevalent in the interior Ranks — The Floren- 
 tine Galler}-. 
 
 Maij 9. — Having occasion to see II Curato di Santa 
 Felicita on an affair of charity, we went to his apart- 
 ments, situated on the opposite side of the Arno ; it 
 was the middle of the day, and we were told that he 
 was asleep* ; however, we took the liberty to have 
 him disturbed on such an occasion, and mounted two 
 flights of high stairs into a large room, meanly fur- 
 nished, in which there were four women at work. 
 Next to this was the small bed-room of the curate, 
 having a bed without top, curtain, or any thing of the 
 kind, having the appearance of an hospital-bed; 
 through this was a neat little room, not much larger 
 than a closet, in which this rosy son of the church 
 received us, for rosy and sufficiently fat he certainly 
 was : he was, however, very civil, and gave us full 
 information as to what we wished to know ; and here 
 it must be said, to the honour of the parish priests, 
 that they keep a regular list of the objects for relief, 
 inquiring into their character as in France. 
 
 * Here, as in Spain, and the rest of Italy, the inhabitants are accustomed 
 to take their siesta in the middle of the day ; and at Florence, even the 
 shopkeepers shut up their shops, an hour and a half or two hours, to 
 take their dinner and sleep. At Tocco or one o'clock, an immediate 
 dead-like silence prevails, and you scarcely meet a solitary person in the 
 streets. The windows are all closed with blinds or shutters, and this 
 custom prevailed formerly, as we find by Pliny. "jClausa; fenestras inanent." 
 —Pun. lib. 9. Epis. 36. 
 
392 BELVEDERA. 
 
 The four women who occasionally waited on his 
 reverence were sisters, and it should be observed, 
 neither young nor handsome, so that the busy tongue 
 of scandal could here find no food to sully the character 
 of the respectable curate. 
 
 Being now in the neighbourhood of Belvedera, we 
 would not neglect going to that interesting fort ; this 
 is the upper fortress, but the lower one is much the 
 strongest. 
 
 Belvedera, though in these happy pacific times, with 
 scarcely a solitary gun, except for salutes, can mount 
 120; there were in the fort then but 120 grenadiers 
 and 12 officers, chiefly kept to wait on the Sovereigns 
 person on gala and state days. This fortress is in a 
 romantic elevated situation, above the gardens of 
 Boboli, commanding a noble view of the city, Arno, 
 surrounding country and the Apennines. Under it 
 is one continued vault. The Tuscan soldiers are en- 
 listed for six years. Their pay is low, that of the in- 
 fantry three sous a day besides their rations. They 
 have two scanty meals a day, consisting chiefly of 
 weak soup and vegetables. The dress of the in- 
 fantry is white, but that of the Swiss cavalry in this 
 service is scarlet, and they are fine-looking men. 
 This fort, high as it is, is commanded by the neigh- 
 bouring hills ; but the lower fortress, which you enter 
 by several gates, is very strong, and much more ex- 
 tensive ; here are from one thousand to fifteen hun- 
 dred in garrison, chiefly fusileers. 
 
 May lOfA. — The morning being very beautiful, as 
 the mornings and evenings are usually at this season, 
 
THE GREAT MARKET. 393 
 
 we took an early stroll through the streets, which 
 were full of life and bustle. Instead of donkies with 
 large panniers, as at Lyons, they here make use of 
 very small carts, drawn by horses, mules, or asses, 
 and these are so numerous as to be a great inconve- 
 nience in the narrow streets. Herds of goats were 
 coming from the mountains to be milked, the milk of 
 these animals being as much used at Florence as that 
 of cows. The great market, called II Mercato 
 Vecchio, is admirably supplied with all sorts of pro- 
 visions, very good and reasonable : but the maricet is 
 so dirty, that no woman decently dressed can avail 
 herself of it*. 
 
 The activity and bustle at Florence continue not 
 only all day, but great part of the night also ; and the 
 natives appear to have but little sleep, enjoying the 
 freshness of the night, and glad to avoid the excessive 
 heats of the day. Forms and benches are erected in 
 all parts of the town ; Trinity bridge in particular has 
 them on each side, and carriages and horses are kept 
 off by a chain, to prevent any inconvenience to the 
 pedestrians ; before all the coffee-houses also are 
 chairs and benches ; and this is the time in which the 
 citizens seem to be making themselves amends for 
 the burning heat of the sun at the meridian. Some 
 are seen forming in groups in the squares, others 
 playing at different games before the coffee'-house 
 doors; and all lounging anddehghted inertibus horis ; 
 in short, at this time, a walk is charming, and one 
 
 * The statue of Plenty iu the market is a measured mile from every 
 sate of Florence. 
 
394 FEMALE DRESS. 
 
 cannot fail to derive pleasure from the universal air 
 of satisfaction which prevails. 
 
 At night, many of them form in groups, and sing in 
 the streets, often accompanied by musical instru- 
 ments, and making an agreeable concert; this singing 
 in groups reminded us of Spain, Perpignan, and 
 Montpellier, and the Improvvisatori of old. These 
 concerts are changed into one of a very different na- 
 ture early in the morning, the noise of market-carts 
 and cries, to the great annoyance of the Florentine 
 fine ladies, whose rest is thus much disturbed. 
 
 The women in Florence are in general tall, and re- 
 markably full and well made ; they are also lively, 
 pleasing, and agreeable. It is really curious to see 
 the finery and rich dresses of the farmers' wives in 
 this country, and their inconsistency: they wear 
 common beaver round hats^ immense ear-rings of gold, 
 7iecklaces of pearl and coral, in various rows, broad gold- 
 lace trimmings to their aprons, gold ivatches, ^-c; 
 their dress, in short, is often estimated at three hun- 
 dred pounds. The married women in the country 
 have a curious custom of having a large tuft of cot- 
 ton on their heads, of different colours, to distinguish 
 them from the single ones ; and the women also often 
 walk with neither hat, bonnet, or cap ; and even old 
 women with their venerable white hair, walk about in 
 this uncovered state. Commerce and trade having 
 here few restrictions, there are many rich people, 
 especially among butchers, bakers, and millers. 
 
 In this elegant and gay city, one would think that 
 the great destroyer of mankind never made his ap- 
 
FLORENTINE GALLERY. 395 
 
 pearance, a funeral never being seen ; euen/ sight but 
 this is met with at Florence, but funerals always take 
 place m the night ; and late in the evening, or rather 
 the beginning of the night, we have met the Frate, in 
 white short dresses, carrying the corpses to Tres- 
 piano, their last home, many others attending to re- 
 lieve them*. 
 
 The utmost care is taken of the sick, and those who 
 meet with accidents ; a society is formed of the no- 
 bility and persons of distinction, enrolling themselves 
 as Frate, who personallf/ attend on these melancholy 
 occasions, giving every assistance possible with their 
 jmrses and persons, in order to alleviate the pains of 
 the sufferer ; and people of the first rank carry 
 the patient to the hospital on a bier, relieving each 
 other ; they are dressed in the same manner as the 
 Frate, with hoods, and holes for the admission of their 
 eyes. This conduct certainly reflects the greatest 
 honour on them, and shews that they are not so im- 
 mersed in pleasure, as to be unmindful of the sacred 
 duty of charity. 
 
 Mai/ llth. — We at length put in execution our in- 
 tention, too long delayed, of visiting the Florentine 
 gallery, which is open to the public in the most libe- 
 ral manner, every day except Sunday, from nine to 
 three. 
 
 This famous gallery f is the largest, and contains 
 
 * No coffins are used at Florence but for the higher order of persons ; 
 the bodies are thrown into a trench, with hardly any thing upon them, and 
 slightly covered over. 
 
 t This gallery was built by Cosiaiol., Grand Duke, as was tlie library 
 of St. Lorenzo. 
 
396 PICTURES. 
 
 the finest collection of statues*, &c., in Europe, ex- 
 cept the Vatican. It is built in the form of a Greek 
 n, the two longest sides being one hundred and 
 seventy-five yards in length each, and seven in 
 breadth ; under it are colonnades with shops. 
 
 One side of this gallery is a continuation of large 
 windows, so as almost to form one window, and give 
 sufficient light to this noble and almost unequalled 
 collection, consisting of paintings, statues, and busts, 
 collected chiefly by the liberality of the princes of the 
 House of Medicis. The rooms are lofty, and the 
 ceilings, as usual, painted in fresco. On the left you 
 see on the top, the Turkish emperors, beginning from 
 Mahomet ; the Persian Sophis, many of the kings of 
 England and eminent men, as Wolsey, Richelieu, 
 Mazarine, &c., under these are statues and busts : 
 there are most of the Roman emperors, but those 
 most admired, are Augustus, Vespasian, Adrian, 
 Marcus Aurelius, &c., and among the scarce ones 
 are Agrippa, Cafigula, Otho, Nerva, &c. : there are 
 also many busts of female Romans, and among the 
 rest, of the infamous ]\Iessahna. There are not 
 fewer than three busts of Trajan, many statues of 
 Venus, as Venere Genitrice, Vincitrice, &c., buL to 
 enumerate all the statues and busts w^ould be im- 
 possible. 
 
 * Among- the statues that of Marsyas, (the subject" of which is frii,rht- 
 ful) is much admired. .„ . 
 
 ^ Quid me mihi detrahis, Inquit ? 
 Clamanti cutis est summos derepta per artus, 
 Nee quiccjuam nisi vuhius erat. — Metamor. lib. 6. 
 
VENUS DE iVIEDTCIS. 397 
 
 There are a number of other rooms full of paintings 
 and curiosities ; in one of these, called the tribune, is 
 the famous Venus de Medicis, which seems at first 
 view small, but it is about as large as life. So much 
 has been said about this beautiful statue, that it will 
 be superfluous and presumptuous to add any thing to 
 what such good judges and elegant writers have 
 said on the subject : the epigram, as quoted by Mr. 
 Addison, and his translation, will perhaps here be not 
 thouglit inapposite. 
 
 Tot)f Tp£(j oti5'a [^ovov;, ^^a|^T£^^;; ^b 'eroBm. 
 
 Auchises, Paris, and Adonis too, 
 Have seen me naked and expos'd to view. 
 All these I frankly own without denying-, 
 But where has this Praxiteles been prying-*. 
 
 The common opinion of this is, that it is among 
 the Venuses, what Venus is among the goddessesf . 
 
 There are among the statues most admired, besides 
 this celebrated one, the young, or little Apollo, the 
 slave whetting his knife. Faun and wrestlers ; these 
 are unequalled in their kind ; the Apollo is thought to 
 
 * This beautiful statue was broug-ht from the Villa Medici from Rome, 
 by order of Cosinio III., who, from his ])roilig-acy and intemperance 
 having- bad health, was ordered by his j)hysicians to use the exercise of 
 walking-; he therefore took g-reat pains to increase the collection in this 
 gallery, in which he was in the habit of walking- often. — Galuzzi. 
 
 The Wrestlers, and Slave whetting- liis Knife, were brought at the same 
 time with Venus, to the g^reat g-rief and displeasure of the Romans, who 
 M'ere much hurt at losing- some of their valuable statues. — Galuzzi. 
 
 The Venus de INIedicis is thous^ht to have been the ancient object of 
 worship in the Temple of Cnidiis. 
 
 O Venus regfina Cnidi Paphique. — Hor. Od. 30. 
 
 t Tiie height of the Venus de Medicis is four feet eleven inches. 
 
398 PICTURES. 
 
 be the work also of Praxiteles, and admired univer- 
 sally as a beautiful piece of statuary. 
 
 The Tribune* is octagonal, and not more than 
 twenty-one feet in diameter; the ceiling is most 
 superbly gilt, and the dome is enriched with mother- 
 of-pearl ; but this is nothing when compared with 
 the rich furniture of this small room, containing these 
 five statues, and paintings also, by the best masters 
 in the world, of different schools ; among them are 
 Titian's f two Venusses J. The masters are Guercino, 
 Michael Angelo, Andr6 del Sarto, Guido, Volterra, 
 Domenichino, Paul Veronese, Annibal Caracci, Peru- 
 gino, and his scholar Raphael ; there are six by this 
 fine painter, of which St. John Baptist in the wilder- 
 ness, Raphael, Mistress Fornarina, and Pope Julius 
 II. §, are deservedly reckoned chef-d'ceuvres ; St. John 
 
 * The statues and pictures in tlie Tribune arc all originals. 
 
 •t" Titian and Raphael both iloin-ished in the beg'inning- of the sixteenth 
 century ; an era famous for men of talents and learning, and were pa- 
 tronized by Pope Leo X., a judge and rewarder of merits. 
 
 $ The wife and mistress of Titian ; the latter is esteemed the best 
 picture, and is properly his Venus. 
 
 § The following anecdote of this hot-headed and violent pontiff will 
 exhibit him in his proper colours. 
 
 On his insisting- to liave Michael Angelo again, who had left him 
 abruptly, the artist was ])ersuadcd, though unwillingly, to meet the pope at 
 Bologna. He was introduced to the pope by a prelate, who kindly endea- 
 voured to mitigate the wrath of his holiness, by saying, that the artist was 
 so wholly immersed in his professional duties, as to be ignorant of every 
 thing else ; the pope without deigning any answer, gave the bishop a smart 
 blow on the shoulders with his stick, and then gave his blessing to M. 
 Angelo ; on being afterwards asked by Angelo if he should put a l)ook in 
 the left hand of the statue" he was making of him, " No," says the pope 
 abruptly, " put a sword, I am no professor." — Roscoe. 
 
 " This admirable statue was some time afterwards beat to pieces by the 
 citizens of Bologna, and some of them sent to the Duke of Ferrara, who ha J 
 a cannon cast of them, which he called Julius. — Roscoe. 
 
STATUES. 399 
 
 in particular is beautiful ; Vandyke, Schidone, Julio 
 Romano, Coreggio, and Rubens, though last, not 
 least, enrich this noble collection ; of the Tuscan 
 school also there are many, as Leonardo da Vinci*, 
 Carlo Dolci t, &c. : the expression and softness in this 
 painter's pictures are beautiful. 
 
 To enumerate all the pictures in this splendid and 
 princely collection would be a difficult task ; but it is 
 sufficient to say, that as the subjects are numerous 
 and highly varied, so are they executed by the best 
 masters, and in the highest style, doing honour to the 
 different schools, and the masters and princes who 
 collected them ; and this rich gallery must ever prove 
 a real feast, not only to the connoisseur, but the ama- 
 teur of painting and sculpture. On our return we ad- 
 mired among other statues those of Endymion, Po- 
 mona, the Bacchus of Michael Angelo, and copy of 
 Laocoon J, by Bandinelli, &c. We went away highly 
 gratified, and determined to renew our visit the first 
 opportunity. 
 
 "^ This celebrated man, who was painter, sculptor, poet, musician, ar- 
 chitect, and geometrician, was born in 1443, at the castle of Vinci, in 
 Valdarno ; in 1492, Lewis Sforza, Regent of Milan, invited him to fix his 
 residence there ; he accepted the invitation, and enriched that city with his 
 works ; the finest of his pictures is reckoned the liast Supper, in the Re- 
 fectory of the Dominicans. — Vie de Leon X., par Roscoe, traduit de 
 r Anglais par Henry. 
 
 t Carlo Dolci died in 1686. 
 
 :i: The original was found in the baths of Titus, in the pontificate of 
 Julius II., in 1508, and transferred by the order of Leo X. to the Vatican, 
 wlio conferred the honourable and lucrative oftice of Apostolic Notary on 
 the finder, instead of a pension formerly granted by his predecessor. — ■ 
 RoscoE. 
 
400 UNEXPECTED MEETING. 
 
 CHAPTER LV. 
 
 Unexpected Meeting- — Palace of Pitti — Musemn — St. Lorenzo — An^elo 
 Chapel — Mausoleum, its quiet Inhabitants — II Teatro Nuovo — 
 Marchesa Bertolini. 
 
 May lS//^. — Availing ourselves of the society of 
 some old and much-valued friends*, we pursued our 
 excursions, and went to the palace of Pitti. Meeting 
 these friends, as it was unexpected, so was it most gra- 
 tifying to all parties ; we had been many weeks toge- 
 ther in Paris, the preceding year, and since that 
 separated by mountains, forests, and rivers, had not 
 even enjoyed the pleasure of reciprocal correspond- 
 ence ; most of the letters, from various causes, having 
 failed reaching the hands of either party : to those 
 who are sensible of the charms and comfort of a long 
 friendship, and unreserved intercourse, it is needless 
 to say what pleasure a meeting of this kind must 
 afford, especially when from various unforeseen cir- 
 cumstances the respective parties had given up all 
 hopes of it. 
 
 * The Rev. \Y. Lewis, prebendary of Limerick, and rector of St. John's, 
 and nephew of the late Lady Glentworth, wlio, with liis amiable son and 
 nephew^ were travelling many months in France and Italy, for the improve-? 
 mentofthe health of the former, and his instruction in modern lang-iiages, 
 &c.,he having- with the highest credit to himself, and comfort to his friends, 
 finished a course of ancient ones in the university of Dublin. Of his parent, 
 it is but justice to say, that the more he* is knovrn, the more he M'ill be 
 esteemed. The writer of this is indebted to him for many cheerful and 
 happy hours enjoyed in his company, and can say, with Horace, 
 
 *' Nil ego coutulerim jucundo sanus amico,'' 
 
PIAZZA DI PITT I. 401 
 
 Pitti was built * by Luke Pitti, a Florentine noble- 
 man, who governed Florence for some time for 
 Cosimo Pater Patrice ; and is well worth seeing, 
 whether the elegance of the apartments is considered, 
 or the variety and excellency of the pictures. 
 
 The situation is very fine, on a rise, fronting the 
 Piazza di Pitti. The architecture is rustic, and it is 
 built of stone, giving you the idea of a firm and noble 
 palace, though it has a heavy appearance. We en- 
 tered by a corridor and noble stair-case, and the 
 statues which strike you on entering the gallery, are 
 those of iEsculapius and two Fauns, the former 
 brought from the Villa Medici at Rome. In the 
 court is a famous statue of Hercules, attributed to 
 Lysippus. In this palace are sixteen state rooms, 
 many of which are en suite, most of them full of 
 paintings by the best masters, and the furniture most 
 magnificent ; the ceiling is painted in fresco, in the 
 most masterly and beautiful manner. Indeed there 
 are few sovereign princes in Europe better lodged 
 than the Grand Duke f . 
 
 The tables in this palace are exquisitely inlaid 
 with precious stones, and pietra dura. The rooms have 
 all separate names. In the spring room the ceiling is 
 painted very curiously ; here are two fine pictures of 
 shipping by Salvator Rosa, and a painting on wood 
 
 * And purchased by the Grand Duchess, wife of Cosimo I. — Galluzzi. 
 
 t Bonaparte, who, when he had overturned for a time the principal 
 dynasties iu Europe, had the vanity to occupy the sovereig-n palace where- 
 ever he was, appropriated this to himself when at Florence. 
 
 Vol. I. 2 D 
 
402 PIAZZA DI PITTI. 
 
 by a scholar of Rubens. In others, Rubens, Paul 
 Veronese, Pietro di Cortona, &c., are the masters. It 
 is impossible to particularize so large a collection, but 
 among many fine paintings is the fortune-teller, by 
 Caravaggio, and the Assumption by Andrea Sarto : 
 it is astonishing how many pictures in Italy this 
 fanciful subject has produced, entirely from the imagi- 
 nation of the painter, unwarranted by gospel history*. 
 In the Sale de Mars you see among other inscrip- 
 tions on the ceiling : 
 
 Eu iniitare solem, medio tutissimiis ibis. 
 
 In this, the masters are Julio Romano, Paul Veronese, 
 Titian, Sfc, and there is a charming Joseph by 
 Guido. In Sala d'Hercole, Madonna, and Leo X., by 
 Raphael'!', and Secretary of Cosimo I., by Paul 
 Veronese J. Sala di Mercurio, a beautiful picture of 
 St. Peter, by Carlo Dolce, and Catihne's Conspiracy, 
 by Salvator Rosa. 
 
 Sala di Jove, Cleopatra, by Guido (Reni§); Pope 
 Julius II., by Raphael ; Our Saviour in the Tomb, by 
 
 * We are only warranted by the g^ospel to look on the Virg-in as the in- 
 strument of the birth of the Saviour of the world, by the immaculate con- 
 ception ; after the death of our Lord we have nothing to do with her 
 history, 
 
 •!• Tills distino^uished artist, patronised by Leo X., died suddenly at 
 Rome, at the early age of thirty-seven, unmarried : he left his property to 
 his pupils, Julio Romano, &c. — Roscoe's Leo X. 
 
 He was often solicited to marry by the great men, and might have 
 formed an honourable connexion, but disliked the constraint of a married 
 life. 
 
 % Paul Veronese and Caravaggio flourished at the end of the sixteenth 
 century. — Denina- 
 
 § This distinguished painter exercised his art at the end of the sixteenth 
 century. — Dknina, 
 
PIAZZA DT PITTI. 403 
 
 Perrugino ; this is a fine picture 300 years old, and 
 the colour still fresh. 
 
 In a small room there is a beautiful mother-of-pearl 
 in the centre, and here Carlo Dolce and Dominechino 
 adorn the collection. 
 
 In another room, as the ceiling is finely painted in 
 fresco, so is the floor in porcelain. Pietro di Cortona 
 painted the roof: this though small, is a very elegant 
 apartment. 
 
 Hall of Ulysses. The ceiling of this is very in- 
 teresting, representing the return of Ulysses, by Mar- 
 tatini, a Florentine. 
 
 The door-ways of these magnificent rooms are of 
 fine variegated marble, which, as they are en suite y 
 gives them a grand appearance. You are next shewn 
 the suite of apartments appropriated to the emperor, 
 which, though not enriched with paintings, have costly 
 and princely furniture. 
 
 The audience-room has a beautiful painted roof, 
 and a very curious table of petrified wood. 
 
 The chapel has a remarkably fine crucifix, by John 
 of Bologna. 
 
 The bed-room is distinguished for its satin and 
 costly furniture. 
 
 Sala di Venere, a rotunda richly gilt, floors beauti- 
 ful, with inlaid wood. Here you have a rich treat in 
 the celebrated Venus of Canova, which some prefer 
 to the Venus of Medicis ; it is certainly a beautiful 
 statue, and cost 5000 crowns. 
 
 There is also a boudoir, conversation-room, ^-c, 
 all elegant in their kind. To sum up the whole, this 
 
 2D2 
 
404 THE MUSEUM. 
 
 charming palace will take up a day or two, at least, 
 to examine the variety of objects it presents ; and 
 we went away delighted with even this cursory view. 
 
 May 19. — Went to the museum, which is open to 
 the public, in the most liberal manner, every day 
 from nine to two. 
 
 This is a most noble collection *, containing sixteen 
 rooms of wax anatomical preparations, and twenty of 
 natural history. In the former, no pains or expense 
 have been spared to make it complete for the instruc- 
 tion of surgeons. The preparations are all in glass 
 cases and done in the most expensive way, containing a 
 variety of foetuses, ^^c. Above them, are paintings 
 framed, of each subject. In the rooms of natural 
 history is found every thing which can elucidate this 
 interesting subject. The flowers are all of waxf 
 most natural and beautifully done : there are also two 
 pictures on a very painful subject, the plague in 
 Florence J, finely executed, the minute parts are 
 expressed, such as the manner of burying the dead 
 at this melancholy time, ^-c. In other rooms are 
 mummies, curiosities from the Sandwich Islands, ^c, 
 and below, a good collection of quadrupeds. 
 
 * Splendid aud interesting- as this collection is, delicacy and propriety 
 are mucli wounded by its being open indiscriminately to females. 
 
 t On some of us expressing- our Monder, and inquiring whether all were 
 of wax, our conductor put on a sage look, aud said "Not all," and looking 
 out of the window into tlie botanical garden, he said very gravely " All the 
 ^ plants are natural." We smiled and ag-reed in the justice of his obser- 
 vation. 
 
 % This plag-ue was in 1348, and chiefly affected Florence and Venice, 
 within the Avails of which two cities there died 100,000 persons. There 
 were 90,000 persons at that time within the walls, and 80,090 in the district 
 of Florence.— Df.nina. 
 
CHURCH OP S. LORENZO. 405 
 
 May 20. — The same valuable friends who had been 
 with us at Pitti, accompanied us to a place we had 
 too long delayed seeing, the church of S. Lorenzo. 
 
 This is a splendid building, consisting of a choir, 
 nave, and two aisles. The pillars are of a single 
 block, and in the pulpits is much basso relievo in 
 wood ; there is one used for Christmas and another 
 for Easter. In a vault near the high altar is buried 
 Cosmus Medicis, with this honourable inscription: — 
 
 Cosmiis Medicis 
 
 Hie Titus est 
 Decreto publico 
 
 Pater Patriae : 
 Vixit annos 75, Menses 3, Dies 20. 
 
 Nothing can be conceived more elegant and splen- 
 did than the high altar, abounding with precious 
 stones, pietra dura, &^x. Among other representa- 
 tions is Moses striking the Rock, very well done. 
 The Tabernacle also, for the elements, is very elegant, 
 inlaid with precious stones, ^c. ; Abraham sacrificing 
 Isaac, and Moses leading the Children of Israel 
 through the Red Sea, are admirably represented. 
 There is also a fine Madonna, by Michael Angelo. 
 
 We were next conducted to the chapel, called the 
 Angelo Chapel, in which is a dome, and a statue of 
 Juliano Medicis (buried here) ; opposite a statue* of 
 
 * In the Place of S, Lorenzo is a very fine mausoleum of John of 
 Medicis, called the Invincible Captain of the Black Band, or "11 gran 
 Diavolo," in beautiful marble, by Bandinelli. It was intended to be re- 
 moved to the old palace, and there to form a pedestal for the statue of 
 John of Medicis ; but the plan never was put in execution, and the mauso- 
 leum remains almost surrounded by old clothes-stalls, ^-c, the rag fair, 
 and shabbiest part of Florence- 
 
 This 
 
40d ANGELO CHAPEL. 
 
 Lorenzo Due d'Urbino*, who was buried here. 
 There is here a Madonna, by Michael Angelo, un- 
 finished likewise, and S. Cosimo and S. Damiano, 
 by his scholar. This is properly called the Angelo 
 Chapel, from being enriched by this admirable sculp- 
 tor. We were now introduced by our guide into the 
 chapel f of S. Lorenzo, and found ourselves on a 
 sudden in the solemn though magnificent repository 
 of the ashes of the seven Grand Dukes of the House 
 of MedicisJ. 
 
 A figulis munitam urbeai ||. 
 
 In the midst of the splendid mausoleum, appro- 
 priated by human vanity to the mortal part of that 
 
 This black band was probably of the same nature as the celebrated 
 black band of the Duke of Brunswick, at the head of which the Duke was 
 killed, gallantly fig-hting- at the battle of AVaterloo ; the uniform of this 
 regiment, though interesting-, is awfully sombre. 
 
 * Father of Catharine of Medicis, Queen of France. This woman, cele- 
 brated for her wickedness and the evils she brought upon France and 
 Europe, and who was the principal instisrator of the massacre of Paris, 
 was alike distinguished by her beauty, accomplishments, and profligacy, 
 and by means of the beautiful young women whom she always had at her 
 court, she entrapped the leaders of the different parties, contriving to get 
 possession of their political plans, by taking advantage of their frailty. 
 Her court, in short, was a scene of dissipation and profligacy, and un- 
 fortunately her two sons Charles IX. and Henry HI. were entirely 
 directed by her. Catharine was the M'ife of one king and mother of three, 
 she was niece to Pope Clement VII., and born at Florence in 1519. 
 
 t This chapel was begun by Pope Leo X., for the burial-place of his 
 brother and nephew, it is also intended to be that of the present reigning 
 family. 
 
 Addison prophesied above one hundred years ago, that the family 
 would be extinct before the chapel was finished, which is come to pass. 
 
 % Gulianus Due de Nemours, and his nepliew Lorenzo Due dUrbino, 
 are as large as life, in military dresses, and each sitting on his sarcophagus. 
 Upon the angles are four statues in a weeping position, Dawn and 3Iorn-> 
 ing. Night and Day. 
 
 II Juvenal, Sat. 10, 
 
HOUSE OF MEDICI. 407 
 
 illustrious family, we know not which most to admire, 
 the mass of the external splendour which adorns this 
 building, or the vanity of princes in lavishing such 
 sums of money on places to contain their fragile re- 
 mains. In short, we were lost in contemplation, look- 
 ing around on the termination of human grandeur. 
 
 Durse rapit inclementia mortis. * 
 
 Whether it was the solemnity of the place, or the 
 particular use to which it was appropriated, or the 
 reflection of the extinction of the illustrious family for 
 which it was built, one can scarcely tell ; but we 
 were lost in a train of serious thoughts, which the 
 occasion suggested. Without were costly and pre- 
 cious stones, and gems of inestimable value ; icithin 
 bones, dust, and corruption : 
 
 The paths of glory lead but to the grave, t 
 
 The Princes of the House of Medicis were not 
 more distinguished by their elegant accomplishments 
 than their liberality in public improvements, and 
 Florence to this day bears witness to the care and ex- 
 pense which they used in embellishing this beautiful 
 city. For nearly 200 years they swayed the sceptre 
 of Tuscany, and by their political address, though 
 situated in the midst of powerful neighbours, con- 
 trived by skilfully steering between the contending 
 parties, not only to keep quiet possession of their 
 dominions, but to add to them. Whilst they saw on 
 all sides their less fortunate neighbours, not having 
 the same management, lose a great part of theirs, or 
 at least curtailed of some. 
 
 * Vir. Geor^ 3. v. 68, t Gray, 
 
408 HOUSE OF MEDICI. 
 
 Of these Princes many were eminent for prudence - 
 and political sagacity, some for bravery, but almost 
 all of them for their acquirements and love of the arts. 
 They were not only men of letters themselves, but 
 great protectors of literati, and encouragers of learn- 
 ing. These good qualities were, however, obscured 
 by dissipation and profligacy, which cut short the 
 thread of many of their lives; so that this dynasty, 
 which from its numerous male branches promised to 
 be lasting, ended on a sudden, in John Gaston *, the 
 last Duke ; and all that remains of them now is their 
 statues and public works, which were many, and this 
 most splendid chapel, (the most so, perhaps, of any 
 which ever was built for that purpose) intended 
 by their vanity, (which did not leave them even in 
 death), to perpetuate their name. 
 
 We could not, however, look at their monuments 
 without respect, when we considered that most of the 
 present crowned heads in Europe t are descended 
 from this family, and that these Princes took no in- 
 considerable part in the awful and eventful periods of 
 the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 
 
 Alike distinguished by their learning and accomplish- 
 ments as by their political sagacity, they were often 
 consulted in state and other affairs by the more 
 
 * Thus named after his grandfather Gaston Due D'Orleans, younger 
 son of Henri IV. Roi de France. 
 
 •)• France, Spain, Naples, ifc, and the House of Stewart, Charles I. 
 of Encflruid married Henrietta Maria, dausifhter of Henry IV. of France, and 
 Mary of iVIedicis, from whom the House of Stewart descended ; partaking 
 too much of the violence and higotry of her mother, and none of the 
 liberality of her father, she was chiefly the means of bringing- that unfor- 
 tunate monarch to the block, and ultimately was the ruin of her family. 
 
MEDICEAN CHAPEL. 409 
 
 powerful sovereigns ; but as vanity was their leading 
 foible, so was profligacy their leading vice, which 
 ultimately was the cause of the extinction of their 
 race*. 
 
 The Medicean Chapel is one of the richest in 
 Europe ; its form is octagonal, and it has a fine dome. 
 It is said to have cost 1,700,000 piastres ; the walls 
 are lined with pietra dura, porphyry, jasper, agate, 
 lapis lazuli, &c. 
 
 Round the chapel are the tombs of the seven 
 Princes, which are of porphyry, and oriental granite. 
 On the pillars of jasper are rich ducal crowns, for each 
 Duke, and their arms are in bas- relief of oriental 
 granite ; all around are the arms of the different cities 
 in mother-of-pearl, but those of Florence are in coral, 
 and cornelian, and the inscriptions are on porphyry ; 
 the ground- work of the arms is white marble of Car- 
 rara. We were particular in our observations, for so 
 grand is this chapel that it is absolutely a mass of 
 splendour, and exhibits a glare of richness scarcely to 
 be equalled. 
 
 The inscriptions on the tombs of these Princes, 
 who made so distinguished a figure in their days, 
 merely inform us that they were born such a day, and 
 died such a day; and, as an elegant writer f of our 
 country observes in his essay on tomb-stones and in- 
 scriptions, thai was what he chiefly collected from 
 them, — a great satire on the vanity of mankind, and 
 meant to give a lesson of humility. 
 
 The famous Bianca Capelli, who by her beauty and 
 
 * For a brief history of the House of Medicis, vide Appendix, 
 t In the Spectator. 
 
410 IL TEATRO NUOVO. 
 
 art had captivated the heart of Francis, and occasioned 
 such confusion in the duchy, although Grand Duchess, 
 was not allowed the honour of having her remains 
 buried v^ith those of her husband, but by order of 
 Ferdinand was interred in a deep grave under the 
 chapel, and the spot is not known, — an action unworthy 
 so great a Prince, especially as he had for some 
 time been on terms of friendship with her. 
 
 May 24:th. — Having on a preceding day visited the 
 academy Delie Belle Arti, we now went to II Teatro 
 Nuovo, near II Duomo ; it is large and handsome, 
 lighted with one large lustre only ; there are five rows 
 of boxes, chiefly let to private persons ; the parterre, 
 answering to our pit, is large and convenient, and 
 filled with most respectable persons ; the price is 
 only one paul and a half: there is a spacious handsome 
 box for the Grand Duke and family, in front of the 
 stage, for public occasions, and a small private one 
 over the stage which he usually occupies. 
 
 The actors are good, and attend to their business ; 
 and the prompter appears in the centre, as in France ; 
 they do not begin much before nine, and end about 
 twelve*. 
 
 The private boxes are sometimes to be had very 
 
 * The stranger traversing' t!ie streets of Florence from the tlieatre to 
 his hotel, not liaving the convenience of the midnight lamp, is indebted 
 often to the numerous images of the Madonna and Salvatore (which are 
 splendidly illuminated) for his right course in the awful stillness of an 
 Italian summer night. It is curious to observe the straggling votary on 
 his knees, praying with great devotion at the splendid shrine ; and the 
 writer of this article, has many nights been obliged to the misplaced zeal of 
 these devotionists for a light to his bougie, the Florentines being chiefly 
 hushed in still repose. 
 
FUNERAL SERVICE. 4U 
 
 reasonable ; we gave for ours, on the first row, only 
 fifteen pauls. Over a splendid coronet in each of the 
 sovereign's boxes is a cross ; so much for consistency. 
 
 May 2Qth. — There was a solemn service in the 
 church of Santa Trinita for the Marchesa Bertolini, 
 which we attended. The outside of the church was 
 hung with black and white cloth in festoons, as were 
 the adjoining houses ; in the centre of the church was 
 a temporary enclosure, containing a representation of 
 a coffin covered with black cloth, and edged with 
 broad gold lace. 
 
 The priests at the different altars, dressed in su- 
 perb vestments, were celebrating mass for the repose 
 of her soul, and round the sarcophagus were many 
 servants in deep mourning. 
 
 In the midst of our reflections on this solemn scene 
 we were interrupted by a man, who made us a sign 
 to go with him ; we obeyed the signal, and accom- 
 panied him into a small adjoining chapel, where to 
 our surprise, he shewed us the body of the Marchio- 
 ness laid on a bier, completely drest, except shoes, with 
 cap, blue ribbon, rujfies, lace, sash, &c., and even a 
 splendid bow. The whole was so different from our 
 customs, that, melancholy as the scene was, it was 
 highly interesting ; and what took its rise in curiosity, 
 perhaps pardonable in strangers, interested in seeing 
 every thing curious in a foreign land, ended in serious 
 reflections, as might be expected, suited to the so- 
 lemnity of the occasion. 
 
 Whilst in the church was seen all the vanity of the 
 living displayed in the fastidious representation of the 
 
412 PALACE OF THE BERTOLINI. 
 
 dead ; with torches burning, and servants attending 
 in awful silence ; the substance was carelessly laid 
 upon a bier, locked up in a small chapel, only opened 
 and shewn for money by the sexton, like one of 
 Mrs. Salmon's dressed up wax figures, to which the 
 corpse bore no unapt resemblance. Thus that body, 
 animated only a few hours before with the divine 
 spirit, in which it alone resembled its Creator, was 
 left with not a solitary friend to watch over it* ; in 
 order to increase the solemnity of the scene, directly 
 opposite the church, was the splendid palace of the 
 Bertolinis, a family which we traced by the inscrip- 
 tions on the tomb-stones six hundred years backf; 
 and the once, perhaps, gay and elegant mistress of it, 
 who only a few hours before had servants and every 
 thing to administer to human comfort and magnifi- 
 cence at command, was now removed at the will of 
 others, from her mansion to this obscure place, till her 
 final removal to the place appointed for all men living J. 
 Such were the serious thoughts and reflections 
 suggested by this unexpected sight, for w^ho can be a 
 witness to these spectacles without reflecting ? 
 
 * We were iiifDnned that at niylit a i)erson always watclied over the 
 bodies, which were placed in this small chapel allotted for that pur- 
 pose. 
 
 •i" They were expelled from Sieiuia, their native place, in the civil cona- 
 niotions which prevailed there in 1250, and received at Florence ; where 
 thcv were established, and have continued ever since, as we found bv the 
 inscriptions on the tomb-stones. 
 
 t The marchioness had been afflicted with the palsy for three years, a 
 disorder it seems to which the Tuscans are remarkably subject, and had 
 hardly spoken since ; her husband died the preccdin!»- year ; she left a sou 
 and three daugfhters, one of whom Aras married at Boloc^na. Our con- 
 ductor told us that the marchioness had brought a large fortune into the, 
 family. 
 
GREAT GATES. 413 
 
 CHAPTER LVI. 
 
 A Stroll round the Town — Celebration of Whitsunday — Scirocco — De- 
 posito dei Poveri — Fete Dieu — Another Visit to the Gallery — Proces- 
 sions — Various Observations — Chariot Race — Horse ditto — Arena — 
 Belle Arti — Fiesolc — Laurentian Library — Paul Jovius — Corsini 
 Palace — Chiesa del Carmine — Mat;liabcchi Library — Palazzo Vecchio. 
 
 Mai/ 27th. — We strolled round the ramparts to see the 
 out-skirts of the town. As has been observed, there are 
 eight gates, four on each side of the water, many of 
 which are handsome and venerable structures ; of 
 these the finest are S. Gallo, Santa Croce, S. 
 Nicolas, and Porta Romana. On the Bologna road, 
 previous to entering Porta S. Gallo, is a splendid 
 triumphal arch, on which is much fine statuary, in 
 alto relievo. The following inscriptions are on it : 
 
 Francisco HI, Lotharingiffi Duci, Aug-usto, 
 
 Pio, Felici, niagno Duci Suo 
 
 Etruria. 
 
 On the top is a fine equestrian statue of this prince, in 
 bronze, Fame, &c. &c. : on one side 
 
 Auiplificalori bonarum artiuni, 
 
 On the other 
 
 Propag-atori Coramercii, 
 
 Arms, &c., alto relievo. 
 
 Over the entrance of S. Gallo, 
 
 Florentia 
 Adventu FredericilV, Daniis et Norwegiae Regis, 
 Augusti felicis, quod euin sua pruesentia, 
 Magnus Hospes inipleverit, 
 
 Augusta, Felix. 
 An. S. 170S, Mense Martis *. 
 
 * This was when Cosmo HL, who entertained this king in tiie most 
 splendid manner, almost to the ruin of his state, it being from various 
 
414 PUBLIC WALKS. 
 
 Pursuing our course, we went along the walls, which 
 though not strong, are in good condition, by Porta 
 Pinta to Porte Santa Croce, which is a new gate, and 
 on which is the following inscription : 
 
 Ferdinando III, M. E. D. 
 
 Parent! Civiuin 
 
 Quod An. 1S17 ad quisesitum Pauperibns 
 
 In frug-um sterilitate suppeditandum 
 
 Juvandumque commodum 
 
 Novas vias assumptis ingenti assernerit. 
 
 Per quas liinc ad vallem ami superioreni 
 
 Cascentinum Romandiolum 
 
 Vehiciilare pateret iter 
 
 Itemque hanc Portam instauravit 
 
 Squalentibusque prope earn dirutis sedificiis 
 
 At que introitus exitusque acclivitate complanata 
 
 Elegantiorem opportunioremque reddiderit 
 
 Florcntia 
 
 Principi optimo, muuificentissimoque*. 
 
 How much more honour does an inscription, of this 
 kind confer upon a prince, than recording triumphs 
 purchased by the sacrifice of thousands of lives 
 as was the case with those of the late ruler of France, 
 and of the Roman chiefs of old. 
 
 In this delightful walk you have gardens on all 
 sides, fruit-trees, villas, and churches, and at a dis- 
 tance romantic hills and declivities ; just by the Porta 
 S. Gallo, is a large public walk, much frequented by 
 the inhabitants, with a beautiful view of Fiesole, and 
 the neighbouring villages. Crossing Ponte Grazia 
 
 causes in an exhausted condition. This king- staid many weeks at Flo- 
 rence, and used to pay constant visits to a nun of family, to whom lie had 
 been partial in a former visit to Fhirence, when he was Prince of Den- 
 mark. — Galuzzi. 
 
 * This amiable sovereign, remarkable for liis mild administration, is 
 now no more. 
 
GRAND GALA DAY, 415 
 
 we soon came to Porta St. Nicolas, which has a very 
 high venerable tower, and appears one of the oldest 
 gates of Florence. We returned home much pleased 
 with our little excursion. 
 
 May 31,9^. — Being Whit-Sunday, was observed as 
 a grand gala day at court ; the Grand Duke, his 
 family and attendants went in procession to the 
 Duomo, in eight carriages, some drawn by six, and 
 others by four horses, with guards. The Place del 
 Duomo was also lined with guards. The Sovereign 
 and Prince Leopold*, and his Consort, walked up 
 the nave, between two rows of soldiers, to their seats 
 in the choir, under a splendid canopy ; mass was im- 
 mediately begun by the archbishop in person, in his 
 pontificalibus, having on his mitre ; he was assisted 
 in the service by the other dignitaries of the church. 
 The music was very fine and the scene impressive ; 
 and the church, though very full, is so large, that the 
 people were not put to much inconvenience. Grand 
 as this scene was, we could not help comparing it 
 with the simplicity and pious solemnity of our church- 
 service, and the comparison was infinitely in favour 
 of the latter. We next prepared to put theory in 
 practice and turned our steps to the Envoy's Hotel, in 
 order to pay our devotions, and partake of the holy 
 rite appointed to be celebrated on this day f . 
 
 This day, and the two or three preceding ones, we 
 
 * He is now Grand Duke. 
 
 t Mucl> to the honour of our countrymen, in their travels and plea- 
 sures they have not neglected their religious duties ; but at Marseilles, 
 Genoa, Rome, ^-c, they had a room in which our service was res^ularly 
 read by the clergy, who were there by turns. 
 
416 DEPOSITO DEI POVERI. 
 
 had at Florence the scirocco, or south wind, the effects 
 of which are felt even here, though coming from Na- 
 ples, at the distance of three hundred miles. 
 
 The air is hot, and close, and the rains*, which are 
 very heavy, so far from cooling the air, seem to in- 
 crease the heat, and it has also a strong effect on the 
 spirits of many. 
 
 June 1th. — We went to the annual exhibition in 
 Deposito Dei Poveri. This is a noble and liberal 
 institution, which like many others, owes its rise to 
 Bonaparte. This foundation is to prevent pauper- 
 ism, which it does in a great degree, as you seldom 
 meet a beggar at Florence ; and it were to be 
 wished that such a plan was adopted in all countries. 
 The building is large, with a garden in the centre, 
 producing vegetables for the use of the house. There 
 are eight hundred men, women, and children, all em- 
 ployed in some manufactory ; there is one of wool, 
 another of carpets, knives, shoes, stockings, &c., 
 over each room is written in large characters the 
 name of its manufactory ; and this being their anni- 
 versary, all the articles were set out in the prettiest 
 manner imaginable. There is a very neat chapel, 
 and every thing is remarkably clean and well con- 
 ducted, nor is there a herd of people following you 
 every where and begging, as at Genoa. 
 
 * The rain at Florence is so violent, and falls so heavy on the umbrellas, 
 which are oil-skin on this account, as to resemble the noise of thunder, and 
 an Ens;lishman, who has only been accustomed to the moderate rain in his 
 own countrv, is at first surprised: it comes, indeed, but seldom, and is of 
 short duration, but violence makes ample amends for its absence. Light- 
 ning- is seen almost every night and frequently very strong at Florence. 
 
PETE UIEU. 417 
 
 June lOth. — Being the Fete Dieu, the greatest 
 festival in the year in Roman Catholic countries, the 
 Bon Dieu was carried in procession, to Sta. Maria 
 Novella ; and by the kindness of a friend we were 
 enabled to see it from the window of a house in Piazza 
 Trinita. The day was fine, and every thing was 
 conducted with great propriety and decorum ; the 
 procession began soon after eight, and was very 
 grand, consisting of the various religious orders, 
 canons, parish-priests, military, &c. The Bon Dieu 
 was carried under a rich canopy, by the archbishop, 
 with supporters ; the Grand Duke immediately fol- 
 lowing, dressed in the habit of the order of St. Ste- 
 phen, of which he is grand master, carrying a taper, 
 and having his train borne by two pages. Most of the 
 others likewise carried tapers, walking two and two : 
 this closed the procession. There were the knights 
 of St. Stephen, in full costume, many military, and 
 much music, and out of all the windows were hung 
 silk and satin of different colours, a custom prevalent 
 at Florence in all the great processions, and which 
 has a pretty effect as you pass along the streets. 
 This was the first year of the re-establishment of the 
 knights, and there were numbers of people in the 
 streets, and a variety of banners curiously worked, 
 &c. The whole was on foot, no horses or carriages 
 being suffered to be in the streets while it lasts, in order 
 to prevent accidents. The fine church of Sta. Maria 
 was splendidly lighted up, and presented an interesting 
 spectacle : round the high altar, which is very superb, 
 there were more than a hundred candles burning. 
 
 Vol. 1. 2 E 
 
418 FLORENTINE GALLERY. 
 
 June I6tli. — The day being favourable, we paid 
 another visit to the Gallery, Tribune, and different 
 schools of painting. The more This tribune is seen, 
 the more v^^ill it be admired. There, are various 
 rooms attached to the gallery, in one of which is a 
 fine collection of Tuscan antiquities, in bronze, and 
 in another the copy of the famous Farnesian bull, (the 
 original in the Chiaja walk at Naples ;) a fine Mer- 
 cury, by John of Bologna, &c. There is also a room 
 full of paintings of the Flemish school ; Mary Queen 
 of Scots, Rubens' two wives, the battle of Ypres, and 
 entry of Henry IV. into Paris, after that battle, &c. 
 
 We were now shewn the rooms containing the 
 different schools of painting ; and first, the Tuscan. 
 
 This consists of two rooms with paintings on diffe- 
 rent subjects, by Angelo, and Alessandro Allori, Leo- 
 nardo da Vinci, Carlo Dolci, Andrea del Sarto, &c. 
 
 The adoration of the Magi, by Lippi, is a very 
 beautiful piece ; many of these are painted on wood ; 
 there is an excellent painting of Cosimo the aged "*, 
 
 * CosQio di INIedici, called the ancient, M-as born in September, 13S9. 
 He was the son of John, who Mas founder of the family ; in private life he 
 enjoyed a more brilliant fortune than the e;reatest sovereij^n, being so for- 
 tunate in commerce, that few pi-inccs equalled him in oj)ulence. He en- 
 courag-ed the sciences and learned men, and collected a larafe library full of 
 the scarcest and most valuable books and manuscripts. Owin^cto envy and 
 intrig'ue, he was banished his country, but recalled witli honour, after re- 
 sidingf some time at Venice, where he was received with princelv honours : 
 for tliirty-four years lie was the arbiter of the republic, deciding- the 
 fate of the cities and sover eigns of Italy. He died in 14Q-}, ag-ed 75, on 
 his tomb is inscribed, " Pater Patriu;." 
 
 Catharine, daue^hter of Lorenzo, was grand-daug-hter of Lorenzo, sur- 
 named the Great, and Father of Letters, who was grandson of Cosmo 
 Pater Patrije, Lorenzo died in 1519, and was the last of that branch. — 
 Dictionnaire Historique, par Chaldok et Delaudixe. 
 
FLORENTINE GALLERY. 419 
 
 by Caracci, and Lorenzo the magnificent, by Vasari. 
 We were next introduced into the cabinet of the 
 Hermaphrodite, as it is called, which has the famous 
 recumbent statue of the Hermaphrodite, and a bust of 
 Alexander the Great, so much celebrated, in which he 
 seems, in a fit of despondency, to wish for new worlds 
 to conquer * ; this room is full of &lto aiid basso 
 relievoes. 
 
 The Venetian school is next, consisting of tWo 
 rooms, in which the painters are BassanO;, Tii^iano di 
 Cadori, Tinelli, Savoldo, &c. 
 
 You next enter the Scuola Francese, ahd here 
 Poussin, Flamanc, Mignavi, Gagneraux, &d., ocdupy 
 all your attention. In the Flemish and German 
 schools, the two Teniers, Dennek of Hamburg, Van- 
 dyke and Rubens are the painters who have princi- 
 pally enriched this collection ; the former in particular 
 affbrded great pleasure in so finely delineating the fa- 
 miliar scenes of life. 
 
 In the Dutch school, you have Hemskirch, Ken- 
 drick and Van Mieris, the former of whom in particular 
 is an excellent painter. 
 
 In the Scuola Lombarda, there is a collection of 
 almost unequalled painters, as Salvator Rosa, Goreg- 
 gio, Guido Reni, and Lodovico Caracci : there is 
 here also the Rape of Europa, by Albano, Which i^ 
 truly beautiful; St. John the Baptist in the wilderness^ 
 by Dominichino, admirably done. These rooms, iti 
 
 * Lectos inter flevisse sodales 
 
 Nil sibi vincendum patris virtute relinqui. 
 
 Claud, de 4, Con. Hon. 370. 
 2 E 2 
 
420 FETE DIEU. 
 
 short, afFord a rich feast to a judge of painting, and 
 ought to be visited several times, in order to inspect 
 their beauties. 
 
 June 11th. — The octave of the Fete Dieu v^as cele- 
 brated by a remarkably grand procession, and vari- 
 ous ceremonies. The Duomo was splendidly lighted 
 up, and had a beautiful appearance ; there were many 
 hundred lights, particularly round the high altar, which 
 presented a scene of blazing magnificence seldom seen. 
 
 The procession passed between two rows of men 
 holding torches. There were banners, as usual, and un- 
 der the canopy the archbishop, with supporters, hold- 
 ing the Bon Dieu. These ceremonies are very well 
 conducted, there are two rows of military, and the ut- 
 most quiet and decency prevail. On the elevation of 
 the host, the people fall on their knees, and the sol- 
 diers join in the devotion in the prescribed miHtary 
 way ; but no violence is used to make the stranger 
 join in this adoration, or any one whose tenets are dif- 
 ferent. Not a cough is heard, and the ceremony, from 
 the perfect stillness which prevails, is most impressive ; 
 in truth, however we may differ in all the essential 
 points of religious worship with these our brethren, 
 and differ we must, whilst we keep to the doctrine de- 
 livered to us in the holy scriptures, still we must be 
 edified at the decency and propriety of their conduct, 
 as proceeding from piety, and religious, though mis- 
 taken, motives. 
 
 The Italians, indeed, uniformly appeared to us to be 
 duly impressed with a sense of the religion which they 
 profess, and it is at all times most gratifying to ob- 
 
FLORENTINE DEVOTION 421 
 
 serve with what attention they exercise their devo- 
 tional duties. 
 
 Equally decent is their behaviour in the streets ; 
 when a stranger, or indeed, one of their own nation, 
 sneezes, you hear viva* uttered in a mild quiet voice > 
 the females in this are particularly attentive, and their 
 manner is pleasing and at the same time affecting. 
 
 You also frequently see the men and women as 
 they walk in the streets, especially the latter, kiss the 
 images of our Saviour and the Madonna, paying their 
 adorations with humility and unaffected piety, and in 
 this occupation they are so intent as to be almost 
 melted to tears ; the children are likewise brought up 
 to pay their homage at these shrines f. 
 
 One cannot help being affected at these artless, 
 though mistaken, acts of devotion ; and at the sight of 
 the frequent crosses, which are in almost every corner, 
 kissed with veneration by the numerous passengers J, 
 we are disposed to hail with joy these signs of piety, 
 wherever, and in whomsoever they are found ; for to 
 the decay of religion is to be ascribed every moral 
 and political evil, and from this the late horrors and 
 anarchy of a neighbouring nation took their rise. 
 
 In the violent storms of thunder and lightning 
 which are frequent in this hot country, they make the 
 
 * God preserve you. 
 
 t In one of the streets are five immense lamps constantly burning- be- 
 fore an iinag-e of the Virg-in with these words : 
 
 " Tota pulchra es, INIaria, et macula non est in te." 
 
 $ Tliere are favourite iiiiages of the Madonna likewise ; we observed 
 one in Via Palazzuola so much resoried to, that numbers of the de- 
 votees were obliged to Avait their turn till they could bestow kisses on it, 
 of which they were not sparing-. 
 
422 CHARIOT RACES. 
 
 sign of the cross on every flash. Equally conspicuous 
 is their charity; there are six hundred persons of dis- 
 tinction, voluntarily enrolled to assist at the hospitals, 
 and on the average, sixty are employed every day in 
 this pious w^ork. 
 
 June 23. — Went in the evening to Piazza Sta. 
 Maria Novella, to see the annual chariot-race. There 
 were seven rows of benches round the square in the 
 manner of an amphitheatre ; in front, were seats ele- 
 gantly fitted up, for the grand duke, family, and suite. 
 There were military, horse and foot, stationed round to 
 prevent disturbances, and the whole was well con- 
 ducted. About half-past seven the space was cleared 
 for the cars, and marked out with a line ; the four 
 cars with their charioteers then made the circuit, in 
 order to shew themselves to the spectators ; the cha- 
 riots were elegant four-wheeled vehicles, orna- 
 mented with the Roman costume, giving the spectator 
 a lively idea of the ancient cars ; the drivers had a 
 flowing robe carelessly thrown over one shoulder, and 
 arms apparently bare ; the colours were red, yellow, 
 white and blue, at half-past seven, the trumpets 
 sounded, and they started amidst the shouts of the 
 spectators " rapit ungula currum." They went three 
 times round the metei * with great swiftness, and perr 
 formed the course in about five minutes. The victor, 
 it is true, was not crowned, as at the Olympic games, 
 with bay or parsley, but had a flag in his car as a tro- 
 phy of victory, 
 
 * Sunt quos Gurriculo pulverera olympicum 
 CoUegisse juvat, metaque fervidis 
 Evitata rotis. — Hon, 
 
HORSE RACES. 423 
 
 On the whole, though we had not* quadrijugos 
 eurrus-f, but only humble bigas, yet we were well 
 pleased, and fancied ourselves for the time, at the 
 Olympic games, looking at the stadia. This race 
 is for honour only ; the city finds chariots and horses. 
 There were numbers of spectators, (and places pro- 
 vided for the sovereign and family,) but no accident. 
 
 June 2ith, being St. John's Day, the tutelar saint 
 of Florence, was observed as a great festival ; in the 
 morning high mass was celebrated with great pomp 
 at St. John's, by the archbishop in person ; the music 
 was fine and the gallery crowded with persons of dis- 
 tinction. 
 
 In the evening was the annual race of horses ivitk- 
 oiit riders. There were twelve entered and numbered on 
 the back, but only eleven started : they were much or- 
 namented and had spurs and pieces of tin on theirbacks 
 in order to quicken their pace. They started from 
 Porta al Prato, and ran to Porta Santa Croce, but 
 how they performed their task, or whether any did, 
 we know not ; they passed the windows where we 
 were, rapidly, and we saw and heard no more of 
 them. The day, however, was fine, and the number 
 of splendid equipages was astonishing; the Floren- 
 tines almost outdoing themselves. The Grand Duke 
 was there in his state carriage, and horses with 
 superb trappings, ther were not fewer than seven 
 carriages belonging to this court. 
 
 * " Centum quadrijunos ag^itabo arl fliimina Currus." — Virg. Geou. 
 
 t The Romans, who imitated the Greeks in these races, had often 
 sejuges, septemjuges &c., and Nero had lathe Olympic games deeemju- 
 gem. — Suetonius. 
 
424 THE THEATRE. 
 
 The military paraded and kept good order in the^ 
 streets, and a line was made in the middle for the 
 horses to pass, which was strewed with gravel, and 
 the numerous foot passengers received no injury. 
 The windows of Borgo Ogni Santi, which was the 
 scene of action, were as usual hung with silk and satin 
 of different colours, and had a most gay appearance. 
 On the whole, though far inferior to the exhibition 
 of the preceding evening, yet we were much gratified 
 with the gaiety and cheerfulness which every where 
 prevailed. 
 
 June 28. — Went to the theatre called the Arena, 
 near Porta di Roma, where they act Goldoni's plays 
 three times a week. The stage is not large, but ele- 
 vated: under it is the arena intheo]je/« air, with benches 
 for the spectators like the pit in an English house ; next 
 were seven rows of stone benches one above the other, 
 like an amphitheatre, and above a corridor, supported 
 with light handsome pillars, for spectators who pay a 
 higher price ; above is an open gallery, the same price 
 as for the amphitheatre and arena. In front of the stage, 
 is a very good orchestra. The performers acted very 
 decently, and we were much pleased with the exhibi- 
 tion, which certainly conveyed no bad idea of a 
 Roman amphitheatre, while the arena was much 
 better filled than with the cruel and savage exhibitions 
 of the former masters of the world. This is capable 
 of containing 4,000 persons : the representation began 
 at five, and ended at eight. On each side, on a ter- 
 race, were orange and lemon trees, and the whole 
 was very well conducted. 
 
BELLE ARTI. 425 
 
 Ju7ie29. — Went to the Belle Arti*, formerly the 
 Dominican convent. We were first introduced into 
 the Hall of Declamation, in which were busts of the 
 ancients as well as moderns, Homer, Demosthenes, 
 Pindar, Cicero, ^x. Next, the Gallery of Antiquity, 
 in which are many curious pictures on boards, chiefly 
 by Giotto ; many of them 500 years old. Among the 
 painters of old pictures on boards, we particularly ad- 
 mired Barthelemat and Landaro. We saw also many 
 very curious models, which do credit to the mechanical 
 powers, and on the whole, this exhibition fully an- 
 swered our expectation. 
 
 July 1st proving cool, we took advantage of it, and 
 hiring a carriage to Fiesole, went in it about two miles, 
 leaving it at the foot of the hill. The view of the 
 environs of Florence and the winding of the hill 
 were particularly beautiful, the country being studded 
 with villas. In about an hour we came to Fiesole, 
 to which the noble city of Florence owes its ex- 
 istence. The cathedral is a Gothic building with 
 a wooden roof The church consists of a choir, 
 nave, and aisles ; the choir is elevated, and ascended 
 by a flight of steps on each side ; there are six light 
 and elegant Grecian pillars on each side, partly 
 composed of marble. The high altar is a half dome 
 painted in fresco, by Ferrugei of Fiesole, and there 
 are also several other paintings by his brother. The 
 tower is very high, and of the same architecture as 
 
 * Some days afterwards we went to the annual distribution of the prizes. 
 The judg-es were in full costume ; there were six or eig-ht rooms of sculpture 
 and painting, chiefly copies. The whole concluded with a concert. IVLmy 
 persons of rank were present, and aaiong them the Emperor of Austria. 
 
496 ENVIRONS OF FLORENCE. 
 
 that of the Palazzo Vecchio, In a chapel is a beau-, 
 tiful bust of Leonardo Salutafi, a former bishop, 
 who died in 1466. S. Romulus was the first bishop, 
 and there are two old pictures of him and his mar- 
 tyrdom, opposite each other, painted on wood ; in the 
 first the following inscription, " S. Romulus Epis. 
 Fesulanus cum suis sociis Dulcissimo Carissima Cres- 
 centio et Marechiano." Opposite, is his martyrdom, 
 by Ferracci of Fiesole. 
 
 Farther on, we toiled up a steep hill, enlivened, 
 however, by various interesting views, to the convent 
 of the Franciscans, near which is the ancient Temple 
 of Bacchus, which is a very curious Heathen temple, 
 converted into a Christian place of worship, and 
 dedicated to S. Alessandro ; the pillars are marble, 
 and of Grecian architecture. We were shewn a very 
 curious altar, dug up 40Q years ago, which our 
 conductor told us, was more than 2000 years old, 
 which it probably was. 
 
 Although our expedition was fatiguing, owing to 
 the length and steepness of the hill, yet we were 
 fully gratified by the many turns of a road which pre- 
 sented a variety of views in a rich country. Florence 
 with its numerous buildings, the Arno winding at a 
 great distance, many villages, villas, vineyards, and 
 corn-fields in a high state of cultivation, formed this 
 beautiful landscape; even among the rocks which 
 seemed incapable of cultivation, there were small 
 patches of corn, sown with great care a,nd much 
 trouble ; they were then harvesting the corn*, which 
 
 * Vegetation is so rapid iu this country, that seiuele or small rolls are 
 
LAURENTIAN LIBRARY. 437 
 
 though not thick, seemed of an excellent quality. A 
 distant view of the Apennines crowned this rich view. 
 Fiesole, though only a scattered village, is a bishopric, 
 and the bishop has about 1000/. a-year, and resides 
 chiefly at Florence ; he has, however, a good house 
 opposite the cathedral ; there are also twelve canons ^ 
 who have houses and 50/. a-year. 
 
 Before the cathedral is a pretty green, having a re- 
 spectable appearance, and which was formerly, pro- 
 bably, a piazza. It is now called La Piazza del Duomo. 
 It has a fine terrace, commanding an extensive view. 
 Fiesole bears every mark of having been formerly 
 an important place, and Matteo Bosso, superior of 
 the monastery, liad the honour of putting the purple 
 on the young Cardinal Medicis, afterwards Pope 
 Leo X*. 
 
 Jul}j 10. — We went to the Laurentian Library, 
 which for manuscripts is only inferior to the Vatican : 
 it is sixty-four yards in length, has a flat roof, and 
 very curious pavement, by Michael Angelo, in high 
 preservation ; the staircase by the same architect is 
 reckoned also very curious, but the internal part is 
 most worthy of observation. This noble library was 
 founded by Pope Clement VIL, and contains 8000 
 manuscripts ; of these the most curious is one of 
 Virgil f, in the third century, by the Consul Turcius 
 
 presestcd to the Grand Duke on St. John's day, (June 24,) made of wheat, 
 sown in April. 
 
 * Vie de Leon X. par Roscoe. 
 
 t This is shewn, kept in a glass case with ^reat care ; a pag-e of it has 
 notwithstanding- been lost, which the Vatican has recovered, and keeps 
 with great care. 
 
428 PAUL jovius. 
 
 Rufus, in the reign of Justin ; there is a great differ- . 
 ence in many parts between this and the printed 
 editions, it is all in great letters, there is no punctua- 
 tion, and among other words set is used constantly for 
 sed. 
 
 There is also a curious book on surgery, with fine 
 plates emblazoned, 1000 years old, and a beautiful 
 one of Aristotle, " done into" Latin in the fifteenth 
 century, many years afte?^ the intention of printing, and 
 many paintings, the colour of which is fresh and 
 beautiful. Also Justinian's Pandect in the sixth 
 century ; Petrarch's works 300 years old, with beau- 
 tiful heads in front of both of them emblazoned. 
 
 At the bottom of the staircase, in the cloisters, is a 
 monument and statue of Paul Jovius * recumbent, 
 having on his mitre and episcopal robes, with this 
 inscription : — 
 
 Paulo Jovio Novocomen. Episc. Nucerino 
 
 Historiarum sui teinporis scriptori, 
 
 Sepulcrum quod sibi testimcnto decreverat 
 
 Posteri ejus intesfra fide posuerant 
 
 Indulg'entia raaximorum optimorumque 
 
 Cosrai et Francisci, Hetrurise Ducum 
 
 An. 1574. 
 
 Juli/ 27. — At the palace of Corsini, the staircase is 
 
 * This historian was born at Como in 14S3, and having early in life 
 lost his father, was brought up by his elder brother. He pursued his 
 studies with success at Padua, JMilan, and Pavia, at the last of which, he 
 was made Doctor of Physic, he was ])atronized by Popes Leo X. and 
 Adrian VI., but promoted by Clement VII. to the bishopric of Nocera. 
 This Pope distinguished liim much, and gave him apartments in the Va- 
 tican. Under the pontificate of Paul III., he wished to exchange Nocera 
 for Como, his native city, and was much hurt at the refusal he experienced- 
 There was great leviiy in his conduct and character, — Roscoe. 
 
 Paul Jovius wrote the history of his own times with more eloquence 
 than veracity. — Demna. 
 
CORSINI PALACE. 429 
 
 a noble one with two separate flights, as most of the 
 palaces have. On the landing-place is a fine statue 
 of Pope Clement XII. (Corsini) 1732*. 
 
 The collection of paintings is not large, but well 
 chosen. In the first room, among several, is Diogenes, 
 by PignoUi ; the Deity, by Lanfranco, Scuola Vene- 
 ziana ; next a landscape, by Salvator Rosa, and 
 two of the siege of Barcelona, by Pandolfo ; there 
 are also some beautiful ones by Carlo Dolce. 
 Gallery. — The grand picture here is the Last 
 Night of Troy, a bad subject, but finely done, by 
 Benvenuti ; the savage countenance of Pyrrhus in the 
 act of slaying Priam, is admirably delineated. Cassan- 
 dra, Helenus, ^c. ^-c, are leading figures in this fine 
 picture, for w^hich the proprietor has been offered 
 1,500 sequins (the sequin is worth about 9s.) 
 In the next room are five beautiful pictures, by 
 Carlo Dolce ; Poetry, Hope, our Saviour, the Baptist, 
 and St. Sebastian. Julius IL (drawing), by Raphael, 
 as:i the tribune ; Lucretia, by Guido Reni, ^c. In 
 the whole, though there are several pictures by 
 the best masters, the collection is small, and nei- 
 ther the palace nor furniture much worth seeing. 
 
 Went afterwards to the Chiesa del Carmine, which 
 has a beautiful dome, painted by Giordano. Inscrip- 
 tion : — 
 
 D, o. M. 
 
 In hoiiorem B. M. V. de Monte Carme. 
 
 The church is modern and was beautified about fifty 
 
 * Of this family was Pope Nicolas HI., who died in 1281. This Pope 
 be^an the practice of enriching- his family, and conferred great dignities 
 on his nephew. From him this was called nepotism. — DeniNA. 
 
430 MAGLIABECHIAN LIBRARY. 
 
 years ago ; there are five small cupolas finely painted;^ 
 in a small chapel is S. Andrea Corsini, bishop of 
 Fiesole, in alto relievo, and many figures in basso 
 relievo, much admired. This church, the upper part 
 of which is in the form of a cross, is extremely beau- 
 tiful : in the Chapel of the Virgin are the paintings of 
 MaracciOj much esteemed. 
 
 July 28. — At the Magliabechi* library, which is a 
 very good one and contains a valuable collection ; it 
 is open to everybody five days in the week, when they 
 may take notes and write as long as they choose ; 
 the utmost attention and liberality are experienced. 
 
 The following inscription is seen over the great 
 window : — 
 
 Quidni Dicaris 
 Studiorum appetens, literarumqae cultrix 
 Florentia ? 
 Theatriim jamdiu Histrioniie, et Risuidicatur 
 Nunc ir.eliore fiito conversum est 
 In publicum Douiicilium Evuditionis. 
 Atque Musarura?"i\ 
 
 AVho will deny, Florence, that you are learned and an encoiira2:er of 
 literature ? when they are informed, that this room, formerly a play- 
 house, is now the seat of the Muses ? 
 
 August \. — At the Palazzo Vecchio, which now is 
 chiefly used for offices, but has several curious rooms 
 in it. It was built by Arnolfo di Lapo in 1300, who 
 
 * This library was founded by Ma(»-liabechi in the reisfn of Cosmo III., 
 and his bust is seen on entering' the room, with a long appropriate in- 
 scription. • 
 
 •»■ Tlie writer avails himself of this opportunity of expressing- his oblig^a- 
 tions to the librarians for their uniform and obliging' attention, by which 
 he obtained access to many scarce books not to be found among the Florence 
 booksellers, and passed many pleasing- hours in this valuable library. 
 
PALAZZO VECCHIO. 
 
 43l 
 
 was a restorer of the architecture of Italy, and this 
 and Sta. Maria del Fiore were his first attempts. You 
 enter into a large court, with a fountain in the centre, 
 and piazzas all round, with views of different towns 
 in Germany, painted in fresco ; in front are long in- 
 scriptions, one of which was in honour of the marriage 
 of the Grand Duke Francis of Medicis with Joan of 
 Austria. On ascending several flights of stairs, you 
 come to the Sala di S. Bernardo, the sides of which 
 are painted in fresco, representing the history of Por- 
 senna, King of Etruria. There are here three cu- 
 rious cabinets, inlaid with ivory, pietra-dura, lapis 
 lazuli, ebony and ivory, and a small statue of Cosimo 
 I., in bronze, gilt, and pietra-dura, as our conductor 
 told us, but by the dress, and peruke, we rather 
 differed from him, and concluded it to be a statue of 
 John Gaston, the last Duke. Next is a small chapel, 
 converted to that use ever since the time of Cosimo the 
 Ancient. The day was so fme that we were tempted 
 to ascend the tower, reckoned the highest in Italy 
 except La Torre degli Asinelli at Bologna ; from 
 hence is a noble view of the town and environs ; 
 descending, we came to the grand hall*, GOO feet in 
 length, the sides of which are painted in fresco, re- 
 presenting events passed at Sienna, Livorno, S,-c., in 
 the time of Cosimo I., painted by Vasari. There 
 are various statues here, Hercules, Leo X., S,'C., the 
 chief of them by Michael Angelo, John of Bologna, 
 and Bandinelli. In another room are paintings of 
 
 * This vv^as under repair, but has been used occasionally as a theatre, 
 and was to be converted, as vre were told, into a ball-room. 
 
432 POCaiA DA CAJANO. 
 
 Pope Julius II., Tarquin and Lucretia, SfC. Fatiguing 
 as the ascent to the tower had been, we were not 
 sorry to have indulged our curiosity, and returned 
 much pleased with the Palazzo Vecchio. 
 
 CHAPTER LVIf. 
 
 Road to Pistoia — Posfgia da Cajano — Straw Manufactory — Pistoia— 
 Borgo a Bug'g'iano — Pescia — Ponte di Abate — Lucca — Baths of Lucca 
 — Departure from Lucca — Ripa Fratta — Baths of Pisa — Pisa — Duomo 
 — ^Arrival at Leghorn. 
 
 August 6. — Set out on an excursion to Leghorn, by 
 Pistoia, Lucca, and Pisa. Quitting Florence by 
 Porta al Prato, we soon came to Lastracigna, a village 
 in w^hich is a great straw manufactory ; three more, 
 S. Donino; one more, S. Corioja-Campi. All 
 these villages are active and populous, and vast 
 numbers are employed in this manufactory, which is 
 of great service to the poor. 
 
 Three miles more brought us to Poggia Cajano, 
 in which is a royal villa, most beautifully situated on 
 an eminence, commanding a noble view of a lovely 
 country, terminated by the Apennines ; before we 
 came to this place, we passed the little river Ombrone 
 on a bridge. 
 
 Poggia Cajano we ascended by a noble flight of 
 steps ; the first room is a large servants' hall, with 
 fine painting in fresco ; next, a billiard-room, Avith 
 beautiful ceiling, carved, embossed, and gilt, with the 
 
pisToiA. 433 
 
 arms of Medicis in various places. The walls painted 
 in fresco, by Andrea del Sarto ; the inscription, in 
 Latin, mentions that the different rooms were im- 
 proved and ornamented by Leo X *. Dining-room. 
 — Ceiling richly painted, likewise by Andrea del 
 Sarto ; the floor is of beautiful porcelain The other 
 rooms in this villa are not only handsome, but 
 fitted up with costly, and at the same time com- 
 fortable furniture, which are not often united, and the 
 mansion has every requisite to induce the family to 
 make it their summer residence. The bed- rooms in 
 particular are very elegant, and there is much paint- 
 ing, by Catane. Eleven miles farther brought us to 
 Pistoia •[. 
 
 Nothing could be more beautiful than this day's 
 journey ; on each side of the road were vines in 
 festoons, winding luxuriantly in a variety of forms ; 
 peach-trees, ^-c. Among the vineyards, which were 
 very extensive, were corn-fields, meadows, S'-c. ; and 
 in other places, the stately reeds with bushy tops, 
 with which they make the brooms in this country, and 
 much fine flax. Of the two last there were large 
 
 * The follou iiig- trait in the character of this Pope, vvlio lias been the 
 subject of so many histories, is related by an eminent historian. He re- 
 quired of his servants not only 'fidelity and silence, but likeu'ise quick and 
 regular habits of obedience. 
 
 Exig-ebat autem a ministris non modo taciturnitatem et fidem, sed 
 obediendi exteinploquc parendi expedituui et vehemens studium. — Paui. 
 Jov. Fit. Pap. Leon X. 
 
 t The citadel of Pistoia was enlarsfed by Cosimo J, in 153S; it was 
 famous in old times for factions and popular commotions. — AaiMiiiATO. 
 
 Vor-. T. 2 F 
 
434 CHURCH OP PISTOIA. 
 
 fields, and also much Indian corn ; the road from 
 Florence to Pistoia is a perfect garden. 
 
 Pistoia* is situated in a fine plain, not far from the 
 Apennines, and near the little river Ombrone, in a 
 most plentiful country. The city, however, is dull 
 and badly peopled, and though the streets are broad 
 and handsome, and there are many handsome palaces, 
 there are not more than 10,000 inhabitants. The 
 Duomo is a fine building, the outside of it in- 
 crusted with marble, with a handsome cupola, built 
 about 1200 years ago ; there is a bishop, who has 
 1000/. a-year, and twenty -five canons with moderate 
 stipends. The prelate is bishop of Pistoia and Prato. 
 The treasures at the altar of S. Jacobo are very fine, 
 in basso relievo, of silver, and the subject is taken from 
 the Old and New Testament, done by Andrea Ogni 
 Bene. They are rich, and valued at a vast sum ; 
 they were finished in 1316. On each side of the 
 altar is a colossal statue of St. James, and a former 
 bishop of Pistoia. At the other end of the church are 
 two curious old tombs of Cino Singiboldi, an eminent 
 lawyer, and Cardinal Forteguerri. 
 
 We next went to Santo Spirito ; over the high 
 altar is a painting of Ignatius Loyola, the celebrated 
 founder of the Jesuits, in a group. In this church is 
 one of the finest organs in Europe; the high altar, 
 which is very rich, is supported by four verd- antique 
 pillars, of the Doric order. The altar is of pietra 
 
 * Pistoia was subject to Florence as early as the thirteenth century.— 
 Denina. 
 
ASSEMBLY-HOUSE — PORNACE ALLE QUARTIERI. 435 
 
 dura in its unpolished state, and the balustrades of 
 variegated marble. 
 
 The Palazzo della Giustizia is a fine old build- 
 ing, with the arms of the different avocats and pro- 
 cureurs carved in stone, with the respective dates. 
 Near this is the baptistery, a venerable octagon, 
 with a statue of the Baptist, of marble, in the centre, 
 but this is much inferior to those of Parma and 
 Florence. The market at Pistoia is plentiful, and the 
 country most productive ; there are also many noble 
 and respectable families reside here, which is the 
 cause of its being esteemed one of the most agreeable 
 towns in Tuscany for residence. It has a very good 
 play-house, consisting of four tiers of boxes, and a 
 large pit. We were present at a representation, and 
 found the acting very respectable. There is like- 
 wise a very good assembly -house, consisting of twelve 
 rooms, which makes the carnival pass off in a very 
 agreeable manner ; also a square called II Corso, in 
 which the races take place as at Florence, and it is 
 well adapted to the purpose. We returned to our inn 
 fatigued, though gratified, by our peregrination. 
 
 August 7. — Left Pistoia at eight in the morning. 
 Three miles. La Fornace alle Quartieri, a small 
 village in a beautiful situation ; one mile farther a 
 beautiful hanging wood on the right, with chestnut- 
 trees, walnut, oak, ^-c. 
 
 Half-way to Lucca, is Borgo a Buggiano, a small 
 village in a plentiful country, abounding in fruits of 
 various kinds; two miles farther, Pescia, a small 
 
 2F3 
 
436 BORGO A BUGGIANO LUCCA. 
 
 city*, and containing about 3000 people: the bishopric 
 is small and the Duomo nothing remarkable ; it has a 
 nave only, and several monuments. Opposite is the 
 beautiful little church of the Magdalen, the roof and 
 cupola painted in fresco. Three miles from Pescia 
 we entered the state of Lucca, and were visited, 
 though slightly, our baggage being scarcely examined; 
 and passing over Ponte di Abate, a bridge over a 
 bed of stones only at this season, though in winter a 
 deep and rapid river, we saw an inscription on a 
 stone : 
 
 Maria Aloysia Borboaia reg-nante. 
 
 From hence to Lucca, about five miles, the road 
 was even and excellent, between two rows of poplar 
 trees, having very long views, which at length ter- 
 minated in Lucca f. 
 
 When we entered the state of Lucca, we observed 
 vineyards and oliveyards X in abundance ; but though 
 the former were full of weeds, and much neglected, their 
 natural luxuriance was so great, that vast clusters of 
 
 * Pescia received, in 1554, Piero Strozzi, comraandincf the French 
 troops. — Ammirato. 
 
 Pescia has always been famous for its mulberry-trees, and in 1300 each 
 individual '.ras oblig-ed to plant a certain number in his g-arden and orchard, 
 here and at Modena. — Denina. 
 
 t Lucca dates its liberty as early as 1013; it after\vards belonged to 
 Florence for some time, at one time beinnf bought by them, at others the 
 inhabitants oferincr themselves to the Florentines, and assisting- them 
 against the Pisans their neighbours ; sometimes they were likewise subject 
 to the Pisans, and at other times their allies. — Ammirato, 
 
 — Tarde" crescentis olivse. 
 
 ViR. 2. Georg. 
 " This tree is said to be 200 years growing. 
 
LUCCA. 437 
 
 grapes hung quite to the ground, bearing down the 
 branches. Farm-houses were very frequent in this 
 liourishing state, and every thing had the appearance 
 of plenty. In the farm-yards all was activity and 
 bustle, and according to the custom of the country 
 they were threshing their corn in the open air. 
 
 We entered Lucca by two gates ; it was formerly 
 strong, but is by no means so at present. 
 
 Lucca "** is an ancient city in a fertile plain, through 
 which runs the river Serchio. It is supposed to have 
 been built by Lucumo, King of the Tuscans, and cele- 
 brated in history from being the place in which Caesar, 
 Pompey, and Crassus established the first iniquitous 
 triumvirate. It was afterwards subject to various 
 powers, and the government at last became repub- 
 lican ; it at present belongs to Spain, and from having 
 been one of the staunchest republics in Europe, is 
 obliged now to submit to the times, and is become 
 monarchical. 
 
 This little state, though surrounded by its more 
 powerful neighbours, Tuscany, the state of Pisa, ^c, 
 long preserved its government and independence to 
 the admiration of Europe ; and from its successful 
 struggles was particularly interesting to us. The pre- 
 sent Duchess Aloysia v/as formerly Queen of Etruria, 
 and is sister to the late King of Spain, and aunt to 
 the present ; her residence is constantly at Lucca. 
 
 * The Lucchese have always been famous for their industry, and they 
 were the first people who introduced the trade of silii into Italy by means 
 of the silk-worm. As early as 1319 this trade flourished much among- 
 them, and about this time the mulberry-tree began to be an object of 
 public care. — Denina. 
 
438 CATHEDRAL OF LUCCA. 
 
 The first place, a stranger visits in the Italian 
 towns, is usually the Duomo, which seldom fails pay- 
 ing him for his trouble; and this is the case here. 
 It is a fine Gothic building of the eleventh century, and 
 lined with marble. You ascend by a small flight of 
 steps into the portico, which is painted in fresco ; the 
 pavement of the portico is marble. In front of the 
 church are a variety of figures in basso relievo, and 
 there are three colonnades with light pillars, above 
 each other, (and all different) on the outside of the 
 church. The cathedral is built in form of a cross, 
 affording a rich display of fine painted windows. In 
 the sanctuary is a picture of the Madonna, by Frate 
 Bartolomeo da S. Marco. Here the famous martyrs, 
 Jason, Maura, and St. Hilarius, are buried. 
 
 The pavement of the Duomo* is in many parts 
 Mosaic ; in one part is the judgment of Solomon, on 
 a flat stone curiously inlaid. In this church, is a 
 curious building, called Volto Santo, very rich, con- 
 taining a crucifix. There are also several good pic- 
 tures, by Zuccheri, Tintoreto, Sf-c. 
 
 The church of Santa Maria has several good pic- 
 tures, by eminent masters ; among others, by Guido 
 Reni, one of these is a Madonna ad Nives, another 
 our Saviour, St. Julius, St. Catharine, ^c. ; the roof, 
 representing Paradise, is painted in fresco. There 
 
 * This cliurch was built, as appears b)^ a Latin inscription in front, in 
 1036, under the Pope Alexander H. There is here a statue of St. Martin 
 on horseback, the tutelar saint of the church, giving^ part of his cloak to 
 the poor. 
 
 { 
 
BATHS OF LUCCA. 439 
 
 are several good squares in this town*, as those of 
 the Duomo, St. Michael, the Grande Place, ^c, but 
 the great convenience, as well as ornament of this place 
 is a broad and handsome drive for carriages on the 
 ramparts quite round the city, having a beautiful 
 view of the environs and mountains. The Duchess f 
 has a handsome palace, but it is said to contain nothing 
 remarkable. 
 
 As we were so near the celebrated baths, we de- 
 termined to bend our course to them, and accordingly, 
 August 8th, we left our coach and mules, and set off 
 post, for the baths, at eight in the morning. Nothing- 
 can be more lovely than this drive. On quitting 
 Lucca, we had a high causeway on our left, and a 
 stream on the right ; afterwards the road, which is 
 like a bowling-green the whole way, followed the 
 course of the Serchio for some time, and afterwards 
 of the little river Lima, which empties itself into the 
 former ; but the whole of it is most beautiful and 
 romantic, perfectly level, though winding among rocks 
 and mountains, chiefly covered with trees and verdure. 
 There was, as usual, abundance of fruit, peaches, 
 grapes, and olives :j: ; the vines wound round the 
 lofty poplars, almost reaching the top, and in fes- 
 
 » Lucca as well as Milan, Pavia, Parma, Modena, and Reg-gio, acknow- 
 ledged John King of Bohemia for their Sovereign in 1330, but his sove- 
 reignty was of short duration, being lost almost as soon as gained. — 
 Denina. 
 
 fThis sovereign's dominions arc 100 miles in circumference, containing, 
 as computed, 120,000 souls ; tlie government is absolute, as may be known 
 from the circumstance of our being obliged to go post. 
 
 $ The Lucca oil is reckoned the best in Europe. 
 
440 PONTE SERAGLIO — BAGNI CALDI. 
 
 toons from tree to tree ; the luxuriant fruit in some 
 places weighing them down to the ground. Villages 
 and houses, however, were wanting to enliven the 
 scene in this beautiful road. 
 
 The Baths are fifteen miles from Lucca, and have 
 long been famous ; the water is warm and chalybeate, 
 and there are great numbers of them of different tem- 
 perature ; some so hot that you can scarcely bear 
 your hand in them, others only blood-warm. They 
 are divided into two parts, about a mile and a quarter 
 asunder, Ponte Seraglio, and Bagni Caldi, both small 
 villages : at each of these, as well as on the declivities 
 of the neighbouring hills, are lodging-houses. There 
 are also a ball-room, Ristoratoris, ^-c, but an inn is 
 wanting, which defect will be soon supplied, as one 
 is to be built, as is said, by government, on a grand 
 scale, to contain sixty beds. In short, there is almost 
 every requisite to make this delicious retreat desirable 
 for two months in the year, and to induce people to 
 quit for it the sultry towns of Florence, Rome, &c., to 
 recruit their strength. The season lasts from the 
 middle of July to the middle of September ; still it 
 must be confessed there is not that external elegance, 
 and more particularly internal convenience, so much 
 admired in an English watering-place, although na- 
 ture certainly has been lavish in her favours to this 
 lovely spot. The houses are chiefly scattered on the 
 hills, and you ascend by roads, made easy for carriages 
 as well as pedestrians, by gradual windings, and there 
 are sedan chairs for the use of the company. There 
 are at these baths romantic hills, a beautiful stream, 
 
LUCCA. 441 
 
 rocks, forests, scattered houses, churches, and con- 
 vents, and everything necessary to constitute fine 
 scenery. The high road is excellent, though narrow, 
 winding among the hills on each side. 
 
 The Duchess of Lucca has a good house, in which 
 she resides during the season, and the Princess B — , 
 sister of Bonaparte, one likewise. 
 
 The liberal laws of this country do not suffer any 
 voitures to go from Lucca to the baths ; so we were 
 obliged to leave our coach at Lucca, and take a coach 
 and four horses, and two postilions, at an additional 
 expense. The road was so fine*, that we performed 
 the journey in little more than two hours each way, 
 and returned much pleased with our excursion. 
 
 August 9. — Set off at nine from Lucca f. Five 
 miles from Lucca, we once more entered Tuscany at 
 Cerresona, where our baggage was slightly visited. 
 Soon after came to Ripa Fratta, now only a small 
 village, but formerly strong, and a place of con- 
 sequence, as its venerable castle, built on a fine 
 eminence, and proudly looking down on the village, 
 Campos uhi Trqja fuil\, plainly testifies. Near the 
 
 * All tliis road which we found so line, is impassable great part of the 
 winter from the mountain flood, especially at the batlis. 
 
 •(• Lucca was the principal quarters of the Guelfs in 1230 ; but in 1232, by 
 an agreement with Conte Gnido, the men, women, and children of that 
 party were banished, the Ghibelline having got the upper hand. Old men, 
 women, and helpless children, and pregnant females, were all driven away 
 like wild beasts, and it was most distressing to witness the misery of these 
 poor creatures, some of them were taken in labour in the Apennines, 
 between Lucca and Modena, without assistance, nor did any of these un- 
 fortunate people think themselves safe even in the Castle of Montecatini, 
 which was the only Tuscan fortress offering itself to receive them. — 
 Ammirato. Such are the evils brought on under the pretext of religion. 
 
 * Virgil. 
 
442 BATHS OF PISA. 
 
 castle is a lofty tower, and on the other side, at 
 some distance, another. This village, or rather borg, 
 is on the Serchio, along the banks of which we went 
 for some time; at other times there were hanging hills 
 covered with forests of olive and chestnut-trees, which 
 made the road beautiful. What made it still more so 
 in our eyes w^as its evenness and excellence, not 
 having a rut. 
 
 Five miles farther brought us to the Baths f of 
 Pisa ; this is a small square, with good houses built 
 round it for the company which frequent these baths, 
 of which there are thirty-six of different kinds, hot, 
 tepid, and cold, with every comfort and convenience 
 for the bathers and drinkers of the waters, adapted to 
 the different disorders. There are excellent dressing- 
 rooms, and one, -eighty feet in length, for the patients 
 to take exercise in. 
 
 The baths are in the highest style of elegance, and 
 do great credit to the government, whose property 
 they are. They are frequented from May till August, 
 Although in point of situation and surrounding scenery 
 the baths of Pisa must yield to those of Lucca, yet the 
 grand advantage of having a large town only four 
 miles distant, which the latter do not possess, must 
 make the former a most desirable residence several 
 months in the year. The river Serchio runs along 
 the road, and there is a large and handsome pleasure- 
 boat on it for the company at the baths, rather too 
 large, indeed, for the river, which is but narrow. 
 
 + The spring rises on tlie spot in which are the baths. 
 
PISA. 443 
 
 Four miles through a fine country brought us to 
 Pisa, which we entered by two strong gates. 
 
 Pisa* has formerly been very strong, as was shewn 
 by the long siege it sustained against the forces of 
 Florence, but is not so now, since by its annexation 
 to this city it has lost its consequence and its popu- 
 lation. Instead of 150,000 f, which historians say 
 was at one time the number of its inhabitants, it has 
 now only 18,000. 
 
 The city, however, claims attention from its situa- 
 tion and beauty. The streets are in general remark- 
 ably wide and handsome, the houses well built, and 
 there are many noble palaces ; but a great air of 
 dulness pervades the town, and in many of the streets 
 we observed grass growing. There are three bridges 
 over the Arno, which is here pretty wide, the centre 
 one, having three arches, is of marble, and very hand- 
 some. The quays are very wide and beautiful. We 
 availed ourselves of the time for refreshment, for a 
 cursory view of this city, intending on our return to 
 take a fuller, and went by the Piazza dei Cavalieri 
 to the Duomo : the former has a large house belong 
 ing to the Knights of St. Stephen, with six Princes of 
 the House of Medicis in front, carved in stone. In 
 this square is a pedestrian statue of Cosimo I., the 
 founder of the order, making the number of these 
 Princes complete. Inscription : — 
 
 * Pisa, Genoa, and Lucca, in the dark period of the eleventh century- 
 appear to have been the most forward in asserting- their liberties. — Denina, 
 Rivoluzioni d' Italia. 
 
 -i- This account is probably i,'reatly exaggerated, 
 
444 PISA DUOMO LEANING TOWER. 
 
 Ordin P]q. S. Stephan. 
 
 Cosmo Medici M. Diici Etr. 
 
 Conditori ct Parenti 
 
 Suo Gloriosiss. perp. 
 
 Mem, C. statuam 
 E. Marmore Collocavit.* 
 
 Opposite, is an inscription to Ferdinand III., the 
 present sovereign. 
 
 About five minutes' hot walk, exposed to the 
 fierce rays of the meridian sun, brought us to the 
 square containing the Duomo, the famous leaning- 
 tower, the baptistery, and Campo Santo. The tower 
 called the Leaning-tower, containing the bells of the 
 Duomo, is about thirteen feet out of the perpendicular, 
 supposed to be occasioned by the sinking of the 
 foundation, though others ascribe it to art. This 
 famous tower, is round and built of marble, and 194 
 feet high. There are 153 steps, and it is said 
 that you may ascend on horseback. It is certainly 
 a handsome structure, incrusted with marble, having 
 eight stories, seven of them with colonnades, with 
 light elegant pillars, and the bottom one having pilas- 
 ters. The cathedral is a fine Gothic building 700 
 years old, lined with marble of different colours ; the 
 roof is flat, and of wood, gilt ; it has seventy-two 
 pillars, sixty of which are of granite. It has a choir, 
 nave, and two aisles ; at the end of the former is an 
 immense figure of the Deity and two Angels, in glass 
 painted and gilt ; part of the pavement is beautiful 
 Mosaic. The cupola was painted by Horatio Rimi- 
 
 *Thc Kniglits of St. Stephen erected this statue to Cosmo Medici, the 
 founder of the order, 8,'c. 
 
CATHEDRAL OP PISA. 445 
 
 naldi, and the subject is the Creation ; the high altar is 
 very rich, having the Assumption in agate and lapis 
 lazuli ; the principal altar was consecrated by Pope 
 Gelasio II. in 1119, as appears by the Latin in- 
 scription. 
 
 There are in the choir four fine pictures by Andrea 
 del Sarto, and in the body of the church is one of St. 
 Naize, by the same painter, reckoned the chef-d'oeuvre ; 
 there is also a handsome pulpit, carved by John 
 Pisano, supported by two pillars of Spanish marble 
 and porphyry. 
 
 The Duomo has four fine double doors of Bronze, 
 with basso relievo of the old and new Testament, by 
 Bonanno, and several painted windows below ; those 
 which were above were destroyed in the contest 
 between Florence and Pisa. The church is built, as 
 most of them are, in form of a cross ; it was nearly 
 consumed by tire in 1602, and rebuilt by Ferdinand L, 
 as is mentioned in a Latin inscription. Pisa is divided 
 by the Arno into two nearly equal parts. 
 
 Set oft* from Pisa* in the afternoon for Leghorn, dis- 
 tant fifteen miles. Three miles from the former place 
 is an old church just by the road, called S. Pietro in 
 Grado, about which there are various traditions, one of 
 which is this ; that though now situated at the entrance 
 of the wood of Leghorn, it formerly stood on the sea- 
 side, and was built on the spot where it is said St. 
 Peter was driven by a storm, when unable to enter 
 the mouth of the Tiber. The fifteen miles from Pisa 
 
 * Hinc Tyi'rhena vado frangentis jeqiiora Pisie. — Luc. Lib. 2. 
 
44.6 LEGHORN. 
 
 to Livorno is an open country, rich, and full of large 
 arm-houses, abounding in stacks of hay and corn ; 
 men, women, and children were employed in threshing 
 it out of doors, on a large areaf, with English flails. 
 The fields were full of cattle of all kinds, and the 
 whole presented a scene of life and activity highly 
 gratifying to those who had been accustomed to 
 English agriculture ; nor did this please us less than 
 the romantic views we had in the morning. The 
 peasants were cutting fern, which is much sown in 
 this country for the cattle in the winter. At a small 
 distance was the noble wood of Leghorn, well tim- 
 bered, and exhibiting the appearance of a fine English 
 wood. There were also many beautiful villas of 
 the Leghorn merchants scattered among the distant 
 hills. 
 
 Three miles from Leghorn, we crossed the Pisa 
 canal on a bridge, and soon arrived at Leghorn, which 
 we entered through two strong gates, and having un- 
 dergone the necessary forms of having our passports 
 examined, drove through many crowded streets to the 
 Black Eagle, on the other side of the Place d'Armes, 
 where we took up our lodging for the night. 
 
 t Et medio tostas sestu terit area fruges. — ViR. Georff. \. 
 
447 
 
 CHAP. LVIII. 
 
 Leg'horn — Extent — Population — Mixture of Inhabitants — Statue of Fer- 
 dinand — Pleasure Boats — Hackney Coaches — Harbour — Light-house— 
 Galley-Slaves — Grande Piazza — Principal Church — S. Ferdinando — 
 Church of Dominicans — English Burying Ground — Greek Catholic 
 Church — Greek Protestant Church— Jews' Synagogue — Aqueduct- 
 New Baths — Departure from Leghorn — Second Visit to Pisa — Col- 
 leges — Campo Santo — Aqueduct — Archiepiscopal Celebration of 
 Mass — New Road to Lucca — St. Frediano — Santa Maria — Pistoia 
 Prato — Porcelain Manufactory — II Castello — Return to Florence. 
 
 August 11. — LivoRNo, called by the French Li vourne, 
 and by the English Leghorn, is a modern commercial 
 sea-port, about two miles in circumference, built 
 chiefly by Ferdinand I., and improved by Cosimo IL 
 It contains about sixty thousand persons, of whom an 
 unusually large portion are Jews, and the quarter in 
 which they are is the most populous in the town, and 
 they are like a swarm of bees. The traveller coming 
 from Pisa, Florence, ^c, cities abounding in works of 
 art and elegance, must not expect to find them here, 
 but the change for a few days from the former, to a 
 lively and commercial city, is by no means unpleasant ; 
 the life and bustle, indeed, in this small place, are 
 wonderful ; and the streets, especially la Via Grande, 
 are so crowded that you can scarcely pass, being as 
 full of passengers as the busiest streets in London ; 
 and Turks, Jews, Armenians, ^c, are every where 
 to be seen, either walking, or sitting at the coffee- 
 
448 LEGHORN — PEDESTRIAN STATUE. 
 
 house doors, and smoking, with EngUsh, French, 
 Spaniards, and Dutch. There is a fine canal which 
 comes from Pisa, and is a great convenience to the 
 inhabitants, as the embouchure of the Arno is about 
 nine miles from Leghorn. 
 
 On this canal, which passes through the town, there 
 are pleasure-boats *, with an awning, curtains, &c., 
 continually passing, so that you may in many parts 
 row to your own door, and the fares are very mode- 
 rate. The canal is a great acquisition to Leghorn, 
 both as to provisions and transportation of mer- 
 chandise, as barges of a considerable size can go to 
 Pisa. 
 
 The only thing which merits attention, in regard to 
 sculpture, is the famous pedestrian statue of Ferdinand 
 I. in marble, with the four Turkish slaves in bronze 
 chained to the pedestal, who, attempting to steal a 
 Tuscan vessel, were executed by order of this Prince : 
 they are all larger than life, and remarkably well done, 
 particularly the slaves, whose countenances are 
 marked with a savage ferocity : Tacca was the 
 sculptor; this statue is on the quay. The harbour of 
 Leghorn is not so good as those of Genoa or Mar- 
 seilles, but is capable of containing vessels of three 
 hundred tons burden. There is an outer and inner 
 harbour ; on the right is la Forterezza Vecchia, in 
 which the galley slaves are lodged, these men are 
 
 * Of these there are more than two hundred, constantly plying- in dif- 
 ferent parts of the canal, harbour, mole, &c. There are also in this town 
 many hackney coaches, neat and convenient, drawn by one horse, and tlie 
 fares are very reasonable. 
 
COSIMO MOLE. 449 
 
 harbour ; on the right is La Forterezza Vecchia, in 
 which the galley slaves are lodged: these men are em- 
 ployed in the harbour or on shore, as occasion re- 
 quires, with a chain to their legs, and sometimes two 
 are chained together ; when their crimes are heinous 
 they are chained to the vessel in which they work. 
 We saw one of them in this manner, who they told us 
 had committed a murder ; as we rowed by the vessel 
 he bawled after us for charity, which we incautiously 
 gave him, not knowing his crime at the time. It is 
 very disgusting to meet these men continually in the 
 streets : we saw several afterwards at Pisa, chained 
 two and two*. On the left of the harbour is the 
 famous mole built by Cosimo II., and called the 
 Cosimo Mole, projecting into the sea as a bulwark 
 or jetty, forming one side of the harbour, and making 
 a pleasant walk for the inhabitants of Leghorn. The 
 day being fine, we took a pleasure boat, and rowed 
 into the bay. On our right were two towers of 
 defence, and on the left the noble light-house ; we 
 steered to the latter, intending to inspect it, and in 
 about half an hour's tight rowing, as the tide was con- 
 trary, we reached it ; it stands on a ridge of rocks 
 about a mile from the shore, and was built by Cosimo 
 I., and is kept in excellent repair ; there are two men 
 to attend to the lights, which are put up every night, 
 and they and their families live constantly in it : the 
 base of this building is considerable ; we ascended the 
 lantern which is one hundred and seventy-six feet 
 
 * They are dressed as at Genoa, Alessandria, &c., in red caps, and 
 appear cheerful, though their fare is very hard. 
 Vol. r. 8 G 
 
450 LA PIAZZA GRANDE. 
 
 from the sea, the circumference of it is about thirty-six 
 feet, and oil is made use of for the lights ; the stairs 
 are excellent and low, and we ascended without 
 fatigue : there are comfortable apartments for the two 
 families, and the building is in admirable state of re- 
 pair : as might be expected, we had an extensive view, 
 but were disappointed in not seeing Corsica and Elba, 
 which we were led to think would be in our view ; 
 we were indeed shewn what our guide said was the 
 latter, but it was not clearly discernible even through 
 a glass : it is sixty miles from Leghorn. 
 
 Gn our return we passed near the ships which wer6 
 performing quarantine, about a mile from the harbour, 
 and were hailed by a large boat with many Turks 
 and a Moor in it, the latter was steersman, and asked 
 our waterman if we would buy him, jocularly offering 
 himself for a thousand piastres * ; one of our company 
 offered one hundred, and the joke was carried on 
 some time with the tawny steersman ; we returned 
 much pleased with our little row. 
 
 August 12. — We traversed La Piazza Grande 
 (which is large and very handsome,) to the great 
 church, oil the outside of which is the following in- 
 scription : 
 
 Ferdinandus Med. Mag". Dux 
 Etrurise, fundamenta erexit. 
 
 It consists of a nave and choir, and is built in form of 
 a cross : the roof is painted and gilt, the high altar is 
 very handsome ; on the right and left of the choir are 
 two cupolas richly painted, and the roof over the high 
 
 * About two hundred and thirty pounds. 
 
CHURCH OP tHE OOMII^ICANS. 451 
 
 altar is also finely painted, and in the form of a half 
 cupola. There are in this church, several monuments 
 and pictures, and the marble pillars claimed our 
 attention as being very fine. 
 
 In the church of St. Ferdiriando, there are four fine 
 marble statues, two on each side : on the right are the 
 following inscriptions : 
 
 S. Ferdinandus Rex Castiliae, 
 
 S. Ludovicus nonus Galliarum Rex *, 
 
 on the left. 
 
 S. Edwardus Angliie Rex t, 
 S. Henricus Cogn. Pius, 
 Rom. Imp. et Germ. rex. 
 
 There are no dates, but the different times in which 
 these sovereigns lived is obvious. 
 
 The church of the Dominicans, has a large dome 
 and cupola in the centre, formerly painted, but now 
 plain. Over the high altar is the history of St. Ca- 
 tharine, painted by a Livornese. In a chapel on the 
 left, is a curious recess, containing a representation 
 of the stable in which Christ was born, with the Virgin 
 and many figures : in the stable were cows, ^c, and 
 the whole was very natural. In this church are like- 
 wise many recesses, each containing a figure of the 
 Redeemer in various stages of his passion. 
 
 We next bent our steps to the Enghsh burying 
 ground. This spot, rendered sacred by the remains 
 of so many of our countrymen, claimed much of our 
 
 * St. LeAvis so much distinguished in the crusade. 
 T Edward the Confessor. ^ 
 
 2 G 2 
 
452 IL CIMETERIO INGLESE. 
 
 attention ; it is about half a mile from the town, and 
 enclosed with a handsome balustrade and railing, and 
 no spot of its size can contain a greater number of 
 elegant monuments and tombstones. We entered the 
 hallowed ground which is called II Cimeterio Inglesey 
 and remained in it some time, indulging the melan- 
 choly pleasure of reading the inscriptions, which are 
 in various languages, as the subjects are of various 
 nations, English, Germans, Swedes, Danes, c^-c, so 
 that it may with more propriety be called the Protest- 
 ant, than the English burying-ground : among other 
 inscriptions, is a curious one, all in Greek, on James 
 Partridge ; it is very prolix, giving a long account of 
 his many virtues ; another in Italian, on Margaret 
 Rolle, Countess of Orford, and Baroness of Clinton ; 
 this illustrious female died at Pisa, January 13th, 1781. 
 Here, in short, were confounded in one common 
 mass the nobleman and the merchant, mechanic and 
 artist, husband and wife, father and child*. Here, 
 were inhabitants of Smyrna, Aleppo, Constantinople, 
 &c., arrested in their trading career by the cold and 
 unsparing hand of death ; hither were brought from 
 Rome, Naples, Pisa, Lucca, &c., those of our country- 
 men whom the thirst of curiosity or the attractions of 
 pleasure had induced to quit their native land, doomed 
 to revisit it no more, but to lay up their bones in a 
 
 • Quos circum, linius niger et deformis arunclo — VirgiLj Lib. 6. 
 
 Some meek inglorious Hampden liere may rest. 
 Some Cromwell guiltless of bis country's blood. 
 
 Gray's Elegy. 
 
GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH. 453 
 
 foreign clime. We quitted this interesting spot* in 
 the melancholy frame of mind naturally suggested 
 by the place ; and we were much hurt at finding it 
 much neglected, and in many parts choked up with 
 weeds and long grass, a circumstance which does not 
 reflect much credit on the factory, in the eyes of 
 strangers. 
 
 A family lives opposite the gate which has the 
 keys, and shews the ground, and which, as our con- 
 ductor told us, has had this place for three genera- 
 tions. 
 
 We next went to the Greek Catholic church f, which 
 is small, consisting of a nave and very small choir, the 
 roof flat and gilt. There were not more than three or four 
 present, who were chanting St. Luke's Gospel in Greek; 
 they had full black gowns, and very long beards, and 
 the priest when he officiated at the altar had very rich 
 vestments like the Roman catholic priests. The choir 
 was not open like the Roman Catholic churches, but 
 nearly closed up, leaving only small doors for entrance ; 
 they do not admit females into the choir. We would 
 not omit visiting the Jews' synagogue, which is 
 reckoned one of the largest and handsomest in Europe. 
 There is a long inscription in Latin, mentioning that 
 Francis IL, Emperor of Germany, and his consort 
 Maria Theresa honoured it with their presence, 
 March 3, 1739. 
 
 Among the useful works at Leghorn, the aqueduct 
 
 * Probably the momiment to the memory of Dr. Smollet is in this ex- 
 tensive cemetery, as in his Life it is said to be erected near Leghorn, 
 t Called the cliurch of Grceci Uniti. 
 
454 GREEK PROTESTANT CHURCH. 
 
 may be reckoned the first, which brings the water 
 from the mountain Colognole, distant twelve miles ; 
 the inhabitants are now supplied with good water, 
 which before was wanting. The aqueduct is about 
 three miles from Leghorn, and from that the water is 
 conducted under ground, covered over w^ith arched 
 brick- work. The new baths of Leghorn, also lately- 
 finished very highly with marble, at a great expense, 
 are well worth seeing ; they are between twenty and 
 thirty in number. Near them is the newly finished 
 gate of St. Mark, which is very handsome. We 
 finished our inspection, with the Greek Protestant 
 church : it consists of a nave and small choir enclosed 
 as in that of Graeci Uniti ; neither do they admit 
 females into the choir. The roof is painted, and there 
 is much painting in wood gilt, and many of the 
 Madonna and Christ. The sacramental vessels are 
 very rich, some of which were given by Catharine, 
 Empress of Russia, as her subjects attend this church: 
 the dress is nearly the same as that of the other 
 Greek church, and they chant select parts of the Bible 
 and Testament in Greek. 
 
 We were much pleased with our visit to this lively 
 town, and retired to our inn to make preparations for 
 our departure, though with regret. 
 
 August 14. — Left Leghorn for Pisa. The only new 
 thing we observed was horses treading out the corn in 
 some places on the road. The ox and heifer were 
 formerly made use of for this purpose*. 
 
 Second visit to Pisa. We first went into the church 
 
 * Deut. XXV. 4. — Hos. x. 11. 
 
PISA — CAMPO SANTO. 455 
 
 of St. Stephen, which is a fine building of marble, 
 with marble steps ; the chaplains, or rather canons, 
 partly dressed like the knights, were ranged in order 
 on each side in the choir, and were chanting vespers,. 
 The church consists of a nave and open choir, roof flat 
 and richly gilt ; on each side were large flags and 
 trophies taken from the Saracens, and Turks. Just by 
 is the venerable house of the knights ; the building 
 is old and large, but the rooms all unfurnished ; all 
 round were various arms in stone, basso relievo. 
 
 The Campo Santo, was formerly the burying- 
 ground of the city, and is said to be covered with 
 earth brought from the Holy Land*. 
 
 The cloisters are a fine piece of antiquity, above 
 six hundred years old ; there are four sides, and 
 they are thirty feet wide ; the whole is curiously 
 painted in fresco, by Giotto, with the history of 
 Job and the last Judgment + ; the pavement is almost 
 wholly of grave- stones, and there are several small 
 chapels in different parts of the cloisters with various 
 paintings ; the roof of the cloisters is of wood, with 
 joists and rafters, Hke a barn, and very old. In the 
 centre is the green formerly used as a burying- 
 ground ; all round the cloisters are Greek and Roman 
 antiquities ranged on one side, the most curious of 
 which is the tomb of Beatrix, mother of the Countess 
 Mathilda, with much basso relievo representing the 
 hunt of Meleager ; on the whole this may be esteemed 
 one of the most interesting spots of Pisa. 
 
 We next went to the University, consisting of many 
 
 * 2 Kings, V. 17. 
 
 i- Oraagna and Mennni also have enriched tliis building with their 
 paintiogs. 
 
456 UNIVERSITY AQUEDUCT. 
 
 colleges, and entered that of Sapienza, which is 
 reckoned one of the best, but were much disappointed, 
 as it was the vacation, and we saw nothing but empty 
 rooms. In this college and that of St. Ferdinando, 
 the students board and sleep, but in the others they 
 come only for lectures, boarding at their own houses. 
 These colleges have lectures in divinity, physic, 
 law, ^c. There are many professors, but they have 
 not large salaries. This university has been very fa- 
 mous, but like most of the others in Europe, is much 
 dwindled. 
 
 We concluded our walk with going to the Aqueduct, 
 distant about two miles, which brings water into the 
 city from a mountain about six miles distant. It con- 
 sists of five thousand arches, as we were informed. 
 On conversing with a gentleman who was (as it ap- 
 peared afterwards) a native of France, on the utility 
 of this work, he said " In the hands of the French it 
 would be useful, but in those of the Italians it is worth 
 little ; it is a noble aqueduct in appearance, but in- 
 effective, from want of management, losing half the 
 water before it arrives at its destined course :" and 
 on inquiry, we found that though his speech partook 
 of national vanity, there was some truth in his 
 remark. 
 
 Pisa* though much fallen from its former proud 
 
 * Pisa surrendered to Florence on honourable terms June IS, 1509, 
 after a noble struggle of fifteen years, and sustaining, with unexampled 
 firmness, the greatest hardships and deprivations. The Florentines used 
 their victory however with moderation, and treated the Pisans with 
 kindness. — Roscoe. 
 
 Pisa is said to have lost in the siege and troubles, twenty-five thousand 
 pereons,— Denina. 
 
DUOMo. 457 
 
 state, has many things to claim a stranger's attention ; 
 and we were by no means sorry at this second visit, 
 but retired to our evening quarters, to prepare for 
 going to the Duomo on the following day, when high 
 mass was to be administered by the archbishop in 
 person. 
 
 August 15. — Our party went to the Duomo, which 
 was very full, in expectation of the archbishop ; he 
 entered the church about ten, and his entry was an- 
 nounced by the striking up of the organ : the train of 
 his grace was held up by four men full-dressed ; 
 he had many canons who attended him, gentlemen 
 ushers, ^'c, in full-dress with swords, and seven ser- 
 vants in rich liveries ; his robe was chiefly scarlet. 
 He first went to an altar, where he knelt and made a 
 short prayer, and afterwards to a throne and canopy 
 prepared for him, where he read the service. He 
 changed his dress * several times, or rather the 
 priests in attendance, who were numerous, did it for 
 him ; there were two rich mitres likewise, which were 
 put on at different times : opposite were his seven ser- 
 vants, trainbearers, S'c, ranged in respectful silence. 
 Nothing could be richer than the robes and mitres of 
 this prelate. Every thing was conducted with great 
 order, and though there was such a crowd, no noise 
 was heard. We next went into the baptistery, which 
 is a round building with a plain cupola, built about 
 fifty years after the Duomo. In the centre is the font 
 of marble, pulpit of the same, supported by several 
 
 * Nothing; could give us a strono'er idea of the vain ceremonies and 
 pageantry of this religion, than the ceremony which we here witnessed. 
 
w 
 
 45^ LUCCA. 
 
 beautiful marble pillars, and much basso relievo on 
 the pulpit ; in the baptistery is a beautiful mosaic 
 pavement. 
 
 In the afternoon we set off for Lucca, changing the 
 road, and leaving the baths of Pisa on the right, and 
 regained the high road at Ripa Tratta ; having had a 
 beautiful drive through a sweet country, among corn- 
 fields, fruit-trees, and forests of oUves, growing from 
 the bottom to the top of the rocks. In our second 
 visit to Lucca * we visited the churches of St. Fre- 
 diano and Santa Maria dell Umilta ; the former has a 
 fine marble tower, but we looked in vain for the tomb 
 of Sa?ictus Ricardus Rex AnglicB, mentioned by many 
 travellers, and the sexton was unfortunately absent. 
 In the latter church is the bodj/ of St. Silao, in his mitre 
 and episcopal robes, in a glass case, conspicuously 
 placed in front of the high altar : his sister it seems 
 was superior of a convent at Lucca. 
 
 August 16. — Set off for Pistoia, distant twenty- 
 two miles from Lucca : nothing occurred in this second 
 journey but a charming view of the baths of Monteca- 
 tini, situated on the top of two romantic hills on the 
 left, near Borgo a Buggiano, in the midst of forests of 
 vines and fruit-trees ; these baths are much frequented, 
 and the village in which they are is most beautiful. 
 We went to the play at Pistoia, and were well 
 amused for an hour or two ; the house is very good for 
 a provincial one, but dark, and in a bad situation ; 
 
 » To so low an ebb was Lucca reduced at one time, tbat the sovereignty 
 of it was put up to auction by a troop of German deserters, and bought by 
 Glierardino Spinola, of Geijoa, in the fourteenth century. — Dbnina. 
 
T 
 
 PISTOIA — PRATO. 459 
 
 there are four rows of boxes, and in front, as usual, 
 a very large one for the sovereign. The actors were 
 tolerable, and the house crowded. 
 
 August 11. — We set out on our return to Florence, 
 changing our route, and taking Prato in our way ; the 
 country as usual was full of corn-fields and vineyards ; 
 the Indian corn in many parts was so forward, that 
 they were preparing to cut it. Prato is ten miles from 
 Pistoia, in the midst of a fertile and plentiful country, 
 taking its name probably from the meadows in its 
 neighbourhood. The city * is on the little river 
 Bizentio ; it is not large, but the inhabitants, of 
 whom there are ten thousand, are reckoned very in- 
 dustrious. 
 
 In the chapel of the Madonna, in the Duomo, is the 
 Cintola della Virgine, which is an object of great 
 veneration. There is much basso relievo in silver, 
 containing its history. On the outside of the cathe- 
 dral is a pulpit f fixed very high, from which the 
 bishop or the grand vicaire blesses this cintola three 
 times a year. La Chiesa delle Carceri is a handsome 
 church, built in the form of a cross, of the architecture 
 of Brunellesco. That of St. Vincenzo is small but 
 very elegant, roof stucco, and painted in fresco ; there 
 is also much gilding. There are several detached 
 pieces in basso relievo of marble. The church of St. 
 
 * Prato was taken and sacked by the Spaniards under Don Raymond 
 de Cardonne, 1312; its walls and fortifications were completely repaired in 
 }73S, by Cosimo I. — Roscoe. 
 
 t The two pulpits were by Michael Angelo. 
 
460 CINTOLA DELLA VIRGINE. 
 
 Francesco has a very large nave, and a large sar-^ 
 cophagus on a high pedestal fixed in the centre, with 
 this inscription : 
 
 Pulvis es, et in pulverem redibis *. 
 
 In this town is the noble and extensive college 
 Cicognini for the education of young men, which does 
 honour to the founder. As they were at dinner, 
 we could only take a cursory view of it, but it is on a 
 large plan, and has a large hall, kitchen, chapel, &c. 
 It was founded by a person of the name of Cicognini. 
 The Piazza Mercantile in this town is remarkably 
 large, but very dull ; that of Duomo is more lively; 
 in the whole, Prato has sufficient to employ a traveller 
 for two or three hours. 
 
 We left Prato f in the afternoon, and passed 
 through a fine fertile and pleasant country, full of 
 gardens stocked with the choicest fruit, even to the 
 foot of the mountains, and having on all sides 
 pretty villas, white houses, &c., of various forms. 
 In about five miles, leaving our coach, we walked 
 to Doccia, about tw^o miles from the high road, where 
 is the extensive porcelain manufactory of Ginori. 
 This we examined in all its stages : it is conducted at 
 a great expense, and much of the earth which makes 
 the ware is brought from France : what pleased us 
 most, was to hear that one hundred and fifty persons 
 are employed in this work : the proprietor is reaping 
 
 * Of ilust thou art, and slialtto dust return. — Ed. 
 •!• Pisa, Luc( a, Ijcefhorn, and Pistoia, are all paved with broad flat 
 stone, much the same as Florence. 
 
DOCCIA IL CASTELLO. 461 
 
 the reward of his useful labours, and has a princely 
 house just by. In one of the rooms, called the great 
 room, is the following line : 
 
 Concurrunt operi, Tellus, Neptunus et Ignis*. 
 
 Two miles more brought us to II Castello, a royal 
 villa, on our left, and three more to Florence. Thus 
 finished our little interesting excursion, in which we 
 saw much fine country and fertile fields f ; and al- 
 though it gave us temporary uneasiness to see such a 
 want of population in Pistoia, Pisa J, &c., yet it was 
 soon made amends for by the scene of bustle and 
 activity which presented itself on all sides in Leghorn ; 
 and on the whole we were much pleased with our 
 tour, which lasted eleven days, our three mules having 
 performed it with pleasure and ease, going about four 
 miles and a half an hour, but the road is so good, that 
 you may go with ease, post, in one day to Leghorn. 
 
 C HAPTER LIX. 
 
 Spedale degfli Innocenti — Marucellian Library — Palazzo Geriui — Santo 
 Spirito ant] del Carmine — Observations on the manners of the Floren- 
 tines — Farewell visit to the Gallery — Seminary — Departure from 
 Florence. 
 
 August 21. — Went to Lo Spedale degli Innocenti in 
 Piazza Annunziata. This is a noble foundation for 
 
 * Earth, fire, and water, all assist the work. — Ed. 
 
 f The wheat is so forward in Tuscany, that the Grand Duke has a roll 
 of new wheat made into bread on the 24th of June, and the wheat is sowed 
 late in the spring". 
 
 X It is remarked that Pisa, Sienna, &c,, liave gradually declined in popu- 
 lation ever since they have been annexed to Florence. 
 
462 LO SPEbALE DEGLl INNOCENTI. 
 
 helpless and exposed infants, founded above four hun- 
 dred years, by a private person : there are not many 
 in the hospital at a time, as they are sent to nurse in 
 the country, and kept there for some time : the boys 
 are kept till eighteen, and the girls till they are mar- 
 ried, or put out to service, or apprenticed : the rooms 
 are large and well adapted to the purpose, but one 
 thing pained and disgusted us much: in one room 
 were the infants supposed to be born of diseased 
 mothers ; and they were left to have the precarious 
 nourishment of goats' milk, as no nurse would supply 
 them ; the consequence of which was, that they were 
 suffered to die by inches, and their cries were most 
 distressing ; some of these poor little objects seemed 
 actiiallji/ dying, famished, with their bones almost 
 coming through their skin. We turned away with 
 pain from this scene of misery, and soon left the 
 house. There are ten or twelve female accoucheurs, 
 and more in training, lectures being regularly given, 
 as this is also a lying-in hospital. In front of the 
 Spedale are children carved in basso relievo, the 
 whole breadth of it. 
 
 Sept. 9. — Went to the Libreria Marucelliana in 
 Via Larga. This library was founded by Francesco 
 MaruceUi, a patrician of Florence in 1752, and con- 
 tains 40,000 volumes; although unequal in number of 
 books to the Magliabechian library, which contains 
 100,000, yet it possesses many valuable ones, par- 
 ticularly admirable editions of the Greek classics, and 
 many good atlasses. It consists of one large room 
 and two small ones, and has a statue of the founder 
 
LIBRERIA MARUCELLIANA. 463 
 
 at the upper end of the room; but what adds to the 
 comfort of this library, is the politeness and attention 
 of the librarian, who is a man of science and learn 
 ing, and ready to explain any thing to his visitants 
 This library is open to the public on Mondays, Wed 
 nesdays, and Fridays, from nine till half-past twelve 
 and has been considerably augmented since its in 
 stitution. 
 
 Sept. 14. — At Palazzo Gerini near the Duomo. This 
 is a handsome house, with nine rooms, which are 
 shewn to strangers ; the collection is large, but many 
 of the best pictures have been sold to the Grand Duke; 
 the Florentine nobles, and indeed those of many other 
 cities likewise, living beyond their income, are gra- 
 dually lessening their noble collections of paintings. 
 There are in the Gerini Palace 300 pictures, but many 
 of them by inferior masters. 
 
 First room. The roof was painted by Giuseppe 
 Zocchi ; among the pictures in this room, is one of 
 Tancred and Clorinda, by Biliverti; the other painters 
 are Luti, Zuccharelli, ^ c. 
 
 Second room. Madonna, by Pontelino ; a Domi- 
 nican, by Vignolli, ^c. ; the masters here are also 
 Salvator Rosa, Borgognone, ^c. 
 
 Third room. A beautiful one of the Three Graces 
 and Venus, by Vasari ; opposite is its companion. 
 Triumph of Bacchus, ^-c. 
 
 Fourth room. A fine picture of Prometheus, by S. 
 Rosa ; Landscape, by Bassano ; a Dead Christ, by 
 Marinati ; Battle-piece, by Borgognone, and a beau- 
 tiful Madonnina, by Corregio. • 
 
464i PALAZZO GERINI. 
 
 Fifth room. Much painting in fresco in this small 
 room, by Tocchi, and some figures painted on glass. 
 
 Sixth room. The painters in this are Cortona, 
 Borgognone, Pandolfo, and though last, not least, 
 Salvator Rosa. 
 
 Seventh room. Belisarius, by Lanfranco* ; an 
 Old Man's Head, by Paul Veronese ; a beautiful St. 
 Francis, by Cigoli ; Bronzino and Salvator Rosa have 
 likewise enriched this room with their paintings. 
 
 Eighth room. This is the state gallery, and is rich 
 in paintings, by the first masters ; among them a 
 beautiful portrait, by Bronzino ; Marriage of St. 
 Catharine, by Paul Veronese ; Madonna, by Perru- 
 gino ; Holy Family, by Raphael ; many by Albano 
 and Bronzino; beautiful View of Shipping, &c., by 
 Salvator Rosa ; portrait by the incomparable Carlo 
 Dolci ; St. Joseph, by Guido ; two fine portraits by 
 Titian ; Holy Family, by Fra. Bartolomeo ; for this 
 excellent painting 1800 sequins have been refused by 
 the family. A Madonna, by Hamiibal Caracci; a 
 portrait of Masaniello, by Bronzino. Caravaggio 
 has also adorned this room with his labours : the ceil- 
 ing was painted in fresco, by Bilberti. In the whole 
 this palace has a large collection, and though in the 
 first rooms several are by painters not much known, 
 yet are you made ample amends by the great gallery, 
 which contains many pictures by the first masters. 
 
 Sept. 16. — We saw two churches which we had 
 too long neglected seeing, and both of them elegant ; 
 
 * He is more known by the name of Parmigiani. This painter was 
 born in 15S), and died in 1G47. 
 
SANTO SPIRITO — DEL CARMINE. 465 
 
 those of Santo Spirito and Del Carmine. The former 
 is of the architecture of Brunellesco, and of the Corin- 
 thian order: it consists of a nave, small choir, and two 
 aisles, but what attracts the attention principally, is 
 the magnificent high altar, by Michelozzi ; the sides 
 are inlaid with most costly materials, pietra dura, 
 lapis lazuli, &c. It is surrounded by a beautiful 
 octangular gallery of marble, and the altar is sup- 
 ported by double rows of marble pillars : it is valued 
 at 100,000 crowns. Before the altar are two very 
 large candlesticks of solid silver. Santo Spirito be- 
 longs to the Convent of Augustins, of whom there 
 are but twenty-four, there is a handsome plain dome 
 to the church, and the roof is flat and painted. The 
 church of the Carmes is an elegant modern building, 
 consisting of a nave and small choir. There are 
 several handsome domes ; the ceiling is beautifully 
 painted in fresco. There are also several paint- 
 ings by Vasari ; but what attracts most attention 
 is the chapel, in which is buried S. Andrew Corsini, 
 bishop of Fiesole. His figure is in alto relievo 
 and white marble ; underneath is much basso re- 
 lievo in silver, by Foggini, representing the transfer 
 of his body (when he was canonized by Pope Urban 
 VIIL,) from Fiesole to his chapel, in 1683. There is 
 a long inscription celebrating his virtues ; he died 
 in 1374<. On the right and left are monuments 
 of two of the Corsini family ; that on the former, 
 of Cardinal Corsini, who was employed in many 
 embassies: there is much carving in alto relievo. 
 
 Vol. I. 2H 
 
466 SANTO SPIRITO — DEL CARMINE. 
 
 representing a battle, in which St. Andrew is 
 seen sword in hand doing wonders against the 
 enemies of the church. The cupola in this chapel 
 is painted by Lucca Giordano; in the chapel of the 
 Madonna are also some good pictures of Masaccio. 
 This church which was built about fifty years ago, is 
 exacdy in the form of a cross. The inscription is, 
 
 D. O. M. 
 
 In Honorem B. M. V". 
 De Monte Carnie. 
 
 As we were making preparations for leaving 
 Florence after a very agreeable residence in it of 
 nearly six months, it may not be amiss to insert some 
 observations on the Florentine and Tuscan manners, 
 which may be depended upon, as communicated by a 
 respectable native and inhabitant of Florence. 
 
 The Florentines are naturally gay and lively, 
 very fond of dancing, and in the winter there are 
 many balls ; the dances most in fashion are waltzes 
 and quadrilles. 
 
 Although it is very hot* three months in the sum- 
 mer, June, July, and August f, yet the inhabitants 
 contrive, with large rooms and different aspects, and 
 Venetian blinds close shut, to keep themselves to- 
 lerably cool. They take great quantities of ices, 
 and have the water and wine which they use, regu- 
 
 * The dress of the inhabitants is so slight, particularly the females, as 
 almost to approach a state of nudity ; and indeed many of both sexes of the 
 lower orders sleep without linen in the hot weatlicr. 
 
 t The stranger coming- from a northern climate is much struck in his 
 evening walks at the Jire-Jty ; the air is entirely illuminated with these little 
 insects, resembling so many sparks of fire. 
 
FLORENTINES. 467 
 
 larly cooled with ice, which you find at all the coffee- 
 houses and restaurateurs, and is to be bought very 
 reasonably by a private family. There is Ukewise in 
 the hottest weather usually a fine breeze, which tem- 
 pers the heat. The winters are generally mild, but 
 they have sometimes snow and frost* , which lasts a 
 short time, when the ice is two or three inches thick. 
 The concourse of foreigners at Florence is very great, 
 particularly English, who make it a favourite place of 
 residence ; there are frequently also many Russians. 
 
 Besides dancing, the Florentines are very fond of 
 theatrical amusements, hunting, and making parties 
 into the country : their equipages are very pomp- 
 ous, and they strain every nerve to procure them. 
 Music also is a favourite amusement ; but learning, 
 the belles lettres, sciences, the history of their 
 country, geography, mathematics, ^c, are too much 
 neglected among them, and even the most distin- 
 guished of their nobility are sadly defective in these 
 essentials. 
 
 The education of the Florentine females is also 
 much neglected ; they know nothing of arithmetic, 
 and it is even said that many of them can scarcely 
 write their names. The farmers in the neighbourhood 
 of Florence are often men of great substancef, and the 
 
 * Ccelum est hyeme frigiduin et gelidum. 
 
 Pmn. Epis. lib. 5. epis. 6. 
 Tlie winters are cold and chilly 
 
 t The civility and even urbanity of the Tuscan peasants are such as to 
 merit general approbation. Fellcissima sera, and Felicissima notte, are 
 heard by the stranger on all sides in his walks. 
 
 Sic t'ortis Etrurla crevit. 
 
 ViR. Georg. 
 
 2H2 
 
468 FLORENTINES. 
 
 dress of their wives ridiculously expensive ; many of 
 them wearing pearl necklaces, which are worth 100 
 guineas*, and gowns trimmed with gold tissue which 
 cost 50/. Many Tuscan families trust the education 
 of their sons to women of an inferior class till they are 
 twelve years old, and then to ignorant priests of no 
 education, so that their pupils make a very indifferent 
 figure. The Florentines, and indeed the Italians in 
 general, travel but little, but pass their time in the 
 amusements of their own country. 
 
 The citizens are usually more instructed and more 
 polite than the nobles, and their conversation more 
 animated and pleasing ; the latter, as they are badly 
 educated, so are they proportionably fierce and 
 haughty ; the priests, who have the care of the education 
 of their sons, being often the sons of low farmers, are 
 ill calculated to instil proper notions into the minds of 
 their pupils ; the consequence of which is, that they 
 often are not well enough acquainted with their own 
 language to speak it, much less to write it, with pro- 
 priety. Music, dancing, and a little drawing are held 
 in greater esteem by them than learning. 
 
 The ladies of Tuscany think it beneath them to in- 
 terfere with dom.estic concerns ; the stewards manage 
 every thing, and are consequently very rich when 
 their principals are poor. The husbands amuse them- 
 selves with hunting, riding, or taking airings in car- 
 
 * The wardrobe of .1 rich farmer's bride, necklaces, watch, ^c, is often 
 estimated at 600 g-uineas, and one of their wedding's is very curious ; 
 there is frequently a procession of twenty-five or thirty chairs and light 
 carts. 
 
FLORENTINES. 469 
 
 riages, hardly ever wall<ing. The ladies when they 
 are married are at perfect liberty to do as they please 
 without consulting their husbands ; they may go out 
 alone or in company from morning till night, and 
 amuse themselves as they choose*. 
 
 The first week after marriage is usually passed in 
 the country, with much company and in all sorts of 
 amusements. Many relations and friends of the new- 
 married couple are assembled at their house in order 
 to do them honour; one of the first steps of the bride is 
 to take a cavaliere servente or cicisbeo, who comes in 
 and goes out at all hours to her toilet or any part of 
 the house, without being accountable to the husband 
 or any one, and this disgraceful custom is in as great 
 force as ever; nay, if the husband endeavoured to 
 put a stop to it, he would be the laughing-stock of his 
 friends, and not able to go into company. 
 
 The nobles of Florence and Tuscany lead, in short, 
 a completely lounging life, sleeping much, eating 
 often, and playing much at billiards and cards ; they 
 are much addicted to sensual pleasures, and look with 
 contempt on foreigners, and citizens. At Florence, 
 as in many other cities, strangers are so imposed on, 
 that they hardly know what to offer for goods. Even 
 in the great shops, they frequently take half what they 
 ask. In the conversaziones even of persons of rank, 
 there are often many present, who privately laugh at 
 strangers ; the Florentine ladies in particular, who 
 
 * The writer of this hopes that this account will not be thought severe 
 or overcharged ; having it from most respectable persons, natives of the 
 country, he has not hesitated to insert it. 
 
470 FLORENTINES, 
 
 have a turn for satire, turn into ridicule their dress, 
 and manners. 
 
 There are many clergy, and numbers of monks *, 
 though not so many as formerly : although there are still 
 fifteen convents of men in Florence. The former are 
 in general men of low birth, and ignorant and un- 
 educated men, in spite of the celebrated university of 
 Pisa. Some of the canons are an exception ; they are 
 sometimes men of family, and of course ashamed of 
 being ignorant of that knowledge so essential to a 
 clergyman f. The manners of the farmers are much 
 more simple and natural: they cultivate their -land, 
 and are very attentive to agriculture and gain. The 
 peasants are early risers, and very frugal livers, and 
 their wives fond of dress. 
 
 Criminal processes. — It is very difficult, as with 
 us, to recover stolen goods ; it is necessary to have 
 strong proof, and much time and patience of course. 
 When a thief is taken in the very act of robbing, for 
 the first offence, he is committed to prison for a few 
 days, and then set at liberty ; the second offence he is 
 imprisoned for some months ; and the third time, sent 
 to the galleys for a term of years ; so that under these 
 circumstances, a man may commit depredations twice 
 
 ' * The monks of the thirteenth century did not only contribute to the 
 cultivation and progress of the liberal arts and sciences, but were also very 
 active in promoting manufactories and mechanics, which was the foundation 
 of the lucrative commerce of the Italians. The UmUiati were the fabri- 
 cators of woollen cloth, and silver and gold tissue ; the latter for the use of 
 churches. — Denina, lib.\2. cap. 6. 
 
 t The income of the canons is about £100 a-year ; that of the Grand 
 Vicar £200, and the inferior clergy from £40 to £50. 
 
CRIMINAL PROCESSES. 471 
 
 almost with impunity, and the proceedings are more 
 favourable always to the robber than the robbed ; and 
 when the things lost are trifling they pay but little 
 attention to the report in the court. It is by no means 
 uncommon to see fellows who have been tivice com- 
 mitted to the galleys, walking about the streets at full 
 liberty to pursue their old courses. Murder is not 
 often punished with death, but the criminal is sent to 
 the galleys. 
 
 Owing to the laxity of the laws, in no towns are 
 there greater numbers of idle bad characters, lounging 
 about, and having no visible means of sustenance, 
 than at Florence and Leghorn ; a stranger is accosted 
 by them, under pretence of shewing them the way 
 to the place where they are going ; but he should be 
 cautious in general not to accept their services. 
 These men are suffered to go about for some time, 
 and then taken up by the police many at a time. 
 
 Wine. — Authors seem divided about the strength 
 of ancient and modern wine*. The modern Italians 
 must be confessed to be very sober and temperate, 
 like the French ; but if we are to believe the accounts 
 of the ancient writers, particularly Horace f, their 
 wines had the intoxicating or rather exhilarating quahty 
 
 * The good table wine is about threepence an English bottle ; Aleatico, 
 which is a superior sort and excellent, eleven-pence a bottle ; these are the 
 wines chiefly drank. 
 
 t Nunc vino pellite curas. — 
 
 Lib. \.od.7.v. 31. 
 Illic omne malum vino cantisque levato. 
 
 Epod. lib. Oil. 13. V. 25. 
 
472 WINE MECHANICS — ^TAXES. 
 
 which we do not find at present, and yet the vine, 
 particularly in Tuscany, is cultivated with the most 
 assiduous care ; the difference, therefore, can only be 
 imputed to two causes, the different position of the 
 vineyards, or different heat of the sun. 
 
 Mechanics. — As much as the Itahans excel in the 
 elegant arts of life, so much are they defective and 
 behindhand in common mechanics ; and to find a 
 drawer, bolt, or lock perform its functions properly, is 
 rare and almost impossible. In this, indeed, they are 
 much behind even the French. 
 
 Taxes. — The taxes are very high in Florence and 
 Tuscany. Shopkeepers pay five per cent, upon their 
 goods, but the private individuals much more ; indeed 
 in some cases, enormously. A gentleman of high re- 
 spectability and a Knight of St. Stephen, on whose 
 veracity we can rely, assured us, that he pays twenty 
 per cent, on his income, in the different articles of 
 taxation*. 
 
 They are now employed in equalizing them, as at 
 present they act partially high, and in many cases 
 oppressively. In Bonaparte's usurped reign, the 
 taxes are said to have been much higher. With re- 
 gard to the air of Florence, it is indisputably very 
 healthy f, as appears from the countenance of the in- 
 habitants, and from the great age of many of them. 
 
 * All are obliged to tlie g^o to Pelazzio Veccliio four times a-year, and 
 pay their taxes at the office. 
 
 t Pliny says that the Tuscan air on the coast is not only heavj', but 
 pestilential; and adds, tliat the country borderins;; on the A ppeninc, tlic 
 healthiest of mountains, is sound. — Plin. Epis. lib. 5, cpis. 6, 
 
FESTIVALS. 473 
 
 The Countess of A y*, is an instance of this 
 
 among many others ; this venerable female is 70, 
 and enjoys very good health, having regular parties 
 at her house without appearing to feel the infirmities 
 of age. Any one may kill game in this country, but it 
 is scarce and dearf compared with France. 
 
 The festivals and half festivals are numerous, to the 
 great injury of trade, as the shops are shut up, and 
 every thing but pleasure is neglected. It is the duty 
 of all to go to mass every festival ; the theatres on 
 these days are crowded ; but in the minor ones, the 
 plays are often stupid and uninteresting. In the 
 whole there are seven theatres, which in the Carnival 
 are usually full. 
 
 . After paying a farewell visit to the gallery, (that 
 noble repository of the arts, and fashionable resort at 
 Florence, where, sheltered from the heat in summer 
 and the cold in winter, the stranger can please his 
 eye and instruct his mind) ; we went to the seminary 
 which is a large and very convenient building, with 
 broad covered corridors, in which are the different 
 apartments. There are at present but eighty boys, 
 but it is capable of containing many hundreds, and 
 there are sixteen professors. It was formerly a Con- 
 vent of Carmelites, and here S. Maria Maddalena 
 di Pazzi died, who is almost adored ; they shew you 
 the room in which she died ; her statue, as well as that 
 of St. Bernardo, are in the courts, and there is a 
 
 * This lady is sister to the late Cardinal York, and the last of the 
 Pretender's family. 
 
 t A small hare is 2i., and partridges 2s. 6d. a brace, and woodcocks in 
 proportion. 
 
474* DEPARTURE FROM FLORENCE. 
 
 curious inscription, mentioning a celebrated vision 
 which the former had. The expense for each boy at 
 this seminary is only five crowns a month. The garden 
 is large and convenient ; the church has a remarkably 
 large and handsome cupola, with paintings represent- 
 ing Paradise. All the chapels on each side have like- 
 wise painted cupolas. This church is a handsome 
 modern building about 150 years old. 
 
 Oct 5. — Left Florence, (after six months' residence), 
 with great regret ; there is no town in which a family 
 may pass some time with greater pleasure than this» 
 whether the cleanliness of the place be considered, its 
 regular amusements, the beauty of the environs, or 
 the numerous promenades : it must, in fact, be con- 
 fessed to be one of the most agreeable Cisalpine towns, 
 and the best calculated for a long residence; and we 
 accordingly bade it adieu in the words of an unfor- 
 tunate queen*, " Non adeunda vale." 
 
 CHAPTER LX. 
 
 La Croce — Torre RapogUa — Banks of the Arno — Montevarchi — Levane 
 — Arezzo — Country rich and Views interesting- — Montaigfn — Departure 
 from Montaign — Camuccia — Pomegranate Hedge — Cortona — Ossaia— * 
 Vestiges of the Battle of Thrasymene — Lake of Perugia — Farewell 
 to Tuscany — Sanguinetti — TorricelLa — Exercise of two Virtues — Re- 
 flections caused by the Lake — View of, and arrival at, Perugia- 
 Citadel — Duomo — Collegio del Gambio — St. Peter — Piazza del Duomo. 
 
 Oct. 5. — We set off from Florence at six in the morn- 
 ing. The first part of the road the country is hilly, 
 
 * Mary, Queen of Scots. 
 
 Buxtona quse calidse, ^c. 
 Non adeunda vale. 
 
LA CROCE TORRE RAPOGLIA. 475 
 
 and full of olive trees, vineyards, and all kinds of fruit, 
 and the white houses interspersed make the landscape 
 interesting and beautiful. 
 
 Four miles from Florence, La Croce, a small vil- 
 lage. The face of the country now soon changes, being 
 rocky and the soil not so good. Nine miles from Flo- 
 rence we came to a beautiful winding hill, on the top 
 of which to the left is a tower, called Torre Rapoglia, 
 and five farther, Piano della Fonte, where we dined. 
 The situation of this place is very romantic, being 
 almost surrounded with hills ; near it is Incisa, two 
 posts* from Florence. We had just before passed a 
 little way on the banks of the Arno, which is here 
 shallow and formed into a cascade quite across it, 
 which has a pretty effect, and is done to supply some 
 mills with water : from the road which is elevated, we 
 had a good view of it. Three miles farther, Ponte 
 Kosso, over a branch of the Arno, and near it Figlino, 
 which appears to have been a place of some con- 
 sequence formerly, by its gates, walls, ^c. We had 
 for some time, on our left, the mountains of Terra 
 Nuova, and we had shortly a distant view of the 
 Apennines ; the road now was even, and we passed 
 within a few miles of Valombrosa, so much resorted 
 to by the curious traveller. 
 
 The road still continuing fine, we passed through a 
 delicious country to S. Giovanni, a small market 
 town, with gates, good arcades, and the remains of 
 walls, having still a distant view of the Apennines 
 
 * The posts vary, but are here about seven miles. 
 
476 MONTEVARCHI — VALDARNO. 
 
 and Valombrosa*, and soon came to Montevarchi, 
 where we took up our quarters for the night at Lo- 
 canda Maggiore, an excellent inn. Montevarchi is a 
 small but populous town, containing 8,000 persons, 
 and is in a beautiful situation. 
 
 This day's journey was through a fine plain called, 
 from the river Arno, Valdarno, of which Montevarchi 
 is the capital, and which has one of the best corn- 
 markets in Tuscany. The country, though populous 
 and fruitful, is in some parts rocky ; men, women, and 
 children were employed in the vintage, and every 
 thing exhibited the appearance of industry and com- 
 fort. The peasants were very civil, bringing in their 
 grapes, for which they would receive nothing. The 
 source of the Arno is not far from Valombrosa. In 
 this neighbourhood have been found at different times 
 elephant bones, supposed to have been those of the 
 elephants of Hannibal. This day we went about 
 twenty-six miles. 
 
 Oct. 6. — Leaving Montevarchi, we proceeded 
 through a level road to Levane, the next post, four 
 miles distant, and ascending a long hill, had a fine 
 view of the rich and extensive vale through which we 
 had passed. The face of the country now changed ; 
 
 * There arc three sanctuaries, eacli very curious : the first, the IMonas- 
 tery of Valombrosa, twenty miles from Florence, celebrated for being- the 
 cradle of the order of the monks so called. In a solitary place, twenty-five 
 miles N. E. of Valombrosa, near the source of the Arno, in Cassentino, is 
 the other sanctuary of Camaldoli, and at twenty miles E. from Camaldoli 
 is Calvernia, distant thirty miles from Arezzo, which is the third sanctuary, 
 and served as a retreat for St. Francis. It was formerly in possession of 
 the reformed Franciscans. In the neighbourhood of Camaldoli the top of 
 the Apennines is so elevated, that the two seas may be seen from it.—' 
 Itinerario Italiano. 
 
LEVANE^AREZZO. ^ 477 
 
 it became bold and rocky, and the soil in many parts 
 sandy : there were also forests of large oaks and 
 various other trees. Turnips were plentiful, and 
 numbers of fine pigs*, which would not disgrace an 
 English farm-yard, were feeding on acorns f, while 
 the road was scented J with the wild thyme growing 
 in the woods. Twenty miles from Montevarchi is 
 Arezzo, at which city we arrived between rows of 
 mulberry and fruit-trees. 
 
 Arezzo is a fine old town, the Aretium § of the Ro- 
 mans, situated partly in a bottom, and partly on the de- 
 clivity of a hill, containing ten thousand people ; it is 
 celebrated for being the birth-place of Mecaenas 1|, the 
 patron of learning in the Augustan age. 
 
 Just by the duomo in the public walk is a fine pe- 
 destrian statue of this distinguished man, on a high 
 pedestal, with the following inscription ; he is dressed 
 
 * They have a singular custom of shaving their hogs in this country ; it 
 is presumed tliat the grunting- race is more quiet tlian ours, or they would 
 not submit to the operation. 
 
 t Glande sues Iseti redeunt.(a) 
 
 ViR. II. Georff, V. 520. _ I^^^ 
 
 % ' Redolentque thyrao fragrantia mella. 
 
 ViR. Georg. 
 § Aretium, Perasia, and Cortona, which wei e at that time esteemed the 
 chief cities of Etruria sent ambassadors to Rome to ask for peace and 
 alliance ; they obtained a truce for thirty years. — Liv. dec. 1. lib. 9. 
 cap. 25. 
 
 II This illustrious statesman appears to have been a man of peculiar 
 sweetness of disposition, and to have had the art of tempering dignity 
 with ease ; the poets and learned men lived with him in the greatest 
 freedom and familiarity.— Hor. Sat. lib. 1, Sat. 5. Sat. lib. 2. Sat. C. 
 V. 40. 
 
 (a) With acorns fed, the grunting- tribe returns, 
 
 And other food, though more nutritious, spurns.~ED. 
 
*478 MECiENAS — GUIDO TARLATI. 
 
 in the Roman costume, holding in his hand a crown 
 of laurel: 
 
 C. Clinio 
 
 Mecsenati Arclino 
 
 Concives 
 
 Tanto nomine decorati 
 
 C. 
 
 Prid. Idus Mail 
 
 Cl3l3CCXIX 
 
 L. D. S. C* 
 
 This does great honour to the Aretinians. Arez- 
 zo also gave birth to Aretino, the satirical poet. 
 Here too George Vasari was born ; we passed his 
 house, but saw no paintings in fresco, which we were 
 led to expect. 
 
 The duomo is a fine rich specimen of Gothic archi- 
 tecture with many painted windows ; the church is 
 thirteen hundred years old, and has a painted roof: 
 Marsaritone was the architect. 
 
 There is a beautiful monument of Guido Tarlati, 
 Bishop of Arezzo, ornamented with much basso re- 
 lievo in marble, representing the battles between the 
 Aretines and Florentines. The grand altar, by G. 
 Pisani, is a very fine specimen of basso relievo, in 
 marble, representing the miracles of S. Donato, 
 second bishop of Arezzo, who is their tutelar saint 
 and honoured and worshipped ahnost as a deity. 
 In the sacristy are three fine pictures of Vasari, 
 and in the chapel of the Madonna are many paintings, 
 and much basso relievo made of the earth of the 
 country, which was much celebrated in the time of the 
 
 * Proud of their fellow-citizen, the Arezzians have erected this statue 
 to Meceenas, &c. &c. 
 
MONTAIGN. 479 
 
 Romans ; it much resembles porcelain. There are 
 also two fine pulpits sculptured in basso relievo, by 
 Pisani; and in the whole, this cathedral contains 
 much to attract the stranger's attention. 
 
 At Arezzo are the remains of an amphitheatre, and 
 remains only : it is a neat town, well paved, but not 
 very populous; some of the streets are on a remarkably 
 sharp ascent. The public walk is broad and very 
 handsome, and in a most elevated situation. Near 
 the cathedral is the bishop's palace, whose revenues 
 are not large, but his house is good, and had the 
 honour of being occupied some time by the emperor; 
 he is a prince of the holy Roman empire*. 
 
 Leaving Arezzo vv^e proceeded by an excellent 
 road, through a plain for two or three miles, and then 
 gradually ascended, till we arrived at a fine country 
 full of fruit-trees, and live hedges of Juniper, Privet, 
 ^c, which continued to Montaign, an inn so called, 
 where we passed the night. Just by, on the left, is a 
 royal village, with a tower and house of the Grand 
 Duke. We passed near several venerable towers 
 built on the top of the hills ; and our journey this 
 day was thirty miles, the road very pleasant with 
 gentle ascents and descents. 
 
 Oct. 7. — At five weleft Montaign, and at three miles 
 distance we beheld romantic hills studded with white 
 houses, with churches and towers in abundance; 
 
 * Arezzo capitulated to Csesar Borgia in 1501. — Roscoe. 
 
 It came to terms with the Prince of Orang-e, the imperial general, in 
 1529, and a new citadel was built in 153S, by Cosimo I, This town is 
 also famous for the progress which the Ghibellins made in it in 1288 
 under its Bishop Guglielmino, — Amwirato. 
 
480 CAMUCCIA— CORTONA OSSAIA. 
 
 five miles farther was Camuccia: we had now hedges 
 of pomegranate loaded with fruit, and the comitry was 
 most lovely. A little farther on we passed near the an- 
 cient town of Cortona *, and near this, Ossaia, the con- 
 fines of Tuscany, where our passports were examined. 
 On an adjoining house is the following inscription : 
 
 Nomen liabet locus liic Ossaia ab ossibus istist 
 
 Quae dolus Annibalis fudit et hasta siinul. 
 
 Eques Johannes Pancratius 
 
 Pancrati redegit. 
 
 A. D. 17S4. 
 
 A human skeleton was dug up last year, and we were 
 shewn many bones ; and were told that in plough- 
 ing and digging, many vestiges of the battle of 
 Thrasymene, so fatal to the Romans, and disgraceful 
 to the consul, are frequently found. 
 
 On passing this interesting classic spot, we could 
 not help making reflections upon the present pacific 
 state of the Roman government, and the turbulent one 
 of the former tyrannical masters of the world ; though 
 it must be confessed that we were reaping the benefit 
 of their plans and improvements in those noble roads, 
 which have been the admiration of ages, and have 
 lasted even to our own times. In the account of this 
 battle we find that Hannibal, having taken posses- 
 sion of the heights, attacked the consul in front, and 
 cut off his retreat J, opposing to him in front a strong 
 
 • Cortona was formerly one of the chief towns of Etruria. — Vid. Liv. 
 
 t From Roman bones Ossaia takes its name, 
 Affording; trophies of the Punics fame. — Ed. 
 'I It appears that this battle was lost by an ambush contrived by the 
 Carthaginian chief. 
 
BATTLE OP THRASYMENE. 481 
 
 corps at the straight passage of Papignano ; it is 
 said that ten thousand were buried at Ossaia, and it 
 is certain that human bones are continually found 
 there*. Ascending a short hill, we soon came in view 
 of the beautiful and interesting lake of Thrasymenef , 
 now called the Lake of Perugia, which is about thirty 
 
 * Livy gives this account of the battle, " Annibal quod agri est inter 
 Cortonain urbem, Thrasymeuumque lacuiu omui clade belli pervastat 
 quo magis iram hosti ad vindicandas socioruin injurias acuat :" and the 
 s^o^ is thus described, " et jam perreuerunt ad loca insidiis nata (a) ubi 
 inaxime monies Cortonenses Thrasymenus subit." 
 
 The confusion arising from tlie unexpected attack is described in the 
 following animated terms by the historian, " vix ad arma capienda 
 aptandaquc pugna competeret animus ;" they could scarcely compose 
 their minds sufficiently to take their arms, and put on their armour • there 
 were slain in this engagement forty thousand Romans. As we were de- 
 tained to pay our fees at the Dogana, we could not help making some 
 reflections on the difference of the times. The ground formerly trodden by 
 the Punic chief with his army and elephants, was now occupied by the 
 officers of the papal Dogana ; but the former were influenced by the same 
 motives as the latter, though proceeding by different means to attain their 
 end ; and avarice was one cause of the proceedings of Hannibal as it is 
 of the latter in their extortions on the public ; as indeed most of the ac- 
 tions of mankind may be ascribed either to avarice or ambition. We left 
 the place heaving a sigh to the memory of the illustrious chief, who was so 
 nearly ruining the Roman empire, and who must have ruined it, had he 
 been properly supported ; nor could we think on these masters of the world 
 without contempt and indignation, when we reflected on their mean con- 
 duct in pursuing this commander to his death, whom they so much feared 
 M'hen he was cdiveCbJ. 
 
 t ac sua largo 
 
 Stagna reformidet Thrasymenus turbida tabo. 
 
 Sil. Itat. lib. I. v. 4S. 
 (a) Calculated foran ambush. 
 
 (li)When we coDsIder the bold attempt of Hannibal, the disadvantages under 
 which he laboured, his want of resources, his fertile invention in snpplvin'^ 
 this want, the number of enemies which laboured to ruin him, and the seem- 
 ingly insurmountable obstacles •which he overcame ; bringing- a mighty 
 kingdom to the brink of ruin, bv his courage, boldness, and perseverance • he 
 must be considered as one of the greatest generals to be met with in ancient 
 history. — Ed. 
 
 A^oL. I. 2 1 
 
482 LAKE OP THRASYMENE. 
 
 miles in circumference, and in some places four miles 
 across ; the sides are hilly, and full of olive-trees, 
 oaks, &c. 
 
 At Spelonca we entered the papal state, and as 
 usual were visited^ at Casa del Piano ; shordy after 
 we came to the bridge called Sanguinetti, supposed to 
 have been the place in which the before-mentioned 
 celebrated battle was fought, on the left of which is 
 an old Roman fort ; three miles from hence was a 
 hill highly cultivated, and full of olive and oak-trees. 
 In the lake of Perugia so interesting to the traveller, 
 are several islands, and much traffic on it with fish- 
 ing-boats. 
 
 Seven miles from the Dogana, we left the lake and 
 ascended the hill of Torricella, which is about a mile 
 in height ; from the top of it is a noble view of the 
 lake and country ; this hill was so steep that our 
 vetturino took two oxen. On the top is a venerable 
 Roman tower crowned with ivy, which gives name 
 to the hill. We soon came to Torricella, a mean moun- 
 tain village, full of beggars ; here we had occasion to 
 exercise our patience, and found temperance a neces- 
 sary virtue, as with great difficulty, and after remain- 
 ing three hours, we obtained a wretched dinner, and 
 wine completely sour. 
 
 The church is small, with a painted roof, and sta- 
 tues of various saints over the altars, one of which 
 was dressed in a fine silk green Spanish cloak. 
 The village, however, poor and mean as it is, made 
 us some amends for the inconvenience we suffered, 
 by a noble and extensive view over a fine country. 
 
TORRICELLA. 483 
 
 Descending a beautiful winding hill we had a forest 
 of oaks on the right, and hills covered with olive-trees, 
 white houses, towers, and every picturesque object 
 necessary to constitute fine scenery ; on the left the 
 country is most plentiful, abounding in pigs, tutkeys, 
 and all kinds of poultry, but the wine of the country, 
 which is white, is sour and scarcely drinkable. 
 Seven miles more brought us to the foot of a long 
 hill, two miles in length, on the top of which Perugia 
 is built in a most commanding situation, and the 
 view of its churches and buildings is very striking. 
 Taking two oxen, we ascended the hill, to the Crown, 
 where we took up our lodging for the night. In this 
 day's journey, which was thirty-six miles, we passed 
 at Camuccia, a road on the right leading by Monte 
 Palisiano to Chianciano and Chiusi, the former of 
 which is famous for its baths, and the latter, formerly 
 Clusium, was the residence of Porsenna, the cele- 
 brated King of Etruria. 
 
 Oct. 8. — We set out on a perambulation through 
 the town, which is interesting, from its antiquity and 
 situation ; it was called by the Romans Augusta 
 Petrusia, and is now the capital of the Perugino, and is 
 esteemed a town of great consequence in the papal 
 states : it is situated on a very high hill, having a 
 most commanding view of a beautiful and romantic 
 country. The walls and citadel are remarkably high, 
 and the prospect from the latter is very fine ; there are 
 now in it only four cannon, and some ragged soldiers, 
 who are paid the starving sum of three halfpence a 
 day English money. The citadel was built by Pope 
 
 2 I 2 
 
484 PERUGIA. 
 
 Paul III., to curb the factious citizens, and certainly^ 
 completely commands the city, which contains now 
 but ten thousand persons, and is so badly peopled 
 that grass grows in many of the streets ; it has a 
 strong resemblance in situation to Angouleme in 
 France. 
 
 The first thing which merits observation is the 
 duomo, which is a fine gothic building with octagon 
 pillars, stuccoed in imitation of marble ; the church 
 is six hundred years old. The best picture is the 
 descent of the cross by Bairocci, lately brought back 
 from Paris : the altar in this chapel is very rich ; and 
 the ceiling is painted by many artists. 
 
 The chapel of the marriage of the Madonna also is 
 very rich, and twice a year a ring is solemnly depo- 
 sited in a small elevated room with great pomp. 
 
 CoUegio del Gambio, chapel, &c. Here are various 
 specimens of Perrugino's * art, the first efforts of his 
 genius ; first a head of himself, wall and ceiling also by 
 liim, which contain some of the Greek and Roman 
 philosophers, four cardinal virtues, &c., and over the 
 former, among other verses are the following : 
 
 Si tribus his Cunctos, si miles pia numina gignant 
 
 Nil toto sceleris, nil sit ia orbe mali ; 
 Me Culta Angentur populi bcllisque tog^aque 
 
 Et sine me fuerant qua niodo magna ruunt. 
 
 On the walls is the history of John the Baptist, and 
 on the ceiling various figures, as the Deity, the 
 Sibyls, the Evangelists, &c. &c., all by Perrugino, as 
 is every painting in the Collegio. 
 
 * This celebrated painter was born in tliis city. 
 
CHURCH OF ST. PETEK. 485 
 
 In the chapel of St. Peter the Martyr, is a beautiful 
 picture of a Madonna by Perrugino, the child remark- 
 ably [well done ; the emperor in his late visit to the 
 town was so pleased with it, that he had a copy taken 
 of it. 
 
 The church of St. Peter of the Black Benedictines 
 is rich in pictures, by the best masters. In the sa- 
 cristy are five small pictures of different saints, by 
 Perrugino, carefully glazed ; Our Saviour and St. John 
 the Baptist, (infants), by Raphael ; many paintings 
 by Guido Reni, Albano, Vasari, Michael Angelo, 
 Caracci, &c. The walls of the sacristy are painted 
 by Gierolimo Dante ; the grand altar and tabernacle 
 of this church are most splendid and costly, of marble, 
 lapis lazuli, &c., and some figures of bronze and 
 pietra di paragone, (a kind of marble) ; the sides of 
 the choir of carved wood were designed by Raphael. 
 
 In the Piazza del Duomo is a fine fountain with 
 many figures, and much basso relievo, which is said 
 to have cost 1 50,000 crowns ; in the time of the French 
 government the lead was stolen, and the fountain 
 rendered useless, but it is now under repair ; near 
 this is a recumbent statue of that restless and turbu- 
 lent Pope Julius II., in bronze, by Dante, which 
 was hidden eighteen years from the rapacious hands 
 of the French, (as appears from the Latin inscription), 
 and lately replaced. 
 
 There is here a university, but not to be compared 
 with that at Bologna, and much diminished in the 
 number of students ; the Universita Nuova, however, 
 is a handsome building, containing many schools, for 
 
486 PERUGIA. 
 
 anatomy, law, physic, moral philosophy &c., and^ 
 about one hundred students. Besides this, there is 
 the college of Sapienza, &c. * In the whole one may 
 pass two or three days here very agreeably, the town 
 is well regulated, has watchmen, and the police ap- 
 pears very repectable. 
 
 From the situation of Perugia f , walking is very 
 fatiguing, some of the streets being very steep, 
 and of course, in winter, must be very dangerous for 
 carriages. 
 
 * These colleg'es ave as at Pisa, chiefly for boys and lads growins;' up, 
 who in g-eneral are boarded at the houses of their friends. 
 
 •i- Periig-ia having- rebelled ag-ainst the Romans A. U. C. 439, Fabius was 
 sent to reduce it to its duty, and slew five hundred inhabitants, the rest 
 were obliged to pay a heavy fine, to save their lives and property. — Lit. 
 Dec. 1, lib, 10, cap. 22. 
 
 Perugia with many otlier towns was reduced by Pope Martin V., and 
 annexed to the ecclesiastical state. — Platina, de vit. Pont, 
 
 Cifisar Borgia entered triumphantly into Perugia in J 503 ; and Septem- 
 ber 12, 1506, Pope Julius II. made his triumphant entry, having dispos- 
 sessed the Baglioni, wlio had been sovereigns of it some time. — Roscoe. 
 
 Perugia Avas taken from the Florentines, who were ordered by Cardi- 
 nal di Medicis to defend it, by the Due d'Urbino, in 1522 ; and by tlie 
 Prince of Orange by capitulation, in 1529. 
 
 Le Due d'Urbino was much interested in recovering his states, and the 
 two Baglioni, Malatesta, and Orazio, sons of George Paul, were also eager 
 to return to Perugia, from whicli they had been banished by the late 
 Pope. — Ammirato. 
 
 Tiie costume of the women in the neighbourhood of Perugia is very 
 singular ; they wear a towel made in a square form, on their heads, and 
 often edged with lace, hanging down on their shoulders. 
 
DEPARTURE FROM PERUGIA. 487 
 
 CHAPTER LXI. 
 
 Departure from Perugia — Face of the Country — Peasants — Ag-riculture — 
 Tiber — Tescia — Madonna de;i:li Ang-eli — Assisi — Speila — Antiquities 
 and Ruins — Foligno — Clitumnus — Spolcto — Leave Spoleto — La Som- 
 na — Terni — Fall of Terni — Narni — Ottricoli — Tiber — Roman Bridge 
 — Change of Province — Unexpected Fracture — Civita Castellana — 
 Fortress — Cathedral — Sing-ular Costume — Loracle Nepi — View of 
 Rome — Ideas excited by it — Storta — Disgusting- sight — Ponte Molle — 
 Rome. 
 
 Oct. 9. — Descending along steep hill above two miles 
 in length, we left Perugia. Nothing can be more 
 lovely than the surrounding country, though it did not 
 appear to advantage, as the weather was damp and 
 hazy, and the morning very cold ; but the sun at 
 length broke through the clouds, audit turned out very 
 fine. Perugia seen on this side has a remarkable 
 romantic appearance, being situated on a very lofty 
 hill, or rather mountain, suspended as it were in the 
 air, and looking down on a valley full of houses and 
 villas, bounded by the mountains. We met vast 
 numbers of peasants and their wives coming to mar- 
 ket ; the latter ride en homme. Oxen are almost 
 solely used for agriculture in this country ; they are 
 chiefly mouse-coloured with black faces, and are 
 strong beautiful animals. 
 
 Three miles from Perugia we passed the Tiber* 
 
 * Huic Deus ipse loci fluvio Tiberinus amoeno 
 Populeas f«J inter senior se allollere frondes 
 Visus, cum tenuis glauco velabat amictu 
 Carbasus et crines umbrosa tegebat arundo. 
 
 ViR. ^neid. lib. 8, v. .31. 
 {aj This beautiful description even now holds good, as there were many 
 poplar trees near the river. 
 
 Cuique fuit rerum promissa poltntia, Tibiim. 
 
 Ov. Met. lib. 2. 
 
488 MADONNA DEGLI ANGELI. 
 
 on a steep narrow Roman bridge of five arches, and 
 hailed this truly classic river, the theme of school-boys 
 and the delight of the scholar. The Tiber is here not 
 very broad, but has a large bed of stones ; it turns 
 several mills, and for that purpose is formed into a 
 cascade, which is quite across the river. Ponte St. 
 Giovanne is a post, and the village where we 
 passed it. Four miles farther, crossed the little river 
 Tescia, (which goes into the Tiber) on a narrow 
 bridge, the country now is flat but rich, and full of 
 fruit-trees. 
 
 At Madonna degli Angeli, a post, on the right is a 
 noble church, the architecture of which, by Vignola, 
 is much esteemed, and there is a large convent an- 
 nexed : it is celebrated for the indulgence granted by 
 Pope Onorio. About a mile on the left is Assisi, a 
 fine old town in a singularly beautiful situation, on the 
 declivity of a mountain ; its numerous churches and 
 convents have a fine appearance. We regretted 
 much not being able to go to it, as there are many in- 
 teresting things to be seen; among others, the sacred 
 convent m which is buried St. Francis the founder 
 of the order. There are also, as we have been in- 
 formed, many paintings by Giotto, Giottino, &c., and 
 the indulgence of the second of August, called the 
 pardon of Assisi, and painted by Barocci, is highly 
 spoken of as a good picture. We saw, at a distance, 
 the portico of the Temple of Diana. We now came to 
 a noble road, with fruit-trees on the sides, winding 
 among high hills, covered with olive trees, oaks, Sx-, 
 with Spell a on our right, the Hispdhim of the ancients. 
 
ANTIQUITIES AND RUINS. 489 
 
 which is the foot of the Apennines, and exhibits a 
 noble shew of venerable buildings. We passed by 
 the ruins of the amphitheatre on our right, and nearly 
 opposite was the following inscription : — 
 
 Rudera 
 
 Amphitheatri 
 
 Spil C. .Tiilise Hispelli 
 
 Ubis Fl. Constantis 
 
 Mimicipcs 
 
 M. Haiic. P. Curarunt. 
 
 CIj l3CCLXXXfIL 
 
 V. K. Jim. 
 
 ReruMi tenipiis cdax nihil hie diirabile g'audet 
 
 Quce circumspectas sat monimeiita probant. 
 
 There were many ruins of halls, &c. , and along the 
 road which passes under an arch, is the following in- 
 scription : — 
 
 Romano Callimacho, 
 
 En ubi Scandentes arces, iibi vertice niuriio 
 
 Murus ab ingenio notior ille tuo 
 
 Eleg-. Lib. 4. 
 
 Porta Consolare della Colonia Julia. 
 
 A little farther by the road side is an old pillar with 
 three figures in bas-relief ; the inscription is long, be- 
 ginning 
 
 Ad Gladicvtores et Viatores. 
 
 Having taken a cursory view of these venerable re- 
 mains, in about four miles we arrived at Foligno, 
 where we dined. The town is old, containing about 
 8,000 persons. The cathedral is modernized and 
 spoiled ; there is, however, a handsome dome with 
 four statues, and eight more in the church, for poor 
 indeed is the church in Italy without statues or paint- 
 ings. Over the choir is a handsome canopy, and 
 
490 CLITUMNUS. 
 
 under it a chapel. About four miles from Foligno, on 
 our right, was Bevania, the birth-place of the cele- 
 brated Propertius. Five miles farther Trava, in a 
 most romantic situation, built upon a rock, and re- 
 sembling a ladder, one house above the other. We 
 now soon came to the classic river Chtumnus, cele- 
 brated by the poet* ; and about four miles farther, 
 passed the head of it, and inspected an old building, 
 called " The Temple of Diana." Proceeding along 
 a level road and beautiful country, rich and cultivated, 
 with the mountains on our left, to Spoleto-j- we passed 
 near its noble and venerable aqueduct to our inn, 
 L'Ancora della Speranza, where, after a fatiguing 
 day, we were glad to take up our nightly quarters, 
 though our hopes were not realized (as we expected 
 from the sign), by good entertainment; for though the 
 house is large and roomy, we were obliged to retire 
 with empty stomachs, for nothing did it afford in the 
 eatable way but bread, though its wine was formerly 
 famous. We had this day a long journey of forty -five 
 miles, but the fatigue was amply compensated for by 
 the fine views and interesting objects we had met with. 
 Oct. 10. — Left SpoletoJ at half-past five. On the 
 
 * The Clitumnus is celebrated by Virgil, for fertilizing the country. 
 Hincalbi Clitumne greges et maxima taurus 
 Victima ssepe tuo pcrfusi flumine sacro 
 Romanes ad templa Deum duxere triumphos. 
 
 ViR. Georg. lib. 2. 
 Cliturani sacras victoribus undas. 
 
 Claud. Car. 2S. v. 506. 
 t De Spolentinis quae sunt cariosa lagenis 
 Malucris, quam si niusta Falerna bibas. 
 
 MART.//6. 13. epig. 115. 
 X Spoleto was formerly a Roman colony.— Vid. Liv\ lib. 30. 
 
SPOLETO. 491 
 
 left is the castle, the road as usual was even, winding 
 between hills, cultivated, and covered with olive-trees, 
 and oaks. Seven miles from Spoleto, we ascend 
 a long mountain, called La Somma, one of the Apen- 
 nines. Part of the mountain was steep, but the road 
 winds beautifully, as on Mont Cenis, and the sides 
 are woody and grand. The descent was rapid ; on 
 the left we passed by some ruins apparently of a 
 chapel, and then descended gradually ten miles as far 
 as Terni, into a fine and fertile vale. Taking a 
 barouche and four horses we immediately went post* 
 to the celebrated cascade, distant about six miles. 
 The road at first winds by a gentle ascent through 
 olive, orchards, and then becomes steep, adorned 
 with all the grandeur of the finest mountain scenery. 
 On the right were rocks hanging over us, and on the 
 left tremendous precipices with the Nera running 
 rapidly in the bottom, and at a distance a fine viev/ 
 of Terni completed this beautiful scene. 
 
 Passing by a romantic village, suspended as it were 
 on a rock, we soon came to this cascade, distant about 
 half a mile from the road ; and, taking a guide, we imme- 
 diately proceeded to view it in its different directions- 
 This cascade is reckoned one of the finest in Europe, 
 and formed by the fall of the Velino | into the Nera, 
 
 * Travellers are obliged to go post by an ordonnance of government, 
 and the road is now made very good for that purpose, it was formerly 
 scarcely passable at certain times of the year. 
 
 f ■ • Audiit amnis 
 
 Sulphurea Nar (a) albus aqua, fontesque Velini. 
 
 JEn. 7, V. 516. 
 (a) Nar in the Sabine language signifies sulphur, as the water has a sulphure- 
 ous smell. 
 
492 CASCADE OP TERNI. 
 
 from a height of 1063 Roman feet ; it was done by 
 Marcus Antonius Curius Dentatus so far back as 
 the year of Rome 480, in order to give course to the 
 water of the lake of Luco, through which the Velino 
 passes, which was apt to overflow the neighbouring 
 valleys*. 
 
 The different views of this cascade are grand and 
 interesting. The guide first conducted us to the top, 
 and then to three others gradually lower. The most 
 interesting view is the lowest ; from hence you see the 
 cascade in all its awful grandeur, and are covered 
 with its foam at above a hundred yards distance ; the 
 rays of the sun reflected on it, constitute not the least 
 part of its beauty, giving it the appearance of a rain- 
 bow. The first part of the cascade falls three hun- 
 dred feet perpendicularly, with such force that great 
 part of the water seems reduced as it were into va- 
 pour and froth ; there are three cascades, though not 
 distinctly visible, the two last of which are formed by 
 the redundancy of the first. There are very good 
 paths made, and a convenient room, at the expense 
 of the pope, on which is an appropriate inscription. 
 
 Terni f is a fine old Roman town, called Interamna, 
 between the Nera and Velino ; it is neat and popu- 
 lous, containing five hundred people. We passed the 
 
 ♦ It appears from Tacitus tliat tlicrc M'as a contention between the 
 Interainnates and Reatini (tlie inhabitants of Terni and Rieti) about the 
 plan of carrviufif off the water, each fearing tliat tlieir own country would 
 be the sufferer. — Tac. Annal. lib. 1. 
 
 + The vale of Terni is celebrated by historians for its fertility, so that 
 hay was formerly made four times a year ; there are two ancient aqueducts 
 used for watering- the land, still in use for that purpose. 
 
NARNI. 493 
 
 Nera, which is a beautiful river, on an old Roman 
 bridge, and went to Narni on an excellent road, 
 distant nine miles from Terni. We gratified our 
 curiosity by visiting the remains of the fine Roman 
 bridge* , half a mile from the town ; it had four arches, 
 one of which only is entire, and is built of immense 
 blocks of marble without cement ; the largest arch is 
 said to have been one hundred and fifty feet high, 
 which is probably much exaggerated; but the bridgef 
 is certainly very lofty. Narni ;[ is a very old Roman 
 town on the Nera, formerly Nar, built on a very steep 
 rocky hill ; it is paved in the middle with brick in 
 various parts ; the streets are usually narrow, and 
 the town is badly built and disagreeable ; the cathe- 
 dral is old, and under the choir is a chapel. 
 
 Narni is said to have been the birth-place of the 
 Emperor Nerva. The head-dress of the women re- 
 sembles that of Perugia, a large piece of cloth in the 
 form of a towel put square on the head, and falling 
 full on the shoulders. The town§ itself gives you the 
 idea of fallen greatness, and is very poor ; one of the 
 things which struck us most in passing through the 
 
 * The following' lines are from Martial, relating- to this bridge : 
 Sed jam parce niihi, nee abutere Narnia Qiiinto 
 Perpetuo liceat sic tibi ponte frui. — Lib. 7. Ep. 92. 
 
 t This bridge formerly joined two steep hills, to which Martial alludes 
 when he speaks of aucipitijtigo. 
 
 % The situation of Nari is thus beautifully described by the poet: 
 Narnia sulphureo quam guargite candidus amnis 
 Circuit, ancipiti vix adeuuda jugo. 
 
 IMart. lib. 7. ep. 92, 
 § N.irni was sacked by the Venetians in tlieir way to join the Emperor 
 Charles V., who was besieging-the castle S. Angelo. 
 
494 ROMAN BRIDGE. 
 
 streets was a number of 2:oats' heads with their Ions, 
 beards, hanging out for sale. Here is an aqueduct, 
 as in most of these Roman towns, bringing the water 
 fifteen miles from the mountains. From Narni you 
 go on the Via Flaminia, and the road in some places 
 is cut out of the rock. Taking oxen, we ascended 
 some time, the road still winding among rocky hills 
 covered with wood ; near Ottricoli at nine miles dis- 
 tance it changes, and the country is barren, open, and 
 wild, with much heath : we met large flocks of very 
 fine sheep and lambs, which are folded as in England. 
 
 Ottricoli* is a small mean town and post ; near it 
 are several ruins, the remains of the old Roman 
 town, and on the left, we passed by the venerable 
 castle. 
 
 Instead of a rough stony road, it now changes and 
 becomes excellent, and we had a fine view of the 
 river running in the bottom among meadows, and the 
 country for some time becomes a complete sheep 
 walk ; there were also flocks of goats. Three miles 
 farther we passed, on the right, a pillar, witha long 
 inscription mentioning improvements made in the 
 road, by Pope Urban VIII., and soon crossed the 
 Tiber on an old Roman bridge^ of four arches ; there 
 are inscriptions on each side, but we had not time to 
 read them. 
 
 * Tlie country about Otriculuin, Narni, and Perugia, is honourably 
 mentioned by Pliny. Quantum Copiatim in Otriculano, in Narniensi, 
 in Perusino tuo seq. — Plin. lib. 1. epis, 4. 
 
 t This In-idae was built by Sixtus V., and Clement VIII., out of the 
 ruins of a niaa^nififcnt bridge built here by Augustus, by M'hich the Via 
 Flaminia M'as continued. — Nugknt. 
 
CIVITA CASTELLANA. 495 
 
 We here left the province of Umbria, and entered 
 that of Sabina, and on the left had a fine view of 
 Magnino, a small town. Ascending a very high hill, 
 with oxen to assist us as usual, we came into a very 
 rough rocky road, of which we soon experienced the 
 ill effects by breaking the springs of our coach *, which 
 not only retarded us some time, but we had the morti- 
 fication of a hot and fatiguing walk to Civita Castel- 
 lana ; the road was besides very dusty, and we were 
 not sorry to get to this town, which was three miles 
 from the spot in which the accident took place. Cross- 
 ing a branch of the Nera hemmed in with rocks, on a 
 stone bridge, we immediately came to Civita Castel- 
 lana. There is a Latin inscription on this bridge, 
 mentioning that it was built by Pope Clement XL, 
 who also improved the road, making it shorter, and in- 
 troducing the Flaminian way into the town, in 1712, 
 and the 12th of his pontificate. 
 
 Civita Castellana is a smalltown and post, built as 
 all these Roman towns are, on a rock ; the fortress, 
 which we ascended in spite of our fatigue, in order to 
 enjoy a fine view, is an octagon, and was built by that 
 turbulent and warlike Pope Julius 11. , and improved 
 by Clement L There are two hundred criminals con- 
 fined in it, and chained two and two when they go 
 out to work. Civita Castellana is particularly in- 
 teresting to the classic reader, as being Falerii, the 
 
 t This accident added to a very fatig'iiilig- journey, and several unplea- 
 sant circumstances almost induced us to exclaim in the words of the poet, 
 
 Et quie tanta t'uit Romam tibi causa vldendi ? 
 Perhaps the answer of Titurus would here hold g"ood; 
 
 Libertas, quie sera tameu respexit inerteni. — Vm. Bucol. 
 
496 CIVITA CASTELLANA. 
 
 supposed seat of the Falisci, which was besieged by^ 
 Camillus, and the story of the schoolmaster being 
 punished for his treachery, is well known to every 
 one, having his hands tied behind him, and brought 
 back to Falerii by his own boys *. The cathedral is 
 modern, having been built in 1 740 ; it has a choir and 
 nave, the former of which is elevated, and ascended 
 by a fine flight of steps. In the middle of the church 
 was a corpse on a bier, without a coffin, as they make 
 no use of them in this country ; this unexpected 
 sight had such an effect upon some of our party as to 
 prevent their seeing so much of the' church as they 
 wished. In front of the church is an ancient portico 
 with many old figures and inscriptions, and in the town 
 are many antiquities ; there is in the church some 
 beautiful Mosaic pavement, and a very handsome 
 dome. 
 
 We observed this day, in many of the rocks, small 
 caverns, inhabited by the cottagers, as in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Tours in France. 
 
 * Vide Liv. lib. 5. cap. 15. 
 
 .|. , Etrcfentuin sig-naCamlllum. — yfi'n. 6. v. 825. 
 
 Camillus, who experienced siicli ingratitude from his countrymen, was 
 one of the s^reatest and best men among the Romans, moderate in pros- 
 perity, and calm in adversity; his sole aim was the g^ood of his country. 
 This o-reat man was five times dictator, four times triumphed over the 
 Visentos and Volci, and delivered his country from the Gauls twice CaJ, 
 tlie last time when he was eighty years old. He died at Rome of a pes- 
 tilence at a very advanced ag-e. cap. 389. 
 
 Vir unicus in omni fortuna, a singular character, both in prosperity and 
 adversity ; and he was justly called the second founder of Rome. — Liv. 
 Dkc. 1. lib- 7. cap. 1. 
 
 (a) Gallisque genus futroleCamillos. 
 
 Claud. 
 
NEPi. 497 
 
 The women in Civita Castellana* confine their 
 hair with a long silver skewer, ten inches or a foot 
 in length, with a handle in the form of a hand, which 
 has a singular appearance. Eight miles more on a 
 fine road (fortunately for our weak springs,) brought 
 us to Nepi ; the road was a new one, winding among 
 woods of oak, &c. We left the Via Flaminia at Civita 
 Castellana. 
 
 Nepi is a mean dirty town, but situated beautifully 
 on a hill, and has a stream running rapidly in a deep 
 dell, shut in by steep hills, clothed with thick trees ; 
 there is a noble old Roman aqueduct, which Jiow con- 
 veys the water from a mountain, five miles off, into 
 the town, to the fountain in the Piazza Grande, where 
 the inhabitants go to fill their vessels. II Palazzo 
 Publico is a large building, having many antiquities 
 in front. Great part of this town and the cathedral, 
 which was very handsome, was burnt by the French 
 twenty years ago, and several of the houses remain 
 in their ruined state ; the population is 2,500. We 
 came this day twenty-nine miles. 
 
 Utilem bello tulit et camillura 
 Sseva paupertas, et avitus apto 
 Cum lare fundus. 
 
 HoR. Car. lib. 1. OJ. 12. p. 42. 
 
 Quamvis iratus et exul 
 
 Pro patrite flaimnis non distulit arma Cainillus. 
 
 Claud. In Eutrop. 
 Quid rebus in arctis 
 
 Dux gerat, ostendat Gallorum strage Camillus. 
 
 Claud. 
 * At Civita Castellana we had a fine view of Mount Soracte {aj, now 
 called St. Oreste, famed of old for its cold situation. There is a convent of 
 men on it. 
 CaJ Vides ut alta stet nivecandidum, &c.— Horace. 
 Vol. I. 2 K 
 
498 FIRST VIEW OP ROME. 
 
 Oct. 12. — Left Nepi* at six, passing by the re- 
 mains of its venerable castle, with round towers. For 
 six or seven miles the country is open and bad, land 
 indifferent, with scarcely any cultivation. When they 
 do plough, which seems but seldom, they use the 
 light plough without wheels, and four strong oxen 
 abreast. The land is remarkably light and sandy ; one 
 man stands behind to guide the oxen, with a spud to 
 throw away the weeds : the country for some time 
 continued the same. Ronciglione one post, Mon- 
 terosi another, and Baccano one ; all small places of 
 no consequence. Near the last is a lake, the poison- 
 ous exhalation of which makes the local situation very 
 unhealthy. 
 
 Fifteen miles from Rome, we had the first view of 
 this celebrated city ; Rome, the mistress of the world, 
 and centre of arts and learning ; Rome, which we are 
 taught from school-boys to look up to with reverence, 
 and lisp its praises even from infancy ; to see which 
 we had ascended many mountains and traversed many 
 plains, neither regarding early rising, fatiguing days, 
 nor hrolcen springs ; and we were now repaid for all 
 our fatigues with the sight of this celebrated city. 
 The ideas which its view excited were awfully grand, 
 and the more so as it was not interrupted by any 
 object to call off our attention. The country soon 
 changed rather for the better, but was still wild and 
 uncultivated ; we had now a view of Rome in front, and 
 
 • Nepi is famous in history for Jean de St. Vit, uncle of Cardinal 
 Colonna, having defended it gallantly against a powerful array of Cru- 
 saders, sent by Pope Boniface, tlie end of the thirteenth century. — Dob- 
 son's Petrarch. 
 
ENVIRONS OP ROME. 499 
 
 the Appenines on our left. We dined at Storta, a 
 post, nine miles from Rome, a very indifferent and 
 dear house, which, however, has a good terrace. A 
 mile from it, on our right, we passed by an old tower. 
 Four or five miles from Rome, on the right, a wood 
 serves to vary the scene, as before hardly a tree was 
 to be seen ; one mile farther an old building, said to 
 be the sepulchre of Nero, and there is on it much rude 
 sculpture in basso relievo. 
 
 There were arms and legs of malefactors* nailed 
 to high posts along the road in different places, which 
 was very painful and disgusting, particularly to the 
 weaker sex, who, however, congratulated themselves 
 at thus providentially having escaped the robbers, 
 which they had thought on, and almost dreamed of 
 the whole way, and the fear of which had much im- 
 paired the pleasure of their journey. The robbers are 
 beheaded in the Piazza del Popolo, and their limbs 
 or heads, and sometimes their bodies, are exposed in 
 this disgusting way, close to the high-road. 
 
 Three miles from Rome, descending a long-winding 
 hill, the country is more varied, and we had a pretty 
 view of the mountains Pinciano and Maria. Two 
 miles from Rome, Ponte Mollef, anciently Ponte 
 Emilia. Here the roads of Perugia and Foligno join. 
 
 * The refined ancient Romans excelled in variety of piinishments (a), 
 but wc do not find that the niang-led remains of the malefactors were ex- 
 posed to view in the public roads, to the great annoyance of the passing- 
 strang-er, as is done by the modern Romans. 
 
 t At Ponte Molle we came on the Via Flaminia, and soon came to 
 Rotonda di S. Andrea, a modern building-. 
 
 (a) Vid. KE^NET's Antiq. chap. 20. 
 
 2 K2 
 
500 ENTRANCE TO ROME. 
 
 Here we crossed the Tiber * on a stone bridge, which 
 is here pretty broad. The following inscription is on 
 the tower : 
 
 Pius Sept. Pont. Mas. 
 Pontem et Turrim 
 Operibus Amphatis 
 Restituit. 
 1S05. 
 
 The entrance into Rome by the beautiful Porta del 
 Popolo f is grand and impressive, and we pursued our 
 course along the noble street Del Corso, which is long 
 and handsome, to the Dogana or custom-house, where 
 we underwent a trifling examination of our trunks, 
 and then to the Piazza di Spagna, where we took up 
 our lodgings for the night at L'Hotel de I'Europe, an 
 excellent but dear inn. We came this day thirty 
 miles ; in all, 200 from Florence ; and had an unin- 
 terrupted series of fine days for our journey, finding 
 the inns much better than we were induced to 
 expect. 
 
 We were agreeably disappointed in our opinion of 
 Rome, being led to expect that it was only curious 
 from its antiquities, and that modern Rome was void 
 of comfort, and those conveniences which make the 
 residence of a stranger desirable ; on the contrary, 
 many of the streets are very good, especially that of 
 II Corso, and it appeared to us by no means deficient 
 either in comforts or conveniences. October 13th, we 
 
 * Coeruleus Tibris ccelo gratissiiniis amnis. 
 
 ViR. yEneid, S. v. 64. 
 •i' There is a fine column with Eg-yptian characters, and four inscrip- 
 tions on the sides, by one of which we learn that Augustus Caesar put up 
 this column on account of the subjection of Egfypt. It was restored froni 
 its ruins by Sixtus V. 
 
CASTLE OF S. ANGELO. 501 
 
 took our first view of St. Peter's, crossing the Tiber* 
 upon the Ponte di S. Angelo, consisting of four 
 arches, and leaving the celebrated castle of that 
 name f , which is a noble building with a fine round 
 
 * Vidimus flavum (a) Tiberim retortis 
 Littore Etrusco violenter undis, &;c. 
 
 HoR. //6. l.od.2. 
 
 t This castle afforded refug-e to the popes from the violence of their 
 enemies, as Alexander VI. from Charles VIII. of France, Clement VII. (hj 
 from the Emperor Charles V., S,-(^- ; the latter, however, was taken 
 prisoner in it by the Prince of Oraiig-e, commander of the Imperialists 
 for that Emperor after the death of the Constable de Bourbon. 
 Here the Constable led his brave troops throusfh fields of carnage to 
 victory and pillage, gaining honour and subsistence for them ; here, when 
 his affairs were apparently in a state of desperation, he inspired his sol- 
 diers with hopes and courage, mixing with them, joining in their pursuits, 
 and singing " Je suis pauvre cavalier, Jc naipas un sou, non plus que vous 
 autres ;" thus he rendered them, by his own example and self-deprivation, 
 capable of any attempt, and ready to encounter every danger, and they 
 unanimously declared that they would never forsake him, quelqxie jjart 
 qu'il voidiit aller fut ce, a tous les Diahlcs. — Dan. Hist, de France, 
 vol. 7. p. 63S. 
 
 As this distinguished chief, and after him, the Prince of Orange, were 
 chiefly indepted to the Condottieri ior their Avonderful success, who took 
 so active a part in the awful events of that memorable period, it may not 
 be amiss to give a short account of these distinguished soldiers. Tlie 
 Condottieri, or mercenaries, of the fifteenth and sixteenth century, were 
 soldiers of all nations, collected under different standards, many of them 
 of a good family, but desperate fortunes ; fighting was their trade, pillage 
 their object, and firmness, perseverance, and consummate bravery, leading 
 traits in their character ; although often badly paid, and worse clothed, 
 yet did they submit cheerfully to the greatest deprivations, when their 
 commander was popular, or shared these deprivations with them, as ap- 
 pears from their attachment to the Constable. Their numbers, strength, 
 
 {aj This is peculiarly applicable to the river, which is of a muddy colour. 
 
 (h) Clement VII. had the mortirication of seeing his own palace twice 
 sacked, as well as the churches of Rome and the houses of his courtiers and 
 cardinals, and was twice obliged to take refuge in the Castle of S. Angelo, 
 and the second time to surrender himself prisoner to the Imperialists. — Denina. 
 lib. 21 cap. 4. In the reign of Jane II. Queen of Naples, Braccio, a soldier of 
 fortune, besieged this castle, which was in possession of the Queen's party. 
 — Bl.\riCARDI, p. 233. 
 
502 PIAZZA S. PIETRO. 
 
 tower, and memorable for the sieges it has sustained,* 
 and the refuge it has afforded the popes at different 
 times, and especially in the reign of Charles V. 
 
 The Tiber* was then pretty quiet, though, if we 
 may credit the poet f , it was at times very violent. 
 
 The Piazza S. Pietro is truly noble, and must 
 strike every stranger ; on each side is a peristyle or 
 piazza of a circular form, with four rows of pillars 
 under which carriages go, but it is a great pity that 
 these piazzas are disgraced with such dirt and filth : 
 on the top of each is a regular continuation of statues. 
 On each side of the piazza is a fine fountain, and 
 in front is a noble portico, to which you ascend by a 
 fine flight of steps, and enter this truly grand build- 
 ing, which is one of the finest in the world, was 100 
 years building, and cost more than fifty millions of 
 crowns. It was begun by Pope Julius II., and finished 
 under Paul V. ; the architects were Lazari and Michael 
 Angelo. 
 
 This building has so often been described, that it 
 is needless to do it liere, but it presents a mass of 
 
 •and influence, were so ifreat, that tliey wei'e dreaded and courted by all 
 the potentates ; and it was a h)ng- time before this formidable band of war- 
 riors was dispersed ; not indeed till Europe, gradually losing its fierce and 
 warlike aspect, civilization took place, and the way was paved for the in- 
 troduction of science and the elegant arts, when the service of these brave 
 but unprincipled warriors, these lawless invaders of states and kingdoms, 
 was no longer necessary. But the cruelties and atrocities committed by 
 these dealers in human blond, were long remembered by the suffering 
 nations, and are a lasting stain upon the annals of Europe. 
 
 * Horace — vide former page. 
 
 t The inundations of the Tiber are mentioned here by Tacitus to have 
 been frequent, and on this account there was a plan for turning the course 
 of the river ; the lakes wliich flowed into it were the cause of these inunda- 
 tions. — Tac. Ann. lib. ]. 
 
ST. PETER'S CHURCH. 503 
 
 modern magnificence and splendour, which astonishes 
 the spectator ; besides the grand cupola, there are 
 eight small ones. There is no choir, no pillars, and 
 the interior is as remarkable for lightness as for 
 elegance and splendour. The superb canopy over the 
 high altar, supported by four spiral pillars of bronze, 
 is, perhaps, unequalled ; there are many fine statues 
 by the first masters, and several of the popes over 
 their tombs, as Innocent XL, Urban VIIL, Clement 
 XI., &c. The pavement is of the finest marble. Con- 
 tenting ourselves for the present with this superficial 
 view of this noble building, we proceeded to other 
 parts of the city, and in our way passed by La Fon- 
 tana Trevi, which exhibits a beautiful display of 
 cascades, playing in the most natural manner from 
 rocks, in the midst of the city. We read the follow- 
 ing inscription ; by which we find, that this water was 
 celebrated for its copiousness and salubrity, which 
 encouraged Pope Clement XII. to undertake this 
 elegant work : 
 
 Clemens XTI. Pont. Max. 
 
 Aquani Virginem 
 
 Copia et salubritate conimendatam 
 
 Cultis mae^nifice ornavit 
 
 Anno Domini, 1735. 
 
 Pont. 6. 
 
 Perfecit Benedictus XIV. Pont. Max. 
 
 In the neighbouring church of S. Vincenzo ed 
 Anastazio a Trevi, are the hearts of the following 
 popes : 
 
 Leo XI., Paulus V., Gregory XV., Innocent X„ Alexander VII., 
 Clement IX., Clement X., Innocent XL, Alexander VIIL, Innocent XIL, 
 Clement XL, Innocent XIII., Clement XII., Benedict XIV., Clement 
 
504 ROMA VECCHIA. 
 
 XIII., and Clement XIV. Sixtus V. was the first who established this, 
 custom, ordering- part of his intestines to be interred there ; and Clement 
 XIV. as appears by the inscription, had them placed in a more honourable 
 situation, .and his own were interred in the same church : this custom 
 with regard to the Papal remains seems now generally established. 
 
 CHAPTER LXII. 
 
 Departure from Rome — St. John Lateran — Coliseo — Country flat — 
 Torre di Mezza Via — Appian Way — Marino — Albano — Tomb of 
 Horatii, Sfc. — Genzano — Pleasing change of Country — Velletri — De- 
 parture from Velletri — Pontine Marshes — Cultivation of Land — Buf- 
 faloes — Protecting Soldiers — Cistcrna — Torre de Tre Ponti — Exercise 
 of Abstinence and Patience — Religious zeal — Terracina. 
 
 Oct. 15. — Leaving Rome by the Porta S. Giovanne* 
 Laterano, we had on the left the Coliseo f, which we 
 had an anxious wish to examine nearer, and on the 
 right the noble church of St. John Lateran, and soon 
 came into a flat country, interesting only from the 
 ruins around us. On our left was a fine aqueduct J, 
 venerable from its antiquity. We soon came to Torre 
 di Mezza Via, one post from Rome, seven miles. 
 On the right is a large track of ruins and walls, 
 called Roma Vecchia, belonging to the Duca Torlonia, 
 which is thought to have been the Pagus Lemonius, 
 inhabited by the former labourers of the land. In the 
 excavations have been found many statues, &c. Pro- 
 ceeding along the famous Appian road§, in about 
 
 * Formerly called Celimontana, from being situated on Mount Celius. 
 
 t Thirty thousand Jewish captives were employed in erecting this build- 
 ing, which contained 83,000 sitting and 25,000 statiding. 
 
 X The aqueduct of Claudius. 
 
 § This road, which was made by blind Appius the senator, and is above 
 2,000 years old, is in excellent preservation. 
 
ALBANO. 505 
 
 thirteen miles on the left we saw Marino, belonging 
 to the old family of Colonna; and ascending a long hill 
 came to the second post, Albano*. This city suc- 
 ceeded the famous old city Alba Longaf , which was 
 built between the mountain and lake by Ascanius, son 
 of iEneas, 400 years before the foundation of Rome J. 
 It flourished about 500 years, and was destroyed by 
 TuUus Hostilius, as being the rival of Rome, Whilst 
 the dinner was preparing, we walked about half a 
 mile to see an antique building, said to be the tomb 
 of the Curatii§, but more generally thought to be a 
 mausoleum erected to Pompey by his widow ; it is an 
 old square building, with only two out of five towers 
 remaining. Just by, is a convent of Carmelite monks. 
 From Albano is a fine view of the sea, about three 
 miles off; the country near it, however, is flat and 
 uninteresting ; but now it begins to be very beautiful, 
 and the situation of that tovv^n is very good. 
 
 Leaving Albano we ascended a lovely hill, well 
 wooded, and descended by a pleasant winding road. 
 Near this, Milo slew Clodius, tribune of the people, 
 when he was coming from Aricia on horseback || ; and 
 
 * Albano is near its lake. 
 
 •i- Albanique patres atque altu moeiiia Roinse. 
 
 $ Vide Liv. lib. 4. cap. 3. 
 
 § For an account of this interesting combat, vide Liv. lib. 1. cap, 10. 
 by which it appears that the surviving Horatius gained the victory by 
 flight ; and cajj. 12, with his animated account of the horror of the Alba- 
 nians at having their city destroyed. 
 
 II Whilst the Romans were employed in the famous siege of Veii, 
 the waters of this lake overflowed so much as to threaten Rome with an in- 
 undation. A deputation was sent to consult the Oracle of Apollo, and it 
 was answered, that the Romans should not c onrpier the inhabitants of Veii, 
 
606 GENZANO — CIVITA LAVINIA. 
 
 at no great distance is the Lake of Castello, formerly 
 called the Lake of Albano, the circuit of which is 
 five miles ; and there was formerly a volcano. The 
 outlet for the discharge of the water of the lake is said 
 to be one of the finest works of the ancient Romans. 
 About four miles from Albano* is La Riccia, for- 
 merly Ariciaf . Descending by a winding road, we 
 soon came to Genzano ; this is situated in a very beau- 
 tiful country, and in the neighbourhood are many old 
 buildings, and there was said to have been a grove 
 dedicated to Diana, and a temple of the same goddess. 
 Three miles off, as we were informed, was Civita 
 Lavinia, on the site of the ancient city of Lanuvium, 
 the country of the Emperor Antoninus Pius and Milo, 
 and not far distant was the city Lavinia — the Lavinia 
 Littora of Virgil. 
 
 till tliey procured a vent for the waters of the lake (a) ; upon this, in the 
 space of a year they made a channel, which effected this purpose, and over- 
 came their enemies. The channel was two miles in length. 
 
 * The wine of Albano has not lost its celebrity. 
 
 Cras bibet Albanis aliquid de montibus aut de 
 Setinis, cujus patriam titulumque senectus 
 Delevit multa veteris fuligine testae. 
 
 JuvjsNAL, as quoted by Addison. 
 
 Perhaps to-mon'ow he may cliange his wine, 
 And drink old sparkling- Alban or Setine ; 
 AVhose title and whose age with mould o'ergrown, 
 The good old cask for ever keeps unknown, 
 
 Bowles. 
 
 t Egressum magnS, me accepit Aricia Roma. 
 
 HoR. /SaL5./. 1. 
 
 (a) Veil, the oracular answer is given, or rather the interpretation, by an 
 ancient sage of Veii, in Liv. lib. 5. cap. 9. Veii cost the Romans a ten years' 
 siege, and at last (fate opposing it) was taken more by labour than by force. 
 Liv. lib. 5. cap. 12. 
 
VELLETRI. 507 
 
 In about four miles farther we came to Velletri*, 
 the country still being pleasing and beautiful. Velletri 
 was the capital of the Volscif. Augustus Caesar's 
 family was of this neighbourhood, and here that 
 emperor was nursed. It is now an old dirty dis- 
 agreeable town, chiefly built on a hill ; on one side it 
 commands a view of a fine country ; and on the other 
 towards the sea you look down on the Pontine Marshes. 
 It contains about 10,000 inhabitants. We took up 
 our quarters for the night at the ancient Palace of 
 Ginetti, now converted into 1' Albergo Reale ; it might 
 make an excellent palace, but it makes a wretched 
 inn, and is a miserable specimen of fallen greatness. 
 
 There are eighteen windows in front, and one of 
 the most beautiful staircases in Italy, leading to a 
 noble corridor, but the corridor and apartments are 
 full of broken statues, and you can scarcely find a 
 whole one in the house ; there are, however, some 
 good busts. You have from hence a fine and exten- 
 sive view of the country, which, indeed, was all that 
 we had, for we got scarcely any refreshment or at- 
 tendance in this 'palace of an inn, and if we had not 
 the gnats and frogs which so much annoyed the poet J 
 in his night's lodging, as the coldness of the night was 
 a security against the first, and the local situation of 
 the place against the second, yet were we kept from 
 sleep in our wretched magnificent apartments from other 
 
 * Velletri on being conquered had a colony seat from Rome.— Liv. 
 Dec. 1. lib. 2. cap. 16. On its rebellion it was afterwards taken by storn). 
 — LlV. lih. 6. cap. 17. 
 
 t Known in history by Coriolanus revolting to them, and bringing his 
 country to the brink of ruin. 
 
 t Horace, lib. 1. sat. 5. v. 14, 
 
508 PONTINE MARSHES. 
 
 causes; and the wind beating against the tottering 
 hinges of the old and decayed window- shutters of the 
 Palazzo, put us in mind of the descriptions one has 
 read of a night passed in an old baronial castle (from 
 the howling of the wind and other incidental causes) 
 said to be haunted ; added to this, we had the con- 
 stant noise of a cascade belonging to the house, so 
 that passing the night unrefreshed with sleep, we 
 were glad to mount our carriage in good time, to 
 resume our journey to Naples. The first day's 
 journey (the latter part at least) had been very pretty, 
 with almost a constant view of the sea, though it must 
 be confessed without a solitary cock-boat to enliven 
 the scene ; we had passed through several miles of 
 the much dreaded Campagna di Roma *, and it far 
 exceeded our expectations. 
 
 Oct. 17, — Descending a long steep hill from Vel- 
 letri, we immediately plunged into the much-dreaded 
 Pontine Marshes f, formerly full of villages, and 
 
 * The Campagna di Roma properly begins on leaving Rome, and ends 
 at Terracina ; of tliis the jNIarslies are a part, but travellers are wrong who 
 make the whole Campagna a condemned country ; part of it is very pretty 
 and the views good, especially about Albano, and from thence to Velletri. 
 
 t Pontine takes its name from Suessa Pometia(a), a city of theVolscians 
 in the neighbourliood, formerly of eminence, but now no longer existing. 
 These INlarshcs formerly contained twenty-three cities (h), among wliich 
 M ere Sulmo Hetia, Pipernum, and Forum Jpjn'i, besides many villages 
 and numerous villas. 
 
 The waters which descend from the neighbouring mountains, running on 
 declivities, form lakes and ponds, producing exhalations in the summer, 
 which are felt at Rome, though forty miles distant. 
 
 The Romans endeavoured to preveiit this by giving free course to the 
 waters. Appius Claudius was the first who attempted this, by making 
 channels, bridges, Sfc, and on this occasion made the famous Via Appia. 
 
 (a) Fometios castrumque Jani, S)C. — Virgil, /En. lib. 6. r. 775. Tai- 
 quiniiis Siipcrbiis took rometium Suessuni I'loni (lie Volscians. — VideLiv. 
 
 (b) Vid. Tlin. 
 
PONTINE MARSHES. 509 
 
 Studded with the villas of the Roman nobility, and the 
 resort of elegance and splendour ; now how fallen ! — 
 a dead fiat without houses or villages. Contrary, 
 however, to our expectation, the land was in some 
 parts well cultivated ; it is rich, and only wants in- 
 dustry to make it the best in Italy. They have 
 here vast herds of cattle, particularly buffaloes. The 
 land was drained by Pope Pius V., and carried into 
 different channels, as appears by an inscription by 
 the road side, and rendered useful : the same liberal 
 pontiff made bridges where necessary, and was a 
 great benefactor to his country. On first leaving 
 Velletri, we had some vineyards, and some miles 
 afterwards, forests, or else in general the country 
 is barren of trees. Eight miles from Velletri, 
 crossing the little river Astura*, we came to Cisterna, 
 a small village and post, supposed by many to be the 
 Three Taverns of St. Paul ; other accounts place it at 
 Sermoneta, eight miles farther. We now were soon in 
 the midst of the Marshes, and a more disagreeable 
 country cannot well be imagined f ; the exhalations 
 
 * This is the ong"inal classical name of this I'iver, 
 
 t Horace has g'wen an admirable description of his journey to lirtindii- 
 sium, but we find the places much chang-ed, and many g-one. First, 
 Appii Forum exists no more, and as the roads were bad in tiiis part, they 
 l)roceeded by water froui Appii F(u-uin to Feronia, and then pursued their 
 journey by hind to Anxur, (Terracina). Feronia (?<J at present exists no 
 more than Appii Forum. 
 
 (a) A Ferendis Aiboiibus, the goddess so called. It is doubtful who this 
 goddess was; many of the ancients thought she was Juno (1), but there were 
 various opinions; however, there was a grove sacred to her, with a fountain 
 and temple, between Circello and Terracina. 
 
 Et viridi gaudens Feronia luco. 
 
 ^NEID, lib. 7. V. 800. 
 
 (1) Vid. ViR.Cen.lib. 7. 
 
510 TORRE DE' TRE PONTI. 
 
 were extremely offensive, especially as it rained hard 
 the whole day. Eight miles farther, Torre de' Tre 
 Ponti, a post and most wretched cabaret, where 
 we arrived in a deluge of rain, about ten in the 
 morning. 
 
 This house, which is miserable as to situation and 
 want of conveniences, appeared even worse than it 
 was, owing to the weather. It had apertures and 
 broken shutters, but no glass was there in the house ; 
 bad, however, as it was, four different large parties 
 in carriages met in it, glad to obtain shelter from the 
 weather, as in this dangerous country they almost 
 always contrive to go together. The first thing we did 
 was to shut out the rain and noxious air by closing the 
 windows with the broken shutters, and with the help 
 of candles and a good fire, and our food, which we had 
 brought with us, we made shift to pass two hours tole- 
 rably amidst the rage of the conflicting elements, and 
 the inconvenience of a complete wintry day. We here 
 declared, as the poet* did, against the water, which is 
 reckoned very bad, but did not gain much by the sour 
 wine. Strolling, however, through these miserable 
 rooms whilst they were putting the horses to the coach, 
 we vv^ere much edified at seeing two rows of peasants 
 of both sexes on their knees, in a long gallery bounded 
 by a little chapel, in which the priest was saying mass, 
 as it was Sunday ; and the perfect tranquillity and un- 
 affected piety so striking in this little audience, made 
 
 * HoR. lib. 1. sat. 5. v. 8. 
 
EXCELLENT ROAD. 511 
 
 a great impression on us, the more so as the scene 
 was unexpected. 
 
 At Torre de' Tre Ponti begins the famous Linea Pi^, 
 made upon the old Via Appia, and so called from Pope 
 Pius VI., who made it across the Pontine Marshes for 
 twenty-five miles, by which improvement the road is 
 shorter and better. 
 
 They reckon these Marshes * to begin at this post, 
 and they are called twenty-four miles in length, and 
 six in general in breadth, though in some places they 
 are twelve, but in fact they begin from Velletri. 
 
 Leaving Torre, for several miles we pursued our 
 journey (on a noble road between two rows of fine 
 elms meeting on the top, and a broad clear canal on 
 each side of the road) to Terracina, where we were 
 made ample amends for the fatigue of the day at 
 I'Albergo Reale, an admirable inn, large, commo- 
 dious, and comfortable in every sense of the word. 
 We this day went nearly forty miles, the chief part in 
 the Pontine Marshes, as the posts were very long. 
 Cisterna, one post ; Torre de 'Tre Ponti, one and a 
 
 * Julius Csesar, and after him Augustus, endeavoured to drain these 
 marshes, and to carry the water into the sea by diiferent channels ; the 
 Emperor Trajan, as the inscription shews at Tre Ponti, made bridg;es, 
 paved the road, Sfc, but after a time, fr.'>m neglect, the inundation of the 
 lakes got the better. Many popes in latter times attempted to drain the 
 Marshes, as Boniface Vllf ., Martin V., and Sixtus V., particularly the 
 latter, who thought nothing- was beyond the reach of his enterprizing- g^enius. 
 He made use of the ancient channels and dykes with effect, but after his 
 death they gave way for want of strengtli. But the last pope who 
 laboured in this great work with effect, was Pius VI.. who was as liberal 
 as he was enterprising. There still remains much to be done, and it is to 
 be hoped, now the din of arms has ceased, this work Mill be attended to, 
 as well for the sake of the health of the country as to render the land 
 useful and productive. 
 
512 PROTECTING SOLDIERS. 
 
 half* ; Bocca di Fiume, one ; Mezzo, one ; Ponte^ 
 Maggiore, one ; Terracina, one. 
 
 The posts were single houses or small villages; 
 there were soldiers f of the Pope stationed every three 
 or four miles in this dangerous road to protect it, and 
 they have small pyramidical cottages, made of straw 
 or haulm. 
 
 This day we were not far off, as we were told, 
 from Sermoneta, anciently called Sulmo, where are 
 to be seen the remains of its former consequence in its 
 ancient fortifications ; and a few miles from it is 
 Sezze, formerly Setia or Setinum, on a hill near the 
 Pontine Marshes, in which are to be seen considerable 
 remains of an ancient Temple of Saturn ; and seven 
 miles and a half from Sezze is Piperno, a small city, 
 situated also upon a hill, which many think was the 
 capital of the Volsci, and not Velletri, but this is only 
 conjecture ; the truth cannot at this distance of time 
 be ascertained. Nine miles, however, from Velletri, 
 in this day's journey, our coachman told us was Cora ; 
 this was an ancient city of the Latians, inhabited by 
 the Volsci, and afterwards destroyed by the Romans. 
 The walls which encompassed the city were made 
 
 * About three miles from this post are remains of ancient monuments, 
 most beautiful, which served for an ornament to Forum Appium and Via 
 Appia ; and not far from this, was a small port where Cicero embarked the 
 day he was assassinated, (to go to his ^'illa of Forniia, ) to the eternal dis- 
 grace of the Triumvirs. Here also was betrayed and seized the young- 
 iCorradino, King of Naples, by Frangipani, Lord of Astura, to his dis- 
 honour, as the young Prince had taken refuge in his house, thus violating' 
 the laws of honour and hospitality. 
 
 t These soldiers from their sickly starved appearance, hardly able to 
 carry their musket and crawl out of their huts, seem ill calculated to en- 
 counter robbers ; and, in fact, no part of the road is so infested with them 
 as this, which is guarded by soldiers. 
 
ANCIENT TEMPLES. 61 J 
 
 with enormous pieces of stone, and we were told, the 
 subterranean passages in the rocks are now to be seen, 
 which served as a shelter to the besieged. 
 
 There are here remains of two temples, one dedi- 
 cated to Hercules, and the other to Castor and Pollux, 
 with legible inscriptions ; but the day was so uncom- 
 monly bad, we were obliged to be contented with 
 the account, not being able to diverge, but reserving 
 it for a future day. Among other interesting places 
 which we passed near in this day's journey, was 
 Nettuno, so called from its temple, in which sacri- 
 fices were made for a prosperous voyage, and Capo 
 d' Anzio, formerly Antium, the well-known city of the 
 Volsci. In the western extremity of the Marshes is 
 Monte Circello *, where is the promontory of the well- 
 known Circe f. Here were the tremendous caves in 
 which the companions of Ulysses were shut. 
 
 * Circseumque jugum. — Virg, ^neid, lib. 7. v. 779. 
 
 X On the western extremity of the Pontine Marshes was the spot ini- 
 niortalized by the poet , in which dwelt the bewitching Circe, who was the 
 cause of so much evil to Ulysses and his companions. 
 
 Itrrov i'^oi^o/yi.iwis fi'iyay. — Odyss. lib. 10. 
 
 Now on the threshold of the dome they stood, 
 And heard a voice resounding through the wood ; 
 Plac'd at her loom, &c. — Pope's Odyss. book 10. 
 Here follows the catastrophe, 
 
 Aurag liTsi IZxiv ri, xai Ix'Tftov avrix frura 
 Va.Z'hiii ui9rXnyuia xctra, truritiffiv l^ixvif 
 
 Instant her circling wand the goddess waves, 
 To hogs transforms them, and the sty receives. 
 
 Pope's Odyss. book 10. 
 
 Vol,. T. 2 L 
 
514 CATHEDRAL OP TERRACINA. 
 
 CHAPTER LXIir. 
 
 Terracina — Ancient Name — Cathedral — Departure — Escort — Passports 
 — Fondi — Itri — Mamurrae — Military sometimes necessary — Mola di 
 Gaieta — Mons Csecubus — Vesuvius — Ciceronian Villa — Departure 
 from Mola — Maritime Prospects — Instability of greatness — Garis^liano 
 — Campania Felix — St. Ag-atha — Country beautiful — Falcrnian Hills — 
 Francolisi — Vulturnus — Capua — Old Capua, its ruins — Farewell view 
 of an iuterestins^ Road — Aversa — Naples. 
 
 Terracina, a corruption of Trachyna*, is an old 
 Roman town in a very singular situation, built on a 
 high rock, containing five thousand persons ; it is the 
 Anxur j* of the ancients. 
 
 Impositum late saxis cadentibus Anxur $. 
 
 The town of course is very old, and the streets very 
 narrow ; some of our party literally climbed to the 
 town§ , whilst the dinner was preparing ; the cathe- 
 dral] | , which is on the Piazza, has a very high steeple, 
 and you ascend to it by a long flight of steps ; it was 
 built on the site of a temple of Jupiter : under the por- 
 tico is much basso relievo of several beasts, and 
 within, some mosaic and fine granite pillars. The 
 
 * T^^axui, asper, (crag'g'y.) 
 
 t In this city Jupiter was worshipped with peculiar solemnity («). 
 X HoRACB, Sat. 5, lib. 1. The ancient Anxur was built on the toji oi 
 the mountain. 
 
 § Tarracinam mcenibus situque mag;is quani ipsorura ingenio tutara — 
 Tac. lib. 3, Hist. 
 
 Terracina depended more on its natural situatioji and the strength of 
 its walls for security, than the energy of its inhabitants. 
 
 Trachasque olj^essa palude. — Ovid, Metamor. lib. 15. 
 II The canopy over the high altar, and pillars which support it, are much 
 admired, but the church is damp and dirty. 
 
 (a) Queis Juppiter Anxurus arvis 
 
 Praesidet — JEneid. lib. 7, v. 779. 
 
MILITARY ESCORT. 515 
 
 facade of the Temple of Jupiter, sustained by large 
 pillars of marble, is still to be seen. The famous 
 Via Appia passed through Terracina, and the ancient 
 Romans had a great many villas, it appears, scattered 
 upon the mountain, as it was a favourite resort in the 
 hot months. 
 
 In the rocks in the neighbourhood are many 
 caverns in which the Corps de Garde * is lodged , 
 and many other persons. 
 
 Oct. 18. — Left Terracina at five in the morning, in 
 order to pass the dangerous parts of the road in good 
 time ; there were four carriages in our party, contain- 
 ing in the whole nearly thirty persons, so that we had 
 not much reason to fear any attack from the thieves, 
 but notwithstanding our strength, some of the party 
 thought it adviseabie to take an escort ; an escort we 
 accordingly took, of three horse soldiers : these 
 soldiers riding backwards and forwards with a face 
 of care and importance, and surveying the road, and 
 the rising sun with his early rays glittering on their 
 brass helmets, added to the romantic and picturesque 
 country, afforded a novelty of scene which made a 
 pleasing impression on our senses not easy to be 
 described, and gave the whole a chivalric appear- 
 ance, and the solemn stillness of a beautiful morning 
 added not a little to this beautiful scene f. 
 
 * Going- out of Terracina we saw 120 marked on the rock, probably to 
 shew the nuuibcr of steps to g-o up to the barracks built on the top. 
 
 t A Genoese marquis of fortune and distinction had a few days before 
 been carried up into the mountains, and was kept there till his ransom was 
 paid : when taken there, one of the robbers said, " We have no bed ; I be- 
 lieve you have not been used to fare so badly, you shall have my great coat 
 to lie on ; but I will not deceive you, you shall pay for youi' luxury.'' 
 
 2 h 2 
 
516 FONDI, 
 
 For two or three miles we went along the sea- 
 shore, having a parapet-wall to protect the road, on 
 the right, and on the left a high mountain hanging over 
 the road, and afterwards came to a beautiful bay ; 
 there were myrtle* hedges, and shrubs of the same 
 in abundance, growing wild and luxuriant, full of the 
 most beautiful bloom. Four miles further, at Portello, 
 separating the Papal from the Neapolitan states, we 
 underwent the process of having our passports ex- 
 amined, which, with the visitation of baggage, is the 
 bane of travelling abroad ; we were detained more 
 than half an hour in a dirty room, owing to some in- 
 formality of a trifling nature, which we extricated our- 
 selves from by spirit and resolution, and entered the 
 Neapolitan territory. One mile farther on the left 
 is an old mausoleum, not taken notice of by historians, 
 and about seven further, Fondi ; great part of this 
 road is shaded by fine trees, which defend the tra- 
 veller from the rays of the sun, which in this burn- 
 ing country would otherwise be intolerable in the 
 summer. 
 
 Fondi is the Fundi of Horace, distinguished by him 
 for being the residence of the Praetor Aufidius Luscus, 
 laughed at for his ridiculous airs and self-conse- 
 quence ; it is now a wretched town with remarkably 
 narrow streets, and noted for the unhealthiness of its 
 air. Here we were detained half a day about passports 
 and baggage, the rain the whole time pouring down 
 in such torrents, that the middle of the streets was 
 like a river, so that we did not look upon this as lost 
 
 * Et araantes litora luyrtos.— Viu. Geor, lib, 4., v. 124. 
 
ITRA-MAMURR.E. 517 
 
 time ; only regretting that we could not visit the 
 grotto in which Sejanus is said to have saved the life 
 of that worthless emperor Tiberius Caesar ; and still 
 more so the gardens said to have belonged to the im- 
 mortal Cicero. Travellers, however, are subject to 
 disappointments from weather, as well as other causes, 
 and we bore this with tolerable patience. It grieved 
 us not a little to see the pallid countenances of the half 
 starved inhabitants of this wretched place, and we 
 were anxious to quit it ; the country for many miles 
 round, indeed, seemed affected, and men, women, 
 and children appeared in a dying state. 
 
 Fundos Aufidio Lusco Prtetore Hbenter 
 Linquimus. — Hor. Sat. lib. 1. Sat. 5. v. 34. 
 
 We left it as eagerly as Horace did, for the reasons 
 given above. 
 
 Near Fondi is a lake some miles in extent ; this 
 town is said to be famous for its wine, but as we only 
 breakfasted there we could not judge of it. The Via 
 Appia crosses Fondi, and in its ancient state makes 
 the chief street of this wretched town. The weather 
 also prevented our seeing St. Thomas's chamber, 
 and a famous painting of the sacking of the town by 
 Barbarossa, the distinguished Turkish captain, who 
 endeavoured to take away Giulia Conzaga, Countess 
 of Fondi, celebrated for her beauty. To our sur- 
 prise, on leaving this wretched town we saw many 
 orange and lemon-trees. 
 
 One post* or about seven miles from Fondi is 
 Itri, a miserable town with narrow streets, but on the 
 
 * The posts vary here, and are from seven to nine miles. 
 
518 MOLA DI GAIETA. 
 
 right, the fine old town of Mamurrae * with its vene- 
 rable castle, attracted our attention, and the classic 
 reader will recollect that Mamurra, the friend of Au- 
 gustus, was lord of this place. 
 
 We entered now on a road between orange and 
 lemon orchards, some of the fruit ripe, and some 
 green ; soldiers the -whole of the road were stationed 
 every two or three miles, and if they did their duty 
 there would be no danger in traveihng, for it is a sad 
 disgrace to the Papal as well as Neapolitan govern- 
 ments that strangers are prevented seeing, with com- 
 fort, the finest and most interesting country in Europe, 
 owing to the dangerous interruptions which they often 
 experience from the banditti. 
 
 The soldiers' huts were now more solid, built of 
 stone, or lath and plaster, instead of straw, as in the 
 Papal states. 
 
 One post from Itri is Mola di Gaieta, where we took 
 up our quarters for the night at L'Albergo Reale, 
 glad to find shelter from the heavy rain which had 
 continued without intermission the whole day. The 
 last six or seven miles were particularly beautiful : 
 we ascended a hill about two miles in length, hav- 
 ing much myrtle, box, ^'c, growing luxuriantly wild, 
 and from the top of the hill had a beautiful view 
 of Mola, Gaieta, ^c, the latter on the opposite side 
 of the Bay, and a most interesting place, which the 
 weather as usual prevented our visiting, though we 
 arrived at our quarters in good time. Not far from 
 
 * In Mamurrarum lassi deinde urbe manemus, — Hor. Sat,5,]ih. I, 
 V. 37. 
 
WINES OP MOLA. 519 
 
 hence are the hills mentioned by Horace as Mons 
 Casciibus*, and known by the bon vivans for its ex- 
 cellent wine : about a mile before we came to Mola 
 we passed by a venerable building on the right, 
 said to be the tomb of Cicero, and the principal 
 inn is called Villa Cicerone f , from being the sup- 
 posed site of his Villa. 
 
 Mola di Gaieta is a flourishing town, supposed to 
 have been the ancient Formia, built along the sea, 
 containing 5,500 inhabitants ; the situation of it is 
 most lovely, commanding a fine view of Gaieta J on 
 the opposite of the Bay, Mount Vesuvius at a dis- 
 tance, ^c. But what renders it interesting to the tra- 
 veller is, that it was the favourite residence, or at 
 least one of the residences of that ornament of litera- 
 ture, Cicero, and here, shame to his murderer, he was 
 supposed to have been slain by the Centurion 
 Popilius Leenus. 
 
 Flete Camesnse, &c. 
 
 This town is also supposed to have been the seat of 
 
 * Csecubum, et praelo domitam caleno 
 
 Tu bibes uvam. — Hor. Car. lib. I. od. 20, v, 9. 
 
 f Formianuiu, the favourite villa of Cicero, was afterwards much re- 
 sorted to by Pliny. 
 
 Solicitas me in Formianum, veniam ea conditioue, ne quid contra com- 
 modum tuum facias. — Pliny, lib. 6, epis. 14. 
 
 " You give me an invitation to Formianum, I will accept it only on con- 
 ditions of your putting- yourself to no inconvenience on my account." But 
 we find that the Romans were not inferior to us in politeness. 
 
 % Turn se ad Cajetie recto fert litore portum. — Via. JEn. lib, 6, v. 900- 
 
 Tu quoque litoribus nostris iEne\& nutrix. 
 
 iEternam moriens famam Caieta dedisti. — 2En. lib. 7, v. 1 and 2. 
 
 Etquam tumulavit alumnus. — Ovid, Metamor, lib. 13, 
 
520 RUINS OP MINTURN. 
 
 the Lestrygones * : the situation of it must be con- 
 fessed to be very beautiful, and must take the atten- 
 tion of every traveller. The wines of Mola, which 
 have been celebrated of old, have not lost their qua- 
 lity, as we found them excellent. 
 
 October 19. — Left Mola | at six, and passed along 
 the shore some time, with a long parapet-wall to pro- 
 tect the road from the sea : afterwards the road went 
 
 * Antipliataeque domus. Ovid, Metamor.\\\).\5. 
 Antiphatis, King of the Lsestrigones, («) reig-ned here. 
 
 t Gaieta, no less celebrated for its antiquity, than its elegance in 
 modern times, is mentioned by an author of credit (/j), as having been of old 
 distinguished by the beauty and politeness of its females, which de- 
 lighted the Empress of Germany, who saw them in her way to visit King 
 Alphonso, when accompanying the Emperor her husband, in his journey 
 in 1452. 
 
 At Gaieta, Margaret, widow of Charles of Durazzo took refuge, when 
 forced to quit Naples by the Angevine party. — Biancardi, p. 203(c). 
 
 (a) This lovely spot was of old distinguished by being the seat of the unna- 
 tmal anthropophagi, or feeders on human flesh. 
 
 iiirav ^ifioi S.aiirrouyaiii aXXht aXkos 
 
 JIu^/o/, ouK avh^iirinv toiKori;, aXXa, yttaat. — Odyss. lib. 10. 
 
 A ghastly band of giants hear the roar. 
 
 And, pouring down the mountain, crowd the shore. 
 
 Pope's Odym. 
 
 •— a^aj 01 XKXo; xovaSo; xara V)5a> opZpu 
 Ati^av, oWvfiivut, vnav 3-' af^a ayiVft-itaui 
 1^6vs »', uir'ni^ovn; anprria Sa;7-a (pipovro. 
 
 The crackling vessels burst, hoarse groans arise. 
 And mingled horrors echo to the skies. 
 The men, like fish, they stuck upon the flood. 
 And cramm'd their filthy throats with human food. 
 
 Odyss. b. 10, 141, 
 (h) CosTANZO, lib. 19. p. 418. 
 
 (c) At Gaieta the young Ladislaus received his young bride, the daughter 
 
 f Manfred ofChiaramonte, with an immense dowry, in 1390. — Biancardi. 
 
 Gaiela was taken easily by Don Pedro, brother of Alphonso King of Ar- 
 
 ragon, though that king was unable to take it. Alphonso thought the place of 
 
 so much importance, that he built what was termed an impregnable castle.— 
 
 BlANCAUDI, p. 267. 
 
ST. AGATHA. 621 
 
 between groves of olives reaching to the sea-shore ; 
 myrtle-hedges also were frequent. 
 
 Seven miles passed, on our left, an ancient aque- 
 duct, an amphitheatre, and many ruins, supposed to 
 be those of Minturnae * : it was in these marshes, it 
 will be recollected, that Marius was hidden several 
 days. 
 
 Minturnae, Sinuessaf , &c., cities celebrated of old, 
 exist no longer, but in name, nor would their situa- 
 tion be known, but for the classic writers. Reflecting: 
 on this, though travelling in a most interesting country, 
 we naturally were led into a train of serious and 
 solemn ideas, when we considered the fate of those 
 cities, and what will probably be the fate of those in 
 which we at present take so much interest, and where 
 our fondest and dearest hopes are now placed. 
 
 We here passed the GariglianoJ, formerly the 
 Liris §, on a bridge of ten boats, and left the Via 
 
 * Minturnseque graves. — Ovid, MetamorAih. 15. 
 t Niveisque freqiiens Sinuessa Colubris. — Ovid Metamor. lib. 15. 
 % la 1391 the young- King Ladislaus encamped on the banks of the 
 Garig-liano, with 3000 horse, and 1600 foot, opposing- the Angevine partj. 
 
 — BlANCARDI. 
 
 § Nonrura quse Liris quieta 
 
 IMordet aqui\ tacitnrnus amnis. — Hor. Car, lib. I. od. 31. 
 
 Flavseque terens querceta Maricse (a) 
 
 Liris. — Caudian. 
 
 Inter Minturnas sinuessanumque Petrinum. 
 
 Hor. Epis.lib. 1, v. 5. 
 Crossing the Liris (b) we entered Campania Felix, now tlie province of 
 Lavoro, the Liris separating the country of the Latins from Campania ; it 
 may properly be called Fe^Ar when contrasted with the Campagnaof Rome, 
 and is a fertile and abundant country, many parts as beautiful as fertile, 
 (a) Wife of Faunus. 
 
 (6) This river is famous in modern times for the decisive victory gained on 
 its banks by the Great Captain, Gonsalva di Cordova, in 1503, which secured 
 the kingdom of Naples to his ungrateful master, Ferdinand of Arrtgon. 
 —Jstoria di Napoli. 
 
522 THE VOLTORNO. 
 
 Appia, which continues to the embouchure of the 
 river, and then begins Via Domitiana. This river, 
 owing to the late heavy rains, seemed to have changed 
 its character, and to be more violent than gentle : 
 there is a Latin inscription on the gate, very long, 
 of Q. Junius Severianus, formerly Decurio in Min- 
 turnse ; on the left was the village of Garigliano, The 
 road for some time is near the river, and the country 
 is flat and disagreeable ; but near St. Agatha, it again 
 changes, and the road is between forests of oaks 
 and olives. The situation of this place is pecu- 
 liarly lovely, but the rain continuing very violent, we 
 could not go to the town, distant about a mile. The 
 rock of St. Agatha was formerly very strong, but in 
 spite of its strength was taken and retaken in the 
 reign of Tancred*. 
 
 Leaving St. Agatha after breakfast, we proceeded 
 through a pretty country, having, on our left, hills 
 covered with vineyards, part of the chain of Falernian 
 hills, so celebrated of old, by the poet, for its wine. 
 
 Albanura Mfecenas sive Farlernum 
 
 Te magfis appositis delectat, habemus utriimque +. 
 
 Sentry-boxes were frequent along the road, but the 
 soldiers for the protection of the road were too often 
 absent. We had passed by limbs of criminals on dif- 
 ferent parts of the road, but now saw a human scull in 
 aframe on a post, which almost overset the nerves of 
 our females, who shuddered, while they congratulated 
 themselves at being so near the end of their journey, 
 
 * BuNCARDi. t HoR, lib. 2, Sat. S, V. 16. 
 
OLD CAPUA. 523 
 
 and having escaped the dangers of which they had so 
 strong an apprehension. 
 
 About half way to Capua, on our left, Francolisi, a 
 small place, which historians have celebrated for its 
 springs, which have a taste of vinegar. Five or 
 six miles from Capua*, the country is flat, rich, 
 and well cultivated ; we observed many neat farm- 
 houses of stone, and many corn-stacks, shewing 
 the plenty of the country. Just before we entered 
 Capua f, we crossed the Voltorno, formerly Vulturnus, 
 on an old stone bridge of four arches, and immediately 
 entered the town by a strong gate. 
 
 The Vulturnus was famous of old for its violence. 
 
 Vulturnusque rapax ; 
 Vulturnusque celer ; 
 Flactiique sonoruni 
 Vulturnum J. 
 
 Multainque trahens sub ofure:ite arenani 
 Vulturnus. — Ovid, Metamor. lib. 15. 
 
 The rousfh Vulturnus, furious in its course §. 
 
 Oct 20. — Taking the advantage of a fine day, we 
 drove in an Italian chair || to old Capua, which is on 
 
 * Et Capys, hinc noinem Campana ducitur urbi. — JEn. 9, v, 145. It is 
 thoug'ht also to have taken its name from bein^ iu an open country. — Vid. 
 Liv. Dec. 1. lib. 4. cap. 9. 
 
 t In Capiia died in 9S1 the famous Pandulfo, surnamed Capo di Ferro, 
 ivho was one of the most powerful sovereigfns of his time ; he was Prince 
 of Capua, Benevento, and Salerno, and Marquis of Spoleto and Came- 
 rino, possessing- nearly half Italy. — Gianone. 
 
 Capua was sacked by the French, July 24th, 1501, and every sort of 
 cruelty and licentiousness committed. 
 
 X Lucan, Silius Italicus, &c., as quoted by Addison. 
 
 § Addison. 
 
 II These chairs, as well as cabriolets, are much used in this country, at 
 Naples, Capua, &c., they contain two persons, though the vehicles aru 
 
52i CATHEDRAL AND ANNUNZIATA. 
 
 the Via Appia continued by Trajan to Brundusiumr 
 and presents an interesting, but melancholy heap of 
 ruins, most painful to the eyes of the spectator. We 
 went under a venerable gateway, and at a little dis- 
 tance on the left are the regular remains of an amphi- 
 theatre *, an aqueduct, several temples, pillars, &c., 
 the whole giving us the complete idea of the ancient 
 splendid city ; but having lately passed the remains 
 of several cities f , and now viewing the mouldering 
 walls of old Capua, we could not help thinking that 
 these awful and melancholy spectacles should afford 
 us a useful lesson, and humble the pride of man, 
 teaching him to fix his hopes on a city which has firm 
 and solid foundations. 
 
 At old Capua, we not only quitted the Via Appia, 
 but the road which the poet and his friends had taken 
 above 1800 years ago, the tracing which had long 
 afforded us so much pleasure. The Romans, it ap- 
 pears, travelled much at their ease ; for though 
 they had such excellent roads, they went often but 
 sixteen miles a day, especially in this journey, as 
 they were five days getting to Capua ; thence they 
 went to Beneventum and Brundusium, leaving the 
 road to Naples on the right. We may presume 
 they performed this journey unmolested by the 
 fear of robbers ; whilst their representatives, the 
 
 small; one holds the reins, and the master of the chaise stands behind 
 constantly whipping- the horse, which goes at an amazing rate, and the 
 price is very reasonable. 
 
 * The amphitheatre is 366 Roman palms long, and 221 broad, and 
 most of it in high preservation. 
 
 t Forum Appii and Mamurrie, mentioned in this journey, likewise no 
 Icnirer exist. 
 
ROAD TO NAPLES. 525 
 
 Italians, having a feeble government, and that badly 
 administered, impair the comforts and pleasures 
 which travelling over a fine country would naturally 
 afford, by suffering the traveller to be constantly in 
 fear of having his property taken, even if his person 
 should be safe. 
 
 Leaving old Capua * we returned to new Capua, 
 which we would not quit without seeing the cathedral 
 and Annunziata : the former is modernized, and has a 
 plain roof, and handsome flight of steps leading to the 
 choir, under which is a chapel, having much Mosaic, 
 and a fine sepulchre and statue of a dead Christ, by 
 Bernini, which are generally admired. The granite 
 pillars in the cathedral are very handsome. The 
 Annunziata has a nave and small choir, but the roof, 
 which is flat, is beautifully painted and gilt : there are 
 also in this church many pictures, and a gallery of fret- 
 work, and a fine dome, though plain and without paint- 
 ing ; before the cathedral are cloisters with several old 
 tombs and figures in the wall. 
 
 Leaving Capua at eleven, we went through a 
 rich and flat country, full of gardens well stocked 
 with vegetables, !• Naples, sixteen miles from Capua. 
 At five miles' distance is a bridge over a canal, with, 
 as usual, a long inscription mentioning by whom the 
 
 * Capua was of old famous for its fertility. 
 
 Talem dives arat Capua. — ViR. Geor. lib. 2, v. 229. 
 
 The luxury of old Capua was proverbial, and enervated Hannibal and 
 his army so much, as to prevent his availing himself of his victories by 
 takings Rome. Thus this g-reat general sullied the glory of his conquests 
 and ruined his renovv'n, by not preserving that temperance and self-depri- 
 vation by which he had acquired it. Near Capua is the noble palace of 
 Caserta, which we regretted much not having time to see. 
 
526 
 
 ARRIVAL AT NAPLES. 
 
 work was done, and just by, another over a cut ; it 
 must be owned that these are necessary, as the 
 country is very wet, and would be otherwise im- 
 passable. Half way to Naples is Aversa, near which 
 our coach-springs broke again, and we were detained 
 some time ; but we had not much reason to complain, 
 as in a journey of 4000 miles this was but the third 
 accident we had experienced. Owing to this we did 
 not get to Naples till three ; we were, however, no 
 more disgusted with the sight of sculls or limbs nailed 
 along the road, but performed this journey (148 miles) 
 in four days and a half, without any inconveniences 
 but those which proceeded from the cause just men- 
 tioned. We were much disappointed at finding this 
 last stage not so beautiful as represented, being chiefly 
 a flat, through a country so rich, that instead of 
 ploughing, they only turn up the soil with a broad 
 hoe. The country men and women were without 
 stockings ; and in Aversa*, which is a neat town, 
 as in other places, the shops have no windows, but 
 folding-doors only, for the display of their goods. 
 Many of the cottages also have no windows, and 
 one room below, and a flat roof on which they dry 
 linen ; which, indeed, is general in this country : there 
 
 * Aversa was built by the Normans injlOSO, (and Ra'inulfo was the first 
 count,) so called from beuig a check on Naples and Capua. — Istoria di 
 NapoU. 
 
 The unfortunate Andrew, King- of Hung-ary, and husband of Joan, 
 Queen of Naples, was strangled in Aversa ; this place was made a county 
 in the eleventh century, and sfoverned by Rainulfo. In 1425 it afforded 
 refuge to Joan II., from the arms of Alfonso, King' of Sicily, and she 
 kept her court here. — Biancaudi, p. 2V7. 
 
 Aversa was so called from the Normans building it in 1023, and calling- 
 it /ifersaA'or/HG/i « a, having begun to build at Ponte Felice, tliree miles 
 
BAY OP NAPLES. 527 
 
 were several of these cottages together, and so thin, 
 that they look like a wall. The first part of the road 
 was bad, but the last two miles we had a good broad 
 paved road and went into Naples by a gradual descent, 
 and proceeding by the noble Deposito dei Poveri * 
 into the fine Strada di Toledo, took up our quarters in 
 I'Albergo Reale, which we changed next day for the 
 Villa di Londra, much pleased with our interesting 
 journey. The situation of this inn is remarkably fine ; 
 our rooms faced the beautiful Bay f ; on the left was 
 the lovely village of Portici, and above it Mount Ve- 
 
 off, but finding' it a marshy place they g"ave it up. It was a place of great 
 consequence under tlie Normans in the fifteenth century. Richard Giau- 
 none, its count, conquered and took Capua, and uniting' it to Aversa, formed 
 one great state, and was the first Norman prince anointed ivith oil, but 
 this custom was followed by all his successors. Charles of Anjou destroyed 
 Aversa on account of its rebellion, but it was afterwards rebuilt.— 
 
 GlANNONE. 
 
 * This is a large and noble building, not yet quite finished, and a noble 
 i nstitution for ^/ze^joor and 6e,o-g-a?'5 of the to/to/e kingdom; but notwith- 
 standing this, there are many beggars and wretched objects in Naples con- 
 inually wounding' your feelings, as indeed is too much the case in all larg'e 
 capitals. 
 
 t The bay of Naples, at least that part of it seen from Santa Lucia 
 and Chiatamone, is bounded on one side by Pausilippo Point, and the other, 
 Campanella Point, In the centre is the island of Capri (a) ; on the left is 
 the lovely village of Portici, built on the ruins of Herculaneura, and above 
 it, Mount Vesuvius, (towering to the clouds) enveloped in smoke, the ma- 
 jestic Apennines forming the back-ground. On the right are the numerous 
 white houses and buildings, from the bottom quite up to the top of the hill 
 of Pausilipo, scattered in the most beautiful manner imaginable, forming-, 
 in the whole, a scene, perhaps unequalled in Europe. The Mole is re- 
 markably fine, and the sea so deep there, that large ships may come 
 close to it. 
 
 (a) Capreee was the ancient name, not Caprea, as Addison calls it. — Vid. 
 Mn. Jib. 1, V. 735. 
 
528 NAPLES. 
 
 suvius *, proudly looking down from its fiery top on 
 Naples ; on the right, Procida, Ischia, and Capri, the 
 last of infamous memory, for being the retreat of the 
 wicked Tiberius, in his crimes and licentiousness. 
 
 CHAPTER LXIV. 
 
 Description of Naples — Parthenope — Lazzaroni — Cathedral — Archiepis- 
 copal celebration of Mass — Annunziata — Cluirch Rambles — Jesuit's 
 Church — S. Domenico — S. Apostoli — S. Giovanni Carbonaro — 
 Santa Maria Nuova — Mont Oliveti — St. Philip and St, James — S. 
 Lorenzo — St. Philip Neri — Catacombs. 
 
 Naples f is a large and fine city, built on a declivity, 
 and descending gradually to the sea and its beautiful 
 bay ; there is no beach, but the sand is firm and 
 spotted like fine granite. The lower part of the town 
 is built in form of a crescent along the sea. On a 
 high rock, overlooking the town and bay, is the noble 
 Castle of St. Ermo and Monastery of St. Martino ad- 
 joining ; the different hills and rocks are studded with 
 white houses, hanging over the town, and having a 
 delicious prospect of the sea. 
 
 * The country bordering^ on this celebrated mountain was noted for its 
 fertility by the poet (a), and the celebrated wine, the Lacryma Christi, 
 made from a vine near it. 
 
 t Naples was built by the Cumaui, who came from Euboea 160 years after 
 the destruction of Troy, 260 years before the building of Rome, and 116S 
 before Christ was born. — Biancardi. 
 
 (rt) Et vicina Vesevo 
 
 Orajugo.— ViR. Ceor. 
 
NAPLES. 529 
 
 Naples is the ancient Parthenope*, so called from 
 one of the Sirens, and so much the delight of the poet, 
 who in his last illness is said to have made this 
 epitaph on himself: 
 
 Mantua me 2:enuit, Calabri rapuere, tenet nunc 
 Parthenope •(•. 
 
 Naples X is said to contain 400,000 persons, but its 
 exact population is 322,662, as one of our party had it 
 from the police ; but from the vast crowds in the 
 streets and height of the houses, which are nearly all 
 flat roofs, and have almost all terraces, one would 
 imagine the population greater than it actually is. It 
 has the honour of being the third city in Europe ; the 
 harbour is convenient, and so deep, that large ships of 
 war, with their guns on board, can enter it ; and the 
 anchorage is so fine in the bay, that the largest men 
 of war ride within a mile of the shore. 
 
 In this city§, however, are the greatest incon- 
 
 * lUo Virgilium me tempore dulcis alebat Parthenope. 
 
 Gborg, /»i. 4.t;. 563. 
 Et otiosa credidit Neapolis. 
 
 Epoo. v. 42. 
 t Vita Virg;ilii. 
 
 X The Normans were founders of this king'dom, but it has had its share 
 in the convulsions of Italy, alternately in subjection to the French and 
 Spaniards; it was at length ceded to the Emperor in 1713. 
 
 The troubles and misfortunes caused by the ambition of Charles of 
 Anjou, brother of St. Louis, involved him and the kingdom in continual 
 wars, and was the source of much trouble to 6o^A. He died of a broken 
 heart at Poggia in Calabria, leaving the kingdom a prey to every invader, 
 though three of his descendants succeeded him. — Vide Biancardi. 
 
 The Neapolitans have always been famous for loving changes, and for 
 a fickleness of disposition, and the confusion caused by Massaniello iu 
 1647, had nearly overturned the government. — Mezerai and Denina. 
 § Naples though an open city now, was formerly so strong and its walls 
 Vol. I. 2 M 
 
530 LAZZARONI AND FACCHINI. 
 
 sistencies ; grandeur and dirt are completely mixed, 
 and it is by no means uncommon to go up dirty stair- 
 cases two or three stories, in which you must use a 
 smelling-bottle the whole way, into spacious and 
 sumptuous apartments, furnished in the most elegant 
 way, for which the proprietor will ask from 150/. to 
 200/. a-year. Some, indeed, let as high as 400/. 
 Every thing in this opulent city is immoderately 
 dear, at least to strangers. The bigotry of the 
 people, which of old was their characteristic, is 
 much passed away, and with it their religion. Most 
 of the shops are open the chief part of Sunday : the 
 Lazzaroni and Facchini, however, are as numerous 
 as ever, to the great annoyance of the stranger, and 
 disgrace of the police; and these troublesome fellows 
 fleece the traveller, and know not ho^v to ask enough 
 for commissions, or for conveying his baggage, and 
 are not to be soothed by mildness, or daunted by 
 threats. These Lazzaroni amount to at least 40,000, 
 and the troubles caused by these men, and in par- 
 ticular the revolution, which was the occasion of much 
 bloodshed, though it lasted but a few days, of which 
 Massaniello was the author, must be fresh in the 
 remembrance of every one. The costume of these 
 men is a woollen nightcap, jacket, and trows ers, and 
 no shoes or stockings. You never take a coach, but 
 
 so high, that it resisted the attacks of Henry, Emperor of Germany, in 1194, 
 and he was obliged to raise the siege with disgrace. — Vivenzio 1st. di 
 Nupoli. 
 
 Naples was taken twice by introducing soldiers into tlie aqueduct, once 
 by Belisarius, general of the Emperor Justinian, and secondly, by Alfonso, 
 King of Sicily, 1448. — Biancardi, Vite de Ke di Napoli, p, 280. 
 
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JANUARIUS. 531 
 
 one or two of them get up behind, acting as foot- 
 men. The greatest part of them have no home, 
 and often no place but a shed to sleep under, which, 
 indeed, in this mild climate, is no serious inconve- 
 nience. Government, whether from fear or some other 
 cause, winks at this number of men in the state with- 
 out employment, and it must be confessed on the 
 whole they are tolerably quiet, and you never hear 
 of material crimes being committed by them. 
 
 Oct. 31. — Went to the cathedral*, dedicated to St. 
 Gennaro or Januarius, the titular saint of Naples. This 
 is a beautiful Gothic building, about 600 years old; over 
 the great western doors are three statues of Charles 
 of Anjou, Charles Martelf , and Clementia of Austria, 
 his wife ; these statues are over their tombs, and at 
 least fifty feet high. The choir is very handsome, 
 under a half cupola ; on each side of the nave are 
 seven bishops of Naples in alto relievo. 
 
 Sacristy. — This is very old, with an ancient paint- 
 ing in fresco of a number of saints offering a crown to 
 the Redeemer. In this church are the tombs of Pope 
 Innocent IV. and Andrew, King of Hungary, who it is 
 
 * The catliedral with many other churches in Naples was built by 
 Charles I. (of Anjou), but was chiefly destroyed by the terrible earthquake 
 in 1453. It was restored to its original state by Ferdinand I., (sirnauied 
 the Catholic,) King of Arragon and Naples. — Angelo ill Costanr:o. 
 
 Charles of Anjou ordered his bowels to be interred in Foggia and liis 
 body in Naples. The following was his epitaph: — 
 
 Conditur hac parva Carolus rex primus in urna 
 Partenopes Galii sanguinis altus honos. 
 Cui sceptruni et vitani sors abstulit invida quando 
 Illius famam perdore non potuit. — Biancardi. 
 t Son of Charles II., sirnamed i/ J^o^jpo (the lame,) and grandson of 
 Charles of Anjou. — Biancardi. 
 
 2M2 
 
532 ST. JANUARIUS. 
 
 supposed fell a sacrifice to the cruelty and lust of his 
 wife, Joan of Naples, of infamous memory, and this 
 account is inscribed on his monument. On the left 
 of the nave is the ancient church, or rather chapel, of 
 St. Restituta, which was formerly the cathedral, but 
 before that, a Temple of Neptune, and there are 
 many pillars of granite, which belonged to it. 
 Passing through St. Restituta, we came to the ancient 
 chapel of St. Johannes ad Fontem, built by Con- 
 stantino, A. C. 343, and consecrated by St. Silvester, 
 who gave it its name, as appears from the Latin in- 
 scription. The roof is very curious in Mosaic, with 
 two very large heads of our Saviour and the Madonna, 
 opposite each other. Opposite St. Restituta is the 
 famous chapel of the Treasury, or St. Januarius ; on 
 the high altar, which is very rich, is the head of the 
 saint in bronze. The legendary tale of his congealed 
 blood, in a glass, growing liquid at the approach of 
 his head is well known, and deservedly laughed at. 
 This saint is in high request at Naples, and the 
 miracles he has performed are numerous. The in- 
 habitants have always recourse to his powerful inter- 
 cession, to avert any calamity or grant any favour ; it 
 is, therefore, almost criminal not to speak of him with 
 respect at least, if not with reverence. 
 
 You enter this beautiful chapel by a noble gate of 
 bronze of open work ; on the right and left, are two 
 fine statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, by Finelli : 
 the interior is rich in pillars, statues, and paintings 
 as well as marble ; of the latter are seven altars, of 
 the former above forty, of the Corinthian order ; the 
 
LA CHIESA DELLA NUNZIATA. 533 
 
 Statues were by Finelli. The roof of the dome, which 
 is beautiful, was painted in fresco by Lanfranco, 
 Domenichino, Spagnoletto, and Stantione. The 
 statue of St. Januarius, in bronze, cost 100,000 
 crowns. On the whole this chapel well merits at- 
 tention. 
 
 There is a fine subterranean chapel under the 
 choir*, in which is a statue of Cardinal Caraffit, in 
 the act of praying at the high altar, by M. Angelo 
 Buonarotti. This is so admirably done, and the figure 
 and position so natural, that too much praise cannot 
 be bestowed on it ; it is a beautiful piece of sculpture. 
 The ceiling also has much basso relievo by the same 
 fine architect. Under the altar is buried St. Januarius. 
 We were not only gratified with the complete inspec- 
 tion of this interesting church, but had also the satis- 
 faction of being witnesses to the ceremony of the 
 cardinal archbishop assisting at high mass, and 
 various forms observed on that occasion. His emi- 
 nence also edified us with an extempore sermon, 
 above half an hour long ; his delivery was grace- 
 ful, and his language correct, and his audience was 
 very attentive. We returned much pleased with our 
 morning excursion. 
 
 Nov. 4. — At La Chiesa della Nunziata, a hand- 
 some modern church, with a beautiful plain cupola ; 
 the church has a nave only. On entering, are two 
 fine pillars of marble, and many beautiful marble 
 
 * The high altar here as in France is at the end of the choir ; in Italy, 
 in general, it is at the beginning. 
 t He was a great benefactor to tliis church. 
 
534 
 
 CHURCH OP THE JESUITS. 
 
 pilasters. The church was built above fifty years 
 ago. In the sacristy, which was the old church, is much 
 curious basso relievo in wood gilt, containing the 
 different miracles of our Lord, by Giovanne di Nola, 
 above 400 years old ; the roof is curiously painted in 
 fresco, by Belizario Corenzio. In the church is a 
 fine picture of the Madonna, lamenting a dead Christ, 
 by Spagnoletto ; near the high altar lies Joan 11. , 
 Queen of the two Sicilies, Hungary, and Jerusalem, 
 who was buried there by her own order, to avoid fu- 
 neral pomp. In three glass cases are statues of St. 
 Joseph, St. Peter, with his triple crown, and St. Ann ; 
 and in this church the Tabula votim abounded ; many, 
 it appears, were the favours asked, and many received. 
 On the whole, we were well paid for toiling, in a hot 
 day, a mile and a half through some of the narrowest 
 and dirtiest streets of Naples, and returned by Largo 
 del Domenico Delia Trinita and St. Oliveta : in the 
 first is an obelisk with the statue of St. Dominic on 
 the top ; the second has a most beautiful column, of a 
 very great height, with a statue of the immaculate 
 Madonna on the top, and on this are several balus- 
 trades and various figures. On the last is a pedes- 
 trian statue of Philip V., King of Spain and Naples, 
 in bronze, the first prince of the House of Bourbon. 
 
 Nov. 5. —We resumed our church rambles, and first 
 went to the Jesuit's Church, which is a modern and 
 most beautiful structure, containing a rich assemblage 
 of marble ; it has no pillars, and is built in form of a 
 cross, having an elegant cupola. In a chapel on each 
 side are several rows of busts of saints, of wood, richly 
 
ST. CHIARA. 535 
 
 gilt, one above another to a great height, which has 
 a singular appearance. Here also is the Tabula 
 Votiva. The four Evangelists under the cupola are 
 painted by Lanfranco, and there are also several 
 paintings by Solymene. 
 
 St. Chiara. — This is a modern and most splendid 
 building, having a nave only, with chapels on each side, 
 through which you may pass from one end of the 
 church to the other without going into the nave, which 
 has a most pleasing effect ; the roof is richly painted, 
 and there are two rows of windows which make it very 
 light. Behind the high altar is buried Robert I., King 
 of Naples, the founder of this convent, who is said to 
 have taken the habit of the order, according to the 
 superstition of the times, only forty days before his 
 death; such was the mode formerly adopted by 
 princes to expiate their sins. There is a statue of 
 this King, and of his grand-daughter Joan I., who was 
 also buried here f she succeeded Robert, sirnamed the 
 good*. This church f is the burial-place also of the 
 royal family ; and in a small chapel on the right, are 
 buried Philip, who lost his reason, and his sisters, 
 
 * Joan was daug-htei* of the Duke of Calabria, who died before his father; 
 the Duke was buried on the left of the high altar. — Costanzo. 
 
 t St, Chiara was built by king' Robert, and the convent founded for 
 monks of a noble family. The King was so pleased with the building, that 
 he asked his son Robert, Duke of Calabria, how he liked it ; he answered, 
 " That it was like a stable, as it had only a nave and chapels, and seemed 
 made after the model of a manger." The King without being angry 
 answered, " God grant, my son, that you may not be the first to cat in this 
 manger." This prophecy was fatally verified by the Duke being the first 
 prince who was buried there, — Biancardi. 
 
536 ST. DOMENICO— ST. APOSTOLI. 
 
 who were uncle and aunts of the present King of 
 Spain. 
 
 St. Domenico*. — This church, belonging to the 
 convent, is particularly interesting, from four princes of 
 the Arragonian race f being deposited there in chests 
 in a gallery ; against the wall are two rows of chests 
 of nearly the same form thus placed, containing many 
 of the relatives of these princes ; among others, Anto- 
 nello Petruco, minister of Ferdinand I., beheaded by 
 his order, is deposited here. The monk shewed us 
 his skeleton, with the same coat on which he wore 
 when he was beheaded ; the head is so artfully put 
 near the body, that no one could know that it had 
 been separated, the teeth were in a perfect state. One 
 row of coffins contained cardinals only. The church 
 is a plain Gothic building. 
 
 St. Apostoli. — In the chapel of the Nunziata, are 
 pictures of Faith, Hope, and Charity, and Good 
 Works, in Mosaic, by Guido ; a picture of Cardinal 
 FilamarinoJ, by Lanfranco, and the Sacrifice of 
 Abraham, in basso relievo under the altar, in mar- 
 ble. The high altar is remarkably rich, with precious 
 stones, lapis lazuli, ^c. The four Evangelists under 
 
 * The heart of Charles II., sirnaiued II Zoppo, was deposited in this 
 church by order of his sou. — Biancardi. 
 
 t Alfonso I., Ferrante I., Alfonso II., Ferrante II. 
 
 $ This cardinal was archbishop of Naples at the time of Massanicllo's 
 rebellion, and from that time to the conclusion of the peace, which took 
 place after the imprisonment of the Due de Guise, conducted himself with 
 6uch wisdom and moderation, as to merit the approbation of all parties, 
 and was an example to all ecclesiastics how to behave on the like trying- 
 occasion.— Denina. 
 
ST. MARIA NUOVA. 537 
 
 the dome were painted by Giordano, and the cupola, 
 very finely, by Lanfranco. 
 
 St. Giovanni Carbonaro. — This is a very ancient 
 church, there are several old paintings on the walls, 
 with verses under each ; there are also many paint- 
 ings by Zuccharo. In the chapel of CoUo are many 
 monuments of that family, and in the chapel of 
 Caracciolo, there is one of Galeatius, who filled an 
 honourable office under the Arragonian kings. This 
 chapel as well as the church is 500 years old ; over 
 the high altar are statues of Joan I,, Joan II., and 
 attendants. This church is in an elevated situation 
 at one end of Largo del Carbonaro, and you ascend 
 to it by several flights of steps. 
 
 Nov. 9. — Continuing our church perambulation, we 
 went first to St. Maria Nuova*. The roof of this 
 church is beautifully painted, and the cupola in the 
 chapel of St. James is very rich. The monks of this 
 convent gave us a wonderful account of the founder of 
 the order, St. James, who is buried here, having his 
 nails perfect, and much flesh on his fingers, though he 
 has been buried more than 200 years. Among the 
 monks was an Irish one, who was very civil to our 
 party. The altar here is before the choir |. 
 
 Mont Oliveti. — The Sacristy, formerly the Refec- 
 tory, is a most beautiful room, and the roof is richly 
 painted by Vasari in fresco ; round the room are many 
 small figures of painted wood. 
 
 In the chapel of the sepulchre are seven statues of 
 
 * This church was built by Charles I. — Costaxzo. 
 t This is very common in the Italian churches. 
 
538 ST. FILIPPO NERI. 
 
 earth of the country *, like bronze, done remarkably 
 well. The Maries, St. Peter and St. John, ^'c, weep- 
 ing round the sepulchre of our Lord. 
 
 In the chapel called that of the Manger, is a 
 manger, §rc., all in marble, in basso relievo, repre- 
 senting the birth of Christ. There is here an old 
 monument of the daughter of Ferdinand of Arragon, 
 who married Antonio Amelfa, Date 1470. 
 
 St. Philip and St. James. — This is a small but 
 handsome church, the ceiling beautifully painted in 
 fresco ; the chapels are also richly painted, and there 
 is much elegant marble, but the church is small. 
 
 St. Lorenzo. — In this church is an old monument of 
 the Queen of Charles of Anjou ; the church is old, 
 and the roof flat. In the room called the Royal 
 School are heads painted all round, of monks, nuns, 
 cardinals, ^c, and there are also some curious old 
 monuments. 
 
 St. Filippo Neri. — This church abounds in fine 
 paintings. Over the great door on entering, is our 
 Lord cleansing the Temple, by Lucca Giordano ; St. 
 Francis, by Guido Reni ; and a Madonna, by Gior- 
 dano, above 200 years old, colours fresh and beau- 
 tiful. This is a handsome church, and the pillars are 
 of granite. There are also in the Sacristy several fine 
 paintings by Domenechino, Spagnoletto, Pomerancia, 
 S,'c.y St. Peter, St. Andrew, Ecce Homo, ^-c. There 
 is a very fine picture of St. John the Baptist, and our 
 Lord, by Guido Reni ; the roof was painted in fresco 
 
 * Many figures of monks, nuns, ^-c, of thh earth are sold at Naples, 
 and very well made, Avith much character, 
 
CATACOMBS. 539 
 
 by Giordano. In the whole this church is very 
 beautiful. 
 
 From hence we went to the Deposito dei Poveri of 
 St. Gennaro, for old men, women, and orphans ; this 
 was founded by Charles II., and is a most noble 
 foundation, containing in all above 600. And after- 
 wards going through the usual formalities of a guide, 
 torches, ^-c, we went into the Catacombs, which are 
 just by ; but were much disappointed in these, as they 
 are greatly inferior to those in Paris. These Cata- 
 combs * are said to extend several miles under many 
 of the streets of Naples, but this is not confirmed. 
 There are various tiers above each other in which the 
 bodies were formerly deposited in niches and recesses, 
 and in some places we observed bones and sculls, but 
 in general they are empty. There are various ac- 
 counts of these Catacombs, but that which is generally 
 credited is, that they were originally dug for sand, and 
 afterwards used as oratories by the Christians in the 
 times of the persecutions. There are remains of the 
 Eiltars, and various paintings on the walls, of our Sa- 
 viour, the Virgin, various saints, ^^c. There were 
 formerly many entrances into them, but as they were 
 used by robbers and banditti, they have been all 
 closed except one. We returned by a noble road 
 made by the French, who demolished many houses 
 without ceremony for this work. 
 
 * There are three stories in the Catacombs, and five or six tiers of 
 niches of different sizes, one above the other ; but the opinion of the sub- 
 terranean streets forming here a comumnication with the city, is now pretty 
 generally exploded. 
 
540 BRITISH envoy's ASSEMBLY. 
 
 CHAPTER LXV, 
 
 Funeral Procession — Thoughts on the Subject — Different Evening Scene 
 — St. Giovanne Maggiore — Chapel of Sanseverino — St. Paolo Maggiore 
 — Capo del Monte — Santa Maria della Sanita — Canipo Santo — Santa 
 Maria del Carmine — Theatre of St. Carlo — Ceremony of a Funeral — 
 Santa Maria di Piedigrotta — Grotto of Pausilippo — Interesting Inscrip- 
 tions — Hill of Posilipo — Virgil's Tomb — Santa Maria del Parto — 
 Spiaggia Mergellina. 
 
 Nov. 13. — In our walks this day, we met the funeral 
 procession of an infant a year and a half old. It was 
 dressed and placed on a bier, covered with rich cloth, 
 ^c, and without a coffin ; the ribbon and head dress 
 of the babe, and its little head moving backwards 
 and forwards, for it was scarcely/ cold, having died 
 but a few hours before, produced in us melancholy 
 emotions, and pity for the feelings of its parents. 
 
 The evening produced a very different scene, at the 
 public day of the British Envoy, where was an assem- 
 bly of all ages and nations, Spanish, Portuguese, 
 French, English, Italians, ^r. Age was here en- 
 tirely forgotton, and dress, though it could not 
 entirely hide its furrows, yet by its pleasing' effect 
 prevented its being regarded. There was here 
 seen the venerable matron of seventy, and the 
 blushing maiden of fifteen. Pleasure was the grand 
 object, all bowed to its shrine, all seemed to wish 
 to please and to be pleased. There were appa- 
 rently not fewer than 300. The noble suite of 
 apartments, furnished in the handsomest manner, ex- 
 hibited all the comforts of an English house ; dancing, 
 
SCIROCCO WINDS. 541 
 
 cards, and conversation, filled up the time very pleas- 
 ingly. Refreshments of the most costly and elegant 
 kind abounded, and we went away not knowing which 
 most to admire, the elegance of the entertainment, or 
 the polite attentions of the host and charming hostess, 
 who, without flattery, may be said to be fairest among 
 the fair, and captivates her guests not more by her 
 beauty than by her affability and pleasing manners; 
 whilst her consort*, by his liberality and polite atten- 
 tion to his countrymen, shews himself well adapted to 
 the important station, which he fills with such dignity. 
 There were many soldiers on duty at the hotel, and 
 the whole passed off without confusion. The wea- 
 ther now began to change, and the Scirocco winds 
 prevailed, attended with much rain, and though the 
 evenings and mornings were cool, the days were hot 
 and sultry. 
 
 Amidst the rage for pleasure so prevalent among the 
 English in this city, it must be said, to their honour, 
 that it does not interfere with their religious duties. 
 There are prayers and a sermon every Sunday, in a 
 large room of the Consuls, appropriated to this pur- 
 pose, and the service is performed in the most solemn 
 and impressive manner, and the sacraments regularly 
 administered at the prescribed times. We likewise 
 observed with pleasure, that the clergy wore gowns, 
 ^c, and the proper dress of an English clergyman, 
 which had not always been the case in the cities in 
 which we had attended divine service. 
 
 The congregation was highly respectable, and so 
 
 * Sir W. A. C. 
 
542 ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. 
 
 large, that the overflowings were obliged to be in an 
 ante-room. We were gratified as well as edified on this 
 occasion, always fancying ourselves in England for 
 the time, every allowance being made for the differ- 
 ence, external as well as internal, between a large 
 room and an English church. 
 
 Nov. 15. — Went to the church of St. Giovanni 
 Maggiore, now St. John the Baptist. One of the 
 doors is old, with much sculpture; on the top is 
 St. Michael, the archangel, and on each side a variety 
 of other figures, a Madonna, ^c. Within the church 
 is the following inscription : 
 
 D. O. M. 
 
 Teraplum hoc ab Adriaiio Aug'usto extructum 
 
 A magfno (,'onstantino et Constantia filia Christiano ctiitu 
 
 Sylvestro Pontifice inaug'arante. 
 
 Divis Johanui Baptistse et Lucie Martyri 
 
 Dicatiim 
 
 Antiquitate Semirutum 
 Martius S. R. C. Card. Ginettiis Velliternus 
 Sanctiini D. N. Papa? in Urbe Vicarius 
 Ejusdem templi Comraendatariiis 
 Posteritati Instauravit 
 Anno Sal. MDCXXXX. 
 
 In this church is an old piece of sculpture in basso 
 relievo, very well done — St. John baptizing Jesus 
 Christ. The church itself is plain. From thence to 
 the beautiful chapel of St. Severino, belonging to the 
 ancient family of that name, in which are many of 
 their monuments, and much fine sculpture ; in par- 
 ticular, a net falling off* from the Disingannato, which 
 cannot be too much admired. 
 This is an ancient and distinguished family ; that 
 
HOUSE OP SANSEVERINO. 543 
 
 powerful baron of Calabria, Sanseverino, was probably 
 of it, who was treated in a barbarous manner by- 
 William I., King of Sicily, sirnamed //ze ^ad, having 
 his eyes put out, and other acts of cruelty being ex- 
 ercised on him ^. The House of Sanseverino was 
 so powerful, that the head of it armed 1800 men 
 at his own expense, in favour of Louis II. of 
 Anjou, and in order to dethrone King Ladislaus f . 
 Roger Sanseverino was of material assistance to 
 Charles of Anjou, in mounting the throne of Na- 
 ples, and much esteemed and trusted by that prince 
 on a variety of occasions ; and Lucca Sanseverino 
 had the care of Alphonso, Duke of Calabria, son 
 of Ferdinand, King of Naples in 1460 ; and the 
 young prince, under his care, subdued the province 
 of Calabria J. Lastly, two princes of this family 
 banished from Naples, and taking refuge in France, 
 were the principal advisers of Charles VIII., King 
 of France, in his expedition into Italy, an event 
 which proved so disastrous to their country and 
 France §. 
 
 * Giannoni Hist, di Napoli. — Lib. xii. cap. S. p. 472. In 1386, Thomas 
 Sanseverino, Grand Constable of Naples, espoused tlie cause of Louis of 
 Anjou, against the young" King- Ladislaus, seconded by the anti-pope 
 Clement, and getting- possession of Naples, defied his Sovereign. — 
 
 BlANCARDI, JK 203. 
 
 Remondello Orsino, Prince of Taranto, dying in T404, his widow 
 appointed her relation, Bernabo Sanseverino, to have the sole care of her 
 dominions; and Ladislaus, King of Naples, dreading the power of the 
 Sanseverinos, took the most effectual step of putting an end to it, by 
 espousing the widow, by which also he had an addition to his kingdom of a 
 powerful state. — Biancardi, p. 211. 
 
 t Denina, — Lib. 16. cap. 5. % Biancardi. 
 
 § Denina, 
 
544 CHURCH OP ST. MAGGIORE. 
 
 Over the high altar is Santa Maria della Pieta 
 weeping over a dead Christ, much admired. In 
 another part is a recumbent figure of a dead Christ, 
 with the crown of thorns and other instruments of 
 his passion : the drapery is remarkably well done. 
 The roof of this elegant chapel is painted in fresco, 
 by Francisco Rosso. The whole is well worth 
 seeing. 
 
 Nov. 16. — At the ancient church of St. Paolo Mag- 
 giore, formerly a heathen temple, dedicated to Castor 
 and Pollux. 
 
 You ascend by a noble flight of steps ; there are 
 now only two Corinthian pillars standing, and two 
 pedestals, which formed a part of the ancient mag- 
 nificent portico ; the other part was destroyed by an 
 earthquake in 1688. On each side of the church there 
 appears to be a headless recumbent statue in a niche, 
 and above on one side a colossal one of St. Peter, and 
 the other of St. Paul. Under the latter the follow- 
 ing lines : 
 
 j Tyndaridas vox missa ferit, palraa Integra Petri est 
 * Dividit at te cum Paule trophoea libens. 
 
 Under St. Peter, 
 
 Audit vel surdus Pollux cum Castore Petrum 
 Nee mora prsecipiit inarinore uterque ruit. 
 
 The interior of this church, which now belongs to 
 the Monastery of the Theatins, is modernized, and 
 presents a beautiful display of painting, marble, ^-c. 
 
 In the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul are small 
 cases covered with crimson velvet, arranged on each 
 side, containing the bones of different martyrs ; the 
 
CAPO DEL MONTE. 545 
 
 church consists of a nave, choir, and two aisles. The 
 last is a continuation of beautiful domes. The sa- 
 cristy is very handsome, containing some historical 
 paintings, by Solymene, as Simon Magus, the 
 Judgment of Solomon, ^-c. . The roof of the church 
 and sacristy are painted in fresco. In the chapel of 
 St. Andrew is the body of St. Andrew A. Vellino in 
 a chest over the altar, to which they have annexed 
 a gilt head. On one side of the chapel, is a basso 
 relievo of his martyrdom, and the other represents 
 his being seized with an apoplectic fit whilst saying 
 mass. On the altar is a statue of the Saint's head and 
 shoulders in silver*. 
 
 Nov. 16. — Went to Capo del Monte, which, as the 
 name tells us, is the top of the mountain, and here is 
 a royal residence. This was the favourite palace of 
 Joseph Buonaparte and Murat ; its situation is very 
 fine, overlooking the city, bay. Mount Vesuvius, the 
 Island of Ischia, ^c, and the country about it is 
 romantic, and studded with villas. This palace is 
 two miles from Naples, and you regularly ascend to 
 it by a noble road called Strada Nuova, begun by 
 Joseph Buonaparte, and finished by Murat, who, how- 
 ever, did not live f long enough to avail himself of this 
 improvement ; most necessary it must be owned, for 
 formerly, in certain seasons, it was scarcely possible to 
 get to this house. There was a royal palace, it is true, 
 
 * He was martyred at Naples. 
 
 t When we reflect ou the uncertain tenor of the life and power of the 
 great, we are forcibly reminded of these lines of the poet : 
 Absumet hisres Caecuba dig-nior 
 Servata centum clavibus. 
 
 HoR. Car. lib. 2. v. 25. 
 Vol. r. 2 N 
 
546 SANTA MARIA DELLA SANITA. 
 
 but the road was so bad, that oxen were often made 
 use of to drag the royal personages to their residence. 
 The road is broad and handsome, and in one place 
 cut through the solid rock at a great expense, and 
 winds so regularly, that the hill is ascended without 
 difficulty. In one part there is a communication be- 
 tween the streets on each side by a bridge, called 
 Ponte di Sanita, and the road is supported in some 
 places by a wall, between forty and fifty feet high. 
 On the right as you ascend, are many houses built in 
 and upon the rock, which is hollowed out with great 
 labour. There were at least one hundred people thus 
 employed, and improving the road, which does great 
 honour to the projector and continuer. The palace 
 appears to have been built at different times, as part 
 of it is ancient, and part modern. This interesting 
 walk paid us for the trouble of the ascent, and the 
 ■view is varied and extensive ; the gardens and shrub- 
 beries of the palace appear to be laid out in the 
 English way. 
 
 Nov. 17. — At Santa Maria della Sanita situated in 
 the suburbs near the bridge of Sanita. This church 
 has a choir, nave, and double row of aisles with small 
 cupolas, as the nave has a large one. In the chapels 
 is a profusion of marble, and there is also a rich pul- 
 pit, beautifully inlaid with it. In the chapel of the 
 Nunziata is a very fine picture of the Annunciation, 
 by M. Angelo. The choir is ascended by a noble 
 flight of steps on each side of fine marble, and the 
 balustrades are of variegated marble, and have a 
 magnificent appearance. 
 
THE CAMPO SANTO. 547 
 
 The tabernacle is very curious with much coral, 
 the work of a monk; and under the altar is the old 
 chapel, in which is the image of the Madonna, 50 much 
 the object of admiration ami worship. From thence, 
 went by the House of Industry (which is a noble in- 
 stitution for the poor of the whole kingdom; and the 
 building is so large, that we counted sixty-one win- 
 dows in front) to the Campo Santo, which is the 
 burying-ground for the poor, military, and those 
 brought from the hospitals. 
 
 The Campo Santo is a square court of ninety-two 
 yards, paved with broad stones, and there are 365 
 stones, which are taken up by a machine, one every 
 day, for the corpses which are brought that day to be 
 interred. The holes are sixteen feet deep, and are sepa- 
 rated from each other by walls. Our conductor very offi- 
 ciously lifted up one of these stones, but the sight 
 was so disgusting and painful, and the smell so offen- 
 sive, that we besought him to close it immediately. 
 The corpses are brought to the ground in slight 
 cases, taken out and thrown into the grave like dogs, 
 with scarcely any dress to cover them decently. 
 Although those things are the terrors of the living, not 
 the dead*, and prejudices of this kind may be thought 
 vain and idle, yet when we reflected, that these 
 bodies had been lately animated with a soul, the 
 image of its Maker, we could not help involuntarily 
 shuddering at the indecency of this proceeding, nor 
 forbear congratulating ourselves on being natives of a 
 country in which decency and propriety are more con- 
 
 * Young-. 
 
 2N2 
 
548 SANTA MARIA DEL CARMINE. 
 
 suited ; as, though there may be a reason why the 
 dead should be soon interred in a hot country, there 
 can be none why the coffin should be dispensed with. 
 The ground was allotted for this purpose fifty-eight 
 years ago, by the prese7it sovereign, and is about two 
 miles out of Naples, near the Capua road : there is a 
 small chapel adjoining, with a picture of the Madonna 
 over the altar, and Lazarus and St. Mitra on each side. 
 We finished our day by going to Santa Maria del 
 Carmine. This church is handsome, and the steeple 
 reckoned the most beautiful in Naples. The high 
 altar was made at the expense of the Duchess of 
 Cellamar, who is interred near it. The tabernacle is 
 made chiefly of porcelain. Walking about the choir, 
 we saw in a nook on a brass-plate the following in- 
 scription : 
 
 Qui Giaccono 
 Corradino* di Stoft'enio 
 Dell. Iraperatrice Mar^farita & 
 Di Corrado Re di Napoli iig-lio, 
 lino de Duchi dell" Imperia Casa 
 Di Suevia. 
 E. Frederico d'Asburg-h 
 Ultimo de Duchi d' Austria 
 Anno 1269 f. 
 
 This unfortunate Prince was son of the Empress 
 Margaret of Austria, who came to Naples to redeem 
 her son from captivity, but found that he had been 
 
 * He was last Duke of AUemania (^oj. — Watteville, vol. 2. p. 223. 
 
 •]' Here lie Giaccono Corradino, of StoiJinio, son of the Empress Mar- 
 garet and Con-ado, King of Naples, last of the Dukes of the Imjjerial 
 House of Suabia, and Frederic of Asburgh, last of the Dukes of Austria, 
 1269. 
 
 (a) Allemand comes from fl/^ ??umw, all men, viz., all waniors. — Mallet, 
 vol. I. p. 49. 
 
IL CASTELLO DEL CARMINE. 5i§ 
 
 beheaded * some days before, by order of Charles of 
 Anjou: this unfortunate mother had no other con- 
 solation than to provide a sepulchre for her son^ and 
 to apply the money she had brought for his ransom to 
 rebuild the church with magnificence. She caused 
 the bodies of the two Princes f to be brought from 
 Santa Croce, and interred in this church behind the 
 high altar. 
 
 The church J of Carmine is small but elegant, and 
 the walls are inlaid with beautiful marble. On each 
 side are splendid chapels ; the ceiling of the sacristy 
 was painted in fresco, by John Sarnello. This con- 
 vent was converted into barracks by the French, and 
 we saw many workmen employed in restoring it to 
 its former splendour. From the terrace is a beau- 
 tiful view of the sea, Vesuvius, Ischia, ^c. 
 
 Adjoining the convent is II Castello del Car- 
 
 * They were beheaded in the Piazzo del Mercato (a) before the Church 
 del Carmine : it has been remarked by the Italian historians, that this is 
 the only instance of one sovereig-n being- put to death by another publicly ; 
 but besides the instance of Mary, Queen of Scots, many other examples 
 mig;ht be brouglit to invalidate this assertion. 
 
 t These two unfortunate Princes, after tlie loss of a battle, disg^uised 
 with two attendants, got safe through many perils to Astura(6), and desired 
 the landlord immediately to provide a boat to take them to Pisa, at the 
 same time producing- a ring of great value, as they had no money. This 
 proved their ruin ; the ring- was shewn to tlie Seigneur of the place, 
 Frangipano, who found the two young strangers were Germans, suspected 
 the truth, and they were ruined ;' but this event was the foundation of the 
 rise of his family, the Frangipani Romani. — Costanzo, lib. 1, j). 27. 
 
 $ Across the church is a gallery, containing the sanctuary, in Mdiich is 
 a crucifix, an object of great devotion v.'ith bigotted and superstitious 
 Neapolitans. 
 
 (a) The Piazza Del Mercato was also the principal scene of the revolt of 
 Massaniello. 
 
 (6) Astura, disgraced by this act of treaclieiy, which caused the death of 
 these iinfoitunale princes^ is now called Astora, and is siuiated near the river 
 of ihe same name. 
 
550 THEATRE OF ST. CARLO. 
 
 mine*, which was originally built by Ferdinand of Ar- 
 ragon in 1484; then altered into a square, and strength- 
 ened by a rampart in order to defend the city better. 
 This was the principal fortress in the rebellion of 
 Massaniello, and was altered to its present state. 
 
 Nov. 19. — At the Theatre of St. Carlo, the Opera- 
 house of Naples, and most magnificent theatre in 
 Europe. It was burnt down some years ago, and 
 rebuilt, and completely finished within and without, in 
 the space of nine months, by the exertions of the present 
 government, as appears by the Latin inscription in front, 
 two years ago ; and what appears equally extraordinary, 
 it was finished the first time it was built in the same time. 
 The view on entering this magnificent theatre was 
 striking and grand ; being a gala night, the sovereign 
 and royal family, and most of the company were in 
 
 full dresses. The Princess P ef, wife of the King, 
 
 was in the opposite box to the King, with her daughter. 
 The theatre is divided into small magnificent boxes 
 of which there are five tiers, and is lighted up in a 
 superb manner ; besides the grand chandelier in the 
 centre, there are 140 branches, containing the im- 
 mense number of 700 candles, exhibiting a blaze of 
 light and splendour perhaps unequalled in Europe. 
 
 * Besides this castle, there are three in Naples, Castel Nuovo, Castel 
 deir Ovo, and St. Ermo or EretiKi, from which it is abbreviated. These 
 castles have been much used for state prisons, especially the two first. 
 Joan I. was imprisoned in Ovo, and put to death by Charles of Durazzo. 
 
 The amiable but unfortunate Rene was besieged in this castle, and 
 surrendered it, and with it his last hopes, to his fortunate rival, Alfonso I. 
 
 These castles never were able long- to defend the city, vvliich was taken 
 everal times by the enemy getting into it through the aqueducts, 
 
 t Diicessa di Floridia. 
 
A FUNERAL. 551 
 
 The pit is large and convenient, the seats are 
 all numbered, as indeed they are in other play-houses, 
 and there are tickets for each seat, so that every one 
 is placed at his ease without any confusion. The 
 scenery was grand, the music good, and the dancers 
 excellent. We retired at eleven when the piece 
 finished, much gratified with our evening's enter- 
 tainment. 
 
 Nov. 27. — Meeting a funeral in our strolls, we 
 turned and followed it into the Church of Santa Maria 
 di Verticella, where the corpse was deposited. 
 
 In the streets two rows of men, dressed in white, 
 each having a candle, with their faces (except their 
 eyes) covered as in Florence, preceded the corpse ; 
 the coffin as usual was large and rich, and there was 
 a rich cloth on the bier. On arriving at the church, 
 the bier was placed in the centre, and the two rows of 
 Frate,who had accompanied the funeral, formed on each 
 side of the corpse, alternately chaunting the service. 
 The priest sprinkled the corpse with holy water, and 
 sometimes with incense ; when the service was ended, 
 the body being taken out of the coffin was carried into 
 a subterraneous chapel, and on the magical word 
 spogliate* being given, stript entirely of its slight 
 covering, and deposited, or rather thrown, into a grave. 
 
 In the chapel were on each side different compart- 
 ments like bins, filled up very high with a kind of 
 light earth or sand, in which had been deposited 
 different bodies, but the smell was so offensive, that 
 
 * Strip it. 
 
552 SANTA MARIA DI PIEDEGROTTA. 
 
 we were glad to quit the spot : the deceased only died 
 the night before. 
 
 Dec. 7. — The objects of this day were curious and 
 interesting. Driving through Chiaia, we pursued our 
 course along the sea-shore, and soon came to Santa 
 Maria di Piedigrotta, which, as its name shews, is at 
 the foot of the grotto, at least it is near it. 
 
 This is an old church* built in 1353 ; and there is 
 nothing curious in it, but the image of the Madonna, 
 to which the king, royal family, and court, pay their 
 annual adorations on the 8th of September. We soon 
 came, on leaving this church to the celebrated grotto 
 of Posilipof, which is more properly a noble arched 
 subterraneous passage, or rather road from Naples to 
 Pozzuoli, in order to avoid the hill, and at the same 
 time make a better road ; it was originally as sup- 
 posed, hollowed out, either for sand or stone, and 
 then converted by the Romans into a road for foot 
 passengers, but made wide enough for carriages by 
 Alfonso I. On the right, on entering, are the following 
 words, said to be cut in the rock by the Romans : 
 
 Antrum Eratiss. Iter liorribile J. 
 
 Opposite, are two inscriptions, carved on stone ; 
 the first very long, celebrating the sanative qualities 
 of the waters of Baise, and the various disorders 
 which they cure, exhorting natives of the country and 
 
 * In this church is a monument to the infant son of the Prince of Hesse 
 Darmstadt, who died above a century ag"o. 
 t Pausilippo, from waus/ and xvrtt rest from labour, 
 % A delightful cave. Dreadful road. 
 
GROTTO OF POSILIPO. 553 
 
 strangers to stop and read an account of these won- 
 ders. The second inscription is this : 
 
 Mantua me genuit, Calabri rapuere, tenet nunc 
 
 Parthenope, cecini pascua, rura duces. 
 
 Ecce meos cineres tumulantia saxa coronat 
 
 Laurus rara solo vivida Pausilupi 
 
 Si tumulus ruat, ceterum hie monumenta Maronis 
 
 Servabunt laurus lauriferi Cineres. 
 
 Virgilii IMaronis sponte enatis Lauris 
 
 Super hanc rupem coronate sic lusit 
 
 Superititi tuniulo. 
 
 Arrago. Ther. Angf. 
 
 It is unnecessary, perhaps, to say, that this is the 
 monument of Virgil ; his sepulchre is above, which we 
 inspected on our return. 
 
 We now entered the cave or grotto, which is well 
 paved with lava from Vesuvius; the road is five yards 
 broad, wide enough for two carriages, and 732 yards 
 long. In most parts it is above thirty feet high, but 
 the height is different ; towards the middle is an 
 aperture to admit the light. There is a hermitage 
 about the middle, and chapel. On entering the 
 grotto* we were struck with awe, not unmixed 
 with the horrible ; we could just see along the 
 vaulted roof, the light glimmering at the end of 
 the cave ; but the hoofs of the horses and the noise 
 of the wheels of the numerous carriages, passing 
 along the cave and resounding, had a striking and 
 horrid effect on the passing traveller : to this may be 
 added the constant noise of the coachmen calling out 
 in a loud and guttural tone to take care, and the nu- 
 
 * The grotto of Pausilippo was much enlarged by Alfonso I. ; it M'as 
 before this in utter darkness, on account of its low roof. — Biancardi. 
 
554 HILL OP POSILIPO. 
 
 merous horses and donkies passing with loads, which 
 have a novel and picturesque appearance, the whole 
 presenting a new and interesting scene. This noble 
 and stupendous work, so worthy of the Roman genius, 
 is in many parts lighted with lamps,which heightens the 
 novelty of the scene. Th e smell, however, from the rock 
 and earth is so offensive that we could not enjoy it as 
 we otherwise should have done ; but much as we have 
 heard of this spot, it far exceeded our expectations. 
 
 Leaving this, we ascended the hill of Posilipo, by 
 thirteen distinct winding roads, made in order to 
 lessen the ascent to the tomb * of the distinguished 
 poet, which we were all anxious to see. This 
 amiable man, no less celebrated for the suavity of his 
 manners than the sweetness of his poetry, is supposed 
 to have been buried under a vaulted building, about 
 sixteen feet square, which we entered. 
 
 There is a stone on the wall opposite the entrance, 
 with an inscription. 
 
 The various beautiful lines and animated similies 
 of this admirable poet rushed into our minds, and 
 struck us so forcibly, that we could almost imagine 
 him standing before us; and were so lost in reflection, 
 that we could not enjoy, as we otherwise should have 
 done, the noble view of Naples extending along the 
 Mergelline shore, in the form of a crescent. On the 
 left was the noble Castle St. Ermo on a mountain, 
 proudly overlooking the town ; in front, that of Ovo ; 
 
 * It need not here, perhaps, be mentioned that the spots shewn as 
 the villas or tombs of the ancients, (as the tombs of Virgil, Cicero, ^-c), 
 must at this distance of time be very ^uncertain, 
 
S. MARIA DEL PARTO. 555 
 
 and farther on, Vesuvius smoking and towering to the 
 clouds, and bounding the view *. 
 
 We descended, and ascended again to S. Maria del 
 Parto. The spot on which this church was built was 
 given by Frederic II. of Arragon, King of Naples, to 
 Sannazarius his secretary, a celebrated Latin poet, 
 on the ruins of his villa, destroyed by Philibert, Prince 
 of Orange, Viceroy of Naples. When Frederic lost his 
 kingdom, Sannazarius caused this church to be built. 
 Behind the high altar is his monument and bust, 
 crowned with laurel, and on the sides are two statues 
 of Apollo and Minerva, which are much esteemed ; 
 they are now called, from religious motives, David and 
 Judith, and these names are inscribed on them. Upon 
 the pedestal is a fine basso relievo with many good 
 figures. The following inscription was by Cardinal 
 Bembo : 
 
 Da sacro cineri flores, hie ille Maroni 
 Sincerus t luusa, proximus ut Tumulo. 
 
 We returned by the Spiaggia Mergellina, which is 
 
 * Before we left this spot, we had the painful satisfaction of visiting the 
 romantic place in which are deposited the remains of two of our country- 
 men, and two others who died far from tlieir native land («). There are ta- 
 blets against the bank, under which is tlieir sepulchre, to the memory of the 
 two Englishmen. It is understood tliat their remains were deposited by 
 their express desire near those of Virgil. 
 
 t Sincerus was the pastoral name of Sannazarius ; the following verses 
 were composed by liimself : 
 
 " Actius hie situs est, cincres gaudete sepulti 
 Nam vaga post obitum, umbra dolore caret." 
 Sannazarius, with great fidelity, followed his master's adverse fortunes 
 into France, and after his death returned to his native country. 
 
 BlANCAKOl, p. ^93. 
 (a) Dur<e rapit inclemenlia mortis. — Virgil. 
 
556 ROYAL PALACE. 
 
 a beautiful drive along the sea-shore, much gratified 
 with our morning excursion, which furnished us with 
 many interesting scenes. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVf. 
 
 King-'s Palace — Academia Reale Dcgli Studj. 
 
 Dec. 11. — Went to the royal palace, which is a large 
 and handsome building, fronting the Largo di Palazzo. 
 There are forty-two windows in front, and a glazed 
 corridor in the first story, which has a good effect, 
 extending along the chief part of the length of the 
 house. The principal part of this palace was built by 
 the Count de Lemos, Viceroy of Naples, in the year 
 1600 ; II Cavaliere Fontane was the architect, and it 
 is much esteemed. It is adorned by Grecian pilasters. 
 You ascend by a noble double staircase ; on each side 
 is a colossal statue of the Ebro and Tagus, with the 
 following verses on each: 
 On the Tagus, 
 
 Nunquid abdis opes ripis has effero aperhsa 
 Eu Tagus Aurifluo, et prodigui ore vomo. 
 
 On the Ebro, 
 
 Siuneret Arniipofens ut nonien Iberiis ab amne 
 Obtinui rapidis mag'mis Iberiis aquis. 
 
 A little higher on the landing-place, is a figure 
 
CAMERA DEL TRONO ANTE-SALOON, &C. 557 
 
 of Neptune, in alto relievo, with the following 
 verses : 
 
 Det Tag-US Aurivim, det nomen Hiberus Aragon, 
 De regi et regno nomen et imperium. 
 
 In this palace is a fine suit of rooms. 
 
 Camera del Trono*. — The pavement is Mosaic, the 
 ceiling has the fourteen Neapolitan provinces in em- 
 blematical figures, beautifully gilt. 
 
 Ante-Saloon. — In this is a fine painting of the Death 
 of Caesar, and opposite, its companion, the Death of 
 Virginia, both by Langoncini ; the figures in the 
 last, particularly that of Appius, remarkably well done ; 
 12,000 f ducats have been offered for this picture. 
 There is also a fine uicture of Susanna and the two 
 
 J. 
 
 Elders, by Rosa. The roof of this room is painted 
 in fresco. 
 
 II Teatro. — This is a large handsome room, used 
 for a concert-room and theatre ; there is a good gallery 
 round it, and in front seats for the royal family. Over 
 the gallery in niches, are the nine Muses, Apollo, S^x. 
 
 Second Saloon. — The ceiling is painted with various 
 triumphal entries of the different kings into Naples ; 
 the painting is old but in high preservation, and 
 round it is the historical account of each. There is 
 in this room a very fine picture of an Old Man, by 
 Francis, sirnamed II Moro. 
 
 Gallery. — This is a very beautiful room, and among 
 
 * This room has a throne, and is used on state occasions, 
 t About 2030/. 
 
55S ACCADEMIA REALE DEGLI STUDJ. 
 
 other paintings has the four Seasons, by Guido 
 Reni, and St. Francis, by Carlo Dolce, beautifully 
 done. 
 
 Hall of Council. — Here is an admirable picture 
 of Christ and the Doctors, by M. Angelo Caravaggio. 
 
 The next apartments which are shewn, are the 
 drawing-room, library, ^c. ; these are as elegant in 
 their furniture as comfortable in their appearance. 
 There is a bath in every room, and all the requisites 
 for comfort in dressing, annexed to the King's private 
 apartments. But the great beauty of this palace is a 
 noble terrace, which you enter from the King's room ; 
 this is 227 yards in length and seventeen wide, having 
 several walks ; that in the centre consists of an arbour 
 of orange and lemon trees, regularly trained and kept 
 in the highest order, and full of the choicest fruit. On 
 each side are busts, Bifrontes, having one face towards 
 the street and another towards the terrace, which has a 
 singular appearance. Beyond the orange terrace is 
 another, full of fine aromatic shrubs, such as gera- 
 niums, myrtles, ^-c, but this is shut from strangers. 
 From these terra.ces is a fine view of the sea and the 
 different islands. 
 
 In the whole, though there are more magnificent 
 palaces, and the collection of pictures is but small, 
 yet were we much pleased with the rooms, and above 
 all, with the terrace, which alone is worth coming to 
 see. 
 
 Dec. 15. — At L'Accademia Reale Degli Studj, or 
 the Museum. 
 
ACCADEMIA REALE DEGLI STUDJ. 559 
 
 This is a most noble building, erected in 1587, by 
 the Duke D'Ossuna, viceroy of Naples, and the ar- 
 chitect was Julius Csesar Fontana. It was built for 
 the use of the University, but in 1780 was converted 
 by the present Sovereign into the Academy of Sciences 
 and the Belle Arti. It is divided into many parts, for 
 the reception of pictures, sculpture, architecture, ^c. 
 There is also a noble library of 4000 volumes, and 
 1000 manuscripts. This now is appropriated to 
 the national use; not only containing various works 
 of art and antiquities, but the interesting and va- 
 luable articles brought from Herculaneum and Pom- 
 peii *. 
 
 From Herculaneum were brought soUd masses of 
 burnt bread, oats, barley f, eggs, and various articles 
 of clothes, such as shirts, &c. ; from which may be 
 collected, not only the mode of the Roman food, but 
 that of their horses and other animals, and their man- 
 ner of dressing also. On the other side are the various 
 culinary articles brought from Pompeii, comprehend- 
 ing a complete Roman kitchen ; such as plates, dishes, 
 spoons, pans, &c., most of them of bronze. 
 
 Farther on, is a noble suite of rooms, containing 
 jars, urns, amphorae, scales, weights, steel-yards, &c., 
 exhibiting the ingenuity and mechanics of this extra- 
 
 * The earthquakes and eruptions aifected these places differently. 
 Pompeii was chiefly destroyed by water, Herculaneum by fire ; the in- 
 habitants of the former are supposed chiefly to have escaped, but the latter 
 to have perished. 
 
 •I- It appears by this that they cultivated the same kinds of corn as are 
 cultivated by us. 
 
560 ACCADEMIA REALE DEGLI STUDJ. 
 
 ordinary people in the strongest light imaginable ; the 
 steel-yards in particular struck us, as being peculiarly 
 useful, ingenious, and beautiful. 
 
 In another room are curious old paintings on a kind 
 of cement, brought from Calabria, 2100 years old, 
 with various subjects, such as the death of Patroclus, 
 and many others, all in high preservation. There are 
 also the curious Roman implements for painting ; the 
 brushes, and even the pahit itself; also a Roman lady's 
 toilet, such as combs and brushes ; by v/hich it appears, 
 that articles of luxury and convenience were quite as 
 much in use with those matrom as our modern fine 
 ladies. There were also nets for fishing and other 
 uses, of a most fine and delicate texture, various 
 vessels for boiling water, urns with heaters for water, 
 much like those used in England, ^-c. 
 
 But the Papyrus rooms are by no means the least 
 curious; there are in all, 1800 rolls, many of which 
 have been with great care and ingenuity unrolled, 
 unravelled, and placed in frames in the room, and 
 many are constantly employed in this most ingenious 
 and arduous work. Greatly to the honour of the 
 British Government, there are two gentlemen of 
 science and learning now at this work, under the 
 auspices of the Prince Regent*. In another set of 
 rooms are various articles of beautiful Etruscan ware, for 
 the use of families, both for ornament, and for sacrifice ; 
 
 * This work was obliged (doubtlessly with reluctance) to be g-iven up, 
 as the writer of this article has since heard. 
 
INCORONATA. 561 
 
 models of a coffin, a skeleton, and other articles, 
 shewing their manner of interring the dead*. 
 
 We concluded by visiting the different schools of 
 painting, in five or six large rooms, in which are 
 several fine pictures, by the best masters of the dif- 
 ferent schools, such as Titian, Bellino, Annibale 
 Caracci, M. Angelo Caravaggio, Guercino, Domeni- 
 chino, Parmigiano, Guido Reni, ^c. There are here 
 also beautiful models in bark, of the theatre of Her- 
 culaneum, the antiquities of Psestum, ^-c. We were 
 much pleased with the various things we had seen 
 in this noble museum, but were obliged to defer 
 seeing the rest to another day. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVII. 
 
 Tncoronata — St. Giaconio deg-li Spaefniioli. 
 
 Dec. 16. — Went to the church of the Incoronataf, 
 near the fine fountain di Medina, as we wished to 
 see a curious picture, of which vre had heard various 
 accounts. After a narrow inspection, we found the 
 picture in question : it is an old painting on the wall, 
 
 * All round were vessels for bread, drink, ^-c, in the coffin, plainly im- 
 plying- their idea of a resurrection. 
 
 •f- This was formerly a church of g^reat consequence, and used on state- 
 occasions and coronations as its name imports. Beatrice, daughter of 
 Ferdinand the First, Kin^ of Na])les, was crowned, with jVIatthew, King of 
 Hung-ary, her husband, in front of the Incoronata in 1464.. — Biancaudi, 
 p. 340. 
 
 Alfonso the First made splendid preparations to receive the Emperor 
 Frederic on his marriag-e, in the Piazza Incoronata, which was decorated 
 with theatres, rings for justs, SfC, in 1452. — Biancaudi. 
 
 Vol. I. 2 
 
562 ST. GIACOMO DEGLI SPAGNUOLI. 
 
 of the marriage of the celebrated Joan Queen of 
 Naples (by Giotto), with Andrew King of Hungary. 
 The colours begin to be faint, but considering the age, 
 it is an extraordinary picture ; opposite to it is a com- 
 panion, of which we could not learn the subject. 
 
 From thence to St. Giacomo degli Spagnuoli, be- 
 hind the high altar in this church, is a fine monument 
 of Don Pedro di Toledo. 
 
 The tomb is square and large, on the top are the 
 Duke and his wife kneeling, at the four corners are 
 four figures as large as life. Wisdom, Prudence, S^r., 
 and on the sides of the monument is much basso 
 relievo, representing the different castles of Naples, 
 &c. The whole is in marble, and in fine preservation, 
 the sculptor was Nolano. 
 
 The following is the inscription : 
 
 Petrus Toletus*, 
 
 Frederici Ducis Alvte filius, 
 
 Marchio Villse Francife, Reg. Neapol. Prorex : 
 
 Turcarum Hostiuiiique omnium spe sublat^, 
 
 Restituta justitia, urbe mceniis, arce, Foroque 
 
 Aiicta, munita, et exornata, deniqiie toto 
 
 Reg", divitiis et hilari securitate repleto 
 
 IMonimentum vivens in Ecclesia dotata 
 
 Et a fiindamento erecta Pon. INIan. 
 
 A''ixit anuos 73. Rexit 21. ob. 1552. 
 
 * He was son of tlie cruel and tyi'annical Duke of Alva, the favourite 
 of Philip the Second, and terror of the Lo^- Countries. Don Pedro also 
 was highly in favour with his royal master. 
 
 Don Pedro Toledo, son of Frederic Duke of Alva, Marquis of Villa 
 Franca, and Viceroy of the King of Naples, having subdued the Turks, he 
 restored justice, fortified the city with walls, S)-c. ; he ordered this monu- 
 ment to be erected in his lifetime, in the church which he had founded and 
 endowed. He lived seventy-three years, and governed this city twenty- 
 one. 
 
MOUNT VESUVIUS. 563 
 
 Maria Osorio Pimentel conjugis Claris. 
 
 Imago. Garciae Reg. Sicilise Prorex 
 
 Marisque praefectus 
 
 Parent, opt. p. 1570. 
 
 This monument is a very fine one, and well worth 
 seeing. This church and hospital were erected by 
 Don Pedro di Toledo, in 1540, and the architect was 
 Fernando Manlio ; the latter was built for Spanish 
 soldiers ; it is richly endowed, and now used for 
 infirm soldiers. 
 
 CHAPTER LXVIII. 
 
 Mount Vesuvius. 
 
 Dec. 18. — We put in execution a long-concerted plan, 
 and set off with some friends on an excursion to 
 Mount Vesuvius, at nine in the morning. The road 
 to Portici (four miles) is broad and handsome, having 
 the sea on the right and left, houses and gardens on 
 the left. On the Ponte Maddalena, which we went 
 over, are the statues of St. Giovanni Nepomuceno and 
 St. Gennaro, erected on account of the dreadful erup- 
 tion of Mount Vesuvius in 1767. Passing through 
 the Strada Regia of Portici, and the court of the royal 
 palace, which we deferred seeing for the present, we 
 went to Resina, a village, under which and Portici 
 was the ancient Herculaneum ; and alighting from our 
 coach, made our agreement with the Condottieri * for 
 
 * These Condottieri are six in number, and appointed by the police ; 
 they have strong- staves, and girdles round their waist, which travellers, 
 and particularly females, hold constantly, and are literally drawn up, or 
 they could not perform the ascent. 
 
 2 2 
 
564 MOUNT VESUVIUS HERMITAGE. 
 
 their donkeys, to ascend the mountain ; these long- 
 eared animals are here in abundance, Rxid forced upon 
 the curious traveller ; and the noise and confusion 
 arising from the exorbitant demands of these people, 
 resembled what we are led to believe of the Tower of 
 Babel ; but reducing their demands about one half, 
 we set off, males and females, on donkeys and mules, 
 accoutred in a heterogeneous manner, some with rope 
 bridles, others with broken leathern ones. On our 
 road up the mountain, (the base of which nearly ex- 
 tends to Resina,) passing by the square in which is 
 the parish church, with a handsome dome, we soon 
 came to close quarters, our road being enclosed be- 
 tween two walls, but winding among vineyards, pro- 
 ducing the excellent wine known by the name of La- 
 cryma Christi. Before us was Mount Vesuvius, smoking 
 in terrific grandeur ; on the right the sea ; and behind 
 us Naples. 
 
 The road soon began to be rocky, uneven, and bad, 
 gradually ascending ; but the animals kept their footing 
 very firm, carrying their riders safe. In about two 
 miles we had the first view of the lava, most of 
 the walls having part of it in their composition. Two 
 miles farther was a rocky defile, and the winding 
 of our party on their long- eared steeds, up the hill, 
 had a pretty and novel effect, "We soon came to the 
 hermitage, about three miles and an half, or four miles, 
 from Resina, and three miles from the top of the moun- 
 tain. This hermitage is in a beautiful situation, per- 
 fectly safe from the efifects of the lava, being built on 
 a ridge, with a valley on each side : it is an humble 
 
MOUNT VESUVIUS. 565 
 
 building, having, as we were informed, only two rooms 
 and a chapel. There are two hermits to inhabit it, of 
 the order of St. Francis : one of them we found busy, 
 like an English farmer, superintending and giving 
 orders about the trees which were planting for the 
 vines. 
 
 The neighbourhood of Vesuvius was formerly famous 
 for vines and olive trees, as also good pasture and ara- 
 ble land. 
 
 Talem dives arat Capua et vicina Vesevo 
 Ora jiig'o*. 
 
 Vines we certainly saw, and a few straggling olive 
 trees, near Resina, but no land fit for feeding cattle, 
 and one little field of barley only near the hermitage, 
 which, however, looked very flourishing. It is usual 
 to stop here and rest some time in this mountain 
 excursion, but the days were so short, that we only 
 stopped to enjoy the view of Vesuvius f, and pushing 
 on our steeds, soon got on an even causeway, com- 
 posed of the ashes of the volcano, and from thence to 
 a vast plain of lava, produced by the eruption of 1794, 
 which overwhelmed houses, vineyards, and cultivated 
 
 * Virg-. Geori,'-. lib; 2, v. 224. 
 
 ■i- Among- the substances prf>clucecl l)y Vesuvius, the lava and the ashes 
 are distinct matter ; tlie first is liquid and hurniiiif, having" the consistence 
 ot melted glass, and proceeding froiii the sides of tlie mountain, and running- 
 down sometimes as far as tlie sea, and even forming small promontories ; 
 it runs slowly, and with a kind of gravity, being of a considerable depth 
 and thickness, and forming itself into stones of a bro\vTi colour, sometimes 
 twelve, and even fifteen feet high. 
 
 The violence of the eruptions may be imagined from the height of tlie 
 columns of smoke ; that of 163f) was estimated at 30 miles, that of 1779 
 0500 feet, and HO feet in diameter. 
 
 . i.?.p^^*':K 
 
566 MOUNT VESUVIUS. 
 
 fields, leaving in their room nothing but an immense 
 dreary barren waste. Here the mountain was directly 
 before us with its smoking summit, presenting the 
 appearance of a cone with its top broken off unequally. 
 On the left was Somma, having many trees on its de- 
 clivity ; on the right a fine view of the sea, the Isle of 
 Capri, &c. We now soon came to the foot of the 
 mountain, and dismounting, left our donkeys fastened 
 to large pieces of lava, and looking about with a 
 desponding countenance, for no food could they find. 
 We now began to clamber, and our females, in spite 
 of our remonstrances to avoid the fatiguing ascent, 
 shewed a British heart, and boldly determined to 
 accompany us. 
 
 The ascent of this steep and rugged mountain has 
 been so often described, that it is needless to dwell 
 on it ; it is sufficient to say, that it is impossible to 
 conceive an}'^ thing more difficult, or laborious, and in a 
 certain degree, dangerous ; in some parts it is almost 
 perpendicular, and we were obliged to climb up the 
 pointed pieces of lava, (which frequently gave way), 
 on our hands and knees ; on one side, indeed, was a 
 stratum of ashes, but we found it too fatiguing to 
 walk on these, and therefore preferred our rocJiij and 
 more firm ascent ; after frequently resting on the pointed 
 pieces, we reached, at length, the top, and proceeded 
 along a vast plain, partly composed of lava, and partly 
 of ashes, amidst a vast body of sulphureous smoke, to 
 the boiling spring, where we halted pro more, and our 
 guides and cicerone, four in number, opened their 
 
 r^ 
 
MOUNT VESUVIUS. 567 
 
 store of bread and wine, contained in a large basket, 
 and sitting down on an immense stone* thrown up 
 from the crater, we recruited our strength with a bottle 
 of what they called Lacryma Christi, but in reality 
 common wine ; yet a great treat to us, perspiring 
 with our fatigue and heat, though the day was cold. 
 Our party which had been scattered owing to the 
 different strength and activity of each individual was 
 now assembled upon our rocky seat, and feasted on 
 the humble fare produced from the basket, preparing 
 for the last and most difficult ascent to the crater. 
 Here we waited till one of our guides by a regular 
 process procured us water from the boiling fountain, 
 which indeed was hotter than we could touch, of 
 course much hotter than we could taste. Fully 
 satisfied with this experiment, Y^e proceeded on our 
 last and most difficult task, to the top of the cone, 
 on which is the crater, our guides endeavoured 
 to dissuade us from ascending farther, and particu- 
 larly our females, but in vain; we could have an- 
 swered 
 
 • Non ulla laboruin 
 
 Nova mi facies iuopinave surgit 
 
 Omnia prsecepi atque animo ante peregi mecmii t, 
 
 one only exercised her prudence, yielding to the 
 persuasive advice of the condottieri. This last 
 part was wholly composed of large pointed pieces 
 
 * Here we had a fine \\e\v of the crater continually emitting vast quan- 
 tities of stones, and producing a noise as of distant thunder. 
 
 t ViRG. .^n. lib. 6, V. 103. 
 
568 
 
 MOUNT VESUVIUS. 
 
 of lava, presenting a most formidable appearance 
 as we looked upwards, and so nearly perpendi- 
 cular, that we could not see the crater, though 
 so near us. In spite of our care and circumspec- 
 tion in fixing our feet, the pieces frequently gave 
 way, and we had many falls though attended with 
 no serious inconvenience, but there was great hazard 
 of falling from one piece of sharp pointed lava upon 
 another, and so perhaps to the bottom, which might 
 have been fatal, but certaiuh/ must have produced 
 great bruises, if not broken limbs. When at length 
 having surmounted our difficulties we arrived at 
 the summit : we anxiously hung over the crater, 
 the survey of which we hoped would reward us 
 for all our difficulties : but alas ! here we were 
 grievously disappointed, it was enveloped in such 
 a constant cloud of sulphureous smoke, that we 
 could see nothing, and our guides obliged us imme- 
 diately to descend, as they told us a stay of only a 
 few minutes would have been attended with consi- 
 derable danger. The view from this elevated spot 
 owing to a certain degree of mist was not so clear 
 as we had expected, but still we saw Capri, Ischia, 
 Miseno, Baiae Gaeta, Naples, Caserta, &c. The 
 descent by the rugged lava was attended with 
 some difficulty, and we were obhged to measure our 
 steps with great care, returning as we ascended, by a 
 kind of path made for the Emperor of Austria and his 
 party, which was marked by white paint on the 
 stones, and in the last part of the descent were glad 
 
RE SIN A. 569 
 
 to make use of the ashes instead of the stones, which 
 made it more quick and easy. 
 
 The view from the hill, of the donkeys, eleven in 
 number, not feeding, for not a blade of grass was to 
 be seen, but looking with forlorn and half-famished 
 countenance on the dreary waste all around them was 
 not the least interesting part of this wild scene : we 
 were not sorry to remount them, nor they, apparently, 
 to be remounted, in order to be taken to their feed. 
 In our return we took a cursory view of the hermitage 
 and its ope?i chapel formed by fifteen columns five or 
 six feet high, the tops of which were partly enclosed, 
 and painted with the different parts of the passion of 
 our Lord called, as usual, stations. 
 
 We returned to Resina * about six, most grateful in 
 having performed this arduous and difficult expedi- 
 tion safely. It took us up about nine hours, and our 
 expenses were somewhat less than a pound; the 
 description of what Vesuvius once was may not be 
 unacceptable, as a contrast to what it now isf. 
 
 * Resina is six miles from the palace at Naples, and from the top of 
 the mountain seven. 
 
 t Hie est pampincis viridis Vesuvius umbris, 
 Preperat hie madidos nobilis uva lacus. 
 Hfec juga, quam nisa3 collos plus Bacchus amavit 
 
 Hue nuper salyrimonte dedere choros. 
 Harc Veneris scdes, Lacedfemone 2;ratior tilli 
 
 Hie locus Herculeo nomine clarus erat. 
 Cuncta jacent jlamniis, et tristi mersa favilla 
 Nee superi vellent hue licuisse sibi. 
 
 Mar. lib. 2. epig-. 195. 
 Vesuvio covered with the fruitful vine 
 Here flourished once and ran with tloods of wine ; 
 Here Bacchus oft to the cool shades retired, 
 And liis own native Nisa less admired • 
 
 Oft 
 
 ^'-'•j> ■ 
 
570 
 
 ACADEMY. 
 
 There are three roads to ascend Vesuvius *, that 
 of St. Sebastianoon the north, that of Ottejano on the 
 east, and Resina on the west, which last we took. 
 Although much fatigued, both with chmbing up the 
 mountain, and riding our puny steeds, we were much 
 pleased with our expedition, at the same time not 
 sorry that it was terminated. 
 
 CHAPTER LXIX. 
 
 Academy — Castello del Ovo — Royal Chapel — Pompeii. 
 
 Dec. 20. — Went to the Academy, which is open 
 every Monday a few months in the year, for the re- 
 ception of company, with music, cards, and conver- 
 sazione. 
 
 There is a very elegant suite of rooms, and the 
 
 Oft to the mountain's airy top advanced 
 
 The frisking; satyrs o)i the summit danced ; 
 
 Alcides licre, here Venus g-raced the shore, 
 
 Nor loved her favourite Lacedtemon more: 
 
 Now, piles of aslies spreading' all around 
 
 In undistinguished heaps deform the g-round ; 
 
 The gods themselves the ruin'd waste bemoan 
 
 And blame the mischiefs which themselves have done. 
 
 Addison, vol. 4. p. 167. 
 
 * The perpendicular height of Vesuvius is 3750 feet, and tlie circum- 
 ference of its crater 5G24> feet. The circumference of the three moun- 
 tains Vesuvius, Somma, and Ottejano, taken from the base, is tlurty miles. 
 This volcano has formed another mouth towards the sea, from which con- 
 stantly proceeds liquid lava ; the crater, amidst clouds of smoke, is con- 
 tinually throwing out stones and pieces of lava, and when the smoke was 
 black it was always succeeded by an emission of btones, attended with 
 a noise like thunder. 
 
CASTELLO DELL' OVO. 571 
 
 orchestra was parted from one of them with a light 
 fence done round with festoons of flowers in an un- 
 commonly elegant manner. The expense of the re- 
 freshments, which are costly and various, is defrayed 
 by the company, but the other expenses are paid by a 
 society of Italian gentlemen. The music was excel- 
 lent, the company of the first description, the dresses 
 of the ladies most elegant, and the whole admirably 
 conducted ; the company began to assemble about nine, 
 and dispersed at twelve. 
 
 Dec. 21. — At the Castello dell' Ovo, which is a 
 fortress built on some rocks, about a quarter of a mile 
 in the sea; there were no cannons mounted, but 
 about five hundred soldiers * in the castle ; there is a 
 tower from which there is a fine view. 
 
 This castle t is very large, and there are many 
 apartments in it, in one of which the unfortunate 
 Queen Joan J is said to have been smothered by 
 order of Charles of Durazzo. In the evening we 
 went to the Royal Chapel, in which there is fine 
 
 * There are about 45,000 soldiers in the king'doin of Naples, of whom 
 SOOO are g'liards, and there arc 72 g-ardes du corps, (all gentlemen,) to 
 attend on the person of the king-. The troops are in general well clotlied, 
 especially the Swiss, whose uniform is scarlet : the g'overnmcnt takes every 
 precaution to guard against a revolution and tumults ; there arc many 
 soldiers in the city, which are moving about in all directions almost the 
 whole day. 
 
 t Castello dell Ovo, Castel Nuovo, and the province of Calabria, were 
 made over to Alfonso, King of Sicily, by Joan K., on his assisting her 
 against Lewis of Anjou ; these were usually assigned to the prince who 
 was to succeed to the crown of Naples. — Biancardi, p, 210. 
 
 J Vid. Giannone, Denina, &c. Of the guilt of this queen now there ap- 
 pear many doubts, and her faults were probably much exaggerated by 
 the Durazzo party. 
 
dt2 TORRE DEL GRECO. 
 
 music, nine days before Christmas, which begins at 
 four in the afternoon ; the chapel is elegant, and 
 the ceiling painted in fresco, by Giacomo del Po. 
 This chapel was built in the reign of Charles III, 
 but much embellished by Joachim Murat in the 
 galleries, pillars, &c. ; the latter are cased over to 
 imitate granite, and the deception is good. The pave- 
 ment is marble, and elegant. The altar of this 
 chapel* is remarkably elegant, as are the two doors 
 leading into the sacristy, which are inlaid with pre- 
 cious stones, lapis lazuli, &c. : the congregation was 
 small, but decent, and the king occupied his seat in 
 the gallery unattended and without form. 
 
 Dec. 22. — We set off on an interesting excursion 
 to Pompeii, distant twelve miles from Naples ; passing 
 through Portici and Resina, full of palaces, and 
 gardens of orange and lemon trees borne down with 
 fruit, and by a beautiful casino of the king at Resina ; 
 we left the road to Vesuvius, and took the high one 
 which leads to Pompeii and Salerno, and into Ca- 
 labria. The first part was chiefly paved with lava, 
 but from Resina it was wide, and covered deep in 
 many parts with the ashes of the mountain, but not 
 paved. 
 
 About seven miles from Naples, Torre del Greco, 
 a very populous village, or rather small town, with an 
 excellent market, and plentifully stored with pro- 
 visions : here are seen on all sides the dreadful effects 
 of the last eruption : there were many houses with 
 
 * There is a dean to tliij chapel wlio has about o»iie hundred pounds a 
 year ; and twenty-four Canons, who have half that Kuni. 
 
POMPEII. TRAGIC THEATRE. 573 
 
 their windows destroyed near the road, several walls 
 and many buildings made of the lava, of which there 
 were on all sides vast fields with immense pieces of 
 different sizes and shapes, particularly on the left, 
 which was a vast field of lava* apparently extending 
 from the mountain (about six miles off) to the sea. The 
 peasants in this neighbourhood are healthy-looking 
 people, but most of the men, women, and children 
 without shoes and stockings. 
 
 Nearly adjoining Torre del Greco, is Torre della 
 Nunziata, a lively populous village ; and here the 
 dreadful effects of this inundating lava seemed to 
 cease. The surrounding scenery here was strikingly 
 grand ; on our left was Vesuvius, and before us, 
 and on each side, the vast range of the Apennines 
 towering to the skies, and forming a noble amphi- 
 theatre. 
 
 About twelve miles from Naples we came suddenly 
 to the interesting and affecting remains of Pompeii, 
 having just before passed a pillar by the road-side, 
 on which had been the head of a robber. A cicerone 
 met us on alighting from our carriage, and conducted 
 us first into the Forum f which had fine pillars of the 
 Doric order ; and next into the Teatro Comico, which 
 exhibits a perfect idea of a Roman theatre, with the 
 
 * The lava was chiefly formed in larg-c pieces of a conical form, often 
 as hic^h as seven or ei^ht feet, and of a considerable circumference ; ]\Ir. 
 Addison thinks that these pieces are not lava, hut jnecex Jioatino- hi the 
 melted matter, which when it abated formed into these irregular heaps. — 
 Addison's Works, vol. 4. p. 157. 
 
 ■I' Tlie Forum was of two sorts, one for goods and merchandise, ansvrer- 
 ing- to a foreign bourse, and the other a court of justice. 
 
574 TORRE DELLA NUNZIATA — POMPEII. 
 
 Stage, Proscenium*, &c. In the midst on a marble 
 stone is inscribed the name of Marcus Verus, Master 
 of the Revels ; the letters, as also these, " pro Ludis 
 Duumviri" are in bronze ; against the v^all vy^as this 
 inscription : 
 
 C. Quinctius C. I. 
 
 Valer. M. Porcius 
 
 M. F. 
 
 Duo vir Dec. 
 
 Decret. theatrum tectum 
 
 Fac. Locar. 
 
 Eidemque Probavit 
 
 Tragic Theatre f . — This joined the comic one, and 
 was originally covered with marble seats for the diffe- 
 rent orders of the spectators, but the marble in process 
 of time has been lost or stolen ; the seats remain one 
 above the other in a very good state ; the theatre is 
 in the shape of a horse-shoe J. 
 
 Ascending a grand flight of steps, we came to a 
 portico with fifty-seven pillars, forming a public walk 
 elevated for a view of the sea, which formerly washed 
 the walls of Pompeii, but is now nearly two miles 
 distant, this is triangular, and about the eighth of a 
 mile. 
 
 Grecian Temple. — Here we were shewn where they 
 
 * Proscenium was the space of ground just before tlie scene, where the 
 pulpitum stood, into which the actors came fi'om behind the scenes to per- 
 form. — KenneWs Roman Antiquities. 
 
 •!• Theatres, in the first ages of the commonwealth, were only temporary, 
 and composed of wood. Pompey first raised a fixed one. — Kennett. 
 
 t There were here the different seats and entrances for the three 
 orders, and also for the vestal virgins : we find at whose expense this was 
 built by the following inscription: 
 
 ^I. ]M. Holconi Rufus et Ceter 
 Cryptum tribunal theatruni S. P. 
 Ad Decus Colouite. 
 
CURIA — TEMPLE OF ISIS — AMPHITHEATRE. 575 
 
 killed the victims, consulted the entrails, burnt the 
 bodies, &c. 
 
 The Curia*. — This was of the Doric order, and 
 most parts of it were in excellent preservation ; there 
 was the rostrum, &c. 
 
 Temple of Isis. — Here likewise were the different 
 compartments for the victims, ashes, &c., and the 
 Lavacra for the purification. 
 
 Amphitheatre. — On entering this by the grand se- 
 tt atorian way, we observed on the opposite walls on a 
 marble plate the following inscription : 
 
 C. Cuspius C. F. Panza Pater 
 
 DuI.D. 
 
 4 Quinqmn. Prsef. 
 
 I. D. Ex. D. D. Lege Petronia. 
 
 C.CuspiusC.>. F. 
 
 Pansa Pontif. 
 
 D. VIRID. 
 
 This is a noble relic, and in high preservation, 
 seats I, arena, stairs, entrances, &c. : it is eighty 
 yards in diameter, and was capable of containing 
 20,000 persons. 
 
 Having seen the public buildings, which are highly 
 curious, and in a fine state of preservation, giving us 
 
 * The curia were of two sorts, civil and religious: in the former the 
 senate used to assemble for affairs of stale, and in the hitter the priests 
 and religious orders used to assemble for affairs of religion. — Kennett's 
 Roman Antiquities. 
 
 t The three orders, Seuatorian, Equestrian, and Plebeian, entered by 
 different ways, having their respective places : the women also entered a 
 different way from without, having seats above the whole.- Vid. Kennett. 
 
 There was a threefold distinction of the seats according to the ordinary 
 division of the people into senators, knights, and commons ; the first range 
 was called orchestra, the second equestria, and the other popularia.— Id. 
 
576 FORUM — TEMPLE OP VENUS. 
 
 a fine idea of the Roman buildings and manners, we 
 next came to some of tlie streets which are admirably 
 paved with the old Roman broad pavement, chiefly of 
 lava, on many parts of which were distinctly seen the 
 marks of the wheels. 
 
 These streets were in general narrow, about six 
 yards wide, and where they would admit of it, there 
 was a regular causeway, about ten inches above the 
 street. In order to avoid confusion in the narrow 
 streets, the carriages had a bell attached to them, that 
 only one might be in the street at a time. We next 
 went into the houses and shops. The houses of dis- 
 tinction had a colonnade, usually with Grecian pillars ; 
 and in the centre, a court, we observed regular chan- 
 nels to carry off the water. The rooms were in 
 general small, about twelve feet square, having no 
 communication v/ith each other, but all opening into a 
 court, having two rooms to each house ; but the work- 
 men have not been able to save one roof with all 
 their care, or we should have had a perfect Roman 
 house. The sides were painted in fresco, having 
 some emblem to denote the different uses for which 
 they were designed, as the eating room, sleeping 
 room, ^c. 
 
 Great Forum. — This was one hundred and fifty 
 yards round*, in form of an L, one part of it appro- 
 priated to the use of a market, and the other a tri- 
 bunal. 
 
 Temple of Venus. — The pillars were of the Ionic 
 order, forming a colonnade ; all the walls were painted 
 
 * One hundred yards one way, aud sixty tlie other. 
 
cook's shop — mason's shop. 577 
 
 in fresco, and there was a statue of the Goddess, now 
 removed to the Museum ; there were also several 
 lascivious figures found, which were, with great pro- 
 priety, immediately removed. 
 
 Shops. — Of these there were various ; and different 
 animals, &c. to shew their trade ; as a goat in basso- 
 relievo for a milk- shop, and in the milk- shop were 
 the different vessels for containing the milk, fixed 
 in the walls. 
 
 Cook's Shop. — Here were the different places for 
 boiling, stewing, &c. There were also found sauce- 
 pans, stew-pans, kettles, &c. 
 
 Mason's Shop. — Here were found the implements 
 of his trade, statues half finished, &c. In short, it is 
 impossible to name the whole series of utensils, &c., 
 which were found in the different shops, elucidating the 
 trade of each individual. Mills, &c., places for holding 
 flour, ovens much resembling ours in shape. Oil- 
 shops, with measures fixed in the walls, soap-shops 
 with soap-coolers. Although most of the houses were 
 small, having but two rooms, yet the surgeon, for his 
 instruments *, &c., had several. 
 
 The walls of the houses were about eight feet high, 
 and in general in high preservation, covered with 
 stucco, and painted in fresco in a variety of v/ays. 
 
 We next went out of the gate, on the grand Appian 
 Roadf, leading to Rome; on each side were monu- 
 ments, and within, urns containing the ashes of the 
 
 * There were many found and carried into the Museum, 
 t From this came " Siste Viator," " Stop Traveller," inscribed on so 
 many monuments. 
 Vol. I. 2 P 
 
578 POMPEII — HOUSES. 
 
 dead. We now went into the house of Marcus Arrius 
 Diomede, who is supposed to have perished in this 
 eruption, as his skeleton was found with keys in his 
 hand, and his servant behind him. This was a mag- 
 nificent house, and the cellars spacious ; there were 
 several vessels full of ashes, which had been pro- 
 bably full of wine, for the use of the master and his 
 guests. 
 
 In this cellar were found many skeletons against 
 the wall, of persons who were supposed to have taken 
 shelter from the tempest, and so long had they been 
 against the wall, that their perfect figures were found 
 imprinted on it ; the cellars * were arched, and in high 
 preservation. The proprietor was a great friend of 
 Cicero, who was very fond of Pompeii, and had a 
 villa there. 
 
 Among the monuments was one of a vestal, with 
 the following inscription : 
 
 IMammife P. F. sacerJotI ; 
 PublicEe locus sepulturse 
 Datus Decurionum decretot. 
 
 None of the good houses appear to have been so 
 large as this of Diomede, who was a freedman J and 
 very rich : there were twelve rooms and two dis- 
 tinct stories, whereas only one was in any of the 
 
 * These cellars were three sides of a square. 
 
 t This public burial-ground nas iriven to Mammia, the Priestess, the 
 daughter of Publius, by a decree of the Decurions. 
 
 X There were two ways of conferring- freedom among the Romans, by 
 Testament and Manumission ; the former \vas done by the will of the 
 master, on account of the faithful services of the slave, the latter ceremony 
 took place in the presence of the Consul, and in latter times the Praetor. — 
 Kennett's Roman Antiquities. 
 
POMPEII — HOUSES. 579 
 
 others ; he had also hot and cold baths, &c., and 
 appears to have lived in the highest luxury, till he 
 was overwhelmed in this catastrophe. 
 
 This house was the last which we saw, and we 
 were highly pleased and gratified with our five hours' 
 ramble. The inscriptions were perfect, and the build- 
 ings sound, giving a good idea both of the Roman 
 buildings and manners. 
 
 But whether the Government is deterred by the 
 expense, or some other cause which does not appear, 
 the work goes on but languidly ; and the guide told 
 us, that they did more in a month under Murat's 
 administration, than in a year under the present. So 
 that it must be many, many years before the whole of 
 Pompeii can be brought to light : and the antiquarian 
 and traveller must wait with patience till this work, so 
 interesting to them, be accomplished. We did not 
 return to Naples till late in the evening, delighted 
 with our excursion, although it must be owned our 
 pleasure had its alloy, and was mixed with melan- 
 choly, on walking amidst the remains of proud palaces 
 and convenient habitations, and reflecting on the sad 
 catastrophe which involved all the inhabitants in ruin, 
 and deprived manij of life ; thus destroying at once a 
 fine city*, which was the pride of the country, and 
 
 * This calamity happened A. d, 79 ; the city had received much injury 
 from an earthquake thirteen years hefore, but was entirely ruined by this. 
 The eruption was preceded some days before by a slight earthquake, but 
 the night before it took place, the earthquake was so strong, that CA-ery 
 thing was not only in motion, but in danger of a total overthrow. The 
 elder Pliny fell a victim to his curiosity and desire to inspect the eruption. 
 He was commander of the fleet stationed at Misenum, and landed, to be 
 nearer the mountain, and was found dead the next morning, supported by 
 
 2 P 2 
 
580 CHRISTMAS DAY. 
 
 levelling to the dust its lofty and splendid buildings : 
 leaving us an example of the instabihty of human 
 grandeur, and the pride and folly of manlcind, which 
 are founded on its stability. These awful events should 
 make a serious impression on the survivors^ would but 
 the inhabitants of the world learn wisdom. 
 
 Being so far on our journey to Psestum, we re- 
 luctantly gave up our plan of going there, no less 
 influenced by the desire of seeing its interesting anti- 
 quities, than searching among the Rosaria Paesti * for 
 a solitary rose ; but the weather continued so untoward, 
 and the days were so short, that we could not conve- 
 niently accomplish this interesting journey, especially 
 as the distance is considerable — no less than fifty-four 
 miles. 
 
 two slaves, having- the appearance of a person asleep. He was suffocated 
 with the ashes and sulphur. A beautiful and interestinar account is g-iven by 
 his nephew, of his unwillingness to quit tlie scene of danger ^\•ithout his 
 motlier, and her earnest intreaties to him to leave her to her fate, and 
 take care of himself. " Turn JNIater orare, hortari, jubere, quoque modo 
 fugerem ; posse enim juvenem ; sc et aunis et corpore gravrm bene mori- 
 turam, si niihi causa mortis non fiiisset," At Icngrth this affectionate dis- 
 pute was ended ; " Peret cegre incusatque se quod me moretiir." There 
 is also an interesting' account of the falling- of buildings, and agitation of 
 the sea, occasioned by this awful event ; and the panic and horrors occa- 
 sioned by it. So strong was the motion of the earth, that the carriages or- 
 dered by PUny and his mother for their removal, were shaken to and fro, 
 though supported by large stones, and in a hvel field. — Plix. Epis. lib. 6. 
 ep. 20. 
 
 * Biferique Rosaria Piesti. — Vir. Georg, lib. 4. v. 119. 
 
 ]\Iay and September were the two months in whicli these roses were 
 chiefly produced. 
 
 ■ tepidique Rosaria Presti. — Ov. Met. lib. 15. 
 
IL VOMERS. 581 
 
 CHAPTER LXX. 
 
 Christmas Day* — Castello St. Erino — Certosini — Belvidere— Agnano— 
 Pozzuoli Baja — Bauli — Miseno, &c. 
 
 This solemn festival, every anniversary of which 
 should be celebrated by the Christian with ^'oy and reli- 
 gious gratitude, was observed very strictly in Naples, 
 the shops were all shut at midnight on Christmas Eve ; 
 they began the ceremony, as we were informed, of the 
 Child in the Manger, in remembrance of the holy child 
 Jesus. This ceremony took place in almost all the 
 churches, and was continued more or less throughout 
 the day. The English had the comfort of having their 
 own service performed at the British Consul's, in a 
 most decent and pious manner ; the congregation was 
 large, and composed of persons of the first respecta- 
 bility ; about one hundred and fifty were present, and 
 sixty at least received the sacrament. We retired 
 highly gratified at finding that our countrymen, amidst 
 their pleasures and curious researches in an interest- 
 ing foreign land, never neglected their rehgious duties ; 
 a conduct which must ever tend to their honour. 
 
 Dec. 27. — Went up by the mountain called II Vo- 
 mero, to the Castello St. Ermo ; the ascent is tolerably 
 
 * On Christmas Eve we went to the royal chapel, expecting to see the 
 Kinef and his Court there ; but to our surprise it was shut, and his Majesty 
 was on a hunting party fifteen days. 
 
582 CASTLE OF ST. ERMO. 
 
 gradual, though long. We first saw St. Martieno de 
 Certosini : this was formerly a royal palace, till the 
 Duke of Calabria, son of King Robert, and father of 
 Queen Joan, persuaded his father to convert it into a 
 monastery ; since that it has been turned into an 
 hospital for invalid soldiers, and it contains at present 
 six hundred: we observed with pain that many of 
 them were blind. The church, which was repaired 
 and embellished about two hundred years ago, exhibits 
 a splendid appearance of richness and elegance ; the 
 pavement is most beautiful, composed of inlaid 
 variegated marble. The painters who have en- 
 riched this beautiful church, are Cavaliere Massimo, 
 Spagnoletto, Guido Reni, Giordano, and D'Arpino. 
 The twelve prophets are by Spagnoletto, and two 
 beautiful pictures of Moses and Elijah by the same. 
 The balustrade to the high altar, composed of 
 variegated marble, lapis lazuli, &c. is uncommonly 
 elegant. 
 
 The roof and sides painted in fresco are beautiful ; 
 the sacristy also is very handsome, the sides being of 
 Chinese inlaid wood. The chapels have several good 
 pictures, and altogether this may be reckoned one of 
 the most splendid and elegant churches in Naples. 
 
 The terrace called Belvidera* commands a most 
 noble and extensive view of the whole city of Naples 
 under you, Vesuvius, the Bay, Portici, Capri Ischia, 
 &c. ; behind us was a view of Capo del Monte, the 
 convent of Camaldolosi, &c. From thence we went to 
 
 * You see also Piiusilippo, Pozzuoli, Caiupagna Felice, Capo di Monte, 
 Caserta, &c. 
 
LAGO d'agnano. 583 
 
 the Castle St. Ermo*, adjoining the monastery, which 
 is an abbreviation of St. Eremo. This fortress is built 
 on a high rock, and is particularly interesting to 
 Englishmen, from having been in their possession last 
 war ; the ascent to it is easy and gradual. We ob- 
 served a gate with the wings of the German eagle, 
 the boclj/ was probably destroyed in the revolution : 
 there was a long inscription, with the name of Charles 
 the Fifth ; probably the gate was built or repaired by 
 that prince. This prince, as well as Philip the Fifth, 
 added much to the castle and works. The Castle of 
 St. Ermo is in a most noble and commanding situa- 
 tion, built upon a rock hanging over the town; it 
 has at present but three hundred soldiers and few 
 cannon, though it can mount five hundred, from 
 thirty-six pounders to twelve. The officerf who con- 
 ducted us was so obliging as to accompany us to the 
 terrace, and the upper one, which is called the bal- 
 loon ; from this, which is only a few feet square, there 
 is a Yiew,frightfulh/ grand, of the surrounding scenery ; 
 some of our party were so giddy as to be obliged 
 to relinquish this grand view, though unwillingly. 
 We were much pleased with our elevated ramble, 
 which fatigued us much less than our Vesuvian one ; 
 
 * St. Ermo was originally a tower erected by the Norman princes, and 
 called Belleforte, because it commanded the city and sea, and was afterwards 
 converted into a reg-ular castle, and the fortifications much increased when 
 it was besieged by General Lautrec in 1518. Under Charles the Fifth it 
 became a regular citadel, and Philip the Fifth much improved it ; part of 
 the walls is cut in the solid rock. — Hist, di Napoli. 
 
 •^ The conducting- officer told us, that the whole number of troops in the 
 kingdom was 45,000. 
 
581* STUFE DI ST. GERMANO-— POZZUOLI. 
 
 you are admitted into the castle by tickets, from the 
 governor of the city. 
 
 Jan. 6. — We took an interesting excursion to Poz- 
 zuoli*, Baiae, Miseno, &c., but first diverged about two 
 miles from Naples, and went to the Lago D'Agnano f, 
 which is a beautiful lake about three miles round, en- 
 compassed with hills, supposed to have been formed by 
 the lava thrown up from the neighbouring volcanoes : 
 the lake is said to be full of mineral w^aters, and ser- 
 pents are said to fall from the hills into the lake, and 
 are immediately drowned ; few fish are in it, but many 
 frogs. 
 
 From thence we went to Stufe di St. Germane, 
 which are sudatory baths : the walls are all a compo- 
 sition of sulphur, and so hot, that we could scarcely 
 touch them ; and if you remain long in these caverns, 
 you are in a profuse perspiration. Just by, is the fa- 
 mous Grotta del Cane, where the usual experiment 
 was made upon a dog : taking him by the paws, his 
 master held him against the vapour, he immediately 
 
 * The road from Naples to PozziioH, tlioug^li now improved, was for- 
 merly so bad, that Seneca mentions its being' so full of water and mud, 
 that be could almost have imagined himself on the water ; he preferred 
 taking this little journey by land, having objections to the sea, and indeed 
 his fears of it were so great, that he foresaw an approaching tempest, to 
 avoid the navigation ; but owing to the bad road, he seems to have re- 
 pented of his determination.' — Pliny, Sen. Epis.lib. 1. 
 
 t This lake presented a living scene, being full of ducks and aquatic 
 birds of almost every description, 
 
 A royal chase was given near this lake to the Emperor Frederic, by 
 Alfonso the First, when five thousand ])easants were assembled, with all 
 kinds of musical instnnnents, and united with the royal huntsmen ; and 
 liaving abundance of dogs, they aiiorded great amusement to the royal 
 <rucsts. 
 
LAKE OP AVERNUS. 585 
 
 lost respiration, and was taken out to recover his 
 breath ; from the best accounts this does not seem 
 a trick, as we suspected, as several gentlemen 
 have tried the experiment upon their own dogs. 
 Don Pedro di Toledo, Viceroy of Naples, had a 
 condemned criminal shut in this grotto, who was soon 
 found dead, and some peasants are also said to have 
 gone into it, and were overtaken with sleep, from 
 which they never awoke. The grotto is very small, 
 ten feet in depth, nine in height, and four in breadth ; 
 a torch was dipped in its vapour, which was imme- 
 diately extinguished. 
 
 From thence, regaining the high road, which we 
 had quitted for some time, we soon came on the sea- 
 shore, having mountains hanging over the road ; and 
 in about three miles came to Pozzuoli*, a lively little 
 port, where we were surrounded with sailors, enticing 
 us to cross the bay to Baise. After making an agreement 
 with them with some difficulty, as their demands were 
 most exorbitant, we embarked with two watermen, 
 and crossed over the bay, and landing, walked to the 
 Lake of Lucrinof , so called from the gain it originally 
 produced to its possessors by fishing. From thence 
 
 * The inhabitants of Puteoli, now Pozzuoli, were distinguished by their 
 attachment to Vespasian. Here St. Paul landed. Vid- Acts xxviii. v. 1.3. 
 Vid. p. 80, for Puteoli.— Tac. HrsT. lib. 3. 
 
 f II Lag-o Lucrino was so covered by the violent earthquake, September 
 29th, 153S, that a large village named Triperzole, situated between the sea 
 aJid the lake, was entirely destroyed, with its unfortunate inhabitants, and a 
 mountain, three miles in circumference, and very high, was formed of the 
 volcanic matter, called Monte Tsuovof«j; this njountain we saw in our 
 excursion. 
 
 CaJ llislory ot Naples and its Environs. 
 
586 LAKE OF AVERNUS. 
 
 we went to the celebrated Lake of Avernus*. This is 
 about three miles round, and on the right are the 
 ruins of a temple, said to be that of Apollo. The 
 notion of this lake being unfathomable, is now ex- 
 ploded: it is two hundred and twenty-five yards in 
 depth. 
 
 Many persons suppose Avernus to be the crater of 
 an extinct volcano, and indeed almost all the hills and 
 earth in the neighbourhood are full of sulphureous 
 matter ; we saw, however, in spite of the ancient opi- 
 nion, many birds near the lake. 
 
 ■ talis sese halitus atris 
 
 Faucibus effundens supera ad convcxa ferebat 
 Unde locum Graii dixerunt nomine Avernumt- 
 
 Julius CsesarJ united the lakes of Avernus and 
 Lucrinus § with the sea, though they are now nearly a 
 
 Tligi Ktt.t VEipsXjj Kix,a\uf/,iAivoi ovoi Tfor auTOv; 
 
 Odyss. lib. 1. 
 There, in a lonely land, and gloomy cells. 
 The dusky nation ofCimmeria dwells ; 
 The sun ne'er views th" uncomfortable seats. 
 When radiant he advances, or retreats. 
 
 Pope, Book ii. v. 154<. 
 t Vir. Mn. lib. 6. v. 241. et seq. 
 
 X Many have said that this was not the work of Julius Caesar faj, but 
 executed u. c. 717 ; whoever was the cause of it, it must ever be looked on 
 as a great undertaking. Virgil seems to allude to some work of this kind. 
 Qualis in Euboico Baiarum littore quondam 
 Saxea pila cadit, &c. — jEn. lib.. 9. v. 710. 
 § An memorem portus, Lucrinoque addita claustra 
 Atque indignatum magnis stridoribus aequor 
 Julia qua pontc longe sonat unda refuso 
 Tyrrhenumque i'retis immittitur sestus Avernis. 
 
 Vir. Georg. lib. 2. v. 161. 
 
 (a) J. Caesar was slain a. u. c. 710. 
 
sibyl's cave. 587 
 
 mile asunder. This great work was called Portus 
 Jidiiis ; we saw some of the ruins of the mole. 
 
 The sea in all this neighbourhood is in a very dif- 
 ferent position from what it was in former times, in 
 some places having gained, and in others receded. 
 Our guide then conducted us to the Sibyl's Cave*. 
 Our entrance, indeed, into this cave, was ushered in 
 with all classical graviti/ ; we found every thing ready, 
 a guide with a lighted torch, &c. thus proving that 
 " facilis descensus Avernif." 
 
 Noctes atque dies patet atri Janua (litis. 
 
 Thus v/e came ad fauces graveolentis Averni'^,, and 
 entered, preceded by our guide with his torch, which 
 he kept knocking against the sides of the cave to pro- 
 cure more light ; thus finding, to our great inconve- 
 nience, that we only enjoyed " luce maHgna§." We 
 then passed with solemn and cautious steps, 
 
 per umbras. 
 
 Perque doinos ditis vaciias et inania rcu^na ; || 
 
 and could almost imagine the deities of the place 
 overlooking our steps. 
 
 Di qiiibus imperiutn est animarum, umbrteque siieates ^. 
 
 Thus we came by degrees, 
 
 Vestibuluai ante ipsuin, primisque in faucibus orci **. 
 
 Here we were prevented, by water two or three feet 
 
 * This cave is thirty feet high, and about nine feet wide, 
 t ^n. 6. V. 123. $ V. 201. § ^n. 6. v. 270. || V. 2S9. 
 
 fV. 2Q-i. ^*V.2o4>. 
 
588 sibyl's cave. 
 
 deep, proceeding any farther ; not that " portitor 
 orci" * was wanting, for 
 
 Terribilis squalore cliaron t 
 
 was present, ready to take us over to the secret 
 chamber. 
 
 Horrendaeque procul secreta sibyllsej. 
 
 In plain language, a lad was there to take us through 
 the water, undressed to his waist for this aquatic at- 
 tempt : but alas ! our Charon seemed very unequal to 
 the task ; so much so, that some of our party were 
 deterred from venturing on his shoulders, not choos- 
 ing, at the risk of falling into the water, 
 
 Insano indulgere labori §. 
 
 Others boldly persevered, each encouraging the other. 
 We therefore mounted on the back of Charon, but ap- 
 parently without the spirit of the Trojan hero ; for 
 w^hether from our agitation at having so much water 
 under us, shut up in these dark recesses, or our little 
 confidence in the strength of our guide, or from what- 
 ever cause, is not clear, but we were not only every 
 minute in danger of falling into the Stygian lake, but 
 our feet were completelj/, and our legs parfialli/, 
 wetted, before we landed in the secret chamber of 
 the sibyl. In vain did we invoke the spirits of the 
 ancient heroes to help us in this emergency ; they 
 
 * Geors:. 1. 4. v. 502. •!• ^En. 6. v. 299. :i: iEii. 6. v. 10.— There are 
 within the bounds of Puteoli, or Pozzuoli, thirty-five natural baths, of 
 different s<irts of warm water, very useful for the eure of several diseases : 
 and from these b;iths or pits of water, Puteis, but inure probably from tlie 
 ofi'ensive smell of its wells impregnated Avith sulphur, the town is thought 
 to have taken its name. — Well's Gcog-. 
 
 § lEn. 6. V. 1.35. 
 
SIRYLS CAVE. u^\) 
 
 were deaf to our prayers, and were as inattentive to 
 our petitions as possible, regarding us no more, 
 
 ■Quam si dura silex aut stet Marpesia cantes *. 
 
 We were here prevented exploring the oracular re- 
 cesses, &c., by our uncomfortable situation, and an 
 effectual stop was put to our reflections on Styx, 
 Phlegethon, the Elysian Fields, &c. ; and our thoughts 
 were wholly employed on the human means of getting 
 back, too fatally convinced that 
 
 revocare g-radum siiperasque evadere ad auras 
 
 Hoc opus, hie labor est i: 
 
 In short, we were totally inattentive to the conversa- 
 tion of our guide on this interesting subject, thinking, 
 with grief, on the barrier between us and the main 
 land, and eager to regain it at almost any risk. 
 
 Quam veulent stliere in alto 
 
 Nunc et pauperieiii et duros perferre laborcs J. 
 
 We were indeed most desirous to resume our in- 
 teresting tour, however laborious ; but to tliis the 
 pool was a present obstacle, Styx presented itself as a 
 barrier. 
 
 Fata obstant, tristique palus inamabilis unda 
 Allig"at, et iiovies Styx interfusa coercet §. 
 
 However at length we made an attempt and suc- 
 ceeded, with a repetition of wet feet and legs, and 
 with pleasure took our leave of Portitor ille Charon ||, 
 leaving him to the full contemplation of his Styx, 
 Elysian fields, &c., and glad at all events to get on 
 the dry land, and avail ourselves of a warm Italian 
 sun to dry our wet and benumbed feet, and resume 
 
 * ^^n. 6. V. 471. t .^n. 6. v. 12S. J Mn. 6, v. 436. 
 
 § ^n 6, V. 437. |i Mi\. 6, 32G. 
 
590 BATHS OP NERO. 
 
 our excursion, quitting the prophetic cave with joy, 
 not unmixed with fears of an approaching cold from 
 which the spirit of the sibyl would not be able to 
 keep us. 
 
 It need not here perhaps be mentioned that the 
 local situation of this cave does not correspond with 
 the ancient description, which is nearer Cumae. 
 Leaving the lake and cave, we regained the sea by a 
 shorter way, and embarked to the Baths of Nero : 
 these are spacious, and were of two sorts, salt water 
 and sudatory. In these last the body was well 
 rubbed, a practice continued in the East to this day ; 
 water was brought to boil an egg, which from the 
 heat was boiled almost instantaneously. There are 
 here six corridors, narrow and long ; a man used to this 
 business went to the end of one of them, half naked, 
 and returned with the boiling water in about two 
 minutes, puffing and blowing in a profuse perspira- 
 tion, and an inflamed face, as if he was come out of 
 a furnace. Some of our party endeavoured to follow 
 him, but the heat was too great ; these baths are so 
 efficacious in curing many disorders, that many are 
 sent here every sum.mer from the hospital of the Nun- 
 ziata at Naples. The whole neighbourhood of Poz- 
 zuoli and Baise* is overrun with volcaic fires, sulphu- 
 reous matter, &c. 
 
 Reimbarking we went to Baise f , which though we 
 may not quite agree with the poet, still is a charming 
 
 * It took its name from Baius, the friend of Uljsses. 
 ■i- Nullus in orbe locus Baiis prffilucet amoenis. — HoR. Ejiis. lib, 1, v. 4. 
 Qui vertere solum, Baias ct ad ostia currant. — Juv. Sat, 11. 
 
BAIiE. 591 
 
 place as to situation, though now indeed only a heap 
 of ruins. The sea, this day remarkably still, we find 
 was not always so. This was a favourite resort of 
 the Romans, and not only famous for its baths*, (the 
 remains of which we saw close to the sea, though 
 formerly they were some distance from it,) but also 
 for its mineral waters and its voluptuousness f. The 
 Romans, fixing on it for their favourite residence, 
 adorned it with temples, buildings, &c., which made 
 it one of the most beautiful places in Italy ; Julius 
 Caesar, Pompey, Marius, &c., had here their villa?, 
 as well as other distinguished Romans ; but, alas ! not 
 only are all those magnificent houses gone to ruin, 
 but even the air of this once favourite residence is 
 unwholesome on account of the exhalations of the 
 lakes and stagnated waters. 
 
 The chief ruins which we saw were the Temples of 
 
 * These baths («) are said to have been in number three hundred. Mar- 
 cellus, the nephew of Octavius Ctesar, died at Baise, to which place he 
 was come to make use of the cold baths, in order to restore his declining- 
 Jiealth: he died at the early age of twenty ; his body was brought loRome 
 and burnt, and his ashes buried there : it was for reading- those beautiful 
 lines relating- to him, that Virgil was so liberally rewarded by Octavia, who 
 fainted at the time of their being- read. — Vid. Notes on this passag-e. 
 
 t The poet in the most beautiful and animated language censures the 
 sensuality of its inhabitants and their worldly-mindedness : 
 Tu, secanda marmora 
 Locas, sub ipsumfunus, et sepulcri 
 
 Imraenior, struis domos 
 Marisque Baiis obstrepentis urges 
 
 Summovere litora 
 Parum locuples continente ripa. 
 
 Hon. Car. lib. 2, od, 18, v. 17 et seq. 
 (a) Hinc calidi fontes,lentisciferumque tenetur 
 Linternum — Ov. Metamor.Vib. 15. 
 
592 TEMPLE OP VENUS, &C. 
 
 Venus * and Mercury, and of Diana ; of the last, only 
 a large piece in the shape of a shell remains. 
 
 The temple of Venus is five yards in diameter, that 
 of Mercury is a fine circular relic, adjoining the baths 
 of Mercury, and is about ninety feet in diameter, re- 
 ceiving light from above. Ascending a steep hill, 
 we came suddenly in view of the lake of Acheron, 
 now called the Lago Fusaro, so celebrated of old : this 
 has a communication with the sea, and on its borders 
 is a royal palace. 
 
 Descending, we embarked again, and were agree- 
 ably interrupted in our meditations on Acheron t, 
 Styx, &c., by finding ourselves suddenly in the midst 
 of a small squadron of men-of-war of our own country, 
 jack, ensign, and pendant proudly flying, and safely 
 riding at anchor as quietly as in a mill-pond, about half 
 a mile from the shore. The admiral's ship, however, 
 being painted black, recalled to our mind the melan- 
 choly event which had recently taken place, in having 
 lost its gallant commander J. 
 
 We now passed the castle § of Baiae, built on a 
 rock, proudly overhanging the sea, which is the only 
 
 * In this temi)le is a curious whisperingf wall, a person at the other end 
 hears the gentlest whisper ; here .ilso is a curious plant, called the coral 
 plant, an evergreen, which grows among the ruins, and is only to be met 
 with here. 
 
 t Flectere si nequeo Superos, Acheronta movebo. 
 
 JEa. lib. 6. v. \07. 
 
 % Admiral Fr e, who died at Naples after a short illness, the end of 
 
 1819, to the great grief of his family. 
 
 § This castle was built by Alfonso II., for the defence ofPozzuoli, to 
 guard against the threatened invasion of the French in 1491. — Bian- 
 
 CARDI, p. 362. 
 
BAULI. — IL MARE MORTO. 
 
 593 
 
 remains of the once populous and flourishing city of 
 Baise and soon after, the ruins of the villa of Marius, 
 and the fish-pool of Hortensius. Landing, we visited 
 the tomb of Agrippina as it is called, though that idea 
 is now exploded, but there was much beautiful stucco 
 on the walls, and it is in fine preservation. 
 
 Ascending, we came to the village of Bauli, passing 
 by the venerable ruins of Mercato del Sabato, and 
 soon came to the Cento Camerelle of Nero*, which for- 
 merly was a prison; on the ground-floor were the 
 barracks for the soldiers, and beneath two tiers of 
 dungeons for the prisoners, which appear to have 
 been contrived with wonderful art by the tyrant, and 
 are in high preservation ; there were the exact sta- 
 tions of the sentinels between the dungeons. From 
 thence we went to the reservoir called Piscina 
 
 Mirabilef. 
 
 This is a very fine ruin, and has forty-eight 
 pilasters; it is about 140 feet long, forty-five wide, 
 and thirteen feet high, and is thought to have been 
 made by Lucullus for the supply of the Roman fleet 
 stationed at Misenus. 
 
 We now came to the last lake which we saw this 
 day, II Mare Morto, about a mile from Acheron, 
 near this are the Elysian fields J, of classic renown; 
 
 * Trajan had a house here, as we find by Pliny. " Evocatus in Con- 
 silium, a Cffisare Nostro ad Centum Cellas." — Plin. lib. 6, Epis. 31. 
 
 •I- Nero, we find from Suetonius, began a famous piscina, which was to. 
 be covered in and extend from ^lisenus to the Lacus Avernus, five miles 
 this piscina was to sivim in, and to have the ])enefit of the warm baths o 
 Baise, introduced for tluit purpose. — Sueton, vit. Ner. cap. 31. 
 $ Quamvis Elysios miretur Grascia Campos 
 Nee repetita sequi curet Proserpina matrem. 
 
 Geor. lib. 1, v. 38. 
 Vol. I. 2 q 
 
594 pozzuoLi. 
 
 from hence we had a charming view of the islands in 
 the Bay, Procita*, Ischia, Capri f, &c. 
 
 We were now only a mile and a half from the point, 
 or rather promontory of MisenoJ, but the evening 
 advanced so rapidly, that we were reluctantly 
 obliged to be contented with a view of it only, and 
 returned to our boat highly gratified with the assem- 
 blage of interesting objects seen this day. 
 
 We now embarked for the last time, in order to 
 cross the Bay to Pozzuoli ; the evening was fine, the 
 sea calm, and we only wanted the evening hymn to 
 the Virgin, to make the scene complete ; our water- 
 men, however, were neither musical nor religious 
 enough to gratify us ; so we were obliged to be con- 
 tented with the scenery, which was delightful : on our 
 right was Miseno, and Nisida, the Nesis § of the 
 ancients, and at a distance Vesuvius, throwing out 
 volumes of smoke, and in front the Apennines, and 
 the town of Pozzuoli ; on the left, Monte Barbaro, 
 &c. We soon came in view of the temples of Diana 
 
 * Turn sonitu Prochyta alta tremit diu-unique cubile 
 
 Inarime Jovis imperils imposta Typhceo — ^n. lib. 9, v. 715. 
 
 t Teleboum Capreas com, regna teneret. — JEn. lib. 7. v. 735. 
 Inde legit Capreas, promontoriumque Minervte. 
 
 Ovid. Metamor. lib. 15. 
 % Monte sub acrio qui nunc Misenus abillo 
 Dicitur, ceternumque tewei per stecula nouien. 
 
 /En. lib. 6. v. 134et seq. 
 
 The promontory is of the exact shape of an amphitheatre, and is richly 
 covered with vines. 
 
 § ■ Tali spiramine Nesis 
 
 Emittit Stygium nebulosis aera saxis, 
 
 LucAN, as quoted by Addison. 
 
pozzuoLi. 595 
 
 and Neptune, and the villa of Cicero, which was 
 formerly so near the sea, that the orator is said to 
 have amused himself with fishing out of his windows. 
 In front we saw also the Solfatara, the convent of 
 Capucins, &c., and soon came to the venerable re- 
 mains of the Mole made by Caligula, thirteen but- 
 tresses *, of which only are in being, and several of 
 these in a falling state, which reminded us of the 
 bridge of boats f made by that prince as far as Baise ; 
 a work unequalled either in ancient or modern times, 
 on which horses, carriages, &c., crossed the main sea 
 three miles in safety, a proof at once of the ingenuity 
 as well as perseverance of the Romans J. We 
 landed at Pozzuoli, and immediately took our car- 
 riage and returned to Naples. It was late before we 
 arrived, which gave us the advantage of seeing the 
 grotto of Pausilippo splendidly illuminated with 
 
 * On one of these a gentleman of Pozzuoli has built a house in which 
 lie passes part of the summer, but this exhibits more proof of his whimsi- 
 cality than his taste. 
 
 t A learned wi-iter endeavours to prove that Caligula did not make the 
 JNIole, but that it was made by the Emperor Adrian, Antoninus Pius, and 
 quotes an inscription to this purpose, but it is probable that it was re- 
 paired by this emperor. — Addison, vol. 4. p. 143. 
 
 X Suetonius speaks with wonder of this work, calling it " novum 
 prseterea atque inauditum genus spectaculi," a new and unheard-of sight. 
 
 He sa.ys the hridge joined the mole, and was above three miles and a 
 half in length, " 3500 inille passuum." This great v/ork was done by 
 means of loaded vessels moored together, and confined with anchors : there 
 was a regular road made with earth, stones, &c., to imitate the Via 
 Appia. On this bridge Caligula went backwards and forwards several 
 times, one time on a horse richly caparisoned, and another in a chariot 
 drawn by two horses (aj. — Sueton. yit. Calig. cap. 19. 
 
 (a) This vain and vicious prince sullied the glory of thitup endous work 
 by his usual cruelty and extravagance, inviting a number of guests to cele- 
 brate the completion of his work, and precipitating them all into the sea. — 
 Suet. 
 
 2 Q 2 
 
596 VITTORIA, 
 
 eleven noble lamps ; thus finishing our excursion, 
 which was no less delightful from its variety than in- 
 teresting from its objects, and only alloyed from 
 seeing ruins where once elegant villas and splendid 
 palaces adorned the soil. 
 
 C HAPTER LXXI. 
 
 Vlttoria — Teatro del Fondo— Accademia Reale. 
 
 Jan. 7. — In our walks we this day took the quarter 
 of Vittoria, so called from the victory which Don 
 John of Austria gained over the Turks at Lepanto ; 
 there is a church which was built on the occasion of 
 this event, called La Madonna della Vittoria, with the 
 following inscription over the great door on entrance ; 
 
 Teinplmn hoc ob navalem 
 Joannis Austriaci * victoriam 
 Deiparje patrocinio reportatam 
 A Joanna t Austriaca filia 
 In honorem tantae patronse inchoatum 
 Margarita J Austriaca Brancifortia 
 Buterse priuceps Matern;c pietatis 
 Et in clericos vegulares niunificentise 
 Hseres perfecit, ornavit. Anno 1646. 
 
 Jan. 9. — At the Teatro del Fondo in the evening, 
 which though not so large as that of St. Carlo, is very 
 convenient; the representation was musical, and 
 there was good dancing ; it was lighted up with a 
 
 * The natural son of Charles V., supposed to liave been poisoned by 
 order of his brother Philip II. of Spain, from jealousy of his renown. 
 
 t Query, if Jane, the daughter of Ferdinand of Arragon, and Isabella 
 of Castille, and mother of Charles V. ? 
 
 % She was the daughter of a natural daughter of Charles V., Emperor 
 of Germany. 
 
ACADEMY. 597 
 
 handsome lustre, but there were no Hghts to the 
 boxes, as at St. Carlo : there were five rows of boxes 
 and the pit large and convenient, with numbers for the 
 places, and each person is provided with a ticket for 
 his place, as at St. Carlo, so that there can be no con- 
 fusion. 
 
 Jan. 10. — At the Academy to see the collection of 
 ancient statues, which is justly celebrated as one of 
 the finest in Europe : these have been so often 
 described that it is unnecessary to do it here ; suffice 
 it to say, that the care and exactness with which 
 the damaged parts have been supplied, and the 
 costume preserved, are not less praiseworthy than 
 the order and propriety with which these valuable 
 relics of antiquity are preserved, and the attention 
 shewn to strangers in the inspection of them. 
 
 Among these the following are looked upon as the 
 most valuable : two equestrian statues of Marcus 
 Nonius Balbus, father and son ; on the latter the fol- 
 lowing inscription : 
 
 M NONIO M. F. 
 
 BALBO. PR. PRO. COS 
 
 HERCVLANENSES *. 
 
 An Hercules and Flora, of Grecian sculpture, found in 
 Rome, in the baths of Caracalla ; a Venus Callipiga, 
 much admired ; two Gladiators ; Venus and Cupid, 
 found in old Capua ; Ganymede with Jupiter, under 
 the figure of an eagle ; a statue of Aristides, which 
 
 * The iuliabitants of Herculaneum have erected these statues to 
 Maixus Nouius, the sua of Balbus, &c. 
 
598 pozzuoLi. 
 
 cannot be too much admired ; the countenance, hands, 
 and feet, of" this fine figure are beautiful. 
 
 Among a great variety of articles, all very curious, 
 is an immense vase of porphyry used for the sacri- 
 fices, or rather a basin found in the temple of -^scu- 
 lapius at Rome, thirty feet in circumference, and six 
 in height ; there is also a beautiful sacrificial vase, 
 with this original inscription : 
 
 SAAnmN* 
 
 A.0HNAIOS 
 
 EnOIHSE 
 
 We were much pleased with this collection, though 
 grieved that we could not bestow more time on the 
 inspection of it. Most of the statues were brought 
 from the Farnese palace at Rome, much to the honour 
 of the family, which took much pains to collect them. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXII. 
 
 CAimce — Pozzuoli — Solfatara — Capuchins —Excursion to the Ponte di 
 Lava of Vesuvius. 
 
 Jan. 13. — We completed our excursion to Cumae, 
 which we had left unfinished, and passing through 
 the grotto of Pausilippo, went to Pozzuoli by the 
 Caserne of the Galeotti, who were chained, and 
 busily employed in cutting and blowing up rock, 
 (which is excellent and strong,) for the royal use ; 
 
 * Salpion, of Athens, was the maker. 
 
ARCO FELICE. W9 
 
 some of them appeared to be in a tremendous and 
 hazardous situation *, on the point of a rock ready- 
 to fall. 
 
 Leaving Pozzuoli we passed Cicero's villa and 
 ruins, which are called his school ; and the road, which 
 is excellent, goes between Mount Gaurus, (Monte 
 Barbaro,) and Monte Nuovo, and soon had Lago 
 Averno under us on our left, and were convinced of 
 the existence of birds there by seeing flights of 
 them. We now refreshed our memory with an addi- 
 tional view of Baiae, Miseno, ^c, and the lake of 
 Lucrino, and in about two miles came to the noble 
 gate, which formed the entrance into the ancient city 
 of Cumae, called Arco Felice ; this is a venerable 
 building composed of Roman brick, and in high pre- 
 servation, about thirty-five feet high, and twelve 
 broad ; stopping the coach, we ascended by a cir- 
 cuitous road to the top, and had a grand and ex- 
 tensive view of the site of Cumae f , II Lago di FoUi- 
 cola, vulgarly called di Licola, S^c, ; from thence we 
 went on the Via Appia through the ancient streets 
 of Cumae to the Tempio dei Giganti, which is a fine 
 ruin, and from thence about half a mile, by a very 
 good path to the grotto of the Cumaean Sibyl J, and 
 
 "*■ This work is often attended with fatal consequences to the labourers. 
 t This was reckoned one of the most ancient cities of Italy, and called 
 Cumce the Happy. 
 
 % There were two Sibyls, Cumfean and Cumanan ; the first born in 
 Cuma, a city of Eubcea, flourished about the time of the destruction of 
 Troy, 1175 before Christ. The latter lived 551 years after the lirst, and 
 was so called from beinir born and prophesying- in Cuma ; her name was 
 Amaltliaa ; she flourished in the rei£;n of Tarquinius Priscus, A. 173 of 
 K'jme , and hdviug olfered that prince her nine books of the Sacred 
 
600 GROTTO OF THE CUMiEAN SIDYL. 
 
 the temple of Apollo ; the grotto is nearly filled up, 
 leaving only an aperture of about eighteen inches in 
 height. Our guide then lighting a torch, we ascended 
 by fifty-two steps to the adyta, from whence he told 
 us the oracular answers were given ; but here we 
 looked in vain for the horrendas ambages*, as 
 well as ostia centum t ; and as we were think- 
 ing of nothing but the horrids and the " os rabidum" 
 of the priestess, we were disappointed at finding 
 the Sibyl grotto by Avernus much more answering the 
 poet's animated description J, but this, more as to 
 local situation. The two grottos are said to have had 
 a communication. Here however we could not avoid 
 thinking of the inspired rage of the priestess, nor 
 imagining that we saw her before us in all her pro- 
 phetic frenzy §, tracing her wanderings till she grew 
 
 Oracles, three of tliein were burnt by her, and she asked the same price 
 for the remainder as the whole. — htoria di Napoli, &c, 
 
 Tarquinius came to the crown A. C. 138, and Livy does not mention 
 one word of this circumstance. There were nine in the whole, and an old 
 woman oflfered Tarquin the whole for sale, as the oracles of the Sibyls; she 
 burnt three, on his refusing- to give what slie asked, and then three more ; 
 and the king-, by the advice of the soothsayers, gave the same price for the 
 remaining three, as she had asked for the nine. — Kennett. 
 
 et ab hac Cumtete templa Sibyllse. 
 
 Ovid. Metamor. lib. 15. 
 
 * ^n. lib. 6. V. 99. f ^n. lib. 6. v. SI. 
 
 % Excisum Euboicje latus ingens rupis in antrum 
 Quo lati ducunt aditus centum ostia centum 
 Unde ruunt totideui voces responsa Sibyllse. 
 
 ^w. lib. 6. v. 42, 
 § Subitonon vultus, non color unus 
 Non comptaj mansere comae, sed pectus anhelum 
 Et rabie fera corda tuiuent majorque viceri 
 Nee mortale sonans. — Lib.G. v. 47. 
 
TEMPLE OF APOLLO. 601 
 
 calm and reasonable *. From this we ascended to 
 the remains of the temple of Apollo, part of which, 
 alas ! we saw dedicated to profane uses, and full of 
 large wine-casks for mortals. 
 
 The temple of Apollo is in the rock of Cumae, 
 commanding a fine view of the ancient city, the pro- 
 montory, the ruins of the castle on the summit, and 
 Orce CumancG f which we looked on with reverence, as 
 being, properly speaking, the origin of Rome. The 
 temple itself is scarcely worthy the name of a ruin, 
 there was, however the form of it remaining, and 
 some relics of marble ; from thence we went to the 
 amphitheatre, the upper wall only of which remains ; 
 and found a fine field of flourishing wheat in the arena, 
 such are the changes experienced in several centuries. 
 Having thus far satisfied our curiosity, we got into 
 our coach and drove to Pozzuoli, and inspected first 
 the beautiful remains of the temple of Jupiter Serapis 
 built in the sixth century of Rome. This however 
 
 * Ut primum cessit furor et rabida ora quierunt 
 Incipit ^neas heros. — V. lOL 
 t Et tandem Euboicis Curaarum allabitur Oris. — iEn. lib. 6. v. 2. 
 From iEneas goinj^ immediately to consult the Sibyl (aj, it appears 
 that this was the cave, as being near his landing-place. 
 
 Who does not observe in these religious frenzies that they appear to 
 be taken from the visions and dreams in holy writ, as those of Balaam, 
 Micaiah, S,-c. ; but how perverted ! Let the reader judge, and compare the 
 conduct and words of the Sibyl with those of the prophets, the servants of 
 the true God, particularly the dignified and commanding conduct and 
 words of the great prophet Elijah, towards Ahab and Ahaziah ; to the 
 first he said in the affair of Naboth, " Hast thou killed and also taken pos- 
 session ?" and to the second " Thou shalt not come off from that bed, &c. 
 but shalt surely die. He was indeed a just type of "the desire of all 
 nations." 
 
 (a) Inde ferens lassos adverse tramite passus 
 Cum di(ce Cumcea, fallit seimone laboreui. 
 
 Ovid. Mdamor. lib. IL 
 
602 SOLFATARA CAPUCHINS. 
 
 was not dug out till 1750 : it is beautifully paved 
 with marble, but only three of the pillars remain, 
 which are very elegant. They are gradually taking 
 away the materials for the use of the king, which is a 
 great pity, as probably there will soon be no remains 
 of this beautiful temple. 
 
 From hence we ascended a sharp hill * to the 
 Solfatara, which did not answer our expectations ; 
 there is an oval plain which is said to have been the 
 crater of a volcano, and it is now called Forum Vul- 
 cani, the ground and hills are almost all sulphureous, 
 and there is much pumice-stone. They were em- 
 ployed in the manufacture of brimstone, of which 
 much is exported to England. From hence we went 
 to the neighbouring Convent of Capuchins, the air of 
 which is so unhealthy in August and September, 
 owing to the sulphureous exhalations, that the good 
 fathers descend to Pozzuoli to another convent, which 
 they have on the sea-shore. On the outside of the 
 chapel door is the following inscription : 
 
 Divo Januarii 
 
 Diocletiani scelere obtruncato 
 
 Ne quod sacri corporis sanguine raaduerat 
 
 Solum sine lionore diutius remaneret. 
 
 Neap. Civitas 
 
 P. P. aere publico F. 
 
 1630. 
 
 * Ascending' the hill, we were part of the way on the old Via Appia C<iO 
 which went from Naples to Rome, by Agnano, Pozzuoli, Ciimce, &c., to 
 Garigliano. 
 
 (a) The Via Appia was the finest and longest of the Roman roads, being a 
 Journey of five days, and 350 miles in length. It Mas made by Appius 
 (Claudius v. C. 442, who the same year brought water into the city by means 
 of aqueducts; being the inventor of this useful work. Vid. Liv. vol. l.lib. 9. 
 
 Tlie Via Appia abounded in good inns, 
 
 Minus est gravis AppiaUudis. — IIor. 
 
CAPUCHINS — RESERVOIR. 603 
 
 In the church they shew you the place where the saint 
 was beheaded, which is now an altar, and above it is 
 his martyrdom in basso relievo, and in his chapel his 
 bust of marble, much dressed up, and in a little 
 cupboard his real blood congealed ; which is the old 
 story of the liquefaction on particular occasions, as in 
 St. Gennaro's church in Naples. The fathers told us 
 however, that that wa.s his false blood, and this his true. 
 The miraculous story was also repeated of his body 
 being found many hundred years after his martyr- 
 dom ; we heard the story with great patience, reserv- 
 ing to ourselves the right of believing what we chose. 
 The Capuchins * were so good as to shew us their 
 convent, kitchen, refectory, &c., and pressed us to take 
 refreshment, which we declined, as the weather was 
 so bad that we were eager to descend the hill. 
 There is nothing remarkable in the convent, but the 
 view from it is fine. There are only fourteen monks. 
 Descending the hill, we soon came to a fine antique 
 reservoir, supported by forty pillars ; this reservoir 
 was dug out eighteen years ago, and is now used for 
 the same purpose to water the gardens and grounds 
 of the Prince de Cardede, to whom it belongs ; from 
 thence to the amphitheatre, which we entered by a 
 covered corridor, on each side of which were the dens 
 and troughs for the wild beasts, which are in high 
 preservation. There is a stone with an inscription 
 mentioning the miraculous escape of St. Januarius 
 and his six companions, from the v/ild beasts to which 
 they were exposed. 
 
 * There arc twenly-lwo convents of capuchins in Naples and its neigh- 
 bourhood. 
 
604 AMPHITHEATRE — CATHEDRAL. 
 
 The Amphitheatre is in a ruinous state, the arena 
 being full of trees, and the upper part has several 
 houses built on it, but most of the corridor is in 
 high preservation. The Cathedral is built on the 
 site of the temple of Jupiter, some of the an- 
 cient walls of w^hich are still standing, and the 
 Corinthian pillars ; there is nothing remarkable with- 
 in but an inscription, shewing that the bones of 
 St. Proculus, martyred near this place, were brought 
 into the church to be interred in 1471. L. Cocceius 
 was the architect of the temple, as appears by an in- 
 scription on the outside. Thus finished this day's 
 inspection, and our visit to the western part of Na- 
 ples : much did we regret not being able to see 
 Ischia, Procida *, &c. ; in the former of which pre- 
 vails, as we were informed, the complete ancient 
 Grecian costume of the females, which must make it 
 particularly interesting to the traveller ; but the wea- 
 ther continued so untoward, that we were obliged, 
 though unwillingly, to decline this voyage, and con- 
 tent ourselves with what we had seen. 
 
 Jan. 15. — We set off" on an excursion to see the 
 lava, going as far as Resina in a coach ; the rest 
 of the way on donkeys, with a guide. After ascend- 
 ing about two miles ; we left the road to Vesu- 
 vius, taking that to the right, which for a little 
 while was among vineyards ; and then immediately 
 
 * Procida was famous for beingf the residence of Joan II, of Naples, 
 in the fifteenth century, who took refuge there from Alphonso, King- of 
 Arrag-on. Iscliia afforded protection some time to tlie sovereigns Ferrante 
 II., and Frederic II., tlie last prince of the Arrag-onian Neapolitan race, 
 and debris of that unfortunate house. — Biancardi . 
 
PONTE DI LAVA. 605 
 
 plunged into an immense field of lava, the production 
 of 1813 ; in that eruption there were several ruins of 
 houses, and but one, with its vineyard, which escaped 
 the general devastation, from its peculiar situa- 
 tion. The road goes through large tracts of ashes, 
 to the bottom of the mountain, near which is what 
 is called II Ponte di Lava. Leaving our steeds 
 looking, as usual, mournfully on the barren waste, we 
 ascended, with some labour and difficulty, to the lava*, 
 which was then running with great force, as the wind 
 was very high, forcing out vast quantities of it red 
 hot ; this coming some distance from the crater of the 
 lava, was concreted, and we sat down above half an 
 hour in the heat of this furnace (near enough to make 
 us thoroughly hot in a very cold day, when we had just 
 had on our great coats), endeavouring to new coin, or 
 rather cover our money with the melted lava, but in 
 vain ; we were, therefore, obliged at length to give up 
 our attempt, as the ebullitions were too hard, and we 
 were forced to be content with eating some bread 
 toasted in the fire extremely brown, and drinking some 
 Lacryma Christi. The whole part where we were, 
 appeared a vast bed of fire, as our guide -f, on stirring 
 
 * The eruptions which produce so much mischief to the country proceed 
 from the hot matter railed lava, coining' from the side of the mountain, 
 where is the mouth ; and not from the crater of Mount Vesuvius, as is 
 often thought, tliis only throwing- up stones and ashes. 
 
 It was a vulgar tradition, that when an eruption took place, the deatli 
 of some person, distinguished by riches, power, and at the same time 
 wickedness, took place, whose soul was carried from the crater to the 
 infernal regions. — Giannone, I.'it. di A'apoli. 
 
 t There are six of these guides appointed by the police. Longevity is 
 so coiiuuon in this neiglibourhood, that they told us it was not rare to find 
 persons of 100 years old. 
 
606 CARNIVAL. 
 
 up the surface, always produced flame. Having satis- 
 fied our curiosity, we returned well pleased and con- 
 tented with our second Vesuvian expedition. 
 
 CHAPTER LXXIII. 
 
 Carnival — Teatro Nuovo — Teatro del Fiorentini — Masquerade — Castel 
 Niiovo — Mole — Galeriens — Chiaja' — Neapolitan Manners — Fares — 
 Weather — Reclusorio — Botanic Garden — Academy — Herculaneum — 
 Palace and Portici Museum — Farewell to Naples — Amor Patriae. 
 
 Jan. 6. — The Carnival commenced with the same 
 mummery and absurdities as in France and other 
 Catholic countries. The shops all over the town 
 were full of masks and grotesque figures of all sizes 
 and both sexes ; and the common people seemed 
 frantic with joy at the recurrence of this cheerful 
 season. Guards were stationed in Largo di Palazzo, 
 and in different parts of the town, and there were no 
 excesses of any kind ; twice a- week there are masked 
 balls in the two principal theatres, after the termina- 
 tion of the play, as in France. 
 
 Feb. 3. — We took a drive in Strada Toledo* from 
 three to six, to see the humours of the carnival ; there 
 were many genteel masks in carriages, and the houses 
 and balconies were crowded with well-dressed people, 
 
 * This is one of tlie finest streets in Europe, nearly a mile long- ; most 
 of the other streets in Naples are narrow, but they arc in g-eneral well 
 paved, and the houses flat-roofed ; from the terraces there is a delicious 
 prospect; hut there is no trottoir, except in a small street called Del 
 Gig^ante ; and as in Paris, foot passengers incur the utmost hazard of 
 being- run over by the numerous carriages which are in all parts of this 
 populous city. 
 
CARNIVAL. 607 
 
 who threw sugar-plums, &c. into the carriages, to 
 the great dehght of the children who were in them. 
 The King was in his chariot, attended by about 
 twenty or thirty Neapolitan princes, in Turkish 
 dresses, with masks, spears, &c., which had a splen- 
 did appearance. The military paraded the streets, 
 the numerous carriages kept their ranks, the people 
 looked gay and happy, and the scene was novel 
 and pleasing, unattended with any accident, and 
 numbers of our countrymen seemed to enjoy it. 
 
 Feb. 4. — At II Teatro Nuovo, which is the third of 
 the theatres ; it is small, divided, as usual, into boxes 
 and pit ; the representation was musical, and finished 
 about half-past ten. 
 
 Feb. 6. — At II Teatro deiFiorentini, which is small, 
 but a more elegant theatre than the last-mentioned ; 
 the representation was a comedy, which was well done, 
 and there is no music at this theatre ; the pit is entered 
 by tickets and numbers, as in St. Carlo ; the audience 
 was remarkably good and select, the actors excellent, 
 and the whole was over about half past ten — it began 
 at seven. 
 
 Feb. 14. — At the concluding masquerade of the car- 
 nival, at the theatre of St. Carlo, which began at 
 eleven, and continued the chief part of the night. The 
 theatre and stage were laid together, and brilliantly 
 lighted up ; the coup d'ceil was striking and beauti- 
 ful ; there was, as usual, a variety of characters badly 
 supported. Turks, who knew nothing of Turkey ; 
 Parisians, who knew not the name of a street in 
 
608 TEATRO NUOVO, &C. 
 
 Paris, &c. &c. The music was good, but there was 
 not much dancing, owing to the crowd. 
 
 Feb. 15. — At Castel Nuovo*, which is the largest 
 fortress in Naples, and chiefly meant to keep the 
 town in awe in the various insurrections which have 
 taken place. The five round towers, which are such 
 an ornament to this castle, were built by Charles of 
 Anjou, but the beautiful gate of St. Barbara, which is 
 of bronze, and has some fine Corinthian pillars, and 
 much bas-relief, representing the actions of Ferdinand 
 the First, is well worth seeing. The triumphal arch, 
 erected on occasion of the entry of Alfonso the First, 
 is much admired by some, though the work is cen- 
 sured by others. There is here also much basso 
 rilievo, and it must be looked on as very curious- 
 because in that country the arts were at a low ebb. 
 
 The outward fortifications were begun by Alfonso 
 the First of Arragon, who also built the noble towers 
 so much admired. The church is neat, and the roof 
 painted in fresco, and there are several pictures. 
 There are about 1600 soldiers, and the barracks 
 appear to be good ; from the top of the castle is a fine 
 view. In this fortress were all sorts of trades, and 
 
 * This castle communicates witli tlie palace by means of a bridg-c, in 
 case of an insurrection. Alfonso bcg-an the large hall in this castle, which 
 is reckoned one of the largest in Italy. — Biancardi, p. 320. 
 
 Alfonso the First, among- his other improvements of Naples, enlarg^ed 
 this castle, Castel Niiovof«J, and the Mole ; he also built a strong- castle 
 in the Island of Ischia, and drained the marshes near Naples, which were 
 the cause of great sickness in the summer. — Biancardi. 
 
 (a) The cannon of Castell Nuovo annoyed Charles the Eighth so much, 
 that he planted forty pieces of artillery against it, in four places, Mola Grande, 
 Slrada deW Incoronata, Chiaja, and Phxo Falcone, with which he took it iu 
 a few days. — Biancardi. 
 
CASTEL NUOVO. 609 
 
 the utmost bustle prevails. The arsenal and foundry 
 for cannon are curious (the former was enlarged by 
 Alfonso the First) and we saw the process of boring 
 a brass cannon ; there were several furnaces of very 
 good construction. The sight of many of the Ga- 
 leoti clinking their chains is, however, very disgust- 
 ing ; these men were kept in the marine arsenal 
 and Carme castle, but many come here to work. The 
 government, indeed, seems niC,)«;3 careful to attend to 
 the conduct of these convicts than solicitous to prevent 
 crimes, seeming to think the service of these men 
 essential to the state ; for, in fact, ahnost all the labo- 
 rious service is performed by them ; the Lazzaroni 
 chiefly acting as footmen to the hackney coaches, and 
 performing commissions, in which they are remark- 
 ably expert and very trusty, and the quickness with 
 which they walk with heavy loads on their heads 
 from market is astonishing, but they rarely do hard 
 work. You meet at almost every corner the Gale- 
 riens*, chained two and two, or singly, with a heavy 
 chain, sometimes heavily laden ; at other times 
 drawing carts, timber, &c. ; but most of them, though 
 they live hard, are cheerful, laughing and singing as 
 they do their work. This castle is very near the 
 port, which is protected by a mole made by Charles 
 the Second of Anjou, and improved by Alfonso the 
 First of Arragon. The harbour is small, but deep, it 
 will not hold more than four eighty-gun ships, some 
 frigates, tartans, &c. ; but the lohole Neapolitan navy is 
 
 * Tlie garrison of Castel dell' Uovo is composed of them, the conse- 
 quence of which irs, one or more fi()£rg"ing-s every day almost. 
 Vol. 1. 9 II 
 
610 CIIIAJA NEAPOLITANS. 
 
 not more than ten ships, all comprehended of everi/ size, 
 though no kingdom in Europe has better ports than 
 Naples, Palermo, Messina, and Syracuse. The beau- 
 tiful tower of the light-house was erected in 1646 ; and 
 Charles the Third much improved the mole. 
 
 The day being remarkably fine, we walked on the 
 public walk called Chiaj a, which maybe reckoned one of 
 the first in Europe, about a mile long, and above sixty- 
 six yards wide from the sea wall to the opposite side : 
 it has a noble centre walk twenty-five yards wide, 
 and on each side two narrower walks, well shaded 
 and planted with a variety of trees and flowers. This 
 walk is bounded on one side by the sea, and the other 
 by a noble wide street ; it is raised about six feet 
 above the sea shore, and there are regular arches to 
 carry off all the water into the sea, so that in the 
 wettest weather it is perfectly dry ; it is ornamented 
 with the finest statues and pillars ; among others with 
 the famous group of the Farnese Bull. The Chiaj a 
 is regularly frequented by the first families in Naples, 
 as well as strangers, and has several casinos, for 
 refreshment. 
 
 Having been some time in Naples, we, of course, 
 formed some judgment of the inhabitants ; the lower or- 
 ders of the Neapolitans are dirty, idle*, and imposing; 
 the higher ranks extremely proud and indolent, think- 
 ing it a disgrace to walk ; they almost all keep car- 
 riages, though often obliged to be straitened in their 
 
 * You meet such groups of them, of all ranks and stations, trossippino- 
 in the streets, that you can hardly pass ; the coffee-houses and shops are 
 also full of them, some sittin!>- at the doors, others standing, for the Neapo- 
 litans liatc to do any thing- but lounge. 
 
TAXES. 611 
 
 family expenses in other things ; and here, as at 
 Florence, our gallant countrymen catch the infection, 
 forgetting the use of their feet as well as the Neapoli- 
 tans. One sees at Naples English landaulets, phae- 
 tons, curricles, tandems, ^-c. ; and the English seem 
 to study which shall excel most in driving a curricle 
 or a tandem at the distance of 1500 miles from their 
 native country, when their ingenuity might as well 
 be exercised in Hyde Park or on Brighton Downs, 
 without the trouble of crossing the Alps or Apen- 
 nines, In many things, however, the Neapolitans 
 are fast advancing, and the lower orders rapidly 
 emerging from their ignorance. Bigotry and super- 
 stition are nearly banished. Among other improve- 
 ments vaccination is much practised, and becoming 
 general. Government pays the expense of it, when 
 the children are brought to the police : and at 
 their own houses the inhabitants defray the expense. 
 The police is very exact as to the knowledge of the 
 strangers in the city, but they experience the utmost 
 civility from the inhabitants. 
 
 The charitable foundations and institutions are 
 many ; among them may be reckoned the hospital 
 for the blind, that of St. Gennaro for the poor, the 
 large house of industry on entering the city, and that 
 for infirm soldiers in Strada St. Giacomo, c^-c. 
 
 The taxes are high on all imports, there is also one 
 on houses, though moderate ; on horses and carriages 
 none ; though it is highly probable that these will be 
 objects of taxation hereafter, when the government is 
 firmly established ; and they would produce much ; for 
 
 2R2 
 
612 DISORDERS. 
 
 the Neapolitan would not easily give up his carriage. 
 On meat the duty is high, and none can be cut up till 
 the dogana has been satisfied — this we often found to 
 our inconvenience. There is also a license to be paid 
 for shooting (five dollars), and annually, thirty- 
 seven carlines* ; this makes game very high, espe- 
 cially pheasants, which are sold often as high as five 
 ducats. In the license, not only the age of the person 
 is mentioned, but his 'person accurately described. 
 
 The pleasures of this fine country, however, have 
 their alloy, in many disorders which are peculiar to it. 
 The inhabitants are in a certain degree subject to 
 complaints in the bowels and defiuxions of the eyes, 
 and strangers much more ; the former has often a fatal 
 termination — thus is it in life. Providence is pleased 
 to permit evils and inconveniences f which counteract 
 the good, that we may not be too much attached to any 
 country, however beautiful to the eye, or eligible from 
 
 * Coins of Naples : 
 
 Gold — Sequin worth two ducats. 
 Silver — Piastre - 45. 6d. 
 Ducat - 3 9 
 
 Carline - 4i 
 Cojj^er— -Grain - 0| 
 
 There are six Carline pieces. 4 do. 3 do. 2 do. and 1 do. And four 
 Grain pieces. 3 grains — 2, Sfc. 
 
 The wines of Naples are as excellent as cheap. 
 Common for table (Calabria) 2d. per bottle, excellent 3d. 
 
 Ischia 
 
 - 
 
 Os. 
 
 9d. 
 
 Capri 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 St. Euphemia • 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Lacryma Christi 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Diamante 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 Malvasia 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 Marsaglia (very good) 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 t Optima quieque dies 
 
 miseris 
 
 Biortalibus aevi 
 
 Prima fuLnt ■ ■ — 
 
 -.— Vi 
 
 R. Gc 
 
 ore. 
 
WEATHER — LANGUAGE. 613 
 
 situation. The heats of Naples, however great in 
 summer, are said by those who have experienced 
 them, to be so tempered by the sea breezes, as to be 
 very supportable ; and many carry it so far as to 
 assert it to be one of the coolest places in Italy, owing 
 to this circumstance. 
 
 In winter the weather is so changeable, that Naples 
 does not yield to England in that particular, and in 
 the space of twenty-four hours you have often rain 
 and wind, cold and sunshine ; and the disorders in the 
 eyes are thought to arise from the sharp winds which 
 often prevail, but the springs and autumns are de- 
 lightful, and the weather temperate ; there is, however, 
 much thunder and lightning at times in winter ; but 
 in summer the storms are said to be dreadful, and 
 the rains are astonishingly heavy in all seasons. 
 The language spoken at Naples is very bad, having 
 had princes of so many different nations, it is com- 
 posed of many ; and the Italian, if Italian it can be 
 called, is very indifferent, and mixed, especially with 
 Spanish, and very difficult to understand ; the common 
 people speak a complete patois. French is not so 
 generally spoken as might be imagined, and Enghsh 
 very little. 
 
 Feb. 19. — Went to the Reclusorio, which is a most 
 noble building and princely institution, originally in- 
 tended for the poor and destitute of all the kingdom of 
 Naples, but now confined to Naples and its environs ; 
 it is intended to have a house of this nature in each of 
 the different provinces. It was founded, (as appears 
 by an inscription,) in 1753, by Charles of Bourbon, 
 
614 UECLU.SOIIIO. 
 
 father of the present King. You ascend by a double 
 flight of stairs into a wide and noble portico : in the 
 centre of the building, on the right, is a Latin inscrip- 
 tion, shewing that that part is appropriated to the men 
 and boys, and the left to the women and children. 
 The rooms are large and numerous ; they take the 
 children from two or three, and keep them often till 
 eighteen. They have all the different trades, which 
 help to support the expenses of the house, which are 
 great. The refectory is ninety yards long, and most 
 of the other rooms large in proportion, and kept very 
 clean. 
 
 Over one of the rooms is written in great letters, 
 Scuola Lancastriana, and here Vinsegnamcnto mutuo 
 is practised, and flourishes much ; education is mak- 
 ing rapid progress in this city, and this system pro- 
 mises to be general. In this noble reclusorio the 
 children of reduced nobles and gentlemen are edu- 
 cated, here also the deaf and dumb are instructed, the 
 bhnd cherished, and the poor nourished. The plan 
 is so grand and princely, that too much cannot be 
 said in praise of it ; it costs at present about 150,000 
 ducats a year ; not much above a tenth of the house 
 is finished ; the plan of the church is noble, but the 
 building is not begun. 
 
 It is computed that this house, w^hen finished, will 
 contain 20,000 persons ; the expense of the building 
 already amounts to a million of ducats. There is 
 also a theatre, a room for drawing, music, and a dis- 
 cipline room : in short, there is nothing wanting 
 in this noble institution which can tend to the com- 
 
HERCULANEUM. 615 
 
 fort or instruction of the inmates, nor are you annoyed 
 as at Genoa, with numbers of them coming to ask 
 alms ; here nothing is solicited, nothing is suffered to 
 be given, nor any impeachment upon the liberality of 
 this noble institution. From thence to the Botanic 
 Garden, which is now in its infancy, but promises to 
 be in time a very useful one : it was begun ten years 
 ago, by Joachim Murat, and it must be said that 
 government is always ready to encourage the French 
 institutions, which does it much honour. The li- 
 brary at the academy is a noble room 180 feet long, 
 there are besides many smaller ones : it contains 
 45,000 volumes, and was begun, as appears by an 
 inscription over the door, by the father of the present 
 king, and finished by Ferdinand IV. in 1783. 
 Among other curious books is a fine one of prints of 
 the Herculanean antiquities ; prints of Calabria, as 
 damaged by the great earthquake, &c. : the utmost 
 liberality and attention are experienced in this li- 
 brary. We concluded by seeing the statues in bronze, 
 brought chiefly from Herculaneum, four only from 
 Pompeii, the chief of which is a fine horse, the only 
 one of four which could be saved from the wreck, as 
 appears by an inscription on it in Latin ; this has 
 been repaired with great art and ingenuity. There 
 is also a fine statue of !Priapus, Mercury, a noble one 
 of Augustus, and many others. We returned much 
 pleased with the morning's excursion. 
 
 Feb. 22. — Went to Resina to inspect the ruins * of 
 
 * Herculeamque urbera stabiasque ; et in otia natam 
 
 Parthcnopen. — Ovid. Mefamor. lib. 15. 9. 
 
616 THEATRE — MUSEUM. 
 
 Herculaneum * ; taking lights as usual, we descended 
 several stairs into the Theatre, which is the only part 
 of this once large and celebrated city visible ; Resina 
 and Portici are built over it, so that they cannot un- 
 cover any more of it ; the theatre is ninety palms 
 under the street. There are the steps of the Romans, 
 the stage, many of the cornices, and part of the stucco 
 visible, and in two different parts the following in- 
 scription : 
 
 M. NONIO. MF. BALBO 
 
 PR PROCOS 
 
 HERCVLANENSES 
 
 AP GLANDIO C. F. PVLCHRO 
 
 COS. IMP 
 
 HERCVLANENSES 
 
 POST MORT f . 
 
 Although this was not so interesting as Pompeii, yet 
 we were not displeased at our descent X- 
 
 The Museum, which we saw next, consists of six- 
 teen rooms of different dimensions, containing in 
 glazed cases the different antiquities in fresco from 
 Pompeii and Herculaneum ; some of the paint- 
 ings were particularly fresh and beautiful. The 
 royal palace contains a number of rooms, as 
 elegant as comfortable : the furniture which is 
 splendid, was Murat's, and the chairs have his 
 
 * At Herculaneum the lava was seventy-nine palms deep ; at Pompeii 
 twenty-three only. 
 
 •!• Erected by the Herculaiieans to Glandius, the son of Caius, &c., after 
 liis death. 
 
 t They shewed us here the head of a woman found at Herculaneum, and 
 ^e neck witli the breasts burnt out. 
 
MUSEUM. 617 
 
 cipher* in French and Italian. You enter this 
 palace by a double flight of stairs, very handsome, 
 with marble balustrades : among these rooms the 
 theatre, ball-room, bathing-room, and Madame Murat's 
 chamber and hbrary, (exactly in the same state in 
 which she left it,) are the best : one or two of the rooms, 
 have the floor (mosaic,) taken entire from Hercula- 
 neum, and are most beautiful. There are not many 
 paintings, but there is a fine one of the entrance of 
 Gonsalvo de Cordova into Altambra, by Forbin. In 
 the ball-room the ceiling is in fresco, copied from 
 Pompeii. In one of the rooms is a beautiful miniature 
 of young Bonaparte. 
 
 Descending, we were shewn a fine picture of Bona- 
 parte in imperial robes, by Girat, removed from Mu- 
 rat's chamber. Joseph Bonaparte and his wife, 
 Madame Letitia, Murat, and many of the Marshals. 
 We here finished our morning's excursion, and 
 our inspection of Naples and its environs, as we 
 were preparing to quit it, after an agreeable residence 
 of four months ; and indeed there are few places on 
 the continent in which a stranger may pass his time 
 more agreeably or profitably than at Naples. Whether 
 we consider the convenience of the town, the civility 
 of the inhabitants, the grandeur of the scenery, or the 
 Curiosities in its neighbourhood, every thing, indeed, 
 is interesting ; and for a few weeks in the heat of the 
 summer, travellers may enjoy themselves on the cool 
 hills of Capo del Monte or Vomero,or the still more re- 
 
 * It is unnecessary to make any observations on this, but the Neapo- 
 itans are ahnost all Bonapartists. 
 Vol. f. 2 S 
 
618 DEPARTURE. 
 
 freshing retreat of Castello al Mare * ; we therefore 
 prepared to leave this interesting and agreeable place 
 with regret. But each season has its time : we were 
 now tracing our steps to a country still more dear and 
 interesting to us, and on the eve of setting out for 
 our native land ; not only endeared to us from that 
 natural and attractive cause, but from possessing 
 those blessings and comforts not to be found in any 
 other country in Europe. 
 
 Stabiasque ; —.Ovid. Metatnor. lib. 15. 
 
 Joan II., and Alpbonso, King' of Sicily, retired to this town, Castello 
 al Mare, from the plague which raged at Naples in 1422 ; but it being too 
 small to contain two courts they changed their I'esidence for Gaieta, but 
 the queen, from jealousy of the power of Alfonso, soon retired to Procida. 
 
 — BlANCARDI, p. 242, 
 
 t Before we left Naples we visited the tomb of our countryman, 
 Mr. Eustace, who was buried in the church of Crocella, adjoining our 
 hotel. The following is the neat epitaph to the memory of this celebrated 
 traveller, who, like many others, appears to have had enemies, and expe- 
 rienced the shafts of criticism : — 
 
 Johannes Chetwode Eustace, 
 
 Sacei-dos Anglicanus 
 
 Fidei Catholicse Illibutae 
 
 Cultor Interpres, vindex 
 
 Vir constans, simplex doctus, sincerus ,* 
 
 Nemini non affabilis, 
 
 Nemini non benevolus ; 
 
 Italite sibi dilectissimse 
 
 Hospes iterura et iuvestigater. 
 
 Febre Corrcptus Napoli 
 
 Patrise flebilis, suis flebilior. 
 
 Ad Deum redemptorem 
 
 Spe pavida acceptus. 
 
 Obiit Kalend. August, 
 
 Anno Sacro 1S15, 
 
 ^tatis sufe, 44. 
 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Note. — For the History of the Kings of Naples, see Appendix. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 TO 
 
 THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
 2 S 2 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 HISTORY GF THE KINGS OF NAPLES*. 
 
 The kingdom of Naples was formerly a dukedom of no 
 great extent, like Gaeta and Beneventmii ; all were subject to 
 the Greek empire, after the extinction of the Roman one. 
 In the dukedom of Naples were comprised the island of 
 Enadia, (Ischia), Nisida, Procida, Pozzuoh, Baia, Miseno +, 
 the Stygian Lake, lake of Averno, and Elysian fields ; and 
 its confines extended towards the west, as far as Cuma; 
 towards the east and north it was much limited, as it could 
 not extend itself towards the Mediterranean, the places on 
 the coast of which were occupied by the Prince of Bene- 
 ventum;):. 
 
 Such was the state now composing the kingdom of 
 Naples, when Charlemagne having conquered the Longo- 
 
 * Biancardi, or Lalli, who wrote the lives of the king's of Naples, and 
 who h.as furnished the writer of tliis sketch with great part of his mate- 
 rials, lias had recourse to the best and most respectable historians in 
 compiling- his work, such as Summonte, Colenuccio, Costanzo, Villani, 
 Sigonio, Pontano, Guicciardino, Ammirato, Tuano, Giovio, Ferrari, and 
 a variety of others not less respectable, but named all in front of his 
 history. The great fault of this historian is, that he is too much a pane- 
 gyrist in the character of (he princes, diminishing their faults, and 
 heightening tlieir virtues, 
 
 •l- Misenus gave title of count to a noble family. 
 
 J GlAJJJJONE. 
 
622 APPENDIX. 
 
 bardians *' at Pavia, and put their last king, Desiderius, in 
 chains, put an end to their kingdom, and took the title of 
 King of Italy and the Longobardians. 
 
 The Beneventans and Neapolitans were continually at 
 war ; being rivals and neighbours, there was always some 
 object in dispute. The Neapolitans were always fickle, and 
 prone to revolt ; and there was a very serious revolt so early 
 as 817, in which the women took an active part, but it was 
 appeased by the prudence of Teolista, who governed as 
 duke, for the Emperor Lione '\. After this the Neapolitans 
 were for some time subject and tributary to Sicone, fourth 
 prince of Beneventum, who, on pretence of their not paying 
 the tribute regularly, persecuted them continually. He 
 died in 832. Naples, as well as Sicily, then became subject 
 to the Normans, and Robert Guiscard, its duke, distin- 
 guished himself much by his heroism, and even made war 
 in 1081, against Alexis Comnenes, emperor of the east ; this 
 princ* may be considered as founder of the kingdom of 
 Naples, and established a considerable state, consisting of 
 Naples J, Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, &c., and died full of glory, 
 in the island of Corfu, in 1085, aged seventy §. To several 
 dukes, succeeded Roger, third Duke ||, oxiA first king of Na- 
 
 * The Longfobardians were a people of ancient Germany, who founded 
 a kingdom in Ital}' and the duchy of Beneventum, having conquered it 
 from the Greeks, as the Greeks had before expelled the Goths ; the 
 Longobardians brought with them their wives, children, and slaves. — 
 VivENzio, Istor, di Napoli. 
 
 t GlANNONE. 
 
 % Naples, with its dukedom, was still subject to the Greek emperor, 
 Alexis Comnenes, but Capua and Aversa, its neighbours, were subject to 
 the Normans. 
 
 § GlANNONR. 
 
 II Roger, King of Sicily, was excommunicated three times by Pope 
 Honorius II., because he had not received the investiture of his state 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 623 
 
 pies, who, in the year 1139, reduced Naples* under his power, 
 styling himself King of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, and Prince 
 of Capua ; he was a very powerful prince, having Salerno, 
 Capua, Amalfi, Naples, Gaeta, and Bari. Thus ended the 
 Greek dominion in Italy, having lasted a considerable time, 
 though much diminished in splendour. Roger f died at 
 Palermo in 1154, aged fifty-eight, leaving the reputation of a 
 great general, and wise prince ; who by valour had acquired 
 a powerful kingdom, and by his prudence kept possession 
 of it. 
 
 William I., surnamed the Bad, 
 
 Second King: of Naples, 
 Succeeded his father; he was the only surviving son of 
 Roger, and was naturally a very indolent prince, and his 
 reign was turbulent, owing to his contests with the barons, 
 who were powerful. In the beginning of his reign he had 
 nearly lost his crown, owing to a powerful confederacy 
 formed by Pope Adrian, the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa ;{:, 
 
 from him ; this magnanimous prince did not regard this violent proceed- 
 ing, but pursued his measures coolly, till he had brought the proud 
 pontiff to reason. — Biancardi. 
 
 * Tlie circuit of Naples in the reign of Roger III., being measured, 
 was found 2363 yards only, or about a mile ; it is now about eight miles. 
 
 t Roger had by his third wife a daughter, (posthumous,) married 
 afterwards to Henry of Suabia, King of Sicily, and founder of the Suabian 
 race of princes. 
 
 X This was one of the vainest of princes, and particularly open to 
 flattery, as the following instance will shew: in his journeys he one day 
 saw a most beautiful castle, and asked to whom it belonged, his flatterers 
 answered, to liim, as being master of the world ; some of his suite more 
 honest than the others, found fault with this flattery, and there was a 
 great dispute on the subject. The emperor, with great coolness, ordered 
 that the points should be settled by the lawyers, &c., of tiie cities of Lom- 
 bardy, who were going to assemble at the diet in Roncolia, and in fact, 
 Bulgaro and Martina were selected by the diet to settle this contemptible 
 affair ; the former condemned the flatterers, the latter supported them ; 
 the emperor, to his shame, sided v.ith the latter, and thus this curious 
 aifair was settled. — Giannone, lib. 12. cap. I. 
 
 Frederic Barbarossa lost his life by an accident in 1171 ; being miic 
 
624 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 and the Greek emperor, Emanuel Comnenes ; he, however, 
 roused himself from his lethargy, and by his firmness and 
 bravery dispersed the confederacy. 
 
 Some years after WiUiam was seized and put in prison, by 
 conspirators, headed by the Conte de Lesina and Robert 
 Bovense, and was in danger of losing his life, but recovered 
 his liberty miraculously by a counter-revolution. This king 
 afterwards grew, very tyrannical, as appeared by his treatment 
 of some of the conspirators. He ordered Bonello, who was one 
 of them, to be ham-stringed, his eyes to be put out, and various 
 other tortures, only worthy of a tyrant, and caused him to be 
 imprisoned in a dungeon for life ; and he treated Roger 
 Sanseverino, a powerful baron, in the same manner *. This 
 jDrince escaped, some time afterwards, an attempt made by the 
 prisoners, to murder him in an extraordinary manner, and 
 from that time shut himself up in his palace, giving himself 
 up to idleness and pleasures, and leaving the government to 
 his ministers, who shamefully oppressed the people. He f 
 died at Palermo in 1166, aged forty-six, leaving two sons, 
 WiUiam and Henry. This king was naturally brave, ex- 
 erting himself much, when occasion required, against his nu- 
 merous enemies, whom by his bravery and resolution he 
 overcame ; but in peace he was indolent and sensual, and 
 
 fatigued with his campaigns and travelling, he bathed in the river Salef, 
 in Armenia, and was drowned ; not recovering as Alexander the Great 
 recovered, after bathing in the Cydnus. 
 
 * GiANNONE, lib. 12. cap, 3. p. 471 and 472. 
 
 t William the Bad was so surnamed, from delivering himself up to the 
 pernicious counsels of liis favourite Majone, or Mavione, a man of low 
 birth, son of a retailer of oil, who not only managed the king but 
 kingdom as he chose, and by his unpopular and arbitrary proceedings, 
 involved the state in great trouble ; he v/as assassinated by Ugo, Bishop 
 of Palermo, and thus the state was delivered from his tyranny. Among 
 other arbitrary laws, one was made, that no gentleman should marry 
 without the conpont of the king, by M-hich two ends were answered, 
 money brought iuto the royal treasury, and thclusts of the favourite often 
 gratitied. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 625 
 
 all his actions shew him to have been a cruel prince, though 
 he affected great religion, and punctually attended the ser- 
 vice of the church ; and the latter part gf his reign was so 
 bad, as to acquire him the surname of 11 Malo. His cruel 
 treatment of his son Roger *, who died before him, so 
 preyed on his mind, that he died at the early age of forty- 
 six, in 1166. 
 
 William II. t, stmiamed the Good, 
 
 Third King- of Naples, 
 
 Succeeded his father in 1167, aged only twelve years, 
 under the tutelage of his mother, Queen Margaret, daughter 
 of Garcias II., King of Navarre, He acquired great po- 
 pularity, by taking off many odious taxes, releasing the 
 prisoners, and recalling the banished barons, and by exer- 
 cising many acts of kindness to the people. Having put 
 his affairs in order, intending to join the crusade against 
 Saladin, he was taken with a sudden illness, which termi- 
 nated in his death in 1180, at the early age of thirty-three, 
 of which he had reigned twenty-three. Another historian 
 says he was thirty-seven. He governed his kingdom with 
 such prudence and justice, that he was esteemed and loved 
 by all, and regarded by the neighbouring sovereigns as a 
 pattern for kings, so much so, that Frederic II. and Charles 
 
 * This prince, M'ho had been called to the throne by a popular insur- 
 rection, was displaced by a counter-revolution, and struck by an arrow 
 shot by one of the populace ; his father, wlio met him in this state, g^ave 
 him a violent blow on the breast, which was the cause of his death ; 
 running- to his mother, he immediately expired in her arms. 
 
 •i- William married in 117C, being- twenty-three years old, Jane, 
 daughter of Henry II. King- of England ; the treaties of marriag-e having 
 failed with the only daughter of Emanuel, the Greek emperor, and 
 heiress to all his dominions, and the daughter of the emperor Frederic 
 Barbarossa. Henry, brother of William, Prince of Capua, died in 1172, 
 aged only thirteen, and in him finished the Norman line of princes of 
 Capua, who had possessed tliat state 114 years. 
 
626 APPENDIX. 
 
 II. of Anjou long after, wishing to restore peace and tran- 
 quillity to the kingdom, said that their aim -vvas to make the 
 people as happy and comfortable as in the reign of William 
 II. Justice and strict observation of the laws flourished in 
 his reign, and it was a common saying, that the traveller did 
 not fear the robber, nor the sailor the corsair ; justly then 
 was the death of this king lamented, as a great national loss 
 not to be repaired. William had married his aunt, who was 
 daughter to King Roger, to Henry, son of the emperor Frederic 
 Barbarossa, and in her right, Henry claimed the kingdom, but 
 it was contested by 
 
 Tancred *, Conte di Lecce, and fourth king of Na- 
 ples, grandson of King Roger, who though illegitimate, 
 finally succeeded, as the nation would not submit to foreign 
 rule. After the death of Tancred t, in 1193, who reigned 
 only five years, Henry, son of Barbarossa, and sixth king 
 of Naples, wrested the kingdom from his infant son, William, 
 and overran Sicily, destroying every thing with fire and 
 sword. He made himself so odious by his cruelty, that his 
 wife Costanza, uniting with the Sicilians, took him pri- 
 soner, and he was only restored to liberty on condition of 
 evacuating his country, and soon after diedj, universally 
 detested as a monster of cruelty §. 
 
 * He was the illegitimate son of Roger, Duke of Pugiia, eldest son of 
 Roger I., king of Sicily. 
 
 t The disposition of Tancred was docile, and he was far from being 
 cruel ; he was naturally inclined to melancholy and a quiet life, but when 
 called into action, quick and courageous : his reign, short as it was, was 
 full of trouble and confusion, and constantly disturbed by revolutions. 
 Henry, Emperor of Germany, was his constant enemy, and he enjoyed no 
 quiet the short time he reigned. Tancred married his son Roger to 
 Irene, daughter of the Emperor of Constantinople. — Biajjcardi, p, 41. 
 
 J The body of Henry, Emperor of Germany, was not permitted burial 
 by Pope Celcstine for some time, as he died under an interdict. Cos- 
 tanza, his widow, died the year after, much regretted by the Sicilians, and 
 in her ended the line of King Roger I. — Vivenzio, p. 160. 
 
 § Vivenzio, 1st. di Napoli. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 627 
 
 William III. 
 
 Son of Tanci-ed, and Fifth King- of Naples. 
 
 This unfortunate prince, who only reigned a year, after a 
 variety of successes, or rather a constant series of good 
 fortune on the part of Henry, had the mortification of seeing 
 this emperor enter triumphantly into Palermo, and humbly 
 laid the crown of Naples and Sicily at the feet of this em- 
 peror, who ordered him to be castrated, and his eyes put out, 
 and then threw this prince into prison *. 
 
 Henry VI. 
 
 First Prince of the German line, f^nd Sixth King- of Naples. 
 
 This prince, by the resignation of William III., came to the 
 crown in 1195, and in him begins the German line. He 
 was, as has been said, a monster of cruelty, and on account 
 of the union of his wife with the barons, obliged to evacuate 
 the country, and soon after died. 
 
 Frederic lit. 
 
 Seventh King- of Naples. 
 
 This prince was son of Henry VI., and succeeded his 
 father in 1197; at thirteen years of age the pope declared 
 him of age, and he soon after married Costanza, daughter of 
 Alfonso, King of Arragon j^, and she dying in a few years, 
 he married the daughter and heiress of John di Brenna 
 
 * Thus the kingdom passed from the Long-obardians to the Normans, 
 and the Normans to the Gei-mans, not by conquest only, but also by 
 succession in the person of Costanza, last of the legitimate line of the 
 Normans. 
 
 J Frederic came to the empire very young, and liis reign was a reign 
 of turbulence and faction ; but by his spirit and bravery he got the better 
 of many of his enemies, at the head of whom was the arbitrary and into- 
 lerant pope, who arrogated to himself the right of deposing princes. The 
 laws of Frederic prove him to have been advise and prudent prince. 
 
 % ViVENZIO, 
 
628 APPENDIX. 
 
 King of Jerusalem, named lole *, and in her right took the 
 title of King' of Jerusalem, which ])is successors have 
 continued. Henry f, at twenty years of age, was chosen 
 Emperor J of Germany, and engaged to give up Naples, 
 Sicily &c., to his eldest son. 
 
 In a few years the disputes between the Guelfs and Ghibel- 
 lins § began to rage, which had taken rise some time before. 
 Innocent IV. || deposed this emperor from all his possessions, 
 and absolved his subjects from their allegiance ; but by 
 resolution and bravery, he extricated himself from many of 
 his difficulties, and overcame his enemies ; but being taken 
 sick in the castle of Fiorentinof, he died there, December 13, 
 1250**, aged fifty-six, leaving two sons legitimate, Corrado -f-f, 
 
 *" loIe died in child-birth of Cornvdo, in Andria, in Puglia. — Bian- 
 
 CARDI. 
 
 t BlANCARDI, p. 75. 
 
 t The Suabian line of German princes properly beg'ins with Frederic 
 II., son of Henry VI. ; and tlie Italian historians take great pains to 
 prove that the kingdom of Naples came by descent to them in ris,^ht of 
 Costanza, forgettiiig that Henry conquered it, laying- waste every thing 
 with fire and sword. 
 
 § The Ghibellins, or Imperialists, took their name from Gibello, a 
 city in which Hemy, son of the Emperor Corrado, was born, and the 
 Guelfs from Guelfo, Duke of Bavaria ; the disputes between these two 
 parties began so early as 1139, in the reign of (Corrado the third emperor, 
 and of Roger, the first King of Sicily. 
 
 II Frederic said, when he heard of this pope's election, tliat he had lost 
 a cardinal friend, and got a pojje for an enemy. 
 
 ^ He went there in order to raise a new army, and make fresh exer- 
 tions against Pope Innocent. — Angelo, di Coxtanza. p. 1, Frederic 
 was warned by an astrologer not to enter Fiorentino, as he should die 
 there, and therefore declined entering Florence though invited there. — 
 ViLLANi, as quoted by BiANCARDi. 
 
 ** All the writers of that age have asserted that he was murdered by 
 IManfred, his bastard son, whom he had created Prince of Taranto. 
 
 tt Innocent IV. was the C(mstant enemy of Corrado, and even olfered 
 the investiture of Naples to Richard, Eai'l of Cornwall, brother of Henry 
 III., king of England: Corrado, entering Naples as a conqueror, 
 and laying waste every thing w'lih. lire and sword, found a horse of bronze 
 without a bridle, (on the spot on which S. Restituta M-as built), which 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 629 
 
 King of Germany, and Henry *, of whom his eldest son, 
 Corrado, succeeded him. 
 
 Frederic II. f may be considered in a certain degree as 
 the second founder of the Neapohtan monarchy. When he 
 came to it he found it torn to pieces, and distracted by con- 
 trary factions and internal divisions, which young as he was, 
 he reconciled by his firmness, and composed by his pru- 
 dence. He not only provided for the safety of his subjects 
 by excellent laws, but encouraging the love of arts and 
 sciences, held out every encouragement for their promotion ; 
 though at that time they were as little known as attended to 
 in the other countries of Europe. Although from the fury 
 of war many cities were destroyed, he built others, and 
 embellished many with useful and magnificent works ; though 
 owing to the trying times in which he lived, he was some- 
 times obhged to be severe, yet he endeavoured to temper 
 severity with justice. 
 
 CORRABO /., 
 Eighth King of Naples and Sicily, and King of the Romans. 
 
 This prince succeeded his father, December 13, 1250, but 
 being in Germany, Manfred, his brother, assumed the reins 
 of government, and was Regent of Naples. The reign 
 of Corrado was short, only four years, and he died detested 
 
 was the arms of the city ; he had a bridle put on it, and engraved the fol- 
 lowing lines ; 
 
 Hactenus effrsenis, domini nunc parct habenis 
 Rex doinat hunc equum, Parthenopensis equus. 
 
 This horse was taken away in "1322, by order of the archbishop, from 
 superstitious motives, and a bell of the episcopal cluircli was made of the 
 xnaterials. — Biancardi. 
 
 * Henry was very young, and at that time in Sicily, having been 
 clioaen emperor at fifteen. — Costanzo. 
 
 •i- Frederic married for his third wife, Isabella, daugliter of the King of 
 England. 
 
630 APPENDIX. 
 
 by all for his fierceness and cruelty *, leaving an infant son 
 Corradino, only two years old, in Germany, and he dying i* 
 soon after, was succeeded by 
 
 Manfred, 
 
 Ninth King- of Naples, and last of the Suabian race. 
 
 This prince was the illegitimate son of Frederic II., and 
 called to the throne, which he ascended in 1254, by the 
 united wishes of the nation. He was brave, liberal, and 
 affable, of an understanding superior to his age ; a great 
 admirer of the arts, and an encourager of learning and the 
 learned ; no wonder, then, that with these excellent qualities 
 he became very popular, and was regarded as well calculated 
 to take the helm at so difficult a time, when the kingdom 
 was threatened to be dismembered by the violence and am- 
 bition of the pope. Nor did he deceive the hopes of the 
 people ; his government being as vigorous as his administra- 
 tion was just ; and he was loved at home as much as he was 
 respected abroad. The pope now sought for peace, which 
 he had refused before. He married his eldest daughter 
 
 * Corrado besieg-ed Naples, which had espoused the party of the pope, 
 and took it, after the inliabitants, reduced to the areatest distress, had been 
 obliged to eat tlie flesh of dogs and horses, and all sorts of animals. Con- 
 trary to agreement, the king ordered the city to be sacked, nor did he 
 oinit any sort of impiety, avarice, cruelty, and lust, against the clergy, 
 aged, women, and rliildren ; lie even made the citizens themselves destroy 
 their beautiful walls from the foundation, which were so strong, as to 
 have daunted even Hannibal, and prevented his attacking the city. This 
 tyrant having poisoned his brother Henry, was himself poisoned by 
 Manfred. — Costanzo. 
 
 •I- Margaret, mother of Corradino, after some time, sent ambassadors 
 to Manfred, proving the death of her son false, and desiring liim to resign 
 the crown to him, INIanfred received them with great respect, and 
 answered with much firmness, that lie had defended the kingdom from two 
 popes who were tearing it to pieces, and that the Germans were hated in 
 Sicily and Italy ; but if the queen would send her son to be educated in 
 Italy, he would make him his heir if he had no sous, but he would live and 
 die a king. — Costanzo. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 631 
 
 to Peter, son of James, King of Arragon, from -which mar- 
 riage the kings of Arragon, who afterwards so long swayed 
 the sceptre, derived their claim. 
 
 Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX., king of France, 
 having received the investiture of Sicily and Naples from 
 Pope Clement IV., who would not acknowledge Manfred, 
 was crowned at Home, by that pontiflP, January 6, 1265 ; and 
 shortly after, near Beneventum, the sanguinary battle * took 
 
 * Before the battle Manfred sent to Charles for peace, or a truce ; he 
 answered, " None, I'll send him to hell, or he shall send me to heaven."— 
 BiANCAUDi, 118. A cm'ious specimen of the coarseness of the times. 
 
 The circumstances of the reii^n of this prince bear a strong- resemblance 
 to those of Harold, king of England, as the battle of Beneventum does to 
 the battle of Hastings ; and the manner of the death of the two kings 
 likewise. Manfred was accused by the Guelfs, and by Villani, and other 
 authors, of sending messengers into Germany in order to poison the young 
 Corradino ; the Ghibellin writers, as Anonimo and others, Avho wrote 
 after him, assert the contrary, and say that the news being arrived of the 
 young king's death, Manfred was voluntarily acknowledged as sovereign. 
 These party-writers were so violent, that at this distance of time it is 
 difficult to arrive at the truth. Manfred was tormented all his life with 
 the ecclesiastical censures of the two popes. Urban IV. and Clement IV. ; 
 and to such a pitch in these intolerant times were they carried, that even 
 death did not put an end to the papal tyranny. The body of Manfred 
 was thrown into a ditch near the bridge of Beneventum, (as he died ex- 
 communicated,) and every soldier threw in a stone, that his bones might 
 not be dispersed, but kept together. The ditch was filled up, and a heap 
 of stones thrown upon it, as a rough monument ; but the intolerant 
 Archbishop of Cosenza, said, that though he was not buried in conse- 
 crated ground, the spot belonged to the Roman church, and therefore he 
 ordered the bones to be taken up and scattered about on the banks of the 
 river Verde. Manfred reigned thirteen years. — Biancardi. 
 
 William the Conqueror, like Charles of Anjou, ventured into an ene- 
 my's country at a great disadvantage ; and both, with the utmost hazard, 
 trusted all to the stake of a single battle, and both were successful, gain- 
 ing the crowns for which they contended, without any further resistance. 
 But the parallel between the two defeated kings will not hold good: 
 Harold was not even suspected of a crime, but was a most amiable prince ; 
 the resemblance between the conquerors is very striking, both patronised 
 their own countrymen, to the exclusion of the natives ; loth oppressed the 
 natives, both were tyrants. Charles of Anjou was incited to this enter- 
 prise by his wife, Beatrice, in whose right he had Provence and Languedoc ; 
 
632 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 place, which was to determine the fate of the kingdom. In 
 this Manfred lost his life, and Charles of Anjou took pos- 
 session of the kingdom without further opposition. 
 
 ' Manfred was adorned with the quahties^ necessary to form 
 a great prince, sullied, however, with the suspicion of 
 having murdered his father; and had he lived in happier 
 times, might have kept possession of the kingdom which 
 he had so bravely defended ; but he fell a sacrifice to the 
 despotism of the pope, the ambition of the Angevine princes, 
 and the treachery of the barons, and died lamented by all, as 
 a brave and just prince t. 
 
 Manfred I being dead, the kingdom was occupied without 
 further opposition by 
 
 Charles /,, {of Anjou.) 
 
 First of the Angevine race, and Tenth King of Naples. 
 
 The beginning of the reign of this prince was so unpopular, 
 that the people wished, but wished in vain, for Manfred, 
 
 she, who had these rich provinces, could not bear that her sisters should 
 be queens of France, England, and Germany, and herself only a countess, 
 who had a greater dowry than either of them. She died soon after she 
 came to Naples. — Costanzo. 
 
 * The historians of that age must have had strange ideas of virtue and 
 vice, to celebrate a prince for his estimable qualities, who was suspected 
 to have poisoned his father and brother, and been guilty of incest. — Ed. 
 
 Manfred is supposed to have lost the battle of Beneventum and the 
 kingdom by the defection of Count Rinaldo, with whose wife, Manfred's 
 sister, he had an intrigue. Collenuccio doubts this intrigue ; but an emi- 
 nent historian says it is ridiculous that Collenuccio, who owns that this 
 prince sufocated his father Frederic, poisoned his brother Corrado, and 
 endeavoured to poison his nephew, Corradino, and who usurped two 
 kingdoms from the right heir, should yet doubt his conunitting the crime 
 of incest. — Costanzo. 
 
 T BlANCAIXDI. 
 
 % Of no prince have we more opposite characters given than of this. 
 The French, who were victorious, have endeavoured to load his memory 
 with every crime ; whilst his own people, by whom he was much beloved, 
 have extolled him as a paragon of perfection. The truth lies, perhaps, in 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 633 
 
 With all his faults, as Cliarles despised and insulted the 
 natives ; conferring on the French the places of honour and 
 profit, and treating Naples as a conquered state*. The 
 young prince Corradino soon came to try the fortune of 
 war with Charles of Anjou, and recover possession of the 
 kingdom of his ancestors, but lost his life in the attempt, 
 being beheaded t by order of Charles of AnjouJ, after his 
 defeat. In Corradino perished the last prince of the House 
 of Suabia, which had given several emperors to Germany, 
 and kings to Sicily. This cruel and unjustifiable action 
 
 tlie medium ; he certainly had popular virtues, and was skilled in the art 
 of g-overning-, and g'overned with justice and moderation ; but, perhaps, 
 like many other princes, he used unjustifiable means to g-et the govern- 
 )neut, and more unjustifiable means to keep it, following- the maxim of 
 Eteocles : — " If it is ever justifiable to act wrong', it is in order to obtain 
 sovereign power, as to other things," &c, — Euripides. 
 
 This is confessed by all, that in the battle in which he lost his life, he 
 performed the duties of a common soldier, and a great commander, dis- 
 daining- to save his life when the battle was lost. 
 
 * This was done by William the Concpieror, and is generally done by 
 ull conqueror.t, 
 
 •]' Corradino suffered death with the greatest heroism, and throwing a 
 ring among the people said, " I leave Don Frederic of Castile heir of my 
 kingdom, and in case of his death, Don Pedro of Arragon, husband of 
 Costanza, my cousin. The executioner of Corradino was immediately put 
 to death by another appointed for that purpose. This unfortunate prince 
 was only seventeen. This barbarous action was the cause not only of the 
 troubles which agitated the reign of Charles, but of his losing a consi- 
 derable part of his dominions. Pope Clement, whom he consulted about 
 the fate oftCorradino when he was taken prisoner, is said to have an- 
 swered, " Vita Corradini j\Iors Carol), jSfors Corradini vita Caroli («)•" 
 Charles, not content with the death of the two princes, Corradino and his 
 cousin, put to death many others, beheading many, lianging some, and 
 imprisoriing others fur life : thus proving himself a cruel tyrant. 
 
 t Denina. 
 
 (a) Something of the same duplicity was practised towards the unfortunate 
 Edward 11., King of England. Adam Orleton, Bishop of Hereford, is said to 
 have given orders for his deatli in tliese equivocal words : — Edwardum, 
 occidere nolite timere, bonum est. Edwardum occidere nolite, timere bonum 
 est. — Rapin vol. 3. p. 145. 
 
 It will be perceived the ditferent sense consists in the comma being placed 
 differently. 
 
 Vol. I. 2 T 
 
634 APPENDIX. 
 
 made Charles odious to the nation, and was the primary 
 cause of the disasters which he and his family suffered. 
 
 The most material event which took place in the reign of 
 this prince was the massacre of the French in the Sicilian 
 vespers *. Peter, King of Arragon, in right of his wife, 
 Constantia, claimed and seized Sicily, and many parts of 
 Calabria, assisted by John of Procida; and the Prince of 
 Salerno, eldest son of Charles, was taken prisoner f, and 
 Sicily separated from Naples ;[: and its territory, the latter 
 still remaining under the dominion of Charles, and Sicily 
 under that of the King of Arragon in 1283. Charles of 
 Anjou having suffered great vicissitudes, died, with great 
 
 * This cruel massacre took place Easter-Day, 12S2, when, dread- 
 ful to relate, at the sound of the vesper-bell, 8000 French, with their 
 Sicilian wives, men, women, and children, were all massacred, and the 
 whole finished in two hours. — Costanzo. — Denina, 
 
 Tliis conspiracy, contrived and brought to a conclusion by John of 
 Procida, is one of the most extraordinary in history ; it was two years in 
 agitation, and many were concerned in it, but it was never discovered by 
 Charles. Procida, with the most astonishing- activity went, or rather flew, 
 to Constantinople, Spain, or Africa, as the occasion i-equired, inciting- 
 the principal parties to action, as the Emperor of Greece, King of Arra- 
 gon, 4*c-, till the enterprise was ripe for execution : thus was Sicily lost 
 to Charles in an instant by the exertions of this astonishing man, who was 
 the life of it ; but, lamentable to say, the glory of it was entirely taken 
 away by the dreadful massacre. 
 
 t When Chai'les, Prince of Salerno, was taken prisoner and brought 
 into Sicily, the people, enraged, demanded his life for that of Corradino, 
 slain by order of his father ; the queen, to satisfy them, ordered that he 
 should have the same kind of trial which that unfortunate prince had. He 
 was condemned to death ; this sentence w^is announced to him on a Fri- 
 day. The prince said, witli great intrepidity, I am content to suffer 
 death, and shall suffer with patience, remembering that my Saviour suf- 
 fered death on this day of the week. This conduct being reported to the 
 queen, she said, " Tell the prince, that, as he from reverence of this day 
 so patiently supports his fate, I, likewise, from reverence for it, respite 
 his sentence." She then, in order to quiet the people, said, that she 
 could not take a step of that kind and consequence without consulting her 
 husband, and sent the prince into Spain. — Biancardi. 
 
 J The kingdom of Puglia or Naples comprehended, as it does at pre- 
 sent, a large tract of Italy. 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 635 
 
 fortitude and piety, aged sixty-five, having reigned nineteen 
 years, leaving the character of a wise and brave prince, 
 endued with a great mind and much foresight, but severe, 
 cruel, avaricious, and ambitious, which bad qualities were 
 not tempered by the religion which he professed to have ; 
 and the heavy taxes which he laid on his people on coming 
 to the crown made him odious to the people ; though he 
 enriched his treasury, he lost their affections. Charles of 
 Anjou was succeeded, in 1284, by his son, 
 
 Charles II., surnamed II Zoppo, or The Lame, 
 
 Eleventli King- of Naples. 
 
 This prince being in captivity, Robert, Count of Artois, 
 assumed the regency, and Charles did not obtain quiet pos- 
 session of his kingdom till he obtained his liberty, which he 
 did not till he had made a formal cession of Sicily to 
 James II., son of Peter, King of Arragon. His reign was 
 turbulent, being disturbed by war with the Kings of Sicily 
 and Arragon, but, on the whole, he was much esteemed by 
 his subjects. He died of a fever in the palace of Casanuova 
 in Naples, May 4, 1309, aged sixty-one, having reigned 
 twenty-five years. This prince greatly improved Naples, and 
 the kingdom prospered under his administration so much, 
 that he was regretted more than any of his predecessors. 
 He was compared with Alexander the Great by a respectable 
 historian * ; for, although inferior to him in warhke affairs, he 
 was fully equal to him in civil and pacific, and was beloved 
 by all Italy, and particularly respected for keeping his word, 
 and never violating his honour. His body was first interred 
 in St. Domenico, and from thence carried into Provence, and 
 his heart was deposited in an ivory urn in St. Domenico by 
 
 * Costanzo. — The same historian says, that Charles woiilcl have been 
 equal to the greatest princes, if he had not stained his virtues by too 
 great indulgence to his ministers and soldiers, and cruelty and barbarity 
 to those who offended him. 
 
 2 T 2 
 
636 APPENDIX. 
 
 order of his son ; he left nine sons and five daughters, and 
 was succeeded by 
 
 Robert, 
 Twelfth King- of Naples. 
 
 This prince succeeded his father in 1309, though the crown 
 was contested by his nephew, the King of Hungary, as son 
 of the eldest son of Charles ; but the pope * decided in his 
 favour, and invested him with the kingdom. He first favoured 
 the Guelphs t? and afterwards [the Ghibellins ; he was a war- 
 like and powerful prince, and turning his arms against 
 Sicily, was near reducing it to obedience. Genoa and 
 Florence voluntarily surrendered their liberties to him for ten 
 years. Favoured by circumstances, and Pope John XXII., 
 •who was a creature of his family, he maintained his ascen- 
 dancy in Italy for fifteen years. Robert, Duke of Calabria j, 
 
 * Before he was4)ope his name was Giacomo d' Ossa da Cahovs, a n)an 
 of a low and obscure family, but of much learning- and knowledge, and 
 well calculated to meet the difficulties of the times. 
 
 •!• There had been for many years a contest between the Guelphs and 
 ■Glsibellins, the Ano;evin Kin2;s of Naples putting- themselves attlie head of 
 tlie former, seconded by the Pope, and the Emperors of Germany supporting- 
 the latter ; the aim of each sovereig-n, under the specious pretext of relig-ion, 
 was to have the dominion of Italy. The Emperor, Henry VII., by his 
 prudent plans and bravery, appeared to have succeeded in his plans, and 
 lowered the pride of the Angevin princes ; but, by his premature deatli, 
 Robert, King of Naples, and the Guelphs, had the superiority, the Ghi- 
 bellins having lost their powerful protector. For a time, however, they 
 rallied under Uguccione, and obtained the ascendancy, the Florentines and 
 Angevins being vanquished in a great battle. 
 
 % This prince was so exact in administering justice to his vassals, that, 
 fearing his servants would not give them audience, he had a bell hung at 
 Ids gate, and when he heard it rung he immediately gave admittance. 
 
 One day, hearing the accustomed sound, he gave orders to his servants 
 to admit the ringer ; the servants said, it was the horse of Marcus Capece, 
 which, rubbing against the bell, had rung it by accident. Tlie prince 
 ordered Capece to be called, and asked him why he suffered his horse to 
 -wander about in that manner ? He answered, tliat the horse was old and 
 useless, but having served liim faithfully in the wars, he would not put 
 him to death in his old age, and therefore, to save the expense of his 
 ood, he lethitu wander about to get his living. The duke, very angry, 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 637 
 
 his only son, distinguished by his amiable qualities and cou- 
 rage, died in 1328, to the great grief of his father, who 
 lamented his death in the bitterest terms, saying to his vas- 
 sals, " Cecidit corona capitis mei, vffl vobis, vae niihi*." On 
 the death of his son, Robert selected his relative, Andrew, 
 second son of Charles Hubert, King of Hungary, for husband 
 to his grand-daughter Joan, who was then seven years old, 
 and had him to his court to initiate him in the Italian man- 
 ners ; but he was much disappointed, when, after six years' 
 residence in Naples, he still adhered to the Hungarian cus- 
 toms, and did not answer the expectations formed of him ; 
 and Joan, who was now arrived at the age of twelve, and 
 celebrated equally for her beauty and prudence, was univer- 
 sally pitied for passing her days with such a husband : they 
 were married in 1333, and Robert made his people take the 
 oath of fidelity and allegiance to them as his successors. 
 The Duke of Durazzo had married the sister of Joan, and it 
 was the intention of the king that they and their children 
 should succeed to the crown in default of posterity of Joan. 
 Robert died soon after, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, 
 Jan. 16, 1343, having reigned thirty-four years and eight 
 months. This prince was deservedly esteemed as a wise and 
 good prince, and celebrated for his knowledge in philosophy 
 and divinity ; he was mild, rehgious, and prudent, and no less 
 distinguished by his knowledge in military f than civil affairs. 
 He was learned, and an encourager of the learned ;'and Villani, 
 Boccaccio, and Petrarch, were his intimate friends. No won- 
 der, then, if the loss of such a prince was severely felt ; and as 
 he lived esteemed so he died lamented ; and the death of this 
 
 taxed him with ingratitude, saying, that his father had not acted so by 
 him ; but giving him a pension in his old age, had enabled him to live 
 comfortably ; and iniuicdiately ordered Capece to take better care of his 
 horse. — Biancardi, p. 167. 
 
 * " Alas ! alas I the croivn is fallen from my head." 
 
 ■I- In the reign of this prince the use of the bomb and arquebuse was 
 liscovered. 
 
638 APPENDIX. 
 
 prince was looked on as the greatest loss to the state, and he 
 was esteemed the wisest and most prudent sovereign who had 
 reigned in Europe for 500 years, nor did Naples ever after 
 have so good a king. Robert was succeeded by his grand- 
 daughter, 
 
 Joanna I., 
 
 Thirteenth Sovereign of Naples. 
 
 This queen came to tb.e crown in 1343, and was crowned 
 with her husband * ; and they were acknowledged King and 
 Queen of Jerusalem, 8fC. SfC. f Andrew soon became so 
 unpopular by giving all places and honours to his Hungarians, 
 that the Neapolitan nobles retired from court in disgust to 
 their estates in the country. This unfortunate prince soon 
 after fell a sacrifice to a conspiracy, being strangled in 
 Aversa, and thrown down from a balcony into a garden. 
 The queen was thought to have been accessory | to this 
 murder §, and was detested both by her own people and 
 foreign potentates. She soon married her cousin ||, Louis, 
 second brother of Robert, Prince of Tarento ; and, at 
 length, ashamed of remaining passive in the infamous affair 
 of the murder of King Andrew, instituted a strict inquiry 
 
 * The states, {'rem jealousy of foreigners, for some time refused to 
 suffer him to be crownetl. 
 
 t BlANCARDI, p, 173. 
 
 ;j; The queen was the more suspected, because she went to Naples quite 
 unconcerned, making no attempt to discover the murderers ; the body of 
 the unfortunftto prince was left in the garden unburied, till Urso Minu- 
 tolo, a canon, caused it to be carried to Naples at his own expense, and 
 buried in the cathedral. Charles of Durazzo («), who was su|>posed to be 
 the queen's gallant, was universally suspected of this black affair in concert 
 with Joan. Andrew was only nineteen, and the queen, who was six 
 months advanced in pregnancy, eighteen. 
 
 § Tills murder bears strong resemblance to that of Lord Darnley, as 
 does the character of this queen to that of Mary, Queen of Scots. 
 
 II BlANCAUDI, p. 177. 
 
 (n) Charles was her cousin ; his father, John^ Duke of Durazzo, being bro- 
 ther of the late king. — Biancakdi, p. 1G8. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 639 
 
 into it, and the old Catanese *, as she was called, her son, 
 Roberto Cabano, grand seneschal, and her grand-daughter, 
 after being tortured, were found guilty, and publicly exe- 
 cuted in the market-place, their bodies burnt, and their 
 ashes scattered about ; the queen, in order to avoid suspicion, 
 seemed not to pity the fate of her favourite. Louis, King of 
 Hungary, soon arrived at Naples f with a powerful army, in 
 order to take cognisance of the death of his brother, and had 
 the Due di Durazzo beheaded :|:, among many others, con- 
 victed of being accomplices in this murder. Joanna and her 
 husband embarked for Provence, in order to have their cause 
 tried before the pope ; he declared them innocent, or affected 
 to beheve them so, and refused to give the investiture of 
 Naples to Louis though repeatedly asked by him. Joanna, 
 at length, obtained possession once more of her kingdom, 
 twice conquered by Louis, who thus gave an example of mo- 
 deration unknown and unheard of. He abided by the decision 
 of the pope, and being about to obtain possession of Naples 
 the second time, he abandoned all his conquests, and re- 
 turned to Hungary, leaving all Europe at a loss which most 
 to admire, his bravery or his disinterestedness, and self-for- 
 bearance and greatness of mind. Louis, the second husband 
 of Joanna, dying at the age of forty-two, this extraordinary 
 
 * This woman was orig^'inally a washerwoman, and becomingf wet-nurse 
 to Prince Charles, son of King Robert, got into great favour at court, as 
 slie was a woman of great art. She was born in the city of Catania, and 
 wife of a poor fisherman ; and afterwards married to Raimondo Cabano, 
 majoi'-domo of the king, who, from being originally a Moorisii slave 
 bought of corsairs, and baptized by Raimondo Cabano by his own 
 name (a), \vas arrived at great power at court, and these two had as much 
 influence with Joan as the Marchioness of Ancre with Ann of Austria. 
 
 t He obtained possession of Naples without resistance. 
 
 % The King of Hungary arrived at Aversa, begged the duke to shew 
 him the window from which his unfortunate brother was thrown — the 
 duke, in great confusion, said, that he knew nothing of it ; the king took 
 a letter out of his pocket, written by the duke to Cliarles d'Artois, giving 
 an account of the whole transaction, and had him beheaded on the spot. — 
 
 BlANCARDI, p. 17S. 
 
 {a) BlANCARDI, p. 176. 
 
G40 ArPENDix. 
 
 woman took, for her third husband, James of Arragon, son 
 of the King of Majorca, but giving him no share of the 
 government, he was disgusted and left her; she sohcited his 
 return, and treated him in the same manner. On his death, 
 she found 2i fourth husband in the Duke of Brunswick, who, 
 being a soldier of fortune, ventured on this husband-killing 
 widow, and came to Naples, in 1376, just in time to be par- 
 taker of the disgrace of his wife, as she was strangled in 
 Castello Nuovo * by Charles da Durazzo, who succeeded her 
 in 1381. In Joanna finished the first line of the Angevin 
 sovereigns of Naples, which had given four princes to it 
 from Charles of Anjou, afterwards known in Europe by the 
 name of Charles I. and the aged, to Joan I. 
 
 These princes were, in general, distinguished by their 
 bravery, prudence, and consummate knowledge in the art of 
 governing ; they must be confessed also to have been endowed 
 
 * Another writer (Biancardi) says, that she vras confined in Castello 
 Nuovo, and conveyed from thence to Castello di Muro, wliere she was 
 strangled ; she was interred in Santa Chiara. Charles did not, it apj^ears, 
 at first intend to proceed to extremities with her, but was induced to act 
 so by her treachery and double dealing, which incensed him so mnch that 
 lie executed this barbarous act, having first taken the advice of the King 
 of Hungary in this affair. — Denina. 
 
 Joanna does not seem to have wanted talents for governing, and had 
 pleasing and popular manners ; but was licentious to the greatest degree, 
 and the suspicion of being concerned in the murder of her first husband 
 lias fixed an eternal stain upon her memory. Slie was fifty-five years old, 
 of which she had reigned thirty-eight ; none of her children by any of her 
 Imsbands survived her(ff)> and she adopted as her heir Louis, Count of 
 Anjou, brother of Charles V., King of France, and son of John the 
 Good(i). 
 
 (a) She had a boy by King Andrew, created Duke of Calabria, who died in 
 llunp:ary when he was very young, and on a visit to his uncle. With great 
 art, after having punished the murderers of Andrew, she sent tlie Bishop of 
 Tropeja to King Louis, to entreat liim to take an unfortunnte whlnw, and her 
 ■infant^fion, Caroherl, under his protection (1). Joanna had also two daughters 
 by the Prince of Tarentum, who died young. 
 
 (h) This was the prince taken prisoner at the battle of Poitiers, and who 
 returned to England and died there, and made that memorable speechj Tiiat 
 good faith, if wanting in others, ought to be found in princes. 
 (1) Biancardi, p. 177. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 6 
 
 with many popular qualities, though sullied by ambition and 
 cruelty. In the first of the dynasty, the latter fault is pal- 
 liated by the historians, who endeavour to excuse it, from the 
 unsettled state of the kingdom, and from the resolution 
 necessary to be shewn in the beginning of his reign, when the 
 natives soon proved themselves Aveary of foreign jurisdiction; 
 but the cruelty and barbarity of his conduct towards the un- 
 fortunate Corradino no argumeiits can palliate, no reasons can 
 justify. When, however, the boldness of the enterprise is 
 considered, which procured this prince, by one decisive 
 blow, the possession of a great and flourishing kingdom, it 
 must ever be looked upon as one of the most extraordinary and 
 one of the greatest attempts that ever was made ; and we are 
 at a loss which most to admire, the boldness which suggested 
 the enterprise, the prudence with which it was conducted, or 
 the bravery which brought it to a conclusion. 
 
 Success is apt, in general, to justify actions in the eye of 
 historians, which, otherwise, would be looked on as wild 
 and romantic ; in the present case, a peWj prince with small 
 forces had to invade a powerful kingdom, and to contend 
 with a brave and prudent sovereign, apparently firmly seated 
 on a throne, conferred on him by the free-vvill of his people 
 in preference to the right heir, and who had extricated him- 
 self in a most extraordinary way out of great difficulties, and 
 from a strong confederacy, backed by the whole papal power, 
 and who had turned a defensive into an offensive war ; so 
 that, at length, his enemies, in admiration of his talents, 
 were glad to have peace with him on his own terms, leaving 
 him in quiet possession of his kingdom. Such was the prince 
 with whom Charles of Anjou entered into competition, hav- 
 ing nothing to trust to but the bravery of his troops, and the 
 empty investiture of a kingdom, apparently firmly established 
 in the hands of another prince ; as has been said, he risked 
 every thing on the chance of a single battle, and in that battle 
 was successful. The more this enterprise is considered, the 
 more resemblance will it be found to have in its leading 
 
642 APPENDIX. 
 
 points to that of William the Conqueror. The boldness of 
 it was alike conspicuous in both ; in both, the reigning sove- 
 reign, a native of his kingdom, was distinguished by his 
 popular qualities, and by the love which the people bore 
 him ; in both the invading leader was distinguished by reso- 
 lution and bravery, in both the battle, if lost, must have 
 been fatal to the invader. To what then can be ascribed the 
 extraordinary success which attended the two invading 
 princes, but to that power which brings to pass things seem- 
 ingly impossible, and chose by this means to advance the 
 two nations to a degree of prosperity and power not expe- 
 rienced before. 
 
 Charles of Durazzo*, or Charles III., 
 
 Fourteenth King of Naples, and first of the second Angevin race, 1382. 
 
 This prince succeeded Joan ; he was son of Louis, Duke of 
 Durazzo, and was invested with the kingdom by Pope Ur- 
 ban VI. -[ Louis of Anjou, his competitor, was crowned by 
 Pope Clement, King of Naples, in Provence, and in 1383 
 invaded the kingdom with a powerful army, and would have 
 certainly wrested it from him, if he had not suddenly been 
 
 * There is some confusion in the Italian historians with regard to this 
 family, or rather the name; but Charles of Durazzo, supposed to be 
 Joanna's gallant, the Duke of Durazzo, wlio married the sister of 
 Joanna, and was afterwards bclieaded, appears to be the same person ; and 
 Charles of Durazzo, or Charles III., another branch of the same family. 
 The first Durazzo was the son i)f John III., son o? Louis. 
 
 •!• Queen Joanna had patronised Clement VII. anti-pope, but Urban (a) 
 Avas soon disgusted with Charles for not fulfilling his promises in favour of 
 his nephew, and began to favour the party of Louis. 
 
 (a) Urban was a ccucl tyrant instead of being a religious sovereign. Being 
 besieged in Nocera by the arms of King Charles, he had the five cardinals who 
 were of his party, and with him in the fort, put to the torture, and then put 
 to death, because they advised a surrender. Another historian says, he put 
 seven to death, five at Nocera and two at Genoa, whidier they accompanied 
 him in his Hight. After lie had had them executed, he ordered their bodies to 
 be burned, and filling two small trunks with their ashes, wherever he went 
 liad them carried before him on two mules, with the red hair of the cardinals 
 on the outside of the trunks in terrorem. " Ilorresco referens," such were 
 the ministers of religion. — Coi-ENUCcio, as quoted by Bl.\.NCARDl, p. 194. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 643 
 
 seized with a fever, which proved mortal, and he died in the 
 city of Bari, Oct. 10, 1383, leaving the reputation of a wise 
 and gallant prince ; his victorious army, dismayed at this 
 unexpected event, returned immediately into France *. The 
 reign of Charles was a short and turbulent one, only of four 
 years. He went to Hungary on the death of the good King 
 Louis, on the invitation of some of the nobles, in order to 
 take the kingdom from his daughter, King Maria t, where 
 he was assassinated by order of the queen-mother, thus bring- 
 ing on himself a miserable death, far from his country and 
 family, by his unjustifiable and unprincipled ambition. 
 Charles of Durazzo, also called Carlo della Pace, was a 
 brave and prudent prince, and well skilled in the art of 
 governing, but too ambitious and too much inclined to 
 cruelty; he was learned, considering the age in which he 
 lived, and a great encourager of learned men. By Mar- 
 garet of Durazzo, his cousin, he had three children, Ladis- 
 laus (aged ten at his father's death), his successor, Joan, 
 aged fifteen, and Mary, who died in her infancy. 
 
 Ladislavs, 
 
 Fifteenth King of Naples, 13S6. 
 Owing to the tender age of this young prince, his mother, 
 Margaret \, was declared regent 5 but the violent measures 
 which she pursued made her son very unpopular for some 
 time, and to such a degree, that the nobles and people by 
 force elected a body of eight to assist in the government of 
 the state, and prevent the ministers from acting tyrannically, 
 so that now the government instead of monarchical became 
 mixed; but even with this alteration there were many discon- 
 tented barons who sided with the other Angevin faction, 
 
 * BlANCARDI, p. 193. 
 
 t The Hung-arians call their queens king- ; they saluted Maria Theresa 
 with " Vivat rex noster, Blaria Theresa." 
 
 % She died at Mola, near Salerno, of a fever, in the arms of her son,— 
 
 BlANCARDI. 
 
644 APPENDIX. 
 
 and solicited Louis II. of Anjou*to come and ravish the 
 crown from Ladislaus. Pope Clement VII. favoured this 
 young prince, and crowned him in Avignon, assisting him in 
 his enterprise with money. In the beginning of this contest 
 Ladislaus lost Naples, and had long to contend with some of 
 the most powerful barons, who were assisted by the whole house 
 of San Severino. At length, however, the fortune and arms of 
 the House of Durazzo prevailed, and Louis t was obliged to re- 
 turn to Provence without any hopes of success in his enter- 
 prise I, very different from Charles of Anjou, who succeeded in 
 his attempt without difficulty. No prince experienced greater 
 vicissitudes than Ladislaus ; he was at one time requested 
 by the Hungarians to accept the throne of Hungary §, and 
 went and was crowned, but was soon obliged to quit the 
 kingdom with disgrace, owing to the fickleness of the nation. 
 In order to secure possession of the principality of Taranto||, 
 he married the widow of Raimond Orsino, his wife Costanza 
 being still alive, Raimond having been conquered and slain 
 in battle after having long resisted his sovereign. Under 
 pretence of assisting Pope Innocent VII. against his rebel- 
 lious subjects, he obtained possession of Rome, and for a 
 long time was absolute there, keeping possession of the 
 Vatican and castle of St. Angelo ^ ; and after giving it up, 
 he obtained possession of it a second time by dint of money 
 
 * The son of Louis I,, who had been the competitor of Charles III., 
 and died a little before him. 
 
 t Louis entered Naples in triumph in 1390, and remained in quiet pos- 
 session of it some years, nor did Ladislaus regain it till 1396. — Bian- 
 CARDr, p. 208. 
 
 X Ibid. § Ibid. p. 209. 
 
 II This niia^ht be said to contain half the kingdom ; the whole province 
 of Otranto, territorj-^ of Bari, duchy of Venosa, county of Lecce, Sfc. — 
 Jbid. p. 210. 
 
 ^ He had inaiiy battles in which he was Aictorious, and entering 
 triumphantly into Rome, lodged in the Campidoglio ; and the castle of St. 
 Angelo was delivered up to liim by the treachery of a Florentine, who was 
 rewarded with lands in PiigJia. — Ibid. p. 212. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 645 
 
 and stratagem, from Paul Orsino, governor for Pope Gre- 
 gory XII., and extended his conquests over part of Romagna, 
 Perugia, Terni, ^c, and marching into the Sennese, he took 
 Cortona, and threatened Tuscany, and the whole of Italy, 
 aiming at the conquest of the peninsula. 
 
 Pope Alexander V. and the cardinals, thinking it disgrace- 
 ful for them that he should occupy Rome, and so much of 
 the papal territories, recalled Louis of Anjou, a second time, 
 in order to put an end to his conquests. The Florentines 
 and Cardinal Baldassar Cossa, tyrant of Bologna, joining 
 with the pope, actually conducted Louis into Italy, at the 
 head of a powerful army, recovered the papal territories, and 
 at length Rome itself, after many struggles. In 1411 Louis 
 attacked Ladislaus in his dominions, at the head of 12,000 
 horse, and a large army of foot. The two armies met at 
 Caprano, when Ladislaus was entirely defeated, and most of 
 his army slain or taken prisoners ; two things only prevented 
 Louis from reaping the profit which might have been ex- 
 pected from such success — the one, want of money, and the 
 other, the defeat of his fleet, by the Neapolitan king. 
 
 The army was in such poverty, and reduced to such dis- 
 tress, that liberty was offered to each of the prisoners, with 
 their arms and horses, for eight or ten ducats. Ladislaus 
 profited by this circumstance, and ordered his treasurer to 
 advance money to those who had not sufficient to redeem 
 themselves ; and thus had soon a powerful army, well ap- 
 pointed, and ready to act as the occasion required. Ladis- 
 laus did not omit any political sagacity by which he might 
 get rid of his enemies ; corrupting some of the enemy's 
 captains, and taking others into his service. Thus Louis, 
 left almost alone, and deserted by his troops, was glad once 
 more to escape safe into France, leaving his rival in undis- 
 turbed possession of his kingdom. Thus the best planned 
 human schemes, at the very moment of apparent success, 
 are rendered abortive, proving the uncertainty of human 
 
646 APPENDIX. 
 
 pursuits, and the vanity of ambition and worldly greatness. 
 Ladislaus finished his eventful life in a most distressing 
 manner, not having attained the age of forty, and having 
 reigned twenty-nine years : he was poisoned at Perugia, by 
 his mistress, the daughter of a physician. 
 
 This prince established his character for bravery, pru- 
 dence, and political sagacity, and above all, he had the pe- 
 culiar art of extricating himself out of perilous circumstances 
 by dexterity and foresight ; and no prince had more need of 
 exercising this art than himself, considering the various and 
 trying incidents of his reign. He was so ambitious of 
 glory and dominion, as to aspire to the dominion of Italy, 
 and the imperial crown ; and scrupled no end by which he 
 could accomplish his desires, and was even often guilty of 
 perjury and breach of faith. He must be confessed to have 
 been barbarous and cruel, and so vindictive, as on his death- 
 bed to order his sister and successor, Joanna, to have Paul 
 Orsini beheaded, whom he suspected of treachery. He was 
 a warlike and courageous prince, and as such has been cele- 
 brated by historians ; but on the whole, he appears to have 
 been cruel and treacherous, without honour or good faith to 
 direct his actions, and the few good qualities which he pos- 
 sessed did not counterbalance his bad ones. His reign was 
 a reign of war, tumult, and troubles ; he had little leisure to 
 attend to learning or the arts, which did not flourish much 
 in his time; he had possession of Rome three times ; and in 
 1412 the plague raged at Naples and its environs, and vast 
 numbers died of it. Ladislaus had three wives, Costanza * 
 
 * By the advice of his motlier he married her for her immense fortune, 
 and by the same advice repudiated her, which was an indelible stain upon 
 his character, as she was a very amiable woman. Constance, by desire 
 of Ladislaus, married Andrew of Capua ; the marriage was celebrated at 
 Gaeta, and being on horseback in grand cavalcade, and surrounded with 
 barons, she said to her future husband in an audible voice, " Signor 
 Andrew, you may look ou yourself as the most fortunate cavalier in the 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 647 
 
 of Chiaramonte, Mary*, sister of the King of Cyprus, and 
 Maria d'Eugenio, Princess of Taranto; but having no 
 children by any of them, his sister, Joanna, succeeded him, 
 
 Joanna //., 
 
 Sixteenth Sovereig-n of Naples. 
 This queen succeeded her brother, August 6, 1414, at the 
 age of forty-five ; she was widow of Leopold III., Duke of 
 Austria, but had no children. The states soon advised her 
 to marry again, in order to have an heir to the crown ; she 
 followed their advice, and married James Bourbon, Count of 
 Marche, of the royal blood of France t, but had no children 
 by him. Joanna II. followed the steps of Joanna I. in hcen- 
 tious conduct ; and her husband, after putting to the tor- 
 ture and beheading Pandolfello Alopo, her lover, kept the 
 queen in such strait captivity, that she was put to the 
 greatest inconvenience, not being suffered to have inter- 
 course with any one. It was thought that if her husband 
 had endeavoured to gain the affections of the Neapolitans, 
 he might have kept possession of the sovereign power, and 
 they would have thought no more of the queen; but by his 
 haughty and insolent manners, and decided preference of 
 the French, despising the natives J, he soon lost the ground 
 
 kingdom, in having- the lawful wife of your king* Ladislaus for your 
 mistress. — Biancardi, p. 207. 
 
 This amiable woman bore her troubles without repining" or complaining" 
 of her barbarous husband, who was universally condemned, as well as his 
 ambitious mother, whose advice he followed on all occasions. 
 
 * She died in consequence of remedies taken in order to have offspring-. 
 —Ibid. p. 210. 
 
 t BiANCARDi, p. 225. The states seemed inclined to flatter the 
 queen's inclinations ; for there was not much probability of a family, she 
 being forty-seven when the marriage took place. 
 
 X It is astonishing that after so many examples of the danger of such a 
 conduct as shewn in the course of this history, in the line pursued by the 
 foreign princes, Charles of Anjou, Andrew of Hungary, &c., any of 
 their successors should still persist in the same, evidently tending to their 
 ruin. 
 
648 APPENDIX. 
 
 he had gained, and they espoused the cause of the queen ; 
 when Bourbon* in his turn, was closely imprisoned, nor was 
 he released, but at the intercession of Pope Martin V. ; and 
 when he was free, he found that all hopes of regaining his 
 power were gone, and that he was held in such contempt, 
 that he was glad to retire into France, where he is thought to 
 have ended his days under the habit of a Franciscan, in 1419. 
 Joanna after this, pursued her vicious inclinations, till she 
 and her favourite Caracciolo f, the Grand Seneschal, by their 
 insolence affronted Sforza Attendolo J, who, in conjunction 
 with the pope, invited Louis III. of Anjou, to invade 
 the kingdom : he obeyed the summons, and would certainly 
 have succeeded, had not Alfonso, king of Arragon and 
 Sicily, on being adopted by the queen, assisted her with a 
 powerful fleet, and forced Louis to retire to Rome, where he 
 lived in great obscurity. Alfonso conducted himself more 
 like the prentmt sovereign, than the adopted son of the queen, 
 treating her and the seneschal with the greatest insolence, 
 
 '■^ This prince had o?i liis Diarriag'e got himself proclaimed king imme- 
 diately, contrary to tlie inclinations of his wife, who, however, made a 
 virtue of necessity in this affair. Julias Csesar of Capua, a powerful 
 iiubleman, who had been the means of the king-'s advancement, was so 
 neg-lectedby liini, that obtainint^ access to the queen when under confine- 
 ment, he offered to slay the king-, and restore her to power ; but she, 
 remembering- that Capua was the cause of the death of her favourite, 
 betrayed him to the king, who, hidden behind some hangings, lieard him 
 arranging the plot, had him arrested, put to the torture, and immediately 
 beheaded. — Biancardi, p. 231. 
 
 •|-He was some years afterwards assassinated by order of the queen. The 
 following is the way in which she is said originally to have discovered her 
 inclinations to him ; knowing his avei'sion to rats, she ordered her confi- 
 dant to throw one at his back, he immediately tuok refuge from the 
 detested animal in the first room which was open, in which was the queen 
 h)j contrivance, and she then discovered her love to him. — Sobimonte 
 and others, as quoted by Biancardi, p. 233. 
 
 X This great general was drowned in the river Pescara, in the amiable 
 act of rescuing a page, who was bringing liim a horse, from the violence of 
 the stream ; his original nan;e was Musio, and he M'as the ancestor of the 
 Sforzas, dukes of Milan. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 649 
 
 and keeping possession of Naples, Castello Nuovo, Sec. 
 The queen, disgusted with this treatment, recalled her 
 adoption, and with the advice of the pope, adopted Louis, of 
 Anjou*, who came from Rome, and seconded by the Neapo- 
 litans, obhged Alfonso to return to Spain. The queen acted 
 up to her usual character, and jealous of the young prince, 
 by the advice of her minion, contrived to send him into 
 Calabria, where he remained to the time of his death, which 
 happened ten years after. At Cosenza he was universally 
 esteemed and beloved ; and the queen "repented too late of 
 her conduct to him, in requiting his services in so unworthy 
 a manner ; and in order to shew her respect for his memoiy, 
 she made Rene -f, his brother, her heir J in the kingdom ; 
 and at her death he was acknowledged by the barons, and 
 called to the succession. Soon after taking this step 
 Joanna died, aged sixty-five, having reigned twenty years, 
 February 2, 1435. She was the last of the House of Durazzo, 
 and of the second race of Anjou. 
 
 The character of this queen may be easily known from her 
 actions, and appears in no better light than that of Joanna I. 
 Licentious and unprincipled, her reign presents a disgraceful 
 scene of disorders ; she had no will but that of her minions 
 and favourites, and owed the continuance of her power solely 
 to the pope, and the contending powers of Anjou and 
 Arragon, by one of v.'hich she was constantly protected ; 
 and as she lived despised, so she died unlamented. Added 
 to her other faults, she was deceitful, seldom adhering to the 
 truth. An historian § says, that she had some virtues, and 
 was pious and religious ; but what piety and religion was 
 hers, when her whole life was a scene of deceit, licentious- 
 
 * GlANXONE. t BlANCARDI. — GlANNOXE. 
 
 t This unfortunate adoption was the cause of tlie evils suffered in 
 Naples and Italy by the invasion of the French priiices. 
 
 vj BlANCARDI. 
 
 Vol. L 2 U 
 
650 APPENDIX. 
 
 ness and immorality? She did not, however, want under- 
 standing, and had much ready wit. 
 
 Rene', 
 
 Seventeenth King of Naples. 
 
 This was a most unfortunate prince, and not able to reap his 
 rich inheritance, having been imprisoned in Burgundy ever 
 since 1424, after the battle between Henry VI., king of 
 England, (his son-in-law,) and Charles A'^II., king of France. 
 An embassy came to him from the sixteen barons appointed 
 by the late queen as temporary governors, and he sent his 
 wife, Isabella, immediately to Naples, who found the king- 
 dom split by so many factions, that she considered it very 
 difficult to obtain possession of it ; but at length, by prudence 
 and firmness, tempered with mildness, she accomplished her 
 purpose. 
 
 Among many excellent regulations of this queen was one 
 against law-suits, which had increased in number, and were 
 a disgrace and prejudice to the state, and this law was 
 entitled Contra Calumnias Litigantium *, and by her mild 
 and cautious conduct, she soon obtained the esteem of her 
 new subjects f. Rene at length being free, soon came into 
 Italy ; Alfonso, king of Arragon, was his great competitor, 
 and a great naval battle \ was fought between Alfonso and 
 the Genoese, allies of the Neapolitan Angevins ; Al- 
 fonso's fleet was destroyed, and himself taken prisoner, and 
 carried to Milan, when he soon recovered his liberty by the 
 generosity of Philip Maria, the Duke, who, on Alfonso's re- 
 presentation, was induced to further his views on Naples, 
 
 * BiANCARDi, p. 26S. -i' Ibid. p. 266. 
 
 % This famous battle was foug-ht August 5, 1436, near the island of 
 Ponza. Alfonso was treated with the greatest respect by the Duke of 
 Milan, and more like a guest who came on a visit to him, than a prisoner, 
 <^Ibid. p. 266. 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 651 
 
 and a fierce war took place between the Arragonese and 
 Angevins, with different success. This war lasted many 
 years, and even at times the event was doubtful, though it 
 terminated, as it might be expected, in favour of Alfonso : 
 the only extraordinary thing in this affair is, that Rene could 
 make head at all against Alfonso; the former, a poor 
 prince, and younger brother, and as it were, a soldier of 
 fortune, and only assisted by the pope, who himself was an 
 exile from his capital ; the latter, a powerful prince, assisted 
 by the forces of his three kingdoms *. But the personal 
 quahties and amiable disposition -|- of Rene supphed many 
 defects, and procured him many friends. At length he was 
 obliged to give up the contest, and leave the field clear to 
 his fortunate and more powerful competitor J. The two 
 houses of Anjou, which had reigned 162 years, reckoning 
 from the coronation of Charles I., finished in Rene §. 
 
 Alfonso 7., Surnamed the Magnificent^ 
 
 Eighteenth King of Naples, and First of the Arrag-onian Race. 
 
 Alfonso II may be said to have begun his reign on the 
 defeat of Rene, and taking of Naples, June 3, 1442, and in 
 him began the Arragonian race of Neapolitan kings, deriving 
 their right either from the first adoption of this prince by 
 Joanna II., or from his conquest of the kingdom. The two 
 
 * Arragon, Catalonia, and Sicily, and to these may be added Sardinia, 
 
 t Rene was looked on as the most amiable prince of his time, and was 
 usually called the good king Rene. He was father to Margaret, the wife 
 of Henry VI . king of England, who was of a very different character. | 
 
 $ Wlien he left Naples he looked back on it for some time, sighing, 
 and ciu'sing his bad fortune. — Costanzo, lib. 18. p. 396. 
 
 Mary, Queen of Scots, looked back on France with the same grief, 
 (though not cursing.) — Rapin. — Daniel. 
 
 § Rene is placed in the second, or Durazzo, House of Anjou, but 
 improperly, as he may be considered as a distinct king, whose throne 
 was never established. 
 
 II He was uncle of the famous Ferdinand of Arragon, surnamed the 
 Catholic, 
 
 U 2 
 
652 APPENDIX. 
 
 Sicilies were now united under one prince, having been 
 separated ever since the SiciUan vespers, so fatal to the 
 French. Alfonso was a very powerful and ambitious prince, 
 possessing (when he conquered Naples) Arragon, Valentia, 
 Catalonia, Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and Roussillon. 
 He, however, used his conquest with moderation, treating 
 his new subjects as his old ones * ; being very partial to 
 Naples, he fixed his residence in it, making it his seat of 
 government, and established a tribunal in it, which was to 
 be the grand court of appeal for all his extensive states, and 
 took the title of king of the two Sicilies, which his successors 
 have constantly used -f-. This prince had for his constant 
 ally Francis Maria, duke of Milan, and with his aid endea- 
 voured to extend his conquests in Italy. 
 
 One of the first steps taken by Alfonso, when the quiet of 
 his kingdom was established, was to have his illegitimate son 
 Ferrante acknowledged as his successor, which the states 
 immediately did, and he was created Duke of Calabria. 
 Pope Eugenio J IV. confirmed this election, on condition 
 of Alfonso's sending troops to conquer Romagna from 
 Francis Sforza, who had possession of it, which he imme- 
 diately did. So great was the reputation of this prince, that 
 Phihp Maria Visconti, the last of that family, who had been 
 
 * BiANCARDi, p. 2S5. t Ibid. p. 286. 
 
 % Eugenio was now chiefly acknowledged as pope, and by tlie cession 
 Soine years afterwards of the famous Felix V. to Pope Nicolas V., the 
 schism of the popisli church was once more terminated. Felix had 
 resigned his dominions, which he had long- governed as Araadeus, Duke 
 of Savoy, and was some years anti-pope ; he made very honourable con- 
 ditions M'hen he resigned the popedom. First, that he should be i\\e first 
 fittrdinal in the conclave ; secondly, that the pope should receive him 
 standing, and offer him his mouth to kiss, and that he should be perpe- 
 tvml cardinal legate in Savoy, Switzerland, Geneva, Sion, Bresse, &c. 
 
 Felix passed tlie remainder of his life in great sanctity at Ripaille, 
 wbere he had lived formerly in luxury, as his enemies reported, from 
 whence they have a proverb to this day, andare a Rrpaglia and heau 
 Ripaille, to express a luxurious life.— Adoison, vol. 4. p. 296. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 653 
 
 his uniform friend, and to whom he had been obhged for his 
 hberty, left him the chief part of his dominions ; a legacy, 
 however, of which he did not think proper to avail himself, 
 thinking probably that his dominions were already too ex- 
 tensive, and wishing to establish firmly for his successor 
 those which he had already, as he was as unpopular, owing 
 to his unpleasing manners, as his father was popular, 
 Ferrante being proud, avaricious, and deceitful. The reign 
 of Alfonso was active, warlike, and turbulent. He died * in 
 1458, and was succeeded by his illegitimate son. 
 
 * The events of the life of this great king* are so numerous, that only a 
 few of them can be mentioned here ; his reputation was so high, that the 
 famous Scanderbeg and Demetrius Paleologus seut ambassadors to make 
 an alliance with him ; and the Florentines, who had oifended him, were 
 obliged to solicit pardon' on their knees. He received the Emperor Frederic 
 III. in so magnificent a manner in 1452, that the emperor, on his return 
 to his dominions, being asked what he had seen in Ital}', answered with 
 great earnestness, " I have seen King Alfonso." — Biancardi, p. 306. 
 
 The latter part of his life was sullied by his attachment to Lucretia, 
 daughter of Cola d'Alagno, a Neapolitan gentleman, with whom he lived 
 in retirement at Torre del Greco, and would have married her, had his 
 queen, Maria (a), who was a princess of great beauty and merit, not been 
 living.— Ibid. ^. 301. 
 
 The following curious anecdote will shew the superstition of the age : 
 Alfonso had a complaint which baffled all medical art, and reading Liv}', 
 as was his custom every day, he accidentally discovered a remedy, of which 
 making use, he was completely cured ; out of gratitude, he wrote to the 
 republic of Venice for some part of the body of this historian, who was 
 buried in Padua. They sent him an arm with a long inscription, thus con- 
 cluding, " Titi Livii ossibus qua hoc Tumulo conduntur brachiura 
 Patavini cives inmanus concessere, anno Christi,l451 :'" — " The citizens 
 of Padua have sent an arm from the bones of Titus Livy, which are 
 interred in this sepulchre, 1451." This arm was buried many years after- 
 wards in an unhnown spot, by John Pontano, the historian, with the fol- 
 lowing inscription (the place was discovered by accident) : "Titi Livii 
 Brachium, quod Antonius Panormita a Patavinis impetravit, Joannes 
 Jovianus Pontanus mult, post ann. hoc in loco ponendum curavit :" — 
 *• John Jovianus Pontanus buried with care in this spot many years 
 afterwards, the arm of Titus Livy, which Antony Panormita obtained 
 from the Paduans."' — Ibid. p. 303. This historian passes on to his 
 
 (a) She was daughter of Henry HI., King of Castile. 
 
654 APPENDIX. 
 
 Ferrante or Ferdinand, 
 
 Nineteenth King of Naples. 
 This prince was the illegitimate * son of the late king ; and the 
 first thing which he did, was to follow his father's advice, and 
 
 history, fairly expressing his doubts as to the body of Livy having been 
 buried at Padua. This sets the affair at rest. In the latter end of Al- 
 fonso's reign he had another war with the Florentines, at the instance 
 of the Venetians, and answered the French king peremptorily, when he 
 desired him not to molest his allies, that he would settle the affair with 
 him oi Florence, next year. The reign of Alfonso is memorable by the 
 loss of the Greek empire (a), which terminated in Constantine Paleologus, 
 having lasted 1129 years. Constantinople was vanquished and taken (6) 
 in twenty-four hours, May 29, 1453, by the treachery of John Longo 
 Justinian, a Genoese : and in the capture of this unfortunate city, every 
 kind of cruelty, barbarity, and outrage, was practised, to the shame and 
 disgrace of the christian princes, who, instead of disputing among them- 
 selves, might have prevented this disaster, which had been long fore- 
 seen. 
 
 In 1458, this great prince, Alfonso, was seized with a fever, which ter- 
 minated in his death ; he died in Castello del Ovo, June 27, He was 
 not only a brave and magnanimous prince, but a great encourager of 
 learning: and was particularly distinguished by his liberality and magni- 
 ficence, as 'appears by his splendid reception of the emperor ; and was fond 
 of giving pubHc spectacles to the people in imitation of the ancient 
 Romans. As his life was active and warlike, so was he feared and 
 respected by the neighbouring princes. The chief fault he had was his 
 
 neglect 
 
 * In those days legitimacy was less attended to than at present; 
 Francis Sforza married Bianca, the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of 
 Milan, and in her right succeeded to the duchy, 
 
 (a) BiANCARDi, p. .Sll. The Greek empire began with Constantine the 
 Great, son of Helena, and finished with Constantine Paleologus, son also of 
 Helena. Mahomet after this pushed his conquests, and got possession of 
 Trebisonde, beheading King David ; the island^of Mitylene, 1462 ; and Negro- 
 pont in 1470, &c. ; and afterwards attacking Italy, took Otranto, after a brave 
 resistance, and perpetrated every cruelty natural to these barbarians; 800 
 citizens, men, women, and children, being slain in cold blood, whose bones 
 were afterwards interred by Ferrante I., with every mark of respect. Alfonso, 
 Duke of Calabria, son of King Ferrante, restored his father's affairs, and drove 
 the Turks back to Constantinople, when the towns on the Adriatic were in 
 the greatest danger of being taken ; aud the Christians had at length some 
 rest by the death of their great enemy, Mahomet II. — Biancardi, p. 43. 
 
 (6) The emperor and all the nobles were slain in this siege, Thomas and 
 Demetrius, brothers of the emperor, only surviving, reserved for greater 
 misery. 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 655 
 
 endeavour by a supplicating letter to gain the favour of Pope 
 Calistus III,, and induce him to grant him the investiture of 
 the kingdom, but in vain ; the inflexible pope declared the 
 Duke of Calabria, as he called him, incapable of succeeding 
 to the kingdom, which was lapsed to the holy see, and for- 
 bade all the states of the kingdom to yield obedience to his 
 orders. This was looked upon as the height of ingratitude, 
 as Calistus was made a cardinal, and owed every thing to 
 Alfonso, the father of Ferrante. Such were the popes in 
 those days, and such wa.s the conduct of these holi/ fathers. 
 When his affairs were settled some time after, he agreed to 
 send every year to Pope Sixtus IV. a white palfrey, com- 
 pletely caparisoned, instead of tribute money, for the in- 
 vestiture, acknowledging that he held it of the holy see ; and 
 this was the origin of this singular homage. 
 
 On the death of Alfonso, there were four pretenders to 
 the crown, to the exclusion of Ferrante; Charles I., Prince of 
 
 neglect of the amiable queen, owinaf to his iuaproper connexion. He had 
 a pleasing majesty in his looks, united with gravity of manners and con- 
 versation ; he frequently indulged his taste for jousts, tournaments, and 
 magnificent banquets, by which he gratified the Neapolitans, who were 
 fond of these amusements. He improved the city in a variety of ways, 
 and his death was lamented by the people, not only as a national loss, but 
 as an event which would probably plunge them into war, after having 
 some time enjoyed the blessing of peace. This prince died with the 
 greatest sentiments of humility and religion. He was sixty-four years old, 
 and had reigned twenty-two (a). At the end of this prince's reign, in 
 145G, happened the dreadful earthquake, in which 40,000 persons 
 perished : Alfonso was hearing mass in the church of St, Peter the Martyr, 
 and the congregation seeing the church ready to fall, tied as ftist as pos- 
 sible ; but the king remained firm in his place, nor would suffer the priest 
 to quit the altar: being asked why he was so calm in such a disaster, and 
 did not fly like the rest, he answered magnanimously in the words of 
 Solomon, " Cor regis in manu Domini," " The life of the king is in the 
 hand of the Lord." 
 
 (a) The kingdoms of Naples and Sicily were once more separated at the 
 death of this king; the former devolving on his son, Ferrante, and the latter, 
 as well as Arragon, on John, King of Navarre, the second brother of Alfonso, 
 by his will. — Biaiscardi, p. 221, 
 
656 APPENDIX. 
 
 Viana, son of King John ; secondly, the pope claiming the 
 kingdom, as fallen to the see; thirdly, John, King of Arragon, 
 and fourthly, John of Anjou, son of King Eene. All these 
 obstacles Ferrante overcame with patience and resolution, 
 and was soon acknowledged by the archbishop of Naples, 
 and the chief part of the barons and people, as King of 
 Naples. The obstacles on the part of the pope proceeded 
 from his interest and ambition, in wishing to -invest his 
 nephew, Peter Louis Borgia, with the kingdom, to the en- 
 tire exclusion of Ferrante ; but dying shortly after, the 
 famous -^neas Silvius Piccolomini, of Sienna, was chosen 
 pope, by the name of Pius II., who, being favourable to Fer- 
 rante, granted him the investiture on certain conditions ; 
 but shortly afterwards, many of the barons revolting, called 
 in John, of Anjou, who conquered great part of the kingdom; 
 and the king would have been ruined, if he had not been 
 assisted by the Duke of Milan, and by his advice reconciled 
 himself to the Conte di Marsico, (a powerful Calabrian 
 baron,) who was made Prince of Salerno, and gave the king- 
 passage through his state, which restored his affairs. The 
 Duke of Anjou at last was obliged to leave the kingdom, as 
 his affairs were desperate, to the great regret of many, as he 
 was much esteemed for his many virtues ; being religious, 
 just, circumspect, a strict observer of his word, grave and 
 continent, and of remarkably pleasing manners; his cha- 
 racter afforded a strong contrast to that of the king, who 
 was cruel, avaricious, licentious, and vindictive, observing 
 neither agreements nor oaths where his interest was concerned. 
 Finding, however, how unpopular such a conduct made 
 him, he at length changed it ; and when the affairs of the 
 kingdom were settled, and peace was established *, he 
 
 * The year 143 1 was distingiuslied by the death of three eminent 
 sovereigns, Pope Pius II., Sforza, Duke of IMilan, and George Castriot, 
 or Scanderbeg-, all fricuds and allies of Ferdinand. The Queen 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 657 
 
 endeavoured to follow the steps of his father, in promoting 
 the happiness of the state, enriching the kingdom with 
 works of art, promoting learning, and issuing wise laws and 
 regulations for the good of his people, and providing prudent 
 and learned men to put them in execution. This change of 
 conduct was not only the cause of letters and learned men 
 flourishing in his reign, but also of the splendour of the 
 royal family *. Among other regulations, Ferrante, who 
 was a learned prince, and an encourager of learning, intro- 
 duced the art of printing into Naples f. 
 
 Alfonso, son of Ferrante, who was a violent as well as 
 a brave prince, returning from his successful campaign 
 against the Turks, determined to humble the barons 5 and 
 had a broom for the vizor of his helmet, and hooks in his saddle, 
 in order to set them at defiance. He and his father were 
 long at variance with them and the pope, till at length the 
 latter, assisted by several other princes, reconciled them to 
 the king on a promise of free pardon. Ferdinand and 
 Alfonso, after this, with the utmost art, when they were 
 lulled in security on account of the apparent reconciliation, 
 contrived to get them all in their power, and inviting them 
 to a grand entertainment, had them all put to death .| ; a 
 detestable action, which ultimately was the ruin of his family, 
 and the cause of the dynasty passing into other hands. The 
 remaining six years of this king's life were passed in quiet, 
 having thus got rid of all his enemies, though with the 
 
 Isabella Chiaranionte (a), niece of the prince of Taranto, had died j usfc 
 before, esteemed wlien living- by all ranks of people for her virtues, and 
 regretted when dead. The king- afterwards married his cousin, Joanna, 
 daug-hter of his uncle John, King of Arragon. 
 
 * The royal family was so numerous, and its alliances so respectable, 
 that at a grand entertainment no fewer than fifty persons of it were pre- 
 sent, and to judge from appearances, there was no probability of its 
 being extinct ; how erring human judgment is will shortly appear.— 
 BlANCARDI, p. 343. 
 
 t In I4S0. It had been invented in Germany in 1450.— /6(W. 
 
 Ij; GlANNONB. 
 
 (a) The late worthy Pope Pius VII. was of this family. 
 
658 APPENDIX. 
 
 detestation of every one. He died January 22, 1494, aged 
 seventy, of which he had reigned thirty-five *. 
 
 There were great contradictions in this prince's character ; 
 he had an elegant manner of reasoning, was brave, prudent, 
 modest, and patient of contradiction ; quick, easy of access, 
 and versed in state affairs : hterature was encouraged in his 
 reign t ; and educated with the learned, he himself was 
 learned, and there are extant elegant letters and orations 
 composed by him. But on the other side, he was a finished 
 dissembler, cruel, and fond of flattery and of buffoons ± ; 
 and his whole life shews him to have been a complete tyrant, 
 and a prince in whose word no confidence could be placed 
 But with all his faults he left the kingdom in great pros- 
 perity. 
 
 Alfonzo II., 
 
 Twentieth King- of Naples, 
 This prince succeeded his father without any opposition, 
 January 25, 1494. One of his first steps was, to secure the 
 protection and friendship of Alexander VL, by marrying 
 Sancia, his natural daughter, to Geoffrey Borgia, the pope's 
 son, aged only thirteen, in favour of which marriage, the pope 
 exempted this prince from tribute for the term of his life. 
 The king assigned the principality of Squillace to his 
 daughter, for her fortune. 
 
 The troubles of Naples soon began, by the invasion of the 
 French ; this prince made strong efforts to resist the 
 threatened attack, building a fort at Baia, &c. His next 
 step was to send his son, Ferrante, Duke of Calabria, to the 
 pope, to ask his advice in this emergency ; he gave it to him 
 
 * Ferrante was so iittle sensible of tl;e approach of death, that he had 
 just before g^iven orders for his hair, &c., to be put in order; but finding' 
 himself suddenly fail, he had only time to say, " God bless you, my chil- 
 dren," and turning to a crucifix near him, " God forgive my sins," and im- 
 mediately expired. — Biancardi, p. 356. 
 
 + Among other eminent men in this prince's reign was Pontano the 
 poet, who established the famous academy, of which was Sannazarus. 
 
 % Bia:^cardi, p. 36Q. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 659 
 
 in writing, that if he wished the kingdom to continue in his 
 family he would resign it to his son, otherwise neither of 
 them would long be king. When Alfonso had read this 
 letter, conscious of the hatred of the people, which he had 
 incurred by his treachery and cruelty to the barons, he de- 
 termined on following this advice, and immediately resigning 
 the crown to his son, (whom he, with the greatest difficulty, 
 prevailed on to accept it,) retired to the Castello dell Ovo *, 
 and from thence, in a few days, sailed to Sicily, with all his 
 treasures -f- and many vessels, to Mazzara J, where he died in 
 ten months, having lived forty-seven years and fourteen 
 days, and reigned not quite a year. 
 
 The character of this prince appears in the reign of the 
 former king; he always excited him to acts of violence, 
 cruelty, and revenge, being himself a cruel and vindictive 
 prince ; and the tyrannical and violent conduct of these two 
 princes were the cause of the loss of the throne to the House 
 of Arragon, by completely alienating from them the love of 
 the people. 
 
 * Biancardi, pp. 366 and 367. 
 
 + Of all the treasure which this prince carried with him there remained 
 at his death only 150,003 diicata and 50,000 pieces of gold, which were 
 carried with g^reat exactness to his son, Ferrante. This kin^• married 
 Hippolita Maria, daughter of Francis Sforza, Duke of INIilan, wlio died 
 August 20, 14S8, and was buried in the Annunciata. He had four 
 natural children, D. Alfonso, Marquis of Bisceglia, D. Caesar, Viceroy 
 of Calabria, Donna Sancia, wife of Geoffre Borgia, and Donna Con- 
 stanza, wife of Giovanni Giordano Orsino. 
 
 % He called his son and mother-in-law to liim, saying that he was de- 
 termined to fulfil a vow he had made many years before, of passing the 
 rest of his life with the monks of Mazzara, in Sicily, and resigned his 
 crown to the former, hoping that his son would be more fiirtunate than he 
 had been. The duke and queen threw themselves at his ^Qet, and with 
 tears begged him to desist from his purpose, but in vain ; he assured them 
 that he could no other way hope to secure his salvation and preserve the 
 kingdom to bis family : at length they yielded, and the king soon de- 
 parted. 
 
660 APPENDIX. 
 
 Ferrante II., 
 
 Twenty-first King of Naples. 
 
 This prince came to the crown rekictantly, by the cession of 
 his father, Jan. 24, 1495. He was a most amiable prince, and 
 endeavoured to remedy the cruelty and unpopular acts of his 
 father and grandfather as much as possible, but vain were all 
 his efforts to continue the crown long in his family. The 
 Arragonian sun was rapidly setting, and the dynasty of that 
 race approaching its end, on account of its sensual lives 
 and tyrannical conduct. The first thing which the new king 
 did was to set at liberty the barons imprisoned by his grand- 
 father, which was a most just and popular act; next he 
 applied himself with the greatest vigour to resist the attempts 
 of Charles VIII., who was rapidly advancing to Naples, fur- 
 nishing himself with money out of the churches, with a pro- 
 mise to repay it when the troubles were over, and making 
 every possible exertion to resist this mighty torrent. He 
 adopted also another popular act, in making the celebrated 
 Pontano his secretary, who had formerly filled that office, as 
 well as that of ambassador at Rome in the reign of Fer- 
 rante I. Ferrante hoped by these popular acts to acquire the 
 love of his people, and induce the barons to assist him, and 
 repel the invasion of the enemy, but in vain, the tide was too 
 strong for him to resist. The people opened the gates of 
 Naples to Charles on the first summons, who entered richly 
 dressed, more like an eastern despot than a warlike king at 
 the head of his army; it is difficult, indeed, to say, which 
 was most richly dressed he or his herald : the habits of both 
 are accurately described by an historian. Ferrante was 
 obliged to take refuge in the Isle of Ischia, having with his 
 own hand slain the commander, who had dared to refuse him 
 entrance. At length he took refuge in Sicily, having refused 
 to resign his crown, though entreated to do it by the King 
 
HISTORY OP THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 661 
 
 of France. He * solicited and obtained the assistance of 
 Ferdinand the Catholic f , who sent Gonsalvo Fernandez di 
 Cordova, the great captain J, with a considerable army into 
 Calabria. Reggio was taken by storm, and the French all 
 put to the sword ; and there was a famous battle near the 
 river Seminara, in which the French were victorious, and 
 Ferrante distinguished himself at the great hazard of his 
 person. At length Charles, when he heard of the league 
 formed against him, left Naples as quickly as he entered it, 
 and returned to France, after having been crowned § by the 
 pope's legate, and retained possession of the kingdom five 
 months. Ferrante, on the departure of Charles \\, recovered 
 possession of the kingdom as quickly as he lost it, and was 
 recalled to Naples by the unanimous desire of this fickle 
 nation, which began to hate the French, who were soon 
 driven from the NeapoUtan dominions by the great captain : 
 but this amiable prince did not long enjoy his good fortune, 
 for, being seized with a fever, he soon died, after a reign of 
 less than two years, much regretted by his people, and was 
 interred with regal honours in the sacristy of St. Dorainico, 
 
 * BiANCARDi, p. 374 and 376. 
 
 •|- Calling- in this artful prince was the most impolitic step possible, as 
 it gave him a handle to meddle with Neapolitan aflfalrs, and was the cause 
 of the ruin of the Arragonian dynasty. 
 
 X Ferrante, when he found that this great general was to assist him, 
 could not contain his joy, but recovered his fallen spirits immediately ; 
 and his countenance glowed with the certainty of recovering his kingdom, 
 so great was the fame of Gonsalvo. Frederic, successor of Ferrante, 
 rewarded this chief for his services with two cities and seven castles, 
 creating him also Duke of St. Angelo. 
 
 § Alexander several times refused his consent to crown Charles, but he 
 extorted it from him at last, by threatening to depose him, and set up an 
 anti-pope. A celebrated historian (Guicciardini) says, that the French 
 are more quick in acquiring possessions than prudent m keeping them. 
 
 il Charles, among other spoils at Rome, seized the unfortunate Ziziini, 
 brother of the Turkish Emperor Bajazet, and took him to Naples, where 
 he soon died, poisoned, as it is said, by Pope Alexander VI. This uufor- 
 
66iS APPENDIX. 
 
 near the sepulchre of liis grandfather, and was succeeded, 
 
 in 1496, by his paternal uncle *. 
 
 Frederic II., 
 
 Twenty- second King- of Naples. 
 The last king of the Arragonian race, descended from Al- 
 fonso, King of Naples. Frederic of Arragon was brother of 
 Alfonzo IL, and Prince of Squillace and of Altamura, and 
 afterwards viceroy of the city of Lecce. Being informed of the 
 illness of the king his nephew, he hastened to Naples, but 
 found him dead ; and having celebrated the royal obsequies, 
 prepared next to execute the important charge which he had 
 undertaken. He was crowned with great solemnity by order 
 of Pope Alexander VI. in Capua, and began his reign with 
 cultivating the good will of the barons who had been at 
 enmity with his father and brother f; and, in order to make 
 the reconciliation perfect, he ordered money to be coined 
 with this inscription — " Recedant Vetera, nova sint omnia J." 
 He then began liis military operations by driving the French 
 from Gaeta ; the rest, who were in Aversa, hearing this, 
 w^ere glad to retire to Fi'ance, but were attacked by a pesti- 
 lential disorder §, which proved fatal to many, and, among 
 others, to Gilbert Montpensier || their commander ; but 
 
 tunate prince, escapino; from his tyrannical brother, who intended to put 
 him to death, took refiig^e with Pierre d'Aubusson, grand master of 
 Rhodes, who g-ave him up to the Pope (Innocent VIII.) in 148S> and was 
 made a cardinal for this preRey^t. Bajazet sent many relics to the pope, 
 such as the lance which pierced our Saviour's side, spung-e, &;c., with a 
 promise to allow 45,000 ducats a year to the pope, as he had done to the 
 grand master, if he would heep his brother prisoner from invading his 
 estates. This had more weight with the holy father than the relics, and it is 
 thought that poison was given him by that monster of cruelty, Alexander, 
 M'ho was vexed at losing him and the pension. The body of this unfor- 
 tunate prince was sent to Bajazet in 1497 by King Frederic. — Bian- 
 CARDI, p. 373. 
 
 * DeNINA. 1- BlANCARDI, p. 385. 
 
 % " Let the past be forgotten, and a new system take place." 
 § Many have said that the Neapolitans poisoned the wine which the 
 French drank. — Biaxcardi. 
 
 II An instance of filial affection rarely to be met with occurred in his 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OF NAPLES. 663 
 
 Louis XII. succeeding Charles VIII. in nis ambition as well 
 as his throne, immediately determined on the conquest of 
 Naples as well as Milan, and although Frederic was univer- 
 sally acknowledged King of Naples, Jerusalem, SfC, and by 
 granting many privileges to the city and university, and by 
 his mildness and popular manners, soon gained the hearts of 
 his subjects, yet his honours were of short duration, and his 
 kingdom was soon wrested from him by the Kings of France 
 and Spain ; and he ended his days a prisoner in France, whi- 
 ther he had gone, with an ill-judged determination to throw 
 himself into the arms of the King of France, not considering 
 that a conqueror is always unjust, and hard-hearted, and too 
 often cruel. Frederic, on finding that Naples had once more 
 opened its gates to the French, had first taken refuge in 
 Ischia with his unfortunate family, as his predecessor had 
 done ; and finding that his son the Duke of Calabria was 
 taken prisoner, he lost all hope, and was induced to take the 
 desperate step just mentioned, hating and fearing Ferdinand : 
 he appears to have been rash, however, in putting too much 
 confidence in Louis, who abused it*. 
 
 son, Louis, who came to Pozzuoli to sec the sepulchre of his beloved 
 parent, and weep over his remains. When he came there, overcome hy 
 the excess of his grief, perhaps also joined with fatigue, he dropped down 
 dead on his father's grave. — Biancardi. 
 
 * The court was at Amboisc, and Frederic was received coldly by the 
 lords of the court, and witli difficulty obtained an audience of the king, 
 who, violating the safe conduct wliich he had granted him, kept him pri- 
 soner, and ordered him to be guarded by 300 men. Louis would hearken 
 to nothing till this unfortunate prince had resigned his kingdom to liim, 
 when he had the duchy of Anjou as an appanage, and 30,003 ducats a 
 year (a), and died two years after at Tours in France, Sept. 9, 150i, 
 liaving lived to see the utter ruin of his family. In Frederic died the last 
 of the Arragonese Kings of Na])les, descending from Alfonso I. The 
 Duke of Calabria his son (b) was carried into Spain by the great captain, 
 
 (a) Biancardi, p. 392. 
 
 (b) Ferdinand treated him with the greatest kindness, praising his prudence 
 and virtues ; he made him viceroy of Valencia, and married him to the widow 
 of the Marquis di Azene, too old, however, to have children j but had always 
 a strict guard over him, and, on his attempting to escape, the guard was 
 stricter. — Ibid. p. 405. 
 
664 APPENDIX. 
 
 DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM BETWEEN LOUIS XII. AND 
 FERDINAND THE CATHOLIC. 
 
 These two kings now agreed to divide the kingdom. Louis 
 had Naples, Terra di Lavoro, and Gaeta; and Ferdinand, 
 Calabria and Pixglia; but this interested alliance and arbi- 
 trary partition did not last long, the French and Spaniards 
 soon quarrelled, and Louis was King of Naples * only one 
 year, eight months, and twenty days, when the kingdom 
 remained in the hands of 
 
 Ferdinand the Catholic, 
 
 First Prince f of the Second Race of Arrasfonian Kings and Twenty- 
 third King of Naples. 
 
 This prince was son of John, King of Arragon, Navarre, 
 and Sicily, and brother of Alfonso L ; he had the surname 
 of Catholic from Alfonso L, King of Castile, who acquired 
 this name from his sanctity, from having been the founder of 
 many religious houses, and a strenuous defender of the 
 Catholic faith ;]:. Ferdinand is well known for the depth of 
 his politics, his profound dissembling, and his want of faith ; 
 he arrived at his prosperity and power by means of the Great 
 Captain, whose services he rewarded with ingratitude §. The 
 
 and 'kept there close prisoner by Ferdinand the Catholic; the other two 
 sons of Frederic died young, and liis two daughters died without chil- 
 dren^ so that this numerous family, which liad lately promised long dura- 
 tion, was soon extinct. 
 
 The famous Sannazzaro the poet, faithful to his master, Frederic, fol- 
 lowed his adverse fortunes into France, and on his death returned to Na- 
 ples, and died at Rome in 1530, aged seventy-two. — Biancardi, p. 373. 
 
 * The kingdom of Naples was governed, in the space of thirty-two 
 months and seven days, by five kings, viz., Ferrante I., Alfonso II,, 
 Charles VIIL, King of France, Ferrante II., and Frederic II. — Ibid. 
 p. 39S. 
 
 •I' Sicily and Arragon were now once more united, having been sepa- 
 rated ever since the death of Alfonso I. 
 
 :|: Ibid. p. 402. 
 
 § Ferdinand determined to come to Naples to visit his new kingdom. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KINGS OP NAPLES. 665 
 
 kingdom of Naples now lost its consequence and indepen- 
 dence, and became an appendage to the Spanish crown. 
 Ferdinand was not less ambitious than artful, but the bound- 
 less ambition of his grandson and successor, Charles V.*, 
 was not less fatal to the liberties of the people than the dark 
 designing policy of his son, PhiUp IT., and they all kept pos- 
 session of their conquest, and the people in utter subjection. 
 Naples henceforward was governed by a set of viceroys t not 
 less arbitrary than their masters, two of whom, the Due 
 d'Alva, and Don Pedro di Toledo, his son, were high in the 
 favour of their sovereign. Many of the viceroys, it must be 
 confessed, however, took great pains to embellish the city, 
 and, among others, the Due d'Ossuna and Count di Lemos. 
 
 The feeble reigns of Philip III. and IV., and their succes- 
 sor, Charles, made but little difference in the affairs of Na- 
 ples; the people made some faint ^^n/.o-o-/^^ to regain their 
 liberties, but in vain, and were seldom honoured with the 
 presence of their sovereigns. In the famous succession war, 
 Philip v., grandson of Louis XIV., finally succeeded in 
 establishing his claim, and Naples passed from the Austrian- 
 
 and actually came there in 1506 ; the Great Captain, heariniEf of his mas- 
 ter's intended voyag-e, left Naples in order to meet him and conduct him 
 to that city. Ferdinand and the viceroy met at Genoa, when the former 
 embracing the latter received him with the createst cordiality ; they sailed 
 together to Savona to meet Louis XIl., whose niece Germana was to be 
 married there to Ferdinand. In the nuptial banquet, Louis, who was 
 delighted with the Great Captain, desired him to sit at table with the two 
 kings ; he refused from modesty, but, at length, obeyed the king. After 
 these civilities one feels pain in recording the following fact : — He dis- 
 placed him from his government, took liim with him into Spain, banished 
 him to his estate out of jealousy, and never saw him more, to reward him 
 for all his services, and conquering the crown of Naples for him — such 
 was Ferdinand the Catholic. — Biancardi, p. 405. 
 
 '^ Joanna, the mother of Charles, is not here mentioned ; she succeeded 
 her father, Ferdinand, but was a woman of weak intellects, and resigned 
 her dominions to her son Charles, and soon after died. — Ihid. p. 410. 
 
 •i- Gonsalvo di Cordova was the first viceroy, — a proper reward for his 
 services in conquering the kingdom. 
 
 Vol. L 2 X 
 
666 APPENDIX. 
 
 Spanish kings to the Bourbons, and the reign of this indolent 
 sensual prince was not more favourable to the Neapohtans 
 than those of his predecessors. 
 
 Charles of Bourbon, son of Philip V., by Elizabeth Far- 
 nese of Parma, succeeded to the kingdom of Naples, May 
 15, 1734, and Naples has continued ever since an append- 
 age to the Spanish monarchv, it having been settled, in the 
 partition treaty by the powers of Europe, that, in default of 
 heirs male of the Kings of Naples, the second son * of the 
 Spanish king should succeed to the throne : there is, how- 
 ever, this difference, that since the accession of the Bour- 
 bons, Naples is the seat of royalty, and the king (though, of 
 course, influenced by Spanish councils,) always resides in 
 the capital, and keeps his court with great splendour. The 
 fortuitous events which made Murat the short-lived King of 
 Naples, being so recent are well known, and the conduct of 
 the Neapolitans at that time and since confirms their charac- 
 ter of being the most fickle nation in Europe, utterly dis- 
 regarding who is their monarch, so that they can enjoy their 
 pleasures, and live in ease and idleness. Thus, from the 
 eleventh century to the present, there have been five races of 
 Neapolitan kings — Norman, Suabian, Angevin^ Arragonian, 
 and Austrian- Spanish, to which, indeed, may be added that 
 of Bourbon, at present swaying the sceptre. The first of 
 these founded the kingdom, and their great leader, Robert 
 Guiscard, was a prince of prudence and valour; and this 
 kingdom was maintained by his successors, alike distin- 
 guished by their bravery and personal qualities : the name of 
 Wilham the Good, in particular, is handed down to posterity, 
 as possessed of those qualities which confer honour on the 
 sovereign and blessings upon his subjects. The House of 
 
 * The present king is second son of Charles of Bourbon, who suc- 
 ceeded to the crov^^l of Spain, and brother of the late King' of Spain, who 
 died at Naples in ISIS ; he is the oldest sovereign in Europe, and what- 
 ever may be his political errors, is much beloved as a pleasing and amiable 
 man. 
 
HISTORY OF THE KlKfiS OF NAPLES. 667 
 
 Suabia appears to have had their courage too much tinctured 
 with cruelty, particularly Henry, who observed no measures 
 of lenity, but indulged his violent disposition to the utmost. 
 The Angevin princes, likewise, though in some instances 
 too cruel (particularly the first of this house), were certainly 
 prudent, brave princes, and endowed with those popular 
 qualities essential to the character of a sovereign. 
 
 The princes of the House of Arragon, particularly Ferdi- 
 nand the Catholic, were subtle and arbitrary, aiming at abso- 
 lute power, without consulting the good of the people, with 
 the exception, however, of Ferrante and Frederic II., whose 
 short-lived reigns were very popular. We may, however, 
 observe one leading trait in the character of these various 
 races of kings, that they were, in general, warlike, and 
 though their state was often in danger of being torn to pieces 
 by the more powerful sovereigns, they stemmed the torrent 
 by their prudence, and preserved the state by their valour ; 
 and it is owing to their exertions and perseverance that Na- 
 ples, or the Two Sicihes, as it is now called, is at present a 
 kingdom which bears no inconsiderable sway in the scale of 
 Europe. 
 
 THE DIFFERENT RACES OF THE KINGS OF 
 NAPLES. 
 
 Normans. Second Race of Angevins. 
 
 Roo-er r. Charles III. of Durazzo. 
 
 William I., surnamed the Bad. Ladislaus. 
 
 William II., surnamed the Good. Joanna II. 
 
 Tancred. Rene of Anjou. 
 William III. 
 
 Angevins- Arragonians. 
 
 Charles I., or of Anjou, surnamed Alfonso I., under whom Naples and 
 the Aged : under this prince Si- Sicily were ag-ain united, 
 
 cily was separated from Italy. Ferrante, or Ferdinand I. 
 
 Charles II., surnamed the Lame. Ahonso II. 
 
 Robert. Ferrante II. 
 
 Joanna T. Federico II. 
 
 2X2 
 
668 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 KINGDOM DIVIDED BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND 
 SPANIARDS. 
 
 Spaniards, or Second Race of 
 Arragonians. 
 
 Ferdinand the Catholic. 
 Joanna III. 
 
 Austrians. 
 
 Charles V., Emperor. 
 Philip IT. 
 Philip ni. 
 Philip IV. 
 Charles II. 
 
 French. 
 Philip V. 
 
 Austrians. 
 
 Charles VI,, Emperor. 
 
 French. 
 Charles of Bourbon. 
 
669 
 
 HISTORY OF FLORENCE AND THE HOUSE OF 
 MEDICIS. 
 
 The country of Etruria, of which Florence is now the 
 capital, was anciently inhabited by the Tyrrenians, who are 
 supposed to have come from Lydia*. The Tuscans fare 
 imagined to have inhabited Etruria so early as 990 years 
 before Christ, and 240 before the foundation of Rome. The 
 celebrated Porsenna, originally King of Clusium, and so well 
 known in classic history, was also king of the Tuscans, who 
 were distinguished even in those early times for their ele- 
 gance of language, and cultivation of [the sciences ; but the 
 Etruscans, or Tuscans, were declining when Rome was 
 governed by kings, and Rome, soon conquering her neigh- 
 bours, Tuscany shared the common fate, and its history may 
 be considered thenceforward as the history of Rome J. 
 
 Florence itself owes its origin to Fiesole, a small city 
 about three miles distant. The Fiesolanians taking part 
 with Catihne in his conspiracy, the fugitives came to Flo- 
 rence in great numbers, and settled there. The so justly 
 celebrated church of St. Lorenzo, founded by Juliana, was 
 consecrated so early as 393, by St. Ambrogio, and was then 
 without the walls §. The Florentines were of old famous 
 for their bravery, and after sustaining a long siege, the 
 city was taken by Totila, King of the Goths, in 540. 
 It was deserted above 200 years, and restored by Charlc' 
 
 * Desodoard's Tlht. iV Italic. 
 
 t The Tuscans were famous of old for looking into futurity, and had 
 many soothsayers. 
 
 % Desodoard's Hist, d Italic. § Storia Fiorentina. 
 
670 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 magne in 785, at which time the first bridge, Ponte Vecchio, 
 was built over the Arno, which fell down in. 1170, owing to 
 the swell of the river *. Florence appears to have been 
 overned by consuls and officers, after the model of the old 
 Rom^n government, till 1202, when on account of the inter- 
 nal divisions which always agitated it, to prevent competition, 
 they agreed to have a foreigner as Podesta, a kind of dictator. 
 In the year 1215 arose the famous parties of Guelfs and Ghi- 
 bellins ^\, which so long agitated Europe, and were the cause 
 of so many wars. The conveniences of life made a rapid 
 progress in this city, for in 1218 Po7ite Carraia was begun, 
 in 1236 Ponte Grazie, and 1252 Po7ite di Santa Trinita. 
 For many years now there was rivalry between the Pisans 
 and Florentines, followed by continual wars j to avoid which 
 in 1266, the latter surrendered themselves to Charles, Count 
 of Anjou+, for ten years. After the death of Manfred, all 
 Tuscany took the side of the Guelfs, but Pisa and Sienna. 
 The bridges of Trinity and Carraia being destroyed by a 
 swell of the Arno in 1269, gave occasion to the Florentines 
 to exert themselves in repairing this disaster, which they soon 
 
 * Storia Fiorentina. 
 
 t The Guelfs were the pope's party, and Ghibellins tlie emperor's. 
 The quarrel ori^fiuated in a s^entleman named Buondelmonti forsaking- a 
 lady of family of the House of Amideus, to whom he was eng'aged, wliich 
 was the cause of his assassination. One of the leaders of the party was 
 named Gueif, and the other Ghibellin, whicli names were given them in 
 Germany (a). 
 
 % Brother of St. Lewis, to whom Pope Urban gave the investiture of 
 the kingdom of Naples.— Mezrrai. 
 
 (a) From the daughter of Guelfo III., the House of Este, called from that 
 afterwards Guelfa Es'ense, is descended : the Dukes of Modena, Brunswick, 
 and Hanover, trace their descent from the same source,- as also many other 
 illustrious dukes and princes, which by their power and valour, caused great 
 uneasiness toa succession of emperors, and often endangered the safely of their 
 dominions. From the Ghibellin family descended, among other emperors, 
 Henry III., IV. and V.; under the reign of the last, the two families were 
 united by the marriage of Guercio, Duke of Svevia, with Ginditta, the daugh- 
 ter of Henr the Black, Duke of Bavaria, and sister of Guelfo VI. — Denina. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 671 
 
 did effectually, and next applied themselves to building their 
 walls, which they finished in 1316. In 1325, Florence being- 
 incapable to defend itself, offered the sovereignty to Charles, 
 Duke of Calabria, son of Uobert, King of Sicily, who 
 accepted it. In 1348 the Florentines were visited by a 
 dreadful pestilence, which committed great ravages among 
 them ; and in 1390, John Galeas Visconti, Duke of Milan, 
 having taken Pisa, Bologna, Perugia, and Sienna, in his 
 vanity had prepared a crown, in order to be crowned at 
 Florence, King of Italy, but his sudden death prevented 
 it, and preserved the Florentines from imminent danger. 
 This people had long been a prey to internal dissensions, 
 which at length ceased, by the election of John di Bicci di 
 Medicis, a.n emineJit merchant *, to be their chief magistrate : 
 this may be reckoned the origin of the House of Medicis. 
 These dissensions had lasted more than 200 years, when 
 disorders, ending in bloodshed and assassinations, were the 
 consequence of them ; the people, therefore, rejoiced in this 
 election as a prelude to tranquillity and peace. After a 
 time, however, the factious spirit of the people once more 
 broke out, and in 1433, a contrary faction was the cause of 
 his son, Cosimo, in 1433, being confined at Padua for a 
 time, though afterwards recalled with triumph in 1434; he 
 died in 1464, was buried in St. Lorenzo church, and on his 
 tomb is this honourable inscription, " Pater Patriae t." 
 
 This calm was disturbed by fresh enormities in 1478, when 
 Julianus Medici was assassinated by Bandini and Francesco 
 
 * He had acquired great riches by trading to the Levant. 
 
 + He is also called Cosimo the Aged — (Galluzzi) — and by many is 
 considered as the founder of his house, for which his father paved the 
 way. In 1292 Florence purchased its liberty of the Emperor Rodolphus ; 
 distressed afterwards for money, their liberty so far from being of service, 
 by being made a bad use of, plunged them in anarchy and confusion ; and 
 a few years before had begun the faction of the Guelfs and Ghibellins, 
 called also black and white.'— Mezerai. 
 
672 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 de Pazzi : Lorenzo, his brother, escaped with difficulty * ; 
 the former left a natural son, who was afterwards Pope 
 Clement VII, (Lorenzo died suddenly in 1492.) He ap- 
 pears to have been a distinguished character ; he lost his 
 father at fifteen years old, and at that early age began to 
 have the care of the republic, and was soon distinguished in 
 Italy by his wisdom. But he was greater in his forbearance 
 and pardon of his enemies, the Pazzi, Salviati, &,c., and only 
 requested the Grand Signior to deliver up the murderer of his 
 brother, Bernardino Bandini, Avho had fled to Constanti- 
 nople, pardoning all the rest. The greatness of his disposi- 
 tion and firmness of his mind appear strongly in his per- 
 sisting in his determination of going to Ferdinand, King of 
 Naples, his greatest enemy, and putting himself into his 
 hands, on its being intimated to him that Ferdinand and 
 Pope Sixtus IV. were about to declare war against the re- 
 public on his account. This conduct had such an effect on 
 King Ferdinand, as to change his enmity into the strictest 
 friendship. In the midst of persecutions and civil commo- 
 tions, he never lost sight of his favourite studies, nor ever 
 ceased encouraging learning and learned men. How great 
 an admirer he was of sculpture, architecture, and painting, 
 may be known by the villas, palaces, and churches, built or 
 improved under his beneficent patronage. Among other 
 artists, Michelangelo, then a young man, just beginning to 
 shew specimens of his genius, experienced his patronage. 
 This great mant, justly called the Magnificent, died at his 
 
 * Called Lorenzo the Magnificent. 
 
 + Lorenzo de Medicis, an eminent citizen of Florence, distinguished 
 himself bv his public spirit, and useful actions. He kept the republic 
 in quiet, embellished the city, fortified it on the side of Bologna with the 
 castle of Fiorenzuola, and, in short, was looked up to as the support of the 
 republic : he died at the early age of forty-four, much regretted by his 
 country and the neighbouring states. — Guicciardini. 
 
 Lorenzo said there were three things necessary to constitute the cha- 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 673 
 
 villa of Careggi, aged 44, April 9, 1492, and was buried in 
 St. Lorenzo, but the spot is not known ; he who of all the 
 family was most worthy of a monument had none ; the 
 tears of his friends, and regret of the citizens, which accom- 
 panied his remains, were the most honourable testimony to 
 his worth. By his wife, Clarissa Orsini, he had a large family : 
 three sons survived him ; Peter, who notwithstanding his 
 youth, succeeded him in authority ; John, afterwards Pope 
 Leo X., the celebrated Pati'on of learning; and Julian, Duke 
 of Nemours, who had also the title of Magnificent^ 
 
 Peter, owing to violent aud arbitrary conduct, endeavour- 
 ing to govern the state independently*, giving up Pisaf and 
 
 racter of a sfreat prince : first, to attend to the opinion of friends of un- 
 derstanding and sound judgment, and immediately to put their counsel 
 into execution ; second, never to forget friends who were absent ; tliird, 
 never to neglect reports, or think them suspicious, or of no consequence, 
 when the life or safety of the prince or state are at stake. This was also 
 a maxim of his son, Leo X. 
 
 Tria esse pr^edicabat, quae magno principiin gerendis rebus et laudem 
 et felicitatem pararent. 1. Cum aniicissimis judicii atque prudentise 
 opinione prsestantibus, diffuse consultare statimque ab ipso animi decreto 
 maturare ad perficiendum. 2. Nunquam oblivisci absentium amicorum. 
 .3. Nullam omnino suspicionem superfluam putare qua? vitte principatus- 
 que salutem respiceret. 
 
 * In 1494, Peter de Medicis aspired to the sovereignty of Florence, in 
 which he was opposed by Lorenzo and John, and thus the city was a prey 
 to faction and discord between the Patrician and Plebeian party. 
 
 t Between Florence and Pisa appears always a bone of contention ; 
 the one struggling for sovereignty, and the other for independence ; in 
 1509, the Pisans were reduced to the last extremity by the Florentines, 
 who cut off all tlieir resources, destroyed their crops, and distressed them 
 by sea and land. Pisa at last was sold to the latter by the kings of Spain 
 and France for a large sum, and thus submitted to its enemy, after a severe 
 struggle. The siege of Pisa, for its length, and the various events 
 to which it gave rise, has been compared with the siege of Troy ; 
 the effect also which it had upon the family of Medicis, and its ge- 
 neral influence in the affairs of Europe, is very remarkable. — Roscok. 
 So determined were the inhabitants not to surrender, that they volunta- 
 rily limited themselves to food of the coarsest nature ; the Genoese had 
 prepared many ships with provision of which the Florentines had notice, 
 
674 
 
 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 Livorno to Charles VIII., King of France, was banished 
 with his brothers from Florence : he was by no means de- 
 fective in his attention to learning;, but as his life was short, 
 so was his death miserable, being drowned in the river 
 Garigliano. On the banishment of Peter, Peter Soderini *, 
 a man of family, and much esteemed, was chosen gonfalo- 
 nier e"^ for life I, and the constitution was again changed. In 
 1512 there was another revolution, when he gave up this 
 office, and fled to Ancona, and Battista Rodolti was named 
 to the office for one year. We may observe in the various 
 changes of government in this fickle people, the disposition 
 and manners of the Romans, continually changing their 
 form of government and public officers, till it terminated in 
 an absolute one, which was the case in both. After eighteen 
 years of exile, the Medici were recalled to Florence, with 
 what security may be imagined, from this circumstance; 
 Julianus, who took the reins of sovereignty, had a strong 
 
 and prevented their reaching- the city, \yhich was tlie cause of its surrender. 
 The moderation of the victors, however, reflected honour on them ; they 
 g^ave the vanquished honourahle terms, took possession of the city the 9th 
 of June, and abundance and comfort, the consequence of peace, soon 
 made it flourish as before. — Muratori. 
 
 * Although an encourager of learning-, he was a subtle, artful, and 
 designing- man, and very ambitious, scrupling- nothing- to obtain his ends, 
 and ag-grandize his family ; as may be known from his unjustifiable con- 
 duct to the Duke of Urbino. — Storia Fiorentina. Soderini in a long- 
 speech endeavoured to persuade the Florentines to make use of the 
 money of the church against the power of the church. — Guicciardini. 
 He is styled by an excellent historian, (Ammirato,) a man of a good 
 disposition, and a firm friend to the liberties of his country ; but from 
 a natural timidit}', not able to act as the circumstances of the times de- 
 manded. Pope Julius favouring- the pretensions of the Medici, endeavoured 
 to reinstate them ; and thus Peter Soderini being'- deprived of his office, 
 was forced to quit the city, and go to Perugia. — Ibid. 
 
 t Literally, standard-bearer ; but the oflice answered to that of our 
 mayor. 
 
 % The only one chosen for life. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 675 
 
 guard of soldiers always at his palace, ruling with greater 
 authority than his ancestors, and much greater than his 
 brother. As he was always an aspiring man, when his 
 brother became pope by the name of Leo X., he thought 
 that by his means he might arrive at a brilliant fortune, and 
 gave up the government of Florence to his nephew, Lorenzo, 
 and went to the court of Rome, where he was made gon- 
 faloniere and captain-general of the church. He had after- 
 wards the vicariates of Modena, Reggio, Parma, and 
 Placentia, and aspired to the duchy of Milan; but death 
 put an end to all his projects. He left only a natural son, 
 Hippolito, afterwards promoted to the cardinalate, and the 
 duchy of Nemours returned to the crown of France, accord- 
 ing to the regulation of Francis I. Julianus, in the early 
 part of his life, was a great cultivator of learning, and his 
 love of sciences was increased in his exile in the celebrated 
 court of Urbino. He died of a fever in the abbey of Fiesole, 
 May 17, 1516, aged twenty-seven years, where he had 
 ordered himself to be brought in his illness *. 
 
 When Juliano resigned the government of Florence, 
 Lorenzo, his nephew, succeeded him, made Duke of Urbino 
 by his uncle, Leo X. -f- ; he was the father of the celebrated 
 
 * This year was famous for the death of great men ; Gonzalvo, the 
 great captain, and a month after, Ferdinand, Kina^ of Arrag'on. Ferdi- 
 nand ordered g-reat honours to be shewn his corpse, though from jealousy 
 he so neglected him, as to make him absent himself from court. Only a 
 few months before had died also Louis XII,, King of France. — Guicciar- 
 
 DINI. 
 
 t In spite of the flattering character given this pope by his panegy- 
 rists, his treacherous conduct in getting into his power John Paul Bag- 
 lioni, under the faith of a safe conduct, in order to obtain possession of 
 Perugia, and his subsequent barbarous conduct in torturing him and 
 putting him to death (ffl), nmst ever fix an indelible stain upon this head of 
 the church ; and his artful behaviour to the Duke of Ferrara shews him to 
 be void of that himour and good faitli, which are the support of princes ; 
 and too much infected with the fault of his family, which was scrupling at 
 (a) RoscoE. 
 
676 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 Catherine of Medicis ; he also died of disorders contracted* 
 by his hbertine life, at tXe early age of twenty-seven, 
 without male posterity. As an instance of the rapid ex- 
 tinction of a family in the legitimate hne, that of Cosimo 
 Pater Patrice v.-as now reduced to Pope Clement VII., 
 Hippolitus and Alexander, uncle and nephews, all bastards. 
 There were no commotions in Florence for some time ; 
 and in 1527 there was a conspiracy to get rid of the Me- 
 dici family, on account of the approach of the Con- 
 stable of Bourbon with his army, to Rome ; it was got 
 the better of for a time, but the popular government 
 was soon restored, and the two Medicis, Hippolitus and 
 Alexander, were banished the city. In 1528, on the pro- 
 posal of Nicolas Capponi, Gunfaloniere, it was carried 
 by a great majority of voices that Jesus Christ should 
 be King of Florence, to such a pitch of impiety and 
 fanaticism were these wretched people carried ; and these 
 words were actually written in letters of gold over the gate 
 of the palace, " Christ, king of kings, and lord of lords -I*." 
 In 1530 this wretched city was besieged by the Prince of 
 Orange X, who succeeded to the command of the imperialists 
 after the death of the celebrated Constable of Bourbon, 
 and was slain in a skirmish. This siege w^as undertaken by 
 
 nothing' to attain their ends, so that their ambition was gratified. This 
 pope not only deprived the Due d'Urbino of his dominions, who it must 
 be said was a most unprincipled character, but got into his hands liis 
 secretary, Florida, and by torture endeavoured to make him betray his 
 master's secrets, under the faith of a safe conduct, basely violated ,• he 
 likewise secured Cardinal Petrucci. Such was the mild and benevolent 
 Pope Leo X. — Ed. 
 
 * Lorenzo de Medici died five days after his wife, who expired in child- 
 bed of a daughter, afterwards named Catherine ; she was the firebrand of 
 France, and the scourge of Europe. — Guicciardini. 
 
 •j* Storia Fiorenfina. 
 
 X In this siege NapoJeone Orsino, a soldier of the Florentines, distin- 
 
 t 
 
 J 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 677 
 
 the command of Charles V., emperor, in order to reinstate 
 the Medici, as Alexander* had married his natural daughter ; 
 and in fact, they were reinstated by the colossal power of this 
 emperor in 1531, and the arms of the pope were placed over 
 the gate of the public palace. From this time the principa- 
 lity of the family of Medicis was firmly established under 
 Duke Alexander, though they had been banished their 
 country three times ; the various fortunes of this extraordi- 
 nary family are well known, sometimes at the head of the 
 government, at others wanderers, driven from the city and 
 country. Octavianus was appointed minister of justice 
 under Duke Alexander, and September 1, 1533, Catherine of 
 Medicis left Florence for France. Alexander had not 
 governed six years, when he was assassinated by his relation, 
 Lorenzo de Medici, called from his diminutive size, Lo- 
 renzino "f. 
 
 That branch of the Medicis ending in Alexander t, who 
 left no son, Cosmo I. was chosen duke ; descended from 
 
 guished himself much by braverj', but n\is a traitoi* ; after receivinsf 
 money from the Florentines, lie went over to the pope and emperor. — 
 
 GuiCCIARDINI. 
 
 * Alexander was natural son of Lorenzo, Due d'Urbino, and brother 
 of Catherine of Medicis ; this ambitious and unprincipled woman, the 
 wife of one king-, and mother of three, who by her ambition and violence, 
 bigotry and cruelty, occasioned such misfortunes to the Protestants, and 
 reduced France to the brink of ruin, had a fine understanding-, though 
 badly applied ; she was at once the (Icllght of Europe, by her beauty and 
 accomplishments, and its terror by her want of principle. 
 
 f He was buried in the new sacristy of St. Lorenzo, and in the same 
 marble tomb with his father, Lorenzo (a); he was supposed to have had 
 his brother, Cardinal Hippolitus, poisoned, fearing in him a rival of his 
 power ; to such a length was the auibition of the Medici carried, that in 
 those early days they scrupled no means to attain their ends. 
 
 % Alexander was complained of for liis licentious Hfe to the Emperor 
 Charles V., and was supposed to have poisoned Cardinal Hippolitus, who 
 died at Itri, August 10, 1535. — Muratori. 
 
 (a) Lorenso the Mofinificent. 
 
678 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 Lorenzo, brother of Cosimo Pater PatricB, and son of John 
 the Invincible, captain of the black band. Tuscany now 
 was to assume a new aspect, and under the future guidance 
 of the Medicean princes, to be looked on in a more respect- 
 able light in Europe than it had hitherto been. Florence 
 had for many years presented a disgraceful scene of factions 
 and riots, ending often in murders — interested persons 
 fomenting them for their own private advantage, and the re- 
 public striving for liberty, which, when possessed, was always 
 abused. The mind sickens at the relation of the enormities 
 committed within the last hundred years, and turns with 
 pleasure to a new state of things. Florence was hence- 
 forwards to have a new established firm government, and to 
 be respected by its neighbours as the nursery of arts and 
 sciences. 
 
 Cosimo I. 
 
 This prince took the helm in a most difficult time, but 
 shewed himself not unequal to the task ; he was a man of 
 considerable talents, and though not perhaps equal to his 
 father as a soldier, yet was he not deficient in military skill, 
 as he shewed in many instances, and excelled most of his 
 predecessors in the cabinet. The celebrated words of Cor- 
 nelius Nepos are applied by most historians to him : " Nihil 
 illo fuisse excellentiiis vel in vitiis vel in virtutibus *." Co- 
 simo had soon occasion to exercise his talents, taking pos- 
 session of the government at a most difficult time, when the 
 people were factious and divided into parties, fluctuating 
 between a principality and a republic. Many of the fortresses 
 were in the hands of the Spaniards, and he was opposed by 
 the nobility, at the head of whom were the Strozzi, his de- 
 clared enemies, and one of the most powerful families of 
 Florence. Out of these difficulties he soon by his prudence 
 
 * Corn. Nep. in Alcibiade. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 679 
 
 extricated himself, making friends of the Iraperiahsts and 
 Spaniards, and shewing great vigour in government ; and in 
 the wars which raged between them and the French, he 
 proved himself a most prudent prince, persevering in a neu- 
 trahty ; though pressed by both factions to join them, he 
 declared to the contending parties, that if he was attacked, 
 they would not find him tied in a sack * ; in short, no prince 
 knew better than Cosimo how to profit by time and circum- 
 stances. In the beginning of his administration there was a 
 dangerous conspiracy, headed by Philip Strozzi, but it was 
 suppressed, and Strozzi was taken f. 
 
 In 1539, Cosimo married Donna Eleonora di Toledo, 
 second daughter of the Duke of Toledo, viceroy of Naples J. 
 In various parts of his reign this prince appears to have 
 acted with great duplicity, particularly in the afiair of 
 Sienna § and its territory, in 1538, which he tried to obtain 
 possession of any way ; and his conduct was so palpable, 
 that the Cardinal Hippolitus publicly called him traitor, and 
 said that he would make him repent his conduct, and in this 
 
 * Galuzzi. 
 
 t He was found dead in his bed in 1538. Cosimo obtained from 
 the emperor that Philip Strozzi should be given up to him, in order 
 that he niig-ht obtain some insijjfht into the cause of the deaths of 
 Duke Alexander and Cardinal Hippolitus, to avoid which, he slew 
 hiself with a sword, carelessly left in the prison by the Spanish 
 gaoler. He pointed the sword to his throat, and fell on it with such force, 
 that his body falling against the door, it was opened with great difficulty. 
 He left a writing on the table purporting, that, as he was conscious of the 
 badness of his life, he had put an end to it and his miseries at the same 
 time, influenced by grea^^ess of mind, that he might not be tempted to 
 betray his friends. — Paul. Jov. Hist, siii temporis. Thus he committed 
 the greater evil to avoid the lesser — on heathen principles, unworthy of 
 a christian. 
 
 % This prince was buried in St. Giacorao di Spagnuoli, at Naples. 
 
 § Sienna (a) and its territory were taken possession of by the Duke 
 Cosimo, July 10, 1557, to the great grief of the Siennese. 
 
 (a) In the siege of Sienna various instances of distress occurred ; the be- 
 sieged were, at last, almost famished : those who endeavoured to quit the town 
 were obliged to return, in order to be starved into a surrender.— Galuzzi. 
 
680 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 affair he contrived to displease both Imperiahsts and French. 
 In short, want of sincerity and great ambition were faults 
 imputed to Cosimo by the Kings of France and Spain, and 
 certainly not without reason. In 1540, the celebrated meet- 
 ing took place at Paris between the two great rivals of the 
 age, Charles V. and Francis I., and there were feasts, Sfc, 
 and the utmost apparent cordiality between them ; but, in 
 1542, war was declared between them, in which Cosimo 
 was invited to take a part, but extricated himself with his 
 usual dexterity. But this prince now was obliged to exert 
 himself to assist his subjects, afflicted by a gi'eat calamity; 
 in 1557, owing to continual and heavy rains, the Arno over- 
 flowed so much, that many of the streets had twenty feet of 
 water, and numbers perished. Provisions also and mer- 
 chandise in abundance were lost; great distress and sickness 
 unavoidably followed, when the water retired, and left mud 
 and filth *. 
 
 This prince a few years before had received great mortifi- 
 cations from Henry II., King of France, who, in 1553, at 
 the suggestion of his wife, Catherine, appointed Peter Strozzi 
 commander-in-chief of his armies in Italy, merely to mortify 
 Cosimo, whom she hated. Strozzi went to Rome to stir up 
 the pope against him, but in vain ; and so puffed up v.ere the 
 French with some temporary successes, that they vaunted 
 publicly that they would have Cosimo prisoner in Paris 
 within a month. Strozzi t was bold and courageous, but 
 violent, conceited, and impatient of control. Cosimo was 
 entirely in the hands of Philip II., King of Spain, (to whom 
 the Emperor Charles V., weary of the cares of government, 
 had some time before resigned all his dominions, retiring 
 himself to a convent in Spain,) and took no step without his 
 concurrence, insomuch so, that he engaged not to marry his 
 
 * The same liappened at Rome at tlie same time from the overflowing- 
 of the Tiber. — Galuzzi. 
 
 •i' This Strozzi was a marshal in the service, and thougfh a great 
 general, was turbulent and ambitious, and entirely governed by Pope 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 681 
 
 sons but with his consent, and the king in return guaranteed 
 the possession of Sienna and his other dominions — such was 
 the traffic between princes ; and by the treaty of Chateau 
 Cambresis the possession not only of Sienna but of Tuscany 
 was confirmed to him, which, before, he held on an insecure 
 tenure. It must be said, however, that as this prince was 
 indefatigable in war, day and night planning and directing 
 its operations, so in peace he indulged his natural genius, 
 cultivating the fine arts, and having his great hall orna- 
 mented with pictures and prints representing the brilliant 
 actions of the war. He was, however, a great bigot, and 
 so strongly attached to popery, that he, in 1549, published 
 an edict, prohibiting either 'printing or having in possession 
 any heretical book. In his reign manufactories and trade 
 increased, but the long war had brought such prejudice to 
 agriculture, that there not only was a great want of corn, but 
 of wine and oil in 1559. 
 
 In 1564, Cosimo, weary of the cares of government, ad- 
 mitted his eldest son Francis to a share of the government, 
 with the title of prince-regent. Francis married, July 25, 
 
 Paul IV. (a) and the Caraffas ; he was killed in the trenches before Thion- 
 ville, June 21, 1558, by which the Spaniards and Cosimo were delivered 
 from their greatest enemy. He was the sole author of the war of Parma, 
 Sienna, S,-c. — Galuzzi. 
 
 The family of Strozzi still flourishes, and is one of the most respectable 
 in Florence, and their palace is the most mag-nificeut in the city: the wor- 
 thy chief of the family has, as we were informed, a very high office in the 
 establishment of the sovereign. — Ed. 
 
 (a) So detested was this turbulent pontiif, who was a disgrace to the 
 church, that on his death, which happened August 4, 1559, his statue was 
 thrown into the Tiber; and so abhorred was his memory, that all the arms 
 and every remembrance of the Caraffas was taken from the city. Pius IV., 
 Cardinal de Medici, of the family of Medici, was elected in his stead, who 
 was as much beloved for his virtues as the last pope was detested. On his 
 intercession. Cardinal Strozzi and Julian Medicis were pardoned by Cosimo. 
 This excellent pope died in 1565, much lamented by all, particularly the 
 House of Medicis, to whom he was ever kind. Cardinal A lessandrino suc- 
 ceeded him by the name of Pius V., a man of such obscure birth, that when 
 a boy he was emplo ed to look after cattle. 
 
 Vol. I. 2 Y 
 
682 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 1565, the Archduchess Joanna, daughter of the Emperor 
 Ferdinand *, to the great joy of his father, who thus had his 
 ambition gratified completely by an aUiance with the imperial 
 house; and, in 1569, to complete his happiness, he had the 
 title of grand duke conferred on him by the pope in a solemn 
 embassy, with the appellation of serene highness, amidst the 
 acclamations of his subjects. The emperor joined with the 
 pope in this, but many of the sovereigns of Europe refused 
 to acknowledge his new title, which mortitied his vanity (of 
 which he had a considerable share) not a little. This prince 
 now might have been very tranquil, had he had religion and 
 strength of mind sufficient to govern his passions. His states 
 were increased, he was at peace with his neighbours, and 
 his ambition was gratified by his accession of title ; but, as 
 he had always been licentious, so was the latter part of his 
 life disgraced by profligacy and cruelty which led to murder, 
 thus setting a bad example to his family and subjects. He 
 had for some time had an intrigue with Eleanor Albizzi 
 (whom he afterwards married) ; and when his valet, Sforza 
 Almeni, zealous for the honour and reputation of his master, 
 boldly reproved him for giving such public offence by his 
 conduct, he slew him in a fit of passion f, thus staining his 
 character with murder, which before had been disgraced by 
 adidtery. His conduct had an immediate effect on his 
 family, for his son and successor Francis would not for some 
 time consummate his marriage with the archduchess. As, 
 after the example of his father, he had always been licentious, 
 so now he publicly kept as his mistress the celebrated CapellaJ 
 Bianca, the cause of so much grief to the grand duchess, 
 and offence to his people. The grand duke had all his life 
 
 * It was thougbt that the feasts and entertainments s^iven on account 
 of this marriage cost 300,000 diicats,^ — ii wonderful sum at that time, 
 especially when the scarcity which atllicted Tuscany is considered. 
 
 t Galuzzi. 
 
 t Prohably it should be Capello Bianco, so called from her having 
 light hair. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 683 
 
 accustomed himself to violent exercises, such as hunting, 
 tennis, ^c. In 1563 he was attacked with the gout, which 
 returned frequently afterwards, with several fits of apoplexy, 
 which put an end to his life, April 20, 1574. Cosimo was fifty- 
 four years old, of which he had reigned* thirty-eight, twenty- 
 eight by himself, and ten conjointly with his son. In order 
 to form a proper estimate of the character of this prince, it 
 is necessary to search into the actions of his long reign, and 
 we shall find more to condemn than approve. Many writers, 
 dazzled with the splendour of the government of this founder 
 of the Medicean greatness, have glossed over his vices, and 
 magnified his virtues — not so the impartial historian, who 
 must see the former predominate ; and the affair of the 
 Siennese displays such a scene of artifice, treachery, and 
 intrigue, as must ever cover his memory with shame ; it was 
 begun with art and ended with cruelty. That he had some 
 good qualities it must be confessed, for who is without 
 some ? but they were tarnished by licentiousness, ambition, 
 cruelty, and revenge. For the first, witness his numerous 
 intrigues, and particularly the latter one of Eleonora Al- 
 bizzi ; the second, the affair of Sienna ; and the third, the 
 murder of his servant. He took, in short, for his models, 
 Don Pedro di Toledo and the Duke d'Alva, two of the most 
 arbitrary and sanguinary ministers of a cruel and bigotted 
 monarch that ever existed. These men he constantly 
 imitated, and his criminal laws taking their rise from Spanish 
 maxims sufficiently indicate his cruelty. His enemies went 
 so far as to assert f, that he frequently made use of poison 
 
 * Thoug'h reig'ned is a term proper only for kings, yet, to avoid con- 
 fusion, it is here made use of. 
 
 t They also have asserted that he slew his son Don Garcia with his own 
 hand, and his brother. Cardinal John, which was the cause of the death 
 of their mother the Duchess Eleanor ; but these are probably assertions 
 without proof, as one can scarcely imagine that there could exist such a 
 monster of iniquity. It is, however, certain, that he was the cause of 
 the death of many citizens, eaemies or supposed enemies to him. His ad- 
 
 2 Y 2 
 
684 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 to rid himself of those he clishked, and it is certain that he 
 endeavoured by that base way to get rid of Strozzi. In ex- 
 cuse for him, it is said that Strozzi first endeavoured to poi- 
 son him, if tliat can be called an excuse *. It is said in his 
 favour, that he often gave to the children the confiscated 
 goods of their parents, and was so impartial in his admini- 
 stration of justice, as to be esteemed the most excellent and 
 upright judge of Italy. 
 
 A respectable historian t often quoted in this sketch, 
 dazzled by his public character, says " Cosimo was one of 
 the greatest men which Italy produced in the sixteenth cen- 
 tury; for besides those qualities which rendered his system 
 of politics so extraordinary, and the ingenuity with which he 
 raised and established the House of Medicis, he was dis- 
 tinguished by many virtues, though it must be owned, ob- 
 scured by several vices, many of which his admirers attri- 
 buted to the fault of the age in which he lived, and a defect 
 of temperament in himself." This must be said, that he was 
 a man of great and splendid talents. He came to the 
 government in a most difficult time, when the state was full 
 of faction, and different parties were contending for power 
 and striving to depress his house ; he was only sixteen years 
 old, and by management and resolution contrived to get the 
 
 mirers excuse these cruelties, from his state being- partly acquired, and 
 not in a settled state ; but to justify such measures it is a poor excuse to 
 say — 
 
 " Res dura? et regui novitas me talia co^funt 
 Moliri."— Virgil. 
 
 Tacitus, whom he was fond of reading, furnished him with matter not 
 by any means beneficial ; and it is thought that his heart became harder, 
 and that he became more profligate from reading that author. 
 
 * In the character and portrait of this prince, as given by a respectable 
 historian, he is called a handsome man, with a fierce countenance ; and 
 he says, that from the necessity of the times he began his reign with much 
 blood. — Ammirato. The same historian qualifies the Sienna business by 
 saying, he made himself master of Sienna by good sense and activity. 
 
 t Galuzzi. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 685 
 
 better of the contending parties, and establish his govern- 
 ment on a firm and sohd foundation. He not only kept his 
 states undiminished, but increased them much, so that 
 Tuscany, which before his time was looked on in an inconsi- 
 derable light, was with the territory acquired by him a 
 respectable state, and bore no small part in the scale of 
 Europe. He contrived to steer clear among the belhgerent 
 powers, keeping his dominions as much as possible in peace, 
 and transmitted them to his descendants in a perfectly tran- 
 quil state. In short, he deserves the character of a brave 
 and prudent prince, conducting himself in most difficult 
 times with great prudence, and even with such dexterity, as 
 in a certain degree to become the arbiter of the affairs of 
 Italy, not only gaining a considerable accession of states to 
 himself, but likewise the founder of a powerful dukedom, 
 which he left to his family. He was a great encourager of 
 the fine arts, and a number of learned men were protected by 
 him and flourished in his time ; statuary also was brought to 
 great perfection, by Bandinelli and Celhni, and painting by 
 Bronzino, Zucchari, &c. He was particularly attentive in 
 religious acts*, building several churches, and repairing 
 others ; Pius V. was so pleased with this part of his con- 
 duct, that these words were inscribed on the diadem with 
 which he was crowned by the pope, " Ob eximiam dilecti- 
 onem ac Catholici religionis zelum, praecipuumque justicise 
 studium." 
 
 This prince had the decoration of the Golden Fleece from 
 Charles V., estimated at 200,000 crowns. He instituted the 
 
 * In 1552, St. Peter's at Rome was begun by Julius 11., formerly Car- 
 dinal Roverc, who published a bull, ordering all doubtful legacies to be 
 applied to building this chiu'ch. This pope was one of the most violent 
 of men ; on the painting the Sixtine Chapel, by Michelangelo, the pope 
 grew impatient at the length of the work, and asked the artist when it 
 would be finished ; he answered " I shall finish it when I can ;" " When 
 you can," answered the violent pontiff, " do you wish me to have you 
 thrown down headlong from the scaffold ?" After this menace the work 
 advanced rapidly. — Roscoe. 
 
686 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 religious military order of St. Stephen, to combat the Bar- 
 bary Corsairs, and enlarged, and was a great benefactor to 
 the universities of Pisa and Sienna ; he also gave a regular 
 form to the Florentine Academy, and at his own expense 
 opened a printing-office, sending for Florentines from Ger- 
 many to direct it. He expended a large sum in cultivating 
 the country about Pisa and the isle of Elba, and at his 
 leisure hours employed himself in the gardens of Boboli, 
 grafting, planting, &c. As he was a great patron of the arts 
 and men of letters, so he laid the foundation of those works 
 of genius which have so long distinguished Tuscany from 
 other nations. In the whole, few princes had a greater mix- 
 ture of faults and virtues ; his reign must be called a glorious 
 one, and he a great prince ; but the utmost partiality cannot 
 call him a good one, and this founder of the Medicean 
 dynasty, seems more worthy o{ admiration than esteem. Co- 
 simo was married twice, to Eleonora di Toledo and Camilla 
 Martelli ; the latter lived with him in the palace, but never 
 had the title of grand duchess. Besides his successor 
 Francis, he had Don Ferdinand, who reigned so gloriously, 
 and Don Pedro. An eminent historian (Muratori) calls him 
 a prince worthy of being immortalized ; owning, however, his 
 improper conduct as to Camilla Martelli, whom he only 
 married at the repeated intercessions of Pius V. 
 
 FRANCIS I., SECOND GRAND DUKE. 
 
 Francis succeeded his father in the dukedom in 1574, 
 without difficulty, and found it in perfect peace; having 
 been so many years associated with him, he had learned 
 the art of governing. Happy had it been for both, had he 
 been equally instructed in the moral duties of life, and had 
 had a good example set him ; the evils of this reign, arising 
 from licentiousness and profligacy, would then have been 
 avoided, nor would the state have suffered those evils, from 
 which with great difficulty, and by the prudent management 
 only of Ferdinand, his successor; it recovered. This prince 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 687 
 
 was remarkably indolent, and very different from his father 
 except in licentiousness, in which, mifortunately, he imitated 
 him : as he had none of the temporizing policy of Cosimo, 
 so were his politics very different ; and he threw himself at 
 once into the arms of the House of Austria ; as wearing the 
 ducal crown would he thought, offend the powers who refused 
 to acknowledge the newly-created title of grand duke, he 
 refrained making use of it in public. He had hardly taken 
 possession of the government when a serious conspiracy was 
 formed against him by Pucci * and accomplices, in 167,3, on 
 account of his dissolute life, of which Cardinal Ferdinand Me- 
 dici informed his brother, and it was thus prevented. Pucci, 
 when he was arrested, wounded himself severely, in an at- 
 tempt to kill himself; he, however, recovered, and was 
 punished with death, and many others suffered also, supposed 
 accomplices; and various confiscations took place, so that 
 the grand duke's government, which was unpopular before, 
 was much more so now. 
 
 In 1576 an imperial diploma arrived with the confirmation 
 of the title of grand duke, which fed his vanity, and was the 
 occasion of much pomp, and various ceremonies ; these 
 festivals and entertainments were not the cause of much joy 
 to the people, and it appeared that they already began to 
 lament the death of their last sovereign, licentious and tyran- 
 nical as he was, and to consider it as a fatal stroke to the 
 state. From this time we have a frightful picture of licen- 
 tiousness and bad government, the relation of which only is 
 painful. These evils had nearly proved the ruin of the state, 
 and rendered Francis hateful to his subjects, and contempti- 
 ble in the eyes of Europe. The unbounded authority of tb 
 ministers, hard-heartedness of the prince, and the want 
 of harmony between him and his people, were the cause of an 
 universal spirit of discontent. 
 
 ' * His father, Pandolfo, conspired against the life of Cosimo, and was 
 executed ; but Cosimo, with his usual generosity, shewed great kindness 
 to the children, who thus rewarded it. 
 
688 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 Justice in this licentious and wicked reign, if justice it 
 can be called, was administered by a notary, who confounded 
 the innocent with the guilty; and the rich and powerful 
 found no difficulty in evading it. Quarrels and assassinations 
 multiplied in an alarming degree, and the eighteen months 
 from the death of the last duke, were looked on as an age. 
 The extravagant and profligate life of the prince and his 
 courtiers, gave a bad example to the people, which was 
 imitated by too many. On the night of July 11, 1576, Don 
 Pedro *, brother of the sovereign, having long lived a depraved 
 and licentious life, murdered his wife with his ov.'n hand ; 
 and shortly after died Donna Isabella, sister of the grand 
 duke, and wife of Giordano Orsini, said to have been 
 strangled by her husband in a fit of jealousy ; so unbridled 
 already were become the passions of this family so lately 
 exalted to sovereign power. In 1578 the state sustained 
 a great loss in the death f of the Grand Duchess Joanna of 
 Austria, who w^as a most amiable woman ; she died in child- 
 bed, to the great grief of the whole court, and all the people |. 
 She was a princess of great virtues, endowed with the 
 most amiable qualities, and universally beloved and regretted, 
 and bore the shghts of her husband and his infidelity in the 
 most patient manner. On her death-bed she used every 
 religious argument to induce him to give up the indecent con- 
 nexion with Capella ; which he promised with tears, but soon 
 forgot his promise. Francis was obliged to leave Florence 
 suddenly on her death, so great was the affection of the 
 people for her, and their horror at the slights she had 
 received from the duke. 
 
 The grand duke was as much attached to Capella Bianca 
 as ever ; she had pretended pregnancy some time to him, in 
 
 * Don Pedro afterwards went and settled in Spain, and ^ave great 
 offence there by his profligacy, and also a bad opinion of his nation. 
 
 t About this time was instituted by Henry HI. the order of the Holy 
 Ghost. 
 
 ;i; She left tliree daughters and one son, Don Philip. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 689 
 
 order to gratify his wishes, as he was anxious to have chil- 
 dren by her ; and to complete this farce, in 1576 *, a suppo- 
 sititious child was introduced in the night to Bianca, which 
 was the cause of great joy to her infatuated lover, and there 
 were great rejoicings in the whole court; the child was 
 called Don Antonio, and afterwards not only adopted as a 
 child of the House of Medicis, but always treated kindly by 
 them. Francis being always anxious to have a child by her, 
 she continually fed his hopes, pretending pregnancy, and at 
 last adopted this plan. The grand duke now grew more and 
 more indolent, never interfering with foreign nations ; and 
 what was much worse, wholly neglecting his own. Disorders 
 and enormities rapidly increased, and in 1580 the banditti in 
 Tuscany got to such a pitch, from the neglect of govern- 
 ment, that it was become hazardous to travel any where. 
 
 In 1582 Francis experienced a heavy domestic affliction in 
 the loss of his only son Don Philip, who died of a complica- 
 tion of disorders ; whether from apathy or heroism, for one 
 scarcely can impute it to religion, in a man who lived so 
 sensual a life, he bore this loss with great fortitude, not per- 
 mitting demonstrations of mourning or condolence, which 
 afforded occasion for various conjectures : Cardinal Ferdi- 
 nando, his brother, who foresaw the consequences likely to 
 result from this event, was seriously affected. The grand 
 duke now became more unpopular than ever; withdrawing 
 himself from the numerous complaints of his subjects, he 
 retired to Prattolino, a villa which he had built about six 
 miles from Florence, with Capella Bianca, whom he had 
 married some time before, and who now bore the title of 
 grand duchess, and was acknowledged by Cardinal Ferdi- 
 nand ; if any thing could increase the dislike of his people to 
 him, it was this disgraceful connexion. At Prattohno he 
 
 * About a century after, the same farce was said to have been acted ia 
 the British court. 
 
690 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 was accessible to scarcely any one but his brother. The dis- 
 graceful events of this inglorious reign were put an end to by 
 the death of the grand duke, who died October 19, 1587, of a 
 tertian ague, aged only forty-seven, having survived his father 
 thirteen years. On his death-bed he recommended the care 
 of the grand duchess * and her son, Don Antonio, to his 
 brother and successor, and died perfectly calm and resigned, 
 unregretted by his subjects. 
 
 Francis appears to have been naturally of an indolent dis- 
 position, and in the early part of his life generous and mild ; 
 but for many years he was so wholly lost in sensuality, as to 
 be forgetful of the duties incumbent on him as a sovereign, 
 neglecting them entirely, and utterly careless of the welfare 
 of his people : the consequence was, as might be expected, 
 his ministers, magistrates, &c., did the same ; and a kind of 
 anarchy prevailed, which might have been fatal to the state, 
 had he lived much longer. He was latterly vain and proud 
 to the greatest degree, and so indolent, as to leave the care 
 of all public business to his wife and ministers, who abused 
 their trust, to the great injury of the people. As, however, 
 few princes have not some good mixed with the bad, so the 
 character of Francis seems to have been of this nature ; the 
 excellence of his laws shews him to have been once a just 
 and impartial prince, and an enemy to all corruption. In the 
 former part of his life he was familiar with his subjects, and 
 furnished with the qualities so much to be desired in his 
 situation. In talents and learning he is said to have been 
 superior to most princes of his time ; both learned himself, 
 and an admirer of learning and the fine arts, he not only 
 favoured the sciences, but liberally rewarded the professors. 
 
 * It is hard to say whetlier she excelled most in beauty or wit. Francis 
 heard so much of her, that he wished to see her, and his interview was 
 the cause of the future troubles of his reign ; for he found in her a 
 young' woman in whom he did not know Avhich most to admire, the g"races 
 of her person, or accomjjlibhments of her mind. — Mubatori. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDIClS. 691 
 
 When we compare this part of his character with the other, 
 we cannot help being hurt that such good quahties should 
 be tarnished with bad ones ; but sensuality was the vice 
 which brought on all the others, and involved the state in 
 great trouble. One of the most beneficial public acts of this 
 prince's reign appears to have been building the new town 
 of Leghorn. On the 28th of March, 1577, the first stone was 
 laid, and this must be confessed to have been a very useful 
 act ; it was planned by his father long before, but carried in 
 execution by him. This town was formerly a marshy un- 
 healthy place, and the harbour so narrow, as to admit only a 
 few small vessels ; it originally belonged to Pisa, but was 
 taken by the Genoese, and when Pisa was taken by Florence, 
 the latter bought Leghorn of the Genoese for 100,000 ducats. 
 Francis not only built Prattolino, but the surrounding coun- 
 try, being little better than a desert, he with great taste and 
 expense made it fertile and beautiful. 
 
 The grand duchess Capella Bianca, survived her husband 
 but one day, dying of the same disorder; she had for some 
 time paid great attention to Cardinal Ferdinand, who was 
 reconciled to her, and passed some time at Prattolino. Few 
 females in history have made more noise in the world than 
 this ; she was a Venetian, of a noble family, and the republic 
 was so pleased at her marriage, that they sent a solemn 
 complimentary embassy to her ; but elevated by her beauty 
 to an exalted station, she had not sense or strength of mind 
 sufficient to correct her faults, but incurred the hatred of the 
 nation by her pride and vanity, which murmured at seeing 
 her in a station of which she was not worthy ; and her art 
 and dupUcity in the affair of Don Antonio, rendered her con- 
 temptible in the eyes of all, and has fixed an eternal stain on 
 her memory. Cardinal Ferdinand, successor of Francis, 
 would not suffer her to be interred in the sepulchre of the 
 Medici ; but her remains were deposited in an obscure part 
 of St. LorenzO; in the common grave of the poor, which 
 
692 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 now is not known ; that no remembrance of a woman who 
 had caused such disorders in the state might remain, he also 
 ordered to be taken from all the public places her arms 
 quartered with those of Medici, in order if possible to extin- 
 guish all public remembrance of her. He even went so far 
 as to suffer no one to call her the grand duchess, and always 
 spoke of her as the worthless Bianca. 
 
 FERDINAND T., THIRD GRAND DUKE. 
 
 We now come to a glorious and useful reign, which, in a 
 certain degree, makes amends for the errors and vices of the 
 former, the very account of which fills the reader with dis- 
 gust. Ferdinand I., sonof Cosimo I., succeeded his brother, 
 to the great joy of the people ; as his many amiable qualities 
 promised them that happiness under his administration so 
 much wanting in the former, nor were they deceived ; he soon 
 demonstrated by his vigour, firmness, and justice, that he was 
 not unworthy of the situation he enjoyed : he shewed his 
 high and proper spirit, by shaking off that dependence on a 
 foreign court, which was such a disgrace to the late 
 duke. He * was a prince not only endowed with great 
 talents and virtues, but had been educated in all the refined 
 politics of the court of Rome, the low cunning of which he 
 rejected, only adopting that part which would assist him in 
 governing his people well. With the accumulated treasures 
 of his brother, he was not only able to sustain the splendour 
 of his family with dignity, but still farther to increase it; he 
 held in abhorrence the pride, and almost oriental manners, 
 so prevalent in his brother in his latter years, and was aflable, 
 pleasing, and accessible to all ranks, by which conduct he 
 shortly acquired the love of all. This was the more extra- 
 
 * In this prince's time flourished Alessandro Alleri and Bernardino 
 Pocceti, great painters ; and Giovanni Bologfna, the sculptor. In the 
 latter part of his reig-n the celebrated Cardinal Peretti was made pope, by 
 the name of Sixtus V. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 693 
 
 ordinary, as this prince was educated a churchman, in 
 general a bad school for government ; but he overcame all 
 the prejudices of education, applying himself solely to the 
 good of his subjects, uninfluenced by any private views, and 
 unprejudiced by the interests of others. He, who for twenty- 
 seven years had worn the purple as a cardinal, hardly came 
 to sovereign authority, than he became the protector of arts 
 and letters, and formed immediate plans of increasing his 
 marine power, and was the dread of the Ottoman court. 
 Under his glorious reign the knights of St. Stephen acquired 
 fresh laurels and immortal glory. He applied himself vigo- 
 rously to remedy the evils of the late administration, by 
 taking care that all ranks of life should have justice im- 
 partially. 
 
 When he was settled on his throne, he determined to com- 
 ply with the wishes of his subjects, in marrying, and had no 
 difficulty in procuring a dispensation from the pope. In 1589 
 he married Christina, daughter of Charles, Duke of Lorraine, 
 and niece of Catharine of Medicis, Queen of France, and in 
 this choice he shewed his judgment; for young as she was, 
 (only sixteen,) by her prudence and docility, she soon gained 
 the affection and esteem not only of her husband, but of all 
 ranks of people. A great scarcity had prevailed in Tuscany 
 from 1587 to 1589, aggravated by the overflowing of the 
 Arno ; the grand duke did all in his power to remedy these 
 evils, not only by assisting the poor, but by observing the 
 strictest economy in his family, a conduct more honourable 
 than gaining victories, or increasing his territories. He 
 bought corn in England, with which he was liberally supplied 
 by Queen Elizabeth ; and in the inundation of the river he 
 exposed his hfe to great risks, in order to assist the inha- 
 bitants. 
 
 Ferdinand offered the new city of Leghorn as an asylum 
 for persons of all nations persecuted by their respective 
 princes j to Christians of a new sect persecuted by Philip 
 
694 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 II., to Jews ill-treated and driven from their homes, Cor- 
 sicans oppressed with the Genoese government, banditti 
 wandering about to escape the arm of justice, and many- 
 others who from various reasons were obliged to quit their 
 country ; these were all eager to live under the mild laws and 
 wise administration of this prince. However the morality of 
 this measure may be questioned, its policy cannot, forby these 
 means, like Rome, Leghorn, soon increased, and arrived at 
 its most flourishing state. In 1590, his domestic felicity 
 and ambition at the same time were gratified by the birth of 
 a son*, afterwards Cosimo II. He shewed a proper spirit of 
 independence in all his actions ; and contrived this year 
 that the castles of IfFf and Pommegues near Marseilles 
 should admit a Tuscan garrison ; and a brother and daughter 
 of Fausset, the former commander of the league were de- 
 tained as hostages for the performance of the treaty with 
 Henry IV., to the great grief of the Duke of Savoy, who 
 hoped to have had these castles with Provence mfull sove- 
 reignty on the dismemberment of the French monarchy. 
 In 1595 the magnificent church at Sienna, built ever since 
 
 * This year died Pope Sixtus V., one of the most enterprising- of the 
 popes, and most liberal and free from superstition and bigotry, of any 
 who had sat on the papal throne. Cardinal Spondrati succeeded him, and 
 took the name of Greg-ory X[V. 
 
 t Iff was represented by Ferdinand in his remonstrance to Philip, (wish- 
 ing to have it,) as in a good state of defence, having twenty pieces of ar- 
 tillery, well provided with victuals, and able to resist any surprise. — Ga- 
 Luzzi. This little fortress was esteemed of such consequence, that Philip 
 If., who was jealous of Ferdinand's connexion with Henry IV., insisted on 
 having it as a preliminary step to a reconciliation. This fort commanded 
 Ratonneau and Pommegues ; the harbour of the first was capable of con- 
 taining forty galleys, and the latter eighteen. Iff, in short, was coveted by 
 the Spaniards, Savoy, and the Marseillois, to whom it was of great conse- 
 quence, commanding the harbour of Marseilles. Rinuccini, the Florentine 
 commander, drove away the French of the Guise faction, and displayed the 
 standard of the king, with the universal acclamation of " Long live the 
 king." 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 695 
 
 1063, was destroyed bv fire*, but rebuilt by the exertions of 
 this prince, who used the utmost activity for the good of his 
 subjects ; but he particularly exerted himself to repair the 
 heavy disasters occasioned by scarcity and inundations : 
 Agrarian laws were published, and new cultivators sought 
 for, with very advantageous offers, to repair the disasters, and 
 sow the waste lands. In no part of his life was Ferdinand 
 greater than by this public spirit ; he ordered marshes to be 
 drained, remedied the future overflowings of the Arno, had 
 aqueducts made, which were the means of introducing both 
 water and health to Pisa at one and the same time ; this con- 
 duct has immortalized this prince, " hsec tibi erunt artes f." 
 Leghorn was soon abundantly peopled, by the advantages 
 offered to the new settlers ; and the EngUsh, Dutch, and 
 Provencaux quickly established with it a system of com- 
 merce. Throughout the whole of his reign he displayed a 
 laudable anxiety to put Tuscany in an independent situa- 
 tion ; and as he was a liberal-minded prince, (though edu- 
 cated in the papal court,) he gave protection to the English, 
 Dutch, &c,, who were refused it by the pope and other 
 Catholic princes, on account of their religion. By this step 
 he secured their gratitude, and benefited his own state by 
 their commerce. The port of Leghorn, which sprang as it 
 were out of lakes, from this spirit of toleration and liberality, 
 was the only port in Italy open to these nations. His court 
 was not less elegant than magnificent, though regulated with 
 the strictest economy ; it v/as no longer, as in the last reign, 
 an asylum for the vicious and profligate, but distinguished 
 by the resort of the learned and ingenious, who found every 
 encouragement in a prince celebrated for his love of litera- 
 ture and the fine arts. Favours were no longer, as formerly 
 ■bestowed, as the price of enormities, but solely as a recom- 
 
 * He g-ave 12,000 crowns out of the treasury, and had a tax of 49,003 
 crowns for ten years, and used various other ways to rebuild the church. 
 
 t Virgil. 
 
696 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 pense for merit and virtue. The system of politics pursued 
 by this prudent prince, was to shake otf a slavish dependence 
 on the court of Spain, and to establish Henry, King of 
 Navarre, firmly on the throne of France. But as the 
 greatest men have their faults, he was certainly guilty of 
 duplicity ; for whilst corresponding with and assisting this 
 prince, he assured Philip II. that the reports on this head 
 were false, and that there was not a princ3 in Italy more 
 attached and devoted to him than himself. The prudent 
 advice which he gave to Henry, by which he regulated his 
 future conduct, and at length gained possession of the 
 throne of France*, made him be looked on as the wisest 
 prince of his age. The succession appeared sure to Ferdi- 
 nand's family, by the birth of two sons and a daughter : 
 Christina, the Grand Duchess, young as she was, was a 
 pattern of virtue and rehgion, and esteemed by all. 
 
 In 1598, died Philip, King of Spain, who by his ambition 
 had long been the common disturber of Europe. The grand 
 duke at length had the satisfaction of having his wishes 
 realized by a connexion with Henry IV., with whom the 
 marriage of his niece, daughter of Francis I., took place in 
 1600, by proxy, at Florence. She arrived at Lyons Decem- 
 ber 3, where the king saw her by stealth at supper, and stood 
 behind some of her suite ; but the queen discovered him, by 
 observing some embarrassment in the attendants. Henry 
 told his confidants that he was much pleased at her appear- 
 ance, but the sequel did not turn out so well, as it was a most 
 unhappy connexion f. There were great rejoicings at this 
 alliance, and Ferdinand thought himself at the height of his 
 
 * In 1595, Henry was reroncilcd to the pope, and had complete posses- 
 sion of the king'doni. 
 
 f Henry IV,, when his queen came to Paris, araong^ others, himself 
 presented to her tlie celebrated d'Eutragues with these words, " She has 
 been my mistress, and wishes to be your servant " j\Iary of Medicis after 
 this, reg'ularly associated with this woman, in order to secure the ag-g-ran- 
 dizement of her favourites, Leonora and Concini. "Risum teneatis 
 araici?" — Horace. 
 
AND THE HOUSE 01^ MEDICIS. 697 
 
 Avishes ; so short-sighted are mortals in their views of 
 worldly grandeur. 
 
 Ferdinand now began to forfeit his indepenaence, by being 
 the tool of the Spaniards : and pursuing the old system, 
 he arrested the pretended Don Sebastian, who was patronised 
 by Henry IV. and the Portuguese. Thus, it appears, that, in 
 spite of all his exertions for a number of years to counteract 
 this system, Tuscany still might be called a province (as it 
 had been) wholly dependant on Spain, whose nod it obeyed. 
 In 1604 died Don Pedro *, brother of Ferdinand, who, hav- 
 ing left his country many years, and resided in Spain, might 
 be almost called a Spaniard ; he had lucrative and honour- 
 able appointments from the King of Spain, and from his 
 partiality to the Spaniards was the cause of many disputes 
 between them and the Tuscans f. In 1607, Cosinio, son of 
 Ferdinand, married the Archduchess Maddalena, daughter 
 of Charles, Archduke of Gratz, and sister of Margaret, 
 Queen of Spain. February 7, 1609, a period was put to 
 the useful and praiseworthy administration, which had so 
 long diffused blessings on the country, by the death of the 
 grand duke. He died regretted universally by his subjects, 
 and the first of the House of Medici who was so. He was 
 beloved by all ranks, having the rare art of accommodating 
 himself to all : in familiar conversation, far different from the 
 austere severity of his ancestors, he was accustomed to 
 unite wit with cheerfulness ; his character may be known 
 from his actions. He loved the arts and sciences, and pro- 
 
 * His body was carried to the Jesuits with a splendid procession, and 
 with princely honours ; but, alas ! when the procession arrived, the body 
 was refused admission, as he died insolvent, and it was after\vards carried 
 to the Trinity. He left many natural children, having always lived a 
 licentious life, but was never married. 
 
 t In 160t( Alessandro di ]Medici was elected pope, and took tlie name 
 of Leo XI., and was the third prince of the House of Medici chosen 
 pope ; he lived, however, but twenty-six days (a), and Borghese suc- 
 ceeded him, who took the name of Paul V. 
 
 («) His monument is in St. Peter's at Rome. 
 Vol. T. 2 Z 
 
698 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 tected men of letters ; and though certainly not without 
 ambition, he uniformly made his ambition subservient to the 
 good of his subjects, a moderation rarely to be met with in 
 a prince. It may justly be said that in this prince were 
 united all the brilliant qualities which constitute a great 
 sovereign ; ingenuous but cautious, vigorous in his decisions, 
 of a great and resolute mind, even in disasters waxing bold, 
 enjoying the happy but rare talent of mixing clemency with 
 rigour. Such was this prince, who, taking the government 
 in the most difficult times, appears to have been fully equal 
 to the task, governing, in general, with the greeitest pru-, 
 dence, from which if he sometimes deviated, (for who among 
 mankind is free from imperfections ?) it must be ascribed to 
 the peculiar delicacy of his situation, and not to his want of 
 foresight. Although subject to passion, he soon forgave : 
 witness his conduct to the Aretini, who, though particularly 
 benefited by him, tied a hangman's rope about his statue, 
 acting in the most indecent manner, but he generously for- 
 gave them on the pope's intercession. Ferdinand, in short, 
 to sum up the whole in a few words, had all the qualities 
 necessary to secure the love and esteem of his subjects, and 
 is perhaps the only example of a prince being served with 
 fidehty and attachment by ministers loving each other reci- 
 procally without envy, and contributing their talents to the 
 public service, and at the same tmie assisting the prince, 
 who, esteeming them all, rewarded all their merits ; it must 
 therefore be said, that the state sustained a great loss in this 
 prince — much the greatest * of the House of Medici. Fer- 
 dinand -f- left four sons and four daughters. 
 
 * He was a prince whose memory will ever be dear to his subjects, 
 leaving the reputation of a wise and magnificent prince. Although he 
 loved amusements, he never sufi'ered them to interfere with his nnore 
 serious pursuits, and his constant aim was to be loved more tlian feared.— 
 
 MURATORI. 
 
 t Among his most useful undertakings may be reckoned his building* 
 and peopling Leghorn, and draining the Valdicliiana, which were marshes 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 699 
 
 Cos I MO II., 
 
 Fourth Grand Duke, 
 
 Succeeded his father in a very tender age ; for some time he 
 went on very well under the care of his excellent mother, and 
 having his father's upright minister of the name of Vinta ; 
 but, on his death, he trusted too much to a man of the 
 name of Cioli, who, unfortunately, acquired the confidence 
 of his mother, and was unworthy of that trust, and he was 
 ultimately the cause of the fall of the House of Medici. 
 The accession of Cosimo to power was rendered memorable 
 by the discovery of the satellites of Jupiter by Gahleo, 
 called in compliment to him the Medicean stars. In the be- 
 ginning of his reign *, this prince pursued the wise plans of 
 his father, dividing his time between his councillors and 
 family, dedicating one portion of it to domestic concerns, 
 and the other to affairs of state ; by which means he soon 
 
 sixty miles in length and three in breadth. Before his time agriculture 
 was subservient to commerce, which was solely attended to ; but he put 
 the former on such a footing that it soon took the lead, and was first, as 
 it ought, in every state, those only following commerce who could not be 
 employed in agriculture. Many excellent agricultural laws were passed 
 by this prince, tending to regulate the rural economy between the landlord 
 and tenant. The olive-tree and vine, which are now so beneficial to 
 Tuscany, as well as beautiful objects, owe their rise to the prudent atten- 
 tion of this wise and beneficent prince. The finest and most beautiful 
 gardens of Florence, so justly the admiration of every one, owe their rise 
 likewise to the taste of this sovereign. Nor did he neglect merchandise ; 
 but in this, following the system of his brother, as appears by his improve- 
 ment of Leghorn, held out every proper encouragement to commerce 
 likewise ; thus, like a wise prince, attentive to every thing which would 
 promote the good of his state. Sculpture, painting, and architecture 
 flourished in great perfection under Ferdinand in the schools of John of 
 Bologna and Bontalenti. The famous statue of Cosimo I,, on the 
 Grande Place, was made under the direction of this prince by John of 
 Bologna. 
 
 * In IGIO, the beginning «f his reign, that dreadful catastrophe took 
 place, the assassination of Henry IV., wliich deprived France of the 
 greatest of its princes. 
 
 3 Z 2 
 
700 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 acquired the love of the people. In particular, he followed his 
 father's plan, with regard to Leghorn, improving the harbour 
 and works ; he built a mole called after him, to this day. Mo- 
 la Cosimo. To complete his domestic comfort, he had a son 
 to secure the succession, and took great care of his brothers 
 and sisters, procuring them establishments. The hospitality- 
 exercised by him towards the unfortunate Emir Faccardino 
 must ever reflect the greatest honour on his memory. This 
 unfortunate eastern prince, in a fruitless attempt to recover 
 his dominions, was strangled at Constantinople with all his 
 family. In 1717, Cosimo's health, which had long been 
 delicate, and in a very declining state, suffered much from 
 his peace of mind being disturbed by the murder of Marshal 
 Ancre and his wife at Paris, and the insults offered to his 
 ambassador and the Tuscans. This prudent prince, though 
 he could not respect the character of these upstarts, had 
 often warned them of their impending ruin, unless they 
 altered their conduct, but in vain ; they still persevered in 
 their imperious and arrogant conduct till the fatal event took 
 place. 1619: This year was distinguished by more naval 
 triumphs of the Tuscan galleys. The grand duke had taken 
 the greatest pains to strengthen his marine, and from 1570 
 to 1619, it was calculated that the Tuscan galleys had made 
 more than 10,000 Turks slaves, and delivered from slavery 
 6000 Christians. Cosimo married the Archduchess Maria 
 Maddalena of Austria, and had by her a numerous family ; 
 but his health, which had long been bad, became worse and 
 worse; till, at length, this prince yielded to the force of his 
 disorder, which deprived him of life at the early age of 
 thirty-two, after a reign of only twelve years. All orders 
 and ranks united in bewaihng the loss of this prince, and 
 from this epoch may be dated the fall of the House of Me- 
 dici. Clemency, forbearance, and moderation, were the 
 leading traits in his character ; a natural and pleasing cheer- 
 fulness made his society universally sought after, and though 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 701 
 
 from the state of his health he could not at all times enjoy 
 it, he was pleased and gratified at seeing others partake of 
 those pleasures which he could not taste himself. Not only 
 was he liberal and disinterested, but learned and well read ; 
 fond of poetry, he composed verses which were much 
 esteemed. It must, however, be said, that this prince, too 
 intent] on foreign pursuits, formed great projects, but neg- 
 lected too much the affairs of his duchy, at least, he trusted 
 them to others unworthy of his confidence, which was the 
 cause of great troubles to his family. He, however, left 
 Tuscany in the most flourishing condition it had known since 
 the extinction of the republic. At his death the family of 
 Medici was very numerous, though it so soon became 
 extinct ; besides Cardinal Charles, and Don Lorenzo, Claudia 
 and Maddalcna, his brothers and sisters, Don John, son of 
 Cosimo I., was still living, and Don Antonio, supposed son 
 of Francis II. Cosimo * left five sons and two daughters ; 
 the two grand duchesses, Christina and Archduchess Maria 
 Maddalena, his mother and grandmother, were regents and 
 tutoresses of the young duke by the will of the last. Don 
 John, son of Cosimo I., survived the late grand duke but a 
 short time. He was a prince of great merit both as a soldier 
 and a statesman ; he was also a man of letters, but too much 
 addicted to necromancy, which, indeed, is more to be im- 
 puted to the fault of the age than himself. 
 
 Ferdinand IL, 
 
 Fifth Grand Duke. 
 
 This prince was eleven years old at the death of his father, 
 and for seven years the state was governed by his mother 
 
 * Cosimo II. was a prince liberal, benig-n, and loved by his people ; 
 but with sucli uniform bad health as not to be able to attend with comfort 
 to the affairs of state, and he used to envy the condition of every private 
 man. — Muratori. 
 
702 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 and grandmother; but in 1628, being eighteen years old, 
 he took possession of the dukedom, and the regency ceased*. 
 In 1630, Tuscany was afflicted with a great scarcity, and 
 fevers and sickness were the consequence of it; the land 
 tvas neglected for want, of proper cultivation, the atten- 
 tion to agriculture given by the late duke ceased, and the 
 people were forced to procure provisions from the Levant at 
 a great expense. Added to these calamities, the plague f 
 made its appearance and destroyed numbers: 6921 perished 
 of this disorder in a month ; but the grand duke acquired 
 the greatest honour by going round the city with his bro- 
 thers, assisting the sick, encouraging the desponding, and 
 (endeavouring to give them spirit by his example, to guard 
 against this heavy affliction : this is one of the most brilliant 
 parts of this prince's reign, which conferred on him the 
 greatest honour I . The hospitality of Ferdinand, in afFord- 
 ino; a refuge to the unfortunate Duke and Duchess of Lor- 
 raine, in 1634 §, cannot be too much commended, in spite 
 
 * Previous to taking- possession, he travelled to Rome, Prag-ue, aud 
 various parts of Germany, in order to improve his mind ; he was received 
 every where with great respect, and was much esteemed by the different 
 princes. 
 
 1" The g-rand duke and Iiis physicians endeavoured to prevent its beinaf 
 thought the plague, which was tlie occasion of its spreading more, from 
 proper precautions not being used. 
 
 $ In 1632, an end was put to the military glory of the hero, Gustavus 
 Adolphus, at the battle of Lutzen, 
 
 § The adventures of these amiable and unfortunate fugitives were suffi- 
 cient to furnish matter for a romance. In 1634, they were obliged to leave 
 Lorraine, owing to the tyranny of Cardinal Richelieu : the duke, dis- 
 guised, escaped from his palace to the house of a confidential friend by 
 ■night ; the duchess, in a dirty rUirged dress, with a torch in her hand, 
 lighting her gentleman-usher, escaped to the same asylum. But they had 
 now only half effected their escape ; they had still to elude the vigilance of 
 the French guards, and get out of Nanci. In order to effect this, the 
 duke cut his hair short, and disguised himself as a coal-carrier ; the 
 duchess followed him in a dirty tattered gown, carrying on her shoulders 
 a load of dung. A few leagues off tliey were received by some friends on 
 horseback, and, at length, through many perils, were conducted safe to 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 
 
 V03 
 
 of the overbearing tjTanny of France, which endeavoured to 
 awe this prince into subjection, and prevent his kind assist- 
 ance to them. Ferdinand stood high at this time in the pub- 
 He opinion, for virtue, magnanimity, and talents ; and this was 
 much increased by his Hberal conduct towards his ally and 
 relation the Duke of Parma, whom he endeavoured to pro- 
 tect from the preponderating force of Spain, and the insi- 
 dious artifices of Pope Urban VIII.* The grand duke ap- 
 {)ears to have been naturally affable, free, and liberal; a 
 lover of sciences and learned men, and his court was the 
 resort of all of that description of every naiion : they were 
 certain of finding a protector in this prince, who was anxious 
 to imitate the splendour of Cosirao the Aged and Lorenzo 
 the Magnificent. Unfortunately, domestic felicity was want- 
 ing to this prince. The grand duchess Victoria della Ro- 
 vere t was of a different character, haughty, narrow-minded, 
 suspicious, and bigoted : two persons of such opposite cha- 
 racters could not live long together, and a separation took 
 place, though Ferdinand always treated her with the utmost 
 respect, and shewed her the greatest attention. Spain still 
 
 Franche Comte, from thence to the states of the Duke of Savoy, where 
 they were hospitably received, and from thence to Florence, where they 
 found a comfortable asylum. — Galluzzi. 
 
 * That restless and ambitious pontiff finished his earthly career, in 
 1644, to the great joy o Europe, which he had long disturbed with his 
 intrigues. 
 
 t She was hereditary Princess of Urbino, and married, at thirteen 
 years old, to the grand duke in 1635. In 1642, August 14, she pro- 
 duced an heir to the duchy, five years from the time of his assuming the 
 reins of government. The year after this marriage took place, the grand 
 duchess Christina died, who had been many years regent ; she appears to 
 have been more calculated for private than public life. There were 
 many faults in her administration felt a long time in Tuscany, and espe- 
 cially Sienna, which was almost ruined by it ; there was also a system of 
 extravagance, idle and superfluous expenses, unnecessary acts of gene- 
 rosity, which brought the state to a low ebb. In private life too much 
 praise cannot be given her, and the excellent education of her family was 
 owing to her prudence and understanding. 
 
704 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 had its usual ascendency in the councils of this prince, and 
 it seemed scarcely possible for Tuscany in the present sys- 
 tem to he independent. The good qualities, however, of 
 Ferdinand were unfortunately of little use to the state 
 owing to his indolence, and his pubhc character was very 
 faulty. Theologists and lawyers soon began to acquire 
 ascendency in the councils and state, to its great hurt, as 
 well as that of the sovereign. In the regency of the grand 
 duchesses, Christina and Maria Maddalena, educated in 
 courts, and accustomed to be served by marquisses and 
 counts, the richest citizens quitted business, in order to be 
 honoured with titles, and be in the train of the court ; and a 
 regular traffic was made of this, neither to the honour of 
 the court, nor advantage of the state. 
 
 At this time wearing arras was a privilege granted to the 
 nobility, though denied to the people, which caused much 
 murmuring. The negligence likewise in punishing crimes, 
 combined with the weakness of government, overturned, or 
 at least gave a fatal shock to Tuscan manners, and the mild- 
 ness and gentleness, so prevalent in the time of Ferdinand I. 
 and Cosimo II., were changed into pride, insolence, and 
 ferocity. The sovereign who dared not openly revenge or 
 punish insults, kept in his pay a troop of bravoes, who assas- 
 sinated all that dared to offend him. Florence and Tuscany 
 were full of convents ; in the former were fifty, and in 
 Tuscany (without reckoning Sienna) there were 11,691 
 nuns. Merchandise and trade, which had flourished so 
 much under the three first grand dukes, were now almost 
 extinct ; and although the sovereign, as has been observed, 
 had great talents and good qualities, yet from various dis- 
 astrous circumstances, even from the beginning of his 
 government, they had no good effect upon the state. The 
 great body of the people were in a languishing state, the 
 ecclesiastics were numerous, and had the ascendency ; wars 
 had desolated Italy, commerce was gone, and agriculture 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 705 
 
 neglected. This was the unfortunate situation of Tuscany 
 at this sera, and Ferdinand countenanced too much the 
 heads of the banditti, with whom he kept an open corre- 
 spondence, especially with Giulio Pezzuolo, who, incited by 
 the Spanish court, had the audacity to take out of Rome 
 publicly'^, Napoletano, Prince of Sanza, and assisted by 
 twenty of his troop, took him to Naples, and put him to 
 death; an action unparalleled in the annals of history for 
 atrocity : and for this he received universal applause, by 
 which may be conjectured what was the state of manners and 
 governments in the beginning of the seventeenth century. 
 
 With regard to politics tj althoucjh Ferdinand had the re- 
 putation of a prudent prince ; he is much censured for timi- 
 dity, in not assisting the young heroic Duke of Parma, his 
 relation, who, with courage, perhaps, bordering on temerity, 
 was endeavourmg to reduce the power of that ambitious 
 pontiff Pope Urban VIII., and his upstart nephews, the 
 Barberini. Had the dukes joined their forces, it was 
 thought that the proud pontiff would have been brought to 
 reason, as well as the Barberini, who disgusted every one 
 with their avarice, pride, and insolence. Here he appears 
 to have neglected his own interest, and lost an opportunity 
 never to be regained ; for ultimately the art of the latter 
 prevailed, getting the better of the openness and manly 
 courage of the duke, till by procrastination they were 
 
 * He was banished from Rome by sentence, but suffered to live in it 
 by favour of the Barberini, the pope's nephews, with whom he was con- 
 nected by marriag^e. In Rome it was common at this time for the diffe- 
 rent parties to insult each other by their troops of bravoes oioiti ;5rere- 
 dency ; this happened l)etween the Marquis of Los Veles, the Spanish am- 
 bassador, and the Bishop of Lamego, when many lives were lost, and 
 much confusion ensued. Rome was full of tumult ; such was the state of 
 things in polished, imperial, and papal Rome. 
 
 t He was also much censured in not asserting: his wife's right to the 
 duchy of Urbino, on the failure of the male branch. 
 
706 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 enabled to recruit their armies. Thus the low cunning of 
 priests got the better of this truly heroic character, and the 
 grand duke was universally censured for pusillanimous con- 
 duct in this affair; far different from that of his great an- 
 cestor and namesake Ferdinand L, who had nothing tempo- 
 rizing in his conduct, but, on the contrary, decided bravery, 
 and greatness of mind. In his favour, however, it may be 
 said, that he did all in his power to avert the horrors of war 
 from his country ; however laudable the motive, it may be 
 doubted whether this might not have been effected better by a 
 spirited conduct, than by a temporizing one, as may be seen 
 in the present instance ; for all this caution of Ferdinand 
 was insufficient to keep the country in a pacific state. 
 
 In 1643, was formed a league to suppress the ambition of 
 the pope and Barberinis, and two armies were raised of 
 18,000 foot, and 2,700 horse, one in Lombardy, and the 
 other in Tuscany, under the orders of the grand duke, who 
 at length was roused from his indolence and dangerous 
 lethargy. On the standards of these armies was inscribed 
 pro bono pads. In this war * the Papalists -f were continu- 
 ally beaten, and glad to accept a peace granted them on ad- 
 vantageous terms, which took place in 1644. The most ex- 
 
 * Pistoia in this war of the allies distinguished itself for its gallant 
 defence against the papal forces, under the Barberini, who attempted to 
 take it by storm. After three hours' hard fighting, the papal forces were 
 obliged to retire, leaving dead more than 300, and all their scaling 
 engines, bombs, &c. &c. 
 
 t July 28, 164>i, died pope Urban VIII, All Europe, as well as 
 Rome, rejoiced at the death of this turbulent pope, a disgrace to the 
 church ; Miio, during a very long pontificate, of twent^^-one years, had 
 involved Europe in such wars and troubles, as made him universally 
 hated. Batista Panfilj was chosen in his room, a man of a very different 
 character, and took the name of Innocent X. In 164S died the hero 
 Odoardo, Duke of Parma, to the great joy of the court of Rome, which 
 always feared and hated him, as the great opposer of their tyranny and 
 oppression ; and in 1G55 died Innocent X., and Cardinal Fabio Chigi 
 was elected in his room, who took the name of Alexander VII. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 707 
 
 traordinary thing in this war was, that two leaders of banditti 
 were opposed to each other with their banditti ; Fra. Paolo 
 on the side of the grand duke. 
 
 In 1646, the grand duke was forced by Mazarin, wlio 
 endeavoured to be the arbiter of the affairs of Europe, to 
 enter into a treaty with France, and to cease persecuting, 
 as he termed it, the Barberini ; this did him no great honour 
 with the Pope or Spaniards, and his giving them entrance 
 into Leghorn, Porto Ferraio, &c., and supplying them with 
 provisions, excited great disgust. This Ferdinand called a 
 neutrality/, though not thought so by the Spaniards ; but it 
 was in pursuance of his constant and wise plan, though 
 sometimes perhaps carried too far, to keep iiis dominions in 
 peace, for which he was willing to make rtwy sacrifice. This 
 prince, at length, hit on the happy ej:pedient of varying 
 the manners of the people, and softening them by extin- 
 guishing pride and ferocity. A necessary economy, arising 
 from the exigencies of the state*, had obliged him to lay 
 aside all pride and ostentation, and genius and philosophy 
 inspired him with the wish of having in his people obsequious 
 friends, not slaves. Affability, mildness, politeness, and 
 taste, were now universally conspicuous in his court, and 
 gallantry, regulated by the rules of decency and propriety, 
 was substituted for jealousy. Attention to females, in the 
 seasons of amusement and pleasure, inspired mirth and 
 gave a stimulus to the mind, and relaxation from the 
 more serious and important concerns of life. The court 
 was now no longer, as formerly, the seat of pride and luxury, 
 which humble, and at the same time irritate the inferior 
 orders and the poor ; but an assemblage of meritorious per- 
 sons, fit to associate with one of the most learned and en- 
 lightened men of the age. In order to be esteemed at the 
 Medicean court, it was not necessary now to have birth or 
 
 * Owing- to two wet seasons there was an epidemical disorder and 
 scarcity in Tuscany, as well as other parts of Italy. 
 
708 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 wealth, but the quahties of the mind were alone considered, 
 which secured interest there ; this, in short, from its delicate 
 and nice discrimination, justly obtained the appellation of 
 the second Medicean age, by no means inferior to that of 
 Cosimo the Great, or Lorenzo the Magnificent. The coun- 
 try reaped the benefit of this change ; and Tuscany, from 
 having been the seat of war and troubles, was now become 
 that of elegance and refinement, as the court was the seat of 
 the Muses. 
 
 The grand duke, and his son, Leopold, who had the same 
 taste, took delight in ingenious experiments * with men of 
 science and philosophy, and all persons of that description 
 were sure to find a good reception at the court, in which was 
 formed an academy of literati, consisting of ten at the 
 beginning. April 18, 1660, Prince Cosimo, the eldest son 
 of the sovereign, was married to Maria Louisa, eldest daugh- 
 ter of Gaston, Duke of Orleans, by a second marriage, and 
 grand-daughter to Henry the Great, King of France, and 
 Mary of Medicis. It might have been thought that this 
 connexion, both from the accomplishments of the bride and 
 the consanguinity of the parties would have turned out well ; 
 but, on the contrary, the pride and ill temper of this prin- 
 cess imbittered the comfort of the prince and the whole 
 ducal court. In 1666, after eighteen years' separation, a 
 reconciliation took place between the grand duke and 
 duchess, and another son was the consequence of it, named 
 Francis Maria. 
 
 Cosimo, the eldest sou of Ferdinand, in order to soften 
 the uneasiness arising from the conduct of his wife, in 1668, 
 travelled much into Germany and Holland incog., and expe- 
 rienced every where great attention and respect, as both he 
 and his father were much respected abroad. On his return, 
 
 * In 1G44', the experiineut of artificial incubation was made of an eg'g", 
 M'hen men used to thi§ art were sent for from Cairo to instruct tlie court 
 of Florence in it. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 709 
 
 he had the mortification of tinding her as ill-behaved and 
 untoward as before, which occasioned a second journey to 
 Spain, Portugal, England, and France, in all which coun- 
 tries he received equal attentions and civilities. In the lat- 
 ter country, Louis XIV., to shew his disapprobation of the 
 conduct of the princess (vv'ho was that king's near relation), 
 and his regard for the duke, took off the sword which he 
 was accustomed to wear, and presented it to him to be kept 
 in remembrance of him *. 
 
 May 24, 1670, died Ferdinand II. of a fit of apoplexy, 
 aged fifty-nine, of which he had reigned forty-one f. His 
 moderate conduct, during a long reign, is the test of his 
 character. It perhaps may be called more useful than glo- 
 rious, and he had the sense and resolution to clear his court 
 
 * In 1667, Cardinal Rospiglione of Pistoia, on the death of the last 
 pope, succeeded to the papal see, and took the name of Clement IX. : it 
 is but justice to say, he was a worthy prelate, and a jifood pope, and 
 afforded an excellent model for his successors. He was one of the few- 
 popes, who, so far from changing his character on his exaltation, thought 
 it necessary only to increase in virtue and piety as he increased in dignity. 
 This excellent man, alas ! only lived two years, to the great grief of his 
 subjects and Europe ; he died Dec. 9, 1669. Clemency, toleration, and 
 mildness, so different, in general, from the papal character, were the 
 leading traits in that of this excellent man ; with these, he hud great 
 talents for business, and knowledge of the interests of the different princes 
 of Europe, and by his conduct he obtained the confidence of all. He 
 was entirely free from the fault of nepotism, leaving his relations without 
 riches, and having dependence on nothing but the merits of their de- 
 ceased relative, which, indeed, proved their firmest support, and the 
 proof of the esteem in which their excellent relative was holden. Cardinal 
 Altieri, at the advanced age of eighty (a), succeeded him, Dec. 10, and 
 took the name of Clement X. ' 
 
 t Ferdinand II. was at the same time the protector of letters and a 
 lover of the learned. The famous academy instituted by Cardinal Leo- 
 pold in 1657, encouraged and favoured by this prince, is the greatest 
 proof of this. As he had long governed his people with incomparable 
 prudence and the affection of a father, so they regretted him, and 
 honoured his funeral with many tears. — Muratori. 
 
 (a) So depraved and worldly were the Romans now become, that they sel- 
 dom considered the qualities of the candidate for the tiara, but his age only, 
 and whether from that circumstance there was likely to be a speedy vacancy. 
 
71p HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 of thai disgraceful herd of sycophants which threatened to 
 involve him and his state in ruin ; so that, as he -wd-n esteemed 
 much in life, his death was much regretted, as he was 
 regarded for his virtue, prudence, and wisdom. If he erred 
 on the side of caution *, and seemed at times pusillanimous, 
 let it be remembered, that in the most difficult times he en- 
 deavoured and succeeded in steering clear between the con- 
 tending parties, which were tearing Italy to pieces, making 
 it his constant aim, from which he never deviated, to secure 
 to his people the blessings of peace, except when obliged to 
 the contrary by the ambition of the papal tyrant. Urban VIII. 
 His court, as has been observed, was the receptacle of the 
 learned and ingenious. Here the men of letters and fine 
 arts were sure of finding encouragement ; and here, in short, 
 might be said to be assembled all the learning, wit, and 
 elegance of the age, so that this ingenious and accomplished 
 prince was universally lamented as the Augustus of Tuscany, 
 without his vanity, and during his reign the court may be 
 said to have been at its zenith ; and he of the House of 
 Medicis was most regretted, as having the least pride, and 
 being most affable and popular. His constant motto was 
 " Gratia obvia, ultio qusesita-f*. The faults of this prince, 
 (for who is free from them ?) were being too subject to pas- 
 sion, and too oreat libertinage in himself, and indulgence in 
 the same to his brother. His character was summed up in 
 a few words by Carlodati in the monumental inscription : 
 
 " Principum aspientissimus, sapientum princeps, 
 Fovit artes et auxit, adamavit scientias et habuit J. 
 
 But such is the infirmity of human nature, it is painful to 
 relate, that adorned with all these jon^ai^ qualities, his pub- 
 
 * It was owing- to the moderation and mediation of this prince that the 
 peace was established betM'een Louis XIII. and Pope Alexander VIII. 
 
 t " Quick iu favours, slow in reveng-e," 
 
 % " The wisest of princes, and wisest of wise men, he not only cherished 
 but promoted the arts ; he loved the sciences, himself a man of science." 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 711 
 
 Kg ones did not answer to it ; he was not a good governor, 
 and his government was feeble owing to his easy disposition; 
 abuses multiphed, and the wise constitutions of Cosimo and 
 Francis from neglect fell into disuse. He was, in general, 
 a blind adherent to the pope, and suffered the inquisition to 
 have too great a sway in his states, and priestcraft was too 
 much encouraged — so different often is the pubhc and private 
 character of a prince * ; and surely his having bravoes in his 
 pay must be an eternal stain to his reign. 
 
 Cosimo III., 
 
 Fifth Grand Duke. 
 This prince succeeded his father tranquilly in 1670. The 
 people had formed great hopes of him when hereditary 
 prince, which were soon disappointed : instead of intro- 
 ducing among his subjects useful arts by his travels, he 
 brought nothing but pride and contempt for his own coun- 
 try-}-, and not pursuing his father's wise and prudent system 
 of economy, which procured him the esteem of his subjects, 
 he adopted a new plan of pomp and grandeur utterly incon- 
 sistent with his situation and the good of his subjects. They 
 had expected to have had some amends made them for the 
 loss of their late prince ; but, on the contrary, the proud 
 contumacious character of the present sovereign was totally 
 opposite to the affability and popular manners of Ferdinand. 
 On the separation therefore of the grand duchess j from her 
 
 * In this prince's reig'n flourished tlie famous sculptor, Peter Tacca, 
 and Giovanni da St. Giovanni and Peter of Cortona, paint ers,^-c. Fer- 
 dinand pursued the plan of his predecessors, of improving and embellishing' 
 Leghorn; 
 
 t The wits said, that he travelled more from ostentation than with a 
 view of acquiring knowledge ; and in reading the account of his travels, 
 the whole appears more like a grand procession than a journey. 
 
 % In 1675, the grand duchess succeeded at last in obtaining the consent 
 of the King of France and the archduke to retire to a convent at Mont- 
 martre, and went away, to the great griefof the Florentines, among whom 
 she was very popular. 
 
712 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 husband, as settled by Louis XIV., much blame was im- 
 puted to his harshness by the people, by whom he was not 
 beloved. It was remarked, that from the time of the grand 
 duchess going into France, and prejudicing the people 
 against him, a visible change took place, and the few good 
 qualities which he had disappeared. He grew dissembling, 
 cruel, and hardened ; vanity was the leading trait in his cha- 
 racter : magnificent and generous with strangers, he was 
 proud and reserved with his subjects. No sooner was the 
 grand duchess gone *, than an essential change took place in 
 the court — the public exercises of religion were more attended 
 to, in order to discountenance the reports which the duchess 
 spread of the dissoluteness of the court of Florence f. In 
 1681, Cosimo had a most dangerous illness, and on his 
 
 * The grand duchess was fixed in a convent at Montmartre ; but she 
 soon overset the reg'ularity of a conventual life, and was so dissipated and 
 
 headstrong, that the abbess said, she could easier manage the d than 
 
 so turbulent and indocile a character ; she was also very negligent in her 
 character, which sustained much censure. In a long letter to her husband, 
 she said, "he had been the ruin of her salvation ; that she must unavoid- 
 ably go to the devil, and be consumed in hell-fire, which she did not re- 
 gard, only that she was sure of meeting him there." She took a copy of 
 this courtly epistle, which she gave to Louis XIV., who was so much 
 pleased with it as to read it in full court ; so much for the elegant court 
 of Louis XIV. She never spoke of her husband in any terms but her 
 hated husband. In 1681, on the dangerous illness of the grand duke, 
 she kept up a secret correspondence with her son Ferdinand, new model- 
 ling the government by anticipation. When the grand duke recovered 
 and discovered it, the two brothers, Lorenzini, much celebrated for their 
 learning and scientific knowledge, were imprisoned in the tower of Vol- 
 terra for being concerned in this business. 
 
 + In 1675 died Cardinal Leopold, uncle of Cosimo III. ; his death was 
 brought on by dissipation, the hereditary vice of his familj', whicii, indeed, 
 was the cause of its extinction. He was much beloved by the people, and 
 seriously hurt at the conduct of his nephew the grand duke, which it is 
 thought hastened his death, acting on a debilitated constitution. With 
 him may be said to have expired the glory of the House of Medici, as 
 his learning, accomplishments, and virtues made him be esteemed by all 
 Europe, being reckoned the most accomplished prince in Europe. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 713 
 
 recovery changed his whole system, living abstemiously, and 
 using moderate exercise and recreations, a system vi^hich had 
 the best effect*. In 1684, this prince exerted himself, and 
 joined the league against the Turks, sending the league seve- 
 ral galleys to act on the coasts of Dahuatia and Albania. 
 
 The preponderating power of Louis XLV.f, and his inso- 
 lence to the Genoese, seem to have had a great effect on the 
 grand duke, as he courted his protection with the utmost 
 serviUty, disclaiming all harsh measures against his wife, 
 and even desiring the king to name matrimonial connexions 
 for his children. In 1689:]:, Prince Ferdinand was married 
 to the Princess Violante of Bavaria, a princess of most 
 amiable qualities, to the great joy of the two Houses of 
 Bavaria and Medici. The grand duke did not abate his 
 extravagance, lavishing large sums of money in founding 
 and repairing monasteries, and supporting ecclesiastical 
 pomp, so that by his vanity and extravagance he exhausted 
 
 * In 1693, was the famous sieg-e of Vienna by the Turks, when Co- 
 simo III. sent all the assistance he could to the imperialists. Terror and 
 consternation possessed the inhabitants, who were drowned in tears, and 
 penitential processions were continual ; they were delivered from their 
 fears by the gallantry of John Sobieski, and Charles, Duke of Lorraine. 
 
 •!• The Genoese having' offended this ]iaug"hty prince could not be re- 
 ceived into favour, but by sending- their dog-e and four of the principal 
 senators to Versailles to sue for pardon in the humblest terms, wliich at 
 length was granted them : such was the arrogance of this haughty ])rince, 
 which, however, in the latter part of his reign received a couiplete check. 
 
 'I In 16S9, August 6, died Pope Innocent XI., to the g-reat grief of 
 Europe, being a pious and virtuous pontiff ; and Oct. 6, Cardinal Ottu- 
 buoni was elected, and took the name of Alexander V^III. ; he lived only 
 two years, and in 1691 Pope Innocent XII. was chosen, who died Sep- 
 tember 27, 1700, universally regretted. Cardinal Albani succeeded, by 
 the name of Clement XI. Thus in eleven jears were four popes, a ra|)id 
 succession almost unequalled. We find the popes always nmch connected 
 with the affairs of Tuscan v, for which reason it is necessary to mention 
 them often. Pope Innocent X!I. was esteemed by all for his liberality 
 and virtues, and much esteemed by the Tuscans, and universally regTCt- 
 tcd — far different from most of his predecessors, who were alike contemp- 
 tible for pride, avarice, bigotry, and worldly-niindedness. 
 
 Vol. I. 3 A 
 
714 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 his treasury. In 1691, William, Elector Palatine, married the 
 Princess Ann, daughter of the grand duke, although he had 
 made a treaty of marriage with the Kings of Spain and Portugal, 
 and dauphin of France, The extravagance of the sovereign 
 obliged him to have recourse to extraordinary taxes, and in 
 1692 there was a great clamour on account of the taxes im- 
 posed by' the duke on j)erukes, men and women servants, 
 horses and asses*. In the year 1700 Cosimo went to Rome 
 to see the pope, and inspect the sacred relics of St. Peter, 
 to which none can have access but the canons of the church; 
 he was therefore made a canon, and ascending the tribune 
 dressed in canonicals, he shewed the people the relics, as 
 Prince Ladislaus, son of Sigismond III., King of Poland, 
 had done in 1625. 
 
 Cosimo III. was the great instrument of enriching the 
 noble gallery, which is the wonder of Europe, with those 
 fine works of art, which are the admiration of every one. 
 After his recovery from his dangerous illness, he was pre- 
 scribed the exercise of walking by his physician, and used 
 to frequent the gallery much, which made him increase the 
 collection and attend to it ; but the building was originally 
 erected by Cosimo I. in 1564, and continued by his son 
 Francis. All the princes of Medici contributed something 
 to increase this collection, but chiefly the Grand Duke Fer- 
 dinand II. and the Cardinal Leopold. In the latter part of 
 Cosimo's life, his vanity, of which he had a considerable 
 share, was much mortified, as in taking the part of Louis 
 XIV. in the succession war, he incurred the indignation of 
 the allies, particularly Anne of Great Britain, and was obliged 
 to submit to great humiliation in order to mitigate her wrath; 
 he was also oblio;ed to furnish lar2;e sums to the allies as a 
 contribution, by order of Prince Eugene in 1708. The grand 
 dukes were, in fact, always forced to take the law from 
 
 * A hint to our countrymen not to complain of taxes. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 715 
 
 France, Spain, or Austria; such is the fate of minor princes, 
 never to be independent. In 1713 died Ferdinand, eldest 
 son of Cosimo, much regretted for his amiable qualities, 
 without children*. Giovaii. Gastone, his brother, had no 
 children, and every thing shewed the near extinction of the 
 House of Medicis, notwithstanding its former numerous 
 branches. As its last hope, Cardinal Francis Maria resigned 
 his cardinal's hat, and married the Princess Eleonora Gon- 
 zaga, daughter of Vincent Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla, in 
 1709. This marriage proved as unfortunate as the others of 
 the House of Medicis. The bride took a dislike to her hus- 
 band, and in spite of the sohcitations of the pope, and 
 of the relations on both sides, refused to live with him ; 
 this prince, who had long resisted entering into the matri- 
 monial state, and had at length complied with the v/ishes of 
 the grand duke, was so hurt at his wife's conduct, that he 
 fell a victim to grief and a broken constitution, and died in 
 two years. 
 
 The reign of Cosimo III., from the beginning to the end, 
 may be said to form the epoch of the decline of his family, 
 as well as of the prosperity of his states. The unarmed 
 neutrality which he attempted to observe was impossible 
 under existing circumstances, and as the monarchy of Spain 
 Tell, and that of France rose, he decHned with the former, its 
 destinies having always ruled those of Tuscany : Ferdinand 
 II., indeed, had had resolution and magnanimity enough to 
 banish from his court its dark and insidious maxims, but 
 Cosimo, his son, not only adopted them, but bhndly adhered 
 to them, which proved the ruin of his House, and over- 
 
 * Ferdinand had long- been afflicted with epileptic lits, and fell a victim 
 to his former excesses ; his inclination for the Belles Lettres, learning-, 
 and great enterprises, made him much rea^retted, as inheriting- the g-enius 
 . of Ferdinand II. He was often the advocate of the oppressed, and pro- 
 cured them ease from his father, which made him the darling- of the peo- 
 ple, who offered up public vows to heaven for his life with tears and 
 lamentations, a proof how much he was beloved. 
 
 3 A 2 
 
716 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 throw of the state ; as, indeed, he was the weakest of the 
 princes of his family, so was his ministry proportionably 
 weak, which is always the case, as wise princes choose good 
 ministers. To him, however, is owing the cultivation of the 
 vine, and in his reign the wines of Tuscany were in the 
 greatest repute in England, Holland, &c. In his time 
 Magliabecchi, (who founded the famous library, called after 
 his name) flourished; and also the famous Galileo J 
 
 The Quadruple alliance *, as it was called, formed in 1718, 
 to settle the succession of Tuscany, was the death-blow to the 
 hopes of the reigning family, disposing of their states 
 decidedly without their concurrence, and contrary to their 
 v^ishes ; thus taking away even the shadow of independence. 
 In the latter part of his life the grand duke attended entirely 
 to the regulation of the affairs of the monks, and the minute 
 concerns of his subjects, leaving to his counsellors the im- 
 portant affairs of state, who were influenced by John Gaston, 
 and the electressf, who, since the death of the Elector 
 Palatine, had resided at the court of Florence, and was much 
 disliked for her haughty manners ; unfortunately she had the 
 principal direction of affairs. 
 
 September 17, 1721, the Grand Duchess Maria Louisa 
 died in France, aged seventy-six ; the latter part of her life 
 was more quiet than the former, and if religion had not 
 power to moderate her passions, age at least had ; the grand 
 duke latterly had ceased to molest her, and the Duke of 
 Orleans, Regent of France, suffered her to live in town or 
 country as she. pleased J. 
 
 * Ensfland, Holland, Germany, and France. 
 
 t The electress was the favourite child of the duke, and he made every 
 exertion to have her put into the succession, after tlie death of the Elector 
 Palatine, though contrary to the law of succession in Tuscany. The 
 sovereigns at last consented, and Cosimo died in the full persuaslcm of her 
 succeeding- John Gaston ; the event will declare how this plan was 
 frustrated. 
 
 J It was said that the disputes between her and her husband orig^inated 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 717 
 
 October 31, 17;23, died Cosimo III. *, aged eighty-one, 
 after a long reign of fifty-three years, disturbed by the 
 violence of contending parties, and latterly by the arbitrary 
 attempts of the sovereigns of Europe to regulate the succes- 
 sion to the Duchy. He had travelled much, and seen much 
 of the world, but not profited by his knowledge as he ought, 
 as it appears from a general review of his conduct, for he 
 was vain, ostentatious, bigotted, arbitrary, and extravagant ; 
 the people disliked him, as imputing to him all the evils of 
 Tuscany, so much so, that they saw with less regret the 
 approaching extinction of a family they had long been 
 accustomed to look up to with respect. Compassion, huma- 
 nity, and generosity, were virtues but little known, or at 
 least but little practised, by this proud and inexorable prince ; 
 but a fund of ignorance, despotism, hypocrisy, and priest- 
 craft, distinguished this long reign, which might have consti- 
 tuted the comfort of the people and his own glory ; which 
 ought always to be the case between a prince and his sub- 
 jects, as whatever establishes their comfort must tend to his 
 glory. Owing to this long reign hardly the least traces 
 remained of the splendid one of Ferdinand II., and Cosimo 
 III. was followed to the grave without regret. 
 John Gaston f came to the throne at the age of fifty- 
 
 in her freedom with her French servants, and that he one day saw her 
 romping- with her cook, at whicli he was so enraged, that he treated her 
 ver}' severely before several persons, at wliich she was so much hurt, as to 
 desire a separation, to which he consented ; and historians g^o so far as to 
 say, that the extinction of the Medici arose from a pillow in the garden 
 being- thrown at this cook. It is certain, however, that her vivacity 
 carried her to too great a length. 
 
 * Cosimo was received at Rome with the greatest honours by P(»pe 
 Clement II., who made him canon of St. Peters, and among other pre- 
 sents gave him the ancient seat of St. Stephen, to enrich the cathedral of 
 Pisa. But many persons thought this visit was one as nuich of politics 
 as devotion, with regard to the alarming situation of Italy. — Muratori. 
 
 •I- So named from his grandfatlier, youngest son of Henry IV., King 
 of France. 
 
718 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 three. It must be said that he was an accoraphshed prince, 
 being perfectly acquainted with the Latin, German, French, 
 Spanish, and Enghsh languages ; he understood music well, 
 and had great taste in the fine arts ; but these accomphsh- 
 ments were lost in a certain measure, by his conduct. He 
 had been exercised in the school of adversity, and had had 
 great domestic affliction, owing to the perverse conduct of 
 his wife. Every one was surprised at the reluctance with 
 which he undertook the government; but added to a natural 
 indolence, the troubles which he had undergone, and the 
 mortification he had for some time experienced, in witness- 
 ing the arrangement for the future dynasty, made him prefer 
 a private to a public life, and the lust of power, which has 
 such great influence with many, had none with him *. 
 
 His first step was to imitate the conduct of his grandfather, 
 Ferdinand II., in conversing familiarly with the nobility, and 
 attending to their counsels. He banished from his court 
 the swarm of monks, hypocrites, informers, and parasites, 
 which had so long been a disgrace to it in the last reign ; 
 and this conduct procured him such applause, that he soon 
 acquired the love and esteem of his subjects. He exercised 
 acts of clemency and kindness with moderation and dis- 
 cretion, and all seemed contented witli the government: but 
 the grand duchess, with her usual caprice, resided in Bo- 
 
 * In 1722 died Pope Clement II. Cardinal Conti succeeded by the 
 name of Innocent XJII., who was much superior to his predecessor in the 
 art of government, although by making- the profligate Abbe du Bois 
 cardinal, at the intercession of the Regent Duke of Orleans, he did not 
 get much honour, nor do much credit to his notions of morality. lu 1724 
 Cardinal Orsiui, aged seventy-nine, succeeded, by the name of Benedict 
 XIII. This pope, defective as to eye-sight and the use of his limbs, had 
 a capacious mind and enterprising spirit, and was well calculated to 
 restore the defective government in chtu'ch and state. His election, as 
 well as that of many of the popes, was chiefly owing to the House of 
 Medici, and principally to John Gaston, who exerted himself much on 
 this occasion. 
 
AND THE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. 719 
 
 hernia *, without having the least correspondence with her 
 husband. Unhappy marriages seemed interwoven with the 
 fate of this House ; this was the third reigning prince in 
 succession who had been unfortunate in matrimonial con- 
 nexions. He, however, endeavoured to console himself by 
 introducing gaiety into his court, and by innocent parties of 
 pleasure and agreeable conversation, he soon made his 
 people forget the austerity of the preceding reign. He had 
 still, however, the mortification of witnessing the arrange- 
 ments made by the different courts as to the succession, and 
 with difficulty prevented the entry oi foreign garrisons mio 
 his dominions. 
 
 The grand duke, however, at length shewed the most per- 
 fect indifference and greatness of mind, on observing the 
 different speculations of the European princes on his death, 
 and their future plans on that event. His conduct in resist- 
 ing the insinuations and menaces of the Spaniards, and all 
 mediation and treaties with regard to his successor, and his 
 
 * The grand duchess was Anna Maria Frances of Saxony, widow of 
 Prince Philip of Newburg- ; every comfort and advantage were expected 
 from this connexion, as this princess was the heiress of the House of 
 Saxe Lauembourg ; but on the contrary, it was the source of great evils 
 and troubles to this prince, so short-sighted are mortals in all their 
 worldly plans. He was married to this princess at Dusseldorff, July 2, 
 1697, and never had much comfort afterwards ; she was proud and inso- 
 lent in her disposition, and remarkably coarse in her manners, being 
 much with grooms and horses, and always riding or hunting. In 1705 
 she agreed to go with her husband in two years to reside in Florence, and 
 to alter her conduct to him, at the reiterated intreaties of the pope, em- 
 peror, elector Palatine, and grand duke, but when the time came, she 
 broke her word ; thus the House of Medici, which seemed to be firmly 
 built, and as tiriuly established by so many male heirs, was doomed to 
 undergo the fate of all dynasties which exclude females from the succes- 
 sion, and to have recourse, though a temporary one, to a female to pre- 
 serve it a little longer, in the person of the Electrcss Palatine, as settled 
 by the sovereigns before the death of Cosimo HI. France, however, must 
 be excepted from this rule, which for many ages has continued in the 
 male line. 
 
720 
 
 HISTORY OF FLORENCE 
 
 firmness in preserving the integrity of his state, and keeping 
 off any foreign aggression, were looked up to with admira- 
 tion and wonder in so dehcate a situation. Between the 
 imperialists and Spaniards, who alike had interested views, 
 this prince had a difficult task to steer, and his mind was 
 continually harassed : both these powers wished to garrison 
 the duchy with their troops, preparatory to taking posses- 
 sion of it at his death; one threatened, and the other cajoled, 
 so that this prince had little more than the shadow of sove- 
 reignty. Greatly, however, to his honour, he exerted him- 
 self in the early part of his government in easing the dis- 
 tresses of the country, occasioned by the extravagance of 
 the last reign, and various other causes ; for he found it re- 
 duced much by penury, heavy taxes, &c., which required the 
 utmost exertion on his part to remedy. Harassed at length 
 with the contending parties waiting for his death, a visible 
 change took place in his conduct, and the latter part of his 
 government was very disgraceful, if government it may be 
 called ; and this last duke of the line of Medici has left an 
 indelible stain upon his memory, by leaving the care of the 
 government entirely to his ministers, and his private con- 
 cerns to his servants. He gave himself up entirely to a 
 man whom he made his confidant, from being a menial ser- 
 vant ; and this man became the vehicle of all favours, and 
 the channel of introduction to everyone. The grand duke 
 was hardly ever seen by his courtiers, and since the time of 
 his being confined by a dangerous fall, he became almost in- 
 accessible to every one. One thing, however, was greatly to 
 his honour : despairing to preserve the liberty and inde- 
 pendence of his state, he at least preserved it from the 
 horrors of war and invasion. In 1731 * died the Princess 
 
 * In 1731 died Antonio, Duke ofPanna, the last prince of the House 
 of Fariicse. 
 
AND TttE HOUSE OF MEDICIS. Tj^l 
 
 Violante, widow of Prince Ferdinand, eldest brother of the 
 reigning duke, much regretted by him and all persons, as 
 a princess of great merit. 
 
 October 26, the fatal stroke was put to the independence 
 of Tuscany, by the arrival at Leghorn of the English and 
 S panish combined fleets, bringing the Spanish troops to gar- 
 rison the Tuscan towns, preparatory to the arrival of the 
 infant, and the infant himself aged sixteen, son of the King 
 of Spain, the destined successor of John Gaston, disem- 
 barked at Leghorn. December 27, after having been there 
 some time, he Vv'ent to Florence, and was received in the palace 
 of Pitti by the grand duke and electress, with great affection, 
 and universally acknowledged and approved of as the destined 
 heir of Tuscany ; the brother and sister had such command 
 of themselves, as to shew him as much attention as if he had 
 been of their own blood. February 12, 1736, the marriage 
 between Francis, Duke of Lorrain, and the Archduchess 
 Maria* Theresa, eldest daughter of the Emperor Charles VL, 
 too place, from which a future stock of emperors of the 
 Lorrain Austrian line was to spring. The Spanish Prince's 
 popularity increased, and his future subjects formed great 
 hopes from his government ; but all this plan was suddenly 
 changed by the war between the houses of Austria and 
 Bourbon, when a peace was made, and treaty, by which 
 Francis, Duke of Lorrain, was to succeed to the duchy of 
 Tuscany -j- ; and thus the Tuscans were now to have the 
 
 * This Maria was so i;no\vn in Europe afterwards for her misfortunes and 
 magnanimity under the name of the Empress queen. The Hungarians 
 were so enthusiastic in her favour, as to say " JMoriemur pro nostro 
 Rege Maria." The unfortunate and beautiful Marie Antoinette, Queen of 
 France, whose conduct was so great in adversity as to excite tlie admira- 
 tion of all, was her daughter. 
 
 t Stanislaus, King of Poland, father-in-law of Louis XV"., was to 
 have Lorrain for his life, on tlic death of John Gaston, and by this new 
 arrangement the Electress Dowager Palatine was excluded from the 
 Tuscan sovereignty, much to her displeasure, as she was proud and am- 
 bitious. 
 
722 HISTORY OP FLORENCE 
 
 Germans for their masters, (whom they hated), instead of 
 the Spaniards ; and a new system of courting their future 
 masters was to take place. 
 
 1"he grand duke was so affected at this change, that a 
 melancholy and depression of spirits seized him, and he from 
 this time left to his ministers the entire regulation of state 
 affairs. His health now (from having been much confined 
 to his room and a sedentary life) began visibly to decline, 
 and with the strength of his body, declined the strength of 
 his mind. In 1737 *, the new treaty began to be carried, 
 into execution ; the Spaniards evacuating Tuscany, were 
 succeeded by the Germans, and General Wachtendonck, the 
 commander, took the oath of fidelity to the grand duke, as 
 prescribed and practised by the Spaniards. John Gaston 
 did not long, survive this ; but having had violent attacks of 
 the gout and stone, at length yielded to their force, July 9, 
 1737, aged sixty-six, of which he had reigned only thir- 
 teen. 
 
 Thus lived, and died John Gaston, the last prince of the 
 line of Medici. The candid reader will look with an eye of pity 
 
 * The Electress survived her brotlier a few years ; thougli the last of 
 her family, she was not much reg'retted, on account of her pride and inso- 
 lence. It was thought that she brought her father Cosinio III., who was 
 blindly partial to her, to the brink of ruin, by her pernicious counsels, 
 never considering the good of the ])eople, but her own ambitious views. 
 The new government treated her with the most marked attention, con- 
 sulting her in every thing. It has been remarked that the Houses of 
 Farnese and jMedici were exalted nearly by the same means, and took 
 their rise the same way, so they both ended in a female, with this dif- 
 ference, that the electress was mortified in finding her projects rejected by 
 all the powers, without children, and deprived of tlic inheritance of her 
 ancestors ; whilst the female of the House of Farnese exalted to the throne, 
 of Spain, and blessed with a numerous progeny, was feared and ad- 
 mired by the different princes of Europe. Thei'e was also this difference, 
 that the Farnese were most of them distinguished by their personal 
 bravery, whilst the jMedici were more famous in the cabinet than the field, 
 and increased their possessions more by negotiations than the sword ; 
 whilst the former with difficulty kept possession of theirs with the point of 
 the sword, 
 
AND THE HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 723 
 
 on his failings, as greater allowances are to be made for bim 
 than any of his family: he maybe said to have been educated 
 in the school of adversity, having never experienced the hap- 
 piness of paternal affection, nor the joys of domestic comfort. 
 He only exchanged the harshness of a rigid father for the 
 perverseness of an untoward wife — obliged to form this ma- 
 trimonial connexion, much against his will, by the arbitrary 
 commands of his father ; can it, therefore, be cause for 
 wonder, if thus deprived of his happiness, he sometimes 
 erred, and had recourse to a way of life unworthy of his ex- 
 alted station and future prospects? He v/as universally 
 lamented as a prince liberal, beneficent, and compassionate, 
 and was much esteemed for his wit and learning ; and if there 
 were some parts of his conduct in which he seemed timid 
 and undecided, this must be ascribed to the peculiar diffi- 
 culties of his reign, and the delicate times in which he lived, 
 and his earnest desire to preserve the independence of the 
 state from the efforts of the contending parties, and keep his 
 subjects from the horrors of invasion and the evils of war, so 
 that the first seven years of his administration were reckoned 
 the happiest which Tuscany had enjoyed a long time. His 
 vices, in short, were magnified, and the tears of his subjects 
 were the test of his virtues. His whole reign may be said to 
 have been a scene of mortification ; he no sooner was grand 
 duke, than the contending princes counted the months and 
 years of his life, and formed their speculations on the proba- 
 bility of his death ; he saw in himself the last prince of his 
 line, and every illness had the pain of hearing reports of the 
 future plans of princes of another house who were to succeed 
 • him ; so that, in fact, he was a prince without power, and 
 grand duke only in name : we, therefore,, should be inclined 
 to pity more than blame him for his imperfections, for what 
 sovereign had greater trials, or lived in a more difficult 
 period? 
 
 Thus finished the line of Medici, the seven princes of 
 which as grand dukes had wielded the sceptre more than 
 
724 HOUSE OP MEDICIS. 
 
 200 years, from Cosimo I., in 1536, to the death of John 
 Gaston, 1737. If they were not free from vices, several of 
 them were endowed with great virtues ; and every step 
 which the traveller takes in Florence must remind him of 
 their liberality and mmiificence, as almost every spot and 
 place shews some statue or public building, serving at the 
 same time as monuments of their taste, and embellishments 
 of this elegant city ; so that they vvill ever be remembered 
 for cultivating the arts, improving their cities, and patro- 
 nising men of learning. At the death of the grand duke, the 
 prince of Craon took possession of the duchy without oppo- 
 sition, and all the orders of the state took the oath of fide- 
 lity to the new Duke, Francis, in whom began the new 
 dynasty of the Austrian-Lorrain dukes. 
 
 ExD OF Appendix to thg First Volume. 
 
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